U.S. Attorney
I was shocked at the termination of Elizabeth Yusi from her position as criminal chief of the Norfolk U.S. Attorney’s Office. The reason for the dismissal could not be a lack of professional qualifications.
During my last eight years as a judge, Yusi presented dozens of search and arrest warrants to me for my consideration. These included complex searches of electronic data, which often presented difficult issues. Her work was always carefully researched and written. She also argued many cases before me in court and was always prepared and professional.
In stark contrast with Yusi’s skills is the indictment against former FBI Director James Comey signed by the current U.S. attorney. It is the most poorly written indictment that I have seen, and my career included serving as a state and federal prosecutor, U.S. magistrate judge, 20 years as an adjunct professor at William and Mary Law School, and a member of the U.S. Criminal Rules Advisory Committee.
Federal Criminal Rule 7 requires an indictment to be a “ … plain, concise, and definitive written statement of the essential facts constituting the offense charged …” This indictment does not meet with this basic test, if for no other reason than the essential facts are missing. A competent prosecutor would not have permitted the indictment to proceed beyond the office shredder.
Yusi’s skills and hard work incarcerated many child sex offenders and fraud defendants. We are less safe as a result of her dismissal.
Tommy E. Miller, retired United States magistrate judge, Virginia Beach
Education progress
Re “Education problems await next governor” (A4, Oct. 3): This recent piece by VCU’s Capital News Service ignores both the considerable progress and current data of the Youngkin administration’s education agenda. I am happy to set the record straight.
When Gov. Glenn Youngkin entered office, Virginia was last in the nation in math recovery and 41st in reading, with the lowest definition of proficiency. Today, Virginia has adopted best-in-class standards in core subjects, raised the proficiency cut score to align with NAEP, closed the “honesty gap,” and is laser-focused on preparing students for enrollment, employment and enlistment.
We have refocused education on student growth, mastery and readiness through our “School Performance and Support Framework.” Virginia reduced chronic absenteeism by 26% since 2021-2022, and was among the first states to initiate bell-to-bell cellphone-free education in schools.
Virginia’s new, innovative 15 lab schools connect thousands of K-12 students in a range of fields with specialized programming, hands-on work experience and industry-recognized credentials. The enrollment growth through the workforce credential grant program FastForward and the $73.4 million Pell Initiative expand educational opportunities for low-income families. We have decreased per-student college debt and borrowing. These are all significant steps toward increasing affordability, transparency and accountability for results across the commonwealth.
We encourage the next governor to build on this progress and continue the momentum; to uphold high expectations, invest in innovation and expand opportunity. It is what our students, families and educators across the commonwealth deserve.
Aimee R. Guidera, Virginia secretary of education, Richmond
Vote no
I will always be grateful for the honor of serving the citizens of Virginia Beach as mayor through three elections and serving on council before then for 14 years. I love Virginia Beach and know it is the greatest city in the world. When other cities are facing falling revenues, high crime and few prospects for a growing economy, Virginia Beach has always been safe and economically strong.
But now I have some concerns. Virginia Beach has been known to have a united City Council and School Board that always put Virginia Beach first. In recent years, that has given way to division, partisanship and electoral fights that resemble Washington, D.C., and not Virginia Beach. The federal government shutdown should be a wake-up call to what could be Virginia Beach’s future if we continue partisan division that the 10-1 system encourages.
I urge all those who care about Virginia Beach to vote no to 10-1 and favor a 7-3-1 voting system that preserves district voting but gives voters additional voting power with three additional councilmembers. That encourages the council and school board to work together and puts Virginia Beach first and partisan division last.
Virginia Beach is strongest when the residents come together and the 10-1 system is designed to pit neighborhoods against each other. We can’t let that happen. Join me in voting no, giving voters five votes instead of two and blocking no one from having a voice in every election.
Will Sessoms, former mayor and Every Vote Counts committee member, Virginia Beach
Misleading
Re “Legislator moves to protect rural land” (A1, Oct. 14): I’m disappointed that the article about Del. Barry Knight’s proposed legislation to protect the farmland below the “Blue Line” turned into an advertisement against the fair and legal system we use to choose our City Council and School Board. We need protections for the southern area of Virginia Beach, but for Knight to say that there would “not be enough support” to protect the land under our current 10-1 voting system is not being totally honest.
Knight’s comments about the Farm Bureau and Creeds Ruritan Club were especially misleading. He implied that with 10-1 system, those groups would lose their ability to hold candidates accountable. That’s simply false. Those organizations are still fully able to host forums, question and inform City Council members. It’s no coincidence that the loudest critics of 10-1, the ones paying for the “vote no” signs, are the same well-connected donors who’ve long sought to expand development south of the “Green Line” and “Blue Line” — corporate developers with millions riding on zoning and land-use decisions.
If Knight truly cared about protecting the rural integrity of southern Virginia Beach, he’d stand with the people, not with the developers and corporate contributors who want to pave over green space. He can’t have it both ways — protect farmland or give developers more votes on City Council.
Cheryl B. Smith, candidate for House of Delegates District 98, Virginia Beach
Election letters
We will accept letters related to the election through 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29, and publish them, space permitting, through Friday, Oct. 31.
