Brewery out

Re “Brewing company will leave Norfolk” (A2, March 9): Armed Forces Brewing Company’s CEO Alan Beal claims that the “local woke mob” forced his company to “relocate … to a more pro-small business social and economic climate.”

If Beal had actually done his market research, he wouldn’t have chosen to move his gung-ho, hoo-rah brewery into the largest progressive, peace-loving enclave in the city. Additionally, this beautiful and beloved area of Norfolk is home to dozens of small, family-owned businesses that have been here for decades. So, blaming Armed Forces’ poor business choices on Norfolk’s lack of support for small business is disingenuous at best.

Further research also would have noted that there are no fewer than eight breweries already doing a brisk business in Norfolk, while Beal’s gun waving and chest beating did nothing to draw customers to an already saturated market.

Bad vibe

Re “Healthy ViBe at the Oceanfront” (A1, March 9): What a surprise to find out that I have been living in one of the worst crime-riddled areas in Virginia Beach. It’s hard to believe that vacant lots can contribute to this crime scene.

As a born and raised resident of Virginia Beach, I was shocked to find out that I was living so close to the worst eyesores in the city. I guess putting up ViBe signs will solve the problem. I’m not sure that ViBe Creative District Executive Director Kate Pittman has done enough research to criticize this area so harshly.

Sheriff candidates

I am seeing quite a few signs around for the two Republican candidates for Chesapeake sheriff. Their websites are full of glowing resume-type information. I was looking for issues. My issue is with the system of overcharging inmates, their families and friends for everything from phone calls to M&M’s. Not a mention. I did find on Virginia Public Access Project that one Republican candidate so far has taken money from one of the jail profiteering companies.

As of yet, no Democratic candidate is listed. Since this race really started a year ago, either the Democrats are late to the race, have not updated their website, or have decided not to run a candidate for sheriff yet again. All of this is unfortunately typical for the Chesapeake Democratic Committee.

I hope there is an alternative to the victimization of inmates’ families and friends this time around. Many working-class families are being bled dry by these fees. They need a candidate to step up for them.

Fraud, abuse

Re “Virginia man gets 9 years for embezzlement” (A2, March 7): I can’t say I agree with President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s “scorched earth” approach to “fraud, waste, and abuse” in the government, but this article about the Virginia executive who embezzled $6.7 million from a government program gives me pause.

With any degree of safeguards, how could this have possibly taken place? If he wired program funds to himself 59 times over 21 months as the article states, and you crunch the numbers, that is $113,000 per transaction, averaging nearly three transactions per month. Aren’t banks required to report money transfers greater than $10,000? And if so, how could this have been missed by both the bank’s and the program’s auditors? Also, weren’t there any honest whistleblowers that noticed him living well beyond his means?

If you take into account that the federal budget is around 50,000 times as big, one must consider that there must be many more incidents like this left to uncover, so there is a possibility that Department of Government Efficiency might be worth the effort.