Apples and Oranges?

More like fruit salad!

The Virginia Beach Taxpayer Alliance (VBTA) executive committee exited secret obscuration and announced their taxpayer-friendly endorsements for the 2009 election cycle.

Follow up:

After hours of deliberation, the seven-member board unanimously proclaimed two endorsements. The two accompaning document files explained the executive committee’s rationale; hopelessly, the justification had nothing to do with the issues at hand. Their defense detailed past actions non-related to current office being sought. Simply put, the conclusions were based upon revenge.

In the case of the Republican 21st District candidate Ron Villanueva, the VBTA board reprimands him for approving municipal budget increases that a majority of the Virginia Beach City Council agreed to during the justification and reconciliation process. Also, he was condemned for being maneuvered in supporting a resolution concerning regional revenues or be faced with Virginia Beach’s exclusion from local road projects.

Ironically, the Democratic incumbent, Del. Bobby Mathieson received the board’s praise for not being a significant source of legislation. Yet his vote in the legislature for raising taxes was overlooked.

More importantly, the breath of issues as a delegate include more than budgetary concerns. Mathesion’s support of stiffer gun control laws, exclusive extended unemployment benefits, and pointed interest by placing state worker issues paramount to the 21st district constituency was obviously missing or not considered by the single issue group.

In the case of Senator Ken Stolle, the group disqualified his value as sheriff because of his past Senate votes on transportation and land use. Both issues have little bearing on his acumen to be an effective sheriff.

Wrongly, the board interprets Stolle’s unanimous endorsement by the Virginia Beach City Council, current sheriff, sheriff deputies, and Commonwealth attorneys as political favoritism. Stolle endorsers counter by pointing out that the city jail and associated duties/programs are being run efficiently and Stolle offers superior continuity of these services. Additionally, Stolle’s savvy of the Richmond political process will be invaluable in retaining necessary workforce resources.