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Written by Editor
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Sunday, 25 October 2009 10:07 |
The position earns Norment $160,000 a year, despite the conflict of interest in promoting legislation (under his State Senator's hat) of $20 MILLION in funding from the General Assembly and advice he should abstain from such activities.
One GOP legislator said that he then pursued the Commissioner of Accounts position - a job appointed by a circuit court judge. And who sits in judgement of judges? State Senators on the Courts of Justice Committee. And Norment is on that committee.
Now isn't that convenient? He said he resigned as a senior partner with Kaufman & Canoles, taking big cut in pay. Yep! From the private sector, while maintaining an office and relationship with the company. with 2 employees to help him conduct affairs of the commissioner's office, but making up for the loss with his income from the taxpayers of the Commonwealth.
 Sen. Stolle
(Stolle, a 17-year-Senate veteran is resigning to be sheriff of Virginia Beach if he's elected Nov. 3. He could retire after 20 years in the Senate. With only his senate income, his retirement would only be based on about $28,000.
(But if elected sheriff, he has indicated he will serve only 3 of his 4 year term - just enough to pad his retirement income, based on the sheriff's salary, to $160,000 or more a year. His public service is for himself, his future, his bank account, not the public's good.)
This kind of insider power plays and political influence just doesn't end. "Some of us Republicans were elected idealistically believing that we were going to change things, but what happened? Soon as we took over Congress and VA, we became as corrupt as the Democrats," one legislator said.
The clerk of court told VNS that Norment did not report his commissioner's income to that office and has not shown any accountability for what he's making as a Commissioner of Accounts.
On this account North Carolina is far ahead of Virginia. While their legislators might get involved in such abuse of power and conflict of interest, they are prosecuted when caught and several in the past 2 years have gone to jail.
"But in Virginia, they're just re-elected," the GOP lawmaker said.
Certainly nice work if you can get it and you can get it if elected to political office in VA.
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