To the Editor:
In last week's Gazette, my letter was published in which I explained that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (BOS) had mailed to residents the previous week a brochure discussing the Meals Tax Referendum that is on the November ballot (which if approved would create a new 4 percent tax on meals prepared by food establishments). I pointed out that the brochure was a one-sided propaganda piece, only setting forth the reasons why voters should support the referendum and providing no reasons why it should be opposed. I suggested that Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck, who had pledged upon his election to bring the community together, should request that the BOS direct county staff to publish a new brochure in which the pros and cons of the meals tax are fairly represented.
The BOS met on Sept. 20 and, the day prior, I forwarded my Gazette letter to each board member with the request that they vote to direct county staff to prepare and mail the revised brochure. I was informed that no such action was taken by Supervisor Storck or any other board member at the BOS meeting. So much for the notion that Supervisor Storck wishes to bring the community together. He took no action to ensure that his constituents are fully informed about the pros and cons of an important tax issue that will impact every resident if the referendum passes. This is shameful and should be remembered by voters. Like traffic lights, taxes, once enacted, never go away.
H. Jay Spiegel
Mount Vernon