Of tire plants, bond ratings, bike helmets

Three thumbs up …

A local developer plans to buy the former Hyosung Tire plant in Scottsville. This rings two bells: Local ownership and, let’s face it, a buyer … period. This is the kind of facility that could have gone vacant for a long, long time. Dr. Charles W. Hurt says he is open to ideas on future use of the plant, which once employed more than 300 and served as an economic anchor in Scottsville. Hyosung shut the plant down in 2009. We eagerly await details about its future use.

A grade of A for the city of Charlottesville’s bond rating. Make that grade AAA. The city learned this week it has retained the coveted AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor’s, and maintains a rating from Moody’s Investors Services of Aaa, that group’s highest rating. The ratings affirm solid financial management, while giving residents and others a measure of confidence in the city’s checkbook even as other municipalities, state governments and the federal government suffer serious financial trouble. The highest bond ratings also mean the lowest interest rates on borrowed money.

Gov. Bob McDonnell declined the “opportunity” to get more involved in the Jens Soering affair. The governor says Mr. Soering should serve his prison sentence for the 1985 murder of his girlfriend’s parents right here in Virginia, where the crimes occurred. And the governor also has no plans to intervene in Mr. Soering’s request for parole or other clemency. This case has had gubernatorial intervention enough already. Former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, in his final days in office, asked the Justice Department to transfer Mr. Soering back to his native Germany. Mr. McDonnell quickly revoked that request upon taking office. Mr. Soering is where he belongs.

Two thumbs down …

Pete Elliott Jr., a Madison County supervisor, this week was charged with violating Virginia’s conflict-of-interest law. Mr. Elliott deserves every presumption of innocence and will have his time in court to confront and, we assume, to fight the charge. In December 2010, Mr. Elliott and other supervisors voted to have the county ask for a rezoning of a parcel Mr. Elliott uses to hold auctions. In March, the board voted to withdraw that request, and Mr. Elliott recused himself from voting the second time around. In cases across the country, alleged conflicts of interest often end with no intentional wrongdoing found. What many officials discover in the process, however, is that even a perceived conflict leaves a mark as a real one. One truly can never be too careful.

City Council is considering a law that would require bike riders age 14 and under to wear a helmet. Those breaking such a law could be fined $25. Or … could be “punished” with a free bicycle helmet, courtesy of city taxpayers. Punishing a law violation with a reward hardly qualifies as an effective deterrent. Do something “wrong” and get something of value, free? As the kids say: Awkward. Some suggest the city could consider allocating money to a nonprofit that offers bicycle safety training and maybe even cheap or free helmets to kids. That sounds less awkward, less maternal and more effective.