LETTER: Keep politics refreshing

The Republican candidate for the House of Delegates seat in the 51st District — Rich Anderson — and his staff deserve a round of applause. Rather than the “negative” campaigning to include mud-
slinging, name calling and the like, Anderson and his staff have taken a refreshing approach to traditional politics.

For lots of reasons (job, children, disinterest, et al) the voting public oftentimes doesn’t check the voting records of incumbents seeking re-election. Such is not the case with Rich Anderson and his staff.
They have “done their homework” in formulating issues important to the voters.

The Anderson campaign staff designed a survey comprised of 68 questions dealing mostly with specific issues and requested responses from about 300 people. However, when the Nichols campaign staff
heard of the poll and that their incumbent may be “soft on crime” (“51st race heats up”, News and Messenger, Sept. 18) Delegate Nichols responded: “Over the course of my two years in the House, I
have voted consistently to crack down on sex offenders and protect Virginia’s families.” Why then Delegate Nichols did you vote FOR the bill?

Space limitations preclude me from expounding on all votes cast by the incumbent Delegate Paul Nichols but one, in particular, deserves attention — HB 1481 (A bill to amend and reenact 22.1-296.1 of
the Code of Virginia, relating to contractors on school property).

A person with a child pornography conviction would be able to be your kid’s soccer coach if Nichols had his way. Here is a list of some of the crimes that would have applied under this bill: (Note:
criminals convicted of these crimes would be able to get a waiver to work with students had the bill passed) DUI, weapons violations (including illegal weapons), crimes against property (arson, burglary,
embezzlement, trespass, damage to property, computer crimes, crimes involving fraud) forgery, impersonation, credit card crimes, crimes involving morals and decency (gambling, prostitution, sex
crimes — other than sexual molestation or physical or sexual abuse or rape of a child), obscenity.

Full disclosure: I am not a voter in the 51st District but if I were, I’d be doing more checking of the voting record of the incumbent and thinking twice about casting my vote.

A. VIC POILLUCCI

Woodbridge