To the Editor:

It is with great disappointment that we have watched many on the outside of our county paint Powhatan with broad strokes that focus only on black and white, instead of more accurately reflecting on the caring, compassionate community many of us call home. It is even more disheartening to see one of our well known citizens inflame the situation by suggesting that an elected official in our county is not giving equal treatment to all of his constituents through the use of his vote.

We have both had the privilege of knowing Tim Gresham for many years and have known him to be an ardent supporter of many otherwise disadvantaged citizens and groups in this and the surrounding community.

One need but look at Tim’s career choice in serving and leading a charitable organization, which serves the visually challenged to know that this is a man who is compassionate, empathetic and given to the cause of service.

As a former elected official in this county, Ms. Manning is assuredly well versed in the necessity of making tough choices in lean economic times.

It is unfortunately disingenuous of her to suggest that Mr. Gresham wrote off a group of his constituents on the basis of race in favor of support from those in a higher tax bracket.

It is even more intriguing a position for her to take when one considers that during her tenure on the Board of Supervisors, Ms. Manning allowed for a similar provision to outsource custodial services for Powhatan County which clearly would have affected the same population. This was proposed and implemented by Steve Owen during this time. Why was it acceptable for the county and not the school system? Is it considered a fiscally responsible position when Ms. Manning casts her support thusly but a latently racial one when Mr. Gresham holds the same position? Aren’t we all smarter than that?

While we all possess the right to agree or disagree with our elected officials, it adds nothing to the quality of an incredibly important argument to suggest intent and motivation that is baseless in nature. It would be more accurate and true for those who are interested in the facts to acknowledge that the entire board was presented with a number of variables, many of which were out of their control that had to be considered when approving the budget. Mr. Gresham decided and rightly so, that an across the board flat percentage salary cut would do much greater harm to all county employees and especially those at the bottom tiers of the pay scale than an option which sought to outsource custodial workers if and only if NO NEGATIVE impact could be maintained in doing so.

Any elected official whether at local, state or federal levels will readily assert that the unprecedented nature of our economy has forced a great deal of introspection and thoughtfulness in concluding what is best for everyone. It is to his and the whole board’s credit that after careful study, the decision was rendered to not outsource custodial services at this time, thus making Ms. Manning’s point moot. We are both comforted to know that Tim Gresham is a gentleman who readily possesses the gifts and qualities needed to serve this county in an unbiased way. To suggest otherwise, without a willingness to consider all of the facts only serves to distract us all, black or white, from doing the real work of serving and supporting the most important constituent group in this process: the children of Powhatan county.

Paula Duncan and
Brooks Bradbury Smith
Powhatan