Endorsement by Arlington Sun Gazette

Thursday, November 1, 2001

When we endorsed Democratic County Board Chairman Jay Fisette in the Democratic caucus over the summer, we called him a "thoughtful, moderate, good-spirited public servant." That's pretty high praise from an editorial page that frequently bats around members of the all-Democrat County Board for the sheer sport of it.

Ask Paul Ferguson (1999) and Barbara Favola (2000) in the end they got their Sun endorsements for re-election, but got knocked around pretty good in the process. So here we go again.

We do not agree with Fisette on all issues. We are particularly concerned, as are many others, at the board's (and Fisette's) seeming indifference to public safety upgrades a point made repeatedly by challenger Mike Clancy. As board chairman over the past year, Fisette has been smooth and accommodating to different views but does that translate into leadership? We're not so sure. His re-election campaign has offered little but generalities.

There has been remarkably little heavy lifting this year on key issues, ranging from housing to redevelopment. New construction wins approval, but the deeper questions remain ignored. What kind of community do we want to be in 10, 20 or 50 years? And what can we do to move forward in that direction? Fisette indeed has a vision, but it is too limited in its specifics.

Fisette and other board members even acknowledge they can't yet fully define "urban village" a term that supposedly has governed their vision for the past three years. Why not? Because without serious opposition in the corridors of power, their thinking can remain flaccid and ambiguous.

As we said two years ago in endorsing Paul Ferguson for re-election, however, we look at the totality of an incumbent's service, not simply the year that he or she rotates on and off as chairman. And for the most part, Fisette has proven himself a capable representative of Arlington's largely Democratic electorate.

Independent Clancy has proven himself to be thoughtful, moderate and respectful of diversity during his campaign. He has given voters a choice. That's a good thing. But Fisette is the better choice for voters. It's tough to be a non-Democrat in this one-party community. Arlington is better off when candidates can challenge the monolithic incumbents and stimulate dialogue. Clancy has done that, but Fisette remains deserving of a second term.

While we are glad that Clancy came forward to challenge Fisette after the county's Republican leadership failed in its duty to field a candidate, there is no real question of what is in the best interests of Arlington voters. Jay Fisette has earned re-election on Tuesday, November 6th.