Schapiro on Wilder's 'fuzzy math'

In the wake of yet more puzzling news about money problems for Mayor Doug Wilder, Jeff Schapiro fires a broadside at Hizzoner in his column for the Sunday Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Another constant: Wilder's blind spot when it comes to money -- his and taxpayers' -- and its accompanying influences. The latest example: his failure to accurately report his assets on his compulsory conflict-of-interest statement.

Click here to read the column.

Maybe Jeff Schapiro is the guy at the RT-D to find out where Wilder was on July 21, when the new Virginia Civil Rights Memorial was being unveiled. That is, if that venerable newspaper is still into investigating mysteries.

According to what I have learned about it, Wilder was invited to sit on the platform in Capitol Square with Gov. Tim Kaine, former First Lady Lisa Collis, the artist Stanley Bleifeld, Julian Bond, and other speakers and sundry dignitaries.

Then, it seems, Wilder blew off the invitation. We're told he was out of town. But he won't say where or why. His spokespersons don't seem to know anything more they can tell us to clear up this mystery ... at least nothing they can say on the record and keep their jobs.

What could have been so important that it kept Richmond's mayor away from such an auspicious event, one that honored heroes of the Civil Rights Era? Why must it remain a secret?

Was the mayor really out of town, or was he merely, ahem, out to lunch?