by Bridget Bell

These are difficult times. Prince William County is enduring a poorly-executed digital industrialization including noisy industrial fans and banks of diesel generators placed sometimes just 100 feet from people’s homes. Land is being sold to data center developers for a million dollars an acre, driving up the cost of housing and pricing out other businesses. Crime and violence are increasing, speeding and traffic issues are costing lives and decreasing our quality of life, and communication from our leaders has been lacking. Anyone want to explain the exodus of planning officials during this time of tumultuous overdevelopment? And yet, the housing and industrial proposals just keep moving forward.

We need not just effective, but communicative leadership. With so much at stake as the county changes rapidly, where are the debates that allow informed decision making? Both [Board of County Supervisors Ann] Wheeler and [Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine] Lawson have declined the opportunity that debate affords citizens to discern who is in their own best interest.

Why? In 2015, after Supreme Court decisions on campaign finance, such as Citizens United, Jimmy Carter declared the U.S. an oligarchy, one in which incumbents have the systemic advantage over challengers. With all the development money pouring into Prince William County, shouldn’t the incumbents be required to defend their records and relationships, and shouldn’t challengers be allowed the opportunity to present new ideas? Are we a democracy or not?

Debates are for citizens, not officials. Write bocs@pwcgov.org and require the public discourse that sustains our democratic ideals.

(Bridget Bell is a writer, artist, and caretaker who lives in Gainesville. The views expressed in the article are those only of the author and not necessarily those of PW Perspective, LLC or its affiliated stakeholders.)