Community Comment: Election Forecast – Crowded, Stormy with a Chance for Renaissance
By KIERAN SHARPE
February 18, 2010
Here’s an offer of information, and possibly assistance, to any potential but not yet declared candidates for School Board or City Council. There’s still two weekends before petitions must be filed to get on the May ballot, and there are certainly sympathetic ears outside CBC, like myself, eager to assist talented and dedicated newcomers. While the CBC is currently the only organized endorser of local candidates, and I certainly wish them great success in attracting a high turnout and selecting great slates for Board and Council, the Little City would really be a better city with a second nonpartisan organization. Our city could enjoy a true Renaissance as the economy recovers, and a healthier governance structure is an important component for making that Renaissance a reality.
So my intent is not to destroy CBC. Quite the contrary. A healthier governance structure, would involve two highly functioning, nonpartisan organizations, one of them CBC. In democratic governance as in basketball, each team strengthens the other, and the experience improves for players and fans alike as the competing teams hone their skills and they become more evenly matched. Indeed, the essence of the endeavor is lost when only one team is playing.
And this second organization, let’s call it Renaissance Falls Church (RFC) for now, should build upon our city’s strengths. First and foremost, this means great schools. Advanced learning in math, science and foreign languages, individual creativity and collaborative problem-solving, honesty and compassion, and a successful career path for every child – these should be hallmarks of the Renaissance for our students. And teaching in small classes, providing personalized attention, and receiving the best pay and benefits should be available to our school staff. Further, the most supportive of programs such as day care and the most extensive and accessible of community facilities (e.g., athletic, performing arts, and media) should be integral parts of our school and community infrastructure.
But economic development and care for the disadvantaged are critical to our success as well. In promoting economic development, the Renaissance should look like – well, like the Renaissance. Creative and beautiful exteriors should provide spaces for the most innovative, nimble, green and responsive of businesses. The scale should be walkable for many and accessible for all, whether traveling by train, bus, car, wheelchair or bicycle. The efforts should capitalize on the fact that we have four business zones which traverse county lines and develop active business development organizations in each of those zones in cooperation with county agencies and business and neighborhood associations.
To those who would say that I’d like RFC or some other second organization to oppose affordable housing, curb diversity and cut social services, I say please remember a few things. First, I founded Homestretch, the Falls Church-based nonprofit that has become Virginia’s largest transitional housing provider for homeless families. Second, my wife and I were foster parents for more than 20 children, including those from African American, Hispanic and Asian backgrounds. Third, I wrote the zoning change and found the first location for the city’s winter emergency shelter. And please don’t equate spending the highest amount of local tax dollars with the best of social service programs. Localities spent huge sums to put homeless families into motels with very little incentive for their economic recovery. Homestretch gave each of these families a suitable house or apartment, plus training to get out of debt and into jobs with good pay – and did this at a lower cost.
By the way, please give your support to the shelter’s fundraising event this Saturday, just after the CBC convention, at the Spectrum, and to the Tinner Hill Foundation’s basketball event on Friday evening Feb. 26 at the Community Center.
To learn how you can become a candidate or join in organizing this Renaissance effort, please contact me at kjsharpe@starpower.net.
Kieran Sharpe has been a member of the Falls Church City School Board since 1998. From 1994-1998, he served on the Falls Church City Council.
COMMUNITY COMMENTS are welcome on any subject relevant to the City of Falls Church. They may be submitted to contact@fallschurchtimes.com. Shorter submissions may be published as a Letter to the Editor.
By (see byline)
February 18, 2010
I am writing from my work address, but speaking my mind personally as a former citizen of FC City and yet committed community member working hard to achieve all the goals Kieran has outlined in his appeal for another political entity to take shape in the weeks ahead. I have not framed my thoughts about his suggestion for that plan and I am encouraging all I meet to attend the CBC Convention on Saturday and vote for the persons they think will make the best elected officials for our city in the next 4 years.
That said, I endorse Kieran’s reminder of the key role he has played in being a force for change and many opportunities to provide for the well-being of the underprivileged and those needing to seek sanctuary in our community through the years. Fifteen years ago, as a volunteer who was recruited personally by a phone call from Kieran to help a dedicated group of folks persevere to get the first winter emergency overflow homeless shelter off the ground and into operation in record time, I can attest gratefully for Kieran’s vision and initiative to put what is now a beloved, strongly supported grassroots organization into effect.
The same is true of Homestretch–I tell all who will listen that Homestretch is my favorite local non-profit to support personally. I was convinced of their critically needed “services and people-growth” transitional model long before I became an employee of FCHC and began a thrust to join forces with Homestretch in whatever ventures made sense for each of our missions. Very few people know that FCHC worked with Homestretch to assist the FC Presbyterian Church host a battered women group home for years until the necessary federal and local funds diminished to an extent HS could not keep the house going financially.
I have known Kieran and Barbara since our children were in grade school together. He is an out of the box thinker who has never shrunk from standing, saying and doing what he believes is right for the “underdog” and the community values he has illuminated in his address.
While we have not always agreed on methods or strategies, we have long agreed on the sustainable community prize values for which we have worked hard over 30 years–often on parallel tracks. I am proud to call Kieran friend and colleague. I look forward to seeing where his new ideas will take our little city as we head into challenging times that should be putting us all on our toes and our best behavior to accomplish our common goals to help our city thrive, not merely survive.
I think Kieran and I agree that those values and goals do not incorporate putting our heads in the sand and refusing to see or put a hand out to help those who are direly threatened by the recession that is attacking public and private sectors at all levels. We must pull together now more than ever and not allow our discrete differences keep us apart to the detriment of our future–financially and morally. Our children’s education is more than paying for the best–it’s modeling our best values and choices for their own decisions and future direction.
Thank you, Kieran for challenging us with your best ideas.
Best regards, Carol Jackson
I think it is fine to have an alternative political structure in town. I just don’t understand the alternative view/perspective reflected in the RFC. What does it stand for that the CBC doesn’t stand for?
What I get from this is that the RFC is for strong schools, small classes, full day kindergarten, beautiful buildings, walkable scale and — I guess — affordable housing and diversity. Ok. I think that is where most people are.
I know that Dave (who I assume will be running with you under this new banner) has complained about the Council “not listening” to the public. I am not entirely sure where that comes from, but I assume that everyone is for “listening” as well.
So where, exactly, would you disagree with a CBC endorsed candidate?
This is the first City election for me as a resident so I’m still learning how it goes. My concern with the current situation with the CBC is that after this weekend we’ll have four (or fewer, although that seems unlikely) CBC candidates who apparently will have a huge advantage in the election over most other candidates (based on how things have worked out before). But other than their opening letters announcing their candidacy we haven’t had a chance to find out what they’re really about. I haven’t been to a CBC nominating convention before but I assume some questions can be asked then – but then we’re voting on the same day, not a lot of time to digest any answers/info we get.
Having another group around that can support more than 4 candidates sounds like a pretty good idea to me. It seems like it would keep more people in the running so we can have a chance to find out what position the candidates have on the various issues.
Will both organizations support the same candidates (bi-partisan)? If supported by one and not the other, a candidate would, by definition, be a partisan. If the ideals and values of one organization are not the same as the other, it is not, I repeat for emphasis, not non-partisan. I am not at all opposed to a two (or more) party or organization system, but let’s not play word games and try to call them nonpartisan.
P.S. Two opposing basketball teams are not nonpartisan, except in those children leagues where everyone wins and gets a trophy. Ugh, socialism.
Gary,
The term “nonpartisan” is intended here to indicate that the organizations do not coincide with the Democratic or Republican Party. A major reason for creating CBC as “nonpartisan” was to allow federal employees the opportunity to particpate, since the Hatch Act forbids such an employee to run for office under a “partisan” banner ((i.e., Democratic or Republican) .
In the series of articles that set out the CBC’s history, you may note that while “nonpartisan,” it is referred to as a “party.” As the term “party” is used in that context, both CBC and RFC fit the term. So in this latter sense of “partisanship,” you’re quite right.
To Kieran and Falls Church City Citizens:
The CBC convention will be held this Saturday at the GMHS auditorium from 2-5 PM. The convention is open to all registered Falls Church City voters. So no matter whether you identify with Kieran’s Rennaisance Falls Church idea, the CBC, or see yourself as completely independent of the Falls Church City political fray, YOU are invited to participate in the convention.
This year’s convention should prove to be quite exciting. In addition to hearing from and endorsing school board candidates, there are six candidates on the nomination ballot vying for four spots on City Council. This is your opportunity to voice your opinion now, in February, about the direction the campaign will head later this spring. New this year will be the opportunity on the ballot to voice your preference for each candidate – are you for them, against them, or uncertain? Your vote will count for each candidate.
The Citizen’s for a Better City is a 50 year old community organization. Our primary objective is to promote good government responsive to the needs and interests of Falls Church City residents. Go to http://sites.google.com/site/fallschurchcbc/ to learn more about the CBC. The convention’s purpose is to choose the best qualified candidates to go forward into the general election.
So come one, come all Falls Church City citizens to the CBC convention on Saturday!
Deb Gardner,
CBC President
I’m looking forward to the CBC convention – it sounds very interesting. There’s a chance I won’t be able to be there for the full 3 hours – is there a rough schedule for the order of things? Is it likely to go beyond the 5pm deadline?
For all with Andy’s question, CBC President Deb Gardner gives an excellent answer in her Q and A with Stan Fendley published here this evening.