Open Letter to the Citizens of Gloucester County Virginia
What an interesting meeting
The Virginia Constitution was written for us to limit the government intrusion into our lives. Have you ever read the Constitution of the United States? How about the Constitution of Virginia?
Mr. Hodges: Thank you for continuing to support smaller government and local government and taking time to update us on developments in Richmond. Just say no to the Governor’s proposal to increase Medicare. It looks good short term but we do not need any more unfunded mandates from DC.
Marinas Zoning Ordinance: Makes sense make it consistent for everyone and reduce government oversight.
17 Corridor Overlay: A good program we can do without. There is too much government in our business. The purpose was to stop business from coming to Gloucester and it worked well. Mr. Don Mitchell how can we expect our BoS to be consistent when we present a position one way in eliminating ordinances and then use an opposite argument when it affects us personally? I do not care what position you take but please be consistent. I am for less government in our business and personal lives (“For the Common Good. “) so we can grow and prosper that way the government gets more without have to raise the percent of income it takes. I have firsthand knowledge of work performed on 17 and what it cost the person to do the work. Based on this work it encouraged business neighbors to clean up and improve their properties also and that helped their businesses. I understand the cost and do not have a problem with getting rid of the excess rules. What I have a problem with is the County made upgrades to their property across from Providence Road after the 17 Corridor rules were in place and did not come into compliance. It was too expensive? How about consistency? Why does PHA to this day not meet the 17 Corridor Rules with all the changes made to their new building? How can we expect new businesses to come to the county and build to County standards if we do not require existing businesses to comply with the same rules? Was there a pay off? Good old boy network? Why are there different rules depending on who you know? Let’s get the rules consistent!
5 yr capital improvement plan Ms. Champion: We do not have a 5 yr plan? No wonder the county is so messed up. We react from one situation to the next. A 5 year plan allows you how to recognize what is important and not be jumping all over the board. If you had a good 5 year plan you would be able to tell a judge we would love to build a jail to keep you in, I mean a wall around the parking lot, but we would not do maintenance to the roof of the court house. Mr. Chriscoe do you plan to fail in your private life as well as your public life? Failure to plan is planning to fail! Are you so afraid of change that you are willing to continue to shortchange the county and not give it the best we can afford? No business or government in this day of tight funding can afford not to plan wisely. And that is what you are implying when you are against planning. Ms. Champion what a good job you did in educating the board and coming forward with this plan most saw it as the way to go. The plan will allow you to get to action not reaction. We do not need to continue to jump from one hole in the dike to the next, which is what we are doing now. What Ms. Champion proposes still needs work but it is going in the right direction.
Mr. Wilmot you have been doing a good job representing the county this year keep it up.
Mr. Bazzani we missed you during the meeting.
Mr. Hutson that is the most positive I have seen you for a complete meeting.
Mr. Meyer keep on doing what you promised us during the election.
Dr. Orth you are showing us you are a capable leader that is trying to do what is right for the county.
Mr. James keep looking out for the best interest of the county.
Mr. Winebarger you do not say a lot, which is ok, but you keep everyone on their toes when you do speak. On behalf of Mr. Thompson thanks for the compliment and verification what we are doing is working.
Mr. Chiscoe maybe you should look for a non elected position that does not require planning?
I am not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice. Our founding fathers used common sense and Christian scripture when establishing our founding documents.
“For the Common Good. “
Sincerely,
Alexander James Jay
P.S. "In the next place, the state governments are, by the very theory of the constitution, essential constituent parts of the general government. They can exist without the latter, but the latter cannot exist without them." --Joseph Story Commentaries on the Constitution, 1833
"If it were to be asked, What is the most sacred duty and the greatest source of our security in a Republic? The answer would be, An inviolable respect for the Constitution and Laws -- the first growing out of the last. ... A sacred respect for the constitutional law is the vital principle, the sustaining energy of a free government." --Alexander Hamilton, Essay in the American Daily Advertiser, 1794
