Monthly Archive: November 2008

Nov
30

Four Questions Answered About Hampton Roads

Categories:

by

Fall 2008

Each newsletter HRACRE will pose the same four questions to someone in the region who can provide answers and foresight in 50 words or less that’s highly worth considering. For this issue, Dana Dickens, President and CEO of Hampton Roads Partnership, responds:

HRACRE: What is the greatest Hampton Roads regional achievement?
Dickens: The region’s elected officials and the Metropolitan Planning Organization coming together to select 6 major transportation projects stands out. They made compromise after compromise in creating a network of projects that addressed the major choke points in the region, putting the good of the region above parochial interests and political concerns.

HRACRE: What is today’s biggest challenge for Hampton Roads?
Dickens: The economy. And, today our biggest challenges relate to the economy: jobs, safety, education, workforce development, transportation, long-term financial security, and healthcare.

HRACRE: What would solve this problem?
Dickens: Cooperation across the political and geographic boundaries is needed to Hampton Roads solve these big challenges. In many instances, solutions can be accomplished by sharing information, ideas, costs and revenues, recognizing and acknowledging that these issues can be addressed more efficiently and effectively as a region.

HRACRE: What will Hampton Roads look like in the future?
Dickens: With proper care and handling, Hampton Roads, America’s First Region, will continue to enjoy an economy that is stabilized by significant defense and federal spending. Such spending is a stabilizing factor in turbulent times. We will see continued growth in the Port and the technology industry which will reduce our economic dependence on federal expenditures. Regional cooperation is of even greater importance in dire economic times with shrinking local government budgets. Localities must continually seek out the best way to provide services needed by their communities.

Tags: , ,

Leave comment

Nov
27

Government spending is needed now

Categories:

by

Published as an Op-Ed in the Daily Press

November 27, 2008

Spend, baby, spend! When the building is burning, put the fire out first. Worry about putting a sprinkler system in later. What we need right now is more government spending. In the right places.

Yes, the U.S. economy contracted by 0.3 percent in the third quarter, the weakest in seven years. Personal spending fell at 3.1 percent, the first time spending has contracted since the recession of 1991. The only good news? Economists expected worse.

“Increased government spending is just what the doctor ordered, and concerns about the budget deficit should be put on hold” according to Nobel Prize in economics winner Paul Krugman in a recent New York Times column. Yes, spend! Rescuing the banks is just the beginning: The nonfinancial economy is also in desperate need of help.

We can’t allow retail sales or manufacturing to fall. The more we tighten our belts, the more we feed the frenzy and support the self- fulfilling prophecy: If things are bad, we don’t spend money. Therefore, as we stop spending, we put people out of work. We cause businesses to close. Perhaps even our own employer. It’s a vicious cycle.

Nationwide unemployment claims are at recession levels, already above 6 percent and moving toward 8 percent, which would make this the worst recession in 25 years. Thankfully, Hampton Roads is in much better shape than the national average, but …

The housing bubble has burst, and it’s hard to see housing making a comeback any time soon. A cut in interest rates will do little more than provide a slight economic boost.

What we need is a rescue package from the federal government directed at us. Extended benefits to the unemployed, emergency aid to state and local governments (who are slashing budgets due to decreased tax revenues), restructured mortgages to help families keep their homes. Anything that can keep necessary public services AND jobs in place.

More importantly, this is the time to get serious about infrastructure spending. We all know it’s needed, actually way past due. Long-term public works projects like bridge repairs and/or new construction, adding rail lines, etc. couldn’t start soon enough. This isn’t just an economic slump we’re in. But, we can stave off a recession that could slip into a depression.

Think Franklin D. Roosevelt and the 1930s. We’re in an economy more like that period in history than we care to think.

Do all of the same things over again! Why? Because they worked.

As Krugman tells us, the over- spending by government won’t need to be sustained. The bailout may be considered by some to be “quasi- socialism” or “nationalism,” but these are temporary measures and significantly less awful than allowing the U.S. economy to fail. And, the financial repercussions are global. The United States is just “too connected to fail.” Today, Germany — the largest economy in Europe — is in recession, thanks to the United States.

Yes, there will be big federal deficits. But the responsible thing, right now, is to give the economy the help it needs. People are worried. I am worried. Consumer confidence is down. Building up our infrastructure builds a platform for us to compete globally, and we’ve already seen our global position slipping.

The formula is simple: Build infrastructure = jobs creation = business creation = increased standard of living.

Dickens is president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Partnership, a public-private organization convening regional leaders from government, business, education and the military.

Tags: , ,

Leave comment

Nov
26

HRP Member, Norfolk Southern publishes Sustainability Report

Categories:

by

HRP Member, Norfolk Southern, has issued its first Sustainability Report as part of their commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen of the communities they serve.
“Railroads are the most environmentally friendly means of moving the goods that move the economy,” says NS CEO and HRP Board Representative Wick Moorman.

Read the report and try the “Green Machine,” a Carbon Footprint Analyzer.

Tags: , ,

Leave comment

Nov
24

When did Navy philosophy change to dispersal from consolidation?

Categories:

by

by C. Grigsby Scifres

Recently, the United States Navy released a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the homeporting of additional ships, including a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, at the Mayport Naval Station in Mayport, Florida. This EIS indicates that the preferred alternative is to homeport a nuclear carrier in Mayport, Florida. If implemented, this recommendation poses a serious economic threat to Hampton Roads.

If a nuclear carrier is moved to Mayport, Florida, then the job losses in Hampton Roads will exceed 11,000 and the annual economic loss will exceed $650 million (some estimates take this up to $1 billion annually).

Our Commonwealth’s federal, state and municipal elected officials will have an early opportunity to work together as one to fight against the regional loss of an aircraft carrier to Mayport. Virginia’s Senators and Representatives need to vigorously debate their colleagues on the merits of Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter’s announced preference for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Mayport, Florida. Governor Kaine should utilize his relationship with the Obama administration to counter the influence wielded by Florida with the Bush administration.

Among the questions that should surface in the debate are:

  • how does the required $500+ million infrastructure expenditure measure up against other Navy budget priorities, particularly in the face of the economic challenges facing our government and the nation;
  • how does shifting an aircraft carrier to Mayport reduce security demands on the fleet;
  • why did the maintenance inspections of the conventional aircraft carrier JFK (formerly homeported in Mayport) fare poorly;
  • what is the quality of the public school system in Mayport;
  • when did the Navy change its philosophy to dispersal from consolidation;
  • how much will the entire move actually cost;
  • how rare is it that several aircraft carriers are in port at the same time;
  • what will be the impact on moving thousands of people and housing a crew in geographic limbo for five years; and
  • is it good policy to impose the hardships on Navy families that will come when a Mayport-based nuclear carrier and crew has to come back to Hampton Roads for major overhauls (Mayport lacks the capability to perform such overhauls on a nuclear carrier) lasting 6-12 months at a time?

The announced preference to create a second East Coast homeport for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Mayport, Florida is not supported by operational necessity, nor is it grounded in economic realities. The Navy identified $4.6 billion in unfunded budget requirements in FY2009 for important infrastructure improvements to facilities such as the four public shipyards and Naval Station Norfolk. The taxpayers of these United States cannot afford unnecessary redundancy in facilities or personnel.

A recent headline in the Jacksonville newspaper read “Our Ship Has Come In.” The obvious target is the soon to be commissioned USS GHW Bush CVN-77.

We can not discount the enormity of the impact that this “political” decision will have on our lives in Hampton Roads and on the lives of the men and women who serve our country in the greatest Navy in the world. In many ways, this political decision (not based on economic or military strategic imperatives) is being imposed on the backs of sailors and their families.

We must now have faith in our elected leadership to arrive at a decision that puts the interest of the Nation first and best supports our sailors and the mission of the United States Navy.

C. Grigsby Scifres is a partner in the law firm of Williams Mullen and Chair of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce. A version of this article appeared as an Op-Ed in the Daily Press and the Virginian-Pilot.

Tags: , , , ,

Leave comment

Nov
23

Exporting jobs (from Hampton Roads?)

Categories:

by

by Al Riutort

Virginia’s roads and bridges are falling apart. The General Assembly refuses to raise the 17.5-cent gas tax to pay for new roads, maintenance and transit that are needed. Check out all the potholes on Interstate 64 between the airport and the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and on Interstate 664 in Hampton and Newport News.

On the other hand, the Better Jacksonville program in our competitor region has had a half-cent regional sales tax that is funding new roads, bridges and port projects everywhere you look.

With the lack of investment in Virginia’s infrastructure, expect more of Hampton Roads’ port and business activity to move to Jacksonville and elsewhere where the transportation infrastructure is of good quality.

Al Riutort is the Director of the Department of Planning for the City of Newport News. This op-ed originally appeared in the Daily Press and is reprinted herein with the permission of the author.

Tags: , ,

Leave comment

Nov
21

Engaging our Youth, Shaping the Future – A Commentary

Categories:

by

by Hank Lewis

The presidential election has taught me a lot about the leadership in our country, the desires of the American people, where our country should be headed and how we can get there.

Essentially, I have long had the same dreams as Barack Obama — to stop the bitter political partisanship, to bring our country together and to move our country forward for the greater good of all Americans. I have the same feelings about our region – moving beyond parochialism for the greater good of the people. Partisanship and parochialism wastes time, resources and opportunities!

As I was perusing the WHRO web site, I came upon videos http://www.BeThereBeCounted.org produced by their Center for Regional Citizenship. They talked to a variety of young citizens about what’s at stake for the future of democracy. Here are some of their key points. For some, I have rewritten them in a regional perspective.

  1. Stop partisan politics… (Stop regional parochialism- focus on solving the problems in our region and improving our quality of life)
  2. Think about the country instead of the politics of the country… (Think about the Hampton Roads region instead of the politics of the region)
  3. Establish a personal connection between our citizens and our region at large… (There are many HRP initiatives aimed at doing this already. Lets keep it up, add more focus on our youth and explain how we are “shaping the future” for them – “education”)
  4. Keep citizen’s best interest in mind (Keep the region’s best interest in mind)
  5. Work together for the greater good of the country… (the Hampton Roads Region)
  6. Get along and stop drawing party lines between democrats and republicans… (between mayors, administrators and municipalities)
  7. Put partisanship aside and work together
  8. Keep the people first, and not special interest
  9. Listen to the voters… (Educate the voters)
  10. Get young people more involved in politics… (Get young people more involved in our regional politics and solutions)
  11. Focus on the young population, mobilize them, believe in them… (Again, educate them so they can vote from informed positions)
  12. Encourage youth civic engagement… (Encourage youth engagement in regionalism)

My point — perhaps we can do more to engage our youth in efforts to promote regionalism – essentially, they are who we are “shaping the future” for, so why not get them involved? Many of us will not see the culmination of the multitude of projects, programs and initiatives being planned and implemented by today’s local, regional and state leadership, but our children will.

So, why not get them involved to leverage their input and prepare them for the reigns of leadership when it’s their time to replace us and “shape the future” for their children.
In most of the meetings I go to, the people are my age and older. We should take the chance to not only shape our regional infrastructure, but to shape our future leadership as well.

Hank Lewis is the Business Development Manager at ZelTech in Hampton, Virginia and an advocate for the future of Transportation Technology in Hampton Roads, Virginia, the nation and the world.

Tags: , ,

Leave comment

Nov
21

Smart Beginnings: Ready for School, Ready for Life

Categories:

by

Smart Beginnings South Hampton Roads Presentation

View this presentation in a new browser window; click on “Full” to view full screen; click on “Download” to download the presentation to your own computer.

Presentation to the Hampton Roads Partnership Executive Committee on 11/21/08 by Smart Beginnings South Hampton Roads (SBSHR) Executive Director, Lisa Howard, and Board Chair and CIVIC Leadership Institute’s Darden Award winner, Paul Hirschbiel.

Smart Beginnings’ vision is that children arrive at kindergarten healthy and ready to succeed. They generate awareness about early childhood, advocate for public investment, and work in the community to ensure that high-quality early education is accessible for all. The Norfolk Foundation and the Batten Educational Achievement Fund granted SBSHR $4.7 million to support these initiatives: Child Care Quality Improvement, Early Learning Challenge Grants, Public Awareness Campaign, Universal Screening and Referral.

Learn more at http://www.SmartBeginningsSHR.org

Tags: , , ,

Leave comment

Nov
20

Carrier Debate: Economic and Strategic, Mayport v. Norfolk Naval Station

Categories:

by

Frank Roberts, Executive Director of Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance (HRMFFA), provided a summary of key events and actions related to the potential loss of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier from Norfolk Naval Station to Mayport:

Letter to President-Elect:
Read the joint letter from Representatives Wittman, Drake, Scott, Forbes and Representative-Elect Nye to President-Elect Obama spearheaded by Rep Forbes.

Letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates:
Read the joint letter from U.S. Senators John Warner and Jim Webb.

Mayport Impact Analysis Meeting:
Join HRMFFA on Monday, November 24th, from 1 – 2:30 PM in the ballroom at the Residence Inn at 1590 North Military Highway in Norfolk. Your feedback, expertise and support in developing the regional response to the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) is critical to influencing the ultimate decision and protecting the Hampton Roads region. Once the FEIS is released on November 21st the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires a minimum of a 30-calendar day waiting period before a Record of Decision (ROD) can be issued.

The official Executive Summary of the FEIS from Fleet Forces Command will be available Friday, November 21st:
Get the complete ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR PROPOSED HOMEPORTING OF ADDITIONAL SURFACE SHIPS AT NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, FLORIDA at http://MayportHomePortingEIS.com.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Leave comment

Nov
20

Mayport Homeport Strategically Flawed, Fiscally Irresponsible

Categories:

by

SENS. WARNER & WEBB, SEN.-ELECT WARNER & GOV. KAINE
CALL NAVY’S PROPOSAL FOR NEW AIRCRAFT CARRIER HOMEPORT
STRATEGICALLY FLAWED, FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE

Washington, DC—Senator John Warner (R-VA), Senator Jim Webb (D-VA), Senator-elect Mark Warner (D-VA), and Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine today called the Navy’s announced preference to create a second East Coast homeport for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at Mayport, Fla. “strategically flawed and fiscally irresponsible.” They called on the Navy to delay its decision until a new administration is allowed to analyze the proposal’s strategic and fiscal considerations.

At a press conference in the U.S. Capitol, the four Virginia leaders cited the “fiscal irresponsibility” of creating a new homeport for the carrier in Mayport—a move that the Navy estimates will cost at least $600 million to complete. The costs may well approach $1 billion when the Navy’s preliminary estimates are refined and all projected expenses documented more thoroughly. They argued that this money could be better directed to the more than $4.6 billion in higher-priority, unfunded budget requirements the Navy has identified for fiscal year 2009.

Among other unfunded Navy priorities is a $791 million backlog in critical restoration and modernization projects at the nation’s four naval shipyards. The nuclear-capable Norfolk Naval Shipyard, which currently has the capacity for repair and maintenance of the Navy’s East Coast nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, has a backlog for such critical projects of $224 million alone.

“This proposal lacks the in-depth analysis normally expected in decisions of this magnitude,” said Senator John Warner, who will be retiring his seat this year to his successor, Senator-elect Mark Warner. “Moving a carrier to Mayport does very little to mitigate risk to the carrier fleet. And the tremendous costs associated with such a move merely duplicate existing capabilities at other naval stations and shipyards. Saddling the incoming administration with a bill for new naval nuclear facilities that could approach $1 billion is simply irresponsible.”

“Based on the briefing we received, we see no evidence that the Navy’s announcement was supported by either economic logic or strategic necessity,” said Senator Jim Webb. “There is no possible justification for the relocation of an aircraft carrier to the tune of an estimated $1 billion when the Navy has identified $4.6 billion in higher-priority unfunded requirements for its personnel, shipbuilding, aircraft procurement, and installations. This decision is fiscally irresponsible and contrary to the best interests of the fleet.”

Webb continued: “The Navy cannot show that homeporting at the Mayport base offers any significant strategic advantage over Norfolk. And the strategic dispersion argument made during the Cold War era is not applicable in today’s strategic framework. There are other suitable nuclear-capable repair and maintenance facilities available for emergency use on both the East and West Coasts, and in Hawaii.”

Senators John Warner and Jim Webb, both former Secretaries of the Navy and members of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, sent a letter Wednesday evening, November 18, to Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates requesting that the Navy refrain from publishing its Final Environmental Impact Statement as planned on November 21, and withold issuing any Record of Decision “until the new administration is able to evaluate the Navy’s decision with greater analytical rigor than the Navy has demonstrated.”

“Norfolk has long been the site from which Navy sailors have deployed to protect American interests, and it’s where our shipyard workers and naval aviators and military families have worked for decades to support the Navy. That’s why this effort to have a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier homeported in Mayport instead of Norfolk is so troubling,” said Senator-elect Mark Warner. “We also owe it to the American taxpayer not to waste their money building unnecessary infrastructure in Florida when it already exists in Virginia.”

“We remain disappointed with the Secretary of the Navy’s recommendation to initiate the movement of a nuclear aircraft carrier to Florida in the President’s 11th hour. This proposal does not serve the strategic interests of the nation well,” said Governor Tim Kaine. “Moreover, there is simply not enough justification for prioritizing this change. Considering the impacts of the financial crisis on all budgets and the realistic costs of moving the nuclear carrier and developing the necessary infrastructure for a possible new placement, why should the nation incur an unnecessary cost? I will continue to work closely with Virginia’s congressional delegation to address this issue over the coming weeks.”

The lawmakers also noted that in 2006 the citizens of the City of Jacksonville, Fla., voted against returning Cecil Field to the Department of Defense so that it could be reactivated as the Navy’s East Coast Master Jet Base—a function now fulfilled by Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.

Video excerpts will also be posted on Senator Webb’s YouTube page.

Tags: , , , ,

1 comment

Nov
19

Regional Transit Vision Plan

Categories:

by


The time has come for a regional, long-range vision plan for bus and rail service for the Hampton Roads area. The Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization (HRMPO) is developing a regional vision of public transportation corridors and districts. The plan will outline the combination of transit services and land use best suited for each corridor and district.

A Public Information Meeting on A Transit Vision Plan for Hampton Roads was held October 16, 2008. All meeting materials are available at www.HamptonRoadsTransitPlan.com. Please check this out as well as further information about the study and sign up for future email updates.

Tags: , , , ,

Leave comment

Older posts «