Ordinance 1450 - the home stretch
The joint meeting of the Planning Commission and Town Council is only days away. On Tuesday night, starting at 7:30, there will be a public hearing and then the historic vote.

We are guardedly optimistic about passage of Ordinance 1450. But we cannot take any chances -- it is too important. And while we will settle for a bare majority, it is also an opportunity for us, through our elected town council, to make a big statement about what we value and what kind of town we want.

First-time speakers, it's time to get up your nerve. The stakes are too high to remain silent. If you have not yet been heard on this issue, Tuesday night is your last chance. Prepare a 3-minute comment, take a deep breath, approach the podium, and do it -- think of the satisfaction of knowing that you did your part in making Blacksburg history.

What should you say? Anything you lack in oratory skill will be forgiven if you have something of value to add. And you do have something of value to add. Here are some suggestions if you don't already have an angle that you are passionate about:

1. Personal testimonial. What brought you to Blacksburg, why do you stay here, what do you love about the place, and what would be lost if we don't get a handle on big box development? How do your personal circumstances make you particularly aware or concerned about some aspect of the issue?
2. New information. Something you know that is relevant, that has not been brought into the discussion yet. What do you know about big-box stores and their impact? What do you know about what is good or bad for a town like ours?
3. Reactions to the South Main process. While Ordinance 1450 is needed for all future commercial development, we only learned this through our experience with this project. What is your reaction to what has happened, and how has it convinced you of the need for this ordinance?

Getting up the nerve. Here are some tips gathered from the experts:

• One way to overcome fear of public speaking is to be afraid and speak anyway. This is possibly the most reliable way to gain confidence in speaking. Be afraid, be nervous, be hesitant, but do it anyway.
• Remember that your audience truly wants you to succeed. Most of them are scared to death of public speaking, just like you. They feel for you. They will admire your courage. And you will have many, many in the room on your side.
• If you appear nervous, no problem. You'll show them that the issue is so important to you that you did not let your shyness stop you.
• If you feel more comfortable reading from a prepared comment, that's fine.

If you want a seat, be sure to arrive very early. If the chambers are full, you must still be given an opportunity to speak. Wait near the door for your chance. And wear green. If you don't have a BURG t-shirt, any green will do. The visual statement will leave no doubt as to where the passion is.

Who is "Citizens Against Ordinance 1450"?
All signs indicate that this is a classic "astroturf" campaign. Someone — we don't know if it was Fairmount Properties, Jeanne Stosser, or possibly even Walmart — has hired a Washington, D.C.-based PR firm called APCO to create a fake grassroots organization. Our guess is that the entire operation has cost tens of thousands of dollars. It has included telemarketer calls, a professionally-designed website, a full-page color advertisement in the New River Current, flyers, signs, and probably a few more surprises.

As opposed to a real grassroots group, like BURG, which is "money-poor and people-rich", this group is clearly "people-poor and cash-rich." Its goals are to give the appearance of a real grassroots movement, and to convince uninformed residents that Ordinance 1450 will bring higher taxes and economic decline. The contact for the group is Steve Bodtke, a local realtor with extensive business ties to the Stosser family's company, SAS Builders. Also listed on the organization's "steering committee" is Patty Lobingier, a Virginia Tech accounting professor who is an alternate member of the Blacksburg Board of Zoning Appeals. This is the board that would rule on any appeal of a zoning determination regarding the South Main development.

Besides the unwelcome intrusion of the telemarketer calls, this fake organization has also shown no respect for legal limits on its activities. Its workers have placed flyers in mailboxes, in violation of federal law, and have illegally placed dozens of signs on public property around town. Town zoning staff spent hours removing these signs on Thursday and Friday.

The astroturf campaign is an insult to the town and our democratic process. And it is an insult to those who may have principled reasons for opposing Ordinance 1450, and whose cause is now tainted by these tactics.

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