Who’s Afraid Of The Big Bad Ben Davenport?

I’m not, but other people are because they won’t mention his name in the latest dam conspiracy theories.

Oh yeah, those conspiracy theories are horsecrap.

First, some background.

I started the “Southside News & Views” group on Facebook so that people could discuss local & regional issues in a loosely moderated format. During the recent Danville City Council elections, the group got dominated with Confederate flag supporters and their obsession to get Lee Vogler voted out of office with their “No Votes For Turncoats” movement. Needless to say, that was a giant bust. I (and other members) simply got tired of the incessant flag talk that had the same people saying the same things repeatedly, so I pretty much banned all Confederate flag topics unless they had something new and relevant in them.

Needless to say, that twisted a lot of people’s underwear so they started a new group. That was perfectly fine with me. The funny thing is that they banned me from the group and have kept it closed so that only members can see the discussions (even though they said they were going to open it up back on May 23rd). That’s not going to stop me from seeing what’s going on there and calling out irresponsible and false things that are posted there. That’s my job and I’ve got a network of sources that are glad to help me out and do it.

Now let’s get to this article’s storyline. Unless you’ve been living on Uranus for the past few weeks, you know that Danville’s latest controversy is the upcoming decision on whether to remove the White Mill dam or not. There are facts out there for both sides of the argument, and plenty of people have voiced their opinion. Unfortunately, there are those types of people who don’t let facts get in their way and concoct facts or their own. Or even worse, conspiracy theories. Let’s take a look at one of those conspiracy theories and blast it to hell.

Let’s start with this screenshot that was sent to me earlier this week from that group that I mentioned above.

Ben Davenport. I have no problem saying that name, but it seems that this person is consciously avoiding mentioning Ben Davenport’s name for some unknown reason. Let me say it again. Ben Davenport. Ben Davenport. Ben Davenport.

I’ve said his name three times and Ben Davenport hasn’t magically appeared in a cloud of smoke and had the mafia kill me.

Anyway, let’s bring out a Big Board to explain why Goddard’s He Who Shall Not Be Named conspiracy theory is full of horsecrap.

• The River Partnership, LLC gifted the White Mill dam to the city to get rid of a serious liability trap if any stupid person got hurt or killed there. That was a common sense business decision.
• The River Partnership, LLC is not just Ben Davenport. Rick Barker is also highly involved with the company.
• The “certain piece of land” that Goddard also doesn’t want to mention is the remainder of the Long Mill property.
• The remainder of the Long Mill property isn’t selling now because the general consensus is that the price is too high. In fact, that property has been shown off by Danville’s economic development department recently.
• DGIF responded to Danville’s request because they were the only state agency that was asked to have any input… you know, because there really isn’t need to get the State Board of Elections in on it.

And here’s the biggest thing of all to blow up the conspiracy theory…

Ben Davenport hasn’t been on the board of the Department of Game & Inland Fisheries since June 30, 2015 when his term expired. Whoops.

But when one dumbass starts a conspiracy theory, others soon start to believe it and spread it. Here’s another screenshot from that group that was sent to me.

We give Star-Tribune writer Bobby Roach bonus points for trying to get that guy to say “Ben Davenport”, but that’s not going to happen. It seems that James Daniels also believes that He Who Shall Not Be Named now controls Danville City Council.

Oh yeah. Ben Davenport. Ben Davenport. Ben Davenport. See, anybody can say the name.

But wait, there’s more!

Seriously. This guy seems to seriously believe that He Who Shall Not Be Named is a puppet master to Danville City Council. He also slurped up Tommy Goddard’s false statements about Ben Davenport He Who Shall Not Be Named being on the DGIF board. Missed that by almost 12 months, James. Whoops.

Conspiracy theories with no validity based on false statements. But that my friends, is a part of Danville.

Forming and spreading idiotic conspiracy theories just to advance your cause is wrong and needs to be called out. That’s why I wrote this article. I’d like to thank the sources that sent me these screenshots.

Ben Davenport. Ben Davenport. Ben Davenport. See, I did that again. Yeah, he’s a powerful and very influential man in Virginia. He’s financially and politically well-connected. He can get things started and accomplished. He can make things happen.

But I know Ben Davenport. He’s not a puppet master. He’s not controlling Danville City Council on the White Mill dam issue. He’s one of the good guys that has the region’s best interests in mind.

And I’m not scared to say his name.