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OPINION WWW.FAUQUIER.COM
Fauquier Times | November 11, 2020
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Is this national mess where we want Virginia to go? It was easy to predict the mess in which the country now finds itself with regards to the vote. I urge patience by all for the counting of all legal ballots and settlement of court challenges. In Virginia we are much better off – so far – but we can do even better in the future with changes. In Fauquier, we are blessed with great people overseeing the election in a transparent system. I was witness to the problem at Kettle Run where the incorrect ballot was used for the first 30 voters, resulting in the need to invalidate those and the herculean effort by our election staff and the sheriff’s office to locate those voters and give them the chance, inconvenient as it was, to return and vote again. The problem was
resolved in minutes – not hours! Our election laws are designed for fairness for citizens and orderliness. Observers are permitted throughout the process. People need to be registered 21 days before the election to give the officials time to check and prepare (legality and orderliness). People must request absentee ballots. This fall when I was going door-to-door for our candidates, I was surprised at the amount of bad information in the voter database that we use (a third-party voter database). It shows current residents, but also in some cases, the last three residents. What if someone received unsolicited ballots and submitted votes for all? I hope to take
Experience Old Town Warrenton nonprofit asks for financial support
my data collected and see what the actual state voter database says about these homes. Can we do better? A chink in the armor is the new change not requiring photo ID. That was so easy, inconvenienced few, and gave citizens confidence in the process. Let’s bring that back. Let’s also do extensive review of the “no excuse” absentee ballot process used this year to make sure it was not abused. But still, ballots should be dropped off, eliminating a possibility of mail fraud. And ballots should be submitted a few days before the election, allowing quicker results. We likely will see the need for reform soon as the days unfold.
Citizens’ power to limit politicians’ terms is provided through the ballot box
I would like to reply to Robert Wright's letter in the Oct. 28 edition of the Times regarding the implementation of term limits on all elected officials [The time has come to institute term limits for all elected officials”]. The simplicity of the idea has some appeal on a surface level, but once you look much beyond the surface, the appeal quickly wanes. First, I would caution you to beware of simple solutions; they often lead to complex problems. Having a bit of first-hand experience in the governmental process is, in my opinion, useful. A complete neophyte needs to learn the ropes and the nuances on my dime. This leads to an increased inefficiency in the entire governmental process. Goodness knows that governmental processes are sufficiently inefficient already; I do not feel we need to actively contribute to that inefficiency. Experience is a useful thing. Otherwise, that experience comes from lobbyists who have been around long enough to know where all of the ropes are. I suggest that trying to term limit lobbyists would be a futile exercise. Second, look at where term limits have been implemented already. Since just after the [American] Revolution, governors of Virginia have been prohibited from succeeding themselves. There are times where I am pleased with that prohibition, but more often than not, a second term seems to me like it would be a good thing. In a number of the local counties where term limits have been implemented, voters are finding that they now have county boards containing individuals who do not always work TRAY ALLEN and play well with others. These Chairman, fringe individuals had previously Experience Old Town Warrenton been held at bay by incumbents. They are now free to roam about and create havoc with my tax dollars. See all the letters Third, I would bring you back to the ending of “The Wizard of Oz.” visit In it, Dorothy wants the power to go www.Fauquier.com back to Kansas. Glinda's reply is that she has always had the power and just
ts inception, Experience Old Town Warrenton has remained dedicated to its mission of enhancing economic vitality while preserving the historic character of the community. We also strive to promote a rich and appealing atmosphere in which to live, play and do business. In the past two years, we have made fantastic progress in each of these areas. In 2019, our First Friday events from May through October attracted thousands of guests to Main Street, where they enjoyed live music, a beer garden and vendors, and then stayed to patronize shops and restaurants. From April through November, the weekly farmers market featured hundreds of people picking up farm-fresh and homemade products from dozens of local vendors. GumDrop Square, our longtime and beloved Christmas tradition, brought in visitors of all ages during the holiday season. New events, including the “Leap Year .5K,” a Cookie Crawl, a “Find Your Heart in Old Town Warrenton” scavenger hunt, a Nutcracker Tea, and others, all of which increased the number of visitors to town are sure to become annual traditions. Things were rolling! Our events were hugely popular, fundraising efforts were gaining traction and we had other ideas and plans that were keeping us on the path to fulfilling our mission. The pandemic hit suddenly, and we are all too familiar with the results. Many businesses shut down completely. Others remained open but had to severely curtail their services. Stay-at-home orders eliminated the possibility of large gatherings. Experience Old Town
Warrenton quickly and effectively shifted from creating and reveling in town opportunities to finding ways to keep its businesses alive. Luckily, neither our dedication nor creativity waned. We banded together to support businesses offering curbside pickup. We applied for and received community and state grants, launched our own microgrant program and distributed funds to businesses in need. When the state began to reopen, we created a host of parklets on Main Street and side streets to allow for outdoor dining experiences. Now, we need your help. We are a nonprofit organization and, while we are fortunate to have the great support of the town, PATH Foundation, Northern Piedmont Community Foundation and others, we rely greatly on our events to support our less visible but equally important activities behind the scenes. With the future of these events uncertain, we need your support now, more than ever. We long for the days when we can all come together again and celebrate in our fabulous streets. When that day comes, with your help, EOTW will be here and stronger than ever to bring our events back to life. Together we will #KeepOldTownCharming for years to come. You can support our work by donating online at oldtownwarrenton.org/support or by sending a check to 26 S. Third St., Warrenton, VA 20186 made out to Experience Old Town Warrenton. Thank you in advance for helping us to help our community.
PETER POPOVICH Broad Run
had to learn it for yourself. I would suggest you have always had the power to implement term limits but perhaps need to fully learn you have that power. Your power is at the ballot box. You have a perfect right to vote against anyone you feel has been in office for too long. Speaking personally, how long someone has been in office has always been one of the factors that enter into my calculus when I vote. The longer they have been serving, the better they need to convince me that they are still the proper person for the job. Some people last a single term before I make that decision; others stay longer. If you feel someone has been in office too long, I might suggest you actively work for their opposition. That tends to send a fairly obvious message to a candidate that perhaps they are becoming like old fish, (i.e. becoming something with a strong odor that needs to be disposed of). If you don't want to work for the opposition directly, perhaps you could send a monetary contribution to the opposition with a note to the original officeholder telling them that you are implementing your own version of term limits. You speak of the desire for "fresh thinking/ideas." I would gently inquire as to what you have done to ensure that the elected officials are exposed to new ideas. And by that I mean both newly elected persons and those who have been in office for a while. If officials do not hear from us, they will rely on people who make it their business to educate them. Bottom line, it is our responsibility to educate the officials. If we do not do so, it is our fault, not the fault of the official or a reflection of how long this person has been in office. In summary, I quote H.L. Menken. "There is always an easy solution to every problem -- neat, plausible, and wrong." I believe statutory term limits fits right into what Menken meant.
DONALD DESROSIERS Marshall and Falls Church
