Withhold your votes from incumbents

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Withhold your votes from incumbents
(Graphic/Jessica Kim)
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To the editor: 

The trust between Alexandrians and our city government is at an historic low. City Council reflexively votes – mostly unanimously – contrary to the majority wishes of residents and what we believe is in our interests. To get the Council’s attention, we either must go to court – as in the Zoning for Housing lawsuit and the case currently working its way through the state appeals court about the unfortunate 301 N. Fairfax St. development – or we must go to Richmond to stop bad policy, like we did to kill the Monumental Sports & Entertainment arena proposal that Council wanted to impose on us.

The same incumbents who are responsible for a Council that patronizes us, rather than listens, are asking us to reelect them on Nov. 5, with the mendacious claim that they will be change agents who listen to residents – contrary to their historic behavior. Some haven’t even bothered to campaign vigorously for the general election, apparently assuming that their primary win guarantees their reelection.

One reason that the government doesn’t work for Alexandrians is that we elect a completely at-large Council once every three years with no staggered votes. Thus, none of us has a councilor who actually represents our neighborhood, knows their local constituents and argues on our behalf.

The result is our predictable oligarchy of one-party rule that is ossified, entitled and resistant to change. Returning to a ward system would help; until we do, we’ll get more of the same imperious councilors who are the problem.

On the ballot are Council incumbents who voted for planning and development failures that an overwhelming majority of residents opposed. One incumbent is audaciously campaigning as a “listener” in a striking reinvention of herself. Another is consumed with performative, symbolic gestures and empty proclamations that support pet agendas. One is a radical social engineer who has openly told us that they want to “wean” residents from their dependency on our cars and compel us onto buses and bicycles, even if it means removing our parking spaces. Another is a perpetual no-show at events, for “get to know the candidates” articles and for candidate interviews.

Bad incumbents lead to bad government. Bad government imposes bad policy. Bad policy means we’re a city not living up to our potential.

The only antidote is to clean house on Nov. 5 and relieve most of these incumbents from their jobs by voting only for John Taylor Chapman, the only incumbent councilor who has demonstrated a willingness to listen to his constituents, and the two Independent candidates, Roy Byrd and Mason Butler.

Remember, we are not required to vote for six candidates, because that only dilutes our vote for these three candidates and ends up perpetuating the objectionable Council we have now. The way to guarantee another three years of controversial and unresponsive city government is to blithely vote for the other incumbents simply because they are Democrats.

-Jana McKeag Alexandria

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Caitlyn Meisner is the managing editor and a reporter for the Alexandria Times. She produces and oversees calendar, Times Living and column content each week. In addition to managing contributors and coordinating long-term feature articles, Meisner reports on schools, crime, City Council, School Board and other local happenings.