Cronyism is alive and well in Front Royal, Virginia

Just in case someone does not know what “Cronyism” is, here is one definition, “the appointment of friends and associates to positions of authority, without proper regard to their qualifications.”

Here is what I mean. First, way back (three months ago) when the election was held the republicans in Front Royal Virginia decided they would only endorse the candidates they wanted to sit on the counsel. This sound reasonable until you realize all running for town counsel were either republican party members or those who  identified as republicans. The republican elite decided to support only three and never endorsed or in any way recognized the other two republican’s candidates for the office of town counsel. They were ignored by the Republican elite.

Second, just this past Monday evening at the town council meeting once again the republican party elite made the unilateral and preemptive decision to ignore the voters of Front Royal and kick aside the voting public in the past election for the purpose of arbitrarily hand picking the replacement of the soon to be empty seat on the council, (Hollis Tharpe moving to mayor).

Third, the top three vote getters won their seat on the town council fairly and deserve their seat. Now another seat is empty and I for one cannot help but wonder why the next highest vote getter in the most recent election does not likewise deserve the seat. Why with a less than three-month-old election results in hand would setting town council feel Mike McCool would not deserve the seat.

Fourth, why hold a beauty contest of people who did not want the seat enough to campaign for it in the most recent election, be better suited to the seat than longtime resident and one of the top four votes getters in the past election. (Michael D. “Mike” McCool 2,199, Jacob L. “Jake” Meza 2,478, William A. Sealock, Jr. 2,784,  Eugene R. Tewalt  2,743)

Fifth, if present town council cannot bring themselves to seat the next highest vote getter to town council like they did the first three then the only fair thing to do would be hold another election and let the people decide, AGAIN, who should take the soon to be empty seat.

Surely, the responsible citizens of Front Royal will be watching and will remember the under handed votes of the present town council in this matter in the future elections.

John Stephen Smith
Front Royal, Virginia