A Penny for Your Thoughts News of Greater Falls Church

By Supervisor Penny Gross

Volunteers are not paid –not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless! That was the sentiment at the Volunteer Fairfax Community Champions award ceremony last week as 10 community champions were honored for their service, ranging from children’s issues and food pantries to parks and the environment. Each Community Champion was nominated by their district Supervisor. It was my pleasure to nominate Mark Tonkovic, who lives in the Culmore/Bailey’s Crossroads community as Mason District’s 2023 Community Champion.

Mark grew up in his Culmore/Bailey’s Crossroads community, and moved back to his childhood home as his parents aged. He is a natural steward of his community, and is known affectionately as the “mayor.” Mark keeps a watchful eye on his neighbors, assisting with everything from computer glitches to solving parking problems. Mark never hesitates to assist others who may not have the means, the language ability, or the knowledge to seek assistance from local or state government agencies. When over-parking on neighborhood streets presented access issues for his elderly neighbors, Mark went to work on expanding the existing Culmore Residential Permit Parking District (RPPD), to include several streets in Aura Heights. He spent several years working with neighbors along both sides of the roads until they met all of the RPPD acceptance requirements.

When aggressive driving and stop sign violations became a daily occurrence in his neighborhood, Mark collaborated with local police enforcement to stem it, improving pedestrian safety, especially for youth walking to school. And now he has volunteered to collect signatures for a new project to install additional streetlights for safety. Mark is an example of a “hyperlocal” community champion, who stayed in the area where he grew up, and continues to be a dedicated volunteer and steward in and for his community.

Congratulations, Mark! Volunteer opportunities abound in this region. The Volunteer Fairfax online portal has 63,000 people signed up for service, who will be deployed as needs and skills are identified for the best match. It may be a few hours on one day, or the volunteer opportunity may expand into a daily, weekly, or monthly routine of service. Commitment, enthusiasm and dependability are key; the tasks may be in the parks, working with children or adults, combatting food insecurity, helping with small home repairs for the elderly, or administrative tasks. You name it; Volunteer Fairfax has it! Email VolsRUs@volunteerfairfax.org for more information. You also can contact local schools, faith communities, and nonprofit organizations on your own to find a volunteer opportunity uniquely suited to your talents and skills. Or, like Mark Tonkovic, you can assist your neighbors without even leaving home. Remember, volunteers are priceless!

For those who saw the video of the horrifying near-fatal crash on the Fairfax County Parkway last week, there is good news. The officer is doing fine, although his cruiser isn’t, and the youthful driver and passengers are recovering, although the powerful BMW was totalled. The Police Department’s “50 Means 50” campaign, a crackdown on reckless driving, ran from May 8 to 15, 2023 in all police districts and, in just one week, yielded 890 traffic summonses and 163 warning tickets, which means that there were more than 1000 speeding violations observed by police officers. A good reminder to all – 50 means 50!

 Penny Gross is the Mason District Supervisor, in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. She may be emailed at mason@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Delegate Marcus Simon’s Richmond Report

As the parent of two very young adults who are coming of age at a time when social media is often their primary source of news about current events, I’ve had to spend a lot of effort teaching my kids how to be smart and discerning consumers of quality information. How to tell facts from fiction and identify intentional disinformation campaigns.

Unfortunately, that skill set doesn’t seem to be a prerequisite for employment in Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Administration.

Officials are increasingly relying on fact-free notions from the depths of social media and the internet to shape policy, endangering our democracy and undermining the credibility of our decisionmaking processes.

Most recently, Virginia Elections Commissioner Susan Beals quietly announced the state’s withdrawal from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). Founded in 2012, ERIC aims to ensure accurate voter rolls, enhance voter registration accessibility, improve efficiency, and reduce election costs. Sadly, ERIC has become a target of conspiracy theories propagated by the same groups responsible for baselessly perpetuating “The Big Lie” that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, which was supposedly stolen from him. Succumbing to pressure from MAGA election deniers, states like Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, West Virginia, and Texas have recently severed ties with ERIC, and Virginia is now following suit.

During a press conference, I accused Governor Youngkin of directing Beals to withdraw from ERIC based on unfounded conspiracy theories surrounding its governance and allegations of external manipulation or influence.

When confronted with my assertions, the Governor’s spokesperson chose not to deny them, a silence that speaks volumes.

If Youngkin refuses to reject conspiracy theories, he proves himself unfit for the role of governor.

Joined by Senate Caucus Chair Mamie Locke and House Minority Leader Don Scott at the press conference, I also emphasized the legal implications of withdrawing from ERIC and condemned the ongoing conspiracy theories perpetuated by the Virginia GOP.

Virginia law mandates the comparison of voter registration data with neighboring states as a critical measure to ensure accuracy. However, abandoning ERIC would necessitate the creation of an entirely new system and somehow coordinating with neighboring states in time for future elections. This alternative approach involves negotiating individual agreements with each state, leading to less accuracy and consuming valuable time. Unsurprisingly, this follows the Republican pattern of undermining the election system, only to shift blame and assert that the system itself failed when issues arise.

Moreover, Beals’ resignation letter citing increased costs as the primary reason for withdrawal strains credulity.

Mere months before pulling Virginia out of ERIC, Beals sang the program’s praises in her annual report to the Chairs of House and Senate Privileges and Elections Committees, noting:

“The ERIC program membership fee from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 was $37, 644. The data quality from the ERIC program is significantly better than other interstate exchange programs and any program that ELECT could operate in-house with existing resources. The ERIC membership costs are less than the costs incurred if ELECT were required to create and manage an in-house program resulting in the same quality of data.”

It is evident that collaborative programs like ERIC are cost-effec- tive, as expenses are shared among multiple states. Venturing down this path alone would undoubtedly burden Virginia with significantly higher costs.

Republicans in Virginia have repeatedly made baseless claims of voter fraud but have failed to produce any evidence to support their assertions. Nonetheless, they persist in pushing legislation that aims to hinder people’s voting rights, particularly those who are likely to vote for Democrats. It is a clear attempt to suppress the vote and disenfranchise voters.

The 2020 election was not stolen. It stood as one of the most secure elections in American history, devoid of widespread voter fraud or any evidence of manipulated votes impacting the outcome. The claims of voter fraud propagated by Republicans are simply false.

The decision of the Virginia GOP to withdraw from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) serves as a smokescreen. ERIC, a nonpartisan organization, provides technical assistance to states in improving their election systems. There is no evidence linking ERIC to voter fraud, and withdrawing from the organization will not enhance election security.

The Virginia GOP’s decision to withdraw from ERIC stems from baseless conspiracy theories regarding voter fraud. These theories lack supporting evidence and should not guide policymaking.

The right to vote is the bedrock of our democracy. We must safeguard this right and ensure ease of access for all. The Virginia GOP’s attempts to suppress the right to vote are a threat to our democracy, and we must stand up to them.