Opinion

A Bristow homeowner’s group asked all incumbents and candidates for your Board of County Supervisors to state their positions on five contentious land use cases: Prince William Digital Gateway, Devlin Technology Park, John Marshall Commons Technology Park, Potomac Technology Park and Bristow Campus.

Predictably, five incumbent supervisors declined to respond. They were Ann Wheeler, Kenny Boddye, Margaret Franklin, Andrea Bailey and Victor Angry. These are the same five supervisors who voted against a resolution to prevent “lame duck” land use votes. Do I detect a trend here?


Opinion

Since then, we have seen our education system destroyed and money wasted on an Equity Department that does nothing but pit our children against each other based on the color of their skin.

We have watched the school board do everything within their power to take parents out of our children’s education while they push gender ideology and anti-racist rhetoric in the classroom.


Opinion

“I believe we have one of the greatest school systems in the country, and I’ve been proud to serve as chairman of the school board. We have made significant improvements in student success, safety and security, space and infrastructure, and salaries.”

But, has he and the other Democrats on the PWC school board actually made significant improvements to Prince William County Public Schools?


Opinion

Ann Wheeler’s anxiousness to schedule a vote on the controversial Prince William Digital Gateway rezoning before the Planning Office has even completed its review is hardly surprising. She has been in the tank for this project from the outset, and her blatant subservience to corporate masters was largely responsible for her electoral defeat.

Now shift the focus to her accomplices, who have thus far evaded the same level of accountability.


Opinion

Reading his pearl-clutching letter, I couldn’t help but think of the quote from an infamous propagandist: “Accuse the other of that you are guilty.” After all, this is coming from a representative of a political party which has utilized every dirty trick in the book to obtain and hold on to electoral power, even going so far as to personally attack election officials and the very seat of our democracy itself – and has the glass house audacity to accuse by innuendo a political opponent of resorting to vandalism of signs.

His evidence? Her opponent – gasp – has placed signs in the median instead of private property. Well, Mr. Hartwell – since these were on private property and we live in a time of video doorbells and floodlight cameras, I say release this footage of these so-called perpetrators of these vandalisms instead of relying on worthless meaningless accusations.


Opinion

An article was published entitled, You’re literally setting her up for failure’: Parents accuse Prince William Co. schools of neglecting special education responsibilities.  In the article, parents are accusing PWC schools of giving good grades in order to pass children through the system rather than educate them.

How many negative reports on Prince William County Public Schools do we have to read to realize it is past time to replace the current school board with more educated-centric leaders and vote out the ‘woke’ crowd who are willing to go along to get along despite the damage it is doing to our children.


Opinion

I certainly hope it’s a coincidence that at the same time Woodbridge Supervisor Margaret Franklin’s signs appeared in Woodbridge, nearly 10 of her opponent Jeannie LaCroix’s signs were vandalized, ripped down, stolen and even run over by a truck.

In stark contrast to Supervisor Franklin’s signs, most illegally placed in VDOT right of ways, Ms. LaCroix’s dozens of signs in Woodbridge District are all placed on private property with the permission of the landowners.


Originals

These words encapsulate exactly why the board chamber was FULL of residents for the July 11 vote on Resolution 23-365. Over 1,000 residents – from across the county – wrote to the board in support of that resolution – 908 petitioned via click-to-send email, and more than 100 others sent personal email messages. More than 100 also spoke at the meeting in favor of the resolution.

Mary Ann Ghadban, instigator of the Digital Gateway data center corridor application and Pageland Lane homeowner, wrote and published those statements in multiple local newspapers on the day of the board’s vote. Her group is exactly one that should NOT be given preferential treatment by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors with their votes.


Opinion

“Companies seek Prince William as a development destination rather than economic development officials luring them in, Winn said. The economic development office simply helps companies become established once they’ve received the green light from elected officials.”

Winn also “said the that election’s results bear no impact on how her office plans to conduct business moving forward.” That aligns with Chair Ann Wheeler’s apparent intent to ignore the electorate and continue her overly solicitous attitude toward the data center industry unfettered. Her fealty to the lords commerce transcends any obligation to those she was elected to represent.


Opinion

The July 17, 2023, letter to the editor seems to assert that because I do not agree with policies that some constituents put forward, I am being uncivil. Civility has to do with the way we communicate and treat each other as people, not our policies. 

For those who have watched the Board of County Supervisors meetings, it will be recognized that I have almost always acted civilly to staff and public speakers.  I say almost because there was one instance when a public speaker put up a picture of me that included my daughter, and that crossed a line for me, which I hope is relatable to every parent out there.


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