Ten Candidates Sign Rural Crescent Pledge
Press Conference Aug. 4, 2:00 pm, McCoart Govt. CenterIn 2000, Prince William citizens, concerned with protecting the integrity of the Rural Crescent and its associated community benefits, formed the Advocates for the Rural Crescent. We are a bipartisan organization comprised of community members throughout Prince William County.
The Rural Crescent stands as Prince William County’s unique land use tool. It is not merely a means of conserving open space, but just as importantly, it is a critical tool that directs high density development to areas where infrastructure is already in place and encourages redevelopment in targeted areas, such as the Route 1 corridor.
We all have a vested interest in Prince William County and the viability of the Rural Crescent. In the spirit of that endeavor, we invite all candidates – new and incumbent candidates who have honored previous pledges – to clarify their position by signing a pledge to uphold the Rural Crescent, as described in the Prince William County Comprehensive Plan.
We are pleased to announce that most candidates running for seats on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors have signed our pledge, committing to uphold the Rural Crescent and signaling their support for better managed growth Countywide. These candidates include:
Board Chairman – John Gray, Babur Lateef
Gainesville District – Martha Hendley, Ann Wheeler, Suzanne Miller, Michael High.
Brentsville District – Jeanine Lawson
Coles District – Bob Pugh, Anthony Arnold
Occoquan District – Mike May (Reaffirmation)
Debt Ceiling Crisis: Holding the country hostage
Late Sunday afternoon the leadership of both chambers of both parties and the president all came to an arrangement of sorts to end the stalemate over lifting the debt ceiling, thus avoiding default. The agreement comes just in the nick of time since August 2 was the drop dead date established by the Secretary of the Treasury.
The economy is just too fragile to hold hostage and we aren’t out of the woods yet. Both the House and the Senate now need to agree. Will that happen? It remains to be seen. This is not the time for stubbornness.Extremist factions of both parties simply cannot hold the country hostage just to get their own way.
What will happen? Will the debt ceiling be lifted or will the president be forced to use section 4 of the 14th amendment that says “The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.”
The devil is in the details. Meanwhile, countries around the world see national crisis as a self-inflicted wound and suggest that the United States has already done a great deal of damage to its own reputation. According to the New York Times:
The United States government may not be so lucky with its reputation.
Even before negotiations went down to the wire on Sunday night, the bitterness, division and dysfunction that resounded around the world in recent weeks as the United States veered toward default did more than just fuel a perception that Washington is approaching Japan-like levels of political gridlock. Among foreign leaders and in global markets, the political histrionics have eroded America’s already diminishing aura as the world’s economic haven and the sole country with the power to lead the rest of the world out of financial crisis and recession.
It has chipped away at the global authority of President Obama, who was celebrated abroad when he came to office as a man who would end an era of American unilateralism. Now the topic of discussion in other capitals is whether the Age of Obama is giving way to an Age of Austerity, one that will inevitably reduce America’s influence internationally.
Thanks a lot, folks. But that was the grand plan anyway, wasn’t it? Anything to damage Obama.
