Hello All,
Greetings from the very very local campaign trail. For a referesher as to who I am and what I'm running for, you can go here
and here
as well as here.
As an example of what I've been up to, and hopefully something useful for other candidates and campaign managers, I have included here a letter I sent out to the "supervoter' Dems in my district (Dems that vote in 75% to 100% of all elections)
Hello Neighbor,
In years past we Democrats in Upper Darby didn't mount a serious campaign against the local Republican machine.
This year is different. This year we have serious campaigns for every office that is up for election. This time there are serious candidates knocking on doors, printing up literature and getting voters and volunteers. This year, we have a real shot at changing Upper Darby, for the better.
This is where you come in.
You received this letter because you vote. Not only do you vote, you vote in just about every election. In District One, where I'm running for office, there are about 250 Democratic households that value their voting rights. You are one of those households. You know the importance of voting and in particular the importance of voting in local elections. The results of this election will affect our daily lives as much as the Presidential election.
In this packet, you will find a volunteer form with ways that you can help. You will also find campaign literature about me and our other candidates. I've also included a self addressed envelope you can use to send me questions, a filled out volunteer form or a contribution if you are able to do so.
But there's something I'd like you to do. Hopefully for you it will be a little thing, but it will help me in a very big way. If each of the 250 people reading this letter talks to just 5 people, and you and those five people and all the other people talking to five people vote for me on November 8th, you would help me get at least 1500 hundred votes.
Those 1500 votes will be 100 votes more than the Republicans tallied in the 1st district in 2003. The Republicans work to get low turnout for these elections. I know it's hard to believe that politicians would work to get fewer voters to the polls, but the Republicans in our township do so because they know that if the people who care about Upper Darby and our government came out for this election, the Republicans would have been voted out years ago. If we can get our voters out on November 8th, we will win.
Our township is a great township - in spite of our current council members. I've talked to lots of folks in Upper Darby about issues that our council should be fixing, but aren't. These are great issues to talk about with friends and neighbors to get them thinking about this election. When I discuss these points with my Republican neighbors, it makes them pause, it makes them think, and then it makes them say "Okay. You've got my vote this November."
* Property Taxes: The current council increased taxes 4.9 percent this year. Upper Darby has historically had property taxes higher than surrounding neighborhoods. This is affects us now more than ever. People understand that it affects the value of our homes, how and where we retire, and it discourages people from buying here (and buy, instead, in Havertown). It's been a burden for too long.
* School Taxes: For what we pay in school taxes, we get little bang for our buck. Our schools are underperforming. For what we pay in school taxes, too little is actually being spent on our students. The key to a great community with good home values and a continuous stream of people trying to move in is excellent schools. And why are we educating kids that don't live in our township? There are an additional 900 students crowded into our classrooms from other towns. Our elected school board allowed this to HAPPEN ON THEIR WATCH. Think about this: Republicans have been running the schools for 30 years, and what did that get us? 900 kids who shouldn't be there, taking up time, space, and materials that should be going to OUR kids.
* Business mismanagement: No business plan exists for Upper Darby, unless allowing any business to open anywhere constitutes a business plan. No community needs 5 pizza places, 5 bars and 5 nail salons in a 5 block area. But that's what our council members let happen in the 1st district. Diversity of business increases the number of patrons to an area. But there is no coherent thought put by current council members into business development for Upper Darby.
* Lack of services: We pay more and more money for fewer and fewer services. Most people who grew up here like I did remember a time when the street was cleaned once a week and the trash was picked up more often. What happened to those services?
The current crop of Republicans has been running this township for 30 years. Can anyone seriously believe Upper Darby is better for it?
In the next few months, please talk to your friends and neighbors and bring up a few of these points. Tell them to vote November 8th and to please vote for me.
Remember, if each of you talks to 5 people and your group of 6 votes for me, that's 1500 votes and a likely victory for me. If each of you talks to 6 people and you all vote for me, that's 1750 votes and most definitely a victory for me.
Thank you for your time,
Donald Fields
Democratic Party
1st District Upper Darby Township