Thursday
6
October 29, 2015
Making voting easier would miss the point By Roslyn Ryan Editor
O
h, Election Day. So quaint, so charming, so reminiscent of a time before we were able to do just about everything we needed to get done from ordering pizza to paying our electric bills via an app on our phones. As a matter of fact, voting may very well be the very last
I don’t mind being reminded that the effort I put into voting is far, far less effort than so many put into securing that right for me. thing — aside from having major surgery — that you must actually leave your house to do. Despite occasional talk about creating an online voting option in the United States (an idea nixed so far due to obvious security concerns) there is, at this time, no other option for casting your ballot other than the old fashioned way. And I am totally cool with that.
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Call me a fuddy-duddy if you must, but I doubt that I am alone in preferring that exercising my right to vote require, well — a little exercise. I don’t mind being reminded that the effort I put into voting (which includes getting in my car, driving to a location other than work or home, talking to another human being, making a few selections, and then driving home again*) is far, far less effort than so many put into securing that right for me. This coming Election Day is not expected to draw huge crowds in Goochland County, though residents here have always taken their civic duty to vote seriously. But for all the many reasons you can find to skip the polls this Nov. 3, please remember that the minor “inconveniences” you have to endure are the same ones millions of people around the world would give anything to be able to suffer. Voting is a right, and the privilege of living in a free society. Make yours count. *Which is pretty much — no, exactly — the same steps I gladly perform every Sunday morning to get a cup of coffee, the only difference being that the coffee actually costs me.
JOY MONOPOLI Publisher MELODY KINSER Managing Editor ROSLYN RYAN Editor BILLY FELLIN Sports Editor SARAH SUTTLES Sales Representative TOM HAYNIE Sales Representative For news: news@goochlandgazette.com For advertising: sales@goochlandgazette.com For classifieds: cgrant@mechlocal.com © 2015 by Richmond Suburban Newspapers. All advertising and editorial matter is fully protected and may not be reproduced in any manner without the permission of the publisher. CAC Audited Circulation: 8,300
OPINION: Editorial, Letters to the Editor
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Letters to the Editor Regardless of whom voters choose, the choice does matter
Needs of the people must be put first in all county matters
Dear Editor, Both the Goochland Democratic Committee and Goochland Republican Committee encourage all the registered voters of Goochland to come out and vote on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Goochland has an outstanding record for voter turnout. On our Goochland County Registrar’s office wall, there are three plaques. Each specifies that Goochland County led the Commonwealth in voter participation three differing years. In 2008, our voter turnout was 85.1 percent of active registered voters when statewide the average was 74.5 percent. In 2012, it was 87.4 percent when the statewide average was 71.8 percent. In 2014, it was 60.05 percent when the statewide average was 41.6 percent. In fact, Goochland County has led the Commonwealth of Virginia in active voter participation every year since 2008. Frances Ragland, our Registrar, is very proud of these accomplishments, as she should be. But we all need to have pride in what we have accomplished, whether Democrat, independent, Republican, or other political affiliation. This year it is likely that no more than 30 percent of our fellow Citizens across the Commonwealth who are registered to vote will actually travel to their precincts and cast ballots. Even though most candidates this November in Goochland County are unopposed, there are two offices which are hotly contested. There is no reason for us to be lax. In the bi-partisan spirit that continues to make our County and our country the strongest democratic Republic in the world, we enthusiastically encourage you to come to the polls on Nov. 3 and vote. Ron Reynolds, Goochland Democratic Committee Chair Ben Slone, Goochland Republican Committee Chair
Dear Editor, When I moved to Goochland County five years ago I was not engaged in the race for the Board of Supervisors and School Board. I have since come to truly appreciate the incredibly principled individuals who, while brand new to “politics”, were and are driven by the loftier motive of serving “The People”. I have also learned that there was previously a “Good old Boys” group running the County and that people felt intimidated in voicing an opinion that differed from those in power. Our Founders started this incredible nation on lofty Principles. One of the ingenious pillars employed in the building of our Nation is that of Separation of Power. James Madison wrote “The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands whether one, a few, or many...may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.” Facts are stubborn things and standing on principal is not always easy. The fact is that a candidate for Clerk of the Court is married to the Sheriff. The fact is, the Clerk’s Office employs the wife of a Judge, the wife of a Deputy, the daughter of a retired deputy, the daughter of a County official and the Clerk’s neighbor. These are all fine people, but it brings into question the correctness in having only close friends and relatives in these powerful positions. In addition, one has to question the fact that the Goochland Clerk’s office pays out hundreds of thousands of dollars more than surrounding, similarly sized counties in payroll. Is this serving “The People” or something else? Lastly, it is a state law that all ballots end up in the custody of the Clerk of the Court for safe keeping after the election! (Going from the ballet box to the Registrar, then to the Clerk of the Court!) While not suggesting anyone WOULD misuse this, the Principle stands, that this provides the potential for abuse. Friendships and allies aside, our
Founders stood on Principle regarding the Separation of Power for a reason. Respectfully, Valerie Turner Crozier
Statements made in recent letter about candidate were false Dear Editor, A letter to the editor published in the Goochland Gazette on Oct. 22 by Charlotte Whitmire contains false accusations that smacks of defamation of character of both Jennifer Brown and myself, Jean Bryant, current Commissioner of the Revenue of Goochland County. Ms. Whitmire’s letter states she has ‘heard’ of possible improper use of taxpayer’s money in the Commissioner of the Revenue’s office. I take personal offense to this statement as it defames my good character and that of my employee Jennifer Brown. Ms. Whitmire accuses Jennifer Brown of using county time and thus the county’s money to run her campaign. This is not true. In accordance with the Goochland County Employee Handbook, every county employee gets two 15-minute breaks and a 30minute lunch break during the day. I personally looked at each item included in the response to the FOIA request Ms. Whitmire refers to in her letter and from June through October 2015 I calculated less than 3 hours was spent at work on the emails and items in the FOIA by Jennifer Brown. Since each county employee gets 1 hour break time per day that is approximately 20 hours per month and for 5 months that would be 100 hours and she only spent three hours on her own personal break time on reading emails that pertained to her campaign. The county letter head Ms. Whitmire refers to was one letter of endorsement that I WROTE MYSELF for Jennifer Brown on my letter head that I use as Commissioner of the Revenue. I have received letters of endorsements in the past from state politicians on their letter head and I see Letters > page 7