I don’t live in Norfolk, but it’s the closest thing I have to the metro as I’m in South Norfolk, a neighborhood in Chesapeake bordering the area. Norfolk is a great city with a lot of promise, but the leadership is downright disturbing. The corruption doesn’t surprise me, it happens in a lot of major cities, and appears to be par for the course for anyone living in a city ran by and for African-Americans. But the way in which it is handled is cool whatsoever.

Alphonso Albert, the convicted felon who was hired by the City Manager, Regina V.K. Williams, for a new position created by the city to head an anti-crime office which would have coordinated the efforts of law enforcement agencies brought a lot of controversy to a city government that was already riddled with indifference because of the previous actions of city leadership, would have made a sweet $100,000 a year. But the fact of his previous record, though almost 20 years removed, was too much to bear for applicants that were often overqualified for positions in city government that were often passed over for potential employees that may have offered much less in terms of qualifications. So the whole thing sort of avalanches, and became a public relations disaster.

Then Regina Williams decided that Alphonso could work yet another newly created position, created just for him; heading up volunteer efforts for an undisclosed salary, but this lasted but for days when Alphonso himself decided to walk away from employment with the city altogether. The money may have come at a cost that was too difficult to bear, whatever the salary was, and it was perhaps the best thing to do, at least the most honorable on his part. But what does any of this say about the city government, and the lack of leadership and accusations of corruption that continue to persist? A read of comments on any number of the articles on the website of the local newspaper, essentially the only proverbial watercooler that would allow the public to air their grievances, point to accusations of reverse racism, and a general inept city government.

None of this may force the City of Norfolk to give up their old-boys network; if nothing else it may go even more underground, and wouldn’t be as out of control as it has been of late. Then again Norfolk’s leadership is due for a change, and in their zeal to create a compelling answer to Virginia Beach through a series of missteps and bring people back into the city leadership that the people can trust or at least have confidence in may be in order. Yet when it is all over and done with healthy competition is best for the region, but not at any cost. If people do not feel as though they are wanted in their city, and are not able to make wages that allow them to have the comfortable lifestyle they desire, if key employers (outside of the government) are not part of the fabric that employment in the city is woven around there is no recourse but to consider living elsewhere. And why wouldn’t you; other cities seem to be doing okay, particularly Virginia Beach, suburban areas like Suffolk are growing, and Chesapeake continues to be a nice place to live. So in a sense it was rather embarrassing; a series of missteps lead to the suggestion that Blacks boycott their city, which is just a sampling of what typically occurs around here. But it is over, at least for the moment, if indeed his resignation is what you want to accept (that is how it happened). If nothing else though, it really doesn’t matter anymore …