It all starts at the top

Leaders of groups, businesses and organizations are critical parts of those entities. The leaders set the tone for how business is done and what procedures to follow. Unfortunately the leadership at Norfolk City Hall is constantly mired in quagmires and questionable acts.

As Archie Whitehill so eloquently put it in an opinion piece on hamptonroads.com, one of Mayor Paul Fraim and his network's more recent head-scratchers comes to us from the Ocean View community where several restaurant owners were lobbying to stay open until 1 a.m.

Since the early 1990s, new restaurants in Ocean View, Bayview and along East Little Creek Road have been forced to end alcohol sales at midnight. In most other areas, restaurants can serve alcohol until 2 a.m.

Even in Ocean View, restaurants such as Greenies, Thirsty Camel and Ocean View Fishing Pier are allowed to serve late into the evening.

On the surface, the reasoning looks legit. These establishments were "grandfathered" due to the fact they opened prior to 1992, when the law went into place.

However, as Mr. Whitehill points out, the owners of Greenies, Thirst Camel and Fishing Pier are long-time supporters of Fraim and his right-hand man, Vice Mayor Anthony Burfoot.

If this were an isolated incident, no one would think twice.

Sadly, in Norfolk, this type of decision from leaders is commonplace.

And it all starts at the top.

Read more about the Ocean View restaurants here and here.