Chesterfield Board Betrays Constituent Trust: Plays Politics

                                                     "You work for us- Do your jobs"
                                            Patrick Murphy- resident Midlothian (Chesterfield)

There was a monthly Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors Agenda Meeting Wednesday night in Chesterfield County, Virginia outside the State Capital of Richmond. Chesterfield is an suburban locality with roughly 350,000 residents and has traditionally been represented by Republican leaders on its Board of Supervisors and School Board.

The County however, has been changing politically over the last decade as more and more younger families move into the County. While recent elections demonstrated the continued strength of some Republicans like State Senator Amanda Freeman Chase (VA-11) who defeated a Progressive Democrat challenger last month, fellow State Senator Republican Glen Sturtevant (VA-10) was defeated in his race but was victorious in the Chesterfield and Powhatan precincts of the district earning 51% in Chesterfield and 76% in Powhatan,

Powhatan County has already endorsed the 2A Gun Sanctuary Movement but Chesterfield appears unwilling to advance any 2A resolution in defiance of the Richmond.

In fact in the days leading up to Wednesday evening monthly meeting, the Republican Chair of the Board of Supervisors Leslie Haley informed local reporters that no such measure would be enacted by the Board or voted upon regarding a 2A sanctuary  as over 60 other localities have undertaken thus far including many of Chesterfield's neighboring localities.

Amelia County and Colonial Heights have also signed on to the 2A movement.

The determination by Haley to take no action before even listening or hearing the concerns of constituents is striking. Thousands gather for an agenda meeting to have their voices heard and just like a week ago when Haley avoided constituents at a leadership meeting with the Delegation from Chesterfield County to the General Assembly a greater arrogance is being displayed.

Haley asserted "Folks we have County business to do tonight" following the ending of the public speaking period and that the "we are following Board procedures" and after a citizen asked if there was way procedure wise to get a vote on the matter he was informed there was no such procedure. Haley proceed to close the floor to the public comment period.

                                  "Folks, Folks there is no action item on the Board's Agenda"
                                        Leslie Haley, Chair Chesterfield  Board of Supervisors

Haley appears determined to defer to Richmond. Her concern appears less about any Constitutional infringement by the State  but rather money. Haley raised the issue of the State withholding financial resources should the County endorse a 2A resolution in defiance of the laws that may be enacted by the General Assembly. Supervisor Jaeckle all  but passed the buck regarding guns to Richmond and the "state level"who enacts such laws with little local level jurisdictions could address warning citizens to work with real and the right politicians and not those who would use them for their own ends.

Putting the interest of the State and the relationship the County has with Richmond over that of the will of constituents smacks of Republicans who have forgotten the very core principles they often claim to represent. By taking no action and in effect sitting on their hands, this Board intends to do the bidding of Progressives in Richmond.

Chesterfield had a real opportunity Wednesday. An opportunity as one of the largest localities in Virginia outside Northern Virginia to take a stand with Constitutional , Conservative and Libertarian Republicans to send a message to Richmond even if symbolic in nature that the U.S. Constitution still hold meaning to Virginians.

Leslie Haley failed constituents as well as all Virginians. She and her colleagues should be held accountable in 2020 regarding how the manage the County moving forward on any array of issues at the local level.

Not only has this Board disrespected fellow Republican leaders like Sen. Amanda Freeman Chase who are supporters and advocates for the Constitution they have even gone as far as to tell them to "stay the their lane". Yet, Haley and her Board have forgotten one simple basic fundamental fact. Though Chase may be a State Senator in a different body, she is a resident of Chesterfield County and this Board is her Board as well.

The citizens of Chesterfield own this Board not the members that reside on it. The out of control political games in Chesterfield and the undermining of its elected officials on the current Board to the very core principles of governance that Republicans have long stood for proves that the Republican Party today is at a crossroads.

These leaders no more reflect Republican let alone Conservative values as the Democrat majority in Richmond does.

These Chesterfield "leaders" have betrayed the trust of constituents.

#ChesterfieldGOP #VaGop #LeslieHaley #AmandaChase #2A #2ASTRONG #progun #pro2A #ChesterfieldBOS #VCDL #GunsSaveLives #gunsanctuary