Vote politics out of Front Royal

“Welcome back, my friends, to a show that never ends.”

This continues to be one of my favorite lyrics from a song that describes our society and how we act. The full lyrics go: “Welcome back, my friends, to a show that never ends. Come inside, come inside.”

The never-ending show starts again every two to four years as we elect our leaders to represent us in national, state, and local elections.

Last week I received an unbelievable number of communications from both parties from people I don’t know. Even from candidates I know, it seems that getting through the spin of the never-ending show is extremely hard on all levels.

Most troubling was one mailer I received. The mailer had the locally endorsed candidates as selected by the local Republican committee in a nonpartisan election, completely undermining the rationale for nonpartisan local elections.

The nonpartisan structure created a very cool opportunity for community leaders to keep the focus on local issues without the stain or influence of national interests or parties. These nonpartisan elections were put in place through the charters of towns throughout the State of Virginia. The charters stated the local elections in towns and school boards should be nonpartisan.

Simply put, selecting and electing leaders that have the best qualifications and experience would better serve Front Royal by not allowing ambitious party politicos the opportunity to influence or control elected officials at the local level. Elect candidates whose loyalties are local.

These rules were instituted to promote candidates who would run on their own merits, and raise money and debate the logic of their platforms, outlining how they would help their community prosper without relying on political parties or affiliations.

In fact, the federal government passed the Hatch Act to restrict the political activities of federal government employees in the executive branch and later amended as well as extended in several states. In Front Royal, candidates for town council are restricted by not being allowed to have party designation on the ballot.

I am so upset about this issue because I received a mailer today from the local Republican Party. The mailer had only one federal congressional race supported in the party mailer. However, most of the mailer promoted individuals the party endorsed in the town’s nonpartisan election.

These endorsements go against the reasons for having nonpartisan town elections. First, opposing candidates work at a disadvantage when the other candidates that are endorsed by the party are helped financially and with manpower. This opens the door for a candidate’s loyalty to the party to possibly override the needs of the community. Look at the effects of the problems created over the past six years. You will find that it appears there is a direct correlation with the influence of the endorsed people elected.

Qualified candidates who work for the federal government are handicapped in running when they must compete against the power of the dominant party for resources and are restricted from accepting any financial support or campaign materials. Violating this rule would place individuals’ continued employment in question if their activities can be linked to party involvement.

With that said, we have several excellent candidates that have outstanding resumes. Their voices in our council would be helpful in solving issues facing our community. Their loyalty is and will remain local.

Add Bruce Rappaport and Gene Kilby to the Council; together, with the addition of recently appointed Skip Rogers, this would be a great start in getting our community back on track in addressing Front Royal’s needs without caving to the personal interests of individuals controlled by party affiliations in what should be a nonpartisan town charted election.

Vote for the most qualified individual who can do the job, not who the party wants you to elect.

We have the opportunity to change the direction of our community. Help us get back on track in preparation for the next show that starts in 2024. We deserve better leadership.

Michael Graham
Front Royal