A Clear Path to Thirty

A Clear Path to Thirty

            In slightly more than nine months, The Affordable Health Care Act, (AHCA), colloquially referred to as Obama Care by most of our population will become in practice the law of the land in the United States of America. As in many vocations, those of us in the hospitality industry will face unique challenges and be forced to review our management styles and focus. Citing The Readers Digest version of the AHCA, those businesses which carry a seasonal adjusted fifty employees working over a total of thirty hours weekly each will be compelled by penalty to offer employees and their children up to the age of twenty six years old an “affordable” insurance plan. Despite the fact that in an industry where by some estimates, thirty three percent of employees eligible for already existing plans decline participation, due to harsh realities involved in their day-to-day existences a business may still be liable for a non deductible penalty of up to $3,000 if an employee were to decide that they might purchase a plan from the proposed “exchange”, or that a government who has operated without agreeing on a Federal Budget since 2009 has yet to define the term “affordable”. In addition, those business that are required to do so has been led to believe that by the conclusion of April 2013, our seemingly ubiquitous Federal Government will have completed the review of scores of plans and deemed them acceptable or not. Whether the administration can accomplish such as task notwithstanding, managers in the Hospitality industry, as in others, will be face with a unique set of new parameters and metrics to administer. It will be necessary for a business to establish a clear concise list of job profiles and a transparent path for an employee to achieve the magic number of thirty hours per week. It is conceivable that in some instances due to the unique parameters of the hospitality industry that restaurants in addition to borrowing register paper, romaine lettuce, sour cream, or garlic; may also share staff who have not yet qualified for their thirty hours at a home restaurant or hotel as some experts have predicted that the AHCA may cause many individuals to work at two jobs which would supply them with twenty six hours each. In addition to coaching an employee to their thirty hour slot, a manager will now have to act as a collection agent for the Federal Government. Tipped employees who often have a paycheck which totals zero dollars due to the fact that servers and bartenders take their check home every day in the form of gratuities will find themselves in a position of owing monies to their employers as surely the business will have to pay insurance premium and then seek remuneration from their employees. As corporations and state governments ratchet down the hours for part time employees, it will be essential for hospitality managers and their companies to become more transparent in regards to their current and prospective employees. When reviewing budgets, it is now not just a matter of an errant schedule, or a laps in allowing employees to switch schedules resulting in employees obtaining overtime, but rather expensive federal penalties and potential legal action for not being a standard bearer of company culture.

The Old Axiom is True, Everyone Does Have an Opinion

     Ms. Dougherty, as an ordinary citizen, and a resident of the 23451 zip code it is with little reluctance that I take issue with your opinion piece which was published in the Virginian Pilot, October 10, 2012. As a member of the Fourth Estate it is incumbent upon each journalist to broadcast the spot light on an individual with an even judicious beam. As stated in the title of your essay you know very little of this private turned public individual yet you seek to fix him in a few tawdry formulated phrases. For example, in your initial paragraph you have egregiously labeled the councilman as a “bland”, yet when he ceases to be you call for his resignation. What occurred in that corner of the Shadowlawn a few Saturdays ago is an activity which resounds with relative frequency from Seatack to Bayside, from Pungo to Kempsville and throughout America; nothing more than a husband and wife exercising their First Amendment Rights as free born citizens of the Untied States of America. Since you invoked the term, one of the most exalted of all hillbillies, Larry Flint, was told by the highest court of this land that the right and practice free speech, no matter how unpopular, is absolute. This decision incidentally was advocated for and supported by the most elite individuals within your industry. Finally, the pontificating tone of your article requires that you yourself look to the Book of Samuel. David for his sin is not framed historically as romantically as Hollywood would paint him, but the lesson here is that despite his wicked shortcomings David was allowed to serve his people. Understanding it is of little consequence to this citizen whether the councilman stays or goes and it certainly in this instance should not be up to a reporter seeking to get their byline, picture, and title above the fold, but the electorate. I do not liken this situation by a salt marsh to that of a biblical epic and neither should you. What we should do is let a state of affairs which resides between a woman and a man lie with them and if need be eventually with the judicial system itself and look towards more substantive issues  to sensationalize, sell newspapers, and create a buzz.

A simple, stuttering, sheppard might do.

 In chapter 18 of the book of Exodus, we are told that Jethro, priest of Midian and Moses’s father-in-law, arrived at the mountain of God where the nation of Israel had camped. Upon seeing his son-in-law judge the people from morning to night Jethro sought counsel with the onetime son of Egypt and advised him that he select able bodied men to help him rule over his people lest he and his people waste away. The world has turned a few times in the centuries since those desert people camped at Sinai, and we in the United States wrestle with our unique form of representative government. As with the regularity of the seasons in our nation, the populations blessed franchise is foretold by sprouting roadside campaign signs and negative television advertisements financed by various political action committees which now have no contribution limits that spin each others opponent as an evildoer hell bent on destroying our standard of living, cities and nation. Each party will attempt to identify their causes attempt to win your vote by finding the latest  “Joe the Plummer”  to prove that anyone can achieve the American dream, or a senior in a wheelchair who will plunge headlong into a wretched Dickensian lifestyle as a result of draconian budget cuts initiated by the idle rich. Recent history in our national arena has shown our elected representatives to be at their best to be mired in gridlock and divisive behavior when working “across the aisle” and often within the dealing of their own party. It is with results such as this in mind that we as a constituency need to focus on what enables these governmental bodies to narrow their focus and legislate solely to their base. Systemic apathy, low voter turnout and disinterest in holding these individuals accountable to not only their party, but each community as well has allowed our politicians to pander to limited segments of our population centers and allow people believe that they can vote themselves rich. Each party will wrap themselves up in a particular view of the American vision and hearken to names such as Regan, Kennedy, and Truman in an almost Orwellian fashion to evoke feelings of patriotism. It is with this in mind that we need to go about our work and come to terms with the fact that we are facing a crucial time and even more dire circumstances with this upcoming election. It is of utmost importance that we comprehend the idea that for the foreseeable future, everything is on the table. Higher taxes and fewer entitlements will be the manner in which this country will reduce its debt and grow our economy. Instead of yearning for heroes of our recent past and perhaps heed some solid Old Testament advice of Jethro and search for moral able bodied individuals to assist with the business of the nation and come to the conclusion that instead of man made idols to operate our government, for now perhaps a simple, stuttering, Sheppard might do.

Welcome Real Housewives of Summer

            Having transitioned from winter to the cusp of summer, most of us at the oceanfront are executing plans laid at the end of last season to maneuver our interests whatever they may be through the all important 17 weeks that lie directly ahead. Each owner has made the necessary improvements to their properties and has bet the seasons business and in essence the years profitability on their capital budgets. Every cook, desk clerk, server, and bartender is excited about a time when scheduled hours are more than plentiful, personal bills are paid on time, and the more experienced ones put some cash aside for colder weather, while all managers secretly await the calendars advance to September 29^th.  Much like a fresh morning snowfall that presents an endless array of opportunities to an awakening child, so do the ensuing months tantalize business owners with hopes of return visitors laden with coin of the realm for remuneration of services rendered. We are on the verge of another exciting weekend in the world’s largest resort city, wealthy with national caliber musical talent, the Navy’s Blue Angels, and thousands of additional visitors to be bused in from out-of-the-way areas. This weekend will be followed by many more with seemingly continual waves of never-ending nameless guest’s spending money and writing online reviews of our city, her hotels, restaurants, and nightspots.  In a few months, the childlike fascination that some initially gazed on the summer with will surely be replaced with distain as our visitors continue to play out their vacation fantasies on a shoreline which to them is alien  for 51 weeks out of the year. Therefore as business operators and thus at all times ambassadors of our great city, we must remember to  keep our eyes on the end result which is not only profitability, but positive reviews that will generate return business and thus strengthen the local tax matrix. With these thoughts in mind, let us then pause for a moment and contemplate the real reason why people come to the oceanfront; women, without whom not one of us would occupy the planet. With great fortitude, men young and old congregate corners of the boardwalk, crowd into local bistros and bars just to view lovely Lycra clad ladies or to retire  from their company until it’s time to return home. As I and my compatriots are living proof, even the biggest idiots in the world are lucky enough to have in their lives a female that for some reason loves them. Consequently as we move towards that crucial time of year of supposed profitability and the outwardly unending river of carbonated malted barley and hops flows with shots of liquor and countless outdoor music events on most corners of the boardwalk (which is really concrete) cause celebration, let us take time from our busy personal schedules and reset the mullet count to zero while extending a most sincere welcome to the real housewives of summer and their families.



Lessons Learned From a Strip Club and a Church

Sometime during the second term of Ronald Regan, an ever increasing mind-set of intolerance began gripping the nation’s way of doing business. At a time when MTV proclaimed that video had killed the radio star, a trickle of individuals who claimed to be moral and in the majority began to push back against what they deemed as the freewheeling life style attributed to the 1970’s. After twelve years of Regan and George Bush the first, momentum as in nature when an object reaches an arc began to swing in the opposite direction with the Clinton Administration acting as the catalyst. Momentum moved in the opposite direction again during eight years of  George Bush the second and further reversed itself when a Junior Senator from Illinois took the Democratic nomination from Hilary Clinton and then the Whitehouse avoiding a potential double oligarchy in America. As the Republican Primary races drag on with potential presidential aspirants sniping and tearing at each other’s character instead at that of the present administration, it appears as if the Democratic Party may hold the Whitehouse yet again. During each successive move to and fro, the tolerance of the victorious administration and their subsequent power brokers has appeared to become less forbearing towards their vanquished foes and thus their constituents. This less than magnanimous attitude which both parties have exhibited has manifested itself in wasteful government spending, budget gridlock, and unwillingness for small business to invest due to inability of our elected officials to reach civil agreements.

A few hundred yards from the largest Naval Master Jet Base on the East Coast is a diminutive stretch of Potters road where there exists and example that would inspire and motivate both houses of the Senate. Nestled around the corner from machine shops, ceramic lawn ornaments, automotive repair and separated only by boat storage subsists what could not be possibly two more divergent neighbors. St. Mark’s AME and Mermaids Gentleman’s Club co-exist on a small plot of land at this end of the city without a disruption of city council meetings, traffic gridlock, and as any resident of the south end of the resort area can tell you, air traffic at Oceana runways still occur around the clock without fail. It with great earnestness that I invite President Obama, Harry Reid, John Boehner, and the seemingly obstinate Eric Kantor to round out the field for what would be the President’s second, “Beer Summit”.  One could only imagine as the quartet of learned gentlemen from up north swill suds and take shots near the tramp walk during amateur night forging a job stimulus package or come to a debt reduction plan during a wet t-shirt contest balancing the nation’s budget for all time. As I am sure that other souls have done this illustrious band of elected officials, these temporary employees could then set the bottle down and stroll a few hundred yards across the parking lot to confer with the Right Reverend Vernon L Ricks. As the wizard from the mythical land of OZ, perhaps the Reverend could bestow such gifts on our weary travelers from the North such as courage, a brain, a heart, and a desire for compromise. Avoiding the obvious comedic analogies that could arise from such a visit; we should all raise a glass to civility.



In the Big Game of Finance Virginia Beach Taxpayers, Educators, and Public School Students Hold no Trump Cards







At the beginning of the month, February 2012, Virginia Beach School Superintendant Dr. James Merrill launched the latest salvo in an ongoing war with the City Council of Virginia Beach. The good Doctor’s blatant public presentation was delivered with an amount of shock and awe that would make General Norman Schwarzkopf rise and take notice. Having its desired effects, Merrill’s budget cuts which would stop transportation to academy classes, discontinue junior varsity sports, halt organized middle school sport programs, terminate teaching and support positions, and suspend summer school programs; (an announcement that in my day of public school attendance would have been cause for celebration), but in this millennium would impede students from moving forward in their chosen programs, put Council on the defensive in a high stakes game of public opinion blame.

            The relationship between the school system and those honorable men and women of our city council has proven at best to be rocky. Vice Mayor Louis Jones’s  recent proclamation last January that the School Board was saturated with tax funds tucked into various accounts in an attempt to avoid the eyes of council audits can in no way be conceived as a love tap or even an invitation to have coffee. Later that year, more fireworks erupted when the city appropriated an $8 million dollar surplus from the school system to build a new animal shelter along Birdneck Road and a recreation center in the Bayside area. The issue presently at hand is a long standing revenue sharing program between council and the schools which grants the school system a 51.3% share of seven revenue streams while leaving the remaining 48.7% for the coffers of the city. The proposed budget for the school year 2012-2013 will leave our school programs in the neighborhood of $39 million short on expenses. In retrospect, the appropriation of around $41 million in school budget surpluses by the city over the past three years has proven to be extremely unwise. The major question at hand here is does a branch of government have the right to bank a budget surplus or should that money be returned to the income stream?

            In the coming months, the city will finalize its budget plans for the 2012-2013 year. In these days of declining municipal revenue streams and overtaxed matrixes, our council will need to refrain from capital projects that are glamorous and simply concentrate on what they were elected to do; which is providing basic services to its constituency. Much like the proverbial drunken sailor which every saloon owner covets but each bartender secretly loathes, the city has overextended itself by spending tax revenues on partnerships on the 31^st street corridor, studies on a convention center style facility at 19^th street, and right-of-way on Norfolk Southern railroad tracks to further the cause of light rail just to name a few. The Council cannot allow unbridled spending to deprive the future of the city to receive substandard school experiences. Simply stated, education is a product that each city sells.  If, as a Municipality, we wish to attract the kind of growth that will propel us into an economic powerhouse, the product of education that we offer our citizens must exceed any experience that we provide tourists, a quality trip for future light rail riders, or cyclists who wish to traverse scenic Shore Drive. So as a certain property tax increase will thwack the citizenry to “solve” our present crises our representatives should rethink the high stakes game of bravado and blame. If bluffing and gambling on education in the resort city is to be a standard way of doing business in Virginia Beach, perhaps council should champion the cause of gaming at the oceanfront in order to pay for our elected official’s appetite for remaking the city.

It Aint Heavy...It's My Lightrail?



Norfolk & Southern



     In the spring of 1898, the Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Southern Railroad, which operated the rail transit from Norfolk to the oceanfront, completed work on a new Currituck Division extending through the lesser end of Princess Anne County.  Within two years, the parent line was reorganized as part of the Norfolk and Southern and the branch came to be branded as the Munden Point Line. Munden Point Park over in the middle of Creeds is as distant as a city park can be, however the scenic stretch of land off Princess Anne Road along the North Landing River was once a lively diminutive railroad center.  In April of 1927, gracious living debuted in the city when what is now known locally as the “Old Cavalier” opened its doors. Approximately 13 months prior Mayor Tyler of Norfolk, who gained fame as being the first American to congratulate Charles Lindbergh for his transcontinental flight, spoke at the ground breaking of the hotel, later as Al Jolson and Soppie Tucker sent congratulatory telegrams to the property on its opening. The Norfolk & Western Railroad’s new gasoline powered train named, "The Cavalier”, commenced its maiden passage from Cleveland Ohio to Norfolk Virginia; its aphorism was, “The Cavalier to The Cavalier”. In no time at all, even more guests arrived to Virginia Beach from the Midwest in June of that year when a Norfolk & Western Pullman coach visualized nonstop travel from Chicago to the Cavalier’s private railroad station.  The world’s largest resort city, much like the rhythm portion of a Johnny Cash recording session, is no stranger to the cadence of a rail road locomotive.

            Over the last two decades we in the Tidewater area have faced new economic constraints. These regional restrictions have appeared in the guise of a needed third crossing to the Peninsula, aging passages through the Elizabeth River, congested interstate ramps, as well as the ever increasing gallon of gas and have led us to review the burden of our commuting Northern Virginia brethren as well as our love affair with independent personal transportation. Light rail transit (LRT) is a form of urban rail transportation; the term is typically used to refer to rail systems with rapid – transit style features that usually use electric cars operating mostly in private rights of way separated from other traffic but sometimes, if necessary, mixed with other traffic. After much study and discourse, the voters of the city of Virginia Beach rejected a referendum in November of 1999 that would connect downtown Norfolk to the oceanfront. Furthermore, the Virginia Beach City Council approved at the time a 10 year declaration disavowing furthering the cause of LRT within the city limits. Years march on, as years tend to do, and in the 12 ½ since, a “town center”, which is nowhere near the center of town has emerged, populations have increased, and an ever escalating amount of traffic seems to clog our roads. In addition, since the expiration of their declaration, the learned City Council unanimously voted to purchase the right-of-way on more or less 18 miles of track extending from the east side of Newtown Road to somewhere around the intersection of Birdneck Road and Norfolk Avenue, with the proviso that the cause of LRT be advanced. This purchase was funded with $10 million from tax payer money and an additional $30 million in matching funds. Make no mistake about it; The Tide will roll into the City of Virginia Beach. At this point, it is simply a matter of when and in what form that it will do so. With the limited parking in the resort and town center areas, the benefits to the city will be realized in higher tax revenues from increased retail and restaurant sales along future routes due to amplified pedestrian traffic as well as reduced vehicular traffic on city thoroughfares.

            In August of 2011 LRT began operating in Norfolk 1 year late and about $100 million over budget. Michael Townes, then HRT director, was asked to step down from the position while receiving a full severance package and his replacement was hired at a mere $40,000 per month, a deal that I would not dare attempt to negotiate with my employer, with a mandate to restore financial integrity to the system. In addition to delays and financial over runs, many businesses in the city of Norfolk were forced to close during the lengthy construction of the infrastructure for The Tide. As we at the beach move forward with the inevitable, it is expected to anticipate such delays and cost over runs. A quick search of any city in America which has instituted such a transit system will show that these cities have experienced setbacks and extra expenditures. It is with these thoughts in mind that our elected officials need to go about their work on this matter. Bringing LRT down existing tracks should not pose much of a logistical challenge for city planners. What will be of issue will be the final entry point of LRT into the resort area and what streets will have stops to allow for loading and off loading of riders. When contemplating these final questions the city, in order to observe propriety, will have the unfavorable task of determining where these stops will be, in front of whose businesses these riders will assemble, and furthermore which if any businesses will be forced to close during construction and for how long. Our Council and City Manager will do well to learn from the recklessness of our illustrious neighbors to the west. In the end we will all just have to remember; “it ain’t heavy…it’s my lightrail.”