Ann Wheeler’s anxiousness to schedule a vote on the controversial Prince William Digital Gateway rezoning before the Planning Office has even completed its review is hardly surprising. She has been in the tank for this project from the outset, and her blatant subservience to corporate masters was largely responsible for her electoral defeat.

Now shift the focus to her accomplices, who have thus far evaded the same level of accountability.

The transformation of Prince William County into northern New Jersey cannot be completed without the willing assistance of Wheeler’s four obedient sidekicks: Kenny Boddye, Margaret Franklin, Andrea Bailey and Victor Angry. Is there an independent thought among them? What will they do without their den mother?

And what about our new County Executive Chistopher Shorter? Was he hired to serve the people or enable our lame duck chair’s undemocratic tactics? He’s got just a few months to show us before he answers to a new Board that may have a very different view of his expected role.

As for our volatile Planning Office, you’d need a scorecard to tell who’s running what on any given day. That’s less their fault than the leadership they’ve been saddled with, but it is long overdue for a planner with backbone to emerge and assert some degree of professional integrity. They are clearly being rolled over.

Will we trade the tenuous promise of tax reductions for a county no longer worth living in? Those with means will flee, but those tied here by jobs, families and limited resources will be stuck living in the Wheelerites’ new industrial wasteland.

Bill Wright
Gainesville

Potomac Local News aims to share opinions on issues of local importance from a diverse range of residents across all our communities. If you’ve recently spoken at a Board of County Supervisors meeting, send us a typed copy of your remarks for publication to [email protected].

I am writing in response to Rob Hartwell’s opinion letter on August 15 regarding the supposedly vandalized signs of Jeannie LaCroix in Woodbridge. Mr. Hartwell – using language thick with innuendo and unsaid accusations – implied that it was more than a coincidence that these signs were apparently vandalized on private property just when Ms. LaCroix’s election opponent had begun placing signs herself.

Reading his pearl-clutching letter, I couldn’t help but think of the quote from an infamous propagandist: “Accuse the other of that you are guilty.” After all, this is coming from a representative of a political party which has utilized every dirty trick in the book to obtain and hold on to electoral power, even going so far as to personally attack election officials and the very seat of our democracy itself – and has the glass house audacity to accuse by innuendo a political opponent of resorting to vandalism of signs.

His evidence? Her opponent – gasp – has placed signs in the median instead of private property. Well, Mr. Hartwell – since these were on private property and we live in a time of video doorbells and floodlight cameras, I say release this footage of these so-called perpetrators of these vandalisms instead of relying on worthless meaningless accusations.

But then again, doing so might reveal far more about Ms. LaCroix’s campaign than Mr. Hartwell would be comfortable with. And yes, I do agree that the timing is coincidental – perhaps some political operatives took a page from the GOP playbook and destroyed their own signs for attention. After all, destroying your own sign is much easier than breaking into voting machines.

Regardless, I’m sure Mr. Hartwell enjoyed the free headlines from these so-called crimes – coincidence or not.

Anthony Roberts
Woodbridge

Potomac Local News aims to share opinions on issues of local importance from a diverse range of residents across all our communities. If you’ve recently spoken at a Board of County Supervisors meeting, send us a typed copy of your remarks for publication to [email protected].

I certainly hope it’s a coincidence that at the same time Woodbridge Supervisor Margaret Franklin’s signs appeared in Woodbridge, nearly 10 of her opponent Jeannie LaCroix’s signs were vandalized, ripped down, stolen and even run over by a truck.

In stark contrast to Supervisor Franklin’s signs, most illegally placed in VDOT right of ways, Ms. LaCroix’s dozens of signs in Woodbridge District are all placed on private property with the permission of the landowners.

I’m calling on Ms. Franklin and her supporters to move their signs to private property and to cease from any efforts to vandalize her opponent’s signs. Using a car or truck on private property to run over personal property is in fact a crime.

I am also urging my counterpart in the Democratic Party to ensure their campaign workers obey the law going forward and refrain from the destruction or vandalism of private property.

Sincerely,

Rob Hartwell
Woodbridge District Republican Chairman

Potomac Local News aims to share opinions on issues of local importance from a diverse range of residents across all our communities. If you’ve recently spoken at a Board of County Supervisors meeting, send us a typed copy of your remarks for publication to [email protected].

“It is important that elected representatives be accountable, consistent, transparent, and fair in decision-making. We must call them out when they are not. This requires monitoring the actions and statements of our representatives and ensuring they prioritize the best interests of all the people they seek to serve – not just one group.”

These words encapsulate exactly why the board chamber was FULL of residents for the July 11 vote on Resolution 23-365. Over 1,000 residents – from across the county – wrote to the board in support of that resolution – 908 petitioned via click-to-send email, and more than 100 others sent personal email messages. More than 100 also spoke at the meeting in favor of the resolution.

Mary Ann Ghadban, instigator of the Digital Gateway data center corridor application and Pageland Lane homeowner, wrote and published those statements in multiple local newspapers on the day of the board’s vote. Her group is exactly one that should NOT be given preferential treatment by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors with their votes.

These words explain why Ann Wheeler already knows after the primary election results that she won’t be on the dais come January.

These words encapsulate the choices voters made this past February and June, when Bob Weir was made Supervisor of the Gainesville district, and Deshundra Jefferson and Jeanine Lawson won their respective primaries for the Board Chair seat.

These words foretell how county voters will choose their board of supervisor representatives in the November election.

These words also explain exactly why Resolution 23-365, for a vote moratorium on controversial land-use cases during the lame-duck period after the November election until new board members take their seats, is the right thing for all county residents.

By defeating this resolution, already-lame-duck Chair Wheeler, and current Supervisors Boddye, Bailey, Franklin, and Angry showed us that they want to push more damaging and controversial land use decisions before they are stopped by the will of the people county-wide. They intend to continue to choose for the benefit of one group wanting to industrialize and urbanize the entire county.

With their vote on July 11, they have proven they support one select group.

Across the county, we will make our own choices to seal the fate of this board; and to protect our fates and the futures of our children.

Karen Sheehan
Gainesville District

Potomac Local News aims to share opinions on issues of local importance from a diverse range of residents across all our communities. If you’ve recently spoken at a Board of County Supervisors meeting, send us a typed copy of your remarks for publication to [email protected].

In a recent interview for InsideNOVA, Director of Economic Development Christina Winn, it is acknowledged that Prince William County is essentially an order taker for the data center industry.

“Companies seek Prince William as a development destination rather than economic development officials luring them in, Winn said. The economic development office simply helps companies become established once they’ve received the green light from elected officials.”

Winn also “said the that election’s results bear no impact on how her office plans to conduct business moving forward.” That aligns with Chair Ann Wheeler’s apparent intent to ignore the electorate and continue her overly solicitous attitude toward the data center industry unfettered. Her fealty to the lords commerce transcends any obligation to those she was elected to represent.

Taxpayers should expect that their government would aggressively market the county to attract the most beneficial businesses rather than just acquiesce to predatory corporations that want to exploit our “give away the store” tax rates and obliging political climate.

Recall the nightmarish scene in the classic Christmas movie: “It’s a Wonderful Life” (see: sidewalk scene its a wonderful life – YouTube) where hero George Bailey is horrified to witness the desecration of his beloved Bedford Falls under the exploitive influence of the miserly villain Henry Potter. Ask yourself if that scene bears any resemblance to what is happening here right before our eyes.

Is our government turning Prince William County into Pottersville?

Bill Wright
Gainesville

Potomac Local News aims to share opinions on issues of local importance from a diverse range of residents across all our communities. If you’ve recently spoken at a Board of County Supervisors meeting, send us a typed copy of your remarks for publication to [email protected].

The July 17, 2023, letter to the editor seems to assert that because I do not agree with policies that some constituents put forward, I am being uncivil. Civility has to do with the way we communicate and treat each other as people, not our policies. 

For those who have watched the Board of County Supervisors meetings, it will be recognized that I have almost always acted civilly to staff and public speakers.  I say almost because there was one instance when a public speaker put up a picture of me that included my daughter, and that crossed a line for me, which I hope is relatable to every parent out there.

I do not believe the families of elected officials should be brought into the conversation at any level, and that picture drew a reaction from me.  Otherwise, I have always tried to keep decorum in the Chambers no matter my stance on a policy. 

People often ask why I am not bothered but some of the personal attacks that people say at public comment time or in print. It’s because I believe they are not really taking issue with me; they object to either my policies or my politics, or sometimes both. 

Please know that when opposition to a policy fails to gain ground, a group will try to find fault with the process, and when they fail in an effort to discredit the process, they resort to attacking the person.  It’s inevitable, as shown by the personal attacks which have happened often over the last three and a half years.

I try to keep our board meetings as civil as possible while the personal and political attacks continue. I recognize this is where our nation is now, not just our community. I believe it needs to change, as I mentioned in my forward to The Wheeler Report (my weekly newsletter with a 60% open rate and distribution to over 3,000 residents), which stated:

“Promoting respectful and constructive political discourse is the responsibility of everyone within the community, myself included. There are ways in which we can all contribute to creating a culture in which changes to policy don’t lead to abusive language and incivility aimed at elected officials and our neighbors in the community.  To do this we must engage in political discussions with respect and refrain from personal attacks. Focus on the issues and treat others’ opinions with courtesy, even if you disagree. Seek common ground and emphasize shared values to help build understanding and bridge divisions. Attentively listen to others’ viewpoints without interruption is key to fostering constructive dialogue. Fact-checking information before sharing it ensures accuracy and helps prevent the spread of misinformation.”

Civility is how we treat each other, not our disagreements over policy.

PS: I am honored to be included in any letter to the editor that finds me in league with former President Obama because it lets me know I am on the right side of history.

Ann Wheeler
Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair At-Large

Editors note: Ann Wheeler presides over the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, which manages the second-largest jurisdiction in Virginia. She was elected in 2019 and will complete her term on December 31, 2023, following a June 20, 2023 Primary Election loss.

Potomac Local News aims to share opinions on issues of local importance from a diverse range of residents across all our communities. If you’ve recently spoken at a Board of County Supervisors meeting, send us a typed copy of your remarks for publication to [email protected].

We all recently received a lecture from Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair At-large, Ann Wheeler, on ‘civility’ in politics in her recent newsletter.

“The term ‘civility’ refers to using polite language in formal conversations and is closely related to courtesy and consideration. Unfortunately, it seems that civility has been lacking lately, not just in Prince William County, but throughout our nation,” Wheeler wrote.

Since Barack Obama decided to ‘fundamentally change’ the U.S., we have fallen into the abyss regarding civility on any topic. We are no longer able to discuss politics, race, schools, library books, bathrooms, the definition of the sexes, or God forbid, use correct pronouns as demanded by proper English. 

As parents, we are no longer allowed to attend school board meetings or a board of county supervisor’s meeting, locally or around the nation, and engage in, as Ann Wheeler suggests, ‘constructive dialog.’ If we dare to breach any of the above subjects, we are ignored, visited by local police, shut down or subjected to the burning of our cities and businesses, total annihilation of our history, labeled as domestic terrorists, or suffer the nonstop removal or destruction of our constitution and the images and sculptures of our founding fathers.

Veterans have been told to “F—Off,” by Chairwoman of the Prince William County Democratic National Committee, Tonya James, simply for singing the National Anthem during a school board meeting.

We have been lectured by the Chair of the School Board, Babur Lateef, that our opinions as parents are not valued over that of teachers.

And the Prince William County Director of Equity and Inclusion, Maria Burgos, told us all that “once you understand a Marxist framework, you will understand how it is used in education,” while denying Critical Race Theory and Marxism are taught in our schools.

Ann Wheeler has attempted to shut down public discourse on more than one occasion because citizens disagreed with her agenda and have disrespected her constituents by completely ignoring our wants and needs regarding the takeover of Data Centers, now destroying our landscapes and neighborhoods. And, the 64-thousand-dollar question? Is Ann Wheeler financially benefiting from the approval of all these data centers? We may never know the truth. And who can forget on May 18, 2023, the Virginia Supreme Court found that Prince William County Board Chair Ann Wheeler and four fellow Democrat supervisors, Andrea O. Bailey, Kenny Boddye, Victor S. Angry, and Margaret Angela Franklin, “knowingly and willfully violated the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) by attending a meeting…without complying with statutory requirements.”  That event will cost Prince William residents well over $150,000. 

Despite all we have endured over the past three and a half years, we are now being told by Ann Wheeler we must improve our civility in political discourse. Have any of these so-called leaders looked in the mirror or maybe viewed the video playbacks of the meetings they run? It’s hard to separate politics from personal when you are told repeatedly to mind your P’s and Q’s, while at the same time, you are being scolded for having an opinion that goes against the political agenda being shoved down our throats.

The lack of civility is the result of almost four unbearable years of being ignored, mocked, and berated for not wanting our kids exposed to mask mandates, school closures, sexual indoctrination and pornography in our kid’s libraries, boys invading girl’s bathrooms and sports, the infiltration of our communities with data centers and a total lack of respect for the very people who these leaders are supposed to represent.

So, Ann, wake up and smell the roses. The citizens of Prince William County voted you out because you have never represented us, nor have you taken the lead in showing the slightest bit of civility to the populace. 

In November, we will vote out the rest of those who refuse to represent the masses.

Eventually, a beaten dog will bite.

L.H. Bravo
Gainesville

Editors note: Potomac Local News aims to share opinions on issues of local importance from a diverse range of residents across all our communities. If you’ve recently spoken at a Board of County Supervisors meeting, send us a typed copy of your remarks for publication to [email protected].

With the region’s elected officials gathering at their annual retreat this Friday and Saturday, the Coalition for Smarter Growth continued to urge reform of the region’s transportation priorities.

A national poll of 2001 voters (90% of whom are drivers) released last week by Transportation for America revealed that two-thirds of Americans know highway expansions don’t cure traffic. Sixty-seven percent of American voters polled agreed that widening highways attract more people to drive, which creates more traffic in the long run, defeating the stated purpose for countless road expansion projects across the country.

In short, the public understands that “induced demand” is real, even if they are not aware of the term itself. Today, when officials in the DC region are planning for at least 900 more lane miles of highway and arterial road expansion and amid the ongoing debate over high-occupancy toll lanes for 495/270 in Maryland and 495 through Alexandria, the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG) urged officials to reconsider these plans. “CSG’s Induced Demand fact sheet for local, regional, and state officials – released today – makes clear the failures of road expansion,” said Stewart Schwartz, Executive Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth.

“Induced demand is the widely documented phenomenon in which widening major roads and highways results in more driving (vehicle miles traveled) that generally cancels out any congestion-reduction benefits in as little as five to ten years,” said Bill Pugh, Senior Policy Fellow for CSG and author of the fact sheet which draws upon numerous national and international studies and includes local DC area examples.

“Unfortunately, elected officials in the DC region continue to propose over 900 lane miles of major road expansion and continue to ignore the reality that it won’t work,” said Schwartz. “They will end up wasting billions of tax dollars and make our quality of life worse, not better.”

The Council of Governments’ Transportation Planning Board is currently developing its Visualize 2050 regional “constrained” long-range transportation plan1 (the existing 2045 plan includes 900 lane miles in road expansion), and in Northern Virginia right now, counties and cities are submitting project applications for funding through the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.

CSG has previously shown in its “On the Wrong Road” report that the NVTAuthority’s “unconstrained” Transaction 2050 plan would add 1000 lane miles of roads in Northern Virginia alone and induce growth in driving at 1.5 to 3 times the rate of population growth in the outer suburbs. The NVTAuthority has allocated over half of its regional funding to road capacity expansion projects, even though the agency’s own Technology Strategic Plan acknowledges the reality of induced demand.

Stewart Schwartz
Executive Director, Coalition for Smarter Growth

Editors note: Potomac Local News aims to share opinions on issues of local importance from a diverse range of residents across all our communities. If you’ve recently spoken at a Board of County Supervisors meeting, send us a typed copy of your remarks for publication to [email protected].