Hey, gang! Let's become a town!

The Reston Citizens Association has gathered 3,600 signatures in its quest to push state lawmakers into putting the question of whether Reston should be incorporated into a town, complete with awesome landscaped city limit signs and its own police force empowered to taser anyone who violates cluster rules by putting trash out early, on the ballot.

The bid has been called "non-partisan," which maybe explains why only the independent challengers for county supervisor and school board seats--Christine "If I thought Reston was bad, I wouldn't live here" Arakelian, Marie Huhtala, and Spike "I don't live in Reston" Williams -- bothered to show up to the press conference announcing the petition. In the past, elected officials have expressed concern that the town movement hasn't received enough input from the Reston Town Center, the Reston Association, and the Reston Community Center, among other groups. Which would, in fact, be a problem. If Reston incorporated and the Reston Town Center didn't, would we need passports to get to the Macaroni Grill?

Still, 3,600 people is nothing to sneeze at, and not bad for a movement that began two years ago. Town status would allow more local control, backers say, albeit at the cost of additional taxes. Early on in Reston's history, a similar movement failed. But founder Robert E. Simon is on board this time, saying it would make area businesses pay more of their fair share.

There's one other minor detail: The idea probably runs afoul of state law, which prohibits the creation of new towns within counties designated as "urban." But we're Reston! We're not a new town, we're a New Town (tm)! And we don't play by the rules -- except when the rules dictate the color of the trim of our houses!