The Good the Bad and the Ugly in Town Politics

It's often the case that the bad things stirs our passions more than the good. I suppose that's why the middle of the political spectrum is so well ignored by the media. And it's why those who care about doing the our Town's business day in and day out, year after year, who dedicate their lives to their hometown and to public service and engage in genuine dialogue with the electorate sometimes take a back seat to debates about the things that make us angry…things like the ugliness of unethical campaign financing, singleminded policy platforms and party politics in non-partisan local elections, or elected officials who turn a deaf ear to their constituents.

It happened to me and I wrote a whole blog on what I didn't like about the Merkel slate but I nearly forgot to say what I really like about Connie Hutchinson as candidate for Mayor of the Town of Herndon. Just look at the issues on her website  http://www.conniehutchinson.com/platform and you can see that she is a voice of reason. She understands that there are many sides to an issue and there is room for compromise.  Take the Metro Area for example - the Merkel team just wants to make it as big as possible but Hutchinson realizes there is a balance that must be maintained with the rest of the Town's character.  She also recognizes that citizen involvement is more than just checking the box when receiving public comment for Town planning issues. It means that citizens should actually be instrumental from the beginning of new plans, not an afterthought.

I encourage you to vote for Connie Hutchinson for Mayor in order to get our town back on the right track to smart growth and to maintain our high quality of life and small town character.

For Council I think that Singh, Waddell, and Mitchell, are exceptional candidates that I know enough about to say that they are reasonable, insightful, analytical, and truly have open ears to their constituents - not just a campaign throwaway line but really want to listen. None of these candidates have taken money from political PACs or real estate developers.

None of these candidates for Mayor or Council have asked for my endorsement and may not want it... but there it is.  Whatever you do, make sure to get out to vote on Tuesday, May 6!