Time for the next step, as Virginia Beach continues it’s quest to build a new 18,000 seat arena and lure the NBA Kings from Sacramento as the building’s anchor tenant.

Tomorrow, December 11th, the Beach City Council is expected to vote overwhelmingly to continue negotiations on the project giving state leaders the confidence that from a local level, everybody is on board.

For now.

City leaders including Virginia Beach councilman Glenn Davis and the city’s finance director Patti Phillips traveled to Dallas late last week to continue talks with Comcast-Spectacor, along with Kevin Taylor the project manager at consultant HKS, Inc. On it’s website, HKS quoted Sims Hinds, managing director of HKS World Events as saying, “We believe that Virginia Beach and Southeastern Virginia represents the last untapped major sports and entertainment market in the country.”

HKS World Events has been working with the Virginia Beach Development Authority on the arena project for more than two and a half years. HKS designed the new Cowboys Stadium, Dodgers Stadium, along with NBA arenas in Dallas and Indianapolis.

But all the talking in the world is not going to come up with the money needed to build the arena and pay moving expenses for the Kings.

Next up, trying to convince members of both houses of the Virginia General Assembly to kick in $150 million to help with the costs.

The state session begins on January 9th. Because the request for state money came in so late, it was not included in the budget introduced by Gov. Bob McDonnell. So now it is up to local Delegates and Senators to submit a budget amendment to the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees. That must be done by Friday, January 4th. Local Senator Frank Wagner is expected to carry the legislation to Richmond but neither he nor Beach Senator Jeff McWaters have yet to endorse it. Delegates Ron Villanueva, Chris Stolle, Sal Iaquinto, and Bob Purkey are believed to have been briefed on the proposal but none of them have made any public comment.

Longtime Delegate Bob Tata, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, was quoted by Aaron Applegate in the Virginian Pilot last month calling the arena concept, “pie in the sky.” But sources say skepticism by the local delegation in Hampton Roads came before they were given details of the proposal.

After the budget amendment has been submitted, it will have to go before a subcommittee, then the House Appropriations Committee, and then to the entire House of Delegates before it can be adopted. When, and in this case (a big) if this happens, the House budget is sent to the Senate for consideration.

One noticeable stumbling point in the state request may be that Virginia Beach wants to use $80 million of the $150 million to pay the owners of the Kings for moving costs, the anticipated 30 million dollars demanded by the other NBA owners in what they call a “relocation fee”, and loss of revenue the team expects to suffer while having to play in smaller arena’s in Virginia during the two years it will take to build the new building at the beach.

Negotiators may be better served finding another way to come up with the $80 million for the team–using the state money instead for construction and other costs.

Asking for state funds to pay the owners of the Kings George and Gavin Maloff, may be a deal breaker, and this deal is fragile enough.

It’s doubtful the arena can be built without help from the state, so the support of local legislators and eventually law makers from around the state are going to be paramount for this to happen.

Next Tuesday, the newly formed Citizen Communications Committee for the proposed project will hold a public Town Hall meeting at the Virginia Beach Convention Center to gather input from citizens.

So while the arena and the relocation of the Kings is far from being a done deal, it will all be over soon one way or another. The state General Assembly session is only 45 days long, meaning it ends February 23rd.

And the many people associated with the project that I have talked to say there does not seem to be a chance the arena can be built without both the state money and without a long term lease signed by the Kings.

Stay tuned.

On Tuesday, the Virginia Beach City Council will be presented with the final consultant’s report regarding the feasibility of building a $350 million arena.

The clock is ticking, so where are we now?

Governor Bob McDonnell, Beach Mayor Will Sessoms and officials from Comcast-Spectacor met in Richmond last week along with Sacramento Kings owner George Maloof in regards to the Kings moving their team to Virginia Beach.

Most of my sources tell me today they don’t believe the arena can survive without the assurance that the Kings will sign a long term deal.

But it won’t be cheap. The Kings will have plenty of expenses, at least a $30 million dollar relocation fee to be paid to their fellow NBA owners, as well as $10 to $15 million in moving expenses. As much as the owners would like Virginia Beach to help them with their $67 million arena debt in Sacramento that will never happen.

The Kings would have to play their games at the Ted Constant Center at Old Dominion for two seasons while the arena is being built.

Thus the team would want to be compensated for lost revenue–the total cost, including relocation fees, moving expenses and lost revenue for two years would be somewhere around $100 million.

It may sound like a lot but that is not an outrageous assumption, and it can be paid over time.

Already one consultant report, given to state officials, concludes an arena with an NBA team could generate as much as $182 million in visitor spending each year, with the state alone taking in almost $11 million in tax dollars.

Throw in the publicity of having a major league sports team in Virginia and the governor, mayor, and local business folks think it’s a good idea.

If the numbers add up.

A big chunk of the money would have to come from the state, as much as $105 million dollars, which would be paid to George and Joe Maloof the owners of the team for relocation fees and lost revenue, with any money left over to be used to help the city with construction costs.

The state would also help with financing bonds needed to build the arena.

Comcast-Spectacor and Live Nation, who are putting the deal together, will also probably be asked to kick in as much as $35 million dollars in cash to help make this happen.

Another option is, if the Kings don’t get what they want, would it be viable to build a less expensive arena–that would host concerts, big college basketball tournaments, like the ACC, ultimate fighting, big religious conferences, and then someday go after another NBA team, or maybe an NHL team that could move right in. Thus no lost revenue to be paid out since the arena will already have been built. That would be a $100 million savings alone.

That would probably rule out any money from the state right now, which might be enough to kill the deal, unless the NBA would guarantee Virginia Beach an expansion franchise, which seems out of the question.

Again the City Council will receive their own consultants report on Tuesday, but will the Kings buy in?

Can the arena happen without the Kings?

A complicated situation that could come to a conclusion one way or another by the end of the year.

I am happy to live in a country that allows us to have the opportunity to express our opinions freely and to vote. However,it remains depressing that in Virginia Beach and elsewhere, we cannot evaluate without denigrating or refrain from doing our best to ruin a candidate’s character without a shred of proof. I am sickened again to hear about the racial cartoons that were disseminated by one of the Virginia Beach Republican city council candidates’ campaign managers and the vitriolic comments of some in Virginia Beach expressing their belief there is no need to put a black man on the council. And why was it necessary for some Republican party members to berate members of their party for supporting a black candidate running for a nonpartisan office? Did they forget the definition of non partisan or just dismiss it? Finally, please explain to me the hypocritical comments of certain members of the Black community who professed they wanted diversity on city council then complained because it wasn’t “their candidate” who was appointed even though Prescott Sherrod was imminently qualified? All this negativity makes me want to take a shower to wash off the dirt that is weighing my spirit down! It gets us nowhere! Can we please go to the polls and vote for the candidate based on facts about their character and positions? I am voting for Prescott Sherrod because I know the good things he has done. Over the 15 years I have known him I have seen him overcome adversity in business with dignity and devote his time and energy to helping other businesses through his church and community organizations. In a time when all we see in the media about most politicians is negative behavior, I will cast my vote for Prescott Sherrod who ran a positive campaign and, has demonstrated over fifteen years devotion to his wife, his business and his community. I believe those are good reasons to give him a chance to continue to lead our city.

Interviewing President Obama in Cabinet Room of the White House (White House Photo)

A trip to the White House is rare.  To have access to areas like the South Lawn and the Rose Garden; even more so, but to interview the man elected who makes decisions that affect the free world?  That’s once in a lifetime, even for a local television journalist.  This is not a political column, so I’m putting all partisanship aside.  WAVY-TV was chosen, along with eight other local television stations, to send an anchor to interview President Obama about his American Jobs Act.  It doesn’t take an astute political pundit to understand why the White House put this together.   All of us knew this was one more way to deliver the administration’s message after his $447 billion dollar plan stalled in Congress.  Nonetheless, an interview with the nation’s Chief Executive is enough to bring a butterfly, or two, to my usually cast-iron stomach.

With "First Dog" Bo

It began with the assembly on the South Lawn, a place you rarely see on the daily review of Washington politics on NBC Nightly News.  It is reserved mostly for state functions, but on this day it served as a backdrop for local live reports on our experiences.    One by one, we’d be escorted through the Rose Garden to the West Wing, which housed the Cabinet Room.   I was called first, and was brought to the door, which stood as the only barrier between my questions about Hampton Roads, and the President of the United States.  Small talk with a White House assistant chewed up some of the moments, while a crew set up two cameras and microphones.  I remained cool.  “Will the president be inside the room, or will he make an entrance?”    His assistant answered with a smile, “he’ll be the first person you see when you walk in.”  I nodded as if I’ve been here before, but  clearly I was in uncharted territory.

Preparing for live reports from the White House

The door swung open and President Obama was taking a drink of water as I walked in.   We extended our hands simultaneously, and I offered “Good morning, Mr. President.  I’m Tom Schaad from WAVY-TV in Hampton Roads.  Thank you for taking the time to talk with us.”  President Obama reciprocated by showing a cool gratitude toward me.  I stood behind the spot they had designated as we talked about my hometown of Pittsburgh, and I couldn’t resist plugging my Steelers, and their coach from Newport News, Mike Tomlin.  “He’s a good coach,” the president said coolly.

Reporting from the South lawn of the White House

Finally, a man behind President Obama held up five fingers.  Time to start.  Five minutes.  Three questions.  Watch the interview here, and notice my awkward exit!    Photojournalist Jeff Myers captured some “behind the scenes” shots  as well.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane.

We’re back in school, and there’s a big test coming up. You don’t feel like studying, even though you know you should. After all, it’s a day on the calendar that seems like an eternity away.

Before you know it, you are cramming 2 or 3 days before the test, changing your diet from decent, balanced meals to a steady stream of chocolate, junk food and energy drinks.

At this point, you are limited. You only have so long to cram as much knowledge into your brain before the big day.

Unfortunately, if you are anything like me, you do your best but walk away feeling like you could have done better if you just prepared.

After reading a recent article (Where are key Va. races in 2011?), I was quickly overcome with that nervous feeling of not feeling ready for this year’s Virginia elections.

Here is the Cliff’s Notes version:

• A net gain of just two seats in the state Senate this year would put state policymaking in the hands of Republicans for the first time since 2001.
• Virginia Senate and House elections fall two years after gubernatorial elections, and voters typically already have their sights on the next presidential election.
• In just 20 days, Democratic Minority Leader Ward L. Armstrong raised more than $83,000.
• You can follow the money spent by each candidate by visiting The Virginia Public Access Project online.

Trust me. In school, all of my papers were written at the last minute and I shut the library down the night before the big test cramming.

But there’s always a time to turn over a new leaf and get the homework finished early. Read up on all of the candidates you are able to vote for and know where they stand on the issues. Find out who is contributing to their campaign and realize that the next few years can be changed by one vote.

In just six short weeks, we’ll go to the polls and select what we think are the right answers. Are you going to be prepared?

During this Halloween season we don’t have to look far to find horror – it is alive and well right here in Virginia Beach. This year’s political campaigns have most of us who try to do our civic duty running screaming into our houses, shutting off our TV’s and radios and hiding under the covers in an attempt to stop the negative bombardment politicos like to call “communication with the public”.  Just look at what the campaign wars have uncovered again- disinformation: false information deliberately and often covertly spread misinformation: wrong information which is given to someone deliberately, and downright lies. If you don’t believe me, just ask any TV station or newspaper who has a “truth-o-meter” to characterize the political ads by the above designations. You will find plenty of evidence.

However, in my opinion, there is nothing more evil or destructive for our city and our society than the use of race or religion as weapons of mass destruction for they incite hatred and fear, they harm the person who is the target, our city’s reputation, and, most of all they harm our children who learn how to treat people from us- the adults who love them. Indeed the outcome of these insidious attacks more often than not is an ongoing societal war waged between the good old boys and those who are different or new, or even worse, a kind of weary acceptance, that indicates nothing can be done to prevent our divided society.

For instance, in the city council campaign for the Princess Anne district friends of the incumbent, Barbara Henley, have decided to attack the challenger, Ms Tanya Bullock, a young attorney who happens to be African American, using disinformation, misinformation and race baiting. Henley’s supporters (we don’t know if Henley is involved) Misinformed the voters in their negative political piece regarding Tanya Bullocks’ background; they used Disinformation when informing voters of Tanya’s views on Agricultural Reserve, the Greenline and other environmentally directed programs (Truth-Ms Bullock has praised Ms Henley for her advocacy) and, they downright lied about Oceana not having good relations with the city because “a young Black Attorney” would be on city council. I think most people in this city give the military leaders at Oceana more credit.

 Finally, the use of race baiting negative stereotypes by inferring that the district shouldn’t be turned over to this “black attorney” who was clever enough to “hook up” with a white “car dealer”. First, Ms. Henley and her supporters surely know when people write an angry letter, they don’t mention race unless its derogatory; second, being clever enough to “hook up” makes you wonder if we have some  insidious racial profiling going on.  President Bush was neither the first nor the last to decide that the path to victory lay in picking at the scab of race, in order to make white voters feel afraid, or angry, or resentful as was done with the Willie Horton scandal. And here we are again, with a group of entrepreneurs of racial division — doing all they can to convince whites that their way of life is threatened by dangerous blacks. This is indeed a horror I had hoped Virginia Beach would not invite in to our homes again. I remember well the racial slurs and the death threats I and my campaign workers had to endure when I ran for reelection to city council in 1998. Many people, who were confused by hate mongers, believed the disinformation they fed to voters. I am hoping there are enough voters in Virginia Beach who believe in giving qualified candidates a chance regardless of race, religion or the color of their skin and will have the moral strength to take up the banner in this fight for a Virginia Beach where all citizens are respected. Truthfully, it would be a horror and frightening if in 2010 I am still the only African American woman to have served on Virginia Beach city council.

Virginia is the cradle of our Republic.   The ideas of Madison and Jefferson, and the leadership of Washington have forged an American culture that grew out of the Old Dominion.   But our political culture has always been dynamic,  with change being the only certainty about how we choose our leaders.   With jobs becoming more scarce in an area accustomed to weathering the most violent of economic storms, and deficits squeezing  local city and school budgets,  election night carries an urgency all that will touch all of us;  so our political team is poised to deliver the goods.   Count on coverage and analysis of 28 local races, coupled with NBC’s breakdown of what could be a historic power shift in Washington DC.   That’s the power of 10 On Your Side.

When Glenn Nye won his election in 2008, many gave credit to the long coattails of Barack Obama. Nye won, but in a district that is usually conservative independent to moderate Republican. Nye politically knew he couldn’t win by being a mainstream Democrat. He had to fulfill the promise of being an independent which is what he ran on in 2008.

Nye has been successful in striking the middle ground: The Democrat got the conservative NRA endorsement, the conservative U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsement, the
“9th most independent Congressman” by the Washington Post. Most notable though, he voted against President Obama on Health Care. All that is well and good, but many in the democratic community think “What has this guy done for me?”

“Not much” is the answer from Virginia Beach NAACP President Gloria Allen. “For the folks in my community…they don’t want to put up signs in their yards…they don’t want to work for him…we are very disappointed he voted against the President and health care.”

I asked Nye about this, “I said from the start I was going to be independent…I have had to explain my vote on Health Care to a lot of people…some have understood why I voted the way I did, and some have not.”

I also asked Nye why he didn’t attend the AFL-CIO convention. The usually Democratic leaning Organization refused to endorse anyone in the race because Nye’s voting record with Labor is only 67%. Nye’s answer was, “I don’t care about conventions…I meet with smaller groups.” Wrong answer for many in the labor community. One labor source I have said to me, “O.K. so Glenn you’re going to be independent, does that mean you don’t talk with us.”

Nye is threading a very small needle. If he loses by a smidge he could look back on those lost opportunities to show up to events even if the group is displeased. If he wins in this district after Scott Rigell pumped in over a million dollars of hiw own money the Nye looks like a political genius with the perfect strategy. Also in the race is independent candidate Kenny Golden.

See you on the campaign trail……Andy Fox

You’ve no doubt heard of her, what she said, and why she fired herself from her radio program a couple of weeks ago.  No matter how you slice it, no matter who says it, THE “N” word hurts! That’s what my ancestors heard as they were herded onto slave ships, forced to farm America’s crops, strung up from southern trees  and locked out of local schools. It hurts even more today when kids emulate so-called “entertainers” who use the “N word” for shock value – but only end up displaying their ignorance like a badge of honor. They don’t know what they don’t know. And what’s worse – they don’t care. “Danger! Willie Robinson.” (If you get that, PUH LEEZE let me know.)

Now let me run some more letters by you: The VCIC. No, this organization doesn’t insure your investments. But its members and benefactors do invest countless hours to bring people together.

VCIC board members Sam Canavos, Jonathan Zur, Golden H. Bethune-Hill,Mamye Bacote, Guy Levy

Teens participating in VCIC workshops

Formerly known as the Virginia Chapter of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, it’s evolved into the VIRGINIA CENTER FOR INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES.  You may not know the name, but hopefully you’re  benefiting from their work. And I’ll bet you know some of the members of the Peninsula and Southside chapters.  I’m fortunate to be a member of the board of the Peninsula chapter. I’ve interviewed half of them for news stories as they tend to be the ones who make things move and shake in our communities - in business, education, communities of worship and neighborhoods. The VCIC is probably planning your next diversity training workshop- on the job or at your child’s school.  VCIC director Jonathan Zur says one exciting program in the works now  is a collaboration with the Virginia Stage Company. It’s in connection with VSC’s upcoming production of “The Diary of Anne Frank.”  VSC and VCIC are planning major outreach to schools in South Hampton Roads, including school visits to the show with facilitated talk-backs and the creation of a teaching guide for area educators.

Check the link to see what the VCIC staff has been doing this summer- and plans for the coming year.  And if you like seeing “little white girls and white boys playing with black girls and black boys” without a care about color, or calling each other hurtful names, then we need your help. Have dinner with us dinner next February. I hope to see you there.

Political Reporter Andy Fox here at a boisterous victory party for Virginia Beach’s Bob McDonnell.  As one speaker said, “Bob has lead the republican party out of a seven year wilderness politically.”  The last time Republicans won all three statewide offices was back in 1997.

National Republican Chair Michael Steele told WAVY.com, “Bob ran a campaign that reached out.  He won back independents…no one cared about his 1989 Thesis because they care about jobs.  They care about roads. They care about education.”

Early results show Deeds failed to generate the needed turnout in African American Communities, women and Hispanics.

Republicans are using the victories tonight in Virginia to re-energize a Republican Party that has failed to win a gubernatorial race since 1997.