I’m Jamaal Johnston, and I’m a candidate for the 60th district in the VA. House of Delegates.
I’ve never been in politics. Short of voting, and supporting candidates that support our community. I’m not a “politician.” I’m not taking any special interest or corporate money, traditional politicians are funded that way, but I’m not a traditional politician. Here’s why I’m stepping up:
After the election, many of us, including me, felt like a great divide was opened or revealed. Some of us may be grappling with defensiveness or resentment, some with deep anxiety and disappointment. Many of us want our government to just get back to working functionally again, so we can enjoy a little more of our own lives, our loved ones, and our communities. How do we get to that place? How do we get to something better?
Well, I’m a small business owner. I know the struggle we face trying to maintain a level of success, I’m a father, I know what it’s like to worry about your children getting a good education, as well as a good job, and I’m a pro-people candidate. I don’t care what party you belong to. But I do care about people like my friend, Mic, who never wanted to go to college but wanted training to get a job in a trade.
I care about my father-in-law, who, like so many men his age, are veterans. He needs medical care, yet the nearest VA is 2 hours away. That’s a lot to ask for an older gentleman, who served his country and now needs his country to serve him.
I care about young women like Ms. Washington, who works 3 jobs, 2 are driving buses, and then she works as a nurse on weekends. She has two children, and one is getting ready for college. She worries about the summer when she loses her income as a public-school bus driver. She’d like a higher paying job, but she’d need training. If Google came to the district tomorrow, they’d have to mostly hire from outside. A Microsoft Data Center came to Boydton, and they had to hire technical workers from outside the district. This is why I think we need to concentrate on STEAM programs. They’re the way to keep up with the needs of the modern world.
I worry about women like my mom, who is a teacher, almost 65, like so many teachers, has had to buy her own supplies for her classes. She would like to retire after X years of working and enjoy her golden years, but she worries will she have enough in her social security, will her pension be worth enough or will she have to find another job?
And then there are the college - educated men in their 40s, and younger, who are paying off their student loans. By the time I finish getting my X degree, I will have over $175, 000 in loans. Yes. And some of you know that’s not unusual. What kind of family life can they support while they’re paying off that kind of debt?
Those are some of the people I am running for. Honest, responsible, definitely not lazy, but not wealthy by any means. I believe that we are known by the way we treat our fellow men and women, those people who need a helping hand. And these people are why I decided to run.
I’m originally from Washington, DC. (Southeast). My mom and dad knew it wasn’t a place they wanted to raise their children. I didn’t have to look for drug dealers. They were in my class. In fact, a lot of people in my old school are now in jail or dead. So, my grandma, who already lived in Buckingham, told them to move the family to Farmville, where she lived. (G’ma Property anecdote) Nobody argued with my grandma. So, by the time I was 12, I was living in a beautiful rural area. I got my first tick! I learned how to shoot. Coming from the city, I was looking forward to that. Go in the backyard and have at it. And, by the way, later on, I started one of the first gun stores in Farmville.
I respect the rural way of life. However, we have to think about where we lack: If given the privilege to serve, service will be the central and driving theme of my time in office. Among the numerous challenges, I will focus on three initial goals.
First, to fight for strong public schools by pushing to make STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) based education a top priority. Plus, trade programs are not getting the investment they need. So, Mic, my friend, could have used one to become an electrician.
Second, to prepare our workers to take advantage of the technological boom and create an environment that fosters small business growth and the creation of good paying jobs. (a lot of people are saying minimum wage, a dollar there, but I want us to get to the point where the minimum wage is not even in the discussion. Our technologically-based economy has changed everything. That economy demands to hire people who are educated differently, paying attention to what the new industries will need. No longer is just passing a test the road to a successful future.
Third, I will work to fix Virginia’s broken healthcare system so that every Virginian will have access to affordable, quality healthcare. It seems obvious, but Medicaid must be expanded. Our veterans could use Medicaid much more than the VA. If we don’t, over 14 thousand veterans, it is estimated, will lose medical help. Medicaid cuts will cause many rural hospitals to close, severely limiting those communities’ access to care and causing layoffs that hurt economic growth. Plus, let’s think about our own money. Did you know our tax dollars already go towards Medicaid expansion, in other states. No matter whether we have it or not, we’re still paying for it. Don’t we deserve equal protection?
My opponent has consistently voted against expanding Medicaid. It’s hard to imagine why. We’re rural people. We’re raising food, cutting logs, mining coal or minerals, drilling for gas – these are some of the jobs we do, along with the mechanics, the welders and carpenters, the engineers and the truck drivers that finish the work and get these products to market. We do a lot of the work that enables so many others to eat well, be warm and live comfortably.
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