Virginia — 1st District

Politics or ideology?

Shannon Taylor boasts that she is a pragmatic, reform-minded candidate for representing Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. Describing herself as a hardline prosecutor, her recent campaign ad states that she believes “doing what’s right matters more than politics.”

But what does Taylor consider to be right? Her history of soft-on-crime decisions and her support from advocacy groups such as J-Street PAC and Emily’s List suggest a progressive ideology that has less to do with politics and more to do with turning Virginia into another blue-state blunder. Taylor’s campaign donations from outside the state, such as the Progressive Turnout Project and Giffords PAC, seek to further reduce gun rights and enhance the rights of convicted felons. She has a demonstrated record of firing prosecutors in the name of diversification and has publicly endorsed the progressive commonwealth’s attorney in Fairfax County.

Voters in the 1st District need to ask themselves if they want higher crime rates to go along with higher taxes and bigger government. If so, then they should vote for another Democrat with what I believe is a record of putting progressive ideology ahead of state prosperity.

If they want accountability in government and a solid belief in law and order, they should vote Republican. U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman has voted to lower our taxes, reduce our government and strengthen law enforcement.

Richard M. Timberlake, Williamsburg

Election integrity

President Donald Trump likes to claim that elections are rigged or plagued with fraud. If anyone is the least bit suspicious about how elections are run, they should call their local elections office and volunteer to work the polling places or count absentee ballots. The training and the experience you will receive will resolve any concerns that you may have. The processes are redundant and auditable including ballots counted by hand and by machine. Also, incoming mail envelopes are compared to absentee ballots counted. All of the steps are double checked and can be observed by either political party. If a discrepancy is discovered, the process starts all over.

Don’t take anyone’s word for the integrity of our elections, check it out for yourself. You will be joined by your neighbors of varying walks of life, different parts of your community and of both parties and independents.

James E. Gehman, Norfolk

Not American

I am retired and live on a fixed income. My income does not keep up with inflation; how can it? I received my Dominion Energy power bill and it was about $100 higher. My house has increased in value, and my house payment has increased by about $200; gasoline by about $50; and fast food prices have almost doubled. Eating out is a luxury, and the price of groceries — well, you know about that. Clean air and water need to be protected.

The Republican tariffs are to blame for the cost increase of the things we buy, and the Republican war is the reason for our energy spike in everything. That has a simple solution: Take out the nuclear threat, come home and stop killing innocent people. This is America: We do not kill folks who are not building nuclear bombs. We do not destroy civilian targets because we do not like them. At least the majority of us think that is morally wrong. We do not support the destruction of our government that is of the people and for the people. We are a nation of laws, laws that provide equal protection for everyone. This is not the legacy we want to deliver to our children. Republicans need to wake up and remember what the folks who elected them stand for or we need to vote them out before it is too late.

Donald Lane, Chesapeake