Eminent domain still dominates Charlottesville politics
Charlottesville, Va.—Incumbent Mayor Dave Norris, civil rights opponent, will seek re-election in November. Also seeking this year’s Democratic “nomination” for two seats are Councilor Julian Taliaferro and left-wing activist Kristin Szakos.
The only thing different about this year is there will be no mass meeting. Instead the Democratic Party will hold an “unassembled caucus” or firehouse primary on Saturday, May 9. It’s basically a primary controlled by central party officials. City residents who pledge to vote for the Democrat winner in November will be allowed to participate. Officials say they will release further details on how this new process will function.
Norris has a long record of opposing civil rights. He is a former chairman of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority, which has since 1954 used eminent domain to seize, destroy, and sell the best-known black neighborhoods and business districts in Charlottesville, Vinegar Hill and Garrett Street (now called the Warehouse District).
In his 2006 campaign, Norris asserted he opposes eminent domain but supports selling real estate seized through eminent domain. On November 21, 2005 he supported City Council’s city charter amendment to expand eminent domain to further damage already achieved by the Housing Authority. A state Senate committee stripped the unconstitutional provisions out of the amendment. What remains of Section 50.7 is the tax-credit for low-income homeowners.
Eminent domain is the Fifth Amendment civil right that government can seize your property for a legitimate public use. The Amendment guarantees due process to seize and sell your property; i.e., you must first be convicted of a crime.
To cover up these well-known felonies by the Housing Authority, on November 20, 2006, after his May election, Councilor Norris opposed release of the Housing Authority archives of over 6,000 documents and over 1,000 photographs. Norris refused to use his connections with the urban renewal agency (Redevelopment and Housing Authority) to release these public documents. That night Blair Hawkins exposed assistant manager Rochelle Small-Toney for blocking access (she resigned spring 2007). The most recent request made by Hawkins to Councilor Holly Edwards was February 12 on the Rob Schilling Show on WINA. Blair’s Blog contains more on Charlottesville’s urban renewal than any other online source.
Julian Taliaferro was Norris’ running mate. Though liberal and in agreement on eminent domain and revisionist history, Taliaferro has been relatively more conservative. According to the Schilling blog, central party Democrats are favoring Norris and Szakos.
2009 is only the second Council elections to occur in November. Council changed May elections to November to save money and to build a mandate. While more people vote in November, the number who vote in Council elections has changed little. Voters simply leave the local ballot blank. The November 2005 referendum to switch to an elected school board won while the Democrat leadership and 2,500 core partisans opposed it.
The Republican Party did not field a candidate in 2007 and may not again this year. The Democrats don’t want non-partisan elections because, in the general election, their sole position is “I’m a Democrat. He’s a Republican. What else do you need to know?”
To be an independent candidate on the ballot, you must garner at least 125 verified petition signatures by June. Contact Voter Registrar Sheri Iachetta for dates and details.
Dave Norris Campaign Webstite
Kristin Szakos Campaign Website
Julian Taliaferro doesn’t have a campaign website yet.
“Cville Dems Dissing Taliaferro?” by Rob Schilling, Mar. 13, 2009.
Public Housing Association of Residents, “nationally recognized, non-profit organization, founded in 1998”.
“Latest Archive Request on WINA” and latest urban renewal timeline, Feb. 12, 2009.
“Nominated: 3 whites for 2 seats: First black mayor calls for racial quota on Council”, Mar. 5, 2006.
“Eminent Domain dominates Charlottesville Council race: Schilling and Weber on May 2”, Apr. 28, 2006.
“Democrats regain monopoly in Charlottesville: School Board weak on safety”, May 4, 2006.
“Democrats nominate Huja, Edwards, Brown: Challengers Seaman, McKeever to remain active”, Jun. 3.
“Voter approve Council, School Board junket to Italy”, Nov. 7, 2007.
The only thing different about this year is there will be no mass meeting. Instead the Democratic Party will hold an “unassembled caucus” or firehouse primary on Saturday, May 9. It’s basically a primary controlled by central party officials. City residents who pledge to vote for the Democrat winner in November will be allowed to participate. Officials say they will release further details on how this new process will function.
Norris has a long record of opposing civil rights. He is a former chairman of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority, which has since 1954 used eminent domain to seize, destroy, and sell the best-known black neighborhoods and business districts in Charlottesville, Vinegar Hill and Garrett Street (now called the Warehouse District).
In his 2006 campaign, Norris asserted he opposes eminent domain but supports selling real estate seized through eminent domain. On November 21, 2005 he supported City Council’s city charter amendment to expand eminent domain to further damage already achieved by the Housing Authority. A state Senate committee stripped the unconstitutional provisions out of the amendment. What remains of Section 50.7 is the tax-credit for low-income homeowners.
Eminent domain is the Fifth Amendment civil right that government can seize your property for a legitimate public use. The Amendment guarantees due process to seize and sell your property; i.e., you must first be convicted of a crime.
To cover up these well-known felonies by the Housing Authority, on November 20, 2006, after his May election, Councilor Norris opposed release of the Housing Authority archives of over 6,000 documents and over 1,000 photographs. Norris refused to use his connections with the urban renewal agency (Redevelopment and Housing Authority) to release these public documents. That night Blair Hawkins exposed assistant manager Rochelle Small-Toney for blocking access (she resigned spring 2007). The most recent request made by Hawkins to Councilor Holly Edwards was February 12 on the Rob Schilling Show on WINA. Blair’s Blog contains more on Charlottesville’s urban renewal than any other online source.
Julian Taliaferro was Norris’ running mate. Though liberal and in agreement on eminent domain and revisionist history, Taliaferro has been relatively more conservative. According to the Schilling blog, central party Democrats are favoring Norris and Szakos.
2009 is only the second Council elections to occur in November. Council changed May elections to November to save money and to build a mandate. While more people vote in November, the number who vote in Council elections has changed little. Voters simply leave the local ballot blank. The November 2005 referendum to switch to an elected school board won while the Democrat leadership and 2,500 core partisans opposed it.
The Republican Party did not field a candidate in 2007 and may not again this year. The Democrats don’t want non-partisan elections because, in the general election, their sole position is “I’m a Democrat. He’s a Republican. What else do you need to know?”
To be an independent candidate on the ballot, you must garner at least 125 verified petition signatures by June. Contact Voter Registrar Sheri Iachetta for dates and details.
Dave Norris Campaign Webstite
Kristin Szakos Campaign Website
Julian Taliaferro doesn’t have a campaign website yet.
“Cville Dems Dissing Taliaferro?” by Rob Schilling, Mar. 13, 2009.
Public Housing Association of Residents, “nationally recognized, non-profit organization, founded in 1998”.
“I stand to address the cliché about the projects known as Public Housing. I hear a lot of people saying, “I can’t go in the project or you need to get out of the projects." When I think about our busy society, people on the move are always people planning and they have a project in mind. So you see today, where I come from a project is good, as well as being a community and a home for where I live.” (Riverside resident Sherrie Clark, upon graduation from the 2007 PHAR Resident Intern Leadership Program -- 6/24/07) (Editor's Note: Public housing is a felony under the U.S. Constitution, a clear civil rights violation.)
“Latest Archive Request on WINA” and latest urban renewal timeline, Feb. 12, 2009.
“Nominated: 3 whites for 2 seats: First black mayor calls for racial quota on Council”, Mar. 5, 2006.
“Eminent Domain dominates Charlottesville Council race: Schilling and Weber on May 2”, Apr. 28, 2006.
“Democrats regain monopoly in Charlottesville: School Board weak on safety”, May 4, 2006.
“Democrats nominate Huja, Edwards, Brown: Challengers Seaman, McKeever to remain active”, Jun. 3.
“Voter approve Council, School Board junket to Italy”, Nov. 7, 2007.
posted by Blair at 3/15/2009 08:05:00 PM
5 Comments:
blairy boy, you really do need to go back to your psychiatrist, i think you need to adjust your medications again, your view of reality is getting more and more demented. eminent domain only dominates charlottesville politics in the mind of one person, and one person only, that would be you. there is no one else who believes what you are saying. because none of it is true and none of it even remotely approximates a mentally balanced view of reality. get some help blairy boy.
Seriously, who let this lunatic Hawkins out of the loony bin???????
Thanks for your feedback. I understand truth hurts and you need to lash out. And deep inside you don't believe what you're saying, that's why you're anonymous and ashamed to stand behind your statement. The facts stand as they are. You may disagree with my conclusions. Feel free to use this blog to vent and spew silly personal attacks. By not taking on the facts, you strengthen my arguments.
blair hawkins, you're in a fantasy land of your own making. what kind of doofus can't even get nominated for office by the charlottesville REPUBLICANS, who nominate any moron, loser or diva they can scrape up? sad sad sad.
Thanks again. Your comment doesn't make sense. IF "charlottesville REPUBLICANS nominate any moron, loser or diva they can scrape up" AND I'm a moron-loser-doofus, how come they didn't nominate me when nobody else was running in 2003?
Maybe I was ahead of my time. The state and national Republican Party didn't adopt my position on eminent domain until 2005 Kelo decision. Even today the cville party is relatively liberal and has no position on eminent domain. I've already explained my side of the story.
To set the record straight: "Blair Hawkins to Fight Wind Mill", Aug. 14, 2006
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