Letter: Experience Counts in City Council Election
Chairman for the Manassas City Republican Committee Steven F. Thomas encourages residents to vote for experience in upcoming election.
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On May 1st, Manassas City will hold an election for mayor and three city council members. Voters will choose between three Republican, one Independent, and one Democrat, to fill three city council seats.
In January, 605 Manassas voters attended the Manassas City Republican Convention. This was the largest attendance ever for a convention held in the city, and the attendees were from across the political spectrum. These voters were presented with five qualified candidates, who then selected Jon Way, Mark Wolfe, and Ian Lovejoy as the Republican nominees for City Council. What is important about this process is each of the nominees has been vetted by a diverse group of Manassas voters, and was found to be the best qualified to govern. e
What qualifications do either the independent or Democrat candidates have? Neither has any elected experience. Neither has served on a city board or commission, such as Planning Commission, Architectural Review Board, or any other citizen advisory board. Neither has been active in any civic organization, such as the Rotary, Elks, or Chamber of Commerce. Neither candidate has a record of engagement within the city, or any demonstrable leadership experience. Basically, their resumes are thin to nonexistent, and neither went through a serious vetting process. The Independent candidate didn’t even attend the recent candidate forum, hosted by the Old Town Business Association.
Contrast this with the Republican nominees. Wolfe and Way are currently serving as council members, and previously served on boards and commissions. Lovejoy has served on the Architectural Review Board and Family Services Commission. He also served as President of the Manassas City Schools Education Foundation. Wolfe, Way, and Lovejoy have either elected experience, board or commission experience, or both. All three have extensive resumes, demonstrating engagement within the community, and most importantly, a capacity to govern.
As you make your choices for city council, I hope you will look at the resumes of each candidate. It’s very easy for a candidate to say “elect me, and I’ll do a good job”. We are essentially hiring our local government. As with any job, experience counts.
Steven F. Thomas
Chairman
Manassas City Republican Committee
Russ Harrison
12:58 pm on Monday, April 23, 2012
It is easy to make promises. I do not understand why some people think they are ready to lead our city, when they have not yet found time to even volunteer for one civic organization. Not a PTA, not scouts, not a church, not a sports league. Nothing. Mr. Wolfe, Way and Lovejoy have volunteered their time for the citizens of Manassas and proven they are ready to lead our city. We ought to elect them all on May 1.
John Ayers
4:36 pm on Monday, April 23, 2012
It would appear that Jerry Carman pulled his comment down. Basically, he responded to the letter by attacking the author. Pathetic.
Jerry Carman
4:56 pm on Monday, April 23, 2012
I think it is quite a bit more pathetic to make a mistake and stick to your guns as a matter of pride or lack of temperance rather than to listen to a reasonable assessment and act accordingly.
Jerry Carman
4:44 pm on Monday, April 23, 2012
John,
You make an excellent point! As a person who listens to others and their merits, I have deleted the original post directing others to previous blogs. I have been told by a few citizens that it was genius and now lame to flyer cars at the convention. I have had a few calls for citizens wanting to meet and talk with me due to that flyer which was helpful. My assessment is it falls somewhere in between. Thanks for the advice...
Oh, I love pizza and have always appreciated when a new pizza company would flyer my car...maybe that is the problem.
John Ayers
5:10 pm on Monday, April 23, 2012
Mr. Carman,
First you bash the Republican Chairman, then delete the comments, then make some vague statement that means nothing to me, and even less to those who wouldn't have any context to place it within. I thought your papering the windshields a bit lame because it appeared as if you were trying to leach Republican voter support, but were unwilling to seek that support by running within the convention.
Rich Meyer
7:28 pm on Monday, April 23, 2012
In this local election I'm voting Republican across the board. Ritchie-Folks' background evidences nothing that suggests she is up to the task. Ditto Carman. Carman's views are acceptable to many but there is nothing -- truly nothing -- in his record that suggests he is up to the task at hand. This is not an election about symbols. I want a proven product so I can't vote for Richie-Folks or Carman, who are at the opposite ends of the political spectrum but who have plenty of "no experience" in common.
Marcella
8:37 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
While Mark Wolfe and Jon Way have proven their abilities to work on the City Council, Ian Lovejoy is nothing more than a pon for the Tea Party -- with the agenda to diminish funding for our children in the public schools. He is young and actually inexperienced -- he has no family or children, and is easily swayed by others in power.
Jeff
11:11 am on Thursday, April 26, 2012
Marcella, I take it you are associated with the MCPS? It kind of shows. The giveaway wasn't the suggestion that MCPS increase spending, yet is already expending one of the highest dollars per student in the US, while still producing failing results. No, It was "pon" which is not even a word. The word is PAWN.