Last Minute Letters to the Editor

Questions of Integrity

To the Editor,

Recently, many voters in Herndon, Sterling and Oak Hill received a flyer in the mail which questioned my integrity. In particular, my opponent in this election literally called me a liar and questioned my support for mandated insurance coverage of autism. After thirty years of public service, I've learned to have thick skin. Not everyone will agree with me 100% of the time. People won’t always see eye to eye and can have legitimate disagreements over political issues without resorting to personal attacks.

But this latest attack piece goes too far in attacking my character. What’s worse is that he chose to use such a personal issue, affecting many children and families in our area. We’ve seen this type of politics dominate our recent national elections, move across the Potomac into Virginia politics, and now start infecting our local public discourse. I would encourage the people of Sterling and Western Fairfax to reject the politics of personal destruction when they are given the choice on Tuesday. 

Anyone looking for more information can go to my website at www.TomRust.org for more details about my record and position on the issues. They can also read some information from the Virginia Autism Project about my support for mandated insurance coverage.

Sincerely, Thomas Davis Rust

Delegate, 86th District

A Real Denouncement?

To the Editor,

In the past two weeks, I have received quite a bit of campaign literature, and David Poisson’s campaign mailers are in a league of their own. I received his campaign’s mailer with lies about Tag Greason’s business going bankrupt about two weeks ago. They are referring to the company Cable and Wireless where Mr. Greason was employed, he neither owned nor ran this business. Sadly, the most shocking mailers I have received have been from a PAC called “A Strong Majority” run by VA House Majority Leader Ward Amstrong (D).

These vile mailers, which have sexually explicit language in plain view, have turned up in mailboxes across the 32nd district three times over the past week. Mrs. Greason has received at least one of these mailings and I am hoping her children did not get to the mailbox before she did.

It is never acceptable to sent smut through the US Postal Service. I have talked to many people about this mailer and the reaction has been the same across the board, Republicans and Democrats alike believe this mailer is wrong, disturbing and reprehensible.

After the third mailing, David Poisson put out the following statement:

“This week a flier was distributed to homes in eastern Loudoun County, referencing a story regarding my opponent that first appeared in the September 23, 2009, issue of the Loudoun Independent. My campaign was in no way responsible for the production or distribution of this flier, and I unequivocally denounce the fact that it was produced and distributed.”

Mr. Poisson denounces that it was produced and distributed while promoting the fact that the Loudoun Independent printed a story on this lie. There is no warning or apology to children about the language. If Mr. Poisson had any courage or decency this “denouncement” would have been swift, severe and made to Mr. Greason and his family personally and before the second and third mailing.

I have a question for Mr. Poisson, do you condemn Minority Leader Del. Ward Armstrong, whose PAC authorized this mailer attacking your opponent? Do you have the gumption to take on your own party when children are being exposed to sexually explicit mail?

There are many reasons not to vote for Mr. Poisson, but foremost is that he lacks personal courage, an apology is due to the Greason Family. Moreover he lacks the professional courage to tell a PAC, run by his Majority Leader, to stop further mailings when children are being exposed to indecent material. Finally, Mr. Poisson lacks respect for parents and children. What are we to think when he offers half baked denouncements for political expediency? Don’t give David Poisson another chance to portray his lack of courage. Mr. Poisson can not stand up to his own party and he can not be trusted to do the right thing. Is this “Standing up for Loudoun, Standing up for You” or standing up for gutter politics and political cronyism?

Cathy McNickle

Sterling

A Distinguished Record

To the Editor,

During his first two terms in office, Delegate David Poisson has distinguished himself with his innovative ideas on education and his progress on improving local roads. But even more importantly, he has proven himself a thoughtful, compassionate legislator who listens and responds to our concerns. Whether his constituents worry about getting stuck in a parking lot at Northern Virginia Community College or paying for their children’s autism insurance, David Poisson listens and provides solutions.

David “gets it” when discussing the links between an efficient transportation infrastructure and protecting our economy and job base—for ourselves and for our children. His understanding that small businesses continue to be a key driver of our recovery has earned him the endorsement of the National Federation of Independent Business.

Most importantly, his moderate centrism and unstinting professionalism continues to be an asset to our representation in Richmond, where working across the aisle has become the rarest of skills.

For these and many other reasons, Delegate Poisson will have my vote on November 3rd.

Greg Friedmann

Ashburn

Stuttering to the State House?

To the Editor:

Should a stutterer be Governor of Virginia? More importantly, why should we be asking this question in 2009? Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds, Democratic candidate for Governor of Virginia, has been criticized repeatedly, even mocked, by his opponents for his hesitant, halting, sometimes stumbling speech. His critics have attempted to interpret this as an inability to articulate ideas, and have implied that Deeds lacks the qualities necessary to be Governor.

Deeds has been a stutterer for his entire life. However, much more information about stuttering now exists than existed in the 1960's, during Deeds's boyhood. Emerging therapies for speech fluency disorders, and the formation of organizations, such as the National Association of Stutterers, have raised the level of consciousness about stuttering and its treatment. Research has shown that approximately one in 20 children suffers from stuttering at some point in their development, and that boys are about three times as likely as girls to stutter. These days, speech therapists and pathologists recognize that stuttering is a disorder that can be helped or even cured through early intervention , but not much can be done to successfully treat stuttering later in life.

As a young boy growing up in rural Bath County, Virginia, in the early and mid- 1960s, Creigh Deeds did not have access to or the benefit of research or treatment, let alone early intervention. What he most likely did have to deal with was a prevailing attitude of sympathy and embarrassment for stutterers, teasing from other kids, and interruptions by impatient adults. However, in spite of the challenges he faced, to his credit, Deeds graduated from law school, campaigned and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, where he spent nine years as an effective and major player, sponsoring landmark legislation such as Megan's Law. Later, Deeds was elected to the Virginia State Senate, where he has remained an effective legislator, working, among other things, to close the gun show loopholes that contributed to the Virginia Tech shootings.

Rather than viewing Deeds's stuttering as a weakness - a flaw that somehow disqualifies him from being our Governor - we should commend Creigh Deeds for overcoming his personal challenges. He has not used his speech difficulties as an excuse or a crutch; he has not felt sorry for himself or asked anyone to feel sorry for him. To the contrary, Deeds has proven that he is made of tough stuff. Deeds is a man who, as Governor, will be able to stand up to the challenges of our current transportation, education, and economic problems. With Deeds at the helm, Virginians can feel secure that our Governor is a man who will guide our commonwealth through the storm to a brighter future.

Marlene Barney

Sterling

Deception in the Mailbox?

To the Editor,

As the mother of four children, I find myself constantly trying to teach them right from wrong. Most of the time those setting a bad example for my children are their peers--kids their own age. But now I have discovered another distraction from what is right, and that is the campaign materials we receive from Tag Greason and the Republican Party that my children have been taking from our mailbox. 

While I struggle to teach them that calling another person a liar is not proper behavior, I see those very same words in bold letters being thrust into my home completely unsolicited. I find these materials quite ironic, as Tag, a man I have never met, is running for office as an adult, but behaving just as bad as the unruly and undisciplined bully that all parents want to keep their children away from. Under a banner of “traditional values”, these same people are resorting to name calling and false accusations. In my traditional upbringing, it was not honorable to call a man a liar, even if he was suspected of telling untruths. Those were simply “fighting words” and not appropriate for people with a true moral compass. I am confused as to why Tag Greason and the Republican Party (my own former party) find it necessary to knowingly tell untruths about their opposing candidate, Delegate Poisson, while calling Poisson the liar!

As an informed voter, I investigate all the accusations I can, and have no patience or understanding for someone who has no regard for the facts in an effort to score cheap political points. Quite honestly, I don’t care about an old accusation from his military days, nor do I care if someone pays taxes late (some mortgage companies routinely pay taxes late, but my own personal investigation and conversations with the Tax Assessor reveal that Mr. Poisson has only owned property here since 1995, and has NEVER been late paying property taxes. What I care about is a proven track record, how mature they are, and what they can do to help their constituents. I know personally that David Poisson has always been responsive and extremely helpful in the past. My only experience with Tag Greason has meant having to explain to my children why some men seeking to be charged with looking out for their best interests are behaving like immature bullies. I guess calling people liars is a new and regrettable norm for some politicians (Joe Wilson anyone?) and at least one political party.

Tag Greason previously sought David Poisson out as a mentor whom he respected. Without Poisson’s mentoring, it is unlikely Mr. Greason would have had the knowledge to run for School Board. Imagine seeking out and receiving mentoring from an individual whom you claim to respect, then turning around and calling them a liar. Not the example I want for my children, nor the type of representation I want in Richmond.

Carolyn Ronis

Leesburg

Deeds, Not Words

To the Editor,

The Loudoun Times-Mirror's primary stated reason for endorsing Bob McDonnell in the Governor's race is that his transportation plan "offered specifics." Having read McDonnell's plan quite thoroughly before choosing a candidate, it is my opinion that many of McDonnell's "specifics" range from impossible to irresponsible. In contrast, Deeds has offered an honest, practical, and proven framework for achieving the desired ends.

No true fiscal conservative could support McDonnell's plan, which uses bonds as the only guaranteed source of additional state revenue. That means debt. Our country is currently carrying an obscene amount of debt because the last President and GOP-dominated Congress went on a spending spree while cutting revenues. I am a fiscal conservative, which means I used to be a Republican. Personally, I am not comfortable living large and passing the bill to my children, but anyone who hasn't had enough borrow-and-spend government need not fear, vote Bob McDonnell into office and, if he can get the legislature to go along, Virginia can borrow-and-spend, too.

The Times-Mirror highlights a few of McDonnell's unlikely suggestions for funding the debt he proposes:

(1) Privatizing state-owned liquor stores. This idea never made sense to me. Why would a businessman buy a liquor store if it wasn't going to make money in the long run? Seems like selling the goose that lays the golden eggs, especially when we consider that taxpayers still have to pay to regulate these stores. Selling off long-term assets for short-term gain, while taking on additonal financial responsibility, is not good business. Perhaps there is some sort of end-game here that I am not perceiving, but it looks like a long-term loser to me.

(2) New Revenue Growth. A hopeful plan to allow transportation a share in "new revenue growth" at a rate of at least 1% of new growth above 3 percent. First, that formula requires new revenue growth to exceed 3 percent before transportation gets a dime, which won't happen any time soon, and, second, this is actually something that must get through the legislature, which may never happen.

(3) Off-shore drilling. Setting aside the long-term cost to our coastal environment and tourism, and even passing over the question of whether there is enough recoverable oil there to bother (optimistic scientific projections guess that there's enough to run our country for nearly three days), let's get right to the money question: how soon would we see revenue from this endeavor? In 2007 the Interior Department said it would be at least a five-year process, and the process has not even begun. Given the broad coalition of businesses and citizens opposed to this idea, odds are strongly against it beginning before our next governor leaves office.

The only criticism offered of Deeds plan was that "we need more immediate action and selecting and convening a commission will waste too much time." Will it take more than five years? Oh, that's right, McDonnell doesn't need to have a revenue source before he spends it. He assures us that some pie-in-the-sky future possibility will save us from financial reality before it's too late -- sort of an adjustable rate mortgage for the state of Virginia. To me this is the exact kind of thinking that told us the Iraq War would pay for itself. Remember how they had all the numbers and charts ... very specific.

Meanwhile, Deeds has revealed himself to be the fiscal conservative in this race. He has proposed zero-based budgeting and an Efficiency Improvement Office similar to the program in Texas that has saved that state nearly $1 billion a year. This is what my family does when times get tough, we cut unnecessary spending rather than look for assets to sell or borrowing against our children's futures. That's because fiscal conservativism engages in long-term planning rather than short-term wishful thinking.

Interestingly, the Times-Mirror's endorsement makes no mention of the capacity of the candidates to deliver jobs in Virginia. Since the candidate they've endorsed has made the claim that he is uniquely qualified to do this, it would have been appropriate to outline why this is the case. I have been unable to identify any action McDonnell has undertaken in his nearly 20 years of government service that has produced a single job. Creigh Deeds, on the other hand, can honestly point to tens of thousands of jobs his actions have helped save or create. Show me, don't tell me. Deeds, not words.

Terri GlassBroadlands