Washington DC unit takes active part in the recent Springfield town meeting to debate the “Dillon Rule” which has crippled the local body government in Virginia.(04-04-2004)
The Dillon Rule takes away legislative powers from the local body government and puts it in the hands of the state government, which therefore means that if the local administration wants to carry out what it feels is necessary to enhance the production of their respective jurisdiction, the Board of Supervisors must first seek permission and gain approval from the state government before any action can be taken. The Dillon Rule was adopted by the Virginia Supreme Court on the recommendation of Iowa Chief Justice John Forest Dillon who felt that the local governments do not consist of highly qualified, honest, and dedicated personnel to represent their jurisdiction with the utmost honesty and professionalism. The speakers on this occasion were Frank McDermott and Michael Horwatt, two of the most prominent attorneys of Fairfax County, Virginia.
After carefully studying and analyzing the Dillon Rule, the Washington DC unit unanimously agreed that in the best interest of the City of Springfield, the Dillon Rule should be repealed. This was expressed by Washington DC’s unit in-charge Mr. Amir Siddiqui who stated that: “We understand that this rule was adopted over 100 years ago, at a time when there was a possibility of corruption and neglect in the local body governments, however, we are now living in the year 2004, and we are blessed to have highly educated and dedicated representatives to care for the citizens of Springfield, therefore, in the best interest of the City of Springfield we believe that the local government should be given full and transparent autonomy and we strongly urge the state legislation to come together in a bi-partisan way to repeal this ancient law that has crippled our local governance.”
The MQM USA Washington DC unit assured Ms. McConnell that it would do everything in its power to bring about awareness to the local community regarding the Dillon Rule and promised to bring up the issue when it meets with D-VA Congressman Jim Moran on May 10th, 2004. The Washington DC unit also assured Ms. McConnell to meet with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on a monthly basis to discuss other various issues affecting the city.
Ms. Elaine McConnell wholeheartedly thanked and praised the Washington DC unit for its involvement in the local community and appreciated their efforts in helping the City of Springfield win back its autonomy.
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