"The only tool you're using on us is a screwdriver"...

...remarked Phyllis Randall to Lori Waters, at tonight's feisty and audio-challenged Board of Supervisor's debate put on by the Loudoun League of Women Voters. Another blog entry here will delve further into the issues and comments (as will this weekend's Loudoun Rag articles - all of 'em were there), but here's the tasty soundbytes (not necessarily absolutely accurate quotes):

Miller - "I feel like I've scared off the school bully!" - referring to an absent Steve Snow, and following with many unanswered accusations, criticisms and charges regarding Snow's record and campaigning.

Waters - "I don't support the government simply giving up handouts" (to Randall).

Ryan - "Telework isn't a real solution; it doesn't work in the business community" (to Waters - um, it seems to work just fine to us...)

Miller - "Snow's failed his road test" - referring to a Snow statement that the BOS position can't be filled on a "learner's permit" (i.e. an inexperienced person).

Waters - "he's violated the forum policy" - referring to Bob Ohneiser (Broad Run School Board representative, who posed a question to Lori without revealing his support of Ryan nor his candidacy in the upcoming elections).

Ryan - "speaking of ethics, she's the only bad smelling thing here" (about Waters).

Randall - "it's time the leadership of Loudoun County looked like the citizens of Loudoun County" - general statement, in advance of the later statement "I only ask that the voters do not take my skin color into account when they vote".

Miller - "the first thing I'll do if elected is call Dietz construction and let them know I can't work for them for the next 4 years".

Everyone except Waters - "it's interesting how many initiatives have been started just over the past few months by this BOS".

Front row of spectators, on their T-shirts (before being requested to remove them) -"Danger, we live in the HCA fallout zone!".

What fun. Here's the 10 second opinionated review:

- Waters - most professional
- Randall - most energetic and motivated
- Ryan - most unremarkable
- Miller - most like a thoughtful professor in this school environment
- Moderator - nice and polite, but inexperienced in political settings
- Sound system - abysmal
- Student attendance - pretty good
- Audience participants (asking questions) - planted with specific agendas
- Coaches - lots of secret hand signalling from an audience member to Randall
-"Meet the Press" reporters (asked questions to the candidates; representing the Easterner, the Loudoun Times, the Connection, and Leesburg Today) - pretty uninspired, except for a little moxie from the Leesburg Today reporter

- Interesting, unique ideas or solutions - mostly from Miller, including a committee to improve the regulatory environment to help attract more businesses, many more commuter buses, a year-long budgetary process and discussion committee representing the BOS and BOE, drastically improvement the public commenting and participation process for BOS forums (so they don't go till 12AM, and everyone gets a pre-scheduled slot), and don't focus on cutting government services from illegal immigrants and their children, rather, focus on removing the illegal criminal element.