http://fallschurchtimes.com/6840/opinion-are-local-politics-only-for-democrats/ Falls Church City's Online Community Newspaper Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:31:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://fallschurchtimes.com/6840/opinion-are-local-politics-only-for-democrats/comment-page-1/#comment-3011 Jonathan Smythe Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:59:27 +0000 http://fallschurchtimes.com/?p=6840#comment-3011 Being a R or D is a lot different than running as one in our non-partisan elections. If Mr. Sharpe runs as an R, with support from the local Republican committee, it would have an earthquate-like effect on our political system and would exclude many good potential candidates who work for the federal government and are subject to the Hatch Act. That being said, I have never heard a candidate being asked "are you now or have you ever been a Republican" in a public forum. Being a R or D is a lot different than running as one in our non-partisan elections. If Mr. Sharpe runs as an R, with support from the local Republican committee, it would have an earthquate-like effect on our political system and would exclude many good potential candidates who work for the federal government and are subject to the Hatch Act. That being said, I have never heard a candidate being asked “are you now or have you ever been a Republican” in a public forum.

]]> http://fallschurchtimes.com/6840/opinion-are-local-politics-only-for-democrats/comment-page-1/#comment-3006 David Chavern Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:34:07 +0000 http://fallschurchtimes.com/?p=6840#comment-3006 I am a Republican and no one ever held me back because of it. Local government primarily deals with (i) land use, (ii) paying for schools, and (iii) the appropriate tax/service balance. None of these is particularly partisan in the national party sense. Even (iii) rarely ventures into the "limited government" discussion -- at least not in Falls Church. I can tell you as a former elected official that the basic expectation of this community is for a high degree of local government services -- no matter what someones party affiliation. Many, many more people complain that "Arlington has this and we don't", as opposed to "we need local government to do less." National party affiliation just isn't important locally. I am a Republican and no one ever held me back because of it. Local government primarily deals with (i) land use, (ii) paying for schools, and (iii) the appropriate tax/service balance. None of these is particularly partisan in the national party sense. Even (iii) rarely ventures into the “limited government” discussion — at least not in Falls Church. I can tell you as a former elected official that the basic expectation of this community is for a high degree of local government services — no matter what someones party affiliation. Many, many more people complain that “Arlington has this and we don’t”, as opposed to “we need local government to do less.” National party affiliation just isn’t important locally.

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