Editorial

Editorial

Unfinished business

Election Day passed Tuesday, and with it went one of the most congenial local elections imaginable. There are, however, several loose ends that need to be tied up before we turn our attention away from the political arena.

First of all, our biggest beef with those running for election has to be the tacky roadside signs that plague the countryside like a cancer. It is ironic that the very same men and women who solemnly tell us they will work to preserve the beauty of this area don’t think twice about planting a crop of ugly campaign posters on every square inch of open real estate in the county. It may say more about the character of those people than do their speeches to see how long it'takes them to remove said signs. Regardless of who puts them up, we will hold the individual candidates responsible for making sure they are taken down in a timely fashion.

Another issue is the redistricting that took place this election season. In terms of priorities, the first principle ought to be uniting communities of interest, not sustaining political advantage. We no more belong in a state senate district with Shenandoah Valley counties or with Stafford County than does Tidewater. The Democrats should have begun by determining ideal boundaries based on which areas have issues and values in common with each other, and from there gone on to adjust according to voting patterns.

Redistricting was poorly organized in another way, one that became an issue in Rappahannock on Election Day. There are local, state and national districts, but the state chose to use the county’s old supervisor districts in setting its state senate districts. When Gov. Wilder decided to push for black-majority districts, the old boundaries were used. That led to confusion at the polls Tuesday morning, and before the question could be straightened out, dozens of county voters probably cast ballots in the wrong district, which ought to bother anyone who thinks these things ought to be done in a precise fashion.

The other “loose end” involves the general direction of the county government. Local elections serve many purposes, not the least of which is the process itself. By debating the various strengths and weaknesses of political candidates, a kind of public dialogue takes place that tends to provide legislators with an idea of what we want. The Board of Supervisors, all members running unopposed, won’t have the benefit of that dialogue for the next four years, and we think that’s too bad. There are plenty of other ways to make your voice heard, but with no debates, no opposition, we lose one of the best ways. By the time the next supervisors’ race comes around it will be eight years between that kind of debate.

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