Have you noticed our district holds few town hall meetings despite our location near our nation’s Capitol? Another friend recently told me, “It’s like Moran preaches to the choir, but fails to talk with the congregation.”

Unlike the incumbent, I welcome constructive criticism and answer questions. I value listening and ensuring people are effectively heard. We have thousands more highly informed citizens than nearly any other congressional district in our nation. I want our neighbors to voice their ideas and concerns bringing important insight to critical issues.

Let’s look at one event to see how Moran’s insularity and arrogance harms our community’s ability to discuss important matters even when we agree. On April 7, 2011, the incumbent called a town hall meeting to discuss another threatened government shutdown.

A contemporary news report from local WUSA Channel 9 can be seen at this site. 

Nearly 200 neighbors identifying as Democrats, Independents, Republicans, and nonpolitical invested their time to participate sharing concerns and asking questions of our representative.

As you can see in the videos above, our representative values talking over listening as he yells demanding voters sit down, go home and write him a letter after they invested their time to participate as he requested and stood in public to ask a question. He fails to appreciate, refuses to answer and implies people who want Congress to prevent future government shutdowns possess a sinister agenda. Don't we in VA8 all want to prevent future government shutdowns?

On the issue of preventing government shutdowns we have broad community consensus. The vast majority of us see shutdowns as a serious threat to families in our community. Bottom line: preventing government shutdowns is not a controversial issue in Virginia’s 8th congressional district. Still, a public meeting facilitated by the incumbent leaves our community feeling divided rather than united.

Any qualified economist, business leader or person with common sense expects to see operational shutdowns in organizations being liquidated. Just like management at Bain Capital liquidates companies, establishment politicians have been liquidating our federal government.

No entity funds over 40 percent of its regular operations through debt financing when executives and board members, or here the President and Congress, see the organization as a continuing, enduring concern.

In the incumbent’s time on Capitol Hill our national debt has increased by over $12 trillion dollars. Yet, he says he would do nothing differently. In fact, to paraphrase him for a family friendly forum, Moran has said if he is ever given chairmanship of any committee he would pork the heck out of the legislation. Obviously, I agree with The Washington Post. Moran is unfit for public office.

The comprehensive economic and fiscal plan I wrote and the incumbent submitted to the Congressional Budget Office in 2010 works to restore our federal government, to make our region’s leading employer sustainable. We fully fund our government and begin slowly building cash reserves. My plan prevents future government shutdowns, instills confidence and restores the good faith and credit of the United States. We do so by recognizing opportunities to build consensus.

I agree with ranking Democratic Representative on the House Budget Committee Christopher Van Hollen (D-Md.) who collaborates with Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) in advocating a proper line-item veto. The days of pork barrel projects are over. While Moran stumbles, my plan works to bring over $400 million annually to VA8 in ongoing funding by making vital investments in national priorities.

Neighbors attending a town hall meeting called by the incumbent are improperly treated with disrespect when they ask what he will do to help prevent future government shutdowns. You can see my comprehensive answer as a written plan and the incumbent’s cover letter to CBO above or on my campaign website: www.VA8.com. Thank you.

It’s time to move forward. Don’t you think?

A. Will Radle, Jr.

Democratic VA8 Candidate

www.VA8.com