With the race for the 100th District considered a toss-up, new ads are being played on the radio where Mr. Hernandez accuses Representative Bloxom of using his political position to help his business (auto repair, and parts sales) win lucrative government contracts. The government procurement process is fairly stringent, and would hardly allow for this to happen. The ads also accuse Bloxom of taking gifts and not reporting them.
Bloxom told the Mirror, “All gifts are reported on VPAP.org. I can only assume he is referring to an award I received in 2015. It was the Virginia Chamber of Commerce Champion of Business award. It was a small statue plaque. It was valued at 115 dollars. I appreciate the award and consider it an honor to receive such an award but I had no idea it was to be considered a ‘gift’.”
This week, many of us on the Shore received Hernandez mailers with a picture of a man being depicted as a local ‘waterman’ who voted for President Trump. Not sure how to really connect the two, but somehow going against Trump and choosing to support Hernandez is going to be better for the Eastern Shore.
Local watermen Scott Wivell posted on Facebook asking if anyone knew the guy in the mailer. Wivell’s family has been working on the water for many years and pretty much knows everybody that would be considered a watermen. However, nobody really knew Mr. Ashbee. It seemed doubtful that he was actually an Eastern Shore watermen.
Sam Ashbee has confirmed on his Facebook page that he does not claim to be a waterman but has been “fishing the Chesapeake bay since 1966”. So it appears Phil Hernandez exaggerated the ‘waterman’ story to try and draw favor from Shore folks.
So it goes.
Nioaka Marshall says
I looked him up, checked him out. He probably would squeal “ewwww” like a girl if he had to clean a slimy fish. Living in a home in which the assessed at MORE than $3,000,000. Twisting the truth is still straight up LYING! Vote Bloxom!
Eddie says
WOW ya’ll are personally attacking a member of the community like this because of who he supports? And copy-pasting Facebook comments, the lowest and meanest form of engagement there is? Is this journalism or a propaganda arm of the Bloxom campaign?
This looks like harassment to me. For shame. Such nasty, personal divisiveness is what’s wrong with our politics these days. Looks like Team Bloxom and his enablers are a big part of that problem. Disgusting.
Kim Smith says
“Eddie says”, I work for the Post office and have to put up political flyers in every democratic voters box, from Phil himself, trashin his opponent! So residential opinions, of people who actually live here, and aren’t recent transplants from California, who act like they represent people of the Eastern Shore, ARE WARRANTED!
Eddie says
“Kim Smith says”, please don’t blame me if you don’t like your job.
I recommend you look for employment where you won’t be as triggered.
Julie Parks says
Wow, you really have been coddled with political correctness.
Blue Hoss says
Typical ‘Come Here’ behavior. Maybe they should have stayed in their homes and worked harder to make it a place that they couldn’t leave, instead of leaving and trying to make someone else’s home similar to what they left.
Eddie says
Huh, who’s they and and where are they coming from? Please do explain.
Paul Plante says
Say it like you see it.
Beth says
What is this, high school? Can’t believe you’re bullying this poor guy. Grow up.
MJM says
LOL LOL LOL, Oh, and then I guess I’ll add a LMAO !!!
1st off, let’s please have a little respect, and get something straight. Supporters of Mr. Bloxom are not Team Bloxom. We are “Rob’s Mob”.
2nd…..we are not “personally attacking” Mr. Hernandez. Nor are we bullying him. We are telling him, and everyone reading this, that we are seriously insulted by him and his total misrepresentations in what he calls “political ads”. We know that he thinks we are so ignorant that we will not see right through his lies. However, WE are not stupid.
This is serious business and he scowls at us with his nonsense.
Who is he ? The 2nd coming of Pocahontas Warren ? With all these misrepresentations of his pesent and past history ? I wonder how many lies we have yet to discover ? Did Mom really run a day care at home ?
I would be glad to take on his policies, but he has never served, so he has no history for me to rebuff.
I only know of his “writing the repair to California’s homeless problem,” and we all know how successful that has been. So his great abilities are really what ?
He comes in here and misrepresents his visit to Eastville, and then won’t stand up for his post. So he’s either a liar, and didn’t talk to constituents, or he is afraid to stand up for himself, when he claims to be a fighter. He removes his own post. Some fighter.
He claims to the public that Mr. Bloxom did not report a gift that was illegal, and it turns out it was an award Mr. Bloxom received for his great community work. A $135 “trophy”. FALSE ACCUSATION !
He creates a support ad with a Mr. Ashbee. It turns out Mr Ashbee, who they both state is a waterman, actually is someone who goes on the water to fish. Gee, I’m glad they finally got that straight.
In regards to that ad, Mr. Hernandez is a highly educated attorney, correct ? Yet he either doesn’t know the difference between a p/t recreational fisherman, and a commercial waterman. THAT is highly insulting to all of us. He either flat out lied in creating the ad, or he isn’t ready to represent The Shore because he does not know the difference.
Then there is Mr. Ashbee who enables the whole deal. He knew what he was doing. Or did they both think we are all too stupid to notice? What are we ? Nothing but Shorebillys compared to “a slick genius Californian” ?
Does anybody know Mr. Ashbee’s background ? Yeah Yeah, a p/t recreational fisherman. I know. What’s his complete affiliation with the democrats ? Why did the democrat party select him for this scam ? I wouldn’t be surprised we find something else questionable under that rock.
In closing, how many more sad lies will we hear from candidate Hernandez before the election, or after, that are supposed to convince us he will be a wonderful Representative ?
Do we want him to go to Richmond and insult our intelligence and/or lie to us about his plans and results ?
Good Grief !
No this isn’t High School. The problem is that Mr. Hernandez apparently thinks it is.
Or, worse yet, he and his election committee think we are all too stupid to notice.
Beth says
Rob’s “Mob” ……. on that we agree. Truer words have never been spoken.
And with your ethnic slur against Elizabeth Warren you reveal yourself to be without any decency or credibility, MJM.
It’s really sad what’s happening to this country and how people like you think you can be this mean and nasty. Where has integrity gone?
Paul Plante says
Where has integrity gone?
A good question.
On her way to the Supreme Court, in 2995, while a circuit judge in the federal 2d Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City, Sonia Sotomayor made integrity quite unfashionable and it has been that way ever since such is the power of a federal court judge to shape American society.
And thanks for having the courage to ask that question in the first place.
Thanks to you, now, people have been afforded an opportunity thanks to the Cape Charles Mirror, which incidentally richly deserves an Alternate Nobel Prize for the service it does to community and democracy here in America, to have to ponder the implications and ramifications of the answer, and I think we both agree that that is a good thing for society here in America.
Publius Americanus says
Ethnic slur? Sweetie, take your smelling salts and go lie down, calling a known, admitted liar out is NOT an ethnic slur.
So yes, where HAS her integrity gone?
If ever she had any.
Ron Swan says
Sam is my neighbor and one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. He fishes almost everyday. He did spearhead a petition signed by an overwhelming number of our community to prevent more oyster beds in Hungers Creek simply because it is quite full of them already.
I agree with Eddie and Beth. To personally attack another with half truths, innuendo , and simply mean allegations is beneath civil discourse and unwarranted.
Note: Just to be clear, no one is attacking Mr. Ashbee. He probably is a nice person that got caught up political hi-jinks. The mailer said he was a “waterman”, only local watermen didn’t know him. If you know anything about the shore, that is a tight-knit community, so it seemed weird. If he approved the mailer which claimed he was a waterman, we’re not sure what else we are supposed to do. He admitted later that he was not a waterman.
Beth says
Thanks Ron, well said. I can’t believe this kind of nastiness and vitriol exists in this community. I’m really disappointed and feel really sorry this poor man is being attacked like this.
Paul Plante says
Shouldn’t your ire be more properly placed with whomever placed that ad portraying that poor man, who is very obviously the victim here, on that we both agree, as a “waterman,” as opposed to a dude who drops a line in the water to catch a few fish?
When I saw the ad, I thought the dude was somebody who actually worked for a living on the water.
You know, a working-class dude!
But it turns out whomever put that label of “waterman” on the dude was pulling the legs of people like myself who walked away with the impression that working-class people were for that candidate, when such does not appear to be the truth
That is misrepresentation, n’est-ce pas?
It would be like somebody calling themselves a shrimper because they like to eat shrimp.
Ron Swan says
Sam Ashbee, now a retired licensed captain, certified up to 60’ has manned the helm of fishing boats in three different oceans for approximately 40 years.
I believe he amply qualifies as a waterman.
And once again Beth is right. This post quickly turned into a baseless and non factual personal attack on an individual not the ad.
Note: No it did not. The ad was blatant lie, and Mr. Ashbee admitted he was not a watermen. He was outed by real Eastern Shore watermen. Me father piloted boats for his entire life and he would never have made that claim. Stop being stupid.
Beth says
Yet more personal attacks, now the editor is directly calling people stupid. This is nasty, childish, and an embarrassment to the community.
Back to my original post, this is high school bullying from a bunch of grown adults who should know better.
Forget about politics for just a second. Would we EVER treat each other this way in person? Or want our kids to?
Note: The editor has just about had with this pearl-clutching nonsense. A mailer, printed on thick, glossy paper was stuffed into mailboxes all up and down the Shore. And it contained a serious falsehood. That is the point. If exposing lies is bullying, too bad. You’ll get over it.
Eddie says
“Note: Just to be clear, no one is attacking Mr. Ashbee.”
That’s absolutely what is happening here.
Did you read what you posted Wayne? And the comments in this thread? A bunch of Facebook comments bad-mouthing a member of the community, and then additional abuse in these comments?
How dare you say that with a straight face. You should personally apologize to Mr. Ashbee.
Note: We’re not in Northern Virginia. Maybe he shouldn’t have posed as a watermen? There’s that.
Paul Plante says
Which note is very hard to argue with.
Just saying.
It’s like calling the rich people you see in Jackson Hole, Wyoming with their Stetson hats and designer cowboy clothes “cowboys.”
tokenny says
Just because you pose for a picture doesn’t mean you get editorial say. I didn’t think you were that naive Wayne.
Note: I’m sure there is a point in there somewhere. As was noted, the concern was with the ad which proclaimed that Mr. Ashbee was a watermen, which he clearly is not. If the Hernandez campaign made this up without telling him, he has a right to be upset, but it doesn’t change the narrative.
Paul Plante says
Amen to that and it is so very easy to understand if you don’t try to obfuscate and complicate and distract as our dear fellow correspondent to the Mirror tokenny is trying to do above here.
The ad was misleading, plain and simple.
That is the point.
WHY?
That remains the unanswered question.
Kelly Parks says
Who the Hell died and left you in charge?
BTW…Wivell is not an Eastern Shore name I have ever heard.
Becki Parks says
Wivell may not be an Eastern Shore name but I do know for a fact that he is an Eastern Shore WATERMAN…. A true waterman is one of the hardest occupations out there. How many waterman do you know live in $3M houses?!?!?! BTW… Parks is an Eastern Shore name and I come from a long line of Tangier Island watermen.
Kelly Parks says
Thank you, Ms. Helper.
I know plenty that could afford to, if they wished. Junior Spence surely could have. There are many others but they are still alive, so I wont put their business on the street.
Becki Parks says
HAHAHAHA ….. You’re Welcome!!! I’m so glad that I could help 😉
Junior Spence??? Hmmm am I suppose to know who he is? Better yet I’m pretty sure I don’t care 🙂
Kelly Parks says
Bless your heart…
Chas Cornweller says
You gotta ask yourself, what constitutes a waterman? What criteria do you have to have to consider yourself a waterman? Eight hours a day for five days a week bending over a gunwale hauling up bay critters by the dozen? Is there a professional license for being a waterman? Are they handing out PHD’s on Chesapeake Bay knowledge?
I am not disparaging any waterman I know, for they are some of the hardest working, underpaid people I’ve ever met. But, some, not all, are detrimental to the bay. For all their knowledge, they will dredge/drag eel grass relentlessly, like farmers plowing a field. They will overfish, no matter size. They dump their trash into and leave broken or mangled netting in the waters. All destructive, negative actions to the bay. And though many have a great knowledge acquired over a lifetime spent on the water, plus their knowledge handed down from father to son, some still regard the bay as a vast unlimited source to be relentlessly farmed. This thinking has brought us to our present bay conditions. Along with uncontrolled growth along the coastlines and lax farming practices at the head waters, the bay has fallen to its lowest conditions since the 1970’s. All while Robert Bloxom’s tenue in the House. Recently, Omega Oil has increased its menhaden hauls and its scope of where those hauls take place within the bay. Little to no action on his part in the form of bills protecting the bay have ever appeared in Bloxom’s legislature and personally, I don’t see where he really cares about the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. He even questioned the latest numbers on the health of the bay with a frivolous comment as stated in the Newport News Daily Press this past week.
Lastly, I have known folks (men and women) whose professional lives have nothing to do with the bay but could tell you about these waters as well as any professional waterman. They have spent their entire lives fishing the bay and plying the waters and can tell you where the latest batch of eel grass grows or where the greatest congregation of crabs are and exactly when speckle trout are running and where. Their love is no less than that of one who makes a living on the bay. I have a feeling that Mr. Ashbee may be one of those folks. Are they watermen? Maybe not in the sense of livelihood. But, yes, in their love of the Chesapeake Bay, they are stewards of the bay. Which is more than I can say for certain Virginia delegates and some professional watermen. To those hard-working professional and non-professional watermen who care environmentally for the bay…my hat’s off to you. To the rest that only want to take, spoil, and profit…you can’t die off or leave the area soon enough.
Eddie says
Chas, thank you for showing this childish “Rob’s Mob” what a substantial discussion looks like. Rather than focus on the issues, they’d rather play name games as a way to ridicule fellow members of the community.
Bloxom has been asleep at the wheel on these issues and more — or worse, paid off by all his special interest donors to look out for their needs, not ours.
Paul Plante says
Chas, God bless yourself and may your path always rise upwards, but my goodness, you have said a lot there when the only real question is why the ad was misleading, which it is, Chas, and that is no slight on the gentleman in the picture, who I am sure is as nice as everybody says he is, and why not?
Why not be nice, Chas, all the time, you know what I am saying?
So, having determined that the gentleman identified properly or improperly as a waterman, which Merriam-Webster defines as “a man (woman, as well) who makes his (her) living from the water as by fishing,” a “boatman who plies for hire usually on inland waters or harbors,” is a nice person, Chas, we are left with the question about the motives of the candidate, who appears to be trying to pass himself off to the voters on the Eastern Shore as something he is not, which is a favorite of the working class people on the shore as opposed to the well-to-do.
It does make a difference, you know, Chas, the relationship of the representative to those he or she is supposed to be the representative of.
Does that candidate truly have working class interests at heart, or is it just a charade, dear friend Chas?
What’s your vote?
And to help you out, here are some recent examples of waterman in a sentence from the internet, to wit:
Business has dropped because the watermen stopped coming in for sandwiches, slices of hummingbird cake, the odd wrench or crabbing boots.
— Petula Dvorak, Washington Post, “Many Maryland watermen deny the crab crisis is Trump’s fault. Except it is.,” 7 May 2018
In the 1980s, crab houses started bringing workers from Mexico through a program that lets them live and work in the United States during the warmer months and then return to Mexico in the winter, when watermen are prohibited from crabbing.
— Scott Dance, Washington Post, “Crab crisis: Md. seafood industry loses 40 percent of workforce in visa lottery,” 3 May 2018
end quotes
So, as you can clearly see, dear friend Chas, with your heightened level of discernment is that when used by the average person, the term “waterman” has a distinct meaning that one would have trouble seeing applying to the nice gentleman in the misleading political ad.
If he had integrity, the candidate would be the one clarifying why that ad was misleading as opposed to sending political attack dogs to attack those in here who are questioning the motives of the candidate, as American citizens should, keeping in mind that the price of freedom still remains eternal vigilence.
Slide Easy says
‘you can’t die off or leave the area soon enough’
I can think of half a dozen outlaw watermen, with little effort, that you would not have said that to in person.
Note: We can add another dozen to that list.
Chas Cornweller says
So…Slide Easy, you are admitting that there are some who spoil, take and profit from the misfortunes of others. Reading comprehension is everything, sir. Outlaw watermen, indeed. If they put themselves above the law, then they are the ones who have got to go, in my honest opinion. You just seem to be spoiling for a fight.
Slide Easy says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss2hULhXf04
BR says
Foloow the money.
If you wonder where candidates’ money comes from, spend time at http://www.vpap.org.
VPAP is a non-partisan group that takes data candidates are required to report to the state board of elections and presents it in an understandable form.
For example,
Since 2002, The Dominion Leadership Trust has collected almost $2 million from republicans. The next largest contributor has been $588,000 from Dominion Energy.
$151,000 of that money has found its way to “Knight for Delegate-Barry D”
Mr. Knight has collected over $1.7 million since 2008. Big donors include the DLT, Va Beer and Wine Wholesalers and others.
It turns out that Rob Bloxom’s largest donations ($55,000 this year, $6,000 in prior years) have come from Mr. Knight. Well, not him personally. He is just a conduit.
Looking At Phil Hernandez’s money, $60,00 comes from Michael Bills, at Clean Virginia – an environmental action group (based in Virginia) opposed to burning fossil fuels.
HD-100 is comprised of some of the lowest lying areas in Virginia. Even if you think climate change is a vast left-wing conspiracy, HD-100 sees a lot of flooding, and it is getting worse.
Ask both of these candidates what they propose to do about flooding in Tidewater Virginia.
Perhaps a start would be to not accept money from private companies who reap vast profits from burning fossil fuels? Just sayin’.
Eddie says
AMEN.
And now we’re seeing Bloxom’s Dark Money cronies swoop in with their attack ads to try to save him now that he’s got a real run on his hands.
Because why actually work to earn the votes the right way when your rich corporate friends can just buy them for you?
Rob and his angry Mob are arguing about traffic tickets and word games while the Shore slowly slips underwater…. like Nero playing his fiddle while Rome burns.
MJM says
Rob Bloxom’s Dark Money ? Does that mean that you recognize Mr. Bloxom has received donations from people of color ? Are you prejudiced ?
Both candidates receive large donations from large corporations. Only Bloxom’s money is dark…….hmmmmmm……..Does that mean that Hernandez money comes from only whites ?
Where did you get that info ? and how did you come to that conclusion ? Or, are you misleading us when you say Rob’s Mob is playing word games ? Because maybe you are?
You certainly are misleading us when you say we are angry. That’s nonsense. We aren’t the ones making such silly accusations. We just don’t let you get away with it.
On National T.V, on CNN, our local Mayor from Tangier told Al Gore and all his ocean rise folks that Tangier is not sinking. Al Gore said it is, and the oceans are rising. Mayor Ooker said It is being washed away by storms. He’s lived there all his life and has been taking water level measurements all his life. Mr. Gore had no answer for him.
You say HD100 is sinking ? Did you/can you prove that to us somehow ?
That is a statement made by many people who are backed by big corporate money who wish to create even larger corporations for themselves. I don’t know which you may be, but you throw out a wild theory with no proof.
I have another well accepted theory for you, and you can prove it to yourself simply by looking around. Just by looking at the last 50 years of construction in this area. 50 years ago all the higher land had been used for building and real estate improvements for everyone’s quality of life. We started running out of room. So, the geniuses we are, we started filling in all the lower lying areas, so there was no place for runoff to go. The water backed up during storms. No ? Isn’t that what is happening ? THEN we passed new zoning ordinances and building codes to allow building closer to, and into flood zones even more. We justified that HOW ? Well we came up with a new business!! Flood Insurance !!! We have legally allowed people to live in flood zones. Then we forget the stupid stuff we decide to do, and blame it on the new politician. How convenient.
So yeah, we have more flooding. DUH ? Go ahead. Try to tell me we haven’t encroached on the lower lying areas. Try to tell me we don’t have more and more people trying to squeeeeeeze closer to the water. More flooding ? Yes. HD100 sinking……..Hmmmmm…sounds to me like just another emotional and baseless accusation to remove R. Bloxom from office.
MJM says
Well, I want to thank a few of you for continuing to help me LMAO. I finished another 12 hour day in The Aquaculture Industry today, and I’m still ready for a little verbal tussle. It’s a heckuva lot easier than fighting tide. Some of you should try it and learn what greater forces you ought to recognize.
My first comment is to the overall original post. That Mr. Hernandez ads are stating some very questionable things, and some flat out lies. Whether or not we agree, and I certainly do, I notice a similarity about all those that disagree. They don’t defend Mr. Hernandez. They don’t come up with facts or positive statements to show a rational argument for why Mr. Hernandez ads should be supported, or his lies disputed. I see insults being verbally thrown, and some of them even at me. But no support for the ads. Hmmmmmm…….what’s that mean ?
So, unlike Mr. Hernandez, who will not fight for himself, and took down his post regarding his speeding ticket, I will stand and face the apparent High School students who berate me, and my industry. Their ignorance has overwhelmed me on several fronts. So this will not be short.
ethnic slur…..defined as a term designed to insult others on the basis of race, ethnicity, or nationality.
Calling out the lifetime of lies of Pocahontas Warren, and her claim to ethnic Native American Indian ancestry, is not an ethnic slur. It is a nickname. Nickname is defined as ….a familiar or humorous name given to a person. Which is what that is.
Ms. Warren cheated the entire American system several times in her life by lying about her ancestry, and you insult me for that ? You let Ms. Warren cheat us all her life, and you support her ? And you say I’m the one with no credibility ? I’m the one who is mean and nasty ?
So this has to get wordy folks. Bear with me. I’m not a Hernandez who won’t stand and deliver.
I’m going to tell you two things. # 1….. I am getting a lot of credibility right here and now by not telling you exactly what you can do with those false accusations. Ms. Warren cheats others out of opportunities. People who needed, and had a right to those opportunities. I ask you to face those realities with an often repeated comedic nickname, and I am the one w/o integrity. Where has mine gone ? About 10,000 light years ahead of that of Pocahontas.
Every single month my corporation donates to , Tunnels to Towers, St. Jude, The Shriners, Wounded Warriors, Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, Special Olympics and The American Cancer Society.
In my life here on The Eastern Shore I have met a 30 yr. old young lady with Cerebral Palsy. Her drunken, narcotic parents used to beat her. Throw her down stairs. she’s had, as near as Drs. can figure, at least 12 concussions. I got her 3 eye surgeries to repair what should have been done 25 years ago. Nose surgery is next because mom broke it. I have taken this young lady into my home and given her safe haven.. And I have no integrity.
I am berated for reminding all we are Rob’s Mob. That is our nickname. We like it. You can throw negatives at it if you want, but we are not unruly. We simply stick up for our delegate.
Yes I am an aquaculture farmer. Yes we watermen are a rather tight knit group. It is a hard life and we do it out of love for all the waters of This Eastern Shore. We are all making an investment in this area, and being ignorantly ridiculed in here for it. We hire employees, pay taxes and provide food for many. In my clam business, I buy millions of clams. I repeat. MILLIONS OF CLAMS. I work my butt off to get them to market. I can’t guess how many miles of nets clammers use. I know we plant close to a billion clams here on The Shore. Do I see anyone in here thanking us for all the hundreds of billions of gallons of water these clams pump and filter and clean ? Well, you’re welcome anyway. Then there are the oysters which we all BUY and raise in the waters as well. Many of us annually spend as much on clam and oyster seed ANNUALLY as some folks budget to buy their entire house. Do I see anyone in here thanking us for that ? That’s okay. we don’t want your thanks.
All those bivalves clean as much water as the sewer systems of many towns.
You want to mock us because we sweat and get gritty while your propellers tear into our nets because you don’t know what white poles mean, or your kayak paddles want to probe into and tear our nets and destroy the $8,000 worth of shellfish under that net because you just want to get a closer look. You then gave the bullfish and crabs the way to eat them all. Gee, THANKS for throwing away my kids college education.
Are there licenses issued to watermen ? You mean you don’t know how many they all need ? Take a wild guess if you think you need a drivers license and whether or not The Commonwealth sees a way to impose fees ? Good Grief.
Are they issuing PHD’s to watermen ? No, and you overpaid for yours if you think everyone should have one ! The market issues PHD’s . And so are the banks. If we have nothing to sell, because we don’t learn, then we can’t pay our employees or bills or taxes and we go out of business.
And don’t let some of us kid you. Some of us do very well.
But we need the water to be healthy. Sure we sometimes tear up eel grass BY ACCIDENT. That has been going on forever. The bottom changes. Things live and things die. Nature causes that too. You think The Nature Conservancy, or the VMRC has never torn up eel grass ? Or a rec fisherman ? So please……..
We buy and use, TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN THE AREA, hundreds of miles of nets. You see 30 or 50 nets that storms tear off of their secured area, and we lose money in the process, and you presume we don’t care and do it on purpose. In actuality with how much $ we lose when our nets disappear, maybe you’d change your mind.
The point to all this is supposed to be the candidates. Don’t make me go on and on and come back in here again. I have tons of decency and integrity. If I didn’t my mom n dad would drop down out of the clouds and whack my butt ’til I got some of the old stuff back. Old school folks work that way.
As far as Mr. Ashbee goes, why doesn’t he drop in and tell us why he helped create this misleading ad ?We, of Rob’s Mob, are not the ones playing name games. Hernandez and Ashbee used the name game of waterman. We responded. They don’t. They have had quite a while to respond here when time is of the essence, and we hear no explanation from the horses’ mouth.
YUP. He’ll be a great fighter for us in Richmond.
Let’s see. what else ? hmmmmmmm. Oh yeah, Mr. Bloxom doesn’t propose any legislation to clean the Chesapeake. What ? You think because his oysters are seaside and closer to Chincoteague that he cares not for the bay and clean water ?
Well just how exactly can he go into other states and force legislation on all lands that border the rivers that dump sewage and chemicals into the rivers that empty into The Chesapeake ? All the scientists say the major portion of the problems come from upstream. Yet you complain here, and blame Rob.
Until we find true alternatives, I don’t understand why people complain about burning fossil fuels. I try. I own a hybrid and get 45 m.p.g. But until YOU stop burning fossil fuels, until you stop using electricity and driving a car, please stop complaining about the need for them.
In closing, a really important subject. I’m a come here 25 years ago.I never heard of Hummingbird Cake til now. I Googled it. I want some. Who sells it ? Where ? Thanks
SJ Thomas says
How much do you pay for leased state land to grow your clams on? It should be at least $50 an acre and that is cheap. How many of your nets pollute our beaches and marsh land , how many acres do people lease, but do not use, why? we know why. You lease the bottom land not the water column. Your leases and white poles are ugly. You take away access to the water of the citizens of Virginia. Rob Bloxom is only looking out for his best interests period. Fact, ELL grass disappears around clam leases. Recreational fisherman do not.
I don’t blame you for defending your livelihood, I would probably do the same, but let’s quit with the B.S. it’s not the truth and you know it!
Rank Seasider says
HEAR!!!!!! HEAR!!!!!!!! Those ugly beds and poles can be seen from a satellite.
Ignorance is Bliss in a Land of Fools.
Rank Seasider says
I’d like to put them on the edge of an oyster rock in January, on the seaside, with a clam pick and a wire basket and see what they could do.
Daniel Burke says
I read that clams actually pollute water; oysters clean it.
Nioaka Marshall says
Every clam cleans about a gallon of water per hour as do mussels. Oysters clean about 100 gallons per day.
MJM says
Time is of the essence when it comes to elections, and discussing the issues. We are just a few days away.
Some facts have come out and not been explained or defended. Some have. Some will be.
My white poles are ugly? They are required by law to mark my grounds. I also need more of them to mark certain conditions that evolve in the course of my work. Like trying to keep people from destroying my product and investment.
I don’t take away access to the water. The Commonwealth of Va. sells me that lease. Just like they , and the County, sell land to any other business. You sound prejudiced against watermen, or ignorant of the entire idea.
My lease is ugly ? I wouldn’t touch that line with a 10 ft. white pole. I’ll leave the easy and quick responses to Henny Youngman and Don Rickles. It’s a sign for my business. A very small 1/2″ round one. Would you rather I put a Wal Mart sign out there ? How about a railroad crossing with flashing bells and lights ? Maybe a Hooters sign ?
Fire extinguishers are ugly in restaurants. you want them removed ? Oh my gosh !
Aquaculture uses hundreds of miles of nets to grow clams. Due to storms and mistakes you want to shut down the industry because of a mini % of rogue nets ?
All the fast food restaurants sometimes generate litter. Do you shut them all down because of it ? Some of them opened while Rob Bloxom has been in office. Is it his fault ? What ? Give him a stick with a nail on the end to go pick up the litter ?
The Commonwealth of Va. has been leasing aquaculture ground for a long time. Long before R. Bloxom took office. Are you blaming aquaculture on him ? Have you eaten any oysters or clams lately ? Or did you move to The Shore because you hate seafood and want to eradicate it ?
Hundreds of billions of clam spawn are released into our waters by aqua cultured clams. Purchased by the owner of the clams. Not The Commonwealth. It is a way I/we give back. They most certainly do create growing and pumping and spawning clams. They most certainly do create more beds that strengthen areas of our waters and slow the movement of the sand. No person or other business can claim to make the same improvement and investment in these waters. What did YOU do for the water this yr ? How did you make it better ? I put more in than I take out. Can you say that ?
Ask NOT what your country can do……..Do I have to go on ?
No farmer, in water or land, can use all the land. There are irregularities on the bottom that cause issues and reduce the plantable area size. Just like on land. Your ignorance is on full display.
And you still want in. Does the bank leave it’s doors open ? Does any business ? What business are you in ? Can I have the key ?
When Mr. Bloxom was accused in here of not attending to needs of constituents, I asked in here where did he fail to show up and no one has mentioned any specific problem. Hmmmm…….false accusation ?
Someone here accuses him of only supporting his own self interests. Oh yeah ? Like what ? What has he specifically done that is only for him and doesn’t help many of us ?
Mr. Hernandez is now running ads that say he is going to reduce the cost of medications for Sr. Citizens. Hmmmmmm……..That sounds to me like a federal issue. He’s going to help us with that as a delegate to Richmond ? That couldn’t be misleading, could it ?
How about his ad on teachers ? He’s going to get them to stay and get them more money ? I have no problem with teachers getting more money. Didn’t they just get 5% ? Is he going to get that done w/o raising taxes ? Isn’t that a county, and not a Commonwealth issue ? Is he misleading us again ?
In closing I say again. Time is of the essence. Neither Mr. Hernandez or Ashbee have stood up for themselves wit regards to the misleading local ads. We all speak up for, and support our family and friends when they are being wronged. Yet these two don’t. That’s fine. They can do what they want. It’s just that their silence speaks volumes to me.
Hey, how about that Antares rocket this a.m ? Those new engines are sure a lot quieter than the old ones. I liked the old rumble more!
AND, I still don’t see where I can get a piece of Hummingbird cake.
Come here says
And how much do you pay to lease an acre of land?
Thanks
MJM says
I pay the amount that the Commonwealth charges. My bill is paid. what does that have to do with anything about the issues of the candidates ?
Come here says
Sorry, buy why can’t you answer the question. Is it because you do not want to. Or is it because the price of $1.50 an acre is the answer, please correct me if I am wrong.. I bet our land farmers would love a sweet deal like that.
Why does this matter in this election, it is because of special interests. Omega proteins, does that ring a bell? Enough of the good old boy crap. Time to stand up for principles and doing the right thing.
I will be glad when this election is over, no matter who wins!
MJM says
I’ll be glad when you accept the risk of trying your fate in these waters and go out there and make a living. Get yourself a lease and a boat and the knowledge to go out there and make a living. I can easily answer the question, but wanted to know what it had to do with the election ? Did you know that shortly before R.Bloxom took office, that lease expense was raised from $1 to $1.50 an acre ? The Commonwealth has been very happy for a long time that watermen g out there and increase the population of oysters and clams. YOU have absolutely no idea what you are talking about YOU pick a subject and sling mud at it and make an ignorant point to get your jollies, but “Good Old Boy” crap has nothing to do with any of this.
I don’t think Omega pays any lease fees. They don’t have one.
“This” is all simply about the fact that R. Bloxom knows business, and knows how to work within the duties of his office as a delegate to get a return of tax money to this area to try to bring more business here.
Ray Otton says
I watch the watermen just about every day out my kitchen window and I am impressed by their work ethic. It is a TOUGH business, especially in mid winter when the wind cut to the bone.
All of the other things listed by one poster are also admirable, from a business sense as well as a conservation perspective.
However, more than once I’ve also seen with my own eyes, crews of watermen cut the nets off their beds and just let them float up on the beach.
I know, don’t let one bad actor color my opinion but this has been going on a while and I know from the boats involved, it’s more than one bad actor.
I spoke to the marine police about it and they say there’s nothing they can do if they don’t see the violation.
Which means it’s up to the good guys in this admittedly tight knit profession, meaning they know who the perps are, to get their colleagues to cut it out.
Will that happen?
MJM says
I think the Marine Police gave you a b.s. response. That surprises me. It surprises me they didn’t ask for a little more info or help from you. You have a camera in your phone. Take a picture of the criminals with the registration of the boat # showing. There are places where you, or the Marine Police can enhance that picture to bring that # up to size so it is readable. The owner of that boat certainly can be fined if you file a complaint, and they are truly recklessly endangering the waters.
Be advised. There are many times when we have too much gear, or too much product to bring to shore. I always take a net off my clams to harvest. I weigh the used net down with the same stone bags or rebar that held it in place for over a year. It is not always safely possible to bring it all(used nets and product) in at once. So we have to go back later to get the net. You may not be able to see the rebar or stone bags that are left on the used nets. The clams have to go to market immediately by law.
As far as me fixing my fellow watermen, I am off working on my stuff. I don’t see them doing what you see. I’m in the same boat (like the pun ? ) as you. When you see someone drive by and throw litter from their car, it is a tough spot to fix.
One suggestion I DO HAVE is about the golf carts in Cape Charles. They should all have a sign and i.d. # on them ON EACH SIDE of the cart. A license plate on the back is not enough. If it were possible to take photos of “crazy carts” with teens driving, or open alcohol containers visible, so pics could be taken by cell phones of walking residents, the perps could be caught by the owners of the rental cart shops and turned over to the police. The police solicit our help, do they not ? Give it to ’em. Fine tune that report method and we’ll get results.
Thomas says
Thanks for doing your part.
Ray Otton says
The marine police were very respectful and sympathetic when I complained but the reality is there’s little they can do without pictures or actually observing the perps themselves.
As to taking pictures, the police captain recommended I don’t do that due to the possibility of repercussions.
FWIW, where I come from repercussions don’t entail a little toilet papering of the house. Pretty sure it’s the same here.
This really is something the industry itself needs to solve.
Maybe you are your fellow good guys can spread the word that their actions are not unnoticed.
Probably won’t make a whit of difference but you never know.
Rank Seasider says
I have heard that ‘Waterman’ send out a fleet of illegals in carolina skiffs with gps to do the work.
Now that is a Real Waterman.
Rank Seasider says
‘Illegal’ was not the word I used to describe them in my diatribe above.
Thomas says
So true, but they do work hard in all weather conditions.