Jeff Sili | I'm Surrounded By Idiots

Guess she voted for it before she voted against it…or something…

The esteemed member of the Bowling Green Town Council Susan Sili (and the wife of Jeff Sili [Bowling Green representative for the Board of Supervisors]) really needs to get her story straight. Here’s what she said on November 28, 2007 on FredTalk using the alias “oharascarlett”:

Visitor Center is grant Money/cannot be used for anything else BUT a Visitor Center/TJ [Tom James] and Corran [my “alias” on FredTalk] have been told this over and over again but still keep spewing the same nonsense

Of course, in the same post she said that the “courthouse greenery” (Victory Park) was in the “architectural committee level to decide if it will even be done at all”. That very day [November 28th], The Caroline Progress reported the old jail had already been torn down that week as part of the “courthouse greenery” plan under the headline of “Old jail leveled for scenic Victory Park”.

Of course, again, in the same post she said the YMCA wasn’t a done deal, when the Board had already been voted on it way back in June of 2005.

Here’s what she said on December 10, 2007:

The visitor center/new office for Wilson was premature and will it ever be completed?

Here’s what she said on February 17, 2008:

The grant money and proffer money was given for the visitor center, cannot be traded for public safety or schools. Its not an either/or proposition as has been explained MANY times before to TJ, you can’t trade it in for another project.

Here’s what she said on March 14, 2008:

BigheadA, I had said along time ago, Why cant the BOS decide what to do with the Proffer Money? Could we have not said “thank you for your Donation, we will put this in our school system or Fire & Rescue” I am still upset that we wasted money on a visitors center, we have so many things that were more IMPORTANT !!!!!

Of course, the only reason she changed her tune was because the consensus of everyone on the message board was outrage at the current conditions of the schools (and the lack of use of proffers for the schools) in Caroline County. Guess she didn’t want to be odd-man (woman) out.

Wow, such amazing leadership we have here in Caroline County…

I’m just glad I don’t live in the town of Bowling Green…

Let me throw some things out here…

On February 8, 2008, The Free Lance–Star published a story about the new visitors center:

So Caroline administrations are preparing by taking applications for the county’s first full-time tourism manager, a position that will probably be filled this month.

[…]

So far, about 65 people have applied for the additional manager position, which will pay between $36,145 and $54,468, plus benefits.

Whoever is hired will not only manage the $2.4 million, 5,000-square-foot center just off Interstate 95, but also help promote such attractions as the State Fair, which opens next year at The Meadow, birthplace of Triple Crown winner Secretariat.

On February 26, 2008, Gary Wilson published a press release stating that Kathy Beard had been hired to serve as the tourism manager for Caroline County. Her qualifications:

Beard served as the Director of Economic Development & Tourism for the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia from 1995 to 2003 and in recent years has served as an Executive Vice President for the Stafford Council for Progress and as an economic development consultant for the Town of Bowling Green.

Beard attended West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas and holds an Institute of Organizational Management certification from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

On February 29, 2008, The Free Lance–Star published a story (p. B5) that was nothing more than a rewording of Gary Wilson’s press release.

Let me say that I find her qualifications lacking:

Is this the same Stafford Council for Progress that doesn’t even possess a functioning website? Isn’t the Stafford Council for Progress “a research organization representing the development industry in Stafford”?

According to Wilson’s own press release, this person doesn’t even possess a college diploma — not even an associates degree — only a certificate.

A person that is supposed to manage a $2,400,000, 5,000 square foot facility and receive between $36,145 and $54,468 (plus benefits), who lacks a college degree, is hired over at least 64 other people? Of course, the sheriff’s office functioned wonderfully for twelve years under similar leadership.

Let me throw something else out there: This person (Beard) serves as an economic development consultant for Bowling Green. Surely her hiring had nothing to do with the fact that the wife (Susan Sili) of a current Board of Supervisors member (Jeff Sili) is on the Town Council for Bowling Green? Right?

Surely, I’m must be wrong about this but, alas, Mrs. Sili, using the alias of oharascarlett, knew about Beard’s application and was talking her up on Fredtalk, on February 16, 2008:

64 people applied (and yes ken was in the newpspaper) for the job of toursim director for Caroline County, top salary at present, 54,000 dollars. only 2 applicants were from Caroline. One of the applicants was the former, Economic Development Director of Fredericksburg.

And on February 17, 2008:

yep and funny you should mention Fredericksburg’s tourism organization, there is quite a bit of interest from that direction in the new job here in Caroline.

This was over a week before there had been an official announcement about the hiring of Beard.

Consider a dig through of the Bowling Green Town Council minutes:

CE&O, Inc. (Kathy Beard’s company) has received $50,635.33 from the town since December 2004. $50,635.33 for three years for a town that has a population of 1,013 people. Amazing. Nice to see where that $0.17 per $100 assessed real estate tax and $1.20 per $100 assessed personal property tax are going.

Care to guess who was involved with CE&O, Inc.’s contract with the town of Bowling Green? If you guess Susan Sili you get a special prize! From the February 2, 2006 minutes of the Town Council minutes:

The Town Manager’s report is as follows with some additional discussion during the meeting that are in italics:

1. CE&O Contract and related matters – I met with the Economic Development Committee (Susan Sili and Glenn McDearmon) and we bring two items to Town Council for consideration, and we recommend the approval of both matters.

1. Approval of proposal and contract for “Economic Development and Promotional Services” with CE&O, Inc. (Kathy Beard).

[…]

On motion by Sili, seconded by Wright, Council voted to accept the Contract as proposed by CE&O, Inc. (Kathy Beard) for Economic Development projects and allow the Mayor to sign on behalf of the Council. Voting Aye: Allen, Wright, Haley, Parke, McDearmon, Ketterman, Sili.

And on July 5, 2007:

The TM [town manger] asked for authorization to negotiate a contract with CE&O which would include, at a minimum, the planning and arranging of the 18th Annual Harvest Festival, creation and distribution of four Town newsletters, preparation and planning of a Clean Sweep event, arranging of Second Friday events, and additional marketing activities, as needed.

[…]

Ms. Sili said she would like input from the business community regarding which economic services are helping and which ones are not.

[…]

On motion by Sili, seconded by Wright, Council voted to allow the Town Manager to work with the Economic Development Committee and negotiate a contract with CE&O to provide economic development services and activities for the coming fiscal year in an amount not to exceed $37,000.00, with the Mayor signing the contract.

Beard also seems to be buddies with current Speaker Bill Howell (R) of the Virginia House of Delegates according to The Washington Times:

“He [Howell] has always had a calming presence in the region and he likes to do his business face to face,” said Kathy J. Beard, director of the Office of Economic Development and Tourism for Fredericksburg, who sits on several community boards with Mr. Howell.

Isn’t Jeff Sili chairman of the Caroline County Republican Committee?

And on her experience with Fredericksburg, consider this from The Free Lance–Star:

Kathy Beard, outgoing director of Fredericksburg’s Economic Development and Tourism office, agrees that the conference center is just what the city needs to draw more visitors for longer stays.

This is the same conference center that the city of Fredericksburg is considering subsidizing now!

Ms. Beard also seems to be unfamiliar with the intricacies of the proffer system as well: Proffers = high density = crime:

One of the things that Kathy Beard of the Stafford Council for Progress failed to mention in her op-ed is that in order for Stafford County to receive proffers from developers, they must first rezone the property that will produce the proffer [“Stafford supervisors need to reassess the current growth policies,” Oct. 5].

[….]

Keep in mind that the SCP is an organization of builders, developers, landowners, and business owners. Their motivation may serve a different master than the welfare of Stafford County.

Well said. Now that leadership comes to Caroline County under suspicious and odd circumstances.

This puts the "idiots" in I’m Surrounded By Idiots.

The Free Lance-Star: Caroline seeking to boost tourism:

Caroline County expects more than 200,000 tourists will stop by annually once its visitor center opens at Carmel Church this August.

Based on what study?

They’re saying that 547.9 people a day are going to go to the visitors center!

They’re saying that eight times the county’s population will go every year!

How many of these people are just going to go in, go to the bathroom, and leave? How much money is that going to cost? This is going to drive customers away from McDonald’s and Burger King which actually bring money into the county!

So Caroline administrations are preparing by taking applications for the county’s first full-time tourism manager, a position that will probably be filled this month.

“By starting now, they can help get that space in working order so when the public comes they can have a wonderful experience,” said Gary Wilson, Caroline’s economic development director.

Caroline currently has a tourism director, who also manages the county’s tourism Web site. So far, about 65 people have applied for the additional manager position, which will pay between $36,145 and $54,468, plus benefits.

Whoever is hired will not only manage the $2.4 million, 5,000-square-foot center just off Interstate 95, but also help promote such attractions as the State Fair, which opens next year at The Meadow, birthplace of Triple Crown winner Secretariat.

Remember this when the county says they have to borrow money and raise your taxes to pay for a school! They had plenty of money for the visitors center!

There’s some serious money per square footage too:

Visitors Center: $2,400,000 / 5,000 square feet = $480 per square foot

Ladysmith Elementary School: $19,800,000 / 100,000 square feet = $198 per square foot

County Administration Building: $3,700,000 / 18,150 square feet = $204 per square foot

Of course, the county administration building will only hold 20 full-time personnel.

“The State Fair is not just two weeks a year, which is what most people think,” Watson said. “It will be doing fun things all the time.”

Uh…I’m going to assume that’s supposed to be “Wilson”; but I demand a correction nevertheless! :)

Really, what are the State Fair grounds going to do when the Fair isn’t going?

Hasn’t Fredericksburg resorted to subsidizing the Expo Center in Fredericksburg?

Other Caroline County attractions include the 40,000-square-foot Virginia Sports Center, a popular venue for youth sports tournaments; Pendleton and Mattaponi Springs golf courses; and the historic town of Bowling Green, which is near where Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth was killed.

What about the Four Winds Club’s Public Golf Course? It always seems that Port Royal is forgotten about (heck, Calvin Taylor took credit for Pendleton and Mattaponi Springs as the first golf courses in the county when Four Winds has been here for decades!).

What historic tourism events are there in Bowling Green? I can’t think of any. The Old Mansion is a bed and breakfast and isn’t open to the public.

The only historic site that I can think of is the Jackson Shrine (hey, isn’t that in the Port Royal district, too?).

There’s the Lyceum that hasn’t been restored in Port Royal too. There’s the two surviving chimneys of Dorothy Roy’s home. None of the historic structures in Port Royal are open to the public that I’m aware. All the old homes are currently occupied.

Uh…John Wilkes Booth was killed a heck of a lot closer to Port Royal than Bowling Green. Too bad the visitors center is on the other side of the county! Besides, all there is to see where Booth was killed is a sign by the road…

Looks like the visitors center was built in the wrong part of the county!

Wilson said there’s no way to predict the economic impact the new tourism manager and visitor center will have, but he expects the county will see an uptick in meals- and lodging-tax revenues. They’ll also make it easier to recruit new tourist attractions, as well as other businesses, since his office will move from Bowling Green to the center.

“Of course not, we can’t predict how much money this will waste.” Or as Jeff Sili has said, “[t]he Visitor Center does not have to be just a fancy office for Wilson and a way to move county employees out of our county seat to further undermine the business climate”.

I guess Gary Wilson needs a pretty nice office to spend time editing Wikipedia.

“I-95 is like a river with money rolling through it,” he said. “We need to be able to dip into that river and bring that money into the county. We’ve never had an opportunity to do that before.”

The Robert Wittman/Jeff Sili smear machine?

From the idiot’s nest of FredTalk (most of the threads have now been deleted by The Free Lance-Star for slanderous content but a few are still available; good thing I’ve got backups!):

At 11/14/07 11:29 AM, from “Burqajoint”:

Yes, the election is over, but the compte passed on something one of his chicadees told him about one of the gruesome twosome [presumably Tom James and I] doing some rather creepy stalking…..

There was lying about being a reporter after entering the courtroom while votes were being counted.

And following that candidates wife home – does cranmama know about that?

At 11/14/07 06:45 PM, from “Burqajoint”:

Hmmmm, I don’t see a pimply-faced stalker in that crowd [at the Republican Convention].

Maybe he was outside waiting for the candidate’s wife to come out so he could follow her home….

At 11/14/07 06:47 PM, from “junie”:

I know Rob [Wittman]’s wife…she’d tear ass up and send his home crying.

At 11/14/07 06:48 PM, from “Burqajoint”:

And what about someone who snuck into the courtroom while the ballots were being counted and then lied about being from the newspaper?

What kind of person would do such a thing?

At 11/14/07 07:52 PM, from “Burqajoint”:

Only if you are the wife of a candidate who doesn’t like being followed home after a public meeting….

There’s talk of a lawsuit on another matter.

Best to stay clear of wierdos.

Especially if they post slander.

At 11/14/07 08:25 PM, from “Burqajoint”:

And what about a sick freak who follows married women home after public meetings?

What, at least a year in the pokey for that, wouldn’t you agree?

With mandantory drug testing and psychological help, of course to help them get over their disease….

At 11/14/07 08:51 PM, from “Burqajoint”:

Did you hear about the punk who followed the married candidate’s wife home?

Disgusting, isn’t it?

At 11/14/07 09:13 PM, from “Burqajoint”:

You may want to ask that tall pimply-faced kid with the aura of loser about him about it.

Hmm, I wouldn’t consider myself tall, but everyone is tall when viewed by someone at Jeff Sili’s height…

I bet if you are nice, he’ll rat out his buddy.

Plenty of others are.

You should see the flood of pms I got today, starting about 5:15 pm…..a veritable avalanche.

And those with connections that matter never mention it……

Really? Then why did you start posting the bullshit at 11:29 AM?

At 11/14/07 09:22 PM, from “Burqajoint”:

There’s some other stalking been going on that hasn’t been filed yet, and a nasty lawsuit is going forward, too, but on another matter.

And didja hear about the punk who tried to get in there and crusade against corruption while the votes were being counted?

His crusade led him to lie about who he was and that he was with a newspaper and finally someone grabbed him by the belt and scruff of his neck and tossed him through the cafe doors into the horse trough out fronta the courthouse!

At 11/14/07 09:28 PM, from “Burqajoint”:

Maybe a letter in the regular mail would be better, considering some of the harrassing email Wittman got……

Funny, I’ve never sent Wittman an email in my life!

At 11/15/07 12:13 AM, from “Burqajoint”:

You shoulda been here between 5 and 6 and seen the dozens of pms that came rolling in. There must havbe been 50 of them.

Incredible stuff and you can be sure the phone lines have been lit up all night across the county…..

At 11/15/07 12:17 AM, from “Burqajoint”:

As Blulady would say, “I’m connected.”

And today the dam broke and those in the know have been having a jolly old time.

The fact is, there are a few characters around who like to send harassing emails.

Again, I’ve never sent Wittman an email in my life!

At 11/15/07 01:16 AM, from “Burqajoint”:

Those two [presumably Tom James and I] leered at the wrong woman this summer and now it’s catching up to them.

LOL, the only time that Tom James and I were at the same place this summer was the first Board of Supervisors candidates’ forum. Funny, I was sitting by a candidate for Commonwealth’s Attorney, as well as several law enforcement officers, and the former sheriff. I would love to know who I was “leer[ing]” at.

At 11/15/07 01:42 AM, from “Burqajoint”:

Talk to some of the women working for the county tomorrow and you’ll see what they are all buzzing about.

At 11/15/07 08:29 PM, from “Burqajoint”:

I swear, I think everyone at the Caroline County library using public access computers is pm-ing me.

It’s like I suddenly have a fan club down there.

At 11/16/07 01:08 PM, from “Burqajoint”:

When he was caught lying about being from the newspaper and firmly asked to leave, they say the look on his face was priceless!

At 11/16/07 01:41 PM, from “Burqajoint”:

I understand a certain candidate is quite unhappy about his wife being followed………..

And finally when it was brought to their attention that this might just end up on my blog, at 11/16/07 02:27 PM, from “Burqajoint”:

The stuff (above) was not about [me] and Tom.

At 11/16/07 05:44 PM, from “Burqajoint”:

HERE’S A BIG BURQA SHOUT OUT TO THE FANS, LURKERS AND OTHERS WATCHING THE FORUM!

Y’all down at the Caroline and Westmoreland County libraries, especially my fellow sailors at C.P. and Kinsale!

The Compte and his little chicadees, warblers, and mockingbirds!

The Corner Table Gang – you know who you are!

The RitchBitch Bunch – charmed, I’m sure!

The Lady in Red – for your grace and elegance – enchante!

The gals at Union Bank!

Looks like you’re running a real tight ship there Billy Beale!

In a private message (PM) to a third party, from “Burqajoint”:

Now [redacted], you just settle right on down now and relax.

If I am lying a dozen or so others are behind each thing I have posted.

You shoulda seen all the new users who sent me pms and signed on just to do so.

The phone lines across Caroline and Westmoreland have been afire and I bet it’ll be that way through the weekend.

Really? I don’t know a soul in Westmoreland County. Wait, isn’t Robert Wittman from Westmoreland County? I do believe he is. He used to be on the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors, didn’t he?

Another PM, from “Burqajoint”:

Word to the wise – better lawyer up………..

I’m shaking in my boots! Bring. It. On.

So, is this Robert Wittman’s and Jeff Sili’s doing?

And for the record, I have no less than two people that were with me on election day all day (when I was supposedly doing stealth infiltration of the courthouse) along with several more witnesses at the three victory parties I went to.

I also have a person that was with me all day during the Republican Convention and several law enforcement officers that I was also around.

It’s amazing that someone is going to so much trouble to try to discredit me.

Admittedly, it’s a nice ego trip!

UPDATE: Some posts that I missed:

At 11/12/07 07:50 AM, from “oharascarlett” (also uses the name “nativetxlady”):

Recently James obtained a video of the 13 year old daughter of a public figure at a basketball game. He sent it as a link to her mother at home with no explanation. the family thought and rightly so that she was being stalked until they realized it was taken by a news station and just obtained by James as a sick joke. There is no one exempt from his hatred, murder victim’s families or people’s kids. Eventually Lippa will have to step in to this.

“oharascarlett” is the alias of Jeff Sili’s wife Susan Sili.

At 11/18/07 10:54 AM, from “Burqajoint”:

I bet Lucky [Narain] doesn’t like those who collect videos of 13 year-old girls…

If anyone wants a complete copy of her lies (including several about George Spaulding) let me know at CorranH96@gmail.com.

What a mook… (Not Robert Wittman! Part 2)

UPDATE: Hi, to all the folks from Raising Kaine and VB Dems. Note: Most of the rest of the stuff on this blog will probably bore you to death (unless you live in Caroline County!).

From Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary [emphasis mine]:

Main Entry: mook

Function: nounslang : a foolish, insignificant, or contemptible person

Delegates, what the hell were you thinking? You nominate this mook, Robert Wittman? What the hell has this guy ever done?

Director of field operations, Division of Shellfish Sanitation? What the hell?

You turn down the retired firefighter (Chuck Davis), the retired FBI agent and Marine (David Corderman), the retired 20-year military veteran (Jim Browden) for this guy?!

What has he done besides get local party officials to endorse him that then run a crooked mass meeting for him?

I’m sure that crooked mass meeting had nothing to do with the following, from The Free Lance-Star: Wittman seeking Davis’ seat:

Wittman said he would step down from his House seat and help find a Republican candidate to fill it, if he wins the congressional seat.

And guess what? The Republicans have lost another seat in the House of Delegates in the mean time! From The Free Lance-Star: Wittman wins district nod:

If Wittman wins, there will be yet another special election to fill his seat. That’s likely to be set by House Speaker Bill Howell, and it’s not yet clear whether it would run afoul of a state law prohibiting elections in the 60 days before a primary–in this case, the presidential primaries in February.

It’s possible Wittman’s seat, which covers the Northern Neck, would be empty during the 2008 legislative session.

[…]

In a speech to delegates, Jost supporter Del. Jeff Frederick earned some boos from Wittman supporters for saying Wittman had supported “one of the largest tax increases in Virginia” and that delegates should remember that.

Don’t forget the abusive driver fees!

And further proof this guy is an ass, from his biography:

Rob was elected to the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors in 1995, where he was the chair from 2004 [through 2005] until he resigned to fulfill his role as delegate.

Well, consider the following, from The Free Lance-Star: Westmoreland faces civil action:

A civil-liberties group and a state agency have raised possibilities of legal action against Westmoreland County for failing to provide handicapped access to public buildings.

In a letter sent Monday, an attorney for the Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy charged that the county had not complied with all terms of a 2003 settlement agreement to provide handicapped access to the George D. English Sr. Memorial Office Building in Montross.

“It is my hope we can bring this matter to a swift conclusion without the need for litigation,” wrote VOPA Managing Attorney Jonathan G. Martinis. “After three years, Westmoreland County owes its citizens with disabilities nothing less.”

On Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia notified the county that it intends to file a lawsuit under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act unless the county promptly provides handicapped access to the offices of the Circuit Court clerk.

County Administrator Norm Risavi said that a team composed of a professional engineer, a building inspector and the county’s maintenance supervisor inspected all county buildings yesterday for ADA compliance.

Risavi said he hoped to have a plan and a budget for ADA projects ready for approval by the Board of Supervisors at its April 10 meeting. A supplemental appropriation by the supervisors may be necessary to fund the work, he said.

Risavi would not estimate when the various ramps, curb cuts, bathroom renovations and signage would be installed.

He said some of the work could be done by county staff, but other jobs would be put out for bids under the county Procurement and Contract Administration Policy.

But last year, Risavi waived bid requirements for renovating the old courthouse’s second floor as an office for Circuit Court Judge George Mason III.

“I have determined that competitive sealed bidding would not be practicable or fiscally advantageous to the county,” Risavi wrote in a finding on the judge’s office. “Competitive negotiations would better serve the county.”

Last year, the judge’s office was expected to cost $100,000. Now, Risavi said it will cost $140,000.

Crookery isn’t just for Caroline County!

A story in the March 15 Free Lance-Star attracted the attention of both the ACLU and VOPA, Willis and Martinis said. The story described Mason’s expensive office and problems of handicapped accessibility at it and other county buildings

“This is almost hard to believe,” said Willis.

“It’s bad enough to flaunt the law by ignoring the rights of disabled persons, but it is an outright affront to human decency to spend more than $100,000 to renovate a building without adding something as simple and inexpensive as ramps that rise 3 feet.”

In a March 17 letter to Gayle Harding, a wheelchair-bound resident of Coles Point, Martinis said he had sent a VOPA paralegal to survey the English Building and the old courthouse 200 yards away.

Harding complained to the county and VOPA in 2000 about accessibility problems at the English Building. In April 2003, the county finally agreed to fix them.

It only took you guys over six years to do it!

“What, me worry?”

Martinis gave the county five days to notify VOPA “how Westmoreland County will rectify these violations of state and federal law.”

(Hat tip: Tom James’s Caroline County, VA JUSTICE Blog)

For Christ’s sake, I’m writing-in James Bowden (or not voting at all)!

Breaking: Caroline delegates disqualified

From an email:

Just got back from the convention at the high school. There are still several more hours to go before the voting is concluded. Unfortunately the Caroline delegation won’t be a part of the voting. They were disqualified at the beginning of the meeting and allowed to stay on as “honored guests.” What I wish I had a camera for was the sight of the Caroline delegation sign with a big black cloth draped over it. Very sad.

UPDATE: Some pictures that were sent to me:

A lot of sadness…

Not Robert Wittman!

From the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL): Election shenanigans in 1st Cong. Dist!:

VCDL does not normally get involved in Federal elections but the process that appears to be ongoing in selecting the Republican nominee to replace the recently deceased Congress woman in the First Congressional District needs to be addressed.

Delegate Dick Black, who was one of our strongest supporters when he was in the Virginia Legislature, has informed us about the shocking shenanigans that are going on in the First Congressional District.

The problems are coming up in the secretive and often difficult process that is being used in selecting the delegates for the convention.

On November 3rd, Del. Black attended one in Caroline County. It was at an unmarked location down a gravel road in the woods. A steel gate marked with “No Trespassing” signs blocked the road. The meeting was scheduled for 9:00 am, but they secretly held it an hour early and you couldn’t enter the meeting without violating the Virginia Code on criminal trespass.

They elected nine delegates for Del. Rob Whitman, who avoided the meeting even though it was in his own district.

Wittman didn’t need to attend, all the other crooks holding the meeting made up for him not being there!

It gets even stranger: when Paul Jost, another candidate, showed up and asked why the meeting was held early, a woman helping to run the meeting apparently yelled at him using profanities and she had to be restrained!

We need to shine light of Democracy on what is going on and we also need our pro-gun members to attend these rapidly scheduled meetings and sign up as delegates in the convention. It appears that the process currently in place would be more appropriate in Soviet Russia.

Indeed!

As citizens we have a choice – get run over or stand up for our rights.

Preach brother!

Getting run over is NOT an option as it makes a mockery of this great country. Let’s stand up and make sure our voices are heard!

In some locations they are making it difficult, hoping that citizens won’t go through the trouble to become delegates. They aren’t planning on YOU, though.

Amen!

A comment left on Renaissance Ruminations blog:

David Says:
November 9th, 2007 at 10:36 pm

From the RPV’s “Handbook for Mass Meetings, Conventions and Party Canvasses”:
“All mass meetings must be held in a public place. Frequently, mass meetings are held in public school auditoriums, council chambers, courtrooms, town halls, civic centers, libraries, etc. A private home is not allowed. A commercial space may be appropriate if it is also used for other public functions (such as a bank auditorium).” A private airplane hangar on someone’s private property seems highly suspect. But starting before the time stated in the Call is just plain wrong.

Jeff Sili violating campaign laws?

From The Free Lance-Star: Web sites investigated in Orange:

The Virginia State Police is investigating two Web sites that are named for Orange County Board of Supervisors candidates but turn out to criticize them.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Diana Wheeler called in state investigators to determine who posted the sites, which appear to be in violation of state laws that require that all campaign advertising disclose who’s paying for it.

Well, take a look at the following sites:

http://www.carolinefirst.org/

http://www.carolinefirst.org/about1.html

UPDATE: He has since added a disclaimer to this page, here’s a link to a Google Cache of the old version.

http://www.carolinefirst.org/specialevents.html

UPDATE: He has since added a disclaimer to this page, here’s a link to a Google Cache of the old version.

http://voteforjeffsili.carolinefirst.org/

Notice something missing from these sites, like who paid for them?

Well take a look at the WhoIs information for the domain from GoDaddy.com:

Registrant:
Susan Sili
205 Travis Street
Bowling Green, Virginia 22427
United States

Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
Domain Name: CAROLINEFIRST.ORG
Created on: 02-Feb-07
Expires on: 02-Feb-08
Last Updated on: 02-Feb-07

That would Jeff Sili’s wife, Susan, by the way.

Also, Sili’s campaign spent $570.00 for the website according to his campaign finance documents for this election!

So, where’s the disclaimer?

“Rules? What rules?”

PDF of two pages from Sili’s campaign finance reports.

Conflict of interest? What’s that? …Seriously?

From The Journal Press: Government Officials and Republican Leaders Endorse Rob Wittman for Congress:

Twenty-six local elected officials from counties in the First Congressional District have endorsed Delegate Rob Wittman of Westmoreland County in his bid for the Republican nomination for Congress. Every Republican county chairman in Delegate Wittman’s 99th Legislative District has also endorsed Wittman. The Republican Party will nominate its congressional candidate on Nov. 10 at a Party Convention in Caroline County. The special election is Dec. 11.

[…]

They are: Admiral Robert Fountain, Westmoreland County, Larry Kile, King George County, Jeff Sili, Caroline County, Joan Blackstone, Lancaster County, Allen Webb, Northumberland County, and Deborah Harper, Richmond County.

From the Richmond Times-Dispatch: 13 seek nods for open seat in House:

The GOP contest already is mired in controversy. The Republican Party of Virginia is looking into complaints that the Caroline County Republican committee held an improper mass meeting Saturday.

The hastily called meeting was held in a private aircraft hangar near Sparta in rural Caroline and started before its scheduled starting time. Signs along the road leading to the landing field said “No Trespassing.” Representatives of two candidates complained it was over before they got there.

J.M. Sili, Caroline County GOP chairman who won election to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, said the hangar was one of the few places in the area large enough to accommodate a mass meeting. He said the no-trespassing signs were aimed at keeping hunters from parking on the landing field. Candidates were not allowed to speak, because there are too many, he said.

Sili acknowledged the meeting may have started before its scheduled time. Fifty-one people attended and elected nine delegates to tomorrow’s convention. The delegates are not pledged to any of the candidates, he said.

What about the top-tier Presidential candidate’s campaign that wasn’t able to find out what the time the meeting was supposed to happen due to your oh-so-great leadership Mr. Sili? Maybe if you had bothered updating the Caroline County GOP website since September 2006…

Charles E. Judd, executive director of the state GOP, said party officials were trying to determine when the meeting was called to order and adjourned.

If the rules were not followed, the mass meeting could be voided, he said. But there is not time to hold another meeting and elect other delegates, Judd said.

Shaun Kenney, a spokesman for the state party, said the Caroline delegates’ credentials may be challenged at the convention.

A comment left on Renaissance Ruminations blog:

David Says:
November 9th, 2007 at 10:36 pm

From the RPV’s “Handbook for Mass Meetings, Conventions and Party Canvasses”:
“All mass meetings must be held in a public place. Frequently, mass meetings are held in public school auditoriums, council chambers, courtrooms, town halls, civic centers, libraries, etc. A private home is not allowed. A commercial space may be appropriate if it is also used for other public functions (such as a bank auditorium).” A private airplane hangar on someone’s private property seems highly suspect. But starting before the time stated in the Call is just plain wrong.