Category Archives: politics

5th District City Council Race Is A Cause For Celebration

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This past Thursday I attended a City Council candidates forum at the Binford Middle School auditorium.
After the 2nd District candidates left, many people left also, leaving a rather sparse audience for the 5th District candidates.

As I watched and listened to challenger Montigue Magruder and incumbent Councilperson Parker C. Agelasto (third candidate and challenger Garrett Sawyer did not attend) take questions from the newscaster turned moderator, I was glad I stayed, and I was struck by how lucky the 5th District is to have these fine candidates. They both champion better schools, more financial responsibility, and increasing transparency. Agelasto shows off considerable experience and knowledge of his position, while Magruder does a great job of speaking up for different perspectives of race and economic status and doing so with passion. There are moments of real debate and clashing of ideas, but what is truly magnificent and deserves special commendation is the way that Magruder and Agelasto carry on with each other, both on and off the stage, sharing information and treating each other with mutual admiration and respect.

I told one of the other attendees that I wish both Agelasto and Magruder could be on City Council, and I meant that. This season, take heart in the 5th District’s politics and celebrate them.

(There is another 5th District City Council candidates forum this Tuesday, sponsored by the Woodland Heights Neighborhood Association. It happens at the Woodland Heights Baptist Church, 611 W 31st St., at 7 pm.)

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Can’t Get Enough Politics?

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You want more politics? You got it.

Tonight there is a Mayoral candidate forum at Diversity Thrift at 6 pm.
From the FaceBook event page:

ALL CANDIDATES HAVE CONFIRMED !!!
RICHMOND MAYORAL CANDIDATE FORUM Moderator Clovia Lawrence
Sponsored by:
A Philip Randolph Institute ~~~ Advocates for Equity in Schools ~~~ Alliance for a Progressive Virginia ~~~ Brown Virginia ~~~ Diversity Richmond ~~~ Latinos and Amigos ~~~ Mothers and Others of Va ~~~ Senior Center of Greater Richmond ~~~ Sierra Club- Fall of the James ~~~ Virginia Organizing ~~~ Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance ~~~ Women-Matter.org ~~~ WRIR 97.3 media sponsor

Also tonight, from 8:00PM ET to 11:30PM ET, independent news hour Democracy Now! will host special live coverage of the first U.S. vice presidential debate between Mike Pence and Tim Kaine from Longwood University in Farmville, VA.
8:00PM-9:00PM ET: Amy Goodman and Democracy Now! will host a group of experts, scholars and activists for pre-debate discussion and analysis.
9:00PM-11:30PM ET: They will “expand” the vice presidential debate by giving third party candidates a chance to respond in real time to the same questions. Green Party VP nominee Ajamu Baraka has already agreed to participate and they have also invited Libertarian VP nominee William Weld.

Photo of Green Party nominee Ajamu Baraka speaking at VCU last night–
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You can tune in right here:
http://www.democracynow.org/live/expanding_the_debate_october_4th_vice

They will also be streaming the complete coverage live on their Facebook page, and they invite you to share the live FB video as well, starting at 8:00PM ET. They are taking questions on Twitter and Facebook for their pre-debate discussion using the hashtag #expandingthedebate.

In addition, the City of Richmond sent out this important news release:

Important Information Regarding November 8 General and Special Elections

Richmond, VA – City of Richmond Residents are informed that the General and Special elections will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016 for the U.S. President and Vice President, U.S. House of Representatives, Two Constitutional Amendments, Richmond City Mayor, Richmond City Council, and Richmond School Board. Polls will be open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Please visit richmondgov.com/registrar/upcomingelections to view sample ballots.

(Ed. note: Click here to see sample ballot for 5th District)

Any qualified resident of Virginia who will be 18 by November 8, 2016 may register and vote in this election. The deadline to register to vote in this election is Monday, October 17, 2016.

A photo ID is required to vote at the polls. Please verify your voter registration, polling place, and the types of photo ID that are acceptable BEFORE election day by visiting elections.virginia.gov. Free photo ID’s are available to persons who do not have an acceptable form of photo ID.

Persons with a DMV issued ID can now register to vote, update their voter registration, or apply for an absentee ballot online at elections.virginia.gov. Residents may register in the Office of the General Registrar between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Applications are in all city post offices, libraries, and DMV, or will be mailed upon request. Voter registration applications must either be postmarked or in the Office of the General Registrar by 5 p.m. on the deadline date.

The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot through the mail is Tuesday, November 1, 2016. The deadline to apply and vote an absentee ballot in person is 5 p.m., Saturday, November 5, 2016, except in the case of certain emergencies or military personnel. The Office of the General Registrar will also be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 29 and November 5, 2016 for absentee voting.

The City of Richmond also needs persons to work at the polling places on election day as Officers of Election. Apply online at elections.virginia.gov or call 646-5950.

The City will be implementing new voting equipment and residents can learn how it will work by visiting Richmondgov.com/Registrar/VoteratthePolls. Voters may also ask for a demonstration from the election officers at the polls.

If you have questions or need more information, please call 646-5950.

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Monroe Park Conservancy Announces That Funds Are Secured

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Richmond Magazine reports:

“The Monroe Park Conservancy announced today that it has raised $3 million for the project, half of the $6 million facelift planned for the city’s oldest public park in the heart of Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus. The city will cover the other half.”

Oregon Hill used to border Monroe Park and neighbors still regard it as an important part of our public life.

No mention of donors other than the City.

“The conservancy has raised $1.3 million toward the goal since this past spring, but Massie declined to name specific organizations or donors to the project.

In spring 2014, Richmond City Council approved leasing the 8-acre public park to the conservancy for 30 years. The nonprofit planned to raise funds to cover its half of the bargain over the next year and begin construction in fall 2015, after the UCI Road World Championships wrapped up. Raising the money proved more difficult than expected and set the project back, Massie said this past spring.

The project’s designs have already been approved, but council must vote to accept the private funds before construction can begin. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for November. Afterward, the park will be closed for 12 to 18 months while construction is completed.”

There are a lot of rumors about how the renovation plans are changing…

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Reminders: City Council Forum Tonight/Tackle Sidewalks Thursday

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It’s a busy time of year in Richmond, and there are more events to keep track of than you have ever heard of.

So just count this as a quick reminder.

City Council candidate forum tonight at 6 pm at Diversity Thrift. I know Oregon Hill’s councilperson, Parker Agelasto, is looking forward to it. (Open Source RVA and WRIR will be taping on Tuesday and broadcasting the forum on Friday Sept. 23rd at 9 am. WRIR is also a co sponsor of this forum and the subsequent Tuesday candidate forums to be held at Diversity Richmond. So if you can’t make it, be sure to tune in.)

On Thursday, please volunteer to help take care of Oregon Hill sidewalks. Pine Street neighbor Stephenie Harrington is hoping to get a good group. There is also a second day of sidewalk cleaning planned on Saturday, 9/24, 9:00am.

“Let Gary (and Jill) Debate”

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This morning Libertarians gathered in Monroe Park to rally for their Presidential candidate, Gary Johnson. Part of the reason for it was to also protest his exclusion from the upcoming Presidential debates. As the rally gained steam, some of them marched around the perimeter of the park holding signs and passing out campaign literature.
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At one point a group met up with a wedding party near the churches.
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There was also what I think was a “Spirit Walk” by VCU students, complete with VCU police escort.
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Water Utility Reform and Local Elections

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Although multiple media outlets covered the City Democratic Committee mayoral forum at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School this past Tuesday, the Times Dispatch newspaper captured this exchange:

Morrissey also chided Berry, a former assistant city manager in Richmond and county manager in Hanover County, on his response to a council candidate’s concerns about high city water rates that are inflated by an annual payment to the general budget in lieu of taxes.

Berry had warned that eliminating the payment from the public utility enterprise fund would hurt the city’s general budget. “The problem is if you take that away, it’s money that goes away from the general fund.”

Morrissey responded, “Just because you need the money doesn’t mean you can add a phony, faux tax to the water bill.”

Councilperson Baliles, who could not attend that forum, released this video:

On top of that, there was this announcement:

On today’s packed edition of Open Source RVA, we talk with city council candidate Charlie Diradour about his campaign to represent the second district. We discuss Richmond’s water rates, transparency in city government, what’s happening with Monroe Park and a host of other topics
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We also welcome back to the program Farid Alan Schintzius, who talks about his legal efforts to appeal the decision by the city’s electoral board that disqualified him from the mayoral ballot. Too much show? You decide. Listen in at 2PM on WRIR 97.3 FM and http://wrir.org.

That’s today (Friday, Sept. 9 at 2pm).

So…The ongoing citizen campaign to reform City of Richmond’s water utility has become part of the local election landscape. Oregon Hill neighbors and others who have worked over time to bring water utility reform forward are excited to hear what the candidates have to say going forward.

It continues to be outrageous that small volume residential citizens can pay as much as 78% of their water/sewer bill for service charges, while some above average volume users can pay as little as 11%.
Will the candidate support removing the federal income tax surcharge on the water rates?
Will the candidate support lowering the base service charge that all customers must pay before receiving the first drop of water?
Will the candidates support discontinuing the use of the water utility as a cash cow for the city’s general fund?

Candidate Forums, So Many Candidate Forums

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As the election season hits full swing, there are many candidate forums taking place. It would be helpful if someone put together and published a full, public list of them. In the meantime, if you know of any particular ones that may be of interest to Oregon Hill, please add in comments.

Sept 20
Richmond City Council
https://www.facebook.com/events/274756072907285/

Sept 27
Congressional
4th District
7th District
https://www.facebook.com/events/623336041177382/

Oct 4
Mayoral
All 8 candidates are confirmed
https://www.facebook.com/events/1661397580844855/

Oct 11
Richmond School Board
https://www.facebook.com/events/1132340900174405/