Let's have fun! Let's have a fair!.... nope not in Richmond

[underpants]

Richmond Fair Halted by No Permits From Richmond Police Department
http://www.wtvr.com/wtvr-richmond-fair-might-not-go-on-09-07-12,0,5108380.story
The Richmond Fair is set to begin at the Diamond on Friday. But now, it doesn't look like that will be happening.

We're told it's because the Richmond Police Department won't sign off on the permit. Unless that happens, the fair won't be happening. CBS 6 dis some digging after the organizer of the event contacted us, saying he originally got permission from police and the R.M.A, but that R.P.D. changed their mind and he's not quite sure why. The organizer tells CBS 6 he provided R.P.D. with everything they needed.

Originally, the Richmond Fair was set to be held at the Raceway Complex in Henrico, but county leaders would not sign off on the plan, so it was moved to the Diamond.


Security concerns may keep fair out of Richmond
http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/article/FAIR12_20090711-221004/279507/

The certainty of the Richmond Fair became a little less certain yesterday when word spread that the city police aren't going to issue a permit for the 10-day carnival-style festival.

Downing said he wasn't certain why he was being denied the permit for his fair, which is scheduled to run July 17-26 in the parking lots surrounding The Diamond. He has been running newspaper and television ads for the fair in the past week, and a Web site has been touting it for weeks.

He said he had about 200 people headed to Richmond tomorrow and Tuesday to begin setting up and that he wasn't immediately canceling those plans.

Downing's company, Fair Nation Inc., has a contract with the Richmond Metropolitan Authority to rent the space for about $20,000. The contract is contingent upon Fair Nation obtaining all necessary permits, including those for rides, health issues and security.

"We've fulfilled every obligation and request they've made known to us, and we're willing to quickly fulfill every obligation and request that they make," Downing said, adding that he hoped to resolve the issue by tomorrow, either in person or by phone.

Allen Rothert, special-events coordinator for the city, said it was his understanding that the police did not have adequate staffing to meet the needs of the fair, though he was clear to say he wasn't speaking on behalf of the police. Rothert's department handles events on city property and assists with others in venues such as The Diamond, which is publicly owned but not controlled by the city.

He said city sheriff's deputies were an option, as were private security forces. He said he had estimated about $100,000 to pay for security.

The fair was originally scheduled for Richmond International Raceway, but Downing pulled out when he couldn't agree with Henrico County on security issues.

[imdjh]

1. What's the punchline?

Two articles on the fair being denied in two venues and nothing about the nature of the fair or why it might be denied other than logistics. What's it about?

[underpants]

3. The city of Richmond

it is a mess

[Nay]

7. Yes, it is. I've lived here for 16 years and truly can hardly wait to retire

and move away. It's just nuts here. The city council is full of nuts, twits and slum landlords, all with their hands out. No one should slam the counties surrounding Richmond -- ppl move out here to give their kids a half-assed chance to get a decent education and to keep their tax money from being wasted by the aforesaid crazy ppl with their hands out.

Now, about this fair -- I hadn't even heard of it. And it's par for the course for the Richmond Times-Disgrace to never dip deeper into a story, any story, and give their readers some real information. I can't tell you how many times I have thrown down the newspaper in disgust, screaming "Why didn't the reporter ask 2 simple questions _________________ and _________________, so we could actually know something important about what's being reported?"

[underpants]

9. The Times-Disgrace

and the local news stations proved a complete void of information to the area

BTW I've known people who had cocktail parties to actually sit and laugh at their government. This was a big thing back in the Sa'ad El Amin and whatshername (re-elected of course) getting caught in a police cruiser at 3AM "doing city business" :eyes:

[Nay]

10. That cocktail party thing is funny. I remember that guy--another waste

of space. What irritates me the most, Underpants, is that this is the CAPITAL city of an important historic state, and we can't do better than this? It's beyond pathetic. I'm just waiting for Brown and Belle Islands to be sold off to the highest bidder, and the river to run with even more effluents than it does already. When I see kids down there swimming in the river, it makes me cringe.

[underpants]

11. To further this discussion

as you are painfully aware of there is absolutely no regional elements here. The T-D tried to initiate a discussion in the Public Forum series and half the discussion was whether or not there SHOULD BE any regional approaches. The City is disdained by both Chesterfield and Henrico ( I live there now and man these people think they are the center of everything AND they pave every road every other year) let alone any surrounding county. Hanover wants nothing to do with anyone.

The whole state is like that-Nova doesn't even want to admit that they are in the state it seems, Hampton Roads and Richmond don't know each other exists, and Roanoke might as well be on an island.

[KittyWampus]

4. money/budgets?

[rucky]

2. I think some of that security budget will have to be kicked-back.

[underpants]

5. The cops paid $24K for Crown Victorias for cruisers

when the going rate (cheaper than I thought) was about $20K

no bid contracts
procurement procedures directly sidestepped


Chronic plague at City Hall
http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/columnists_news/article/MIKE11_20090710-223006/279390/
Early last year, Richmond Auditor Umesh Dalal wrote a scathing report saying that the city's poor purchasing habits left it susceptible to fraud.

Among his findings were that the city ignored its own bidding procedures and didn't always shop for the best price. City officials tended to skirt requirements for competitive, sealed bids on purchases of more than $50,000. At least nine cases were uncovered in which no bids were sought for purchases exceeding that level.

Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Michael N. Herring is investigating whether the city broke the law in its purchase of police cars in 2007.

The nearly $1 million purchase violated procurement rules. Sheehy Auto Stores of Richmond -- without competition from another vendor -- was awarded the contract to provide 40 Ford Crown Victoria police cruisers, at an average price of $24,838 per vehicle. That's $4,212 more than the base price the Virginia State Police paid for Crown Victoria cruisers that same year.

City code requires all public contracts with private vendors to be awarded after competitive sealed bidding or negotiation. It's hard to discern what was behind this cozy deal, though I'm sure other Ford dealers would love to know. Eric R. Mens, director of procurement services, has delivered his resignation.

You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone more sympathetic to Richmond's plight than me. It suffers from the burdens of poverty, urban isolation and affluent -- but too-often indifferent -- neighbors.

All this is no excuse for the chronic waste that has plagued City Hall. Wilder, too busy picking fights, never got around to cleaning the "cesspool of corruption and inefficiency" he lamented before moving Richmond toward its current form of government. In his wake, City Hall needs a politician with the tools of Roto-Rooter to flush out what is either endemic incompetence or blatant fraud.

[Robb]

6. Sounds shady

although I'd be more suspicious if the staties couldn't get a better deal on the cars, since they're buying more. :D

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

8. The kickback hasn't arrived yet?

:shrug:

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. Since when did the cops become the final deciders for everything... MJ's funeral, fairs, public

gatherings. When did the population elect cops as the rulers of the universe?