The Virginian-Pilot editorial board feels Sen. Emmett Hanger’s pain at having his petitions stuck in traffic, but I suspect they’re actually chortling inside. What better example to support their drumbeat for more spending on transportation?
The Pilot has a suggestion:
Virginia voters ought to insist that candidates for statewide office sign a three-part pact:
First, they’ll drive everywhere during the campaign, just like regular Virginians. Average Joe can’t fly from Norfolk to Richmond; neither should they.
Second, they’ll schedule at least one 9 a.m. coffee and one 6 p.m. meet-and-greet on every visit to Northern Virginia. That means a pre-dawn wake-up for the first event and a long afternoon getting to the second.
Third, entering Hampton Roads, they’ll drive over a drawbridge or through a tunnel. No cheating by going through the U.S. 460 back door at Windsor.
While this suggested pact will give candidates a heaping dose of empathy with their potential constituents, I’d add a fourth part to the oath:
Fourth, after navigating each transportation bottleneck and arriving at their destination, they’ll offer their specific solution for the gridlock and how they’d pay for it.
