Prince William Times: “Deshundra Jefferson, the Democratic nominee for chair of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, envisions a county with more affordable housing, that attracts more businesses to reduce residential tax bills and offers programs to keep youth on the right track.”
“Jeanine Lawson, the Republican nominee, envisions a county that restores former protections to the ârural crescent,â repeals the 4% meals tax and provides more funding to hire police officers to crack down on rising crime.”
Press release: “[Eileen Filler-Corn, a Democrat] Virginiaâs first woman and first Jewish person to serve as Speaker of the House of Delegates today made the following statement announcing her intentions to run in Virginiaâs open 10th Congressional District, currently represented by Rep. Jennifer Wexton.”
âFirst and foremost, I was truly devastated to learn of my friend Jennifer Wextonâs recent diagnosis. Jennifer has served Virginia selflessly both in Richmond and Washington. She is an incredible person and a stalwart representative for her constituents. Her work is improving the lives of so many in our commonwealth and our country. Bob and I are continuing to pray for her and her family.
âI am also continuing to fight relentlessly in these remaining 20 days until November 7th, working arm-in-arm with many thousands of Virginians determined to ensure that Democrats regain the majority in the House of Delegates and keep our Virginia State Senate majority in order to protect and expand our historic progress at the state level.
Wexton said she won’t seek a fourth term in the 10th Congressional District, in western Prince William and Loudoun counties, after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of Parkinsonâs Disease.
While still serving in the House of Delegates, fellow Democrats inexplicably removed Filler-Corn from her leadership role as Democratic Leader in 2022. In March 2023, Filler-Corn said she would not seek re-election to the seat, representing portions of Fairfax County.
Prince William Times: “Jim Gehlsen, the Democratic candidate for Brentsville supervisor, pleaded guilty to tax fraud in 2000 and spent a year in federal prison. More than 20 years later, he continues to have strong feelings about the IRS, saying he was âharassedâ by the federal agency and that its actions âprovokedâ his crimes.”
“In an interview with the Prince William Times, Gehlsen, 69, called the IRS âterroristsâ and repeatedly said he was âtortured and terrorizedâ by the federal agency. Gehlsen said he is running for the Brentsville District supervisorâs seat in part because he believes Prince William County âdoes tax terrorism as well.â
Derrick Anderson For Congress: "Today, Derrick Anderson announced he is running for the Republican Nomination for Virginiaâs 7th Congressional District."
"Derrick Anderson is a native of Spotsylvania County, was in the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Tech, and received his J.D. from Georgetown Law.He is a former Special Forces 'Green Beret' with 6 tours of duty overseas."
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September 22 is the start of early voting. To prepare yourself, you need to know where the candidates stand on the issues. Some candidates seeking your trust donât think itâs any of your business.
A Bristow homeownerâs 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 âlame duckâ land use votes. Do I detect a trend here?
Notably, they didnât say they supported these projects either.
You can draw your own conclusions about the reasons for their evasion, but at a minimum it indicates an arrogance of presumed exemption from accountability. Why would you vote for anyone with such an obvious disregard for the electorate they are supposed to serve? If you canât get an answer from someone vying for your vote, how responsive do you think theyâll be should you be foolish enough to elect them? You may have already learned this about the five holdouts.
A recent Inside NOVA editorial lambasted Chair Ann Wheeler for her decision to consider contentious cases during the âlame duckâ period. Now her ducklings wonât even tell you where they stand.
Use your imagination, then use your vote.
Bill Wright
Gainesville
The Center Square: “Virginia Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton said Monday she will not be seeking reelection, citing health concerns.”
“The third-term Democrat previously announced she was battling Parkinsonâs Disease and receiving treatments. After further testing amid unresponsive treatment, Wexton disclosed she had been diagnosed with Progressive Supra-nuclear Palsy, type-p. The congresswoman said the disease is characterized as ââParkinsonâs on steroids.ââ
Dr. Kim Mehlman-Orozco came out swinging against Prince William County School Board Chairman At-Large Dr. Babur Lateef during the first, and so far, only debate in the race to lead Virginia's second-largest school division.
The author and research scientist who has appeared on the Fox News Channel proved to be a tool for the Prince William Education Association, which is engaged in collective bargaining with the school division for higher teacher pay. Throughout the hour-and-a-half debate, Mehlman-Orozco demanded teachers be paid more and offered little opinion or insight into the other questions posed to all three candidates.
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Amy Ashworth was on the ropes for most of a political debate between her and challenger Matt Lowery, each vying to run the Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney's Office.
The incumbent Ashworth (D) has been taking heat from Lowery (R), a career prosecutor who worked for Fairfax, Prince William, and Spotsylvania counties, turned defense attorney for the increased rate of violent crime in Prince William County -- up 70 percent since 2019, the year voters chose Ashworth to be top county prosecutor.
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“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.â
But, has he and the other Democrats on the PWC school board actually made significant improvements to Prince William County Public Schools?
In terms of graduation, the divisionâs on-time graduation rate dropped to a new six-year low. His COVID policies led to a learning loss that sent math scores tumbling farther than others in elementary and middle school and seemingly lasting into high school. Last year, just 50% of the divisionâs graduates met college readiness benchmarks in math, down 54% from the previous two years.
We watched Babur Lateef shut down parentsâ concerns and tell us exactly who he believes has the preferred pecking order:
“God, Teacher, ParentâŠ.in that order.â- Babur Lateef.
Parents come last. Hear his comments here.
When a FOIA request was processed regarding text messages from the School Board, the findings were disturbing. In tweets with Katie Olsen-Flynn, Babur Lateef said:
âWell, I have always said that, and I have maintained CRT is what we are doing here. I am trying to get to the vote as quickly as possible. I donât believe in transparency or public discussion.â
When Lateef was asked about his comments, he replied:
âIt was a joke,â and as far as the parents who attended the school board meeting expressing concerns over what their kids were being forced to learn and mask mandates, Lateef replied:
âI think a lot of people just wanted a YouTube moment of them getting dragged out.â
Does this sound like a leader who is interested in working with parents?
The school board, led by Lateef, also tried on several occasions to limit public comment time at a point when parents began objecting to the new policies pushed by the Democrat-led school board.
Lateef did not hesitate to support mask mandates in schools under Governor Northam (D), yet when a Republican Governor changed the policies, he joined forces with other Northern Virginia school boards to obtain restraining orders in order to maintain mask mandates in schools.
Now, when Governor Youngkin has changed policies on boys in girlsâ showers, bathrooms, and sports, Lateef chooses to ignore the new policies. Why did Lateef and his fellow Democrats on the Prince William County School Board only decide to follow orders from a Democratic Governor? I thought the school board was supposed to represent our schools in a nonpartisan manner.
Babur Lateef, chairman of the Prince William County School Board, tells WTOP, âWe are looking at the legal implications of the new VDOE rules. But let me make one thing crystal clear. All students come first in Prince William County Schools regardless of their race, religion, or gender, or sexual orientation.â
While Lateef would not go so far as to predict his jurisdiction â or a group of Northern Virginia school boards â would sue the Youngkin administration, this would not be the first time they had joined forces. In February, an Arlington County judge granted seven Virginia school districts a restraining order against Gov. Glenn Youngkinâs ban on mask mandates.
And of course, we cannot forget the comment made by Maria Burgos, Director of PWC Office of Equity and Inclusion, when asked about Critical Race Theory and Marxism in Prince William County Schools:
âWhen You understand a Marxist Framework then youâll understand how itâs used in education.”
Listen to her comments here.
Isnât it time to change leadership on the Prince William County School Board? Shouldnât parents be partners in the school system? Yet under the so-called leadership of Babur Lateef, it has become obvious that he and the other Democrats on the board are determined to shut parents out when it comes to the education of their children.
Itâs time for change.
Leigh Bravo
Gainesville
Potomac Local News aims to share opinions on issues of local importance from a diverse range of residents across all our communities. If you’ve recently spoken at a Board of County Supervisors meeting, send us a typed copy of your remarks for publication to [email protected].
Ann Wheelerâs 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.
The transformation of Prince William County into northern New Jersey cannot be completed without the willing assistance of Wheelerâs four obedient sidekicks: Kenny Boddye, Margaret Franklin, Andrea Bailey and Victor Angry. Is there an independent thought among them? What will they do without their den mother?
And what about our new County Executive Chistopher Shorter? Was he hired to serve the people or enable our lame duck chairâs undemocratic tactics? Heâs got just a few months to show us before he answers to a new Board that may have a very different view of his expected role.
As for our volatile Planning Office, youâd need a scorecard to tell whoâs running what on any given day. Thatâs less their fault than the leadership theyâve been saddled with, but it is long overdue for a planner with backbone to emerge and assert some degree of professional integrity. They are clearly being rolled over.
Will we trade the tenuous promise of tax reductions for a county no longer worth living in? Those with means will flee, but those tied here by jobs, families and limited resources will be stuck living in the Wheeleritesâ new industrial wasteland.
Bill Wright
Gainesville
Potomac Local News aims to share opinions on issues of local importance from a diverse range of residents across all our communities. If you’ve recently spoken at a Board of County Supervisors meeting, send us a typed copy of your remarks for publication to [email protected].
![Matt Lowery [Photo: Mike Beaty]](https://www.potomaclocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Lowery-mike_beaty_photo-1.jpg){kind=link}