Home Only three and a half more years of this, and it’s all over
Local

Only three and a half more years of this, and it’s all over

Chris Graham

Five sentences, and so much contained therein. It’s not Christmas yet, but Reo Hatfield is doing his part to play Santa.
“They will NOT vote for an increase,” the former Waynesboro vice mayor declared in a letter to the editor published in the News Virginian today, referring to political allies Frank Lucente and Bruce Allen, whom Hatfield says are opposed to a proposed pay increase for city-council members proposed by Mayor Tim Williams, also ostensibly a political ally of Hatfield, though we have to wonder about that now, don’t we?

Where to begin with this … first, I think we can finally disabuse ourselves of the notion that Lucente is the power behind the throne, as it were, in conservative circles in the River City. I’ve been saying that for months, actually, but I think here we have public proof of who at least thinks of himself as the director of the choir. I mean, I can’t imagine that they all sat around the hot stove and drew straws to see who would write the letter to the editor, or that whoever in the group is the political advisor type said, You know, we ought to have Reo write this one, since his name carries so much clout around these parts.

So we have ourselves a power play manifesting itself here. Not to mention a public display of the dissension in the conservative camp here in Waynesboro. Hatfield didn’t mention Williams by name, but the omission was loud, if not deafening, considering that Hatfield reported in the letter that he “made two phone calls” and “spoke to Bruce Allen and Frank Lucente.” “I have not spoken to other council members,” Hatfield went on to detail.

So the guy who thinks himself the Godfather didn’t call Fredo. What’s next – they going to exile him to Vegas to run the slots?

We’re not even six months into the tyranny, and already it’s apparent that the remnants of the Old Guard in charge of things now have absolutely no idea what they’re doing when it comes to running the city. This is the group that in the guise of running a tight fiscal ship has two city managers on the payroll, has voted to raise taxes, wants to pay itself more to do its job, then, wait, no, it doesn’t!

Only three and a half more years of this, and it’s all over.

Something to look forward to there.

 

– Column by Chris Graham

 




Multimedia

 

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].

Latest News

abigail spanberger
Virginia Politics

Firefighters union censures Gov. Spanberger over her vetoes of collective bargaining

school bus student children backpack
Local

Waynesboro: School Board to hold public hearing on rush job superintendent search

Waynesboro needs to tell its School Board, at the public hearing at Waynesboro High School next week, that we won’t accept promoting from within to fill our soon-to-be-open superintendent’s job.

Northrop Grumman logo
Local

Waynesboro: DEQ is going to make us guess when the next Northrop Grumman hearing is

It appears that I’m going to have to keep fighting a stupid battle with the Virginia DEQ to get them to tell us when the follow-up public hearing on Northrop Grumman pollution permit ends up getting on the schedule.

donald trump
Trump's America

The Posse Comitatus Presidency: Trump’s standing army on American streets

donald trump ben cline pic
Trump's America

Ben Cline is skeered of ‘socialism’: But wait – Donald Trump is a socialist

pete hegseth
Trump's America

Families raise issue with Cao, Hegseth over conditions on USS Abraham Lincoln

drugs needle health
Region/State

Fluvanna County: Pharmacist indicted on several charges related to opioid theft