Election stuff

1. Spotsylvania has laid off a lot of teachers resulting in increased class sizes even in elementary schools.

Do you favor smaller class sizes in elementary school and if you do, do you support tax increases to pay for them?

2. – do you believe that Spotsylvania should have 24/7 county-wide coverage for FEMS?

If you do, how would you pay for it?

3. – If Spotsylvania has designated areas for new growth via designated higher-density, mixed-use growth – how would you fund the roads and transit needed to serve that increased development?

4. – Spotsylvania currently funds schools with about 70 million dollars in local money.  While the State and Federal government require that their funding be spent only on core academic education – the local contribution has no such restrictions.

Would you support a line item budget showing how local tax money is spent in the schools?

6. I-95 is being studied for both HOT Lane tolls north of us and other kinds of tolls south of us.

what is your position on widening / improving I-95 and how it would be funded.

Do you support tolls …or taxes.. or what other method?

7. Spotsylvania is studying a possible new interchange (or an upgrade of the current) at Massaponax.

Once the study is completed and FHWA specifies the required design – how would you fund the construction of it?

Larry, the issues in those questions are not bad, but if you keep phrasing everything as if you REALLY want a tax hike, as if someone who’s been drinking water for hours and couldn’t go to the bathroom REALLY wants to pee…. that’s a nonstarter.

This is what makes me suspicious about the forums coming up, since one of the groups has already endorsed against 1/2 the candidates. Why would the non-endorsed attend? The questions are not likely to be straightforward.

An online forum would be very positive Amy. Whatever way you guys choose to do it.

And printing everything from everyone seems very fair to me. There have been 6 rounds of endorsements- C-500, SEA, Wittman, Cantor, Bolling, SCRC. I am sure more are coming.

Let’s add another question for the candidates:

Do you believe that the county should NEVER use eminent domain for infrastructure like roads, schools, water/sewer?

I’m not sure we don’t know their positions. I feel like I know almost all their positions- but I spend an inordinate amount of time with, or listening to, all the candidates. Hearing them side by side would be more helpful. 

Hey, I vote! Actually 13 candidates running for office this year in Spotsy hail from my district (Livingston).

That’s why it’s important to have a neutral forum. Get those guys on stage and ask ‘em questions.

Larry, that’s a misleading question. I know you don’t believe this, but I actually AM the conservative you see before you, and I vote conservative, period.

My questions I ask every candidate are:

-What will you do to reduce waste and ensure accountability in government?
-Will you work to lower taxes for homeowners?
-Will you work to lower taxes for businesses and focus on bringing jobs?
-Can you increase the quality of education, PS and transportation by doing more with less?

I think in this environment, we have to start demanding government do more with less. Make it more efficient and prioritize. And that’s all levels of government. No exceptions.

Actually, I like to leave my questions a bit more open ended to see what new or innovative things candidates can come up with on their own. There’s so many more ways to skin some of these cats than we’ve discussed to this point.

so we apparently have Steve Thomas answer here on giving    substantive questions to the candidates.. eh?

apparently conservative versions of questions like “do you support smart growth and good govt” ..are the preferred questions that allow “innovation”.

Come on Steve – Spotsylvania citizens deserve to know where the candidates stand on specific Spotsylvania issues.. like FEMS, Schools, Roads and development.