This isn’t an article about a dysfunctional family. Today, I attended my first Regional Industrial Facility Authority meeting.
The Register & Bee’s John Crane wrote an excellent article about the meeting, so I’ll refer you to that for the play-by-play. I just want to touch on two experiences I had during the meeting.
First, let’s look at the suggestion of a name for the industrial park. Given, they didn’t hire a big-name advertising firm to arrive at the first suggestion, but I firmly believe that a second-grade class could have came up with something more catchy than this…
Even Danville Economic Development director Jeremy Stratton doesn’t look very pleased with the largest industrial park in Virginia being named “MA”. Drawing board. Get back to it. 😀
Second, I met some of the strongest anti-uranium mining supporters at the meeting and I was very surprised at their friendliness towards me despite my strong opinions against their cause. Although I completely disagree with their group’s tactics at times, I have a great deal of respect for Nancy Smith and George Stanhope for their resolve and belief of their cause. As Stanhope said to me after the meeting (paraphrased), “There’s nothing about this issue that stops us from being friendly to each other.” Truer words have never been spoken. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Anne Cockrell. While the RIFA board went into closed session, the majority of people went into one of the other conference rooms to relax during the downtime. After a few minutes of conversation, Cockrell turned to me and said “We’re going to have a meeting now, would you mind leaving?” My reply was “Not gonna happen.” Cockrell stared at me incredulously as if she didn’t believe that somebody in the media was going to defy her wishes. I stood my ground as she puffed up and said “Then we’re not going to speak.” Shortly after that, she glared at me, pulled a member of the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors out of the room and went to the lobby to continue her conversation.
Members of the anti-uranium group: Anne Cockrell’s type of bullying tactics make your group look bad. Cockrell’s behavior is similar to SCC leader Jack Dunavant, who is known for trying to exert his influence to make people do things his way. Based on my first impressions of Nancy Smith & George Stanhope, I feel that if the anti-uranium group adopted their demeanor, they’d get more people to listen to them.
“Second, I met some of the strongest anti-uranium mining supporters at the meeting and I was very surprised at their friendliness towards me despite my strong opinions against their cause.”
There should be no surprise here. I hope you take the time to know us better.
It is strange that the press would choose to take issue with Ms. Cockrell regarding her wish for privacy for a meeting with a supervisor and her peers. The press should display the same passion for questioning closed-door meetings of elected officials as they do for badgering private citizens. There was a day when the press actually used the Freedom of Information Act to do so…What has become of journalism?
Perhaps an accounting of how much money was spent to come up with the name “MA” would be noteworthy.
If Ms. Cockrell wants a private meeting, the onus is upon her to find a location for that meeting and not to ask anybody else to leave to accommodate to her wants.
Common courtesy…it’s a good thing. That’s the point that I was making and you zoomed right past it.
BruceH
Did this occur after RIFA members told citizens and press to leave the room? I hope they did so…in a courteous manner.
You are correct in stating that the courtesy issue eluded me. The story is not that, in your opinion, Ms. Cockrell appeared discourteous.
As a member of the press (if you actually are such) your focus and questions should be directed toward DPRIFA and perhaps legislators.
*Why are only 3 planning districts in the state prohibited to from having citizen representation on Regional Industrial Facilities Authorities?
*Why won’t the Danville Pittsylvania RIFA allow citizen comments on their agendas while others in the state do so?
*Where is documentation to support that the county has spent $200,000 on DPRIFA cases?
*Why didn’t the Coal and Energy Uranium Subcommittee require VUI to present the entire Lyntek report prior the the June 22nd hearing?
It sometimes appears that the press extends its courtesy to those in power and picks on John Q. Public. Instead of whining about a lady asking for privacy please consider using that righteous indignation to occasionally expose abuses of power , government malfeasance and FOIA violations.
Good Luck, Grasshopper. If I can ever be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Yes, Karen, it occurred after RIFA went into closed session. Thankfully, your hopes are quite true as they were very polite. No, Karen, the story is not what you choose it to be. I wrote the article and it is what it is.
SouthsideCentral is my personal site which has nothing to do with my job. Here, I’m free to express my own opinions and I keep it separate from my work.
I’ll look into your questions. Do you already have some of the answers?
The industrial center is named MA… as in mommy? That is a joke… right? What were they thinking?
It’s bad enough trying to coax businesses into an area that has very little going for it except for desperately cheap labor, so why make it harder to attract those same businesses by picking a laughable name? The mind boggles.
Ah yes…job vs. Self…age old problem. That is everyone’s struggle. The answers are yours to find. You will be successful.
NO WAY! Rude is rude is rude is rude. You know it when it hits you — and rudness can rear it’s ugly head at any moment! Get ready, my friend — it might become ugly “up in heah!”
Now, be careful, Bruce — if something happens to you, I’ll know who mighta done it!!