The Virginia Muncipal League is an organization I quickly became more familiar with in my first year serving as mayor.  VML is, “a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan association of city, town and county governments established in 1905 to improve and assist local governments through legislative advocacy, research, education and other services.”

Today, I received their Legislative Bulletin, which comes out weekly (see the 2010 list here).  I highly suggest reading over the main story, Report Card: Legislature Risks an ‘F’ on midterm exam, in this week’s Legislative Bulletin to see concrete ways the legislature is continually (i.e. currently) decreasing funding and increasing costs to localities to provide basic services.   You will see specific problematic bills and equally problematic inaction.

As the DNRonline.com has been “paywalled“, meaning people need to pay to read it online, there are a number of added challenges to inform the public on important matters.   However, there’s one with a more direct added financial impact: business leaders from outside the area can’t read about or find economic development news because the news stories don’t show up in search engine results (Google won’t show DNRonline.com pages because users can’t read them).

So, when an article like today’s “Rockingham Plans to be Ready for Wind Farms” is published, the only people that really have a chance to read it are local people with a paid or online subscription on the day it’s printed. The opportunity lost is for people in this industry to get our region on their radar. Of course, I’m not just talking about the wind industry – any industry. All of our comparatively good news printed in the DNR is effectively invisible online.

This, then, puts an added responsibility for regional business development advocates (from local government to commercial real estate to builders to industry leaders) to fill the void with web content that is “search engine optimized”. That’s a fancy phrase for blogging.

And the opportunity is rich. Right now, if you google “Harrisonburg economy business” the FIRST result isn’t the city’s or the county’s economic development website, or the Shenandoah Valley Partnership, or the Chamber of Commerce. Nope. You know what it is? A link on www.HarrisonburgSummits.com about the February 18th Harrisonburg Summit on Strengthening Local Business and Economy. That’s right. An announcement I posted last month as part of my job at the Fairfield Center is currently the online “gateway” to our community’s economic development efforts (at least with those google terms). As much as I stand behind these events and enjoy their visibility, we have to change this – and that means business leaders put more energy into creating content for the web. We are behind the curve.

WhyKai.com isn’t the best online space to record what happens at Saturday’s Mayor’s Sustainability Summit, so I created a new website and blog to share information about it and future summits.  HarrisonburgSummits.com is designed such that summits on other issues (e.g. intercultural, health, safety, etc) can also be captured and archived on the same website.

On Saturday, at the first summit, you will see the website in action, as the day’s schedule and reports will begin being adding to the site.  These reports will be submitted by people who attend the event.  Since the reports are in blog form, discussions can continue on each topic during and after that day.

I am also extending an invitation to people who would like to be a ongoing contributing blogger on sustainability issues after the summit.  As other summits on other topics happen, I’ll extend an invitation to people who want to blog on those issues.

I am out of town and unable to attend today’s event in Harrisonburg in support of Senator Creigh Deeds’ candidacy for governor, but I want to add my endorsement.  My endorsement comes for three main reasons:

1. I think he will be an effective governor, able to stay true to Democratic ideas and values while working with both Democratic and Republican leaders to make progress on economic, educational, energy and environmental priorities.  We need a governor who puts aside strict partisanship and works collaboratively for sensible solutions.
2. Creigh will be most competitive in a statewide race.  To build on the Warner-Kaine tradition, we must field the most electable candidate we can.
3. On a local level, Harrisonburg and the central Shenandoah Valley can benefit from a governor with an innate knowledge of our concerns and people. Creigh has that. And that bodes well for our local transportation and infrastructure needs, as well as our business and environmental concerns and opportunities.

I believe Brian Moran’s dedicated work for women, civil rights and open government are inspired and I believe Terry McAuliffes’s emphasis on economic development is timely and informed – and all three candidates for the Democratic nomination for governor would make us proud and keep building the traditions established by Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.  However, for reasons stated above, I believe Creigh Deeds is the right candidate for this race.

For Harrisonburg and the Shenandoah Valley, I endorse Creigh Deeds for governor and urge all local Democrats to turn out on the June 9 primary to vote for him in the primary.

So, what does a editorial’s title have to do with being mayor – and why would I comment on it?  After all, someone wise said, “Never pick a fight with a man who buys his ink by the barrel.”  In normal circumstances, I’d heed that advice.  But the Primate Obama headline in the Daily News-Record (our only local newspaper of record) is such an inexcusable and offensive example of being out of touch with the values and sensibilities of the constituents I serve that I feel compelled to comment.  It’s outrageous and hurtful for many in our community, including myself.  Any explanation about the double-meaning not being intended must be dismissed as too hard to believe or highlighted as shocking incompetence given the author and editor is a professional wordsmith.

As mayor and council member, I’m working with my fellow council members, the city staff, and our residents to create and maintain a constructive environment in which we can convene our community’s conversation about how we move forward.  Racism is perhaps the most deeply rooted, least discussed, least understood, and most potent issue facing us (yes, we’ve made progress; no, we haven’t finished the conversation).  To wantonly fan this flame as an editor in the only paper of record is beyond inexcusable.

There’s no better way to get insight into the commitments of your government than looking at the current and proposed budgets. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting (full agenda), there will be a public hearing on the proposed budget for the next fiscal year. Have a look. I encourage everyone to read the City Manager Budget Letter for an overview on how the budget reflects adjustments for the economic conditions.

Some highlights, all quoted from the draft budget: Read Full Post

Updated April 21, 2009   Click Here For Full Information on Mayor’s Sustainability Summit

The Sustainability Summit scheduled for May 30 is gathering support and interested. I am still accepting partner organizations, which can be businesses, organizations, departments, clubs, or groups that agree to be represented at the event and advertise it as they deem appropriate. Email me if you would like to become a partner. Here’s the good company you’ll join: Read Full Post

The city’s website has just been updated with a catalog of ongoing sustainability-related and “green” projects that currently exist.  I share it here to highlight these efforts and underscore the shared commitment of the city and its residents for a more sustainable future.  Many of these efforts – if not all – have been inspired and supported by city residents partnering with the city.  Check it out!

Updated!  See below for a long list of initiatives put together by Thanh Dang. Read Full Post