MEDIA WATCH
"Good ol' boys" only on Chesterfield's board?
Greg Pearson

Apparently they were, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch (RTD). A Jan. 9 story about the new Chesterfield Board of Supervisors by Katherine Calos begins: "The good ol' boys are gone." The negative characterizations about Chesterfield just keep on coming from the daily paper - regardless of the reporter - which leads one to believe the problem is the editors.

Just exactly what is meant by "good ol' boys" isn't explained, but you can bet it isn't good. It took a column by Michael Paul Williams a couple of days later to identify the paper's specific targets: former supervisors Dickie King (who served one term) and Renny Humphrey (who served four terms). They were born and raised here. In case you're asking how a woman becomes a "good ol' boy," it's basic math. King was just one supervisor, and he would have had to caucus with himself to control the other four members.

We don't think there are "good ol' boys" on the boards of supervisors in Henrico and Hanover counties, but if you buy the storyline from the RTD, then those counties actually have more "good ol' boys" than Chesterfield.

In Henrico, one supervisor was born in the county and is serving his fifth term. Two other supervisors, one male and one female, each serving their fourth terms, were born in Richmond. A fourth supervisor was born in southside Virginia and is serving his sixth term while the final supervisor was born out of state.

Hanover County (where the RTD has its printing plant) apparently also gets a pass even though five of its seven-member board were born locally. Three male supervisors were born in Hanover and have served 2-6 terms each. One male supervisor was born in Richmond and has served four terms, while a newly-elected female supervisor was born in Richmond. Another newly-elected supervisor was born in Christiansburg, Va., while a more seasoned supervisor is from West Virginia.

But at the RTD where they apparently specialize in negative stereotyping for Chesterfield, the facts don't matter. It's particularly troubling when the stereotyping begins in a news story and a columnist joins in.

Twice in the past several years, about 40 upper management people from the RTD toured Chesterfield by bus with county officials acting as guides so RTD staffers could learn more about the county. Which begs the question: did they? If you think it's amusing that newspaper people have to take bus tours to become acquainted with their next door neighbor, chuckle on. But then, it was kind of a foreign trip for them since they actually crossed the river.

So to the RTD we say: Chesterfield is central Virginia's most populous county - accept it. Demographic research shows the median household income in Chesterfield is 17 percent higher than Henrico - get over it. And if you think continuing negative stereotypes about Chesterfield will improve your circulation here - don't bet on it. Sometimes what you print indicates to many in the county that you don't respect Chesterfield. This county is our home, and we like it here.