GOP aims to enliven presence in Charlottesville
Having recently released a new political platform, members of the Charlottesville Republican Committee say they are working on obtaining more input from party loyalists and getting the document into the people’s hands.
“It is out there in the public domain,” committee Chairman Charles Weber said. “We’re still talking, as a committee, on how best to get the word out.”
The city Republicans released their platform last month in an effort to encourage more public debate and discourse about Charlottesville issues. Weber said at the time that the platform was released in the fall — though it was roughly three months after the candidacy filing deadline for this year’s election — because it had been a work in progress.
The document outlines the party’s positions on several issues, including local elections, education, public housing and government structure. Among other things, the party believes the city should elect a full-time mayor, create electoral districts instead of having at-large elections and have a kindergarten to eighth-grade schools model that would abandon middle schools and group those grades together.
Weber said the party has gotten responses from various people, “all of whom are enthused about what’s in there.”
But he declined an invitation to
present the platform during a City Council meeting. Weber said he does not see the platform as an issue between Republicans and the City Council, but between the city’s two parties, even though all the councilors are from the opposition.
“I think it’s more than just City Council,” he said.
Mayor Dave Norris said it is not enough just to have a platform, and that the party must get candidates who will run on it.
The last time the Republican party backed a candidate was in 2006, when Schilling was running for re-election to the council as a Republican. The GOP did not put up a candidate for this year’s City Council race and also failed to do so in 2007, when three Democrats and two independents ran in the general election. The next local elections, after this year, will take place in 2011.
“I’m more puzzled than anything,” Norris said. “It’s certainly their right to, to keep it under wraps. I don’t understand their strategy.”
Independent candidate Bob Fenwick, who said he thought of running for office as a Republican, said he does not think the platform, had it come out earlier, would have made a difference in his decision to run as an independent.
“There’s still enough differences,” he said.
Fenwick said if he had had a party’s backing, it would have shaped much of what he could say during his campaign. Fenwick also believes that the party should take positions on issues such as the Meadowcreek Parkway and the area’s long-term water supply plan — which Weber said are issues that do not “clearly fall along party lines” — though he conceded that he does not think that would happen.
“I’m glad nobody was sort of holding me back in this campaign, because there were things that needed to be said,” Fenwick said. “And I’m glad I said them.”
Fenwick added, though, that he believes publicizing the platform will be good for the city’s Republicans to help them strengthen their political and voter base.
“In that respect, it’s good, because you ought to have two strong competing parties. At least two,” he said.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Jdawg,
Try looking at Geroge Soros and Acorn. You don’t need a radio show to effect change and corruption that is self serving to your own extreme ideas.
There was no lack of bush Bashing in the last 8 years and a lot of it was well organized by the democrats.
All politicians play dirty and the differences are minor.
Republicans are not saying that everything is fine. They are saying slow down and find something that works. They have offered up ideas but have been rebuffed.
As for social security and medicare they are both on life support already and will be running in the red shortly. This is all being ignored by the mainstream press.
The difference between this social programm and defense spending is that if we had to we could slow defense spending and have our allies pull their share of the load. Once we start down this path with health care there will be no end and can truly bancrupt us.
Police fire and infrastructure are not socialist programs as they serve everyone relativly equally, and the gas tax actually pays for the highway system. Healthcare on the other hand takes money from somene who earns it and gives it directly to someone who didn’t earn it. That is redistribution of wealth and that is where the accusations come in. Most people feel like they already help the poor with ER subsidies and don’t feel a real personal obligaton to do so more directly out of their own pocket. I would prefer it be done with tort reform, stricter insurance regulations, public education on self care, relaxed prescription requirements for non addictive drugs. Tax credits for the poor to help with premiums, and auditing of any hospital that recives public money to find out where all of the money is being consumed. (UVA hospital nets a million dollars a day in PROFITS.)
Blowing a trillion on weapons does not justify blowing another trillion on healthcare. The money has to come from somewhere and Obama has failed to make the case that he can do it.
Nothing is stopping him from ending medicare fraud TODAY. He does not need to pass a bill to do it. The laws are on the books. If he says he can find 400 billion in savings… prove it…
I think he is AFRAID to start because he knows it cannot be done. Doctors tell me that they do borderline fraud in order to make up for Medicares screweed up billing that cheats them. They say if they start auditing then they will simply stop treating patients until the payments get fair again.. and that money will come out of the 400 billion in fraud. also, when they close one loophole the doctors will just find another way to get the money as a new one always opens up. Democrats are bought and paid for by doctors and lobbyists the same as Repubicans.
I agree that both extremes are intellectually dishonest. That’s not surprising as extremists will do anything to get their agenda implemented. But again, I see false equivalence in your post.
While I’m hardly a fan of weak-willed Democrats that can’t seem to agree on where to meet for lunch, they don’t engage in extremism to anywhere near the point the current Republican party does.
Teabag parties, Obama-bashing, race baiting as well as the implicit fact that Rush, Hannity and Beck are de facto Republican leaders as can be witnessed by official Republican party leaders apologizing to these talking heads if they offend them in some way.
When the titular leader of the Republican party has to apologize to Rush Limbaugh for offending him, one has to wonder exactly who is running the party.
Watching Glenn Beck and Fox News create news by sponsoring tea parties and exhorting their followers to mob town hall meetings and drown out honest discourse tells me that the extremism on the right is far more intense than on the left.
While I can agree that there are extremists on both sides, trying to imply some measure of equivalence in their numbers or insanity is disingenuous.
I also agree that any extremist position should not be adopted by lawmakers. However, as far as health care reform goes, I have failed to see Republicans offer up any plan at all that addresses the abuse of health insurance consumers. It appears that they are happy with the status quo. If they refuse to even admit that there is a problem with health care in this country, that demonstrates to me that they are less interested in helping the American people than they are in simply opposing Democratic offerings. In addition, their unwavering support of health insurance companies and turning a blind eye to their abuses show me that, while I believe that something must be done about health care reform, this party is not interested in doing anything about it.
One only has to witness the history of the party. I believe it was Reagan himself who said that Medicare and Social Security was socialist when opposing those programs. We’ve come since to see that Medicare and SS have not led to a dictatorship.
I also wish to address the many Republican statements that decry health care reform as turning this into a socialist country.
I’ve seen that all of the social(ist) programs we have provide valuable services to the American people. Road, bridges, law enforcement, public education, fire fighters, all of these are socialist programs, but I don’t see anyone on either the right or the left saying that we should remove the government from such ventures.
As such, I’m reluctant to pay attention to many Republican spokespersons (official and de facto) that again state that this particular social program will bankrupt this nation.
If this is the only health reform offered to the American people, then I support it unless it’s egregiously anti-consumer (as health insurance companies are) or excessively expensive. But then, the expensive part I don’t really care about. If we’re dropping a trillion dollars into unnecessary wars and paying billions of dollars for military aircraft that we don’t need simply because a Congresscritter wants to keep the money coming to his district, then I find it a bit dishonest to decry the expense of health care reform. It seems that we’re far more willing to spend ungodly amounts of money on other countries (whether helping them or harming them) than we are to take care of our own.
We were told that Medicare would bankrupt us. We were told that SS would bankrupt us. These things haven’t happened. While Republicans appear to be worried about what happens with us tomorrow, we have extremely pressing issues today.
So as not to single out the Republican party, I’m happy to add that the Democrats are weak, ineffective and lack solidarity. They control the White House and Congress and can’t get the simplest things done. When the Republicans ran the government, they were able to pass and justify/approve all kinds of things, crazy and otherwise.
So, while I don’t care for Pelosi or Reid any more than the average conservative, I’m of the firm opinion that the two parties are not comparable when it comes to extremists and when it comes to health care reform, at least the Democrats are trying to do something, even though one might interpret it as ineffective or ill-advised.
Both parties have been hijacked by ignorant people with different agendas. Neither extreme is intellectually honest about what would really happen if their agendas were actually fully implemented. If the liberal agenda were to be implemented as professed the country would be bancrupt within a decade due to to entitlment programs that would take away any incentive to create wealth. If the Far right agenda was implemented we would have too few people with too much money manipulating the lower middle class into accepting a lower standard of living as a way of life and too many people suffering because they have no opportunity to advance unless they are cuthroat.
The truth as I believe it is that about 80% of us agree on 90% of the issues and could hash out our differences on most issues within a few hours each. We can compromise.
The problem as I see it is that we get caught up in the hype and don’t trust each other to not change after the election. So we have a standoff.
And people are still losing ground and denied opportunity to advance themselves while the Politicians get rich.
The beat goes on.
Actually, accusing me of being from Lynchburg _is_ a personal attack.
Just kidding. <insert smiley here>
“ho airpaie spew” = “hot air parties spew”
Why do they get elected? Re-read my first comment about “buying votes.“
I hardly view guessing that you are from Lynchburg is a personal attack.
Fewer than 10% of City locals vote in local elections. I have no idea if they are anymore intelligent or educated than the other 90% who don’t. I don’t have any idea of the religin of those who doand youon’t eiter.
I am having trouble with my keyboard and I’m sorry for not catching those words that may be missing some letters. No they were not attacking you personnaly.
I agree fully with your Buckley comment. If the Republican party today valued such intelligence, they wouldn’t be in the position they are now. However, Buckley hasn’t had any influence of the party since the 80s. However, I would ask is your only example someone that was influential thirty years ago and has since had has positions marginalized? I can only dream of the Republican party going back to the days when Buckley had any attention paid to him.
As far as local education level goes, I will refer you to the following website:
http://www.ecanned.com/2007/03/19/higher-education-in-the-charlottesville-va-metro-area/
So, we do actually know that the local populace (and indirectly, voters) is more educated than the nation in general and Virginia in particular. It’s not difficult information to find.
It would do you well to stop assuming things personally about me. You’re engaging in personal attacks by doing so. While, I’m fine with this and could respond in kind, I’m not particular interested as I understand that I know nothing about you besides what you post here. Not only are you incorrect in your assumptions, you demonstrate an inability to engage in honest dialog. Certainly feel free to address the issues I mention, but when you assume certain things like my originating location and where I get my information, you’re doing little more than projecting and making yourself look a fool.
Your assumptions of me couldn’t be more inaccurate. I know very little about Lynchburg. I’ve been there once when I got lost driving from Roanoke and wanted to take some backroads back here. While we can discuss generalities all day, I would suggest against trying to determine why I have my information or where I’ve received it. Since I did post why I personally think that Christians (including Baptists) are voting less and less for Republicans, feel free to address that.
I hold my opinions from what I view firsthand, what the respective parties say and, even more importantly, what they do. I can’t remember the last time I watched a network news channel. I use my television for movies, not Fox News or MSNBC.
Now that we’ve determined that you have no idea what you’re talking about when it comes to me personally, can we get back to the issues at hand?
Good.
I mention Obama and Bush as they are quite relevant to politics currently; here and elsewhere. If you wish to limit the discussion to the history of Albemarle County area voting, that’s fine as well. However, it ignores the currently political reality. Considering this, I’ll be happy to drop it until we are having such a discussion.
At any rate, regardless of what their hidden stripes are before voting, what ends up happening is that the Democrats are getting voted in. Why does this not apply to our surrounding area? What makes Charlottesville and Albemarle County different than the areas around us that tend to vote Republican? Again, I submit that it’s mostly due to the level of education of the population in our area.
One last thing, I have no idea what a(n) ‘ho airpaie spew out’ is. While I’m sure that it’s just another incorrect assumption on your part about me personally, I’m curious as to what exactly it is that you’re accusing me of.
I look forward to a response with more content and less personal attacks and assumptions. Thanks.
“1. How the intelligent and/or education tend to vote Democratic and how this may affect local politics.
2. How the Republican party has embraced ignorance and disdained the educated.
3. How the Republican party no longer represents conservatives.“
#1 - Neither you nor I know the intelligence nor the educational level of local voters.
#2. Both parties appeal to the emotions of the voters with disdain, not to their intelligence or knowledge. That’s what spin, negative campaigning, and pack politics is all about. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry.
#3 What’s a conservative or a liberal or a progressive? They are whatever they choose to call themselves. What is a Democrat or Republican? In VA, it’s whatever a person chooses to call himself. There is no party registration here.
This article was talking about the Republican Party of the City of Charlottesville. It has nothing to do with Bush or Obama. Why would either care if we have an elected mayor or ward system of election?
I suspect you moved here from Lynchburg and are so turned of by Jerry Falwell’s group that you’re trying to turn our local Democrats into some they’re not. Each minority party complains about the majority party. Each one calls out the other to appeal to the emotions of the voters. It’s pack politics. That’s what they do best, because that’s about all they know how to do. Then they leave Congress, die, and nobody quotes them.
As far as intellect, William F. Buckley comes to mind.
Locally, people who call themselves Democrats, have won the majority of offices whether they really have voted for independents and, yes, Republicans. Republicans have oftn voted for Democrats, too. It depends upon who the voter feels will give him what he wants. That’s why the majority of voters call themseles independents until its time to run for office or get appointed to a board or committee.
J-Dawg, it’s time for you to stop listeing to the ho airpaie spew out and to start figuring out what are your issues and holding the candidates to those issues and not theirs. Otherwise, you’re just sheep.
Hey man, just pointing out that the past eight years might have gone a long way towards cementing the tendencies that the local population already have.
I just got here in ‘02. I won’t be able to call myself a local for another decade and a half. So, I hope you’ll forgive me not knowing that muchg about local politics prior to that.
However, I do note that you managed to skip everything that doesn’t apply locally. The more intelligent and educated one is, the more they tend to vote Democrat. The local area has a higher education level than does the rest of the Virginia, though I’m not sure if the education level exceeds that of NoVA, but I suspect it does if you’re talking per capita education.
As long as UVA is here, you can pretty much bet that the area will continue to vote blue. I would imagine that a Republican running for office would face an uphill battle.
We can certainly debate what Jesus meant all day and never come to an agreement. I was addressing the question posed about whether or not the Baptists are voting. Coming from a southern-fried Baptist family from a few hours south of here , I can tell you firsthand that many Baptists find the current Republican party’s behavior reprehensible and hardly deserving of their support.
They see intolerance and hatred. They see people foaming at the mouth because a black man is President. They see Republicans doing anything in their power to stop any progress that might help them and those that they love. They see Republicans virtually celebrating killing a bunch of people that posed us no threat.
They see what they (not I) call the Republican’s true colors and they’re sickened by it. Personally, I’m more deist/agnostic than anything and my argument, ref: Jesus, is their position, not mine.
Are they correct in their assessments? I believe they are, but am intellectually honest enough to know that I could as easily be as wrong as I think the Republican party is. But it does address the question on whether or not Baptists are voting. Sure, they probably are, but they no longer fall for the Republican=Religious meme first instituted in the Reagan years.
I really do appreciate you pointing out where my potential errors lie. But if you find the time, I would be interested in your thoughts on my post that doesn’t involve my ignorance of local political history and my interpretation of Jesus’ words.
In other words, perhaps you could address the following issues that I also brought up:
1. How the intelligent and/or education tend to vote Democratic and how this may affect local politics.
2. How the Republican party has embraced ignorance and disdained the educated.
3. How the Republican party no longer represents conservatives.
One last issue that I failed to bring up initially is the blatant hypocrisy of the Republican party. During the last Administration, Bush had czars. But now many Republicans that are decrying Obama’s czars ignore (or are just ignorant of) the fact that Bush had them as well.
Many Republicans decry one-party rule when they apparently had few issues with it when the Republicans held Congress & the executive during the last Administration.
Criticism of a sitting President during wartime. As a disabled combat veteran, I was disappointed to be referred to by many that wouldn’t know a claymore from a hole in the ground as ‘nonpatriotic’, ‘traitor’ and ‘terrorist sympathizer’ if I pointed out anything that President Bush did wrong, regarding either foreign or domestic policy as this was interpreted as criticism of the President. But now, that same party is more than happy to demonize a sitting President that’s responsible for two wars that he had zero to do with starting.
In other words, today’s Republicans are lamenting, with this Administration, what they pretty much celebrated with the last one and they feel free to engage in behavior that they labeled a few years ago as traitorous.
This hypocrisy is plain to anyone that’s honest enough with themselves to pay attention to it.
Again, considering all this, is it any surprise that educated and intelligent people would be less likely to vote for such a party? I don’t think so.
J-Dawg obviously doesn’t realize that the City didn’t go Democratic because of the last 8 years.
Jesus did not say “Have Pilate collect your taxes and then petition him to do YOUR good works.“ I think he valued the “widow’s mite” more.
perhaps a litle more educaion on local poliics and the Bible, IMPACT?
Post a Comment(Requires free registration)
- Please avoid offensive, vulgar, or hateful language.
- Respect others.
- Use the "Flag Comment" link when necessary.
- See the Terms and Conditions for details.
Advertisement