The Observer Newspapers | Smyers: RA Never Agreed to Host Political Debate

Oct. 19, 2006

Reston Association Corrects Statement: Never Agreed to Host Political Debate

According to Reston Association President Robin Smyers, the association is not organizing, hosting or sponsoring a political debate between the candidates of the 36th Virginia House of Delegates race. Though the group offered the use of its community space it was otherwise not involved in the proposed debate.

RA and Smyers released a statement following an announcement by the Republican candidate's office today. Hugh "Mac" Cannon issued a press release on Oct. 19 , which stated his opponent Del. Ken Plum had refused Reston Association's invitation for a debate.

"That's completely inaccurate," Smyers said. "We have no official role, except to represent the majority of the Reston community residents." She said RA had been approached by Cannon's campaign several weeks ago. "They were asking whether Reston Association had a community meeting room in which the two candidates could debate."

Smyers said that due to the limited community meeting space available at RA's headquarters, there was only one available date, Thursday, Oct. 29.

Apparently, in his response to Cannon, Delegate Ken Plum's e-mail was sent to Reston Association as a courtesy. "He said that date would not work for him," Smyers said. She said Reston Association has enjoyed long support from Delegate Plum's office on issues that affect Reston.

"We in no way wish to make this appear that Delegate Plum turned Reston Association down, because Reston Association did not organize a debate, so we could not have invited either party." Smyers reiterated. "We are non-partisan and we simply made our community meeting space available, as we would for any community group."

Press Release from Cannon Campaign

Plum Dodges Debates; Rejects Reston Association (RA) Invitation: Cannon Says Incumbent Is Taking the Voters of the 36th District for Granted

Mac Cannon, Republican for the House of Delegates from the 36th district, today said 30+ year incumbent Ken Plum (D) is “taking the voters of the 36th District for granted and is hiding from his voting record”. Cannon’s comments came in response to Ken Plum’s refusal to accept a debate invitation from the Reston Association.

“Since I entered the race for the House of Delegates from the 36th District, I have been attending events and meeting voters in Reston, Fox Mill, Oak Hill and Kinross. Ken Plum has been spending his time in McLean, Occoquan, and Tuckahoe Plantation in Richmond.”

“I personally attended more than 20 back to school nights. I did not see Ken Plum at a single one. I was at the Reston Multicultural Festival; Ken was not. I was at the Lake Anne Jazzfest; Ken was nowhere to be found. I was at Oktoberfest; Ken was somewhere else in Virginia. While I have been out meeting with the people of Reston, Fox Mill, Oak Hill and Kinross, he is avoiding this campaign and taking the voters of the 36th District for granted,” Cannon said.

“Ken Plum was first elected to the House of Delegates more than 30 years ago, when Jimmy Carter was President of the United States, and he has not had a Republican challenger in 10 years. The people of the 36th District deserve to know where the two candidates stand on the issues in this competitive, contested election,” Cannon said. “It seems that Ken Plum has decided that he does not need to put in any effort to earn the votes of our citizens in this election.”

“Ken Plum’s excuse for not debating is his schedule. That schedule is taking him everywhere but Reston, Fox Mill, Oak Hill and Kinross. He is taking these voters for granted and we need representation, not just lip service.”

In the first debate, Ken Plum did not set forth a transportation plan and could not name a single road project he would support. He had trouble fielding a question on autism, calling autism a “tragedy” and referring to autistic children as “retarded”. He also thinks that we can prevent children from being “retarded” through metabolic screening. He would not answer a question on whether he supports or would repeal Virginia’s Right to Work Law. He called making Reston a town “a step backward”. And he said he couldn’t create more slots for Northern Virginia students at UVA, Virginia Tech and William & Mary. "Now he is making excuses why not to hold even a second debate,” Cannon said.

“Debates will provide an opportunity for the voters in Reston, Fox Mill, Oak Hill and Kinross to hear both candidates for the 36th district delegate seat. It is important that the voters know the views and plans of the candidates on transportation, education, jobs, crime and other important issues facing our community,” Cannon said.

Cannon challenged Plum to a series of three live debates after the taping of the only currently scheduled issues forum for both candidates, the Reston Impact public access cable television program on Comcast’s Reston Community TV channel 28. The event was sponsored by the Reston Citizens Association and recorded in studio without a live public audience.

Hugh “Mac” Cannon is a professional, certified association executive (CAE) who has been active in his community’s neighborhood watch program, the Knights of Columbus and Ducks Unlimited. He and his wife Amy have three young children. A native Northern Virginian, Cannon is a Virginia Tech graduate. For information on the Cannon campaign, go to www.CannonforDelegate.com.