The I Love CVille Show With Jerry Miller! - ADL Grades UVA With An "F" For Antisemitism; Dozens Of New Jobs To Orange County ($41M)

Episode Date: April 19, 2024

The I Love CVille Show headlines: ADL Grades UVA With An “F” For Antisemitism Dozens Of New Jobs To Orange County ($41M) DT Apartments May Pivot To 160-Room Hotel Pick Charlottesville Middle School’s New Mascot Snapshot: CVille City’s Budget Over Last 5 Years CVille Short Summer Lifeguards; Do Kids Work? Make Dogwood Memorial More Accessible New & Notes From CVille Alb. Co. & Beyond Read Viewer & Listener Comments Live On-Air The I Love CVille Show airs live Monday – Friday from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm on The I Love CVille Network. Watch and listen to The I Love CVille Show on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, iTunes, Apple Podcast, YouTube, Spotify, Fountain, Amazon Music, Audible and iLoveCVille.com.

Thank you. blowing up with some news that I'm trying to deliver to you from the newsmaker herself. So I'm working the phones while doing the program to see if I can get the story to you today, or if this, it's deal flow, it's from business, from real estate, if this is something that I'm going to be relaying to you early next week, I promised her this deal would close. And the closing is, I think, happening right now. And she's letting me know. All right. Lots of cover on today's program.

Live in downtown Charlottesville, our studio on Market Street in the Macklin Building. We are excited to connect with you. Take a look at the screen for today's headlines. We're going to talk about the ADL. And Judah, you set the stage of what the ADL is. Okay, you don't have to do it now. I'm going to do the headlines, but set the table for the first topic, and then I'll offer commentary. The ADL offered a grade for the University of Virginia. And that grade, when it applied to anti-Semitism on campus, as they called it, we know it's grounds,

the ADL graded Thomas Jefferson's University with an F. With an F. Some of the other noteworthy or notable schools that are also graded with an F, MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, UCAL, Santa Barbara, UNC Chapel Hill, UVA. F, anti-Semitism. We'll talk about that today on the program. Also, conversations on today's show will include a headline I found compelling, Judah found compelling, dozens of new jobs coming to Orange County thanks to a $41 million economic development story. That topic on today's program. We'll talk a developer pivoting his efforts from a downtown mall apartment tower to a 160- boutique hotel that story on today's program charlottesville middle school looking for a new mascot judah will set the stage on that storyline

i'm going to give you courtesy of charlottesville tomorrow a snapshot at the budget in the city over the last five years and how it has ballooned And we will unpack the revenue verticals that have allowed to the ballooning or inflation of the budget in this fine and fair city. We'll talk summer lifeguards. Yet again, the city has a summer lifeguard shortage. And I'm going to take the storyline of a summer lifeguard shortage, a job that's tailor-made for teenagers, and I'm going to use it as an opportunity to have the conversation from both sides of the aisle about teens in today's world and the commitment to working a job that is not tied to being on a screen. That topic on today's show, and news and notes from Judah wickhauer and i including the dogwood memorial making it more accessible folks we are a hop skip and a jump from the charlottesville police department less than two miles from thomas jefferson's university the rotunda the john

paul jones arena and scott stadium one block removed from the courthouse that is albemarle county and the city of charlottesville and just off the downtown mall in a building that we have worked our tails off to own a good chunk of, the Macklin Building on Market Street. Judah Wickhauer is not only the executive, eh, not only the producer and director, but I'm proud to call a co-host. Judah Wickhauer, who was crossing the road yesterday right in front of Ginny Hu and her family.

Apparently. Ginny Hu connects with us on Twitter. We appreciate your support on that platform, Ginny Hu. Judah crossed right in front of the road with Liza in front of us today. And let us know. And I promised I would let you know that Ginny saw you crossing the road. I wish she'd roll down her window and yell at me. Judah welcomes all greetings when you see him around town. He most often will be with the

beloved I Love Seville mascot, Liza, a rescue from the Fluvanna County non-profit, Caring for Creatures, a non-profit that is headed by an angel that walks this earth, and Mary Burkholz. All right, my friend, it's Friday, your favorite day of the week. My favorite day of the week is Monday. Yours is Friday. That might be the difference between a team member and an owner, but such is life. I don't fault you for Friday being your favorite.

Set the stage for our number one headline with a lower third first on screen. And then second, the ADL grades Thomas Jefferson's University of Virginia with an F as it applies to anti-Semitism on grounds. First, I want you to do the who, what, when, where, why. The ADL,

describe it to us, and then tell us about the storyline. So, the ADL is the Anti-Defamation League. There's some disagreement over their grading system and how they go about making their decisions. But if you go to this page on the campus anti-Semitism report for University of Virginia, they have some compelling evidence. UVA officials acknowledge there have been dozens of recent reports of anti-Semitic activity. One Jewish student said he has received death threats since October 7th, was physically

assaulted while counter-protesting at an anti-Israel walkout, and has been called anti-Semitic slurs. This prompted the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to open a Title VI investigation against UVA in December of last year. And UVA students also passed a referendum this spring calling for divestment from companies that do business with Israel. Prior to the referendum, an art history professor at the college canceled her class in solidarity with the divestment movement. I don't know if I would say the referendum to divest from companies doing business with Israel is, I don't know if I would necessarily classify that as anti-Semitic. We're going to offer commentary.

We'll stick with the facts and the story first before we offer commentary and our opinion on this story. UVA and F, along with UNC, MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Tufts, Michigan State, SUNY Purchase, University of Massachusetts Amherst. I mean, we got some, these are the best of the best when it comes to colleges and universities. And unfortunately, the best of the best are being graded with an F by a third party. Some would say that third party has an agenda. We'll tell you about the agenda potentially on the program. But I think we have a few more who, what, when, where, why facts to relay to the viewers and listeners. Show is yours, Judah Wickower. What else should we get out there? I'm not sure what specifics exactly

you want. It's a complex issue that I gave most of what the ADL has on the subject. What's happening on campus. The Anti-Defamation League based out of New York, Manhattan, 3rd Avenue.

This is in the national, if not the global, news cycle right now. Now, we can go down the road of our commentary and thoughts on this story. What we were talking in our pre-production meeting, I thought you and I had good commentary to offer the viewers and listeners. I thought your commentary on this was very compelling. I'll listen to learn. And I've learned a bit more.

A lot of... It's hard to not explain that this is a complex issue. There are people that are probably definitely anti-Semitic. There are people that are just against what Israel is doing in Palestine or in the, you know, Gaza and the West Bank. There are people that are, like you said, as we were talking before the show, there are people that are pro-Palestinians, but not necessarily pro-Hamas. But it's very hard to separate the Palestinians from their government, which is Hamas, who's got in their founding charter that part of their goal is the destruction of Israel and all the people there. So it's a tough issue. There are people on campuses across America who are protesting

either against Israel or for Palestine. And I believe a lot of it gets very mixed up. In this case with UVA, I think that one of the big problems is they haven't come out against the actual anti-Semitic actions that have shown up around campus. There it is. There it is. Freaking there it is. Right there. I don't need Jim Ryan. I don't need the Board of Visitors and Rector Robert Hardy. I don't need

the brass, the executives, the C-suite at the University of Virginia to pontificate or to offer perspective on Hamas and Gaza and Israel

and Palestine and this war. I do not need that. What I do need them to do is to say, these students on grounds at the University of Virginia that are being targeted, this is wrong, and we will do whatever it takes

to protect them and to kibosh and squash anti-Semitic language behavior from either our professors, other students, or whoever it may be. I don't need city council of Charlottesville to issue a proclamation or to spend time in council chambers during a meeting saying in pomp and circumstance, dog and pony fashion, what we do on this dais is going to impact Hamas and Palestine and Israel. That's what they did a couple of weeks ago. They took a vote and said, we're going to take a stand against what's happening in the middle east right here in charlottesville give me a break what are you doing here give me a break okay

but what i do need counsel and what i do need the board of visitors to do and jim ryan's office to do and the board of supervisors in almona county to do to say look and the place that we govern oversee over have oversight of or manage we're not going to have anti-Semitic behavior or any racial tolerance at all. Any racism at all. August 11th and 12th are still, sadly, fresh in our minds. And I don't see this as being a whole lot different. There it is.

If you hate somebody, I'm sorry. The Anti-Defamation League would not grade UVA with an F as they have done now if Jim Ryan or the Board of Visitors had utilized their platforms and said, we're not going to tolerate this. But silence and

no comment is a statement. And that's what we have. And as a result, the Anti-Defamation League has said UVA and Thomas Jefferson's University is one of the worst in the country when it comes to anti-Semitism. There's the story in a nutshell. And I hope this compels or motivates or influences President Ryan. And I'll tell you this, Razorblade Bert Ellis of the Board of Visitors, the gentleman who traveled across state lines with a razor blade to try to cut off a vulgar sign off the door of a UVA lawn student, you could say what you want about Bert Ellis. You

could say what you want about the Jefferson Council. You can say what you want about how they're going about doing this. What Burt Ellis is doing on the Board of Visitors where he's saying enough is enough with anti-Semitism, you have to applaud him for that. He may not be doing it the way we think is the right way, but he's going balls to the wall and taking

a stand against it. You have a defamation league, the defamation league. Anti have a defamation league, the defamation league. Anti-defamation league. The anti-defamation league saying what's going on in Charlottesville

is an F. Yeah. Okay? And I'm passionate and fired up about this topic. I don't even use the word fortunately. UVA is not the only one in this mix. What's the unfortunate scenario is these positions of president at some of these noteworthy universities,

Harvard is in grade and an F, Princeton's grade and an F, Princeton's graded an F. MIT's graded an F. UVA's graded an F. UNC Chapel Hill's graded an F. Stanford graded an F. These positions of president are incredibly lucrative. You're talking a million dollars in compensation

with perks and benefits, well over a million with the fact that you include free housing and a mansion, Cars Hill, that they've become less about being an educator and the management of education and more about

navigating political headwinds and trying to be as so neutral when it comes to these headwinds and staying away or from or out of the crossfire of these storylines that your silence is is is is deafening that's what's happening here yeah and the only reason and i highlighted the the boston marathon run for jib ryan and the the running for the uA Children's Hospital,

the Boston Marathon just transpired. The reason I highlighted that Ryan's running in the Boston Marathon for the UVA Children's Hospital is he's a smart man. He utilizes his position to make sure the word is out of his efforts running for sick kids and one of the most noteworthy marathons in the world because this builds equity, goodwill. And that equity and goodwill is currently insulating him or the Teflon or the protection for his silence, his deafening stance on anti-Semitism

at the university that he oversees. And students on grounds at the University of Virginia, the ones that are... I don't think all the students on grounds at the University of Virginia that are in this crossfire are anti-Semitic. I think a lot of the students that are in this crossfire at the University of Virginia are pro-Palestine. They could be anti-Hamas.

They could be neutral about Israel. They can be concerned with what Israel is doing, killing boatloads of innocent people. They can say, I am pro the innocent people in Palestine, and I believe they can be. I believe they can be. We don't like what's happening to vulnerable,

innocent people in these terroristic attacks. I ran with the drones on Israel just this past weekend. You can say that, and you can say that, and you can be right. But what you can't do when you're the president or you're in charge of a prominent platform like UVA is say nothing. Yeah. I'm passionate about this. You want to offer any perspective before we get off topic?

Viewers and listeners, your thoughts on this topic. Donnell, welcome to the program. Hop, we love you. Bill McChesney, Andre Xavier, James Watson, Johnny Arnalis, Aaron King, Jason Howard, Dean Russell. Anyone who wants to offer perspective, Ray Caddll, Carol Thorpe, welcome to the broadcast, Lisa Costolo. Anyone. The silence is deafening, I find, so weak backbone-esque. Yeah. I think that, as we've said, there are a wide range of opinions,

and it's fine to, I think it's fine if people want to protest for the safety of the innocent Palestinian people, but when you make attacks on Jewish students, you put the lie to this just being about Palestine. And another thing that really, thank you, another thing that really irks me is tenured, and this

I'll catch heat for what I'm about to make. Tenured professors feeling so confident in their tenure, the fact that they can't get pink slipped, that they will utilize their position,

which is a position that is platformed because of the UVA brand, to make comments or to shape the next generation of thinkers, their students, in ways that are clearly anti-Semitic. Hateful. Hateful. Hateful. And completely ignored by their bosses for such comments. You look at publicly traded companies, noteworthy traded companies,

that have fired employees for their stance on this. And here the University of Virginia, with some professors under their purview, will do nothing, either because of weak backbones, because they don't want to be in the political crossfire, or because of the nuance of tenure. Yeah. in our world today, in America today, where hate speech is so, not just frowned upon, but rightly denounced that there's so little said about anti-Semitic actions, words, and behavior. John Blair, thank you.

Stephanie Wells-Rhodes, thank you for watching. Logan Wells-Claylow, thank you for watching. Carol Thorpe, Ray Cadell, thank you for watching. Stacey Baker-Patty, thank you for watching. We'll go to number two in the family, then we'll go to number one, Deep Throat. Deep Throat, welcome back from our nation's capital. Number two in the family, John Blair's photo on screen,

if you could please, sir. Jerry, I think Judah makes an astute point. UVA is unique in this story. While a lot of these universities and questions of anti-Semitism revolve around 10-7, UVA is unique due to A12-2017. The synagogue in Charlottesville was targeted only seven years ago. Anti-Semitism is simply much greater of a concern here than in any other area due to that fact. 100%. I'll take it a step further.

We had, and I'm not going to utilize her name, we had a prominent University of Virginia official on this network. And the topic about being a Jew in Charlottesville and in Albemarle County came up after the show. And her response was, there are so few of us in this community. And because we're so few in number, basically alluding to our heads always on a swivel.

That's a shame. But makes sense. Safety in numbers. I'm not, I just, regardless of religion, skin color, or ideology, your safety to walk

around the town and counties that we love in central Virginia should be second nature, should be obvious. And right now that's not the case. And the president's doing nothing about it. Yeah. All right. Next topic, if you could. Set the stage for dozens of new jobs, and then we'll, in fact, let's go to, before we go to the Orange County $41 million topic,

let's do the budget story. I should have slid this to the two slot. That's on me. The snapshot of the Charlottesville City budget over the last five years, if you could put that lower third on screen. I'll set the stage on this one. Charlottesville Tomorrow is a nonprofit news organization, and I've watched this news organization change in its coverage,

its content, significantly over the last 10 to 15 years. When Brian Wheeler was at this organization and his lead reporter, Sean Tubbs, was churning copy, Charlottesville Tomorrow did a fantastic job of covering hard news, in particular hard news tied to government and the cross-section of development and government. Charlottesville Tomorrow's content model has changed, and it's changed because they are now pursuing grant money

from large grant providers, and the providers that are providing the money are doing so to nonprofits that cover diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a result, Charlottesville Tomorrow's content model is no longer hard news and the cross-section of real estate development and government. They, however, Charlottesville Tomorrow and their newsletter today, which I subscribe to, released an analysis on the Charlottesville City budget over the last five years. I find this content compelling. Much like Deep Throat, who's back from D.C., he likes to look at data over a period of time. And that's exactly what Charlottesville Tomorrow did in their newsletter. I'm going to relay that to you and then offer my commentary.

That's what this show is about. We take news, we set the table with the story, and then Judah and I offer our commentary on that table, on that hard news, and encourage you, the viewer and listener, to offer, share your opinions and perspective on what we're discussing with that very topic. So I'm going to set the stage. Here's from Charlottesville tomorrow. In the last five years, Charlottesville City's general fund expenses have grown by 25 percent. You should listen to this. From 189 million in 2020 to 253 million projected in 2025. It's a 25% increase in five years, taxpayer dollars. The general fund is where most of the city's local tax revenue goes,

and it is used to cover city operations. Money is also transferred from the general fund to the capital improvement fund to cover large construction projects like stormwater pipes or a new middle school. We're about to talk about a middle school. A new middle school. What's that? A new middle school.

That's what they're talking about. The money goes to capital improvement projects like a new middle school. Yeah. Some of the extra cash came from tax increases. Here are the tax increases over the last five years. This is according to Charlottesville Tomorrow. In 2020, the meals tax increased from 5% to 6%, and the lodging tax from 7% to 8%. 2021, unchanged. 2022, unchanged. In 2023, the real estate tax increased by one cent per 100 of assessed value, and the meals tax increased by half a

percentage point, 2024 unchanged. And in 2025, a whopping increase. Real estate tax will increase by two cents per $100 of assessed value, meals tax by 1%, personal property tax by 20 cents per $100 of value, and the lodging tax by a full percentage point. They went real estate tax, meals tax, personal property, that's automobiles and cars and vehicles, and lodging. All four levers. First time four

levers in the last five years were increased or pulled. All this is going on at the same time that assessed values on homes have skyrocketed, which is a huge driver of revenue for the city. Huge driver of revenue. Here's my take, and one counselor is already alluding to this in council meetings,

and I hope more of them relay or share this perspective that I'm about to pass along. If you keep going down this road and pushing this road, you will have the opposite effect of what you campaigned upon. You are doing school reconfiguration at Buford to help kids that need a better learning environment. But if you keep going down this road, the kids that need the better learning environment at Buford won't be able to afford to live here. You got private schools all over the area that are increasing enrollment. Miller School just purchased an elementary school

and weaved it into its educational model. And Miller, over a very short period of time, wants to 2x its student body in Crozet to 500. An aggressive growth strategy

for the Crozet private day and boarding school. Let's get to Deep Throat, his photo on screen. Oh, God, I love Deep Throat. Get the graph that he's got on screen and my Twitter DMs if we can. The one for, is it a new one? It's this one, yeah. He sent two today. Deep Throat, you've made two shows better today.

Real Talk with Keith Smith, which we talked about that Redfin chart you sent me, and this one. Tell me when that's on screen. He's got fiscal year 2015 Charlottesville City to fiscal year 2025 Charlottesville City change in budget lines by category. Police, fire, school contributions, health, infrastructure, transportation, management, the CIP contribution, debt service, and then he's got his own analysis. Let me know when that's on screen. This is fantastic. He also says this, Charlottesville is the least Jewish place I have ever lived. The old joke is that the minimum number of synagogues

is two, one to join and one to boycott. Yeah, we are... We are... We are disputatious. In all of central Virginia, we only have one synagogue he highlights. I believe, and I don't know for certain, in fact, I think you've referenced this to me in the past, that you are Jewish.

I am a Jewish ancestry. No, I meant deep throat. Sorry. Yeah, you've told your story here. You're much like me, a religious mutt. I'm a religious mutt. I went to a Catholic school for most of my life. I grew up Southern Baptist and was raised in a Jewish neighborhood. My family has mostly been...

I mean, we had Christmas trees at my... But you've never sat on the lap of Santa Claus. That is true. Or taken a picture with Santa. No. We're getting off track. Can you get the chart on screen? I got to...

Let us know when it's on screen. We're doing this on the fly for you. This is worth seeing. He says this as the chart comes on screen. I was surprised how much infrastructure and transportation spending had increased, but it tells you that it is not just about the quantity of money spent, but the efficiency of the spending. It is harder to assess, but I think we have an efficiency of the spending it is harder to assess but I

think we have an efficiency of spending problem very low internal capacity so we have to use outside consultants and contractors for everything and they rob us blind there's a lot of truth to that in fact the acting city the city attorney right now is on leave and there's an acting city attorney right now is on leave. And there's an acting city attorney, which is a law firm. That law firm... The chart's on screen? Alright, everyone look at the screen. This is courtesy of Deep Throat, who's back from D.C. Welcome back, Deep Throat.

You were missed. I'll set the stage for those that are streaming the show in their car riding around town. He has put together a fiscal year 2015 to fiscal year 2025 change in Charlottesville budget lines. What number, what budget line has increased the most over the last 10 fiscal years, Judah? Management. Management.

Management. Management. Management. And he says this, and he's throwing shade to one of Charlottesville's loudest and most vocal... How would you characterize livable Charlottesville co-chairman Matthew Gilligan? Your words, not mine. How would you characterize the co-chair of Urbanist Policy Group, Livable Charlottesville, Matthew Gilligan? I'm not sure that I would. I occasionally see what he puts on Twitter, but I don't think I know enough about the guy to accurately characterize him.

Okay, fair enough. Deep Throat says, the Gilligans of our town say we need higher taxes because of the schools. And the only thing we can cut is police. But what has ballooned is the management line. Yeah. How much of the money, you know, when I've brought up in the past information about, you know, our schools getting more money from Virginia government and gotten some pushback.

And I think the people that push back are right because do we know where that money is going? Our local schools have declined in quality over the years. And how much money do you throw at it? And how many more administrators do you hire before you realize that maybe we're taking the wrong tack on some of this? And he attributes the management line ballooning to paid consultants and third parties offering advice and strategy

because perhaps he says, this is deep throat, that those on the job don't have the institutional memory and or skill set. And as a result, third parties are brought in at extremely high hourly rates. Yeah. And we've seen consultants hired over the years. We have consultants for bridge projects, consultants for school projects, consultants

for sidewalk and bicycle lanes, consultants for transportation. We have consultants for music venues. Consultants for who to hire. We have consultants for music venues. Consultants for who to hire. We have consultants for who to hire. City manager hiring consultants. We had one city manager who quit the day before he was supposed to take the job. And still got quite a bit of a payout, if I'm not mistaken. I don't think he got quite a bit of a payout.

He didn't? Mark Woolley. Maybe I'm not mistaken. I don't think he got quite a bit of a payout. He didn't? Mark Woolley, the Pennsylvania executive that quit the day before he was supposed to take the job. Would you hold a headhunting firm accountable if who they picked or helped pick ended up quitting the day before his job was supposed to start? Sure, but good luck getting your money back. The point he's making, some in the community are quick to target the police and say pull from there 19 million, whatever the number is. And that's less about utilizing the money for schools or other line items and more about

their political stance on police themselves. Defund the police. There it is. And we'll catch some heat for that. But hey, the reason you listen to the program is for a fresh and different voice. And we will not change that. And you can go with any voice you want. This is mine. I'm going to stay true to the voice. I'm against defunding the police. I'm also for transparency in the police department so that the people of this city or any city can feel safe with them.

We'll get to other comments here in a matter of moments. He's got one more. Then I'll get to Carol Thorpe of Jack Jewett's district. This is what he says. The school's budget is a total enigma. We spend like $4,000 more per student per year on instruction than Alemarle County, and yet the student-teacher ratios are the same. The teacher salaries in the city have generally been a little lower, and the admin count is pretty similar. So how is the city's instructional budget so much higher?

I'm guessing the same thing. Consultants. But the budget is not detailed enough for me to figure it out. Good perspective from him. I wonder if that's by design. Did you answer your own question? Did I? Did you?

I wonder if it's by design. You know the answer to that. Right? No, I don't. You don't think it's ambiguous on purpose? I think it's quite possible it is, but to say that it's 100% for that reason, I can't say that.

Carol Thorpe, Queen of Jack Jewett. Her photo's on screen. Photos, the power of ranking. ilovecebal.com forward slash viewer rankings. Earlier this week when I said bend over Charlottesville in anticipation of the tax increases, I was not kidding. On yesterday's

show, we learned that Millie Joe's coffee and we had, I mentioned on yesterday's show, early stage conversations with this business about potentially brokering their sale. We could not agree to the terms of us representing them to help them sell their business. Yesterday, we let you know the news that at the end of May this year, Millie Joe's will be closed forever.

And the third generation owners have said it is in part because of the escalating nature of meals tax keeping customers away yeah the uh facebook page of umas was uh had a bit to say about the uh upcoming taxes of course this was back in March. Before the meals tax was approved. The meals tax increase was approved. Uma's on Water Street and the old Monoloco and Moe's location on Water Street. They put an infographic together that both Judah and I found compelling. I was impressed with the graphic design work.

Yeah, very much so. A lot of the stuff that we do, I was impressed with the product that they produce Yeah, very much so. A lot of the stuff that we do, I was impressed with the product that they produce. They spoke of the vulnerable nature or the damning nature, maybe that's a better word, of increasing the meals tax. That was prior to the green light

vote yes to increase this tax lever. That was, I think, when it first started entering the conversation. Meals tax was increased. Guess what? Umas is for sale. Yep. You now have businesses in the market, in the city,

Millie Joe's Coffee Roasters, saying, we are closing our doors in part because of this. Umas, a month prior, roughly, to this vote, saying, don't do this, it will hurt us, right after the vote was approved, they announced they're selling their restaurant. Yeah. And not only selling, but moving to Philadelphia out of the market. This after investing hundreds of thousands of dollars and most importantly their time over a very short period of time there's b holuska again brian hello he looked over to us did you see he was staring you down he's looking at us you think i think we should play a game it's almost like uh where's brian right someone's got to be telling him every time yeah He's like, dude. They talk about you when you walk by.

You've got to stop walking by. I love Seville. We're going to do this. Every time it should be like a drinking game. Anytime Brian Haleska walks by we have to take a shot on the show. Too early? I don't think my wife would approve of that.

Anytime Brian Haleska walks by we have to do something like 10 push-ups or 20 push-ups or a bunch of jumping jacks. My point is this, before I get off topic. We'll be ripped. Before I get off topic even more. It's not only, they're not only lobbying against it, they're potentially closing,

they are closing in part and selling in part because of it i mean this is a great line i'm on i'm on the umas uh facebook page and and anyone can find this on the umas facebook page yeah part of what they have to say is are you one of the people that complain on reddit about it being too expensive to eat out in this town are you one of the people that complained to your boyfriend, girlfriend, waifu, mother, brother, sister, cousin, friend, about it being too

expensive to eat out in this town? Great news. The city wants to make it more expensive to eat out in this town with a proposed increase to the meals tax. And, uh, yeah, I mean, that pretty much says it. You know what the crappy part about this is? As you lose, as these businesses close the door,

the city gets less revenue. It's not seeing the forest through the trees. Yeah. We're in the landlord business. 24 tenants on our roster, 24. There are many years that go by with our tenants where I choose not to use the 5% escalator that's in the lease. Many years go by where I do not use the 5% escalator. And I do it in part for a number of reasons reason number one as a thank you to our tenants for being on our roster and taking care of

the place I will say to them hey I appreciate you being on our tenant roster you've done a great job of paying on time and you've taken care of the place. I'm going to bypass the increase. Number two, we also realize that escalating rents year after year after year after year will lead vacancy. And one month or two months of vacancy can never be recovered by a 5% escalator. It's good business. It's good business for us, and it's good business for our tenants.

And it breeds goodwill. Next topic. You want to set the stage on the Orange County one, please? I skipped over that, and I apologize. Can you set the stage on that, please? Bill McChesney has this to say. If you can get Mr. McChesney's photo on screen, iloveseville.com

forward slash viewer rankings. Mr. McChesney is the mayor of McIntyre, number 15 in the family. He says, guys, they had three or four consultants for the Belmont Bridge until they came

up with the lame two-lane configuration we have now. They totally blew off the underpass design like was implemented on Roosevelt Brown Boulevard. Too high a cost, they said, but once the railroad went over the railroad, once the railroad went over the railroad, we'd be responsible for the

maintenance. Talks about the consultants in the bridge. He's railroad went over, the railroad would be responsible for the maintenance. Talks about the consultants in the bridge. He's been around here his whole life. There goes B. Holusk. Should we do 20 push-ups? We'll figure out something to do on Monday. All right, set the stage for Orange County Economic Development, please. Dozens of jobs coming to Orange County. Governor Youngkin announced just yesterday that a company called L3 Harris, one word, will invest $41.2 million to expand its Aerojet Rocketdyne facility. The investment is said to include new facilities, equipment, and tools, and it will also reportedly create 80 new jobs over the next three years. That's significant.

Yeah. That is significant. L3Harris is an American technology company, defense contractor, and an information technology services provider that produces command and control systems and products, wireless equipment, tactical radios, avionics and electronic systems, night vision equipment, and both terrestrial and space-borne antennas for use in government, defense, and commercial sectors. Seeking rocket scientists.

In Orange County. Yeah. You wouldn't otherwise think Orange County. Yeah. You wouldn't otherwise think Orange County. Or would you think Orange County's close proximity to Rivanna Station and northern Albemarle County? That's what I would say. Maybe that's what it is. Rivanna Station, Donna Price, former chairwoman of the Alamaro County Board of Supervisors, to create a spy Disneyland in northern Almaro, was the second most important economic development commitment the county has ever made, save the University of Virginia.

Dozens of new jobs with the opportunity of 80 plus was the number. Is that right? Yeah. 80 plus. Through a $42 million. Was it? 41.2. $41.2 million economic development commitment.

Yeah. Fantastic news. You're hearing that first here on the I Love Seville show. Let's get to the lifeguard story. We might save the downtown apartments, pivoting to a 160-room hotel to the bottom of the show, and if we can't unpack that as well as we should, we can bring that to Monday's program.

This story, I think, is a microcosm of so much. The city of Charlottesville, again, again, is short summer lifeguards. Again, last summer and the summer before that, public pools were closed because they didn't have enough staff to protect those who went to the pool. Again, on a 50 degree in April, a 50 degree afternoon in April, the city is saying, we don't have enough lifeguards to protect or staff these pools in the city. They're already setting the stage for closing public pools in the city. The pools utilized by those on the financial margin. Yeah. They have less than half what they need.

Did you hear that? Say it again. Set the stage. I'll get out of your way. So on average, we hire 80 to 90 lifeguards each summer to staff three pools. Right now, they're short about 45 lifeguards. Starting pay is only $17.50, but you can start at the age of 15.

Starting pay is only $17.50. $17.50 every $10 an hour is $20K. So we're talking $17.50 for a 17-year-old. Not all the people they hire are going to be teenagers. You can start at 15 years old. And if you're not certified, the city will pay you to get pay for your certification. They'll pay for your education. As long as you obviously work for the city. Still!

But wait, there's more. They're also offering a $250 sign-on bonus as well as a $250 bonus at the end of the year. And you can work anywhere from 20 to 40 hours a week. No deadline for applications. And obviously applications are currently open. Help me make it make sense. You sit in a chair, you dangle your whistle

and you turn it around in a circle. You work on your suntan. You do the occasional saving of people's lives where you come across as a hero. You can start at 15. You can make between $35,000 and $40,000. That's if you work the whole year. Obviously, you're not. But $17.50 an hour is nothing to sneeze at if you're 15 or 16. Right. For sitting around. For sitting on a chair. I mean, I don't know how often.

And they can't, and they don't even have half the staff. Yeah. And the city is already alluding to the fact that pools will be potentially closed. And they've been closed over the last few years because they don't have the staff. Yeah. They may have to limit hours and as well as closing some or all the pools on certain days. Please realize who this impacts. Our kids. What kind of kids?

Young ones? I don't know. On the financial margin, families. No, that's fair. The pools that are being closed are not ACAC. Are not the pools of the HOA neighborhoods, are not the pools at Keswick or Glenmore or Farmington or Boar's Head or Greencroft or Old Trail. Right?

Presumably. And this is a natural segue into what are teenagers doing these days for work? I'm the wrong person to ask about that. I get that. As am I. And not to come across as a fuddy-duddy. Today's 14 to 18 year olds. The 14 and 18 year olds. When I was 14 or 18, I was working in restaurants.

I was bussing tables. I was trying to wait tables. I was barbacking. I was cutting grass. I was on the grind. And the summer once we got to 16 we had to have a job

we had to have a job it was no choice I worked Sportsman's Grill in Williamsburg which I believe is still there cut a handful of yards around the neighborhood. Had other guys in the neighborhood cutting those yards for me while I try to grow the yard base by door knocking in the neighborhood.

You know another problem we have here, and this is a segue into fast food. In the past, in history, years ago, the Burger King and McDonald's and Wendy's jobs were worked by teenagers. That was the last job I had before I went to college. Where? Mickey D's. McDonald's. They were worked by teenagers. You look at the Burger King, the Wendy's, and the McDonald's of today, and they're worked by grown-ass men and women.

And these grown-ass men and women are using fast food jobs to try to make a professional living. And as a result of that, the minimum wage or the living wage or the wage paid to these grown-ass men and women at McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's has gotten so high that the prices offered at these restaurants, at these fast food places,

have basically become like a dining out at a sit-down restaurant. Go to Chick-fil-A. Chick-fil-A's figured it out, whatever the hell they're doing. Chick-fil-A, look at who's working at Chick-fil-A. Have you been at Chick-fil-A yet? You went once.

You got a pup and a cup for Liza the dog. Judah's been at Chick-fil-A once in his entire life. Anyone who goes to Chick-fil-A, I am a social voyeur. I love to study human habit and human behavior. A social voyeur. And as I'm looking at human habit

and human behavior, at Chick-fil-A, I see teenagers working all over the restaurant. All over you see teenagers. It was a teenager, I believe it was a teenager, who took my order when I went there. Well-trained teenagers that are willing to stand in a parking lot, at a drive-thru lane, inhaling exhaust,

taking orders to expedite the drive-thru lane, in-person conversation with people in cars, taking their order on hot asphalt, freezing cold asphalt, or in the rain. Now, compare and contrast it to the Wendy's, the Burger King, and McDonald's. That ain't happening. Yesterday, I encouraged you to watch a bus with Charlottesville-Almora Transit run or drive around the city or Alamaro County. When you see a cat bus, I want you to look in the windows of a cat bus. You too, Judah. And I will bet you that bus is less than 30% capacity.

Every bus I see, and this is, I know an eye test, but hey, an eye test has some value, less than 30% capacity. If we're going to make, if we're going to utilize compensation as the sole driver of filling vacancies, then we're going to price out the customers that those vacancies, when filled, serve. I'll say it again. If we make if the only solution we have for finding

a bus driver is to pay them $75,000 in total salary, benefits, training, human resources, total package. Eight drivers, $600,000. We called it on yesterday's show. We covered it on yesterday's show.

That's not saying they're making $75,000. Right. And if part of that is training and certification and all that, then we might see a drop in that number for those people in the following year. Right. My point is this, though. But if it's that level of financial commitment, it's going to come from the backs and the rooftops of those that need the buses to get around. If the only way we're going to be able to afford lifeguards in the city of charlottesville to go from a less than 50 occupancy for those stands those lifeguard stands is to take them over 20 an hour in compensation the people that are going to go to the public spools

the public pools they're going to be the ones that are taxed whether they know it or not for these guards. And they're not even going to show up to the pools because they won't be able to afford to live here. If we're going to need 60 or 70 or 80 million dollars for Buford school reconfiguration and it takes eight or ten years to get that school reconfigured, the folks that we're trying to help today won't live here tomorrow. Right. Yeah. McChesney says time and a half on that $17 is $25.50 an hour

if they're working overtime. $25.50 an hour puts the lifeguard at over $50,000. Granted, they're not working year-round. Alright. We're going to save the downtown mall apartment tower to Monday. Okay.

Albert Graves, thank you for the retweet. We appreciate you, Albert Graves. Close the show with the Dogwood Memorial becoming more accessible. I think that's an important one. Our veterans that want to pay homage at the Dogwood Memorial should not be risking their life crossing the bypass. Right. Playing Frogger on the bypass.

There's a father that drives his six-year-old in the morning on the bypass to school that's weaving in and out of traffic and going entirely too fast. And you're looking at him because we're running late. Please don't play Frogger on the bypass. City Council has had its first hearing April 15th about putting $600,000 to helping make the memorial more accessible. And I don't fault them for that.

I think this is obviously something that should have been thought about it should have been part of the plan for the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial from the beginning and it's sad that it wasn't but that was not the fault of anyone currently on city council

many of the veterans are Jim Carpenter highlighted this Jim Carpenter has been a huge champion of making the Dogwood Memorial more approachable and accessible. He said many of the veterans that go to the Dogwood Memorial are having a difficult time walking. They're elderly or were injured in war. Or in wheelchairs. Or in wheelchairs. And he's like, they're crossing streets and going up hills.

I wouldn't want to try to get there from anywhere that i that i've seen and we're physically capable yeah seriously you should you i'm not saying you have to do this if you have an opportunity maybe it's this weekend maybe it's sometimes go try with liza and tell us what you find. And this guy's got the balance of a billy goat, of a bobcat. I've seen Judah like, he's got the balance of a ballerina. It's impressive. I don't know about a ballerina. You know you have good balance. Yeah. Well, I'm short. You know, they say weevils wobble, but they don't fall down. What did they say? You don't remember Weeble wobbles? No. They're little toys.

They're almost like large Lego people, except they've got a weighted base that lets them go back and forth like that without falling over. There was an ad jingle. You should do that show on ads. Yeah. Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down. What are you doing this weekend? Any plans? Oh, man.

I'm thinking about seeing if my mom wants to check to check out the the symphony uh i really like um when they come on today manana i really like revel and uh and they're they're doing uh what sounds like a very interesting version of bolero so who knows we'll see let us know how it goes if i go i will the refined jud Judah Wickower. I like it. I'll be at a Little League baseball field. We have Little League pictures. We have a baseball game. We have some squash that will be played.

Maybe a family lunch at either a dairy market or a local brewery. I'm frankly a huge fan of Riverside on High Street. I am as well. Should be a good weekend. He's Judah Wittkower. He's not just the director and producer of the talk show. He's a co-host. He's a good man. My name is Jerry Miller. It's the I Love Civo show where all we want to do is be the water cooler of information for the community. So long, everybody, and thank you for joining us. Have a nice weekend. Thank you.