November 13, 2003

Dear Sir:

I have just finished reading today’s article by Meredith Fischer titled, "Chesterfield considers borrowing for schools".

I am absolutely beside myself with anger and frustration directed toward Mr. Art Warren and our Board of Supervisors. How dare Mr. Warren come to us now with his admonition that, "We are not going to get these schools for free". I would remind those readers from Chesterfield that it was just this past September that Mr. Warren voted to spend $550,000 of our tax money per year for the next twenty years to help upgrade and maintain the Diamond in Richmond. I can’t help but wonder how much LESS money we’d have to borrow if that money had been kept here in Chesterfield. Would that Mr. Warren were as quick to point out to Richmond and the Diamond that there is no "free lunch".

It is worth noting that Mr. Warren ran his recent re-election campaign on, among other things, his strong stance on controlled growth. I submit that had he actually controlled growth in the county, and specifically in his own district, we would not find ourselves having to borrow $116.9 million dollars. All one has to do, to see examples of Mr. Warren’s controlled growth, is drive out Hull St. Rd. just west of Rt. 288. Take a scenic tour of Charter Colony Parkway or N. Woolridge Rd., just to name a few. If these are examples of Mr. Warren’s idea of controlled growth, then we can look forward to more fiscal woes and a greater need for schools in Chesterfield.

Sincerely,

Floyd C. Bayne