Virginia Beach City Council Endorsement: Guy Tower
When the Virginia Beach City Council filled the vacant Beach district seat last April with lawyer and mediator Guy Tower the people got a sharp, smart representative.
Finally.
The inhabitant of that seat for 12 long years was a piece of political driftwood who obediently carried water for developers.
It’s unfortunate that Tower had to be appointed. That’s not how this is supposed to work. This is an elected office, after all. But due to chicanery in the previous election, which resulted in the winner being disqualified by a panel of judges due to questions about his residency, the seat was vacated. A special election was set for Nov. 5.
Tomorrow we get a chance to vote FOR Tower. A man who actually lives in the district and who shows no signs of being a developer’s sock puppet.
In his more than six months on city council Tower has been a quick study. There are many reports - including one of my own - of Tower responding with alacrity to citizens’ concerns.
In the past, Beach district residents had to hope one of the other members of council would pitch in when problems arose, because their own representative seemed disengaged.
No more.
Tower is pragmatic, relatable and genuinely concerned about the city. Do I agree with all of his positions? Nope. But he has the best chance of taking a seat away from the cronies.
I’m not a purist. I’m a pragmatist.
Notably, Tower won the full-throated endorsement of Councilman John Moss, a principled conservative and stalwart budget hawk, who posted this on his Facebook page:
"Guy Tower is a very ethical and trustworthy gentleman. We are fortunate that he changed his mind and decided to run. He understands the real meaning of public service. I judge Councilman Tower to be a virtuous person who exercises reason, uninfluenced by the greed of special interests.
Like me, he votes independent of election consequences. He listens, he researches, he reflects and then he decides. A voter can ask for no more in their elected officials.”
What Moss seems to be telegraphing is that grassroots voters should not waste their ballots on perennial candidate Rick “R.K.” Kowalewitch, no matter how much they may agree with his boisterous low-tax agenda.
Three-way races are tricky. Kowalewitch’s heart is in the right place, but he has little chance of winning. More likely, he’ll be a spoiler, helping to elect Tower’s real opponent: Rosemary Wilson.
A Tower win would nuke Wilson’s cynical shenanigans. She’s running for a district seat, with one year to serve on her at-large seat.
Bizarre.
If Wilson really wanted to represent the Beach district, she would have resigned her current position and allowed the voters to fill it. Instead, she hedged her bets, depriving the people of a chance to pick her replacement.
The explanations Wilson offers for exploiting this loophole in the law are simply gibberish.
Next, the councilwoman dared to accuse Tower of being dishonest because when he was appointed he said he had no intent on running for the seat.
The man changed his mind. So what? Unlike Wilson, he isn’t playing musical chairs with a public office.
Rosemary Wilson is a charter member of city council’s crony club. If she wins this seat - God forbid - council will appoint someone to fill hers. That would be the third appointment to this elected body in a single year.
Profoundly undemocratic.
Vote for Tower.
