At an open house meeting on Monday, Supervisor Elaine McConnell (R-Springfield) shared the spotlight with the commander and chief. As a time-out was taken at 8 p.m., all eyes were focused on the television airing President George W. Bush's speech.
When the open house resumed, the president's speech, including an apparent green light for an attack on Iraq, dominated thoughts in the cafeteria at West Springfield High School.
Before the meeting, McConnell was trying to make the best of it, squeezing both her agenda and the international situation in.
"We didn't know about it until late," she said. "We'll try to get this presentation over by 8."
In the audience, Lake Braddock seniors Derek Heinz and Josh Brown were putting in their hours at a government meeting to fulfill a class requirement.
"My uncle's in Kuwait," Josh said.
"I'm taping it," Derek said, of Bush's speech. "I have to see that. That's important stuff."
Jessica Sawers talked about an incident at school where their government teacher was stressing both sides of the conflict. He was anti-war.
"We've been talking about the issues surrounding it. We actually had fliers stuck in our mailbox for him [teacher] to stop debating," Jessica said.
ED LONG, Fairfax County chief financial officer, was McConnell's first speaker.
"I know the president's speaking at 8 so I'll be brief," he said, before going over the 54-page handout on the budget.
"It is a very difficult budget to try to put together," Long said. "The community will feel the impact."
Points of Long's talk included reducing the real-estate tax rate, the "non-residential" component [office space] and education.
"There's a whole bunch of office space out there that needs to be absorbed. Education continues to be the Board's top expenditure," he said.
One question from the audience was about the real-estate rate in Springfield, which was one of the highest rates in the county. Janet Coldsmith, with the county tax administration, answered that question with a response all homeowners are hearing through this process.
"We're just mirroring the sales that have taken place," she said.
McConnell noted the area's inability to raise taxes without state approval, namely, raising cigarette tax, lodging and dining tax, similar to what is done in the cities of Alexandria and Fairfax.
"We're boxed in by the state, we don't have any other ways to raise revenue," she said.
At 8 p.m., the television went on, and for about 20 minutes, all eyes were up front. Afterward, Capt. Dorian Portee of the West Springfield police station took the microphone following the president.
"Quite a sobering moment that we just witnessed on the TV," he said, before going over the additional police stations opening up in the county, efforts with community policing and technological advances on the police force.
"We have now gone to unconventional methods," he said, namely LIDAR [traffic speed enforcement], photo red light and Camaro Z-28 police cars on the road.
Del. Jim Dillard (R-41st) made a cameo appearance, stressing a non-Republican-type plan of raising taxes, he tactically called "revenue enhancement."
"We're the bread basket for the state of Virginia," McConnell added.