Election Results and How to end the Stadium issue.

Someone won, someone lost. And we got more losers.

Kaine beat Kilgore by a touch over 100k votes.

Octavia beat McMillan by 500 or so...

Care? Not so much.

The battle for Governer was kinda sad, and still not one new idea was proposed. Although I did get some lovely phone calls (6) yesterday reminding me to vote.

For the first time in a long time, I sat this election out. I wanted no part of the 3 Stooges' Race for the Mansion considering Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe were running I thought it best to retain the few IQ points I have and put them to good use. Although one has to wonder - if there was a "no confidence" option on the ballot, who would have won?

Would have been a close race I can tell you that, but I think N/C would have won by a hair.

You political folks are gonna have to work a bit harder, get a bit smarter if you want my vote. I am a highly political person - but I refuse to take part in something which does not advance society. This election was a race for the same place we just were.

Kaine seems like a nice enough guy, but has a false enthusiasm for the job.

Kilgore too.. Its like buying the extended DVD of Fantasia, and realizing they just added a "behind the scenes" reel. Nice, but of no use to the casual fan. You had higher expectations than this.


And thats what politics is all about. Higher expectations, you expect that your elected officials will do what is best for you and the community at large. You elect someone with the expectations that they will do a better job than the shmuck you just had.

City Council is a perfect example of advancing without going anywhere. How many times has a new councilman/woman been elected on the promise of better, and better never happens. Usually its different, but the same.

Electing people based on their views on a single issue (VICTORY STADIUM) will only deadlock the council and get nothing accomplished. There still has been no indication as to the direction the City Council will go with Victory Stadium, but plenty of other issues that get confused and waylaid by the ill-feelings between members over the single issue.

Refocus your attention on the future. The Vision 2012 plan, the youth of Roanoke. Stop bickering about the here and now, and start bickering about how the here and now is hindering progress for the future.

Do I particularly care that allegedly Carilion wants the Victory Stadium site for the Bio-Med facility? No, although thinking of it from a business standpoint, it would be in Carilion's best interests to keep the stadium. Think of Wrigley Field in Chicago, a stadium which is in the midst of a residential area. Everyone knows what it looks like, its a national landmark. Everyone also knows if you park your car nearby you might have your window broken by a home run.

To have a similar, but different stadium in Roanoke - one where maybe minor league baseball could be played, or any events really next door to a major employment area, easily accessable from the highway - would be a huge win for Carilion in convincing companies to move to the area. Leave your car at work and take in a night game, or a concert. All you have to do is walk across the road.

So for all you who think Carilion is drooling over the stadium site, maybe they are - but maybe not in the way you think.

And maybe the city council should examine possible USES for the stadium before deciding what needs to be done with the stadium.

And again, I say, CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP would make the whole stadium issue seem like nothing.

Do some research - theres a reason why Enron bought a field, why Keyspan in NY built a stadium, theres money in them there bricks...

But thats just my take on it. As it usually is.

Carry on City Council, keep walking in circles - the trench is just getting deeper.