Above map is from this site.
Virginia’s Special Election is on January 10th, 2017.
SIX days from today!
Will the term “Resist” become an internet fashion badge or will we actually act by voting Democratic, and filling up our statehouses and the U.S. Congress with Democrats?
It’s a legitimate question.
I believe voting Democrats into government is foundational to resistance in the Age of Trump.
Holding onto and growing blue dominance is totally putting a spoke in the wheels of Republican “values” and agenda.
It is exactly what they did to us!
Remember that.
The candidates running in Virginia’s Special Election are — Joe Hines, Marke Peake and Ryant Washington. Hines is a Farmville based consulting engineer, Peake is a Lynchburg based lawyer and Washington is a former sheriff from Fluvanna county. Hines and Peake are both conservative right-wingers, even though Hines is running as an Independent. The only Democrat and progressive in this Special Election is Ryant Washington.
The man whose vacated seat is up for this Special Election said:
“I’ve always sort of compared the 22nd to a sandwich. You’ve got bread in the south and bread in the north, but we need more meat in the middle,” Garrett said.
The Lynchburg-area parts of the district are doing reasonably well, as is the northern part near Fluvanna, Louisa and Goochland counties, where economies are assisted by the Interstate 64 corridor, Garrett said.
“We need to create economic opportunity. We need to create circumstances where they can stop the brain drain, brilliant kids who leave Prince Edward and go to [Northern Virginia] or Hampton Roads and never come back,” said Garrett, who has endorsed Peake. LINK
By the way, that is not the only county in need of such economic help. Interestingly, Tom Garret leaves out two other poor counties — Buckingham County and Cumberland County.
And that highlighted statement was made by our former state senator Tom Garrett, who voted against a 2015 budget which allocated monies for pay raises for teachers, and increased funding for education.
Indeed, Tom Garrett wore his obstructionist badge unabashedly as a thing of honor. Even though his constituents suffered because of his rightwing ideology “values.”
For a man who hates government, Tom Garrett sure has run for office enough times, and now is aiming for his federal pension — just like his predecessor.
Now, that’s the real Republican Values — wreck government for all, even while personally benefiting.
Yet, even he understood that the center — Buckingham and Prince Edward Counties were not enjoying economic development dollars which Lynchburg City, counties of Goochland, Louisa and Fluvanna, were benefiting from, through sheer dint of geographic placement.
Unsurprisingly, engineer Joe Hines wants better physical and cellular infrastructure and supports an economic program called GO Virginia, and asserted that state and federal:
“[...] agencies need to make a concerted effort to work better together and to realize that the end game is for projects to be built,” Hines said.
Mark Peake, as a former member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, wants to expand business by developing an eastern bypass around Charlottesville. You know….. because the western bypass failed to get a toe-hold in the area. Basically he wants to get into the Virginia Senate because he wants to beat up Charlottesville City Council? Good luck with that latter agenda.
Also:
Virginia would be better off creating a more “business-friendly” environment statewide by removing regulations, Peake said.
We all know “removing regulations” means communities and individuals are left unprotected from predatory businesses.
Furthermore:
Peake said he would work for limited government and limited, smart spending. “You can’t just promise everybody everything,” he said. LINK
Because, evidently, wanting to help people in the poorer sectors of the district is a promise he does not want to make, let alone keep.
Whereas, Ryant Washington, who used to be on the Board of Directors of Fluvanna Chamber of Commerce had a more local-centric view of things. He understands the burden of unfunded mandates on local government. Washington said:
[...] he sees investments in workforce development as a key to drawing businesses to the region.
When businesses consider moving to a locality, he said, they first examine whether the local workforce has the skills it needs. He said he would speak with local chambers of commerce and educators to learn what they want in that regard, as well as examine what workforce training would best fit the region.
“When we talk about the 22nd District, we realize that it’s rural and that a lot of the skill sets that need to be developed may be in trades,” Washington said. LINK.
Ryant Washington would like to benefit the rural parts of Virginia State Senate District 22, instead of running away, and saying promises cannot be made, let alone kept — as Mark Peak would say. Or asking that projects be built with no comprehension or respect for the people living in those hamlets and enclaves, as Hines would do.
Moreover,
Washington also highlighted the lack of internet access in homes throughout the district, which he said especially impacts students. “How do those kids help us build the future when they don’t have the tools to get the knowledge they need?” he asked. “As your senator I can assure you I’ll be fighting for those types of things…[that] can make an immediate impact in the lives of folks every day.” LINK.
Clearly, only one candidate is thinking of the people in the district.
These are the choices —
- A rightwing candidate who thinks building projects for private businesses is the way to help the district.
- Another rightwing candidate who thinks the rightwing’s “values” laden righteous path leads to small government, and removing regulations is the way to help the district.
- And we have the Democrat, who thinks developing the region’s core is as important to the people residing there as development is for the other market towns of the district.
And a must mention here — the two rightwingers are squabbling as they run against each other.
Seriously, voting for the Democrat in the Virginia Special Election is totally a act of resistance to Republican overreach, nationally and locally.
Oh — also —
Oh look!
The Democratic candidate for Va. Special Election is supported by area conservationists!!!
“Now, more than ever, we need strong conservation champions at the state level who will stand up for the clean air, clean water and protected open spaces that have a direct impact on Virginians’ daily quality of life. These candidates fit that bill,” said Michael Town, Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. “With Ryant Washington in the State Senate and Cheryl Turpin in the House, we will be one step closer to ensuring conservation values are protected at the General Assembly.” LINK.
I’m certain that Mr. Ryant Washington will provide leadership for Democratic causes in the Virginia Senate.
Mr. Ryant Washington is a member of 90for90.Org, which was created in honor of Dr. William Ferguson Reid Sr. It is an organization which actively encourages voter participation by registering more voters.
And also —
No doubt you were wondering what that’s about?
Marshall’s proposed HB 1612 goes a step further than North Carolina’s bill by requiring public school principals to notify the parents of a child who requests to be recognized or treated as a member of the opposite sex, which could lead to school officials “outing” transgender students. Transgender people often do not subscribe to traditional gender roles and do not self-identity with the gender assigned to them at birth. Outing — or publicly identifying someone as transgender without their consent — can be an intense emotional experience for the person involved. LINK