To the Editor:

Living in Fairfax isn’t an easy task considering all of the traffic, and high costs of living, especially in the Braddock District. We are faced with the commuters on Rt. 123, Interstate 495, and commuter students that attend George Mason University as well as Northern Virginia Community College. With that being said, we’ve had one person in our community step up and tackle these issues.

John Cook (R), the Braddock District Supervisor has been a driving force in our community, by taking care of our neighborhoods. He has found ways to cut down on traffic especially around the George Mason campus and Route 123 by working with State and George Mason University officials to achieve state funding of a “Western Bypass” at Braddock and Rt. 123. With the “Western Bypass”, the Braddock area will see a 10 to 30 percent reduction in congestion at Braddock Rd and Rt. 123.

While considering the well-being of the entire county in all his decisions, he also keeps in mind the issues of his constituents on a personal level. He established the Community Engagement Initiative to help people become more connected to and involved in their communities, as well as provided leadership training to over 125 community leaders to facilitate in the community building efforts.

As a 19-year-old, living in the Braddock District, seeing what John Cook has been able to accomplish, I proudly support him for re-election this November. Following local politics is actually what motivated me to apply for an internship with the Fairfax County Republican Committee and the experience has taught me so much about the local election process. This opportunity has afforded me the opportunity to meet John personally.

I strongly encourage students that are going away to college to take an opportunity to make a difference in their community by registering to vote absentee in both the August 23rd primary elections and again on November 8th in the General Election. Regardless of party affiliation, students needs to be active and engaged in local politics, and voting is the first step towards actively making a difference.

Tiffany Vu