Letter to the Editor: James Supports Democrats for a Better Alexandria

To the Editor:

As David Speck, a former member of the Alexandria City Council and Virginia House of Delegates, : "(W)hen a group of us came together to form Securing Alexandria’s Future, we were looking for candidates who had positive, strategic, long-term, big picture views of the city and were willing to make tough (i.e., occasionally unpopular) decisions about our city’s future."

In joining an earlier political action committee—Democrats for a Better Alexandria (DBA)—I was motivated to provide voters with information about candidates (accessible on the website democratsforabetteralexandria.blogspot.com). DBA's endorsements—Boyd Walker, Arthur Peabody, Sammie Moshenberg, John Taylor Chapman, Tim Lovain and Justin Wilson—as well as our rationales can be found at the site. To research DBA members, try Google.

Citizens' interactions with decision makers have become less than positive, as a number of ongoing lawsuits between citizens groups and the city attest. When it comes to experience in policy and governance, this is an above-average city. Alexandrians are an informed, involved, committed lot; many have national and international reputations in specific areas—such as transportation planning and economic development—for which they donate time and talent to the city.

As Alexandrians vote at their precincts on Tuesday, June 12, to select six of 14 Democratic candidates for November's general-election ballot, the question of who will make "popular decisions" is a less critical matter than who will make informed decisions. Ask who will weigh citizens' input and measure its merits with the respect it deserves? Whomever we elect needs foremost an ability to connect with the vigor, vibrancy and diversity of the community.

Carol James