News Virginian
Published: March 13, 2008

I am writing concerning the March 11 story in The News Virginian, "Televising council debates proposed." Although I am the chairwoman of the Government Relations Committee of the Board of Directors of the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce, I am writing this letter as an individual and not in my capacity with the chamber.

I would like to correct the misimpressions created by the e-mail published as part of the March 11 story. In the past, the chamber has sponsored "Meet the Candidates" sessions with local candidates, including most recently on Oct. 17 with the candidates for the Augusta County Board of Supervisors and for the state Senate. Leading up to the primary last year, the chamber sponsored a forum with Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Mt. Solon, and the other candidate for the Republican nomination for state Senate, Scott Sayre. As City Council candidates in both Waynesboro and Staunton began announcing last month, I talked with a number of people in the community to get their ideas of how the chamber might play a positive role in organizing an event or events to help inform voters. 

I was only gathering ideas and I did not suggest a televised event nor an event in the Waynesboro City Council chambers. In fact, because I did not attend or watch the Feb. 11 City Council meeting, the first I knew of any such suggestion was at a chamber board meeting on Feb. 28. The first I knew that my name had been raised in connection with such a proposal was when I read the March 11 story in The News Virginian.

As I stated at the Feb. 28 board meeting and on other occasions since, I personally do not believe the chamber should be involved in this controversial event. While I believe that the author of the e-mail, as well as all of the members of the Waynesboro City Council, are acting in good faith as they debate this issue, I felt was important for me to correct the inaccuracies that have been created about me and about the chamber.

Mary McDermott    

Waynesboro

The televised Waynesboro City Council meetings have proven to be informative, and occasionally very entertaining. During the many public comment periods we get to hear from the citizens their opinions on the matters before council. It is the perfect use of the government channel.

This year there are three seats up for election, and if I understand the current debate, a campaign manager of one of the council candidates wants the city to host, televise and pay for public debates on the government access channel, against the advice of the city's attorney.

What is more confounding to me is that Councilwoman Nancy Dowdy is "absolutely in favor of this. I believe the expense is justified by giving our citizens an opportunity to make an informed decision when they go to the polls.

It certainly raises questions to me about Dowdy's end goal, given that she has already endorsed a Waynesboro Theatre Alliance candidate, Chris Graham, and it was his wife and campaign manager, Crystal, herself an administrative assistant for the Theatre Alliance, that requested the forum. It seems self-serving to suggest an unprecedented use of a government channel by a council member to support their own candidate.

For the record, I have not yet decided which if any candidate to support in Ward B, and have no other motive here other than to state that the request to use a public channel to support a council member's choices for office or even themselves is unbelievable.

Do we not have enough real issues to be concerned about-  I can certainly think of a few more pressing issues. And while I appreciate Ms. Dowdy's efforts to educate us poor dumb voters by broadcasting this debate, I'm sure we are savvy enough to learn about the candidates and their positions by other methods -- perhaps by reading the paper!

It is not the business of council to run elections or provide free campaign air time on the government access channel, and I, for one, am opposed to the city traveling down this slippery slope.

If the city moves forward with this scheme, I would urge EVERY nonprofit agency in the Valley to demand free access and equal air time.

Tom Hardiman

Waynesboro