Voters repudiate status quo
November 8, 2011 will go down in Goochland history as a day of great change. Although the day was far too warm to suggest that hell had frozen over, Goochland voters cleaned house by ousting almost all incumbent supervisors and school board members. (Go to https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov and click on local office for Goochland County to see all the gory details.)
Only District 3 supervisor Ned S. Creasey, running for his second term, was returned to office by a healthy margin. Creasey has worked hard to improve county government, not cover things up.
After nearly four years of regular revelations of incompetence, cover ups and dubious policies the voters sent all of the multi-term incumbents to the showers. The good old boys are history.
Even Andrew Pryor, who was first elected when Nixon was in the White House, was deftly defeated by the hard work of Susan Lascollette.
The entire school board was expelled by voters tired of being treated like idiots by the people they elected to oversee our school system.
Our new elected supervisors: Susan Lascollette; Manuel Alvarez, Jr.; Ned Creasey; Bob Minnick and Ken Petersen have their work cut out for them. Goochland has a lot of pressing challenges that have been allowed to fester for far too long.
Citizens have made it clear they are tired of a county government that seems to lack direction. Jump starting economic development during this chronic financial downturn will be an uphill battle, but these folks have the skills to get things moving without petty power struggles.
The new supervisors should be aware that the citizens who voted them into office expect results. We’ve had too many years of unproductive churning. How about finding a way to build a new bus garage for starters?
The new school board: Michael Payne; Kevin Hazzard; John Lupkins; Beth Hardy and John Wright, has a lot of great ideas and is ready to get to work. Expect a carefully crafted school budget next year that focuses on educating the kids not building an empire while working with the funds available.
Look for lively discussions at school board meetings to replace the group bobble head impressions practiced by the outgoing school board.
To be sure, these newly elected officials have a lot of work to do.
Congratulations to the victors and Godspeed in your efforts on behalf of the citizens. Enjoy your victory laps and then rest up; there is much to be done.
5 comments:
And Sandie --- thanks and congrats to you. You do a great service to Goochland in helping to keep people informed. Amazing results in Goochland tonight. Now the real work begins!
Kristin
Now we need to give an enema to "Central Office". Can I get an amen?
Sandie, you have a wonderful way with words. A real artist. Thanks for your continued vigilance.
That's right, Goochlanders have spoken. Now I hope the new ones can make something happen.
Susan, were hoping you don't just pave the road to your house like another supervisor seemed to like to do. While the rest of the roads in Dist. 1 fell apart.
Congrats to all the new winners.
The voters have indeed spoken and for the most part, I'm in agreement with the results.
I think it will be interesting to see how the vocal few react after the honeymoon ends and the cutting begins.
I have some concerns about how much money was spent to support Republican candidates. Is anyone else bothered that we must vote for parties instead of candidates these days?
The overwhelming amount of campaign mail and phone calls that I received that was "paid for by the Republican Party" causes me to wonder where all that money came from and what will be expected from the newly elected in return for it.
Does anyone share my concern that such a large turnover occurred all at once? Does it make sense to consider staggering elections so that changes such as this are evolutionary rather than revolutionary in nature?
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