The Dillon Rule

Dianne Blais, the independent candidate for the 40th delegate district, wants to see change in Virginia.  She stands by her campaign slogan “Greater say for the average Virginian!” it sounds nice, but what does it mean?  Virginia has a unique political structure, as we all know, but what you may not have known is that the structure actually takes away power from the citizens.  Virginia abides by the Dillon rule of law.  This means that every legal decision that is made goes through Richmond.  Whether your community is trying to pass a law mandating a certain length of grass for the neighborhood, or the state is trying to pass a budget leveling the state deficit, it all needs to be decided by the Delegates and Senators of Richmond.  To add to this chaos, all of these decisions need to be made in a two month period called the General Assembly.  The effects are staggering, so many decisions are made in such a short time, community members and constituents can’t effectively lobby for their positions. As an example, it can take up to three years to even get a new crosswalk.  But how do we right this flaw?  Candidate Dianne Blais wants to empower local levels of government, giving them the power to solve their own problems.  Dianne wants to make some amendments to the Dillon rule.  She wants to instill a petition form for citizens to take care of community problems within their own neighborhoods.  If localities could decide on these smaller scale issues, it would give the state delegates more time to focus on the issues that matter, like the economy.  This is an important issue facing Virginia, and she is one of the few candidates who have voiced a sensible position on the Dillon rule and local control of government.  It is imperative that we support these voices because our system needs work.  The status quo is unacceptable, and Dianne Blais is the delegate for change.
-Skyler King