Month: September 2008

Weekly News Media Briefs – Week Ending September 27, 2008

From the Caroline County Sheriff’s Office:

On September 23, 2008, Deputy M.J. O’Connor responded to a Ruther Glen business to complete a follow-up investigation on a larceny that occurred on September 15, 2008. After investigating, Mary R. Lee, 33, of Ruther Glen was charged with Embezzlement. She was ordered held without bond and a court date of September 24, 208 was set.

On September 19, 2008, Deputy C.M. Hall encountered 3 juveniles, while on patrol at the Caroline High School football game. All three juveniles were charged with trespassing and one juvenile was also charged with Underage Possession of Alcohol. All three juveniles have a pending Court date in Caroline Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

On September 20, 2008, Deputy G.J. Hamilton responded to a Ruther Glen address in reference to Destruction of Property. After investigating, a juvenile was charged with Throwing a Missile at an Occupied Vehicle and Destruction of Property. The juvenile has a pending court date in Caroline Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

On September 21, 2008, Deputy W.D. Lipscomb stopped Derrick J, Rippy, 29, of Richmond, for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Rippy was charged with Destruction of Property. He was released on his own recognizance and a Court date of November 28, 2008 was set.

On September 21, 2008, Deputy J.O. Cecil responded to a Ruther Glen address for a report of Animal Cruelty. After investigating, William G. Dean, 46, of Hanover was charged with three counts of Failing to Pay License Tax and three counts of Failing to have Dogs Vaccinated for Rabies. He was released on a summons on all charges and a court date of January 21, 2009 was set.

On September 21, 2008, Deputy C.A. Heywood stopped Michael B. Harris, 23, of Ruther Glen for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Harris was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Fail to Drive on the Right Side of the Highway. He was released on a $2,000 unsecured bond and a court date of October 1, 2008 was set.

On September 22, 2008, Deputy C.M. Hall encountered a juvenile acting disorderly at the High School. After investigating, the juvenile was charged with Disorderly Conduct. He has a pending court date in the Caroline Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

On September 22, 2008, Deputy C.M. Hall encountered juvenile at the Caroline High School. After investigating, the juvenile was charged with trespassing. He has a pending court date in the Caroline Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

On September 22, 2008, Deputy C.A. Heywood responded to a Ruther Glen address for an intoxicated person. Upon investigating, Donnie L. Poindexter, 46, of Ruther Glen was charged with being Drunk in Public, Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer and Obstruction of Justice. He was ordered held without bond and court date of September 24, 2008 was set.

On September 23, 2008, Deputy D.W. Mundie responded to a Ruther Glen address for a report of a sexual assault. After investigating, Brian M. Braxton, 27, of Ruther Glen was charged with Sexual Battery. He was held on a $1,500 secured bond and a court date of September 24, 2008 was set.

On September 23, 2008, Deputy K. Digravio-Ferguson responded to a Bowing Green address for a Domestic Disturbance. Upon investigating, Michael W. Henson, Sr., 36, of Bowling Green was charged with Domestic Assault. He was ordered held without bond and court date of September 25, 2008 was set.

On September 23, 2008, Deputy S. Mullane encountered Keith A. Pleasants, 34, of Ruther Glen. Upon further investigation, Pleasants was charged with Driving Suspended, Possession of a Schedule I or II Narcotic, and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol/Drugs. He was held on a $2,000 secured bond and a court date of September 24, 2008 was set.

On September 24, 2008, Deputy C.M. Pollard stopped Erik H. Ingram, 39, of Port Royal for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Ingram was charged with Felony Habitual Offender and Fail to Obey a Stop Sign. He was ordered held without bond and a court date of September 26, 2008 was set.

On September 26, 2008, Deputy C.A. Heywood stopped Basil E. Fountain, 56, of Highland Springs for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Fountain was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Refusal to Submit to a Test and Littering. He was held on a $2,500 secured bond and a court date of October 1, 2008 was set.

On September 27, 2008, Deputy C.A. Heywood stopped Christopher R. Cannon, 27, of Ruther Glen for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, Cannon was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Defective Equipment. He was released on a $2,500 unsecured bond and a court date of October 3, 2008 was set.

On September 27, 2008, Deputy C.M. Polliard stopped Ann McCrummen, 48, of Bowling Green for a traffic violation. Upon further investigation, McCrummen was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Drive Revoked – DUI related. She was held on a $2,500 secured bond and a court date of October 1, 2008 was set.

Caroline County Sheriff’s Office Wrap Up

According to Sheriff Tony Lippa, Caroline Deputies made 9 drug arrests, 5 DUI arrests, 13 domestic violence arrests, and 70 other criminal arrests during the past week. The deputies served 221 civil papers, issued 264 traffic summonses, handled 6 motor vehicle crashes, responded to 36 alarm calls, and dealt with 12 juvenile offenders. The Sheriff’s Office Communications Center dispatched 548 calls for service and handled 850 telephone inquiries. The CCSO also logged 27 calls assisting outside agencies and had 324 self-initiated calls.

Tentative live hate-blog schedule.

The second Presidential debate on Tuesday, October 7, at 9 p.m.

The third Presidential debate on Wednesday, October 15, at 9 p.m.

Election night November 4, starting at 6 p.m.ish (subject to change).

Unfortunately, can’t do the Veep debate on Thursday, October 2, 9 p.m., due to the fact that I have a class at that time. Well, I could do it, but I don’t think the instructor would be too happy with me watching steaming video and typing up stuff for a blog. :)

Coveritlive.com has some great free software for live blogging for the bloggers out there, by the way.

Why can’t Albert Pollard be my representative to Congress?

His thoughts on the bailout deal in his weekly column (DOC file):

While the leaders of this nation negotiated a new bailout deal over the weekend, things seemed pretty normal on the Northern Neck. I got a chance to see some bald eagles that were on “The Cliffs” of Richmond County, geese were moving South and the weather forced farmers to take a break from long harvest days.

I rarely delve into national policy, but while the bailout deal won’t change whether there is rockfish migration this fall, it will change just about every aspect of American Capitalism.

As I am writing on deadline, I do not pretend to know everything in the 110 page bailout plan, nor do I know if it will even pass in the House of Representatives today. However, there are some things that I do know.

Free markets depend upon risk, reward and failure so that they can make long term efficient decisions. Indeed, the very efficiencies of big picture economic decision making means that – to avoid a future crisis — there must be some losers on Wall Street and in the investment community.

If the bailout bill insures that the people who should lose big do lose big, then it is probably acceptable and deserves passage.

Those people who take the biggest risk of time, talent and capital in the free market deserve to get the biggest return. However, everybody who has ever opened a lemonade stand knows that those who risk the reward also risk getting stuck with some lemons.

It is a firm understatement of fact that $700,000,000,000 (700 Billion dollars) is a lot of money – even judged by federal government standards. And, it is also true that the markets need help – I am not so Pollyannaish as to say that we should let complete economic meltdown occur without any action.

However, those who buy too many lemons – whether for loans or for a lemonade stand – should bear the responsibility they took with that risk. It is not the responsibility of the American taxpayer to reward bad economic decisions – and that is what this bailout deal appears to be, a reward of bad economic decisions.

Meanwhile, the earth as God designed it will move on. Fish will start their fall run, deer will start their rut, and the fields will dry up enough to finishing harvesting the crop. And, depending upon the action of Congress, there may be some extra lemons to go around.

I’m sure as heck aren’t going to get this from my current representative to Congress (Rob Wittman).

My comments to the Caroline County Board of Supervisors at their September 23rd meeting.

At the September 8th, 2008, meeting of the Caroline County Board of Supervisors, the board approved the following item on their consent agenda: Adoption of a Resolution that Revises the June 24, 2008 Budget Resolution to Incorporate Errors and Omission that Were Approved by the Board during Budget Discussions.

Item #2 in the resolution was the following:

Davenport [& Company LLC, the firm hired to help with preparing this year’s budget] learned after the June 24, 2008 Budget Resolution adoption that in July 2007 the Board adopted an increased in the Board of Supervisors’ salaries. Therefore this was not included in the original Budget Resolution.

The resolution stated that this would have the following impact on general fund expenditures:

[…] 1) a $25,518 [possibly a typo and should be $23,518 -ed.] increase in the Board of Supervisors budget to compensate for the increase in the Board’s salaries […]

$23,518 increase. That accounts for a $4,703.60 increase per supervisor. That’s a 26.43% increase in pay compared to last year.

Meanwhile, members of the county staff only received a 2% salary increase this year. So, unless someone on the county staff makes $235,180, not only did the Board receive a bigger percentage increase, the Board also received a bigger net increase as well compared to anyone on county staff.

This pay increase was approved after the tax rate in county was increased by $0.05/$100 during a sagging economy. This pay increase was approved after the supervisors learned there was a $755,321 shortfall from the last fiscal year.

To make this matter even worst — as if that was possible — the board a hour and half later later told the Ladysmith Volunteer Fire Department that the Board and the county had no idea where they would find the money necessary to finish paying for a fire truck.

The cost to finish paying for the fire truck? $25,000 to $30,000 dollars.

Those aren’t the only problems with the pay increase.

According to the summary for the consent agenda item, this pay increase was approved by the Board in July 2007.

However, § 15.2-1414.2 of the Code of Virginia requires a pay increase such as this to be adopted “prior to July 1” of the year that the board will be up for election:

Prior to July 1 of the year in which members of the board of supervisors are to be elected or, if the board is elected for staggered terms, of any year in which at least forty percent of the members of the board are to be elected, the current board, by a recorded vote of a majority present, shall set a maximum annual compensation which will become effective as of January 1 of the next year.

The last I checked a meeting in July isn’t “prior to July 1”.

Thank you for your time.

They didn’t have anything to say about that, by the way.

Remember VSE? That defense subcontractor that Gary Wilson et al. tout as an economic development success?

Yeah, they’re in the process of getting fined $17,400 for violating numerous environmental regulations (Link [PDF]):

SECTION C: Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law

  1. VSE is a publicly traded professional services company that provides engineering and technical support services to the U.S. Government.
  2. The VSE Facility which is the subject of this Order, is the Ladysmith Blast and Paint Facility, located at 17253 Center Drive in Ladysmith, Virginia.
  3. At the Facility, VSE generates waste paint and related material, spent blast media, spent solvents, used wipes, and used personal protective equipment as part of its blast and paint operations.
  4. 4. VSE notified DEQ of the Facility’s status as a CESQG on December 29, 1992, and amended its status as a SQG on August 13, 2007.
  5. DEQ staff conducted a hazardous waste compliance evaluation inspection at the Facility on January 25, 2008.
  6. Waste generation records reviewed onsite at the January 25, 2008 inspection showed that the Facility has been a LQG for at least three years.
  7. VSE notified DEQ by letter dated February 25, 2008, of its current LQG status. VSE also noted in this letter that the Facility had exceeded SQG status in 2005 and 2006, and that VSE was prepared to pay arrearage and current application fees for LQG status at this site as may be stipulated by DEQ.
  8. On May 22, 2008, DEQ issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to VSE that set forth the following violations of the Regulations observed during the January 25, 2008 inspection:
    • Failure to make a hazardous waste determination in accordance with 40 CFR 262.1 1.
    • Failure to properly complete a manifest in accordance with 40 CFR 262.20(a).
    • Failure to label containers before transportation off-site with the words and information required by 40 CFR 262.32(b).
    • Failure to store waste in containers complying with the requirements set forth in 40 CFR 262.34(a)(l)(i) and 265 Subpart CC.
    • Failure to label waste containers with the dates that the hazardous waste began accumulating in accordance with 40 CFR 262.34(a)(2).
    • Failure to label containers storing hazardous waste with the words “hazardous waste” as required by 40 CFR 262.34(a)(3).
    • Violation of 40 CFR 262.34(c)(1)f or accumulating more than one 55-gallon container of hazardous waste at or near any point of generation.
    • Failure to provide hazardous waste management and emergency procedure training to personnel, failure to make arrangements with local authorities, and failure to have a contingency plan, as required by 40 CFR 262.34(a)(4) and 265 Subparts C and D.
    • Failure to properly close containers holding hazardous waste during storage as required by 40 CFR 262.34(a)(l)(i) and 265.173(a).
    • Failure to inspect areas where containers are stored at least weekly as required by 40 CFR 262.34(a)(l)(i) and 265.174.
    • Failure to label or mark universal waste, and failure to label containers holding universal waste batteries with the date the waste began accumulating in accordance with 40 CFR 273.14 and 40 CFR 273.15(c).
    • Failure to notify the Department of the location of hazardous waste accumulation areas as required by 9 VAC 20-60-262.B.4 and 40 CFR 262.34(c).
    • Failure to notify the Department of LQG status as required by 9 VAC 20-60-3 15.D.
  9. While not noted in the May 22,2008 NOV, the Facility failed to pay the LQG annual fees required by 9 VAC 20-60-1283 through 1285 for the years 2005, 2006, and 2007.
  10. VSE representatives met with DEQ on June 12, 2008 to discuss the violations noted in the May 22, 2008 NOV, and the current enforcement action.
  11. The development and maintenance of a compliance binder as required by Appendix A of this Order, will better ensure that the Facility operates in compliance with the Applicable hazardous waste regulations.

SECTION D: Agreement and Order

Accordingly, the Virginia Waste Management Board, by virtue of the authority granted it in Va. Code §§ 10.1 – 1402, 10.1 – 1405, and 10.1 – 1455, orders VSE Corporation, and VSE Corporation agrees to perform the actions described in Appendix A of this Order. In addition, the Board orders VSE Corporation, and VSE Corporation voluntarily agrees, to pay a civil charge of $17,400.00 within 30 days of the effective date of the Order in settlement of the violations cited in this Order. Payment shall be made by check payable to the “Treasurer of Virginia”, delivered to:

Receipts Control
Department of Environmental Quality
Post Office Box 1104
Richmond, Virginia 23218

The payment shall include VSE Corporation’s Federal Tax ID number and shall state that it is being tendered in payment of the civil charges assessed under this Order.

Bravo.

Presidential debate drinking game.

I wished I had come up with this. From Michelle Malkin’s blog:

A reader proposes the first drinking game suggestion:

Michelle, how about a college-style drinking game tonight – where everyone takes a drink whenever Obama says “Bush” – in his laughably ridiculous ongoing effort to link McCain to Bush.

If you’re looking to get inebriated quickly, start drinking every time Obama says “Uh.”

Or every time McCain touts bipartisanship.

And no, I didn’t watch the Presidential debate. I had no desire to get in a yelling contest with the television that late in the night.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll do a live hate-blog next time.

$700,000,000,000 here, $700,000,000,000 there; soon we’re talking about real money.

RWL:

Check out what Rick Sincere found over at Forbes (emphasis added):

In fact, some of the most basic details, including the $700 billion figure Treasury would use to buy up bad debt, are fuzzy.

“It’s not based on any particular data point,” a Treasury spokeswoman told Forbes.com Tuesday. “We just wanted to choose a really large number.”

Good job ignoring the fact that Jeff Sili violated the Code of Virginia. And other stupidity from this week’s BOS meeting.

What, that’s the second or third time, right? It’s hard to keep track.

The Caroline County Board of Supervisors approved the rezoning of Belmont North 3–2 on Tuesday night. Supervisors Bobby Popowicz, Maxie Rozell, and Chairman Floyd Thomas voted to approve while Supervisors Wayne Acors and Jeff Sili voted against the rezoning.

Wayne Acors had his reasons (too much development in that area already); but Jeff Sili employed a logical fallacy (imagine that!) of a slippery slope argument stating that, “if we approve Belmont North, we have to also approve this 600 house subdivision working its way through the planning commission!”, instead of addressing Belmont North on its own merits.

As Chairman Floyd Thomas pointed out, the Code of Virginia requires that a rezoning/special exemption request or permit be accessed individually and on its own merits. To do otherwise is a violation of the Code of Virginia.

Here’s how The Free Lance–Fish Wrap wrote it up:

Supervisors Wayne Acors and Jeff Sili argued the board should not be creating more home sites when it has thousands of unbuilt residential lots and more development proposals in the pipeline.

Actually, Wayne Acors did not argue the second point. If you had paid attention, you would heard him say he thought there was too much development in that area already and not that were any other rezoning applicants coming forward.

[…]

He [Jeff Sili] also referenced another rezoning request by a different developer for more than 600 homes that is under review by the Planning Commission.

Sili noted that while he should consider the proposal based on its own merits, he was looking at the bigger picture, including other proposals.

“I don’t think we can fool ourselves by saying we are looking at one development,” he said.

[…]

[Chairman Floyd] Thomas [who represents the district the proposed rezoning is in] said he was going to look at the proposal individually. He noted tangible benefits to the county, such as the fire station.

“I can’t worry about what the next project or the next development is,” he said.

[…]

[Bobby] Popowicz said the Sealys went “above and beyond” to make their proposal attractive to the county.

To say the least.

The county’s stated proffer policy is $17,632.36 per house.

The Sealys proffered over $12,800,000 (if I remember the number correctly) for Belmont North which is a 530 home development. That’s over $24,150 per house. That’s 36% more than the county’s stated policy!

Included in that proffer is the land for, and the design and the construction of a new fire station that must been completed within 30 months.

There’s the 20 acres for the school at a mutually agreed upon location with the Sealys providing soil testing to the county for free.

Improvements to the roads in the area.

Berms and barriers next to existing land owners above and beyond the county’s stated policy on berms and barriers.

Prepayments to the county’s utility system that will pay for the borrowing on the infrastructure for the system for the next three years.

But that’s too technical for The Fish Wrap to mention, after all, they had to make space in that story for the important and pressing information that golf carts can now be used on public roads in the Caroline Pines subdivision.

Yeah, folks, that’s the hard news coming out of the Caroline County Board of Supervisors meeting this week.

More bailout-palazoo: $25,000,000,000 in loans to the auto industry.

Over at Michelle Malkin’s blog:

The bailout binge continues apace. I’ve pointed out to you already that both Barack Obama and John McCain support the $25 billion automakers’ bailout. It’s speeding through Congress as we speak. President Bush will sign it this week after both parties fall in line and pass it (vote is expected in the House tonight).

Read the whole thing as they say.