Community News
- Pair of pitbulls found
- Sonya Renee reads tonight at Chop Suey
- Council to consider rezoning, donation to Family Resource Center
- Check out the NEW Bon Air Buzz! More features and better looking…
- What was the inspiration for the new Bon Air Buzz logo? Find out here.
- City shutting down skatepark
- Assault on St. James
Schools. I have too many friends with kids who feel compelled to move away because of the schools. And more specifically, the school buildings. While the current City Council and Mayor have made sure that all the downtown Broad Street white elephant projects (Convention Center, Center Stage, etc.) and their supporters get taken care of, the City school buildings are still lacking in basic equality and infrastructure. They are already the OLDEST buildings in the state. Its a moral and legal crisis, becoming a continuing disaster due to the economic one. This falls squarely on ‘Bosnia Bill’ Pantele, as President of Council.
Mr. Burger, how do you figure that the responsibility for the schools is entirely that of Mr. Pantele when there is an entire school board elected to the sole purpose of managing the schools. I would say they would bear the primary responsibility unless i am misunderstanding what the office of “School Board Representative” might involve.
Also lets not forget a mayor that at the least was not helping, regardless of what he called his little grandstanding episodes. Putting the rotten mess on one person’s lap seems a little simplistic. Even supposing all blame can indeed be assigned to one person, how does that help fix the problem?
Care to toss out something besides “It needs to be fixed”, nothing personal but I think we all recognize that there is a problem with the schools. How do we fix it?
I would like to see another post regarding ideas of how to fix not the laundry list of finger pointing that this has started out to be.
Lets stop crabbin’ and come up with something positive like working through the audit list that the school board now has (already on their agenda, good for them), having Wilder pay back the money he squandered on the eviction so we can use it for the actual students of this city. Any others?
Here’s a positive idea: Lets take all the meals tax money that Mr. Pantele voted to give to the Center Stage/VPAF downtown white elephant and use it to make sure that Richmond is not in violation of federal ADA law.
BUILD SCHOOLS NOW! EQUAL EDUCATION NOW! SCHOOLS BEFORE STADIUMS!
Here’s another positive idea: How about implementing Paul Goldman’s original City of The Future Plan, which put schools first and figured out how the City could afford new ones. This is before the likes of Grey and Pantele got involved, skewed the priorities, and wasted the money.
Here’s another positive idea: Mandate green building as part of the schools plan and make sure the old and new schools are as energy conserving as possible. Use energy savings to go a step further and follow other cities all around the world by putting solar panels on our schools. Make them true centers of the neighborhoods that can do double duty as emergency shelters when residences lose power.
Your turn…
Scott, I’ve had it. You sure could have fooled me. Schools! And you have friends who have children in shcools, how nice. I’m sure somehow in your mind that qualifies you as an all-American, bona-fide expert. From the blogs you post EVERYWHERE, I would surmise that you have but one issue and that is your vendetta against Pantele. No one takes you seriously because you start every issue with some off-the-well theory or premise and then each time come to the same old conclusion, blame Pantele. Bad schools…blame Pantele, Wilder’s wasteful spending…blame Pantele, Ben Johnson’s car allowance…blame Pantele, Kennedy assination, World Trade Center, famine in Somalia, Darfur…blame Pantele. Scott, thanks for the ongoing irrelevant insights, yea we get it. And if we don’t, well it’s probably something for which we can, or you will…blame Pantele. Pantele is the one candidate who understands how city government works, and like it or not it takes folks who understand the system to fix it. You guys who do nothing but whine really clog up the blog space. Why not try actually doing something rather than just pointing your little typing-worn fingers at others and composing your little conspiratorial theories about the big, scary world that looms all around you. Turk
What conspiracy theory are you talking about, Turk?
Pantele has voted again and again for the white elephant downtown projects in the years he has been on Council. And yes, Wilder and Jewell and Loupassi and others have disappointedly done the same (so much for your allegation that I am only blaming Pantele). They are distracting from the schools. ADA is federal law that Richmond is breaking right now. There are kids who are not receiving a proper education right now. I have more neighbors contemplating leaving the City due to inadequate schools RIGHT NOW. Those are FACTS. Sorry if you can’t handle them.
What is Pantele’s No.1 issue? From what I have seen its crime or something. I strongly contest your assertion that he is the only candidate who understands how government works. Goldman is the only candidate with an advanced degree in public administration. He also almost single handedly got Richmond citizens the right to vote on the mayoral position in the first place. Where were you and Pantele on that particular issue?
You want to attack me for my opinion about your candidate in this mess of a city? That’s fine. But get your facts straight, and I will also remind you about what the topic of this post is. Yes, I have suggested strongly that Richmond’s main priority is schools. So here are two questions for Pantele and any other candidates out there: will any of you, having been elected, will make a motion that requires the Center Stage project to become more transparent and accountable? If the Center Stage project goes over budget (AGAIN) will public money be re-directed to a more proper priority like school building projects?
Or is that just more wild conspiracy typing to you?
By the way, Turk, do you recall years ago back when Jamison was (improperly appointed) City Manager, I told you that the City, guided by Richmond Renaissance, was in effect double taxing citizens by putting a small surcharge on the PUBLIC gas utility bills? This surcharge went to the City’s General Fund, which financed the City’s purchase of the Thalheimer’s block, which is now the Center Stage project (and back in its PRIVATE hands). You finally, reluctantly recognized that I had a point, and later Jamison got Council to quietly do away with the gas utility surcharge before he left office.
When will you start listening this time?
I know the white elephant projects are frustrating, but I think they are a necessary evil. Without the sparkle and shine within the city limits I think you’d have even greater flight and along with it tax dollars leaving. People are willing to come back for the awesome old homes/apt’s/condo’s…but you have to give them something more than bars. While I love the hell out of each and every dive from the fan to the hill, I know that along with schools I will need things like the sporting arenas and the like to keep me thinking maybe on the city when it is family time.
With that said, Goldman may have been a decent strategist I have not seen anything in his public speaking to elicit any trust in moving him to the big chair. The first “debate” he basically stood up and whined about how it was his time and that nobody else in the room had done anything to help the city. When asked about an actual program he cited 2 white elephant type projects and that was absolutely all he offered that go’round.
Now I’m sure you will post roughly 58 times to my 1 visit to this site, so please do not expect rapid fire counters unless I’m bored as hell or already over the limit to drive anywhere ;)
As far as issues I’d like to see transit addressed. The fast buses GRTC is chatting up are a neat idea, but let’s bring back some light rail! Also, I’d love to see a mayor actively engaging the powers that be in the state and fed to get better rail service D.C.-RIC-Hampton Roads. And in the biggest of my dreams something like what these folks advocate for http://www.VHSR.com
I think you are wrong about the white elephants, Jerrad. There are many Richmond citizens who have no intention (or the means) to leave and are stuck paying for failed downtown economic development schemes. What is even worse is that the money and attention that these schemes and white elephants waste would be better spent on schools and mass transit.
You don’t like Goldman. Well, I agree he is not the most personable, but he listens and more importantly, he’s right on the issues. I have heard some people complain that he is ‘weird’. Wow, such deep assessments.
The top priority for me this election is a mayor that it interested and capable of cutting the crap and juggling the host of heavy hitting issues that currently need attention (schools, spending practices, hemoraging legal fees, infrastructure, transportation… to name my top 5).
In the spirit of distilling it to a single top priority this election, I will have to say effective and honest leadership. In my opinion, there is only one person running that I believe is up to the task, and that is, Mr. Pantele.
SCHOOLS! Too bad the new city charter only lets the mayor have a say in how big the school budget is and little else. That is why the School Board election is very, very important.
Could you imagine the difference in the city if only ONE thing changed, and that thing was if the Richmond School system was as good as Henrico or Chesterfield? House values up! Young families staying! More corporations moving to the city! And, most importantly, a better future for the kids of Richmond, who will be the soon to be leaders of Richmond.
If the Richmond School Board had had the guts to consolidate some of the City’s ancient and half-empty schools, as Wilder had asked for in 2005 and 2006, there would have been some NEW schools under construction for the children by now.
But no … the school board dug in its heels and refused to cooperate. They are the ones to blame. With some new representatives coming in, let’s hope for better from them.