Charlottesville activist Paul Long filed paperwork Thursday to run again for City Council, becoming the fifth independent candidate in an increasingly crowded field.
Long, a frequent advocate for the homeless and better public transit, said he chose to run as an independent because the Democratic Party in Charlottesville is “too conservative.”
“I’ve called them Bush-lite Democrats,” Long said. “And I believe that.”
Long, who works in the transportation department at the University of Virginia, said his campaign will focus on drug decriminalization, expansion of Charlottesville Area Transit bus service and more funding for homeless shelters.
Even though the decriminalization of drugs in Virginia falls outside the City Council’s jurisdiction, Long said, too many local people are incarcerated for drug offenses.
“They should not be in jail, they should be in outpatient substance abuse counseling,” Long said.
Long said he opposes the Meadow Creek Parkway, saying the money allocated for the road could be better spent elsewhere.
“I believe that that money should be spent and made available to Charlottesville Area Transit so that new bus routes could be established,” Long said. He also said he’d like to see full bus service on Sunday and holidays. Sunday bus service is currently limited to the free trolley and Route 7, which runs from Fashion Square to downtown.
Long said the city’s Democratic Party is simply “coddling to the upper middle class” rather than being proactive about helping the working class and the homeless. At the recent forum for Democratic council candidates, Long said, he heard little serious discussion about the types of issues he cares about.
“I didn’t hear any of them talk in a substantive manner as how they would address the housing issue,” Long said.
Long finished fourth in the four-candidate race in the 2009 general election, garnering about 7.5 percent of the ballots, or 1,214 votes, according to figures from the State Board of Elections.
Long joins four other independent candidates – Bob Fenwick, Scott Bandy, Brandon Collins and Andrew Williams – in the running for one of three council seats up for grabs this year.
Satyendra Huja, James Halfaday, Kathy Galvin, Paul Beyer, Dede Smith, Brevy Cannon and Colette Blount will compete for three Democratic nominations at the party’s “firehouse primary” on Aug. 20. The primary will take place 9 a.m to 7 p.m. at Burley Middle School.
Huja is the only incumbent running for another term. Councilors Holly Edwards and David Brown have announced they will not seek re-election this year. Mayor Dave Norris and Councilor Kristin Szakos are not up for re-election until 2013.
The filing deadline for the Democratic primary passed on July 8. Other candidates can submit paperwork to the city’s registrar by Aug. 23. The general election is Nov. 8.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement