Talk about the pot calling the kettle black…

The Shad Plank:

The problems? Despite Kaine’s glowing review of the just-ended legislative session, many of his initiatives ran into a Republican wall.

The governor’s people “don’t seem to be real good at making the deals,” said House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem.

What the heck are the people at The Shad Plank smoking? Kaine and the Democrats came out on top; anyone with any brains will tell you that.

In fact, Not Larry Sabato:

House Republicans poked the VEA in the eye with a controversial attempt to rewrite funding formulas for teacher salaries. They retreated from this position without receiving any concessions. Then, after saying that the Rainy Day Fund would be off-limits, House Republicans collapsed and agreed to a large withdrawal. Finally, after calling Governor Tim Kaine’s Pre-K program dead on arrival, House Republicans caved in and agreed to over $20 million in funding.

But there are two other battles that were waged. From what I hear, House Republicans got their clock cleaned on one. Clarke Hogan won the other.

One battle was over language in the budget about dropping funding for Planned Parenthood. For the first time EVER, the House and Senate versions of the budget contained the EXACT same language. Pro-life activists rejoiced. But I now hear that when the conference report is released, the language will be missing. House Republicans took a walk on their friends at the Family Foundation and negotiated the Planned Parenthood language away.

[…]

In other words, House negotiators rolled over on Pre-K and the Rainy Day fund, infuriated teachers AND pro-lifers (no small feat), but they went to the mat on killing the uranium study for Vice Speaker Clarke.

As The right-wing liberal puts it:

Remember the battle in the Senate to take Planned Parenthood funding out of the budget (Shaun Kenney), thus ensuring neither chamber supported abortion funding?  Well, the Senate Democrats demanded the House Republicans ignore the will of both chambers and put the funding back in.

And the House  . . . caved

[…]

House Speaker Bill Howell’s version of “leadership” has already cost the Republicans 2/3 of the House majority they had in 2002, largely by ignoring economic conservatives time and time again.  This, however, is the first time I can remember that he (through his conferees) stiff-armed the social conservatives like this.

Top 10 interview gaffes

From Reuters: Answer the phone? Sniff armpits? Top 10 interview gaffes:

The list, based on a survey of 3,061 U.S. hiring managers and human resources professionals by research company Harris Interactive, found the top 10 most outrageous mistakes were:

– Candidate said she could not provide a writing sample because all of her writing had been for the CIA and it was “classified.”

“Of course, I can’t provide an employment history either because it’s classified.”

– Candidate told the interviewer he was fired for beating up his last boss.

Come on, who hasn’t done that?

– A candidate for an accounting position said she was a “people person” not a “numbers person.”

That didn’t seem to stop a certain person from trying to be Sheriff again.

H/t: Ace of Spades HQ (mild content warning)

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…

So why did Caroline and Stafford Counties fail to meet ozone standards but Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburg didn’t?

As noted previously, Caroline and Stafford Counties failed to meet the EPA’s new ozone quality standards but Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburg didn’t. Care to guess why?

It’s because Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburg don’t have any ozone monitors!

In fact, there are only 26 ozone monitors in 21 different jurisdictions in all of Virginia:

ozone.png

It’s amazing that the AP and the Richmond Times-Dispatch actually published a news story when the whole basis of the story is government data whose methodology is so flawed it would be laughed at by anyone doing scholarly research. They only have data for 21 jurisdictions (out of 134 jurisdictions [95 counties and 39 independent cities]) but that doesn’t stop them from writing a story about the terrible ozone in the 14 jurisdictions (out of the 21 jurisdictions that have monitors) that failed to meet the EPA’s standards!

Thanks to commenter Larry Gross on Fred2Blue blog for pointing this out.

*Cough**Cough* There’s too much smog in this county!

Well, that’s according to the EPA.

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Tougher pollution limits mean Richmond area, other state regions, are in violation:

Richmond and several other Virginia regions violate a tougher air-pollution limit that federal officials announced this evening, state officials say.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a new limit for the amount of ozone allowed in the air. Ozone is the main pollutant in smog.

[…]

Some parts of Virginia that met the previous limit also violate the new one, state officials say. They include Hampton Roads, the Roanoke area and Caroline and Stafford counties. (Smoggy Northern Virginia has violated federal ozone limits for nearly 20 years.)

Complete list from the AP: Counties Not Meeting EPA Smog Standards:

Virginia: Alexandria City, Arlington, Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Fairfax, Hampton City, Hanover, Henrico, Loudoun, Madison, Prince William, Stafford, Suffolk City.

Um, yeah, sure, Caroline and Stafford Counties are on that list but Spotsylvania County and Fredericksburg are not? That makes sense to me!

The city of Alexandria has 9,011.45 people per square mile. Arlington County has 7,683.89 people per square mile. The city of Hampton has 2,646.3 people per square mile. Meanwhile, Caroline County only has 50.15 people per square mile.

As if anyone needed any addition proof that the EPA is completely useless…

03/13/2008 Donna Blanton retrial news roundup.

Didn’t get a chance to post some of this yesterday:

The Free Lance–Star: Blanton’s friends had to investigate his death

The Free Lance–Star: BLANTON GETS LIFE SENTENCE

From WTVR: Blanton Convicted of Murdering Her Husband:

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4719471262293594643]

And, finally, WTVR: Donna Blanton The Talk Of The Town:

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9185339349808422380]

Setting the record straight…

The Caroline Progress: Complaint against Popowicz unfounded:

A recent media report about Supervisor Bobby Popowicz and his employment as the Assistant General Manager have hit Caroline like a bombshell. The story contained unfair allegations said Bobby Popowicz who represents the Port Royal District on the Caroline County Board of Supervisors.

The article told of a Lake of the Woods committee meeting of homeowners seeking to determine “who and what was responsible for nearly $320,000 in cost overruns” of a building project for a pro shop originally slated for $1.5 million.

[…]

Lake of the Woods General Manager John Bailey placed the blame for the overruns on Assistant Manager Popowicz who, as project manager, had signed off on change orders that drove the cost up.

But it was Bailey who ordered the change orders and had Popowicz sign for them, said the Caroline Supervisor in an interview March 6.

“I’m being scape-goated. I wasn’t there to defend myself. He’s trying to blame it on me and save his job. I don’t think they’re going to renew his contract when it comes up in May,” said Popowicz who was not asked for his comments for the March 2 story in The Free Lance-Star.

With the deadline for opening the building less than two months away, change orders became necessary for fire suppression, hardy-plank, industrial dishwashers, fiber optic cable, and curb and sidewalk forms.

Yeah, nothing like spending $18,000 for two dishwashers, eh, Bailey?

“We were under the gun to get it open,” said Popowicz who wanted more time to do cost analysis but was over-ruled by Bailey. Instead, work was done on an unpredictable “time and materials” basis and when the bills came rolling in over a week’s time it was a shock.

“In my 20 years as a project manager I’ve never had cost overruns,” said Popowicz who added that Bailey had ordered similar changes on a previous project.

“It was a mess. He was gone a lot of the time for personal reasons. I decided to look for other work,” said Popowicz who now works for Flagstar Bank in Arlington.

Popowicz told of a shouting match with Bailey who ordered concrete form work for sidewalks and roadways torn out and redone “because it wasn’t symmetrical.” The revamped site work incurred about $50,000 in additional charges.

“He had the plans for months,” said Popowicz.

Asked to comment, General Manager John Bailey said he was not making statements to the press. Later phone calls were not returned.

[…]

Lake of the Woods Association President Eldon Rucker said, “There were a number of people involved in this project and it is unfair to use one person to blame.”

Human remains found at Belvedere Plantation

The Free Lance–Star: Authorities search for remains at farm:

Human bones reported on the grounds of Belvedere Plantation have Spotsylvania County police searching for more of the remains.

The bones were found on a 50-acre plot of the old farm off U.S. 17 near the Caroline County line. It was being used as a mining site for New Post Sand and Gravel.

According to a search warrant filed in Circuit Court, a former employee for New Post who was digging at the site, found two human skulls and various other bones while operating machinery.

Lewis and Clark Elementary School scheduled to open April 8th.

The Free Lance–Star: Caroline sets date for new school other details:

April 8 appears to be the new target date for Caroline County school officials to open the new Lewis and Clark Elementary School.

[…]

If the building is ready by March 31, Jones said teachers would be taught how to use the new facility and school officials would send letters home to parents about an open house on April 7.

If all goes according to plan, Jones said 180 fifth-graders from Ladysmith Elementary would start at the new facility on April 8.

The story also has information on the School Board’s proposed budget so give it a read.