Join
me in launching the inaugural issue of the Elizabeth River
Independent Press, representing Norfolk and Portsmouth, the urban
core of Tidewater, Virginia.
Norfolk
and Portsmouth have commonalities. They are two of the oldest cities
in Tidewater, if not Virginia and America, and some of the oldest
black churches in America thrive in these two cities.
The
promotion of a “Norfolk/Virginia Beach Metro” area is a farce.
The
two cities have nothing in common.
Virginia
Beach is mostly white, mostly Republican and mostly conservative.
Even by American standards of taste, Virginia Beach is a new city.
Norfolk,
by contrast, is a delicate balance of black and white, mostly
Democratic and mostly real working class. In other words, Norfolk is
an old city.
Virginia
Beach, by contrast, is suburbia, sprinkled with upscale town centers
(shopping centers) and lifestyle communities (apartment complexes).
Some cynics have suggested that Virginia Beach is an example of
suburban sprawl – smart growth gone stupid – and not really a
city but a bedroom community. (How obnoxious of them.)
But
my essay is not meant to denigrate Va. Beach, home of a mayor who
reels from disbelief to unbelief to delusion.
Virginia Beach is known
for its schools, its country clubs and golf courses, its publicly
funded beach, its tourists (and their dollars), and many of its
renegades who fled Norfolk decades ago because of the integration of
school systems.
Portsmouth
is an old city. It is also working class, also has a delicate balance
of blacks and whites and Democratic.
Norfolk
and Portsmouth share a working waterfront – the port, its workers
and its cargo operations – the second most powerful economic
driver in the region, behind the Dept. of Defense. The port and the
people spend their dollars (or should) in Norfolk and Portsmouth.
The
two cities share similar problems – an abundance of tax exempt
land, stagnant real estate values, school systems that teeter on
mediocrity, a nasty dose of urban crime and a high percentage of
rental units.
But
Norfolk, obviously, is doing something right.
But
Portsmouth, obviously, is doing something wrong.
In
Portsmouth, a parochial City Council (if you can find them) would
rather debate racial issues while the city collapses.
They
fire two top officials – city manager John Rowe and city attorney
George Wilson – on the eve of budget negotiations and yet continue
to pay them until their contracts expire.
Two
other officials – the police chief and the director of finance –
tendered their resignations. Word has it that they are enrolled in
anger management classes.
Chuck
Rigney, who was hired last year to bring Portsmouth's economy into
the 20th century, let alone the 21st century,
was certainly seized with fear.
His
benefactor and the man who hired him, John Rowe, had been fired.
Ever
mindful of the enfolding drama, Rigney picked up his toys and fled
back to Norfolk, tempted by an offer he couldn't refuse and the cornucopia of craft
beer.
I
guess he didn't want to live in Portsmouth. His dream job turned into
a nightmare.