Organizing Project leader escapes Anthem trespass conviction
by Hawes Spencer
published 5:16pm Monday Nov 23, 2009
published 5:16pm Monday Nov 23, 2009
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In July, after Anthem called Henrico County police on Charlottesville human rights organizer Joe Szakos, who allegedly wanted to ask some questions about the 14 percent spike in premiums his non-profit was paying, it looked like the Richmond-based insurance giant might get trespassing charges to stick. After all, the whole thing— including his calm demeanor as the police cuffed him— was captured on video. But after a trial today, and pending six months with good behavior and no visits to Anthem’s property, Szakos will apparently not get punished for refusing to leave his insurance company’s entrance vestibule.
Give em hell Joe!
The crime should be Anthem employees asking a paying customer to leave their offices! Since when does an insurance company not have to answer questions posed by legitimate customers? God only knows you go in many circles trying to get answers by phone!
Hey Joe, if you think your premiums are too high, then shop around for another insurer. It’s not complicated.
This is our new city councilor’s husband. Lucky us…
Fire Lake and CC: if you don’t like your city council, shop around for another place to live. It’s not complicated.
Honus, packing up and moving is not an option for a lot of folks that don’t like their city council.
The recently completed election for city was hilarious. Democrats tossing their own under the bus and hand selecting others to take their place. And all of this was taking place behind the scenes and unbeknownst to Taliaferro.
A lot of folks don’t like their city councils statewide. You should have seen the trick Richmond city council pulled last night. In a matter concerning their mayor, they refused to let a citizen speak until very late in the meeting… after the press had already left.
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November 23, 2009
Very interesting and long night at the Richmond City Council meeting tonight. We had over twenty members present. The Dark Side had five.
I had signed up to speak at the meeting three weeks ago by contacting the City Clerk, who dutifully took down my name and said I was good to go for November 23rd. She also asked what I was going to be talking about.
But, tonight when City Council finally got to public comment, they called 6 names only, 3 of which were anti-gunners who praised the Mayor for joining up with Bloomberg’s anti-gun coalition.
MY NAME WAS NEVER CALLED and they moved on to other business quickly. I got up and walked to the front of the room and proceeded over to a police officer who was stationed near a door and explained the
situation, but he didn’t really know how I could get City Council a message about having skipped me. (I was told that while I was walking along the front of the room looking for the correct person to talk to,
the City Council President, Kathy Graziano, and Vice-President, Ellen Robertson, were watching me and smirking. I think they figured that I was “shut out” of speaking.)
Next thing I knew, Council was calling for public input on another matter and I stepped up to the microphone and explained that they had not called me, I had signed up, and I was there to address them.
The President looked like she had just bit hard into a fresh lemon. Clearly she absolutely did not want me to speak, but spat out that I could have my 3 minutes after their current business was over. I
said, “OK” and sat down.
Member Joe Lignon, who had tried to sign up to speak earlier that day and was told that only eight were allowed and all slots were filled, went to the mike after me to complain that only 6 had spoken and not 8 as he had been told. He tried to ask why he couldn’t be given a slot.
The President in a very hostile way said that Joe was out of order and demanded that he sit down. Joe gave up and sat down.
(BTW, my thanks to Joe who was set to fill in for me if I didn’t get back from Mack Elliott’s visitation in time to speak.)
Finally I got my chance to speak toward the very end of the meeting. (In fact they made me wait through several extra agenda items before recognizing me.)
Besides speaking about Bloomberg, I also spoke on City Council’s legislative agenda, of which there were copies at the meeting. I said that I objected to City Council wishing to restrict the otherwise
lawful carry of guns into government buildings and recreation facilities and their wishing to close the non-existent “gun show loophole.”
City Councilman Martin Jewell called me back to the microphone to ask me why I hadn’t gone into detail about what Bloomberg was doing that wasn’t aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. I explained that I only had 3 minutes and there wasn’t time. But since he asked, I explained a little about Bloomberg.
Afterwards twelve of us went to eat and as luck would have it, about fifteen minutes after we arrived, in walks Councilman Jewell! We all
saw this as an opportunity to get him to understand exactly what Bloomberg is really up to.
He engaged us in conversation and we had a polite back and forth with him for about 10 minutes. There was quite a bit he didn’t know about Bloomberg and Bloomberg’s disgraceful history here in Virginia. I think we got his curiosity up.
Unfortunately, the antis underhanded tactic of not letting me speak when I was supposed to meant that many had left the meeting, including the press, by the time I finally got my chance.
But, you know what they say about he who laughs last… Let’s see what happens when the rubber meets the road in the General Assembly in
January.
Don’t businesses get to say who they let on their property? Isn’t that what all the fuss over those tea party people was about recently?
not if you don’t agree with them, mequa! then they are evil, faceless bureaucrats.
Does Szakos have plans to change insuance providers or was this a stunt to help get his wife elected to city council since she didn’t have significant local issues?
“Democrats tossing their own under the bus and hand selecting others to take their place.”
Are you insane? That was the most open and inclusive Party primary this town has ever seen. I’ll agree that it was unfortunate that Taliaferro lost, but how exactly was anybody “hand selected” to replace him? Do you mean just because some in the Party encouraged Szakos to run against an incumbent? Last I checked, it’s still a free country.
Haven’t you and others long criticized the City Democratic Party for favoring “insiders” (whatever the hell that means) over “outsiders” (whatever the hell that means) like Szakos? So here we have an open primary with massive turnout, and idiots like you still find a way to criticize the process.
OK, I never thought these words would leave my lips, or fingers as the case may be. Steve Shifflett is right, Whew, there I said it. Kristen S and James Brown were hand picked by the Dem machine in the city to run and win. Mayor Norris all but endorsed both of them and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get them elected. I remember a night at South Street where Mayor Norris, Kristen and James were raising money when Julian walked it, they had to scrap the plans and welcome the outsider as one of their own, sad.
Honus, Iran’s approach to government is just like your own, and it’s one of the reasons we consider them to be enemies. I’ll chose democracy and free speech thank you!
quote: “…how exactly was anybody ‘hand selected’ to replace (Taliaferro)?”
Exactly what part of “working behind the scenes” do you not understand?
The process was actually right disgusting. Here people were shaking Taliaferro’s and Baird’s hands and smiling to their faces, while all along these same people had every intention of voting for Szakos and Brown.
While I can understand why people would like to be sheriff (the high salary, benefits and attractive retirment package, and they don’t have to do a dayum thing while in office), I will neverstand why others even want to be on city council and sit in City Hall until 10 p.m., 11 p.m., and midnight so often!
OMG,
How do you define “Dem machine?” At the time, I heard much more criticism leveled at the so-called “old Boys” (Machine?) for supporting Taliaferro and Baird against the newcomers. This is why I really find the term to be misleading - because it means different things to different people.
If your criticism (and that of Gasbag, for that matter) is simply of Dave Norris and his supporters, then I am actually inclined to agree with you (and I owe Gasbag an apology) that it was extremely distasteful to see Norris’ shabby treatment of JT.
But as I said before, it’s a free country/Party and Democrats can support whomever they like. The fact that it happened is evidence AGAINST the existence of a Democratic Party “Machine” in this town (at least nowadays).
re:”Here people were shaking Taliaferro’s and Baird’s hands and smiling to their faces, while all along these same people had every intention of voting for Szakos and Brown.”
How does it work elsewhere? It’s politics and only one person can win at a time. What exactly is wrong with Dave Norris supporting another candidate? What is wrong with being congenial to your opponents? Should people spit on the candidate they aren’t supporting?
I must be missing something because I don’t understand what the fuss is.
quote: “Oh my God, OK, I never thought these words would leave my lips, or fingers as the case may be. Steve Shifflett is right, Whew, there I said it.”
Let there be no mistake, I wasn’t too upset about Baird losing. It was a personal issue between him, his father, and I. I don’t think his then sheriff father had any business hiring him as a deputy sheriff a few decades back. I was somewhat upset when the Democrats tossed Dave Duncan out to the dogs like a t-bone steak bone, so they could endorse a foot cop from the downtown mall.
The history of the sheriff’s position in this city is very disturbing. IMHO, the last four or five sheriffs have only wanted the position so as to enhance their retirement benefits. Their retirement check is based on the highest several years of salary with the city. And cop after cop after cop after cop landed the job with the Democrats blessings. The people who had worked there for decades and knew the job inside out weren’t even considered by the Democrats.
While we’re on the discussion of politics, Pop Quiz time. Can you tell me the last police chief where the educational requirements for the position were lowered so as to make him, a “good ole boy”, eligible?
Politics in this city stink.
quote: “At the time, I heard much more criticism leveled at the so-called ‘good old Boys’ (Machine?) for supporting Taliaferro and Baird against the newcomers.”
That’s because most people didn’t know what was going on **behind the scenes**. Everybody assumed Norris was supporting Taliaferro at the time. :)
Here is the new Dem Machine, it is Mayor Norris. All, and I mean all, other politicians admire his ability to organize at a local level and his ability to get the vote and money out. Just look at his savvy when it comes to the media, he is always positive on message and gets his points across. He helped get there by running with and building an alliance with Julian T. Julian helped him get elected, helped him to be mayor. In return, Mayor Norris supported Kristen S.
More proof of who is in charge of the Dem machine. Here was their game plan. Deeds becomes governor, Mayor Norris supports David Toscono to be the next State Senator and then they all support Mayor Norris to fill Toscono’s house seat. Again, the admire Mayor Norris’s ability to raise money and turn out the vote. No one dare cross him.
and steve, please stop making me agree with you
quote: “…and steve, please stop making me agree with you…”
I feel very evil today! :)
I have to say, just thinking about the latest Democratic shenanigans in this city has given me a headache today. And the fear of God striking me dead right now if I am telling a lie, I think this is the first headache I have had since March of 1996.
Gas,
“That’s because most people didn’t know what was going on **behind the scenes**. Everybody assumed Norris was supporting Taliaferro at the time. :)”
Not sure who you were talking to. It was not a very big secret (in Democratic circles at least) that Dave was backing Kristen.
OMG,
I suppose I can buy that definition of a NEW Democratic Machine - but only to a point, since it was just a few months ago that I was torn to shreds on this very board for suggesting that there was no City Democratic Machine anymore, or at least that it wasn’t composed of folks like Nancy O’Brien, Tom Vandever, and John Conover. It suggests at the very least that in Charlottesville, the popular conception of the “Democratic Machine” can change quite rapidly. (And doesn’t THAT undercut the notion of a “machine” in the first place?)
Fair point, however, I contend that the old guard of the machine has been dismissed and replaced by the new guard, Mayor Norris etc. Can you seriously tell me that anyone will have a chance to win a seat on council next go around without his blessing? My concern is that the new Machine is much more liberal than the old machine leaving the moderates among us searching for a voice. For ever new member they attract, they lose one who feel they no longer speak for them
The very notion that Dave Norris is a Machiavellian puppetmaster is laughable. Anyone that would say that doesn’t actually know the man.
Agree with Yepper. Politicians do part ways sometimes due to all sorts of reasons, philosophical or otherwise. It’s not like Taliaferro and Norris were married to each other. The fact that Taliaferro and Norris were civil to each other tells you what you need to know. The truth is that they like and respect each other, and were not stabbing each other in the back. Any drama associated with that part of the primary and election is purely fictitious.
nice try, but wrong. Ask any long term city employee.
This conversation is very interesting, but very far afield from the topic at hand regarding Mr. Szakos’ actions. I find it interesting that Mr. Szakos’ wife (our new City Council person) threatened me personally with police action for far, far less than what Mr. Szakos did at Anthem. I simply tried to engage Ms. Szakos on her record via e-mail (quite politely BTW). For that she threatened to contact the police. Talk about a familial double standard.
However, the concept regarding Mr. Szakos’ actions are relatively simple to grasp: If Mr. Szakos is a customer of Heinz Ketchup, then does Mr. Szakos have the right to show up at the Heinz headquarters anytime he wants? Of course not; this thing at Anthem was simply a publicity stunt and a perfect example of the “real” problem in politics today. No one really wants to actually “deal” with “issues”; folks on both sides of the political aisle just spout off ideology and pander to the media (or in this case self-made media via You Tube).
People are too entrenched in their beliefs to even consider for a second that the other person may be right (or even partially right). There is no longer any type of dialogue; just staged “events” like what Mr. Szakos has done here.
Conversely, if one really wants to move forward with a thoughtful act of civil disobedience, then go ALL THE WAY. Don’t do what Mr. Szakos did here. That was just lame.
Regarding Mayor Norris, I know from personal experience that Mayor Norris is not the polite person that he seems to be. “Oh my god” is absolutely right. While I’m not an official “Democrat”, I’ve been a lifelong supporter of the Democratic Party [hell, I voted for Dukakis for goodness sake – apparently I was one of only four people nationwide to do so :-) ]. However, the Democratic Party here is Charlottesville is most definitely turning me off (well, that and the monumentally poor campaign run by Deeds). Moderates absolutely do not have a voice in the current Charlottesville Democratic Party.
Best Wishes & Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!
Liberals take over when services get too low.
Conservatives take over when taxes get too high.
Just be patient. Liberals are incapable of fiscal restraint.
The tides will turn.
I’ve also been told that Mayor Norris has hand picked the Planning Commission to carry out his housing agenda and pack the city with affordable housing –smart guy –but maybe not so good for the future of the Downtown Mall, unless they plan to double the police force.
@Oh my god– I’ve never heard a single long term city employee express that opinion. Sorry, but you’re exaggerating.
@Ernie– you were told wrong. Think about it. How can the mayor be the lone person handpicking Planning Commission members when, in reality, the entire City Council interviews the candidates and votes on them?
Ms/Mr Check, exactly when did Julian realize that Mayor Norris was no longer supporting him? The truth is, Mayor Norris was playing both sides with Julian. Civil and supporting to his face in case he won and well you know the story. As for City employees, how do you explain the popularity of Rob Shilling, he is a jerk but the city dems are driving people to him