(07-10-2015 08:21 AM)reagan Wrote: As someone who lived in Norfolk for close to forty years, I will vote for anyone but Fraim. He is only concerned about downtown and the Ghent area. The rest of the city has gone down the tubes.
Military Circle was once the premier shopping mall and now is ready to close. All over the rest of city the roads are terrible, the schools worse, crime on the upswing and the taxes just keep going up and up. But the worst thing is his support for the light rail. Light rail has bled and continues to bleed vast amounts of money just so his developer buddies can get rich and he can get in front of the camera and get his name on a bronze plaque. Light rail does nothing to lessen traffic and the ridership numbers are inflated because so many get to ride for "free". Of course, it is not free as taxpayers are forced to pay. For example, our water rates increase every year. But the City raids the revenues from the water fund to pay of other city services like Light Rail. There are many ways that Norfolk bleeds its citizens, especially the ones who own their homes. I can't wait to move out of Norfolk.
You seem to be a curmudgeon who is trying his best to stir the pot and bring up topics (such as your opinion of Obama's performance) which have nothing to ido with the op.
Here are some statements refuting your's.
1. Downtown and Ghent are receiving all benefits and the rest of the city is going down the tubes.
Wards Corner, Riverview, Ocean View, just to name three, are all areas of the city which have received both city and private inveatment on Fraim's watch, and are doing quite well as campared to when he first took office.
2. "Military circle was once the premier shopping mall."
Very debatable, and if so it was not even close to that at the time Fraim was first sworn in.
3. "Because so many get to ride (the Tide) for "free."
Large numbers of people do not ride the Tide free. I have ridden the Tide and have witnessed, more than once, people being ticketed, and removed because they had nit paid their fare. The fine is pretty steep, and the NPD does a good job of weeding out scofflaws. You, among many others, never account for the fact that the current configuration of the Tide; with a termini at Newtown Rd. and at Colley Ave. is a starter line, and ridership numbers are therefore much lower then they will be when the line reaches into more heavily populated areas like VB, and large employment destinations like NOB.
4. The city raids the "water fund" to pay off light rail.
Could you please substantiate this assertion.