I'm not generally moved to tears by anything, particularly not by a fund raising email from a candidate for pete's sake. But Jack Dobbyn just got to me.
I'll put his whole letter below the squiggly thing, but here's the sentence that made me want to fight for this guy, (talking about joining the Verizon picket lines yesterday morning):
My entire life, I have fought to ensure that America's workers get a fair shake. Some politicians treat picket lines as photo ops, but not me. I'll be on those picket lines as much as I can until working families get a fair shake.
For those of you who are not familiar with the odious Dave Albo, you'll get a sense of him from this fund raising email. He's my delegate to the Virginia House of Delegates, and just like a bad burrito, he keeps coming back and stinking up the joint worse every time. We've tried and failed to defeat him over and over, but have not been successful, although Greg Werkheiser came really close in 2010. It was a heartbreaker of an election, he had one of the best organized campaigns I've seen, and huge numbers of volunteers, but we couldn't overcome the Democratic Doldrums that gave great candidates across the Commonwealth crushing defeat after crushing defeat.
I'm not currently a union member, but I've been a member of two - the American Federation of Musicians, and the Teamsters. (Yeah, I know... kind of an odd combination). My mother, of all unlikely people - but maybe not so unlikely come to think of it - was a union organizer at the town library where she still works at the age of 81. So when a Democrat stands up for unions and says that walking the picket line is not just a photo-op for him, well, that's pretty much all I need to hear.
If you've got a few bucks you can spare for Mr. Dobbyn, please consider making a contribution. We need more union-loving Democrats, particularly in the Virginia House of Delegates. Here's the link: Contribute
If you can't and you still want to support him, you can follow him on facebook and/or twitter:
@JackDobbyn is his twitter handle
and here's the facebook link:Jack Dobbyn on facebook
www.jackdobbyn.com is his campaign website.
The campaign website is pretty sparse, to say the least, so I have to confess that I was a little skeptical at first (after so many losses to The Odious Mr. Albo, was this someone intent on taking him on, or just the only guy available this campaign season?) but after this email and his declaration of support for unions, I'm in. I hope you are too, at least enough to be rooting for him.
The fight to preserve and promote unions and workers rights is happening in every state in the Union, and it's happening right now in Fairfax County, Virginia. We must win this fight.
Dear Linda,
As you've heard by now, 45,000 Verizon workers up and down the East Coast are on strike, fighting to save middle class jobs that will be destroyed if the Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers unions are crushed. Yesterday morning at 6 AM, I joined the picket lines at two sites in Springfield and Merrifield to show my support for these workers and their families as they fight against unprecedented concession demands, like the freezing of pension benefits, slashing of sick days, and sending American jobs overseas.
There is a stark difference between companies cutting back to save costs and making unreasonable requests to their workers after making a record $4 billion in profits. Over 50 years of hard-fought gains through strikes and collective bargaining are in peril. Across the nation in Wisconsin, Ohio, and now in Virginia, career politicians like Dave Albo are working nonstop to break the unions which gave us child labor laws, the 40-hour workweek, overtime pay, and collective bargaining.
You won't see Delegate Dave Albo on the picket lines, because he is the most scab-loving union-buster in the entire Commonwealth, and his priorities don’t match those of working families. He calls union contracts that ask for fair wages and benefits for honest work "outrageous". Dave Albo is right - he said that "labor unions and I do not agree on anything." He has voted to refuse $125 million in federal unemployment benefits, and has voted repeatedly against raising the minimum wage. He doesn't mince words - in 2009, he wrote that his mission was to "make sure there are no more Labor Unions".
Click here to donate $10, $25, $50 or $100 to stop Albo's union-busting tirades.
The stories I hear from workers on the picket lines are heartbreaking and enraging. Their courage inspires me as I continue my fight for the Fairfax County middle class and I hope a fair resolution will be reached soon. In these times of economic uncertainty, we need public servants that will reduce the financial burden felt by the American middle class. While Virginians are working harder than ever, politicians in Washington and Richmond are more dedicated to protecting the well-connected than creating jobs.
This has always been a fight near and dear to my heart - as a law student, I filed an unfair labor practice charge against Wal-Mart. My entire life, I have fought to ensure that America's workers get a fair shake. Some politicians treat picket lines as photo ops, but not me. I'll be on those picket lines as much as I can until working families get a fair shake.
Click here to join the fight and elect a Delegate who will stand with working families.
In the last quarter, over 97% of Dave Albo's contributions come from corporate interests and PACs. This race will only remain competitive with the financial support of individuals like you. With only hours to go until our August 10th fundraising report deadline, you can stop Dave Albo's special interest cash with a contribution to our people-powered campaign.
Click here to fight Albo's special interest cash with a contribution from a real American.
Don't just get angry. Get organized. If you see a picket line, honk your horn, and consider stopping for a bit to march with them. If you have an hour or two, sign up to knock doors and make phone calls. Step by step, we will ensure that elected officials respect working families.
Sincerely,
Jack
PS - Don't forget that you're invited to a house party in Mount Vernon tomorrow, August 10th, from 7-9PM - click here for the address and to RSVP! Also, If you can't donate, sign up to come by our office at 5618 Ox Road Suite G in Fairfax Station. Without you, Dave Albo will continue to run roughshod over people like us.