Race for Winchester Hall
Frederick News Post columnMonday, October 30, 2006
By Joe Volz
For a variety of good reasons, it has been the long-held policy of The Frederick News-Post Editorial Board not to endorse any candidates for public office.
But I am not an employee of The News-Post -- I am an independent contractor -- nor do I speak for the paper in any way.
So, this morning, I will tell you whom I am voting for in the five-member county commissioners race under no delusion, however, that I will have any impact at all on who wins or who loses. This is just one man's viewpoint and you are welcome to yours.
I am voting for Lennie Thompson, Kai Hagen, Richard Floyd, David Gray and Jan Gardner. Their leading supporter, the Friends of Frederick County PAC, calls them the "There's Hope for Good Government Team."
The first letter of each word is the first letter of the last name of the candidates. Clever, huh?
The THFGG slate. Try spitting that out a few times. The "Cady Can" slogan is much more clever.
But this election, which will shape the landscape of the county for decades to come, is too important to be decided by slogans, sound bites or big signs.
The Hope slate offers, well, hope.
Hope that relentless bulldozers can be tamed. That growth can be planned and controlled by county officials, not the developers. That the county can retain its charm without turning into another clogged Montgomery County. That Frederick officials can show more foresight, and insight, than those who are turning affluent Loudon County into a nightmare.
Four of the Hope candidates have thoughtful approaches to managing growth in a reasonable way. The first thing they want to do is re-evaluate the shortsighted New Market Region Plan which would, eventually, inundate a delightful historic town in the name of progress.
Two of the incumbent commissioners, Mike Cady and John Lovell, are big defenders of the plan, which would allow 12,000 more houses in the next decades -- and create massive traffic jams equaling anything our neighbors in Montgomery County have inflicted upon themselves.
We have time to avoid MontCo's mistakes -- but not with Mike Cady and John Lovell in Winchester Hall.
Kai, Richard, David and Jan are our best chance.
Now how about Lennie?
Why am I voting for Lennie, who has a 19th century approach to land development?
He's against development. Just about all of it. That is not reasonable, although it is popular with many voters who seek to stop the hands of time.
Yet we need a curmudgeon, a man is a white suit, who will raise questions -- a lot of them. And with a four-person majority advocating reasonable growth, Lennie will not be able to stop all growth, however much he would like to.
Lennie tells me he just might play nice and vote with the Hopers -- at least some of the time -- even if he is not in complete accord with their wishes.
Lennie serves another important role. He is the conscience of the board in many ways. He wants more information about the professionals who represent developers -- like who they are, who is paying them and how much.
Lennie would like to see the county's comprehensive plans honored. There are too many "exceptional" cases where decent zoning is tossed out the window in the interests of helping the developers make a buck.
Our colleagues down the street at The Gazette advocate electing John Lovell and Charles Jenkins, two pro-growthers, to the board along with Jan, Lennie and Kai.
To my way of thinking, all that will do is assure gridlock at Winchester Hall. We have enough gridlock on the county's streets now. Why create more?
What do you think?
Jvolz2003@adelphia.net
WHY I'M VOTING FOR KAI!
Gary Nelson
Mt. Airy, MD
Kai Hagen is the real deal. He genuinely believes the average citizens of Frederick County should have a meaningful say in the way their communities grow. He knows we can't just leave it up to the developers and politicians to make all the decisions. When Kai first learned that I was concerned about the way decisions about growth were being made in Mt. Airy, he immediately began to supply me with information about growth and...
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