To understand why our city has so many potholes, and more significantly why our parents and teachers must beg City Council to fully fund our schools and students are walking out of class to protest poor conditions, you need to know how we got here.
This is a sad and shameful tale about a steal of a deal made in 2012 by Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones, the Washington Redskins, Bon Secours Health System and the city’s so-called Economic Development Authority, and how they helped create the colossal cluster muck that is the city’s finances today.
This tale of Richmond resembles nothing so much as the children’s fable, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Both stories are about the stupidity and gullibility of a vainglorious leader whose key advisers refused to see, hear or speak the truth when the emperor, claiming to be wearing a marvelous outfit, was, in fact, buck naked.
In the Richmond version of this story, besides being gullible and silly, the mayor, his advisers, and all the Richmond backers who pushed this steal of a deal are also really bad at math.
Stay with me, folks, as I connect the dots in this municipal nightmare and show how the City of Richmond — a place where 40 percent of our children live at or below the poverty line and where some of the public schools are literally falling in on our kids’ heads — came to build a $10 million state-of-the-art training facility for the Washington Redskins. Yes, they’re the third wealthiest National Football League franchise, worth $2.85 billion, according to Forbes Magazine.
Not only did our city pick up the tab for the exclusive Redskins facility, but also — and I swear I’m not making this up — our leaders actually agreed to pay the Redskins $500,000 a year to use the facility for three weeks each August. Moving expenses, sponsorships, whatnot. Half a million dollars. For three weeks a year. Mind you, we don’t even have bleachers to sit on, nor can our kids play football on the fields during the other 49 weeks when the Redskins aren’t in town. Really.
But that’s not the worst, or even the most outrageous part. In order to make this deal happen, the mayor and his advisers basically stole — yes, stole — a school property assessed at $7.5 million from the public school system and used it as the anchor of the deal. By leasing the property to the Redskins for $5,000 a year for 60 years, the city deal-makers cleverly cheated not only the schools out of necessary revenue that would have been realized had the property been sold, but also the city, because the city is responsible for funding the schools. Brilliant plan, guys.
“The property is worth $7.5 to $10 million,” Delegate G. Manoli Loupassi said at the time. “If they sold it all the money would go to the schools.” Loupassi lambasted the deal in a letter to Jones in October 2012. “Giving up a $7.5 million piece of property is way too much,” he said. “We’re not flush with cash.”
Asked recently if he still thinks the Redskins deal was a bad for the city, Loupassi replied, “Bad then, even worse now.”
Real estate professionals opined that the open market value of this prime real estate with significant historic tax credits actually was $20 million to $30 million. Realtor Melissa Savenko wrote about the idiocy of this deal on her blog: “You have to look back no further than the Redskins training facility transaction to see the disregard the administration and business community have for the citizens’ opinions.”
Residents throughout the city agree that the mayor’s legacy will be defined, in part, by this shockingly bad deal he made with the Redskins and Bon Secours, in which he gave away the Westhampton School property in return for Bon Secours’ promise to build itself a $6.4 million sports medicine facility.
At last week’s mayoral candidate forum, 11 of the 12 announced candidates said they didn’t think the Redskins deal had been good for the city. Not surprisingly, the only candidate who managed to mumble an unintelligible, semisupportive response was council President Michelle Mosby, who’s attended at least one Redskins game with the mayor.
Meanwhile, the parents, teachers, students, school administration and School Board members struggle with the possibility of closing six schools in the face of a budget shortfall.
Never mind all the talk about lost opportunity costs to the city and its public schools. The city got the intended quid pro quo. The mayor was able to cavort with Redskins cheerleaders and sit in the Redskins owner’s box with billionaire owner Dan Snyder, team president Bruce Allen and the execs of nonprofit Bon Secours.
Next time you drive over a pothole, imagine what the schools, and the city, could do with an additional $20 million to $30 million. And then think of the mayor and his buddies with their arms around a cheerleader. S
Carol A.O. Wolf is a former newspaper reporter who served on the Richmond School Board from 2002 to 2008. She writes regularly about the Richmond Public Schools at saveourschools-getrealrichmond.blogspot.com.
Opinions expressed on the Back Page are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Style Weekly.
COMMENTS (57)
Showing 1-25 of 57
This whole fiasco lies at the core of the disconnect between City Hall and the Citizens of Richmond. Currently, and for over 350 years, City Hall has served the downtown decision makers, and simply sent the bill to us to pay. They have set the agenda, and pushed their own self serving and often self enriching priorities.
I am running for the Mayor of Richmond to fight for greater citizen inclusion in decision-making. Citizens have been excluded for too long in city governance. My goal is to change the nature and quality of the conversation at City Hall.
“ What if “ is the operative question for this campaign and for the future of our city. My lifelong practice of inclusiveness in all my endeavors has produced results that have always exceeded initial expectations. What if all ideas are spoken? What if all voices are heard? What if all stakeholders are considered? Only when we begin with a genuine spirit of inclusiveness, and only when the threshing process of dialogue and sincere exploration has yielded a full spectrum of the possibilities, can we make the most informed decisions that can offer the most successful outcomes for our city.
If we simply change the faces and personalities at City Hall without changing mindset or operating principles, then we cannot expect better outcomes. In fact, things could get worse.
The good news is, after our leaders have ignored us for so long, that the citizenry is resisting, and is insisting to be heard. Mayor Dwight Jones ironically succeeded in greater ways than any other elected official before him in raising awareness of failed policies, and of the imposition of unpopular and expensive projects that favor the few, enrich the select, and burden taxpayers with the bills.
One must conclude that Mayor Dwight Jones has created the perfect storm for reform. I ask you to closely watch this campaign in the months to come as proposals and insights on how we might reform Richmond government are shared for your consideration.
I am running for the Mayor of Richmond to fight for greater citizen inclusion in decision-making. Citizens have been excluded for too long in city governance. My goal is to change the nature and quality of the conversation at City Hall.
“ What if “ is the operative question for this campaign and for the future of our city. My lifelong practice of inclusiveness in all my endeavors has produced results that have always exceeded initial expectations. What if all ideas are spoken? What if all voices are heard? What if all stakeholders are considered? Only when we begin with a genuine spirit of inclusiveness, and only when the threshing process of dialogue and sincere exploration has yielded a full spectrum of the possibilities, can we make the most informed decisions that can offer the most successful outcomes for our city.
If we simply change the faces and personalities at City Hall without changing mindset or operating principles, then we cannot expect better outcomes. In fact, things could get worse.
The good news is, after our leaders have ignored us for so long, that the citizenry is resisting, and is insisting to be heard. Mayor Dwight Jones ironically succeeded in greater ways than any other elected official before him in raising awareness of failed policies, and of the imposition of unpopular and expensive projects that favor the few, enrich the select, and burden taxpayers with the bills.
One must conclude that Mayor Dwight Jones has created the perfect storm for reform. I ask you to closely watch this campaign in the months to come as proposals and insights on how we might reform Richmond government are shared for your consideration.
Posted by Farid Alan Schintzius on 04/12/2016 at 5:31 PM
Shame on Dwight Jones, his sycophants advisors, and the Redskins - writing checks to a multi million dollar football franchise ,whilst letting the schools and the city languish.
The Redskins should, as an act of faith and charity, let the city out of this embarrassingly carpetbagger deal, and let it end , when Dwight Jones leaves office. Take the write-off as a charitable donation, thus returning to the many thousands of Richmond at risk students a necessary better chance at getting what they need in the schools
The Redskins should, as an act of faith and charity, let the city out of this embarrassingly carpetbagger deal, and let it end , when Dwight Jones leaves office. Take the write-off as a charitable donation, thus returning to the many thousands of Richmond at risk students a necessary better chance at getting what they need in the schools
Posted by Eileen Davis on 04/12/2016 at 7:35 PM
God bless Carol Wolf! She can always be counted on to cut through the bs and tell the truth. Shame on everyone who had a hand in this deal. This is greed and self-indulgence at their worst. A billionaire stealing from school kids with the help of Richmond's pandering leaders who are looking to bask in the reflective glow of the Redskins' limelight.
Posted by Jack Baker, Jr. on 04/12/2016 at 8:01 PM
Good editorial. However, let's not forget about all the other corporate welfare that has infected Richmond, especially downtown. Center Stage, Broad Street CDA, Convention Center, Canal Walk, and yes, Sixth Street Marketplace (public subsidies for construction and demolishing). Yes, Mayor Jones is guilty, but so are a lot of other behind the scenes "City leaders" who have been involved in all sorts of "public private partnerships" for long before the Redskins deal. Richmond Renaissance morphed into Venture Richmond, but the game has been the same- get the public to pay for private development. The promised ROI (return on investment) has never been there for the public- the school system has suffered for decades because of it. Some of the corporate welfare has been paid for by overcharging residents on utilities. I am glad to see the Redskins deal get called out, but let's not play favorites here. Let's work to end ALL of the corporate welfare and put public priorities first.
Posted by Scott on 04/12/2016 at 9:08 PM
Just a few unanswered questions... How many students attend RPS? How much is spent per student with taxpayer money as compared with per student in the surrounding counties? How much total was spent on the brand new giant Huguenot High School? How many students are enrolled there? Why was that money put into that project and not shared among the other schools in need? Why was Westhampton not kept as a neighborhood school and used or sold on the open market with the proceeds going directly into the pot that funds Richmond Public Schools? Why can we not reach a balance for the taxpayers of Richmond between the school system, business, public works and services? Taxpayers need a balance here for the good of the entire community.
Posted by Questions on 04/13/2016 at 6:30 AM
Amazing............I'm sitting here reading with my mouth wide open...
Posted by Corey Bleed Blue Akers on 04/13/2016 at 6:46 AM
Maybe now people will finally start paying attention enough to hold these jackals (politicians and corporations) accountable. Many of us have beeb saying this for years, Carol included. We have also just been ignored for years. Educate yourself on these issues, they are mega.
Posted by Mo Karnage on 04/13/2016 at 7:58 AM
The "opinion" piece assumes that the property would be sold for $7.5-$10M. But, we all know that the property has been sitting vacant for over 30 years. It was literally a dumping ground for dead bodies. So, proposing a use for a property that NO one cared about until this deal was introduced is in no way criminal. In fact, no one would have even cared to live or work in the downtown area if not for the changes made to this city to revitalize it. So, the property is only valued that high because of the very same economic policies she complains about. So, this money couldn't have been "stolen" from the school system because the value of the property is irrelevant if there was no buyers in sight. She also blamed this deal on why we have potholes. But, because it is an opinion piece, I'm sure she is forgetting about most of our major roads getting repaved recently in preparation for the bike race. And people also complained about money being spent on those road repairs. I'm sure she also has an "opinion" on that too. The fact that the only person she could quote to back her up was Loupasi tells me everything I need to know about the writer.... There is a reason that Scott's Addition is booming right now...one of those reasons is the Redskins. I hate to say it. Because, I'm a Cowboys fan. But that huge surge of fans helped boost the price of the FFV Condos (because of the view of the field). It definitely boosts business to the restaurants along the boulevard during the camp. That growth caused a boom in construction of new residential property in a once abandoned industrial section of the city. Scotts addition is booming now. This city needs to regrow it's tax base to survive. Schools can't get the money they need if that money keeps moving further out into the county. How do we get that money to stay within city borders without these new projects that everyone has their "opinion" about?
Posted by SouthsideRVA on 04/13/2016 at 8:16 AM
This two-bit town has a bad tradition of ignoring and belittling grassroots input and opinion. SouthsideRVA's criticism of Wolf's piece, for example.
The fact is that while this neoliberal, 'tourism and entertainment as economic development', may have brought short term profits and success for SOME rent-seeking actors and entities, on the whole it has brought more disastrous cronyism and corruption. And again, I will note how the promised ROI (return on investment) from the overwhelming corporate welfare has never returned to the public, certainly not the schools. It's time to get real and put PUBLIC priorities first.
Pay attention who you elect of Mayor, because while some of the candidates may be slick and say what you want to hear, they cannot be trusted (Jack Berry is a prime example of this).
The fact is that while this neoliberal, 'tourism and entertainment as economic development', may have brought short term profits and success for SOME rent-seeking actors and entities, on the whole it has brought more disastrous cronyism and corruption. And again, I will note how the promised ROI (return on investment) from the overwhelming corporate welfare has never returned to the public, certainly not the schools. It's time to get real and put PUBLIC priorities first.
Pay attention who you elect of Mayor, because while some of the candidates may be slick and say what you want to hear, they cannot be trusted (Jack Berry is a prime example of this).
Posted by Scott on 04/13/2016 at 8:48 AM
Richmond's incompetence in deal making has little or nothing to do with the poor performance of it's schools.
Posted by mj on 04/13/2016 at 8:49 AM
Northside to SouthsideRVA: Are you kidding me, Scott's Addition is booming in part because of the Redskins? You haven't got a clue, brother. I live up here, and that training camp is all but invisible. Might want to direct your "opinion" to something you know about. Scott's Addition doesn't qualify.
Posted by Clark W Griswold Jr. on 04/13/2016 at 9:17 AM
Scott, what "grass root" input are you speaking of. The very person who wrote this opinion was once a member of the same schoolboard that could have made the changes necessary! She was part of the system. And if you think that letting a overgrown field in the middle of town sit vacant is a perfect way to build a tax base then you are part of the people making this a "two bit town"
Posted by SouthsideRVA on 04/13/2016 at 9:26 AM
Maybe kids could concentrate in school better if tiles weren't falling on their heads. Just a thought.
Posted by Doug on 04/13/2016 at 9:27 AM
Chew on these grassroots, SouthsideRVA-
“These conditions continue to worsen as time passes and are simply disregarded by school officials, City Hall, the mayor and many others,” the organizers say on Facebook.
“Funds could be allocated to repair our dilapidated schools (as was done for the Redskins training camp) if those in charge saw it as a priority. Instead however, the officials of Richmond brush off the needs of RPS students.
“We are not their priority. They fail to see the value in our education or even our general well-being. They must be reminded of our numbers so that they may see our value.”
http://www.oregonhill.net/2014/04/26/open-high-students-lead-rps-walkout-on-monday/
“These conditions continue to worsen as time passes and are simply disregarded by school officials, City Hall, the mayor and many others,” the organizers say on Facebook.
“Funds could be allocated to repair our dilapidated schools (as was done for the Redskins training camp) if those in charge saw it as a priority. Instead however, the officials of Richmond brush off the needs of RPS students.
“We are not their priority. They fail to see the value in our education or even our general well-being. They must be reminded of our numbers so that they may see our value.”
http://www.oregonhill.net/2014/04/26/open-high-students-lead-rps-walkout-on-monday/
Posted by Scott on 04/13/2016 at 9:30 AM
Lets just have another UCI bicycle race! All the monies made should fund the RPS shortfalls for the next 5 years!!! By the way, were did all the money go that was purportedly made from the last race??? That should've been more than enough to cover this deficit! Oh, That's right!!! There was no actual cash made... Just Spent!
Posted by NorthsideRVA on 04/13/2016 at 9:35 AM
All I'm reading is a bunch of complaints with no solutions...
Clark...reading comprehension. The other projects like the breweries, apartments all followed the announcement of the Redskin facility. So claiming it is invisible is ridiculous when EVERY project you do see was a result of the expectation of the facility bringing new people to the area.
Clark...reading comprehension. The other projects like the breweries, apartments all followed the announcement of the Redskin facility. So claiming it is invisible is ridiculous when EVERY project you do see was a result of the expectation of the facility bringing new people to the area.
Posted by SouthsideRVA on 04/13/2016 at 9:38 AM
The Westhampton school building could be an igloo made of petrified dog turds, and that property would still be worth a lot because of its location. Remember that old real estate adage: location, location, location? One of the most sought after areas of Richmond, in one of its wealthiest zip codes...but yeah it's virtually worthless. I'll tell you what's worthless: our city government, for starters. Smdh at you, SouthsideRVA.
Posted by Kelly Mulligan on 04/13/2016 at 9:42 AM
NO ONE said the Westhampton building was worthless. The field that the Redskin facility sits on is the property in question in this article. It was overgrown and vacant. Who mentioned Westhampton. I'm done. But I live in Jackson Ward. I would be interested in where the rest of you live. My bet is most complaining don't even live within the city. But, carry on....
Posted by SouthsideRVA on 04/13/2016 at 9:54 AM
"The other projects like the breweries, apartments all followed the announcement of the Redskin facility."
****
They also followed the Civil War, the moon landing and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
****
They also followed the Civil War, the moon landing and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Posted by s on 04/13/2016 at 10:00 AM
Many don't know that, that particular piece of property was under consideration for a new aviation museum years ago. Some how that idea thrown away. The nice park like atmosphere that existed before the camp was bulldozed down. Promises were made to keep the trees. They ended up in the landfill. Besides the neighborhood park the only other thing that property yielded was a dead body (victims of murder) or two over the last 25 years.
Face it everyone, city leaders suck at doing their job. Will it ever end?
Face it everyone, city leaders suck at doing their job. Will it ever end?
Posted by Ken Martin on 04/13/2016 at 10:14 AM
The Mayor is a Democrat. He is the former head of the Virginia Democrat party. This is the same party that Carol A.O. Wolf supports and holds allegiance to all their candidates.
Perhaps if Richmond elected some Independent Fiscal Conservatives to run the City. It won't happen because the majority of the people in the City only support card carrying Democrats.
Perhaps if Richmond elected some Independent Fiscal Conservatives to run the City. It won't happen because the majority of the people in the City only support card carrying Democrats.
Posted by Chris on 04/13/2016 at 10:15 AM
Until the RPS improves its ineptitude in managing the money it already gets, they and their supports don't really have much room to cricticiz the ineptitude the city of Richmond has in managing its money. This is sort of like Radio Shack telling Circuit City how to run their business.
Posted by PackFan on 04/13/2016 at 10:51 AM
@Chris, posted at 10:51 am
While it is true that the Mayor says he is a Democrat and that I am a Democrat, I submit that writing this piece is hardly a demonstration of my "allegiance to all their candidates." If anything, it is evidence of the opposite.
This issue goes beyond party politics.
While it is true that the Mayor says he is a Democrat and that I am a Democrat, I submit that writing this piece is hardly a demonstration of my "allegiance to all their candidates." If anything, it is evidence of the opposite.
This issue goes beyond party politics.
Posted by Carol A.O. Wolf on 04/13/2016 at 11:15 AM
@PackFan, posted at 10:51 am
I really appreciate your Radio Shack/Circuit City analogy and until this School Board hired a new superintendent significantly NOT from Richmond, I would have had to agree with you.
However, a majority of this School Board and Supt. Dana Bedden and his staff understand that they are at war to to save the educational future of a generation of Richmond children. It makes no sense to bring in a new general and then refuse to provide the equipment and money necessary to wage the war effectively. How many more generations do we need to sacrifice on the altar of past prejudices and party politics before we decide to get it it right?
I really appreciate your Radio Shack/Circuit City analogy and until this School Board hired a new superintendent significantly NOT from Richmond, I would have had to agree with you.
However, a majority of this School Board and Supt. Dana Bedden and his staff understand that they are at war to to save the educational future of a generation of Richmond children. It makes no sense to bring in a new general and then refuse to provide the equipment and money necessary to wage the war effectively. How many more generations do we need to sacrifice on the altar of past prejudices and party politics before we decide to get it it right?