2009.05.17
Discuss Trejbal's column on students and politics
Students and politics in Blacksburg
Half of the residents of Blacksburg have no voice on their town council, and that's just fine with the half who do. The silent majority are just Virginia Tech students, after all. This time of year, many town residents release a collective sigh of relief as the school year ends. Those who welcome the exodus think of students as disruptive outsiders, not real town residents. But they are real residents. They pay taxes -- directly when they eat out and indirectly through rent when they live off campus. They may register to vote. They are residents for census counts, redistricting and allocation of government resources. They live here most of the year and buoy the local economy.
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