…just like the rotation of the Earth could play a role in tomorrow’s sunrise.
This came up in the lively thread at Too Conservative and also at Operative Word (well worth reading them both): Ya think anyone might be gearing up to use today’s vote as a campaign issue?
I’m gonna say … probably.
Check that: What I meant was, OH GODALMIGHTY YES!
And here is how it just might start. 6″ x 9″ folded size, 4 pgs, glossy card stock, entire piece flooded in dark burgundy ink full bleed (all text reversed or in reversed boxes), opens to a spread with photos (names in captions) of each of the five Supervisors who voted against the co-branding project, perhaps a quote from Andrea McGimsey that she has a football signed by “Redskins Quarterback Frank Herzog,” a summary of what Loudoun County missed out on, “logo”-type gold text representing “Redskins Hall of Fame” facility with wording to the effect of “What Loudoun County Just Lost.” Back cover is mailer portion on the bottom, and on the top something like: “Five Supervisors killed the deal to make Loudoun County the ‘Home of the Washington Redskins’ and instead sent the money for HOSPITALITY TRAINING for the ‘Journey Through Hallowed Ground’” – with an inset photo of Rt 15 south of Leesburg during rush hour.
This might be the cover:
But that’s all probably just crazy talk, so please disregard.
Tags: Loudoun County, Redskins
Joe, Thanks for rubbing in the Skins recent loss to the boys. Your photo of Romo having pity on the skins hurts.
We have two teams going in different directions.The Cowboys are on the rebound. The Skins are stalled heading towards flat line.
We had such high hopes.
What the County has missed out on is the opportunity to co brand with the Redskins, to co market with the Redskins, and to advertise to the Redskins fans and to actually bring fans here. The Journey Though Hallowed Ground doesn’t have anyone coming here yet (they hope to generate this.) JTHG, so far is all about gathering mega federal bucks and local money to build their program and pay themselves very well. Someone should inquire about the salary of its key employees….How many people will be trained under the grant? or is it just the few people in Waterford who currently run the program, who needed a pay raise? JTHG understands co branding, and they have teamed up with Prince Michel vineyard to market JTHG wine with a special JTHG label. They take a percentage of wine sold. They have hooked up with publishers and photographers, who have written books co branded with TJTHG. They once suggested a deal to me for wells I drilled as part of a subdivision attempt: the deal was give up on the subdivision and let TJTHG market bottled water from the wells as JTHG water, with their label. Trust me, this is a money making enterprise which will profit handsomely those very few who run TJTHG.
The County could have co-branded for an handsome profit with the Redskins, for the benefit of the taxpayers and actual Loudoun businesses. This would have been a much more effective use of the money, since the Redskins are an incredibly valuable and popular franchise up and running (which will take JTHG forever.) One idea I had suggested to Ms. Waters was to have the Redskins select a Loudoun wine each year, for a special marketing effort with a Redskins label, or other Loudoun products…the advertising for our wineries and B&B’s and restaurants would have been tremendoun Developing a Redskins center here would have been an obvious magnet for tourists, which the County could have used to get those tourists to go on to enjoy the rest of the County. TJTHG is nothing but an embryonic marketing company, and if anything ever develops here in Loudoun for that project, maybe they will succeed in bringing revenue to the County. At this point though that is pure speculation. The County could have been a direct marketer with the Redskins, to much greater effect, in my opinion.
That mailer is hilarious, Joe!
Sally, you hit on many good points about JTHG – it deserves a lot more scrutiny. Frank Wolf was a big supporter of setting that up – I suggest everyone write his office and let him know about this travesty.
I am being persuaded by additional background info and Sally’s input. I didn’t have time to read all of TC’s posts, so this is a nice short summary here at good ole NVTH.
If anyone doubts that this is a huge issue that will live on consider this:
The Loudoun blog planets are aligned on this one. (poetically after the rare amazing appearance of Venus and Jupier around the moon).
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20081202/capt.b71d3c12906740f28f26d3409096ae35.philippines_moon_and_planets_xbm101.jpg?x=270&y=345&q=85&sig=.JLiISQPhUcIn5RXodU3HA–
TC, TO, and NovaTownHall all attacking the vote. Now what other issue could possibly bring these planets together.
One other thing, this Board’s supporting the “rural economy” is just bogus, given the recent Board of Supervisors’ action to ban “alternative” septic systems, which they defined broadly to include just about every septic system in western loudoun–any system with any kind of modern feature, warning, pump, etc.. banned for 5 years, so they can study them more– pure BS that completely contravenes state law, and science… so I wonder who will be building any business in Western Loudoun, with no public sewer and most other septic systems now banned. This Board has done nothing but destroy business and business opportunity in Loudoun.
So when the 3 blogs of LoCo agree the world is in harmony?
Would love to know the salaries of the JTHG key employees….Cate Wyatt’s father in law:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/23/news/wyatt.php
Google Steve Wyatt, texas oilman, for more interesting information. Steve Wyatt is Cate Wyatt’s husband…
” Frank Wolf was a big supporter of setting that up – I suggest everyone write his office and let him know about this travesty”
I would suggest that throwing stones at JTHG because our BOS made an error in judgement is not the course of action to take.
We should be careful we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. JTHG is not the problem, it is the shortsightedness of our BOS with this vote.
I disagree Frank. TJTHG is a boondoggle of huge proportions, set up to favor those who run it, especially. It is a marketing organization, and will get percentages of this and percentages of that, try to build a war chest, lobby, give money to politicians? all under the guise of good deeds. What civil war sites are we promoting here in Loudoun??? Ms. Wyatt is very close to Senator Warner, spent a lot of time with him before she was married, and also with former Governor Doug Wilder. She used to work for a developer, Turner Construction, before she got into public service…with her connections she has gotten herself a nice paycheck, thanks to taxpayers like you and me. TJTHG is unproven, we know nothing about what they are doing here in Loudoun, except sponsoring expensive camps through the public schools. Mostly what we know is Ms. Wyatt lives in Waterford, and as the Director of TJTHG has a lot of money at her disposal to spend as she pleases, and pay herself a salary?
And what sally do you have to support your allegations other than conjecture ? Given the extent of which you heap dirt on Ms. Wyatt, It almost seems like you harbor a personal dislike toward her.
“pay herself a salary?”
It is customary for a Board of Directors to determine executive salaries. If she serves in an executive capacity, she should receive a salary should she not ?
Our civil war and other historical sites are disappearing rapidly, falling victim to strip malls, and suburban sprawl. Harpers Ferry, Cedar Creek, Chancellorsville, Cold Harbor, and Gettysburg have all recently had major encroachments that were prevented by groups dedicated to the preservation of ground upon which our history occurred. Unless we wish our history to be just words on a page, or a plaque in a Walmart parking lot, we must take steps to preserve it.
it must be frustrating, Joe. I guess it’s still going to be awhile until you start to see the full benefits of that constitutional ban on gay marriage.
Dans,
what sites in LOUDOUN are you talking about? TJTHG sites are all in other states or Counties, and Loudoun is footing the bill for this “hospitality training” thing… who are we training, for what sites, how many are being trained, how is this good for Loudoun? as far as I known, TJTHG has very few employees, and consists mainly of Ms. Wyatt… am I wrong? it is just a marketing organization for historic sites in other states/counties…that happens to have its headquarters in Waterford…
Stone, that photo looks like it’s from the first game at Texas Stadium where you guys handed us our -sses.
Stay Puft, my you are a troublemaker. Didn’t you get the memo we’re having a love fest?
sally, JTHG encompasses areas within 4 states, not just Loudoun. In Loudoun, Aldie, Leesburg, Edwards Ferry, White’s Ford, Carolina Rd., Mt. Zion Church, Loudoun Heights, Point of Rocks, Middleburg..
If your issue is with the BOS for footing the hospitality bill, I kindly refer you back to #10.
dans,
I am very cynical about the big bucks going to this organization, all controlled by Ms. Wyatt– the feds are giving them gazillions. They don’t need our money. Did you read the link about her father in law, oil for food UN scandal, where he was indicted for kickbacks, etc? it’s like flies buzzing around our money, grabbing it when they can, and I don’t like it. Leesburg and Middleburg do not need TJTHG to give them hospitality training, and the other sites in Loudoun are roads, a ferry, a mountain, point of rocks? We don’t have a Gettysburg or a Monticello, so why are we as a county with few sights providing 60 percent of the budget? when three other STATEs are involved? why are we giving money for hospitality training….just more of the same, funnel $$$s to “friends” and no accountability– it simply stinks. Why doesn’t she volunteer if this is so important to her? Again, I would like to know what she is being paid, and the other employees there–just like congress wants to know how much the car execs are going to be paid if they are given fed money– I don’t like giving away money with no scrutiny, no oversight, no rules–just spend it as you want… it is wrong.
I think Puffy is taking a wait-and-see attitude with regard to your sudden rationality, Joe.
Sudden rationality = “when Joe says something I agree with”? Fair enough.
In that case though, I shall engage the puffy one: Let me point out that “gay marriage” as a political advocacy movement is in worse shape than the Republican Party right now, having lost in every election in U.S. history, if I am not mistaken. I mean, California? I hate to break it to you guys but we were not exactly blazing any fresh trails with that effort back in 2006.
Anyway, while my personal preference was for the side of the argument that ended up prevailing, frankly in the grand scheme of things my contribution to that effort was minimal, basically a few posts and comments. You’ll recall Sophrosyne was driving that bus. If not for Soph and another guy being significant players on the ground in this state I doubt there would have been much discussion at all on the blog – probably would not have been on my radar.
So if you want to attack my overall rationality I’m afraid the illegal immigration issue is really the only club you will have a chance of hitting me with. But by all means, swing away.
Sour grapes! What’s the beef? Who needs the Redskins. Loudoun county has always been about “trees” and that is what we get with the JTHG. And if you think that the next supervisor elections will be any different from this last go round I think you are sadly mistaken. Idiots electing incompetent idiots is what we are famous for.
” Did you read the link about her father in law,”
Sally, are you declaring defacto guilt by association upon Ms. Watts ? If you are concerned about the money they are being given maybe you should contact them and request their records or tax returns.
“all controlled by Ms. Wyatt”
I would believe I am correct in saying the Board has ultimate control over their finances and spending.
” other sites in Loudoun are roads, a ferry, a mountain, point of rocks”
Yeah, and the Bloody Angle is just a section of stone wall, and Cold Harbor is just a desolate crossroad.. There is no ferry at Edwards Ferry, and White’s Ford is a few miles from where the ferry is today. Maybe you should spend some time on JTHG to familiarize yourself with local history and landmarks.
” Why doesn’t she volunteer ”
Why doesn’t Obama volunteer, or Bush, or Palin, or me, or you for that matter. Are you absolutely certain she is not volunteering her time ?
Again if you have a problem with the BOS decision, you should cast your stones in their direction, not at JTHG.
[...] nixing the idea of a Redskins Hall of Fame being located in Loudoun County (see here and here), I have to wonder whether the Prince William Board will pick up this opportunity to create that [...]
All I’m sayin is that further down the road we’ll start to see how much of a positive impact that amendment has had. I say give it 5, 10 more years. You may not have been lobbying hard for it than, but sooner or later you’ll realize that it was the single greatest thing that ever happened in Virginia. It’ll take time, but things are going to be so much better!
we did a similar ban in MI, and let me tell you, I am countin’ the days now my friend! My only regret is that we didn’t do it sooner! If we had banned gay marriage 30 years ago, I’m sure the Big 3 wouldn’t be in the situation they’re in right now. Hell, we’d probably all be flying corporate jets right now!
Same goes for Cali. Now that gays can’t get married, I expect to see a steady rise in standardized test scores coming out of that state over the next decade (look out, Holland!), and within 10-15 years we should expect divorce rates in that state to be hovering right around zero. I look forward to saying “I told you so” when it comes to pass (assuming that Obama hasn’t shut this blog down by then!)
General, you are not even gay … and on a football post no less!
If I was going to revisit the issue, which it appears we are destined to do, I suppose my response would be that the VA Marriage Amendment was not promising to make the world a better place, but to keep it from becoming a worse place. Let’s not split hairs over that sentence, but the basic fact is true, no?
(I can’t believe I am getting roped into this conversation. Soon we will have Jonathan here yelling at me and it will be just like old times.)
I think if you are going to evaluate the MI or VA or CA gay marriage bans, it would be more accurate to view them as simply reflections of popular opinion rather than advocacy toward an envisioned future. To me it is more interesting to see it this way.
Take our local case: In the 2006 and 2007 elections there were strong hints Loudoun County was turning bluer (not the least of which was a nearly complete Democrat takeover of the Board of Supervisors, and a respectable Democrat (though I think still majority Republican) delegation sent to Richmond. In 2008, Obama won here pretty handily, not a landslide but the first time the area has voted for a Democrat for president in many elections. So it would be fair to surmise the area has become more “liberal” the past few years. Yet in 2006 the VA Marriage Amendment passed by a large margin – I think over 57% of the vote – despite a strong advocacy effort from the other side.
I really do not think the margin was the result of conservative activism, either. From what I saw of the pro-Marriage Amendment movement here, it was a pretty shoestring-and-duct-tape run affair. The other side definitely had more money to spend, and an equal or greater number of boots on the ground.
And I bet if gay marriage was to come up again in 2009 (it can’t, I think 2012 is the soonest, but for argument’s sake) it would lose again. A lot of people have a problem with it.
And I will tell you, the majority of the population increase here has been through immigration. This might well contribute to the further “bluing” of NoVA, especially if the GOP continues to be viewed as “anti-immigrant”. But I will bet this would also INCREASE the electoral bias against legalizing gay marriage.
So whatever is going on, I don’t think it’s all that useful to see the prohibition of gay marriage as misguided or counterproductive. Perhaps it is, but so what? Public sentiment is against it by a wide margin. That is just reality.
dans,
None of the sights or sites you speak of are tourist draws needing Hospitality Training related to the civil war… yes, I have a problem with the Board giving our money to this group, but it is also the group’s problem in that they asked for it, don’t need it, and it just looks fishy.
Why is it such a problem for us to know what the salaries are? Let Pennsylvania and Maryland, and Albemarle County with the major sites pay for their hospitality training.
You are being ridiculous blaming only the Bos and not the group that is asking for this– and yes, I do think what her father and law and husband are up to show a lot about who she spends her time with and her “influence” and I think things from her past show her morality too– so it is all important to me to know before we hand over hard earned tax money.
Actually, Joe, the vote in California was pretty narrow. Polls show that an increasing number of Americans support gay marriage. And a majority of Americans (about 6 in 10) support same-sex civil unions. Blacks and latino immigrants tend to be more opposed than the general population to gay marriage but they also tend to be more religious and gays in these communities tend to be more closeted. Younger voters, however, even conservative ones, overwhelmingly support gay marriage. Opinion on gay marriage is changing rapidly and this trend will most likely continue. I think Obama will help educate his supporters on gay issues, taking small steps such as ending the ban on gays in the military (after a recommendation by members of the military gives him some cover perhaps). Republicans will either abandon this issue since it turns off moderates or step up anti-gay rhetoric and become a permanent minority party.
If you look at how much has changed on the issue of gays in general in the last 20 years, it’s pretty remarkable. You’re on the wrong side of history on this one, Joe, though I suspect you will eventually moderate your opinion as well.
I guess all I’m saying is that it’s too bad you guys weren’t able to muster support for a redskin hall of fame, considering how well you’ve done in the past when it comes to petty-ass crap that has absolutely no relevance to the world.
oh well, we’re just going to have to live with the fact that after 14 years in power the biggest thing the conservative “movement” managed to accomplish was a few state bans on gay marriage.
…well that and PEPFAR, which is well intentioned (but then again so was the Iraq war). We could throw the tax cuts in there, too. But it’s hard to make the case that they did their job of improving the economy, seeing as how we’re now in the worst economic situation since the great depression and all…
Sally, They are a non-profit so you should be able to get any questions you may have regarding financing answered if you request the information. You are making a rash assumption that they are drawing a salary, if you are that concerned about, you should find out the facts.
If there is anyone being ridiculous in this discussion it is you. You are throwing out little more than personal attacks and unsubstantiated opinion. Sorry, but I don’t drink kool aid. If you have concerns about JTHG it might serve you well to get the facts, rather than daydreaming up innuendo, and ranting about it here.
I agree that there is no need for hospitality training for JTHG. It is also true that Dan Snyder doesn’t need this funding. I do think the BOS shot themselves in the foot with this decision, and I also believe that it is a significant error in judgement to critique JTHG over the BOS action.
” it turns off moderates”
Being a moderate myself, I find this statement patently false.
” the vote in California was pretty narrow”
California is California, and a narrow margin was a major victory given all the money raised to defeat it.
“Younger voters, however, even conservative ones, overwhelmingly support gay marriage.”
Then their prefrontal cortexes mature, and they realize the errors in their immature logic.
….whatever….
dans,
The only reason that TJTHG got money from our board is because one person, who lives in Waterford, where TJTHG has its office. TJTHG has very little to do with Loudoun other than having an office here, and we should not be in the business of giving away our money to people who are politically connected, just because they want it. You think TJTHG is great–let Gettysburg, Monticello, fund the hospitality training…. why are we handing over our precious dollars—seems like a scam, and yes I do blame TJTHG.
dans,
one more thing, and because of the friendship of certain key people with TJTHG, Ms. McGimsey bypassed the standard procedure for vetting these requests–it did not go through the Economic Development Committee, but was rushed to the Board, and totally unvetted unsubstantiated, just gushed on by some Board members, very friendly with Ms. Wyatt– so yes, I do blame TJHG for not going through the process, for manipulating their friends on our Board, and for asking for this money when the main tourist sights are in other States and counties… we have no need for “hospitality training” here in Loudoun–this is a training for the 4 state region, and it is very doubtful it will benefit us in any way, especially in the short term. I think this reflects very poorly on the ethics of this Board, and their judgment–this is pure and simple giving money for political purposes to a “friend” and is not in the public interest…
think what you wish sally..
By bypassing established procedure, and bringing up the vote on an unvetted project, the Board may have violated state law:
§ 58.1-3819. Transient occupancy tax.
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+58.1-3819
“…shall be designated and spent solely for tourism and travel, marketing of tourism or initiatives that, as determined after consultation with the local tourism industry organizations, attract travelers to the locality and generate tourism revenues in the locality.”
The money is not being spent “soley” for tourism in Loudoun, and no one consulted with the local tourism industry organizations, no showing how this would “attract” tourists…
The Board should definitely do this over… and ask some questions this time, send it through the proper process, and get the right answers from our local tourist industry organizations…
I found this short video of the supervisors explaining why they think it will be bad for Loudoun County to have the Redskins headquarters here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmzrTN52m2g
Joe, you’re famous, or could have been. I note a copyright violation in the video. You gotta move fast in the age of “digital watches”.
(Pat on the back for anyone who can identify the movie reference)