My Idea

Here is my idea. This is only my idea and I am open minded and would like people to comment on my idea to help me to compromise with various other ideas to create an idea that is acceptable with the largest number of people.

I would like to see at least the seven cities (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, and Newport News) combined into one city. This would enable all of the tax revenues to be combined to focus on larger issues that lacked funding before-hand. I realize that some people are worried about the identity of their city and who would get to keep their name. There are people that want the whole thing to be Norfolk and others want Virginia Beach. I think that, instead, we should choose a new name to better promote a unity between the areas. Each city could keep its own identity. For instance, the City of ___ including the precincts of Norfolk, VA Beach, et cetera. The overall city name could be the City of Tidewater or the City of Hampton Roads (I prefer City of Hampton Roads).
I have some thoughts on the possible advantages broken down by city. Norfolk would be able to focus on bringing new business to the city and to expand its existing downtown. Virginia Beach could, instead of spending money on a make-shift downtown, could focus on their oceanfront. They would have more money for police patrol and more money to entice larger hotels or expand the beach itself or events at the beach. Imagine a concert venue, perhaps, with the oceanfront behind the performing artist. Their tourist industry would boom. Chesapeake too, instead of spending money on a new municipal building, could focus on reforming their education system, to diminish the size of classes, lessen the overcrowding, and improve the quality of education. They would be able to also improve their transportation system, building alternatives to drawbridges and wider roads to accommodate the large quantity of traffic in the area. Suffolk would be able to combat growing traffic and crime problems, as well as with Hampton and Newport News. Hampton and Newport News, beside the traffic and crime previously mentioned, would be able to attract more retail stores to improve their shopping districts and entice more residents to their areas. Portsmouth would be able to continue to revitalize their Olde Towne section and improve their reputation.

All of this could be accomplished due to the combination of budgets. Seven cities, seven mayors, seven councils, seven municipal centers, seven fire chiefs, seven police chiefs, et cetera. Nobody is going to like losing their job. Those who would no longer be needed would be able to be re-assigned or they could choose a well-endowed severance package and be on their way. All the area municipal employees would enjoy a standardized benefits package set to that of the best current package.

Currently the cities in the area spend too much competing with each other; Competing to get the most businesses, or to have the tallest buildings, when what we really need is a competition in the global economy, which can only be achieved through a new plan.

NOTE: All comments are approved by me before they are put onto the site. I do not censor ideas, only extreme language, as it is part of my AdSense Agreement. I will only replace such things with *** and will not remove or modify the underlying idea in any way.