In addition to riling up the base for the 2020 election, this Second Amendment sanctuary movement is normalizing the notion of  massive resistance across the Commonwealth, and like the astroturfed anger behind the Tea Party in 2009, there’s more to this than meets the eye.
 
One that starts with the Republicans oft-stated desire to shrink Government down to a size where it’s small enough to “drown in the bathtub.” Along with their general antipathy to government having any role in promoting the common welfare, contemptuously labeling everything they don’t approve of as ─ communism or socialism.
 
Counties, who have passed these 2A resolutions, are willfully putting themselves in direct conflict with the states Dillon Rules. Nor is it likely that our supervisors thought about the possibility that their resolution would not survive court challenges, wasting money defending their actions.
 
Or that their actions would force the LCSO and the Commonwealth Attorney to choose between obeying local resolutions, or state laws. Or as people are predictably injured and die because of their refusal to enforce existing laws, that the county would be defending avoidable civil liability cases.
 
The ability of well-funded front groups like ALEC, AFP, etc, to provide Republicans around the state with the necessary talking points, and logistical support is something most people are unwilling to talk about just like the first rule of “Fight Club.”
 
With that in mind, it would be interesting to learn how the Chair and/or the County Administrator arrived at the unusual decision to hold this past Monday’s BOS meeting at the Betty Queen Center, and not the County Administration building. Did they had have advance information, coordinating the venue with the organizers of this astroturfed gathering?
 
No matter how you slice it, this meeting was an object lesson in how to use “weapons of mass distraction” to coordinate an organized mob with techniques that are far more effective than most people are comfortable acknowledging.  

What the previously mentioned groups like ALEC, AFP have in common is their shared goal of ensuring their corporate sponsors have "a voice and a vote" on specific changes to laws and ordinances is how they render government unable to function, except to further those interests.
 
And locally, another lesser-known group, ACCE lead by Culpeper’s Jon Russell has been busy training and electing candidates to local offices across the country. How many of Virginia’s Supervisors, school board members, and county officials have gone through this ideological indoctrination … I mean training isn’t something we’re likely to find out, unless some whistleblower steps forward.
 
Based on their actions over the past few years, it’s clear that several members of our Board support these libertarian goals, and from all appearances are doing everything they can to ensure that Louisa County government stays focused on promoting those interests.
 
While it’s not clear how long this 2A fever will last, it’s clear that our Boards willingness to go along with the notion that massive resistance is good governance is something that citizens of Louisa County should pay close attention to.
 
Because it’s a smokescreen, one that allows unscrupulous local officials to exploit the confusion they helped engineer as a pretext for ideas, like Michigan’s emergency manager laws, that lead directly to the contamination of Flint’s water supply.
 
If the people of this county are looking for something to channel their energy into besides meaningless resolutions, they should follow how the Louisa’s BOS handles development in Zion’s Crossroads and Ferncliff, and especially the James River pipeline project. 

Jon Taylor
 
 

Last night the Louisa County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution based on a public hearing in which many more people spoke in favor of the resolution than against it. At the close of the hearing, Supervisor Duane Adams spoke glowingly about what a wonderful example this was of democracy in action.

Over the course of the past year, there have been public hearings and speakers during public comment periods about the regional business park planned at Shannon Hill. Almost every speaker was opposed to the business park and yet the Board passed it. Where was democracy then?

I think in the case of the business park those opposed were labeled as a group who did not represent the views of most of the residents. Despite the large turnout, I would contend that those who spoke in favor of the resolution last night were even more representative of a group not speaking for most of the citizens.

If the Board purports to be listening to the people, maybe they need a better system than listening to the side who imports the most and the loudest. It’s a good way to get attention, but it’s not democracy.

I would suggest that a referendum would be the way to find out what the people of Louisa want on both of these issues.

Mary Kranz

Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the December 5th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

In thinking about the impact of the recent Board of Supervisors approval of the 2nd Amendment Sanctuary Resolution, I found myself reflecting on my experiences as the Democratic candidate for the House of Delegates. I learned and heard a lot while out on the campaign trail. No one, no voter and no candidate, suggested that the General Assembly of Virginia should go into people’s homes and take away their guns. I did hear a lot about REAL issues that our neighbors in Louisa need help with, including lack of access to doctors and healthcare, lack of public transportation, and the need for access to affordable high-speed internet. I believe the most important point of view I heard at the doors of Louisa voters was one that came from across the political spectrum.

That point of view was and is a frustration with the divisiveness in the United States of America today. I’ll quote from some conversations: “Bring us together.” “Do whatever you can to stop all this silly name-calling and fighting”. The citizens who talked to me wanted politicians to steer clear of actions that would further divide us, and to find real solutions to real problems we have – not to manufacture issues that lead to us taking sides and further dividing us.

Whatever you want to call us – democracy, republic, representative government – our governing bodies are supposed to take action based on what we know and what we want and need. There are gun regulations that are constitutional and should be acceptable to all reasonable citizens. A 2017 national poll showed that universal background checks are supported by 94% of Virginians.

We know, based on scientific research, that universal background checks and Extreme Violence Protection Orders, commonly called Red Flag laws, save lives. The citizens of Virginia are not currently protected by these laws. They have been proposed for consideration during the 2020 General Assembly and have already been enacted in many other states, successfully undergoing judicial scrutiny about their constitutionality.

I hope we can recover from this divisive idea of localities calling the shots for themselves without consideration for the constitutional processes for questioning laws. The approval by the Louisa County Board of Supervisors of the 2nd Amendment Sanctuary resolution takes us in the wrong direction.

Let’s understand that we are all in this world and this life together. My dad would say we have to work together like his team of mules – we have to figure out how to “gee” and “haw” together if we want to get anything done. And that’s what the people of Louisa County told me they want – that their elected officials get things done that benefit us, not divide us.

Juanita Jo Matkins
Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the December 5th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

In recent years, we’ve been hearing the term “fiscal conservative” without taking the time to understand what it really means. On the surface, the impression is that claims for this label represent some lofty ideal that benefit the financial status of the public and that the individual wearing this title is actually interested in the financial well-being of all constituents – whether they understand any financial mechanisms, or not.

It is unfortunate that not enough people are curious or concerned enough to ask the relevant questions of anyone who frivolously throws out those words without any understanding themselves. On a national level, we see that the national debt ($22 trillion) and the national deficit ($1 trillion) are outrageously high in spite of protestations to balance the budget under the banner of “fiscal conservatism.”

The measures that produced that mountainous debt can be attributed to the so-called “trickle down” theory of economics. (If only at the time Reaganomics was being foisted, someone would’ve said, “It’s only a theory,” we might have been much better off with wealth distribution.)

I only mention “trickle down” because it isn’t financial benefits that flow downhill; instead, it’s the abuse of fiduciary responsibility that’s passed on to plague the citizens of this country, state by state, until it reaches the levels of remote rural places like Louisa County.

There’s a long enough list of members of the board of supervisors who claim to be fiscally conservative – but we have to wonder what it is that they are talking about.

Consider what the board has been doing with high-dollar projects that rely on the James River water supply and ask how fiduciary responsibility is preserved. If being fiscally conservative in Louisa County means having a balanced budget, then there are some questions to be asked – and answered.

 • What is the real commitment, in dollars for the James River water supply?

• Why is the board making decisions without having a clear understanding and resolution with the Monacan Indian Nation?

• Why is the board speculating with public tax dollars on high-risk projects that rely on the James River water supply?

• What is the real financial deficit to the Louisa County budget when all the financial commitments have been factored in?

• When can the citizens of Louisa County expect to start paying for the board’s decisions to be “fiscally conservative” not only in projects related to the James River, but for all other county projects as well?

I would prefer that the supervisors be fiscally responsible, if that’s possible. Just by itself, this new term implies a sense of fiduciary accountability that is missing from the misnomer currently propagandized.

Instead of favoring developers and the “benefits” they provide, the board should be striving to enhance government for the rest of us.

Joe Mikolajczak

Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the December 5th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission

Editor’s Note: As many of Blue Louisa’s readers know, we have synergistic relationship with the Culpeper Dems and Persisters and have been re-posting their members letters to the editor for several years. Occasionally, we post those letters alongside contrasting ones from the far right to give those letters greater context. So with out further ado.
 
Spanberger's record should be analyzed accurately

Regarding the Nov. 24 letter “Spanberger has joined with liberals and should be replaced,” Raymond Bender writes a letter criticizing U.S. Rep. Spanberger (D-7) for joining Democrats. In fact, Rep. Spanberger joined with a group of conservative Democrats with backgrounds in national security and law enforcement to belatedly call for an investigation of the actions, circumstances and individuals involved in delay of aid to Ukraine.

In their serious and thoughtful Op-Ed these six U.S. Representatives spoke from their experience and concerns. They did not recommend impeachment, but an investigation, similar to a grand jury process. Only after a thorough review of facts does a grand jury recommend charges or decline to do so. The grand jury process is a cautionary one, designed to prevent an emotional or vindictive pursuit against an individual.

To assert Rep. Spanberger should be replaced from office on the basis of misunderstanding the current process is ill-conceived.

Other than those who trade in the stockmarket—in which only a small percent of Americans participate—where is the economic prosperity of which Republicans speak? If unclear and demonstrably false Republican talking points continue to be repeated, Rep Spanberger will successfully win re-election, and continue her outreach to constituents and efforts for positive change she has demonstrated since entering Congress.

M. Campbell
 
Abigail Spanberger is working hard, accomplishing a lot for constituents

On Nov. 24, a letter to the editor titled “Spanberger has joined with liberals and should be replaced,” criticized U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-7) but neglected to look at her record as our Congressional Representative. I would encourage everyone to visit her Congressional website, https://spanberger.house.gov/# and review her many accomplishments.

Rep. Spanberger works nonstop to support her constituents in the 7th Congressional District. Spanberger and her staff have resolved over 600 cases for constituents who had problems with a federal agency. With the help of her office, nearly $600,000 has been returned to constituents who had struggled to obtain funds that were rightfully theirs. She has held public town hall meetings in all ten counties of her district and is beginning a second round of town halls to maintain an open dialogue with district residents. Why not go to the next town hall in Culpeper or another location nearby and hear what she has to say?

Congresswoman Spanberger listens to her constituents and takes appropriate and measured action. She conducted a healthcare roundtable and has toured health facilities and free clinics. She worked in a bipartisan manner to move legislation through the House, including the recently passed bill (H.R. 2115) to make prescription-drug price negotiations more transparent and address the affordability crisis of prescription drugs.

She also worked on another bipartisan bill to speed up the process of getting generics of patented prescription drugs to market faster. She sponsored legislation protect the development of 5G capabilities and the integrity of our future elections. Spanberger has met with farmers, educators, and small business owners and has advocated for their needs and interests in Congress.

Spanberger is a conscientious and hard-working member of the House of Representatives and does not seek the limelight of national media or make rash or incendiary statements. She takes her responsibilities seriously and stands by her oath to defend and protect the Constitution.

I wish those who serve in the executive branch would do the same.

Peggy Kenney
 
 

The front page of last week’s edition of The Central Virginian shows us just how Looney Tunes things can get.

A 16-year-old allegedly shot and murdered one Louisa County resident and wounded his wife, while our board of supervisors is considering a resolution making Louisa a sanctuary county for firearms.  

Can anyone tell me how those two articles are compatible? Sure, there’s a lot of fear of what that new government majority will do, but let’s not knock out our front teeth with a massive knee jerk.

There’s a lot of quoting the Second Amendment, specifically “… the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”  But that’s the second part of the amendment. 

The whole amendment reads, “A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”  

So are we to believe the 16-year-old was part of a well regulated militia?  Who trained him, who taught him, who regulates him?
 
This is like saying the Ten Commandments say “…commit adultery,” leaving out the qualifier “Thou shalt not ...”!

I’m a gun owner, shooter, hunter, veteran and former National Rifle Association member (before the NRA decided there was more money in politics than in training young people how to be safe with firearms). I see no problem with waiting times and federal regulations regarding fully automatic weapons. I have no problem with cross-relating forms of abuse, mental illness, crisis intervention and the like resulting in the confiscation of weapons. 

I have a real problem with having our board of supervisors passing meaningless, unenforceable resolutions.  It’s a stunt.

Larry Zemke

Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the November 27th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

Beyond the fearful rhetoric; what Supervisor Duane Adams is really proposing with his call for the Board to declare Louisa County a “Second Amendment Sanctuary,” is a return to the mentality that fueled the massive resistance movement against school desegregation in the late 1950’s.
 
Judging from the comments on the Central Virginian’s FB page, it’s clear many see themselves as proud “resisters” against a conspiracy to deprive them of their rights, when a confederacy of dunces marching to someone else’s agenda is closer to the mark.
 
Less obvious, is the reality that NRA and VCDL propaganda is driving this astroturfed movement, and state and local Republicans are openly exploiting it. Since losing the General Assembly this past election, they will no longer be able to abuse their majority to kill common sense legislature in unrecorded committee votes.  
 
And their decade’s long legacy of under funding our schools, favoring corporate interests over their constituents, and suppressing voter turnout with no consequences has come to a abrupt halt.  Rather than acknowledge that reality, Republican's have made it clear that they are unwilling to work with Democratic Party leaders, and have chosen to undermine not just the General Assembly’s ability to function, but local government as well with distractions like this.   
 
Determined to dial those fears up past 11 in county after county, hoping it will propel them to electoral victory in 2020, a majority in the General Assembly in 2021, along with manipulating the emotionally triggered into helping them maintain their stranglehold on rural county Boards across the state.
 
Speaking of fear, reportedly some Supervisors have been told on no uncertain terms, that if they didn’t support this, that the local Republican Party would run candidates against them. While that’s certainly their prerogative, such tactics have consequences. 
 
Starting with irreparably damaging what little trust exists between the board members on an already sharply divided board. Should the Board “get along to go along,” and pass an unenforceable resolution with no legal standing, they will have set themselves down a path of violating  the Commonwealth’s “Dillon Rules.” And should it be challenged in court, it will ensure that the County wastes taxpayer money defending the indefensible. 

The Board of Supervisors has no legal or moral justification for supporting obsolete notions like nullification, and massive resistance to legislation that has yet to pass the General Assembly. 
 
While such “we ain’t going to take no shit” attitudes may resonate with the local yahoo’s, in practice passing this resolution is far more likely to ensure results like last weeks story about 16 year old with mental health issues, due to a lack of legal jurisdiction.
 
Shame on Mr. Adams for foisting this travesty on the citizens of Louisa, and shame anyone who supports these antediluvian notions, and for allowing fear to control their actions.  
 
Jon Taylor
 
Editor’s Note: This is an expanded version of a letter submitted to the Central Virginian for their upcoming November 27th issue.

The Nov. 5 election completed Virginia’s progression from red to blue, although not in Culpeper or its neighboring counties. For the first time in a generation, Democrats took control of both houses of the General Assembly.

Republicans fought this election with their usual vitriol and misrepresentation, while rarely offering problem-solving proposals.

During the time they controlled the General Assembly, Republicans blocked most meaningful legislation aimed at practical solutions to serious problems, usually by not allowing it out of committee.

After only 90 minutes, they shut down the governor’s special legislative session on gun violence in response to the Virginia Beach shootings and relegated any action to a commission. Then, just this past week, that Republican-controlled commission issued a mere three-page report without any recommendations.

Political observers note that Virginia Republicans outside Northern Virginia have been stepping to the right and boosting narrow partisanship at every opportunity.

Culpeper Republicans censured GOP Sens. Emmett Hanger and Jill Vogel, and even removed these candidates’ names from the Republican sample ballot mailed out across the county. Furthermore, the Culpeper Republicans made every effort to advertise down-ballot candidates as Republican, even though Virginia ballots do not list party designation for offices below House of Delegates and state Senate.

This ill-advised partisan labeling does not well serve our local community. For example, a School Board member is also in charge of Culpeper Republican party campaign events, including staging demonstrations for President Trump, instead of focusing on improving our local schools.

Culpeper Republicans are now characterized by Corey Stewart’s brand of Republicanism: immigrant-bashing, gun-loving, women’s healthcare-controlling, trash-talking, Trump-lionizing, and the like.

Del. Nick Freitas, who is on the libertarian side of the conservative spectrum, is equally in limbo. He had hoped to position himself for a congressional race in 2020. Emerging from a hard-right small county in the northern part of the 7th Congressional District will not help him in the suburbs of Richmond, regardless of how much money outside libertarian millionaires put into the race.

Democratic control of Virginia House and Senate committees means Culpeper’s five Republican legislators could be isolated, impacting the farmers, businesspeople and families they represent. If these lawmakers fail to find practical ways to influence legislation, such as adopting a veneer of bipartisanship, as Loudon County Republicans have done, they will be ignored.

While Culpeper Republicans are on the outside looking in, the new legislature will work on important issues that have not been addressed in years.

Passage of the Equal Rights Amendment may be first on the list. It is unsettling that full citizenship rights for women and freed African-American slaves have required specific constitutional protections.

Virginia’s formulas for funding of rural schools should come under scrutiny. Reducing gun violence by enacting expanded background checks and red-flag laws should be a top priority. There will be no legislation that takes away anyone’s guns.

We should see continued support for the bipartisan constitutional amendment that will create Virginia’s first-ever redistricting commission and, hopefully, end gerrymandering in the commonwealth once and for all. Culpeper voters would welcome this. Many found this last election confusing because the county was divided into three state Senate and two House districts that required 17 different ballots.

Elections have consequences. Culpeper Republicans may be right that change is coming. The new Blue Virginia will be significantly different, and that’s what most Virginia voters want.

David Reuther

Editor’s Note: this originally appeared in the Culpeper Star Exponent and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

We need change in Richmond. I believe that change is voting Juanita Jo Matkins into office.
 
Living in the richest country in the world, we should all have the opportunity to become prosperous. That’s not what we have right now. The evidence of this is the vast disparity between the billionaire class and the many who work more than one job and still can’t afford the basics. Something is not working and it’s not because people are lazy.
 
It’s because a lack of education, especially in early childhood, can prevent a person from obtaining the necessary tools to succeed. It’s because poor health and medical emergencies can destroy a family’s savings and cause them to lose their home. It’s because too many jobs do not pay a living wage. The children suffer the most and the cycle continues.
 
Having to choose between medicine, food and housing puts a person in a situation none of these proud billionaires (who claim to have made it on their own) would be able to extricate themselves from. And yet some members of the House of Delegates and Senate voted last winter against bills designed to alleviate this situation, both in the areas of health care and education. Instead they voted for House Bills 1027 and 2260 and Senate Bill 1674, all of which undermine health insurance by allowing insurance companies to insure healthier people separately. Those healthy people aren’t always going to be so healthy. Then what?
 
These members also voted against expanding access to pre-k education, where inequality starts, as well as against providing additional funding to low-income school districts in order to close achievement gaps. (House Bill 1700-136 #3h and #10h)

We need a delegate who believes we can all prosper if we have access to the tools. Vote for Juanita Jo Matkins. She has been in the trenches. Having taught school for 20 years in Louisa County, she has seen promise die in young minds for lack of needed supports. She knows what would have prevented these tragedies. She will work for solutions to these problems and move us toward a society that works for all of us.
 
Sara Macel
 
Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 31st edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission

I’m voting for Juanita Jo Matkins for delegate next Tuesday, Nov. 5th, and I hope you will too.
 
Her heart and mind will be on the job of bringing the voice of the people of Louisa to Richmond. She will be focused on solving the problems facing us here. She knows our district and she understands rural issues, such as lack of internet. She will spend her time and energy working on our problems.
 
Our legislators are only in Richmond for a short time each year. But that doesn’t make it a part-time job. It takes year-round work to find solutions to the problems facing the citizens of the Commonwealth. Juanita Jo will be spending her time between legislative sessions hard at work for us. Being recently retired, she has the time and has publicly committed to representing us in Virginia’s General Assembly for the full term of service.
 
Juanita Jo Matkins has lived in Louisa for over 40 years. She taught school in Louisa for 20 years. She grew up on a tobacco farm. She not only understands our needs, but she also knows how to work in a bipartisan way to solve problems. We need her voice in Richmond.
 
Dan Patton
 
Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 31st edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

Culpeper has become a more modern, educated and diverse community than the rigid radicals the Culpeper GOP touts for office. It has been trending “blue” in the past three elections. Culpeper is anything but a Republican county.

Many fine candidates are up for election this Nov. 5. Virginians almost always run as independents rather than with party labels, as is appropriate where community issues are at stake.

The divisive, extreme politics that have been perpetrated by the current occupant of the Oval Office and his worshipers, including those right here in our community, have no place in Culpeper.

Republicans recently posted on Facebook, “I’d Rather be an American than a Democrat,” and “Keep on Trumpin.’ ” Seriously? This is not the way patriots do business.

If you want to keep Culpeper from returning to the dark ages, you will vote for real community activists and public servants such as: incumbent Paul Walther for commonwealth’s attorney, incumbent Terry Yowell for commissioner of the revenue, Denise Whetzel for treasurer, Tami Coughlin for Salem supervisor, Kathy Campbell for East Fairfax supervisor, Gary Deal for West Fairfax supervisor, Paul Bates for Catalpa supervisor, and Ed Dunphy, Pat Baker, Anne Luckinbill and Barbee Brown for School Board, Thomas O’Halloran and Dennis Verhoff (write-in candidate) for the Soil and Water Conservation District, and these four people for the Town Council: Frank Reaves Jr., Meaghan E. Taylor, Hank G. Milans III and Jamie M.D. Clancey.

And finally, vote for C.J. Johnson for sheriff, for obvious reasons.

In the state legislature, Culpeper deserves better than the five Republican incumbents who have ill-served us for many, many years. This means you should vote for Ann Ridgeway, Laura Galante, Amy Laufer, Ronnie Ross and Annette Hyde. They are all community-oriented individuals running for office based on local issues and the needs of our residents.

Mike McClary

Editor’s Note: This originally appeared in the Culpeper Star Exponent and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission, and has been edited to include a relevant graphic.

Jon Russell’s columns in the Culpeper Star-Exponent are always insightful. In his Oct. 27 column [“Republicans, our future hangs in the balance”], his call to vote should be heeded by one and all. 

Russell warns that if Democrats win a couple of seats, Virginia will have one-party rule. Missing is the fact that we have had one-party Republican rule for over two decades now
.
That is why financing for public schools has fallen 8 percent in a decade. That is why there is no broadband, no gun-safety provisions even after the Norfolk massacre, why children are being killed in their homes because of unsecured guns, why the prices of insulin and other medications are soaring, and why hospitals can charge outrageous fees and sue people into bankruptcy.

Russell writes the Republican voter should not “monkey around with voting for candidates who are Democrats or even independents.”

God forbid you vote for an independent candidate, someone with an open mind.

Apparently, problem-solving is not as important as maintaining political rigidity. That is why two Republican candidates who have part of their districts in Culpeper are not included on the Republican sample ballot.

Republicans seek a red wall of ideologically motivated candidates from state Senate down to School Board. At this moment, one of our School Board members is the Culpeper Republican campaign manager and is in charge of President Trump rallies.

Is that what we want for the School Board, for the Town Council, perhaps the Board of Supervisors?

Republican candidates in Loudoun County and other areas of Virginia are moving toward the center to attract votes. In fact, it is axiomatic in democratic politics that as political parties become evenly balanced, more effort goes into finding common ground. Don’t build this wall.

David Reuther

Editor’s Note: This originally appeared in the Culpeper Star Exponent and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with thee communication model, I’ll try to describe it quickly and give a brief explanation of how it should work, especially with the Louisa County Board of Supervisors.
 
The sender is the board, which has about 95 percent of the responsibility for making sure that the message gets communicated to the public with as much understanding as it can collectively muster. Even if there’s incomplete understanding, that’s relevant for the public to know.
 
It’s been made painfully obvious by the board itself that it has little understanding of substantial issues brought up for its deliberation. This factor itself is significant and deserves much more attention than the supervisors are willing to give.
 
The message is the information that the board is supposed to provide the citizens. That includes things like financial reports, status of projects, projections about growth, school system, public safety and other matters. All these things are important to us because we have to pay for them, and we are impacted by the decisions of the board, which they make on our behalf—not for us, as they claim.
 
Most important is that the message is accurate, both from the perspective of facts and how the board processes those facts.
 
There’s a serious gap that the board keeps making wider. That gap is noise and there are several possible reasons for that mindset. One being the self-impression that the board thinks it should be omniscient—which will never happen—and any display to the contrary would be a sign of weakness. Another is a mental state of arrogance that more actively pursues the myth of omniscience.
 
The medium is the board meetings that the public is “graciously” allowed to attend, and this is where the problem begins. For the supervisors, we are an impediment to their actions.
 
As the receiver in the communication model, we have the remaining responsibility— about five percent—to be open-minded and receptive to new projects. The board prefers we remain ignorant, uninformed and gullible. That would create fewer complications and distractions from whatever its unstated mission really is.
 
The final piece of the communication model is the feedback that interferes with board activities. There is at least one very effective means of disrupting the feedback mechanism—ignore the public comments. In fact, it works so well that the board uses it consistently to confound the efforts of the citizens.
 
If the board was less intent on deflecting the legitimate concerns and comments of the public, the result would be a meaningful dialogue leading to a constituency satisfied with the performance of our elected officials. Instead, we have supervisors who cajole the citizens into participating with a government that only intends to rebuff them for their efforts. The board is nowhere near fulfilling its share of responsibility in the communication model. I wouldn’t even give it five percent based on its actions.
 
Status quo is what we have in Louisa County. The board ignores what we say, does what it wants and sets us up for another round of ignoring us.
 
If the only thing we do is complain about what the board does—like we have been doing—we’ll keep getting the same results. Some people have mentioned that the pressure should be kept on the board. Well, maintaining that pressure has done precious little to change the board’s strategy of ignoring the public.
 
I hear very little about increasing the pressure to get government for the rest of us.
 
Joe Mikolajczak
 
Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 31st edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

As a small business owner, I support Juanita Jo Matkins for 56th district delegate to the Virginia General Assembly. I’ll tell you why.

One of the main obstacles facing someone who wants to start his or her own business is the cost of health insurance. It’s hard to give up a job that provides health insurance when you are also taking all the other risks associated with stepping out on your own; especially if you have a family.

Juanita Jo believes that every citizen should be able to go to the doctor and access quality, affordable health services. She’s committed to standing up to big pharmaceutical companies by refusing their campaign contributions and finding a way to put an end to the skyrocketing prices of insulin and other prescription drugs.

Another reason that I, as a Louisa business owner, support her is that businesses need employees who are educated and have skills to do things. Juanita Jo is a strong supporter of career and technical education. She will fight to fully fund public education from preschool through college.
Having an educated work force is one of the things that will make Louisa a better place to start a business.

I have known Juanita Jo for many years. These are not empty promises—when she plans to do something she will follow through. She gets it done.

Christine Stanley

Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 24th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

Politics today is all about the fight and not the issues. I don’t think that politics is the place for fighting but for solving problems. In our democracy, we elect candidates to represent our interests, not be our favorite on WWF fight night.

We are facing serious problems that need to be resolved for our continued well-being. Some of us lean conservative and some are progressive. Our solutions should be a mix of those perspectives. We need candidates who may have different views but are willing to compromise to get things done.

I know and love the Louisa community. I’ve lived here for over 30 years. There are things we can all agree on, regardless of our politics. I want to recommend two state candidates who can help solve issues that concern us here in Louisa.

Education—Both candidates are experienced educators who have worked as teachers. One is a university professor and the other has served on a local school board. Both believe that good schools and education are drivers of stable, prosperous communities. They support quality K-12 schools, expansion of trade schools, expanding community colleges, and keeping our state universities strong. They are strong advocates of making education accessible and affordable for Virginia students.

Affordable health care —Whether it’s the cost of prescription drugs, pre-existing conditions or affordable premiums and reasonable subsidies, both candidates believe we can find solutions to make accessible, affordable health care a reality for Virginia families.

Rural Broadband—Reliable internet access is a strong driver of economic growth for large or small businesses, home businesses or people working from home, which many Louisans do now. Many residents use telemedicine instead of visiting specialists in the city, like my husband, who regularly uploads heart data to his cardiologist. Technology resources are part of our school curricula. Louisa County High School students have laptops to take home, but many students are without internet access. Most jobs now require technological and internet skills. Students must have these skills to get and keep a job. Both candidates are strong supporters of expanding rural broadband and have spoken publicly about finding solutions at the state level, working across party lines to make that happen.

Rural Life—Both candidates grew up on farms, one on a dairy and the other helped raise and train horses. They both know rural life and the importance of farming to our Central Virginia community. They also realize the Internet is a part of modern farming. These candidates grew up around guns and hunting and they support the Second Amendment. Like many gun owners, they realize that commonsense laws can help keep the most dangerous weapons away from those who want to kill themselves and others. Background checks are a reasonable requirement to help prevent mass shootings before they happen. As your Louisa County neighbor, I ask you to vote Nov. 5th for Juanita Jo Matkins for the 56th district House of Delegates seat and Amy Laufer for the 17th district State Senate seat. You may not agree with them on everything but they will work hard on those issues to keep our county and state prosperous and strong.

Joanna Hickman

Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 24th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission

Juanita Jo Matkins is the person we need representing us in the House of Delegates. As a former Louisa County school teacher, she will be a strong advocate for our schools and will work hard to lower prescription drug prices. She understands that better broadband access is vital to the future of Central Virginia.

But more importantly, Juanita Jo will represent all of us in Central Virginia, not just follow the dictates of one political party. I have seen Juanita Jo travel all over the 56th district this past year. I have seen her listen to all of you tell her your concerns for your families and community and I know she will carry these concerns with her to Richmond.

We have all grown used to hearing campaign promises and are tired of those promises being forgotten once the election is over. Juanita Jo will not let you down. I worked with her over the past few years, before she decided to run for office, when she was working to register new voters. She was relentless. Each person she met was treated with respect and dignity. Whatever the need of that person, she did everything she possibly could to help them. Juanita Jo is genuine. She really cares and when she is elected to the House of Delegates you can believe Louisa County residents will not be forgotten.

Kathy Itzkoff

Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 24th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

When you vote for a candidate, how do you make your choice? So many of the issues can be argued logically from either side. They are complicated issues. If you have a job and family, how do you ever have the time to delve into the details so that you can see who has the better solution? Most of us go with the party we’ve always been aligned with or ask our social and church communities for guidance.

If you are looking for a way to make your own choice, one idea is to follow the money. Unfortunately, candidates need a lot of money to fund a campaign and to get their voice heard. TV ads, Facebook ads, signs: all that costs a lot. All other things being equal, the candidate with the most money wins. Sad but true. Where does the money come from? It stands to reason that, when elected, a candidate will have to make policy decisions favorable to their largest donors if they want to be reelected. Sad but true.

So I look at who the major donors are to see what a candidate will do once in office. Did Dominion Energy write a big check? They have written quite a few. And that just might be why the General Assembly keeps making decisions that help Dominion’s bottom line, rather than the bottom lines of the customers paying their electric bills. How about the pharmaceutical industry and our drug prices?

Rather than accepting corporate donations, Juanita Jo Matkins is raising money one small donation at a time, from individuals who believe in her. That means she’s working for us, not for the big money people. She understands that politics isn’t so much about left versus right but big versus small.

That’s why I’m voting for Juanita Jo Matkins for 56th District delegate.

Mary Kranz

Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 24th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.
 

Tuesday November 5th is Election Day and you get to exercise your right to vote. One of the races is our 56th VA District Delegate seat and our candidates are Juanita Jo Matkins and John McGuire

Juanita Jo has lived, worked and raised a family here in Louisa County for 40 years. As a teacher here for 20 years, she understands the role our school system plays in educating our youth and preparing them for their future and the future of our community. She has lived through the recession of 2008 which saw public education funding by the State of Virginia plummet.

She supports expanding funding for public education including trade schools and returning it to the 2008 levels.  Juanita Jo supports significant expansion of rural broadband for our citizens.  She has been a witness to the civil rights movement here in Virginia and the organized stall of the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) by the Republican Party.  Juanita Jo believes all Virginians should have a fair chance and supports the passage of the ERA.

She believes corporations too often buy their way into the political process at the expense of rural citizens.  She does not accept contributions from large corporations. She believes every citizen should have access to quality and affordable healthcare and supports the expansion of Medicaid, and  has spoken at hundreds of events and is open to meeting and speaking with you.

Her opponent is “No Show” John McGuire. You see a lot of his signs but seldom see him or hear him speak. John is not from these parts and he had to rent a place in the 56th District to qualify to be a candidate in the 2017 election.

In Henrico and Goochland, McGuire has great broadband and cannot quite relate to our problems.
He has not supported Medicaid expansion in Virginia and has voted consistently against it. McGuire has refused to commit to raising our State financial support for education to 2008 levels.

John introduced and supported the ERA until he discovered Virginia Republicans opposed it! Now he is a staunch opponent and voted to kill it in com

“Equality of Rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex” That’s it!  Very straight forward! No hidden meanings! 

McGuire does a photo op with the Girl Scouts in the morning and denies them equal right in the afternoon!    I don’t understand how any woman could support those who oppose the ERA.
What has McGuire done in his first term? Not much!

He voted against prohibiting texting while driving (twice) and against increasing the age for purchasing tobacco/vaping, and twice voted against the ERA.  Look at his donations – Dominion, Pfizer, TitleMax, Hospital Corporation of America, beer, wine and liquor distributors, tobacco distributors, auto dealers’ association, building contractors, and other lobbyists.

Follow the money!  They want a return on their investment from McGuire!

I will vote for Juanita Jo Matkins on Tuesday November 5th and I urge you to do the same!

Gary Schatz.

Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 24th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

As you head to the polls on November 5th, there are a few facts voters should consider. 

For years, Republicans have represented Louisa County in the General Assembly, and for years; our schools have been under funded, common-sense gun-safety and suicide-prevention legislation, and the opioid epidemic and unaffordable health insurance crisis were ignored.

It was only after the 2017 Democratic Blue Wave, which saw the Republicans go from a near super majority (66-34) in the House of Delegates down to a razor thin 51-49 margin that the Republican controlled General Assembly finally passed health care providing 400,000 Virginians with affordable health insurance they did could not get before.

Now that they are about to loose control of both the House and Senate in the General Assembly, count on these politicians to do everything they can to cling to power, including lying about their records, as Bryce Reeves has done with two short term Health Care bills, SB1240 and SB1674
Or that if re-elected, they will continue to do everything possible to block any reform while blatantly misrepresenting their actions.

Meanwhile, Democrats like Amy Laufer and Juanita Jo Matkins are committed to fighting for more money for our rural school districts, getting the broadband infrastructure that rural economies need, increasing funding for mental health and drug treatment.

These Democratic ladies won’t be for something one year and against it the next, unlike their hypocritical counterparts, they will maintain their commitment to passing the Equal Rights Amendment, and will push for improved mental health services, and dealing with the opioid crisis in our communities.  

And like our local Sheriff and Commonwealth attorney, our Republican representatives view these issues as additional opportunities to be punitive … I mean “get tough on crime,”  while doing nothing to address the underlying issues.

If you want to see real meaningful change in the Virginia’s General Assembly, please cast your vote for these Democratic ladies; Juanita Jo Matkins as your 56th District Delegate and Amy Laufer as your 17th District Senator.
 
Jon Taylor  
 
Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 24th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been reposted with the author’s permission.