writes: So I’ve passed by the Marriot on West Main the last few fridays, and guess what? No protesters encouraging motorists to operate their warning sounders! Has the living wage crowd simply given up, or has there perhaps been some progress getting Mariott to pay up?
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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It’s probably because most of us are sick of seeing some idiot with fake doggy ears calling himself “Spot” representing the living wage movement. How can you take him seriously??
You take him seriously because even an idiot doesn’t go that far out of his way for a cause he doesn’t care about.
They’re reasonable people doing whatever they can to get your attention because the corporate beast won’t listen to them. Disagree with their cause if you want, but don’t pick on their means.
I’m not the type to stand on a corner with a sign, but I am sympathetic… There needs to be an email list or action alert web page that would let me know where to drive by and honk on the way home from work.
yeah, the honking really brings out the money, wooo! god gives jesus a penny for every honk!
The attitude that getting people to honk their horns does nothing is completely bogus.
You think the Marriott management never gave anything a second thought when they realized there was alot of community behind this movement? don’t be ridiculous.
cash flow is not the only measurement of progress. you wouldn’t even know about this if it weren’t for the controversy over honking. now the whole city is aware Marriott doesn’t pay their staff a living wage.
Some locals know but do they care. Locals are not what the Marriot depends on to make money. Want to make a wager on how many tourist know or care?
Exactly, the mega corp people who make the call on pay rates also dont know or care, they’re far away.
As is they are being forced to make beds and clean up tourist trash, laundry, bodily fluids, etc. Now they must put up with your incessant do-gooder horn blowing too. It just might drive some `minimum-wage-employee'(tm) with a migrane to go kung-foo on your ass! You never know.
Maybe if you honk a lot at 3am their customers might fill out those little cards and write “people honk at 3am, make it stop” a lot.
A business has to look good to the community it lives in. Corporations are charitable for this reason. They even advertise about it. Do I think Marriott will lose significant business because of it? Not really likely, but it doesn’t mean active protesting should not happen! And it especially doesn’t mean others in the community should turn up their noses at those who feel they have to protest.
My company is very close to the Marriott and put our visiting board members up elsewhere this year. It makes a dent.
Did your company put up the visitors in a hotel that pays the living wage or just one where there are no honking horns? In other words why did you choose to use another hotel? Was it the issue or the annoyance of the protest ?
I’m tempted to not justify that with a response. You’re grasping at straws. is it that you just don’t like other people to feel strongly about anything unless you do too?
On the other hand, my not answering would allow you to believe whichever you thought to be the worst, most hypocritical scenario.
I’ll tell you this: we did not call around asking different hotels if they paid living wage. I’m not trying to say my company is somehow morally rich. I’m saying protest makes a dent. and it did. Why we made the choice we did is beside the point.
Believe whatever makes you feel justified. I don’t quite follow why this is so hard to understand – protest is important, goddammit.
Thank you so much for answering my questions. I appreciate your effort to control what I believe. I am amazed that you seem to know that I would believe the worst. What insight!
Now, please tell me the name of the hotel where your board members stay so that I can call and find out if they pay a living wage. If they don’t then I’ll do that most important of things and protest by honking my horn outside the hotel, goddammit.
Singapore Holiday Inn.