Principles

Below are the PRINCIPLES of the Loudoun Conservatives:

**EDUCATION:

WHEREAS a complete education of the Principles of our nation’s Founding, the role of Government, and the importance of an engaged and personally responsible citizenry is vital to the future of our Republic. And whereas Loudoun County can and should be a leader in the Commonwealth in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), but not at the expense of basic reading, economics, and classical training:

WE BELIEVE that the Loudoun County Public Schools should support creative approaches to not only maximize efficient use of education funding, but to allow for less traditional forms of funding, including:

• In-system attendance alternatives, such as open enrollment, to balance population among schools
• Charter Schools and Magnet Schools
• Distance-learning for in-school and home-schooled students
• Universal Tuition Tax-Credits for private schools.

WE BELIEVE that the Loudoun County Public Schools should not be insulated from economic downturns and the rest of the Loudoun County Government left with the tough decisions to cut expenses.

**PUBLIC SECTOR VS PRIVATE SECTOR:

WHEREAS the role of Government is to serve the needs of the citizenry as a whole, including those of the private sector and those who are paid by the Government. And whereas Government employees should be compensated fairly, based on their skill set and their effectiveness, not based on the political bargaining power of the employees:

WE BELIEVE that Merit-based pay, at all levels of the Loudoun County Government and the Loudoun County Public Schools should be a top priority for this County Board.

WE BELIEVE that when the economy is doing well, it is even more important for the County Government to be mindful of its growth and to continually evaluate and cut expenses that do not serve the needs of the whole County.

**ENVIRONMENTAL/HISTORICAL PRESERVATION:

WHEREAS Loudoun County has a rich and historically-significant heritage, and historic preservation is important to Virginians. And whereas all Loudoun County citizens are mindful of the damages of pollution of our waterways, soil, and air.

WE BELIEVE that the role of the County Government is to enforce pollution laws and punish polluters, not to stifle development or punish developers on the premise of environmentalism, based on bad science and faulty assumptions.

WE OPPOSE expansion of Government-controlled land at the expense of private property rights and also oppose the creation of extra bureaucracies for the purpose of controlling land use in Loudoun County while having no appreciable effect on improving air, soil, or water quality.

WE OPPOSE “smart growth” and “sustainability” policies, which are used by local Government to control the ecology, and thus, the economy, of the population. We further contend that Loudoun’s membership in ICLEI (AKA “Local Governments for Sustainability”) should be dropped, as its philosophy and agenda do not serve the interests and basic rights of Loudoun County residents.

If you’re interested in helping support these ideals in Loudoun County, please JOIN HERE.