I have to admit, I've been planning on doing a series of diaries on my campaign for a couple of months now, but far more important news stories and the fast and furious flow of diaries has discouraged me. But it's now or never for this so here it goes.
(Note: I would like it if these diaries were of interest to other dKos members. If this one tanks, I'll try again. If that one tanks, I'll try again. Then I may give up, but who knows?)
My name is Ron Vanselow and I live in the very red heart of a very blue state.
This is me:
I am 48 years old. I've been married to the same wonderful supportive woman for almost 28 years. Together we have raised three kids into intelligent, thoughtful adults.
I am currently (for the past 8 years)a public school teacher. I teach special ed, alternative high, and GED kids basic computer applications. In addition, I run our campus
computer lab. In the past, I have been a carpenter, a lumber yard worker, a truck diver, an assistant Forest Ranger, a ski tech, and a developmental aide in a group home for the mentally retarded. And lots of other stuff when I was younger.
I didn't seriously start my higher ed. stuff until 1995. I now have a Master of Arts degree in Education from The George Washington Univeristy.
I live in the Town of Johnsburg in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York AKA: almost paradise.
My town covers an area of over 200 square miles, 57% of which is state park lands. There are approx. 2500 residents in my town giving us a population density of about 12 persons per square mile.
My town has 819 registered Republicans. 351 registered Democrats, and about 350 "others" (no party afilliation, greens, conservative, working families, right to life, etc.). And in spite of the obvious disadvantages, I've decided to run for a seat on the town board.
Our town government is completely dominated by republicans. But, this being a small town, every one of these republican office holders is a personal friend of mine. You might have to experience life in a town this small to understand that, but it's true.
Let me give you a bit of my political history with my town so you might better understand this.
Here's my political resume:
1990-1992
Chairman of the ToJ (Town of Johnsburg) Environmental Advisory Committee
Co-chair (with Bill McKibben) of the ToJ Landfill Advisory committe (where we were successful in blocking an incinerator ash landfill on our town).
ToJ Recycling Director
1993-2000 Appointed to ToJ Planning Board
1997-2000 appointed ToJ Zoning Enforcement Officer
2002-present re-appointed to ToJ Planning Board.
Note that all of these appointments came from the republican town board.
In addition, from 1992-2000 I was a volunteer EMT/Paramedic with the local rescue squad.
So, this is a bit about me and my town. I don't want to bore any of you to death with my first diary on my eventual election, so I'll taper off here in a bit.
In future diaries I'd like to cover the petition process. our local Democratic Committee, fusion voting, signs and stickers, "Republicans for Ron", my local DFA endorsement, and more.
Let me end this diary with a brief overview of why I am running.
Our little town is faced with some major changes in the next few years and we are woefully unprepared for them. We have a proposed development on the table that would bring a $200 million project into the heart of our town. This development would incluse such things as a golf course, an indoor equestrian center, hundreds of condos, a 125 room hotel, private lodges, and retail space. We are also looking at a wind farm at the site of a defunct garnet mine
(we are famous for our garnets around here, btw). and bunches of subdivisions and other housing projects spread throughout the town.
Our current town board has almost made a science of avoiding the tough decisions necessary to cope with this stuff. Thus, the municipal water supply in our largest hamlet is in need of repairs and upgrades to the tune of over a million dollars. We have no municipal waste water treatment (it's all septic tanks). Our roads are crumbling, etc. In other words, the typical republican deal of waiting until there's a crisis and then being forced to react.
Someone has to step up and take the reins here, and I'm ready to do it. Also, I have taken Howard Dean's suggestion to heart. Namely, that despite the odds, no race should go unchallenged. This is where it begins, as far as I'm concerned. Running for local offices. Giving some backbone to our local Democratic committes. Etc.
So, you all can follow along and see how one person can challenge the established power structure for the betterment of his community. And... you can watch me work my way to victory.
Or, these diaries can slide off the page into diary oblivion within a couple of hours. Either way, it's all good.
Thanks for reading.