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Recap from the Fairfax County Republican Convention
After awaking at an ungodly hour this morning, I ventured out to the Fairfax County Republican Convention to vote for a new party chairman. I made it pretty clear that I was supporting Matt Ames for Chairman, and I was optimistic that he was going to emerge victorious. After arriving, I noticed there was a heavy presence for his opponent, Jay McConville, so it became clear that this race was going to become more interesting.
While I did not have an opportunity to listen to the speeches, I heard that Matt gave a great speech to the delegates at the convention. Delegates also heard from Jay, as well as many of the U.S. Senate and Congressional candidates. There is no doubt that many of the delegates were energized to move the party forward. Anthony Bedell, who was the outgoing chair gave some great remarks as well. Thanks to Anthony for his leadership over the past two years.
Congratulations to Jay McConville, who was elected unanimously as Chairman of the committee. It will be interesting to see if Jay will succeed in moving the party forward and be open to new ideas that will motivate the grassroots in the next two years.
Matt Ames for Fairfax County Republican Committee Chairman
I don’t normally like to make endorsements very often (except in the case of Bob Marshall and Ron Paul), but this endorsement is one that I meant to post last week. However, work commitments have gotten the best of me recently, and I have not been able to blog as often.
With the recent decision by Anthony Bedell deciding not to run for another term, there will be a convention on Saturday, March 24, 2012 at West Springfield High School to decide who will be the next county chairman. There have been two candidates, who have decided to run. Both candidates offer a great vision for moving the Fairfax County Republican Committee forward. Jay McConville is running for Chairman, and McConville lives in the Mount Vernon District. He has really stepped up to the plate to help the party out, and he was a former candidate, who once ran for Delegate.
While McConville is a great candidate, there is one who has worked tirelessly over the years to move the party forward. Matt Ames, who currently serves as the Director of Operations for FCRC and Providence District Chairman, is also running.
Ames is hardworking, and he offers a lot in terms of advancing our party for the future. Running on a strong platform, Ames plans to create stability and continuity by laying out specific goals for victory from 2012 to 2016. Ames also has a strategic plan that would consist of operational and fundraising components, and this would be implemented within 90 days of his election.
While both candidates are great individuals who are dedicated towards moving Fairfax County Republican Committee towards victory, Ames wins my endorsement. His plan makes sense and can definitely be attained with the right strategy.
Save the Treehouse…Defeat Sharon Bulova
The Fairfax County “Nanny State” is alive and well.
http://www.myfoxdc.com/video/videoplayer.swf?dppversion=11212
It’s time for a change in leadership. Vote Spike Williams for Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
Smear Tactics Alive and Well in Braddock District Supervisor Race
It looks like Janet Oleszek, who is challenging John Cook to represent Braddock District on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors received the endorsement of Fairfax County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Local 2068. While this is not a surprise, the endorsement was also used as an attempt to smear Cook, but the reality is that it backfired against Oleszek.
Oleszek accused Cook of not funding a fourth firefighter position on the County ladder truck. This issue has been debated for years, even going back to when former Board Chairman Gerry Connolly was in charge. It was even mentioned in an October 2006 memorandum. These positions were never filled, despite revenues increasing under Connolly and current Board Chairman, Sharon Bulova.
In a statement, Cook had this to say about Bulova’s accusations about not doing anything to create the firefighter position:
‘It’s sad that Ms. Oleszek is so desperate and so willing to throw her Democratic colleagues and every member of the Board of Supervisors for the last 10 years under the proverbial bus for a cheap press release and blog entry. The truth is, I am a proponent of Chairman Bulova’s fire and safety priorities. My commitment to fire fighters, EMS and other public safety is unquestioned. Traveling with local first responders during the annual August National Night Out events has provided me a great opportunity to see firsthand the critical role these invaluable professionals play in protecting our neighborhoods and community.”
So, Oleszek turned an opportunity to smear her opponent, and instead, it turned into an attack on her Democratic colleagues on the Board of Supervisors. This is what I call really smart behavior from a political candidate.
Flanary, Frederick, and Miller Win Primaries
Here are your Primary Election Results from Northern Virginia (according to the State Board of Elections):
13th District:
Dick Black 38.81%
John Stirrup 37.42%
Robert Fitzsimmonds 23.75%
While I abstained from primary coverage this election, I was surprised by the close margin in this primary race. Personally, I thought Stirrup was going to win this primary, but Black is a strong campaigner. It will be interesting to see how Black will fare against the Democratic challenger, Shawn Mitchell.
36th District:
Jeff Frederick 68.83%
Tito Munoz 31.16%
I am glad to see Frederick win this race. While Munoz is a strong Republican activist, he kept focusing on national issues, when he should have focused more on Virginia issues. Frederick had experience as a State Delegate, and I think this will make him a formidable threat to incumbent Toddy Puller. This will be a tight general election race.
37th District:
Jason Flanary 54.95%
Steve Hunt 45.04%
The race in my former home district was tight and nasty. In the end, it came down to the turnout. Flanary is a good candidate, but it will be an uphill battle to defeat incumbent Dave Marsden.
39th District:
Miller Baker 73.37%
Scott Martin 26.62%
This race was unexpected. I thought Martin would have easily defeated Baker in the primary. However, Baker came out strong in the end and will now face incumbent George Barker in the general. Could this seat turn over to the Republicans? I think this is the pickup seat in Northern Virginia.
Aside from the state senate primaries, Fairfax County held a Republican primary for the Sheriff nomination. Bill Cooper won by a large margin (76.49%), while his opponent, Wes Kammerer only received 23.50% of the vote. This could be another pickup for the Republicans in the general election with a great grassroots organization.
Michael "Spike" Williams Announces Candidacy for Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
There was some exciting news in Fairfax County today, as Michael “Spike” Williams announced his candidacy for Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Williams will be a great candidate and will provide a strong challenge to current Chairman, Sharon Bulova. As a small business owner, who is active in the community, Williams will provide strong leadership for Fairfax County.
“The current majority on the Board of Supervisors has a spending problem,” stated Williams. “There is a lack of understanding of what it takes to create jobs and economic opportunity for Fairfax County, and they have not provided the visionary leadership necessary to move us forward. Oppressive traffic congestion caused by poor planning, an ever expanding bureaucracy bent on being the largest landlord in the county, and a government that wants to absorb the private sector instead of supporting it, are just a few examples.”
Fairfax County has been lacking in leadership for several years now, and with taxes rising across the board, change is needed. You can read more about Williams’ candidacy by clicking here to learn about his plan for moving the county forward.
Northern Virginia Dems Vote Against Transportation
If you live in Northern Virginia, then you know the agony of sitting in gridlock traffic day after day. Traffic is at a stand still most of the time, and it feels like nothing is being done to address the problem. Instead, the gridlock has apparently infected the minds of Northern Virginia Democrats in the House of Delegates.
In a vote Monday, the House of Delegates voted 65-33 in favor of HB 2527, which focuses on Governor Bob McDonnell’s plan to improve transportation through various projects within the Commonwealth. This bill will establish the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank, which establishes funding for transportation projects, specifically in the Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia regions.
The big surprise is that all of the Delegates in Fairfax County voted against the bill, including four, who are in swing districts. By voting against this bill, they are proving that they would rather have their constituents sitting in gridlock, than spending time with their families. It is even more ironic that they are ignoring the number one issue on the minds of voters in their districts. These delegates include: Mark Keam (D-Oakton), Vivian Watts (D-Fairfax), David Bulova (D-Fairfax), Eileen Filler-Corn (Springfield), Mark Sickles (D-Alexandria), Jim Scott (D-Falls Church), and Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon).
Whatever the reason for voting against this legislation, they are certain to face tough races in November. With transportation being the number one issue, many of these Delegates might be replaced with those who will have their constituents’ concerns at mind.
Fairfax County School Board Sued Over Secret Emails
Last Friday, a lawsuit was filed against the Fairfax County School Board and Fairfax County Public Schools over the content of emails released under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) regarding the recent closure of Clifton Elementary School. This lawsuit will require Fairfax County Public Schools to release the secret emails and other electronic communications relevant to the Clifton Elementary School closure. After the release of the information is made public, the lawsuit asks the Court to compel the board to hold a public meeting to reconsider and vote again on the Clifton closure.
The lawsuit centers around public hearings that were held last year in June and July, and according to the filing, “School Board members exchanged substantive e-mails among each other in secret relating to the matters being addressed during the public meetings.” A decision was reached by the Fairfax County School Board to close Clifton Elementary School. The lawsuit further states that the school board violated VFOIA and further deprived members of the community from hearing the discussions among the board members on public business.
You can read some of the emails here.
It is sad that Clifton Elementary School will be closing at the end of the year, and hopefully, the decision can be reversed as the school is central in the community.
Public School Allows Cheating at what cost
On my way to work this morning, I was surprised to hear on WMAL that West Potomac High School in Fairfax County is not failing those who cheat on exams, rather they are allowing them to retake the same exam. Ironically, this school has also asked teachers to banish failing grades. I just love what the Principal of the school emailed to teachers:
“West Potomac High School Principal Cliff Hardison last month instructed teachers to allow cheaters to retake tests. The idea was that cheating should “result in a disciplinary consequence separate from an academic consequence,” Hardison said in a Nov. 5 e-mail to teachers.”
A disciplinary consequence? Huh?!? Both the disciplinary and academic consequences alone are enough to ward off cheaters. A disciplinary consequence will only ensure that the behavior will occur again. As a public school graduate, I witnessed cheating in many of my classes. The students who cheated were not only punished academically, but they also received the embarrassment of having the teacher openly confront them in class and then having their parents called in for conferences to remedy the problem. Usually, both consequences solved the cheating issue.
Meanwhile in the real world, if you are caught doing unethical acts (such as cheating, stealing, etc.), you are generally fired, along with having that act on your record for the rest of your career. Unfortunately, this message has not reached those at West Potomac High School. They are merely enabling the future generation that you can get second chances, as mentioned before, this is often not the case. When public officials discuss school reforms, they should look at reforming academic standards and creating more accountability amongst the students.
Cross posted at Bearing Drift
Clifton Elementary School to Close!
The efforts to save Clifton Elementary School have failed, as the Fairfax County School Board voted last night to close the school. Clifton Elementary School served those living in the small town of Clifton and the surrounding community for many years, and has received awards from the Commonwealth of Virginia for Educational Excellence. Now, 400 students will be moved from their small school to other area schools.
What surprised me was the vote of a school board member who represents the area? Springfield District School Board member, Liz Bradsher voted to CLOSE Clifton Elementary School. By doing this, she chose to ignore those in Clifton and the surrounding communities who benefit from this school. Delegate Tim Hugo (R-40) who represents the area expressed his disappointment in Bradsher’s vote.
“With her vote, School Board Member Liz Bradsher threw the children of Clifton and Fairfax County under the bus,” Hugo wrote.
“I am extremely disappointed by this decision, however, I would like to thank all members of the community for their hard work and dedication in the fight to save Clifton Elementary.”
Hopefully, voters will hold Bradsher accountable when she runs for re-election for her decision to close the school after the community petitioned her to save the school. Now, the school board will look at when Clifton Elementary will be closing. The earliest it could close would be after the 2010-2011 school year.
