This is, however, just another chapter in the ongoing politics of the Country. It's happened before, and it'll be attempted again. The Supervisors who met defeat in the 2007 elections, due in large part to the countywide citizen's feelings that that bunch of Supervisors had sold us down the river to bigname developers (most of whom donated gobs of cash from OUTSIDE of the County), are being defended by some ...and using the lack of a current prosecution as the proof why it's just a rumor..
The most recent occurence of that in either Fairfax or Loudoun that could be found where guilt was actually tried and assigned was this guy.
As anyone can read , five long years passed before the court tried them, the sentences were passed, and they began to serve their time. Actually, at the 2 year mark after the activity, Mr. Cotten was actually serving his reelected term on that Board of Supervisors in a Vice-Chairman's role.
It appears that what occurred was the payment-reinforced rezoning of a parcel...and that payment was split with two other Supervisors who helped give the vote two more legs to stand on. Once the vote had carried, Mr. Cotten took his $1500 cut and doled out $1000 each to the other two who had helped him carry the vote.
A lot of noise has been made about other Loudoun County Supervisors not having been charged from activities where investigation by the FBI commenced in early 2007 . Some like to taunt that after two years, there are still no indictments.
Judging by the looks of the Fairfax incident, it appears that we still have plenty of time to try the guilty and have any sentences bestowed that a court trial imposes. A rough count say that clock still has three years on it.
It should also be noted that a very engaged and pressing group took the Republicans to task in that election. It wasn't as simple as Supervisors having an "R" behind their names. It came down to honor in our local committee, and how we appeared to the common voter in the County. It came down to seeing us actually remove a perceived blight from within, or allowing that "blight" to define our party , and say to that voter "we are unwilling to clean house".
A number of people undertook the effort, often at great personal cost. We were alienated from the Party. We were savaged in online blogs. We were pushed aside at Conventions. And where we were not successfully pushed out of other Conventions, the actual effort to do so was indeed undertaken.
And in bringing this piece to the current day's report....we're strong at the LCRC. We may not see eye to eye on every point, but those in attendance agree to disagree politely. We discuss things now. Gone is the old call to banish anyone who disagrees. Gone are the witch hunts to find and cast out anyone who didn't march to the drum.
Our organization has escalated and prospered under Chairman Caroline. We have focus, we have direction.
Meetings are cordial, discussion is open , but also conducted in orderly fashion. Our reworked website is the envy of fellow chapters in surrounding counties. So is the roll-out of the 2008 election cycle , when Loudoun County turned back a 9 point defeat to a mere 3 points...beating our two sister counties of Fairfax and Prince William by the entire 6 points--all in the face of a "perfect storm" brought about by a dissatisfaction with the previous administration.
I'm proud of the progress we've made. But to truly understand just how far we've come, one must reflect occasionally on how bad we once were .
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