To the Editor:
Nov. 3 is election day for our Alexandria, and it is a pivotal election.
The question we all must ask is, where is our community headed? Our traffic continues to get worse, planned developments are being implemented without residents being consulted, our property taxes and rents are increasing, and more headaches are on the way. While I like several of our currently elected officials, I strongly believe that we need a change in leadership and a diversity of views.
For too many years Alexandria’s City Council has been saddled with the same party in control. This one-party-rule infects city planning because as the saying goes, power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Here is how Alexandria’s one-party-rule absolute power corrupts absolutely: Many important issues are simply not discussed by the City Council because any motion presented by a dissenter — most often, a person like Allison Silverberg serving as the voice of the people — is not taken up because it is voted down 6-to-1. Existing rules require that there needs to be a “second” to get a motion discussed, but one-party-rule votes as a slate, squashing any dissent.
Nov. 3 is our time to vote in the opportunity for us — the people — to be heard again. It is time to end one-party domination of the City Council and City Hall. It is time for us Alexandrians to stand up and say: Enough. We want important issues discussed, we want our neighborhoods to be heard and respected. We do not want to be ignored any longer.
That is why I am joining – and I encourage others to also join – in voting not for a particular party, but for people who will represent us – Allison Silberberg for Mayor, and Bob Wood, Van Van Fleet, Monique Miles, and Fernando Torrez for City Council.
We can make a difference.
Michael Sauls
Alexandria