I've Learned a Lot in a Year
Volume 12, Number 45,
Issue 592
A year ago today, the citizens of Chesterfield County were pretty tired of seeing “David B. Robinson, CPA for Soil and Water Conservation District Director” signs all across our county. Aside from the ultimate results, the important and overall consensus was that I was the first person to have ever run a real campaign for an office for which no one really knew what the job description said. During my campaign, I was always surprised at the number of people who didn’t know that there actually is an elected office in Virginia for Soil and Water Conservation District Director. Ultimately, I was surprised at the number of voters not known to me—less than about 50—that ever took the time to track me down and ask me about real environmental issues. This office, I felt, was going to be what I would or would not make of it on my own.
Well, I must have done something right or had a good message. 13,349 voters elected me. I received more votes—because I ran for a county-wide office—than any Board of Supervisors’ member and almost as many as any two combined. Since being elected, I’ve tried to get right in the middle of the political hornet’s nest about growth and overdevelopment in Chesterfield—sometimes successfully and sometimes not. I was honored when the James River Soil and Water Conservation District allowed me, as a Chesterfield Director, to Chair its Strategic Planning Committee to develop its 2005 to 2010 Plan of Work. The “service” part of being elected has been rewarding and interesting.
A year ago, I honestly thought that my office would always be about soil and water conservation issues and not money and politics. Right away, I learned that the “politics” part of being elected IS about the home and school building industry, secret memos, back-room deals and entrenched politicians not wanting to recognize the little people. I’ve worked hard for small gains but have realized that real progress can be stonewalled by things that the lowest elected office in the state can’t control or get attention for.
There are several groups here in Chesterfield composed of about 100-150 very active citizens who are excellent grass-roots lobbyists for slowing down the rapid build-out and overdevelopment of the county. They have been trying for several years to get the attention of the Board of Supervisors and convince them that they (the Board) CAN deny agricultural to residential rezoning applications based on inadequate public facilities. They have been both outspoken and well-researched. They present their case well. In response to articulate, though emotional, pleas, they endure late-night into past midnight meetings of the Board and the Planning Commission and the fact, for example, that there was a “secret memo” that existed for almost two years that supported their case. Right now, these citizens continue to be well-organized and have formed legal entities to promote their conservation causes. Several citizens and homeowners’ associations have also filed at least two lawsuits in circuit court. Others continue to ally themselves with the news media to lobby for investigations. At least one investigation—by the School Board relating to a construction site—has been officially sanctioned.
A year ago, I was winding-up a campaign that promoted reasons to get involved in the political process. The greatest victory in my own election has been the fact that over the last year I have seen a ground-swell of grassroots interest in local elected officials. I know of at least four political new-comers who are seriously considering running for election on Chesterfield’s 2007 ballot for election to the Board of Supervisors. I continue to state publicly that the current Board should face the realization that the citizens of Chesterfield desire that the aggressive growth and overdevelopment stop. In fact, I still haven’t met any ordinary citizen (not connected to the building, real estate, legal or land use community) that wants the growth to continue. If elected officials don’t take time to listen to the ordinary citizens that they represent, they will continue to be the focus of out-spoken criticism.
The most important thing that a politician needs to remember is that campaign contributions from biased business interests and political action committees don’t give any indication of what real citizens want. The true barometer of the performance of an elected official is measured by the investment of time that ordinary working people want to invest to come to meetings, patiently wait their turn to speak and sometimes, just sometimes, write checks for $25 to $100 to support a current or future campaign.
Lots of $1,000 contributions from partisan and interested business and political entities buy elections and, at a minimum, get attention and access. $25 contributions from regular working folks are the true barometer of a successful elected official.
The minutes from the monthly meetings of the James River Soil and Water Conservation District as well as a detailed story of my campaign (actually a chapter from my upcoming book) are posted at my website. If you take the time to read the minutes of our meetings--documenting what I’ve tried to accomplish as a Chesterfield Soil and Water Conservation District Director--I know that you’ll find them of interest, because they tell an interesting story of a first-term, first-time, elected official’s attempts to serve the public.
David B. Robinson, CPA
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