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Battlefield District candidates spar over voting records Date published: 9/22/2009
By DAN TELVOCK
Spotsylvania County Supervisor Benjamin Pitts is attacking the voting record of his opponent, former Supervisor Chris Yakabouski. Yakabouski served on the Board of Supervisors from 2004 to 2007. He did not seek re-election, running for the state Senate instead. Pitts said his opponent's campaign platform says he will strengthen the school system, but his voting record when he was a supervisor shows the opposite. During a Committee of 500 forum earlier this month, Pitts criticized Yakabouski's voting record during closing remarks, which did not provide his opponent a chance to rebut. "I sat there with my mouth wide open," Yakabouski said. On May 25, 2004, Yakabouski voted against an amendment to the school budget to include $277,126, most of which was money to help under-achieving students. On Oct. 10, 2006, Yakabouski voted against a special-use permit for Cedar Forest Elementary School on Massaponax Church Road. The site selection for the school was controversial. In the minutes of that meeting, Yakabouski said that the process was poorly administered. On Feb. 27, 2007, Yakabouski voted against authorizing the issuance of $43.6 million in bonds for school projects. Yakabouski was in the minority on each vote. When asked about the votes, Yakabouski said he would need to research them and figure out why he voted the way he did. However, he was quick to point out what he said are flaws in Pitts' voting record. Yakabouski said Pitts was voted out of office in 2003 because of the perception that he was developer-friendly. When Pitts ran successfully in 2007, it was on a smart-growth platform. In the past two years, Pitts has voted against several residential and commercial rezonings, but the projects were still approved.
"I find it amazing that [Pitts] has no footing to stand on with his own record," Yakabouski said. "For eight years he went in one direction, and then lost, and then he claims he sees the light." Pitts said he changed his platform because that was what the voters in the Battlefield District wanted. "I spent thousands of dollars of my own money to educate myself on smart-growth initiatives," he said. Yakabouski also said Pitts clamors about the lack of affordable housing, but he voted against Mallard Landing, a housing project of 150 townhomes on the east side of Tidewater Trail. "He jumps up and down and wants affordable housing and then when it comes, he doesn't want it," Yakabouski said. Pitts said the growth must pay for itself if he is going to vote in favor of a project. "That project did not pay for itself," he said. Dan Telvock: 540/374-5438
I would prefer Yakabouski over Pitts anytime - Mr. Pitts has no respect for the employees. Mr. Yakabouski was always a gentleman and a friend of the County. Pitts previous life as a Developers friend is hard to believe the "previous". So he learned his lesson - do we trust him to continue the lesson or will he go back to his previous developer friends until it is election time again. Please vote for Yak.
You are an idiot plain and simple! I see you everyday on these boards bashing everything and everyone that doesn't fit your pathetic agenda. You constantly resort to name calling and stupidity when commenting on these boards. You remind me of Pitts and his fits he throws when he doesn't get his way. Pitts is a two-faced clown with no class and needs to removed from office.
Anyone stop to think that maybe the school board need to be held accountable for their mismanagement of the budget?
The voters of the Battlefield District just need to look at Yakabouski's record and they will quickly see that he says one thing and does exactly the opposite. He even supported giving the County Administrator a $33,000.00 pay raise (23%). The four years he was in office he supported "EVERY" budget which included more and more government spending to the tune of an increase of over $130 million in four years. He is just another big government spender. Say NO to Yak on November 3rd. We can do better.
And now he is running again. Why didn't you report that?
Yak can't be trusted. He says he will pay for new road
improvements but he has promised to return the MILLIONS
Pitts secured to pay for it. Yak is blowing hot air, he has no
actual plan to pay for anything, he is just a sheep that
obediently babbles about no taxes. Pitts doesn't need to
look up his own voting record because his votes weren't
dictated and ordered by a political party committee. Vote
smart, vote Pitts. Yakety Yak, don't come back!
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