Please go vote tomorrow. For whatever it’s worth, I like all of the R’s for City Council and I like the incumbents on the School Board.
Please go vote tomorrow. For whatever it’s worth, I like all of the R’s for City Council and I like the incumbents on the School Board.
© 2026 My Side of the Fence
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑
May 6, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Congratulations to the winners of today’s City Council election. Of course, when you don’t have any opposition, there is no surprise that you will get elected.
I know that when you have no opposition, H. Parrish, S. Smith, J Way and M. Wolfe have no initiative to make any kind of outreach to voters unless your personal compass suggests that you ought to campaign and ask voter what direction they think think this City ought to be going in. None of my neighbors ever heard from any of these gentlemen.
More to the point, I was surprised to see NONE of these white guys out at my precinct to campaign and ask for my vote.
I did find what they did say to voters as revealing. Check out these published comments:
Hal Parrish, who is going to be our next mayor, could not even reply to the question of what he saw as the biggest issues facing Manassas and what he would do to address them. What hubris! I know he has a popular political name in town, but, please, do something to earn my support and not rub my face in the fact you have no challenger.
Steve Smith says that we need to “present a positive image.” But wait, hasn’t he been on Council for at least 4 years? Yikes, if he doesn’t think Manassas has a positive image in 4 years, why should be re-elected? Sounds like he hasn’t done anything to help improve the city.
Jon Way says that we need to “control taxes to inflation plus citizen-supported initiatives.” Wait a moment, did he not vote for a 23% increase in the personal tax rate? Golly, what a candidate will say when he has no opponent. And he says he is Republican. With that kind of tax hike, who could afford 4 more years of Mr. Way?
Newcomer Mark Wolfe says that Manassas’ quality of life comes from, among other things, “an effective and efficient local government.” Guess he has never seen how many trips it takes the city utility department to change a street light…three iseprate trips with three different trucks in my neighborhood. Or watched various city inspectors go to a job site only to get into 2 different vehicles and drive away despite the cost of gas these days…or wait over 20 minutes for city police to respond to a gang fight which included destroying local property.
I would have been happy to share all this with these candidates, but since none of them chose to campaign, it is tough to discuss these issues with ghosts.
My prediction is that with the re-election of Parrish, Smith and Way and election of newcomer Wolfe, I can expect higher taxes, continued government inattention, and no interest in what residents and property owners need and expect unless they can sum it up in the pitiful 3 minutes tossed like a bone to citizens during “Citizen Time” at City Council meeting.
There was one candidate who actually took the time to be at presenet when I voted and that was Kermit Dance who was running of the Manassas School Board. Of course, he won’t win because he is not part of the political establishment not of the same ethic group as the majority on the Board.
But because he was actually there to speak to and discuss issues, I voted for him. Maybe the city councilor candidates should take a page from Mr. Dance’s campaign performance.
May 7, 2008 at 7:39 am
It is not difficult to discuss anything with members of council. Their home phone numbers are published on the City website.
Kermit Dance did actually win.
May 7, 2008 at 4:17 pm
You’re being disingenuous again Tom. You KNOW full well that a citizen get get more than “the pitiful 3 minutes” just by asking. The rule is in place to prevent a citizen from essentially fillibustering a Council session. I don’t know of anyone in my years of living in the City who has ASKED for more time and been refused. Not saying it hasn’t happened, but I’ve never heard of any and I go to or watch almost every Monday night Council session.
We have a “strong City Manager” form of government here in the City (as several council members have reminded me of frequently). If you have a beef with City employees or City government waste, have you taken them up with the Manager? I may not agree with Mr. Hughes on many things, but I’ve never known him to ignore the public.
May 7, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Mr. Osina: I have read your posts for many months now and I have had enough of your hate for Manassas and it’s employees. If you don’t like Manassas I have a solution, leave. Nobody really cares what you think because no matter what is said or done, you will not be happy. So why should anyone even try. You are the type of person who sits back and complains about everyone else and everything but doesn’t do anything to make it better. If the cnadidates running unopposed bothers you so much, why don’t you run. I know why, because you don’t stand a chance in hell of winning anyone over. I have a secret for you, if you are waiting for government to take care of all your problems, you are going to grow old tired and miserable. That is what is wrong with society today, they want someone else to take care of their problems instead of getting off their ass and helping themselves. Maybe Mr. Osina you will put your name on the ballot next time and let everyone know your platform. And for what it is worth, I am glad that Parrish ran for Mayor because now he is just a baby kisser and has no vote except in ties. I think he is a horrible politition and he doesn’t hold a candle to his father.