I'm a long time member of the Daily Kos community, and a part of the awesome Rescue Ranger team. And I'm running for office.
[I know many of you are short on time so if you could a) recommend this diary and b) donate to my campaign, I would REALLY appreciate it. Your donations will help me complete my website and print materials so that I can begin canvassing.]
The super sleuth who cracked the TSA conspiracy to touch your junk is seeking reelection to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in my district (the eastern tip of Loudoun that includes Sterling Park, VA). Unfortunately, that wasn't the first time he's drawn national attention to himself with his bizarre views. He has raised eyebrows throughout the blogosphere with his fundraising letters for his anti-gay website, like this one. And then there was the time he was featured on Jon Stewart for being a transparently mean and shallow individual:
Aside from his rampant homophobia, he's also virulently anti-immigrant, and has even called our town a "cesspool" because, as he put it, "people are coming from outside of this culture and they are dumping their crap on the streets of our town." When speaking to an assembly of Northern Virgina Muslim Americans, he asked those assembled if they "come in peace" and whether they pledged allegiance to the US.
Loudoun needs leadership focused on our families. My district, which voted for President Obama in 2008, deserves a representative that is going to address the serious issues we face, and puts an end to the divisive ideologically driven agenda of my opponent. I'm asking this community to help me win this coming November.
My background is in computers. I started working with databases in the late 90's, and got certification in programming in 2000, just in time to enter the dot com bust economy. For the next several years I only dabbled in database development, getting a contract here and there. Mostly, I was earning an income as a forklift driver, and through various odd jobs to supplement my income when I didn't have any development work. During that time I worked cleaning ballpark concessions, driving an airport shuttle, delivering parcels, and more. I frequently struggled to make ends meet, but I also learned a lot about the employer-employee dynamic, and how important it is to have a voice at work.
Eventually I landed a full-time job putting my computer skills to work, got married to a wonderful woman, and helped bring a beautiful baby girl into this world. During this time I was marginally active, volunteering on a local campaign here and there.
Then I found the progressive blogoshpere. Sites like Dkos and MyDD made me realize I wasn't doing enough to effect change, and through this got involved with local MoveOn activists. Though we spent time writing letters and engaging in other online activities, I was really impressed with how the activists were frequently hitting the streets, and not just to protest national issues, but to organize around issues that directly affected our community.
Shortly after becoming a participant in the civic process again, an email came into my inbox from MoveOn about the New Organizing Institute, a great organization which was looking to train people like me to become online activists. I signed up for the intense "boot camp" and found the experience invigorating. While my data background led me down a different career path, I met progressive activists and bloggers from all over the country, including Judith Freeman, who helped me obtain a position with the AFL-CIO, where she was a senior political strategist.
By no means am I a decision maker at the Federation, but I'm proud to add a key piece to the work we do. My main responsibility is researching economic trends and corporate policies that affect union members and the middle class in general. This research helps organizers reach out to workers; it gives locals the tools to negotiate fair contracts; it supports analysts who evaluate policy; and it provides labor leaders with the information they need to make decisions. As a result, I've had an opportunity to interact with a host of incredibly smart and principled individuals, and to learn what it takes to be a leader.
The leadership I plan on bringing to the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors will be driven by these personal experiences, but it will be guided by my value system. I've been a progressive all my life. My father is a retired member of the Communication Workers of America, and my mother spent the bulk of her career working for non-profit organizations and legal advocates for middle and working class clients. They taught me the values of justice, equality, and empathy. Along with a handful of influential organizers and activists, they helped guide me into a career of serving working families, which is what I will continue to do as Loudoun County Supervisor.
My opponent is well funded thanks to his website, but he has won with very slim margins, mostly due to low turnout. I have a plan to get Democrats to the polls that includes building relationships with community leaders from our diverse district, getting local MoveOn and OFA activists engaged, and a LOT of data driven field work.
And with the help of Kossacks like you.
Please donate whatever you can. No amount is too small.
