I was talking yesterday with someone who lives in a very rural area. He had many derogatory things to say about his three person Town Board. What exactly he called them is irrelevant. Funny… but irrelevant. He wanted to know how to “change their mind” on an particular issue.

I told him that in order for them to “change their mind” implies they have one to change in the first place. And, he had just spent 15 minutes telling me that wasn’t the case.

I explain in Moving Mountains and Molehills Local Politics 101  as a last resort, if the issue is that important to you, sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands and throw the bums out. This is a three member Town Board. It only takes two to overthrow it. 

When a discussion takes that turn, suddenly the issue is not near as important as it just was.

There has been a lot of talk lately about marijuana.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced the Obama administration would allow states to enforce their own medical marijuana laws.

Some in California want to totally legalize it so they can tax it.

Others consider the prison costs that can be saved for taxpayers.

All this reminds me of a County Board meeting in November of 1998.

It was my first budget process as a County Board Supervisor. I eyed the line item of $15,000 which was the County share of the DARE. program. I had disliked the DARE curriculum since my son went through it a few years earlier. What crap. No wonder we have the drug problems we do.  I was recognized by the Chair and rose to speak.

I explained that I was not opposed to a drug education program. I was opposed to THIS drug education program. I explained how I believed the DARE program lied to kids about many drugs thus doing more harm than good in the long run. We needed a new program.

The Chairman of the Law Enforcement Committee rose to respond. The  former Police Chief, County Sheriff and long time County Board Supervisor shook his finger at me as he spoke, “Of course we lie to the kids. How else are we going to get through to them?”

My motion to drop DARE did not get a second.

Don’t get mad, get even.

I’ve waited years to get even with political opponents.

It didn’t take Michael Zarlenga that long.

To many in Old Town Alexandria, the sex shop that opened recently on King Street is nothing short of scandalous, a historical desecration just blocks from the boyhood home of Robert E. Lee.

I’ve been told I need a front end alignment.

Considering the condition of our streets I suspect 80% of the cars in town need a front end alignment.

How’s your streets doing?