Black Pattern

Amazing...another illuminating event into the character void. I witnessed a Black supporter doing the same at Belmont Ridge MS. Did anyone see it at other venues?


Black's No Friend of Education
By Michaelann Keefe, Sterling
Leesburg Today - Online Edition - Editorials
09/28/2004

As parents across eastern Loudoun County showed up at Back to School night, state Del. Dick Black was there. Shaking hands, he greeted parents by saying, "Welcome back to school! We have a great program for you tonight, I hope you're going to like it."


You would be excused if you got the impression he'd spent the day with the school's principal, preparing the evening agenda and commandeering the faculty to take their places as parents arrived. Indeed, given the way he grandstanded in front of schools, you'd have thought Del. Black was angling to become Loudoun's answer to Mr. Peepers. But you would have been dead wrong.


What Del. Black did this week – as he has so many times in the past is shamelessly promote himself, all the while hoping no one takes too close a look at his education record in the General Assembly. Well, I have, and it is abysmal.

To put it bluntly, Del. Black is no friend of education.

In the General Assembly session, Del. Black voted:

Against funding for Virginia's Standards of Quality;

Against a 3-percent salary increase for teachers;

Against funding for special needs children;

Against funding for English as a Second Language; and

Against funding to implement No Child Left Behind.

With more than 40,000 students now enrolled in its schools and another 30,000 on the way in the next six years, is this the best we can expect from the delegate from the "fastest-growing" county in America?

So if you see Del. Black at your child's back to school night, ask him what besides platitudes and grandstanding he's got in mind to do to help your child get a good education. My guess is about all you're going to get with his "grip" is a "grin" – and a sheepish one at that.

 

I'm not sure how those were brought up for his vote but there are items on that list that I wouldn't vote for either.

 

Which ones ?? However, this is not the first time Black has tried to take credit for something he had nothing to do with.

The Ashburn Library, for one. Also, notice that when he tries to court the veteran's vote, he always adds that COL (Ret) to his name. From what I understand, the guy was always a REM_ (military types will understand that reference) and was never on the front lines.

He has voted against giving counties any say in how they can control growth, same for cities. He pushes he own agenda, and not that of the county or his constituents.



Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

Hey--I saw the voter breakdown results after last November's elections. Broadlands residents have none to blame but themselves. Black received an overwhelming amount the vote.

When a politician wins re-election with so much popular support, it sends them a mandate to stay the course.


Robzilla
"Whoa no. There goes Tokyo."

 

Hard to argue with the "you get what you deserve" statement.

Look at the "mandate" this way. 10% of the County turned out to vote. Black wins with 60%. How pitiful is it to claim a "mandate" when only 6 out of 100 voters pulled the lever for you. Conversely, how pitiful is it that 94 out of 100 didn't vote against him.

(percentages may vary, I am relying on memory recall)

 

AFGM: I won't argue with you that the turnout in Loudoun is generally abysmal, but fact is the eastern districts as a whole averaged 30%. Blue Ridge was the highest as usual (I think they were 52%). This year will be higher because of the presidential contest, but Loudoun has seldom done better than that 30% in the seven years I've been here.

Barbara Munsey, from South Riding.

 

Shoulda, coulda, woulda...

Why would Black be concerned with non-voters? If a minority of voters are unhappy with him then he had nothing to be worried.

Personally, I'd like Broadlands energized to vote out both Black and Snow when the time comes. Neither representative is in our best interests.


Robzilla
"Whoa no. There goes Tokyo."