To the Editor:
Justin Wilson was attacked as being a machine drone and a immature simpleton in numerous letters to the editor in local newspapers shortly after he won a seat on City Council in the 2007 special election. These attacks occurred before he had cast his first vote or even attended his first City Council meeting. I thought such attacks were unfair and inappropriate. I publicly defended Wilson in this publication and other media.
I had high hopes that Wilson would bring new blood to a City Council occupied by professional politicians devoid of new ideas and disconnected from the needs and aspirations of our community. I had hoped he would make the most of the unique opportunity provided to him by us voters. So what did Wilson’s record show during the short time he was on the City Council?
Wilson raised our taxes at every opportunity
Wilson attacked legitimate businesses extending loans to the economically disadvantaged
Wilson, a so-called transportation expert, supported the BRAC, making the daily commute more challenging for thousands.
Perhaps worst of all, days after Alexandrians voted him out of office, he led the charge with a handful of professional politicians to subvert our election process. His cynical ploy to combine our local elections with national elections stabs at the heart of Alexandria Democracy and traditions. Wilson pushed this anti-democratic measure through the lame duck City Council over the intense objections of nonpartisan civic associations, such as The Alexandria League of Women Voters, and an overwhelming majority of the Alexandrians who took time out of their busy schedules to confront this injustice. Fellow Democrats Vice Mayor Del Pepper and former City Councilman Ludwig Gaines voted against this cynical ploy to game the elections. Vice Mayor Pepper stated, “This is not what I call good government.”(The Alexandria Gazette Packet covered the story: http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2009/061709/Alexandria.pdf)
Now, Wilson has reinforced his spendthrift ways by repeatedly insisting at recent debates that the city should take your tax dollars to pay for babysitters. Wilson also is a strong supporter of the ultra expensive street car system intended to plow through the heart of Alexandria, disrupting traffic for months, if not years, upending years of historic preservation; and costing untold hundreds of millions of your dollars.
Alexandria deserves better, real change for a dynamic future.
Bud Miller
Alexandria