Tuesday’s Primary & ‘Right to Work’

Next Tuesday, June 20. is primary election day. Already, according to Falls Church registrar David Bjerke, over 10 percent of registered voters in the City of Falls Church have cast their ballots given new eased early-voting requirements, and there is no reason not to believe that the Little City will again lead all of Virginia with the highest voter turnout by the time polls close next Tuesday. While there are only two races on the ballot, and it being a party primary no less, the fact that both races have proven very contentious further suggests a high turnout.

The News-Press announced its endorsements in the two races when early voting began last month, and all the subsequent heat and light has only deepened our commitment to those candidacies we’ve chosen to endorse – Saddam Salim for State Senate and Parisa Dehghani-Tafta for Commonwealth Attorney.

In the State Senate race, where due to redistricting, the City of Falls Church is compelled to choose between two candidates it has never had the opportunity to vote for before, the issue that, at bottom, is the most critical revolves around Virginia’s outmoded and discriminatory “Right to Work” law. Sen. Chap Petersen, considered one of the most conservative Democrats in the state legislature, affirmed his support for the state’s “Right to Work” laws during the campaign, and by so doing, in our view, affirmed a posture at sharp odds with the direction in which the state must go to continue to attract the quality workforce it needs, both in the private and public sectors, to grow our economy and the critical values of equity and quality of life for all.

The critical inflection point reached around the issues involved in the recent pandemic is still being felt. Jurisdictions around Virginia and the nation are encountering new demands by their workforces to recognize the essential components of compensation to provide for legitimate living conditions. Most employers have recognized in this process the need to negotiate in good faith with employee groups, including trade unions, to make this work. “Right to work” laws are throwbacks to earlier times when the absolute right of bosses against workers were asserted, and made into laws, in some backward states that at the time included Virginia.

Now, the times call for a new labor-friendly approach, and our best businesses recognize that in order to be competitive, this has to be the cornerstone of a new approach.

Petersen, however, seems locked into the state’s unhappy Jim Crow past on this and other issues, as well. That is why we would welcome the fresh approach that his opponent, Saddam Salim, son of long-time employees at a valued City of Falls Church business, promises to bring.

In the Commonwealth’s Attorney race, we are puzzled that the opponent to incumbent Dehghani-Tafti feels so vociferously that she should be ousted, even though he claims to stand for the same kind of justice reforms that she has effectively stood for in her first term.

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Endorsement of Dehgani-Tafti

Editor,

Four years ago, I proudly endorsed Parisa Dehghani-Tafti in her tough Commonwealth’s Attorney race against an incumbent, recognizing her as the right candidate to bring muchneeded criminal justice reform to our community. Today, I am endorsing her once again, as she has not only kept her promises but also proven herself as a steadfast leader dedicated to progress.

My initial endorsement of Parisa was based on our shared belief in the necessity of criminal justice reform.

Now, I wholeheartedly endorse her for re-election because she has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to this cause. Despite facing adversities such as a global pandemic, rightwing recall efforts, and overreaching judges, Parisa has tirelessly worked towards implementing intelligent reforms while prioritizing the safety of our community.

One of Parisa’s commendable achievements has been the elimination of cash bail, ensuring that justice is not dependent on one’s financial resources. Additionally, she has made discovery open and accessible to defense attorneys, removing unnecessary barriers to information. In the past, defense attorneys had to schedule appointments to review police files and take notes, without the ability to make copies or obtain electronic versions. Parisa’s changes have significantly improved transparency and fairness.

She has also bolstered diversion programs, redirecting individuals with addiction and mental health issues towards treatment rather than perpetually cycling them through the criminal justice system. This focus on diversion has been a personal passion of mine since my involvement in Diversion First in Fairfax County back in 2014.

Parisa’s progressive mindset is evident in her groundbreaking decision to halt the use of peremptory strikes during jury selection, thereby ensuring a more equitable and unbiased process. She also established a conviction review department that has already secured the freedom of one wrongfully convicted person.

Parisa’s implementation of fair plea-bargaining policies is commendable. She refrains from stacking charges, overcharging, or weaponizing mandatory minimums to pressure defendants into pleading guilty. As a result, her office takes more cases to trial than her predecessor and files fewer felony indictments. It is worth noting that her office also achieves a higher percentage of successful outcomes at trial.

Parisa’s extensive experience as a public defender and a lawyer with the Innocence Project, coupled with her current role as the leader of one of the most successful reform prosecutor’s offices in the country, has equipped her with the ability to develop creative and effective reforms that improve our justice system.

The Incredible Shrinking T-Zone

Delegate Marcus Simon Editor,

The area under consideration for development in the Falls Church City Transition Zone (T-Zone) has shrunk like a cheap sweater in a hot dryer. Originally small, it is now miniscule. The June 5 staff report to the Council removes tracts of land around Park Avenue, North and South Washington Street and the East End from consideration for near-term development and gives them an uncertain future in an uncertain plan. This was reinforced this past Friday when the City announced that its June 26 T-Zone Walking Tour would be a tour of just two blocks on Park Avenue. We share the goals of creating more affordable housing and lower price points for entering the housing market, but there is far more opportunity to achieve these goals in commercial business districts than there is in the small parts of the T-Zone still under consideration.

The residents of the Broadway have listened to the concerns and ideas of our neighbors and have come up with an approach for our area that will preserve the park-like setting of Park Avenue and allow small-scale residential development. We submitted a plan to the City Council last week calling for a T-TH (TransitionTownhouse) District. Townhouses of the scale that the City is recommending in its June 5 report can provide an appropriate transition between larger developments and residential neighborhoods on Park Avenue. The City has five residential districts and three business districts. A new T-TH District can create new small housing units at lower prices and gain broad support throughout the City.

Fred Thompson