Comments on: Live-fire training should heat up Roanoke's sheriff's race

By: catspaw

catspaw — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:57:56 +0000

So much for safety in the city PD. This time the county did the right thing. Cameras disabled, come on folks this was wrong and the city trainers knew so. to bad they took out the cameras.

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:39:35 +0000

Folks, you can't criticize this training unless you've been there. It's very easy to be a Monday morning quarterback and speak your mind behind the cover of the Internet. You have no idea what we face and we have to train at the very extreme so that we can best protect you. Would you really want otherwise? This is political but it is the Roanoke County PD wanting to alienate themselves from the rest of the agencies in the region for some reason. I've heard there is a movement to absolve the PD and turn law enforcement back to the sheriff's office. I would totally support this decision b/c of the leadership and antics of the PD.

By: Henry

Henry — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:45:07 +0000

Coleman won the election and the first recount. The Democrats just counted until they won.

By: Sandi Saunders

Sandi Saunders — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:41:57 +0000

Conflate much?

How did the RT first find out Nelson "counseled" Dowe? You seem to have this story down so go ahead and pinpoint what they knew and when so we can really place some blame.

As to the shenanigans in Minnesota, one would think, the less said the better for your side, but I am always willing to go round again. Where exactly did you get that cast/tallied whopper? What exactly turned Coleman into a genius? So when an election goes your way (Bush v Gore) you think it was a waste to go to the SCOTUS, but when one does not (Franken v Coleman) you think it was necessary? You want consistency, try having some. This is like a roller-coaster.

By: BobH

BobH — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:56:29 +0000

No, Mayor Nelson Harris counseled Dowe on his spending. That's what triggered the RT to get in on it. Then the audit, the the double billing discovery, then the throwing of Dowe under the bus by the RT (when it was obvious he could not be salvaged).

RTEB called Coleman an "idiot" for challenging the Minnesota Senate race to the Minnesota SC (which even isn't as far as Al Gore challenged with Florida-he went all the way to the SCOTUS) and now that Coleman has conceded (he still had more legal rememdies he could pursue) do you see any RTEB blog saying he is a genius now? No, and you aren't going to.

BTW, he was an idiot for challenging an election that the total votes tallied exceed the total votes cast. No, something like that wouldn't need impartial legal intervention (which it may not have gotten anyway).

Just another example of RTEB bias.

By: Henry

Henry — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:41:52 +0000

"Sheriff Octavia Johnson's bid for re-election in November"

"Roanoke County’s long-standing sheriff has been nominated to be the U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Virginia.
U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb nominated Gerald Holt"

By: Kristen

Kristen — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:35:26 +0000

I thought it was the RT who originally uncovered what Dowe was doing.

By: BobH

BobH — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:25:46 +0000

Jim,

I agree. RTEB should get off the Political kick. I have said so for a long time. There is plenty of stuff on dems out there and you don't have to look very far to find it. Do both sides in equal measure and fervor and I have no beef with it.

By: Jim Stevens

Jim Stevens — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:42:37 +0000

Please get off the Political kick. It was dangerous and uncalled for. Roanoke County agrees.

By: BobH

BobH — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:04:28 +0000

Sandi,

The nearest example I can give you is what happened to Dowe (which is really not that close since it was criminal).

Finally, when it was obvious what had happened, came the calls from the RT and the RTEB for him to resign. But not well until it was obvious what had occurred.

Shawna Flowers went so far as to insinuate that Councilman Wishneff wasn't doing his job because he wasn't spending enough city money on travel. You will recall that the first sign of smoke was that simply Dowe was spending more on travel (by far) than any other council member.

Dowe was, of course, a democrat. And Johnson a republican.

That being said, Johnson wasn't elected as much as George McMillan was fired. In this instance, I think she was wrong and have said so. It was a bad decision (but watch Heartbreak Ridge sometime for a similar parody).

Because she is a republican in a largely democratic area she is a marked target and I think that sticks in the craw of the RTEB as much as the actions and decisions she made on this.

That is my opinion.