Posted on 07/22/2006 10:40:02 AM PDT by chambley1
Arlington County - In a surprise move, the Arlington County Board, whose five members are all Democrats, failed last week to reappoint Republicans Wayne Kubicki and Tim Wise — two vocal critics of county fiscal policy — to the county’s Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission.
Kubicki had only served one term on the panel, which advises the board on economic matters. Panel appointments typically last two terms.
The board also failed to reappoint Eric Dobson, who has also served only one term, as the chairman of the county’s planning commission. Dobson, a Democrat, was popular with Republicans. He was considered an independent voice on the panel who did not always follow the Democratic party line.
Arlington Republicans said the change was an effort to remove voices of dissent and sound counsel from the panel and undermined the democratic process. The members removed were often critical of what they deemed excessive spending practices and tax increases.
“This action can only be construed as an attempt to silence any opinions that may contrast with your own or those of your four colleagues, and should be upsetting to all, regardless of political ideology,” Arlington County Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Miller wrote in a letter to County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman. A copy of the letter was obtained by The Examiner.
Zimmerman, while acknowledging Kubicki and Wise should have been informed they would not be reappointed before the July 11 county board meeting where they were removed, dismissed the notion that their exclusion was political. He said opposition voices are present on all county panels.
“We routinely and regularly appoint people who have very different points of view,” he said. “This is not different than it has been.”
dfrancis@dcexaminer.com
Christopher Zimmerman - Chairman, Arlington County Board
czimmerman@arlingtonva.us
They probably didn't have Kerry/Edwards and/or Rainbow stickers on their cars, I believe, as the law provides.
"We routinely and regularly appoint people who have very different points of view"
As long as they're not pubbies or liked by pubbies.
A liberal's idea of diversity of opinion is arguing over whether Bush should be impeached or exectuted as a war criminal.
ONce the Asians leave the county it will be mostly Islamics and Hispanics anyway and they tend to be Dems on the dole.
Sour rats afraid of the truth.
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