Letter to the Editor

LTE: Delgaudio Recall Petition Premature

A Sterling man who plans to vie for the Sterling supervisor seat in 2015 opposes move by Loudoun group.

As a publicly declared candidate for Sterling Supervisor, I have been made aware that some individuals or groups may be considering circulating a petition to ask the Circuit Court to remove the current Sterling Supervisor, Eugene Delgaudio, from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. In my opinion, circulating such a petition at this point in time would be premature, and a bad idea for the following reasons:  1. Mr. Delgaudio is currently under criminal investigation by a special prosecutor. Asking for his removal now could risk interfering with that investigation. Under Virginia law, removal petitions require a prosecutor to prove the grounds for removal, such as misuse of office, to a Circuit Court judge. The Loudoun County …

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Letter to the Editor

LTE: Future Opponent Asks Delgaudio to Resign

A potential candidate for Sterling supervisor has requested the current office holder step down during investigation.

Although Eugene Delgaudio presently retains the title of Sterling Supervisor, he is the Sterling Supervisor in name only. He is currently under investigation by a Commonwealth's Attorney for violating board policy, as well as campaign finance violations. He also now has been stripped of all of his committee assignments on the Loudoun Board of Supervisors, a measure Delgaudio himself even voted for – obviously, he is not able to defend his own actions, even to his own colleagues. The reason that I am running for Sterling Supervisor is because I think the Sterling District has been poorly represented on the Board of Supervisors by Mr. Delgaudio. During his tenure, he has disrespected the residents of the Sterling District, he has …

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Letter to the Editor

LTE: Leadership Needed in Wake of Newtown

A local Patch reader weighs in on the ordeal.

December 14’s massacre of 20 children and 6 adults in Sandy Hook Elementary, a Connecticut-based elementary school by a deranged 20-year old has left not only our entire country shaken, but our entire world. What would possess a young man to take such horrific action? As a parent, my blood ran cold when the news first broke. These families that lost loved ones will never be “OK.” For the rest of their lives, they will feel pain and loss every day. Nothing will ever fill the void that has been left. Every day will be filled in some capacity with sadness and grief. I actually searched for some sort of guidance on leadership during a crisis like this. There were dozens of articles on how to lead in “tough times” – times of economic …

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Letter to the Editor

LTE: OpenBand Lawsuit ‘Absurd’

Lansdowne residents says ‘E’ is for ‘Egregious,’ ‘Extortion’ and ‘Ethics.’

The absurd action by OpenBand (OB) in which it has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and other parties concerning the board's recent decision not to renewal its franchise (as reported in the Loudoun Times Mirror on Oct. 11, 2012) should come as no surprise to anyone! Instead of OB recognizing and accepting the fact that the majority of its subscribers are fed up with its dismal service and trying to settle their legitimate gripes in a fair and equitable manner, OB turns around and files a massive lawsuit against the very government body, of which two of its members went "over and beyond the call of duty” in their effort to assist in resolving. And talk about the "pot calling the kettle …

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Letter to the Editor

LTE: Board Needs Code of Ethics

Former LWV voter services chair calls on supervisors to adopt past guidelines for behavior.

Dear Editor, In 2007, Loudoun County’s reputation was in tatters. The Washington Post published a series of articles that called into question the ethics of the Republican Board of Supervisors. There were allegations of corruption and first-hand reports of an FBI investigation. This was not a pleasant time to call Loudoun County home. At the time, as Voters Services Chair of the Loudoun League of Women Voters, I began to work on a committee that included Supervisor Jim Burton and his wife Lina Burton and Senator Mark Herring. We drafted a Code of Ethics that the Board of Supervisors could adopt to increase the public trust. I don’t need to agree with every decision my elected officials make, but as a taxpayer and voter I expect the highest…

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Letter to the Editor

LTE: Tell Delgaudio, Enough!

Phyllis Randall calls on Loudoun GOP and public at large to renounce the Sterling supervisor.

There are times when the private behavior of our public officials is so egregious that it compels censure from leaders of their own party. The hateful statements and actions of Sterling Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio and the hate group he heads present us with just such a time. January 18, 1990, was the day I felt it was morally necessary for me to loudly, clearly and without reservation say “enough.” That, of course, was the day the Mayor of the District of Columbia was finally arrested for his ongoing illegal behaviors that were not just harming the political party I belong to, but more importantly damaging the African-American community and the community at large. Many in my party and my community chided me for speaking out against Mayor …

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LTE: George Allen Counters Kaine on Social Security

The Republican U.S. Senate candidate responds to opponent's Letter to the Editor

Throughout my public service, I’ve understood that leadership is about setting priorities and then finding others to agree on accomplishing those goals for the people of Virginia. As Governor, I worked with a legislature controlled by Democrats to set priorities from reforming education to cutting taxes to establishing welfare to work to better help people succeed in life. And I believe that is the same kind of leadership we need in Washington today to strengthen Social Security for future generations.  This week, my opponent Tim Kaine published an opinion article on Social Security. There are areas in which we agree, including that Social Security is a crucial part of our nation’s commitment to securing seniors’ provision and protection …

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LTE: Stop Tollmageddon

One reader suggests Virginia should revoke MWAA’s operating permit for the Dulles Toll Road.

There are two things that can be done to avoid the problems ahead for commuters and residents around Route 7 between Sterling and Tysons Corner. The first solution: Virginia must retake the Dulles Toll Road (DTR). Secretary Sean Connaughton on April 14, 2012 said the state was so unhappy with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority that it would rather finish building the Silver Line itself. “We are actively evaluating whether we can take the project over. These guys [MWAA] are a disaster,” Connaughton said. “We’re at the point, quite honestly, where we think we could potentially do it better, cheaper, faster.” The Virginia Department of Transportation controls the Operating Permit for the DTR and could revoke that permit based on a…

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LTE: Kaine Highlights Position on Social Security

The Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate talks about the future of the government retirement plan on 77th anniversary.

For 77 years, Social Security has benefited millions of seniors and provided a secure retirement future for our parents, our grandparents, and our most vulnerable. This week, we celebrate the anniversary of one of the most successful programs to ever be enacted, recommit ourselves to strengthening Social Security for future generations, and renew the promise of generations before us that no American should slip into poverty after a life-time of hard-work.   When Social Security was signed into law, more than 50 percent of all American seniors lived in poverty. Today, that number is 10 percent in Virginia. It’s not a coincidence. Since 1935, Social Security has been an invaluable part of our social fabric and provided a stable future for …

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Letter to the Editor

LTE: Metro Sacrifice Brightens Future

A reader responds to those who say the project costs too much.

I can’t help but ask myself, are we still Americans?  I hear people complain about taxes, complain about spending money on a project that will benefit all of our community, the Metro. I hear them concerned with what Metro is going to cost them personally. It seems these days we are all for something until that something costs us something. Once we see we have to make sacrifice, it seems we lose interest. I want to ask, in this week before we celebrate our country’s independence, where would this country be if we always thought like this. Would we have even won our independence if we had decided it was going to cost us too much? Would we have stayed on the sidelines and never fought to free Europe from the forces of the Germans? What if …

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