Have the Political Power Centers in Virginia Beach taken full control of the government of our city? Is it too late now for the citizens of Virginia Beach to take that power back and once again establish control of our own government?

Yes, it probably is too late, but we must try one more time.

The Power Centers in Virginia Beach are organized around developers, real estate companies and tourism-related businesses. They are oriented to and driven to accomplish specific self-serving goals. Power Centers control decision making and guide the process to the desired goal. In our political system, power over our city council decision- making process by several centralized, powerful groups continues to grow.

The great danger is the potential for corruption. Does the control exercised by power centers corrupt or eventually lead to corrupted officials? If the influence of Power Centers results in decisions that favor the few individuals in the Power Centers rather than benefit all citizens, than we have become corrupted.

Many of those power centers have contributed enormous sums of money to candidates in our city council elections throughout many election cycles. Unfortunately, with great success. Consequently, council members who depended on those contributions to get elected have become indebted to those contributors and will rely on them for reelection.

Unfortunately, while local developers have been very active in the pursuit of their favorite projects, most citizens of Virginia Beach have been paying very little attention to city matters. Throughout the last two decades, at least, successive city councils have relied on inattentive citizens; a citizenry that has paid very little attention to the details of council decisions; registered voters who generally do not vote; citizens who wake up to a city council election about two weeks before the vote and are easily swayed by slick television or radio ads paid for by those same contributors.

No surprise that council can do as they please to satisfy their contributors. By pleasing the power centers has our Virginia Beach city council been doing the best for all citizens; been honest and straightforward regarding major projects; been transparent?

Over the next many months, citizens of Virginia Beach can review the costs and economic impact of a number of major projects and other decisions made by our city council and determine if council has been open, transparent and doing what is best for all citizens.

For example, you can review the costs of the redevelopment of Atlantic Ave, the new beach and new boardwalk, 31^st St hotel, the economic impact of tourism, the new convention center, the Town Center TIF and others.

An in-depth review and analysis of our city council’s decisions is very important because the city council elections of 2012 will be the LAST CHANCE for the citizens of Virginia Beach to take our government back from the well-endowed developers and a few unscrupulous city Council members. It will be the last chance because this council is poised to spend many more millions for a headquarters hotel, an entertainment venue at the old Dome site, light rail and much more. Once the projects are approved, there will be no turning back. The additional millions of dollars will be obligated and your next generation will pay for it.

It will be the last chance to protect your family and their future from increasing taxes and fees that will undermine their economic security.

It may already be too late for the citizens of Virginia Beach to take that power back and once again establish control of our own government. To help you take back the control of our Virginia Beach government, Virginia News Source (VirginiaNewsSource.com) will continue to present fact-based information for your review and evaluation.

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