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McQuinn is in, who is next?
11/19/2008 6:38 AM by John M
The RTD confirms earlier rumors that McQuinn is in for Mayor-elect Jones’ 70th House district seat. With it a likely given that she wins the seat, who is next for the 7th District seat?
An earlier comment put forth “Reggie Malone, Torey Edmonds or one John Murden”.
Is there anyone else that you would add to the list? Would it be ridiculous for a teacher/blogger to run for this office? Discuss…
Go Murden!
John! Damn, it! You should absolutely run for the 7th district council seat! You know more about this community than anyone I know (and I know the other folks you mention.) Go for it! I predict a landslide, but only if we work together.
second John Murden
I’d like to throw Matt Conrad’s name in the ring as a good candidate.
Hey… what about me? Everyone considers me a “know it all” so why not? [ I AM ONLY KIDDIN’ 🙂 ]
I am not familiar with those interested but just as long as they have the wholehearted concern to “protect” and follow through all HISTORIC aspects of our community as well as being available to contact whenever needed, then they have my vote.
Eric
Now that’s a great suggestion, too! Wow, we really do have some wonderfully qualified folks to choose from. It’s a nice position to be in.
I think John could be good but I also want to nominate Lisa Taranto (if she is up to it). She is the founder/director of tricycle gardens and well versed and knowledgeable in local economies and self sustainability -all very necessary things in this recession and the new emerging world of energy independence with an economy no longer heavily reliant on consumerism.
It would be kick-ass for a teacher/ blogger to run for this seat…
Go for it John, you got my support ! Hey, but Matt Conrad not a bad choice either 🙂
Conrad!!!!
Mark, great idea on suggesting Matt! I think he would make a fine addition to council (if he’s up for it). John would also make an excellent candidate. I’m not familiar with Lisa but would be interested in hearing her perspective on things…
Well i know both Matt and John, and they are both wonderful guys and dedicated to the community on a lot of levels (not just historic preservation, but schools, and community development, etc.)
Matt is the president of the Union Hill Civic Association, and a board member of the CHA.
It would be awfully difficult for me to have to choose between the two…but both fellas could be great councilmen for the 7th district. It’s thrilling to think either of them would seriously consider running.
What’re the rules about being employed by the city or RPS and running for council? Would you have to quit teaching?
The REA says that I can run for anything except School Board.
John, if you need a staffer let me know. I thought about throwing myself into the ring, but the community doesnt know enough about me yet – 4 years from now was to be my time – I figured McQuinn would have graduated by then – and well there it is already, she is. So, I guess I should ride the coattails.
Go for it John! You would be instrumental in forming good relations between Council and School Board.
How come teachers can’t run for School Board? The RPS administration could use some teacher/parent input -these are the two groups fleeing the city for county schools.
I don’t know John Murden personally, only from this site, but everything I see leads me to believe that he would be a great candidate and representative. I do know Matt Conrad personally, and would echo previous calls for him to run. If either run, they have my vote, if both run, I’ll have to see where they stand on issues of import to me.
Hey who’s running against McQuinn for the 70th House seat? What’s the salary?
about $17,000 annually
How much do you have to pay to be on the city council? 🙂
The next 7th district council person will be whomever McQuinn endorses (openly, or otherwise). True or False? Is this cynical or realistic?
Thanks for the vote Grey, but I would have to go for Councilman Murden! But John, I would love to be your liaison!
Basically, according to school board lawyers, teachers can’t run for school board because you would have to vote on whether to give yourself a raise, which would constitute a bonafide conflict-of-interest. Interestingly, we have had spouses of teachers serve as school board members and RPS retirees serve as board members as well.
Having said that, I agree with many who believe John Murden(yes!) would make an excellent City Council member.
Richmond City Council members receive $25,000 and council president gets $27,000. The salary has been the same for quite a number of years. Plus, you have a District Liaison (think, assistant)and other perks. (SB members receive $10,000, the chair receives $11,000).
By comparison, a Chesterfield County Board of Supervisor members makes $32,500 and, in Henrico, it’s $45,400 for members, $49,900 for the vice chair and $52,200 for the chair.
Murden, Looks like you have to run. Who will conduct the CHPN interviews with the candidates?
John, I hope you do run…I think you can win. We need someone young, educated, progressive, and community oriented on the council.
Post #21 – true, unfortunately; also cynical but realistic. Also, as you state, not necessarily openly. Also will be endorsed by Henry Marsh, again openly or otherwise.
That said, I’d absolutely love to see John Murden get it.
I’ll also throw in my support for John Murden. The only questions I have is how will this affect this site, John? Will someone else have to take it over, or will you use this a means to inform your potential future constituents?
Run, Murden, run!
Murden, you’ll be able to post your vote counter on yourself!
Delores’s son, JJ, is probably interested in running.
Hey folks, thanks for the good words. If the opportunity arose, I might be interested in this (especially if no respectable candidate comes about). I already have a job that takes 100% of what I have available, but I’d love to be able to really really really get to know the area & help get some stuff accomplished. We’ll see how all of this plays out.
If it all played out like that, I’d keep CHPN going though I’d have to get other folks to handle interviews for me I guess. Mitchell stayed with The Planet when he was on council, so some great precedent has been set 🙂
Maybe true. A credible candidate with McQuinn’s backing would be in a good position to win, but a weak candidate would not.
Clearly, John Murden has the community support. I have followed John’s journey over the past 4 years. The 7th District will be very fortunate to have John not only consider this opportunity, but also to accept the challenge. With Councilman John, you will find a man of good character. Strengthening Council and School Board relations is not for just anyone. Many of you that know John can attest to his ability to read between the lines, articulate both sides of the issue, is well informed, and brings a fresh energy and passion to the table. As for my wife and I, he has our total support!
c’mon folks…it’s time to buck the “Marsh Machine”. who says we can’t? times are changing up here on the hill. what might have been unthinkable in 1990 is possible in 2008/9.
and it’s not just a black/white thing. i know plenty of black folks who aren’t in Henry’s kitchen, and resent his grip on politics in this city. yeah i know Dwight is Henry’s guy, but he only won because Robert Grey got a late start and didn’t have time to build the name recognition.
the possible council candidates we’re discussing here (Matt Conrad & John Murden) are well known in the community and have the spirit & energy to work for all of us in the 7th district.
UnionHill RVA, You are absolutely right, times are changing. One correction Henry didn’t get Dwight in the Mayors seat, the Democratic sample ballot got Dwight and many others in some seats. The fact that we had many first time voters who came out to vote for Obama only, was told that the sample ballot was Obama’s slat of people! That blue sheet of paper got folks into some seat they might not have won other wise. But the reality this time is, people do not have President elect Obama’s coat tail to ride in on. EVERY MAN/WOMAN IS ON HIS/HER OWNS. So let’s begin to change the politics in the 7th district. Both Matt and John are excellent choices. It is time we start voting for qualified people, not people who just talk a good talk!
#33 Dont undervalue, underestimate or marginalize any of the first time voters. Your comment is suggesting in a “slick” way black voters simply filled out what was on a peice of paper and did not have the competence to think for themselves and make informed decisions that effect them both on a national and local level.
Your post reeks of ignorance.
I resent the Richmond Democratic Committee and their sample ballot. I’ve spoken to numerous people from all over town who admitted to voting straight down the sample ballot because they knew nothing about the school board and were undecided regarding mayoral candidates.
I usually vote for the democrat but next time, I’ll make sure to go opposite of any local candidate backed by the Richmond Democratic Committee.
It was ridiculous to read the names of completely unknown folk on the ticket along with Warner and Obama.
If anyone was not familiar with the local candidates, they were just not engaged. This is hardly the fault of the Richmond Democratic Committee and complaining about the sample ballot has the feel of sour grapes.
Given a lack of engagement or a clear-cut contest, party and personal endorsements have meaning, making it easier for folks to wade through what can be boring or frustrating. It also generally seems to keep the really awful candidates from getting elected. This has served us well in the 7th District this year – short of the Democratic ballot, do you think that Clarence Kenny would’ve been elected? or should’ve been? Isn’t Don Coleman a qualified candidate with strong ties to many areas in the community? Who specifically are you complaining about that was the endorsee?
While the mainstream media did not provide great coverage of the very local races, the school board candidates did a good job of getting out to the various civic association meetings and sat for interviews. They made themselves available at the ill-attended Bellevue Elementary candidates forum and the Fulton forum later that evening. I saw Don Coleman somewhere every ten days or so all summer. He is hardly the protégée of some shadowy 1980s political machine.
There were like 1,000 mayoral debates, all over the city, over 4 or 5 months leading up to the election. The first that I remember was in Jackson Ward and the last was in Fulton. Jones and Grey were in the neighborhood on and off through the fall and summer, and Goldman to a lesser degree.
Was Keith West the Democratic endorsee? A McQuinn/Marsh favorite? My point is that in the elections that I’ve seen in the 7th District, the qualified candidate that has worked the hardest to get their name out and to engage the voters has won the elections.
The Richmond Democratic Committee endorses folks that they agree with and would like to see win. If you want to see them select differently, get involved. OR — work to make viable coalition whose endorsement would have meaning to the voters.
Murden, My issue is not with the candidates themselves -there were a few on the democratic ballot in this district and in others that I like and/or supported but again, people told me themselves how they made their decision.
If a wanna-be pol goes door to door and meets people, listens to them, (kind of an old-school/grass-roots approach) especially in a local election, i believe this alone can make them competitive regardless of endorsements. The thing about endorsements is Nobody wants to be told what to do, and people and groups that make endorsements can seem like know-it-alls and that can backfire. Murden can take the council seat with a little pounding of the pavement, and it comes down to time and energy. I wish the people of the council seat luck in putting someone in place who will get the govt. out of our pockets, the People dont need another progressive who thinks govt. is the solution to our problems. We need reformers who let the People keep their hard earned money, especially a young person like Murden.
Liberty, could you give names of people in government that are progressives and reformers so I can understand what exactly you mean?
Gray- I have heard liberals called progressives, and the hyphenated liberal-progressive. I think they are those who look to the govt. to solve their problems. So to me most all Democrats are progressives. I wish people were more skeptical of govt. intervention. My experience with govt. has always been disappointing, in fact I dont think I’ve ever experienced good govt. I belive America is the greatest country on earth and that govt. is a neccessary evil. i think citizens should be more demanding of a more efficient govt., an inefficient govt. causes taxes to rise and i want to keep my hard earned money, and i want People to keep their hard earned money. It seems to me the only answer i hear for solving societal problems from liberal-progressives is raise taxes, charge fees, it seems the path of least resistance. I want a represenative to find solutions other than the same-ole same-ole. Its a tough job, just look at Wilder, a seasoned, smart pol was a reformer and he faced many difficult challenges trying to reform city govt., at least he tried. I want a govt. that helps a community proser. I personally feel the govt. helps impoversh me by taking by force my hard-earned money to inefficiently re-distribute as they see fit. By taking from one group and giving to another causes resentment and conflict. It is true the govt. does make tax consumers more prosperous, but tax-payers less prosperous. It is my opinion that those who seek the govt. to solve their problems play a role in our taxes going up. Self-sufficiency is one of my political cornerstones. I realize some people do need help, but an inefficient govt. offers less to those in need. In Richmond the democrats rule the roost, I cant think of any reformers locally, its politically tough to get an elected seat as a reformer and then if you do its extremely hard to actually reform, again look what happened to Wilder.
Whats your definition of a progressive?
Well, I gotta tell you. Delores’s son JJ has alot of support from the community. I heard that he was interested in running and shares the same views as his mother. Whoever runs need the support from Delores and especially JJ. He knows the district inside and out.Make no mistake about it, he’s the reason Delores is elected. He knows how to campaign and the community loves him. He also carries alot of influence in the Democratic Party.So it seems to me that whoever runs, you better get with him.
This is a Democratic district and JJ is the 1st VP of the Richmond Democratic Committee and VP of the Richmond Crusade for Voters. He was the reason Dwight got the endorsement.If he decides not to run,make sure you have your ducks in a row.I can tell you that he will carry majority of the prcincts in the 7th and Dwight,Tim Kaine,Henry Marsh,and Donald will probaly endorse him due to him working on their campaigns.
I damn sure will not support Malone. I don’t know Matt and I don’t know Taranto. John and JJ would be good candidates.
Thank you for posting your perspective Anthony. We have to remember that there are many people in our community that do not have much of a voice on this blog. Sometimes we tend to overlook that.
JJ has always been very responsive and friendly to me whenever I have contacted Delores at home (she, likewise). JJ is a present and future community leader whether he runs for Council this time around or not.
So according to anthony, JJ will be appointed to represent the 7th district and we’re also told if we want to run, we “better get with him.”
I’ll vote for John Murden.
Liberty, by progressive, I meant “moving forward.”
There are some interesting potential candidates on this blog. But only a few of the names you all have mentioned have made contributions to this community. We need someone who is going to represent all people.
david, I looked carefully through this thread and seems to me everyone nominated has made contributions to the community.
Well whom of these candidates have the most experience in reference to making contributions to the community?
david, I really don’t know who has the most experience but a few of the people mentioned here have been contributing to this very community for as long as I have known them and I have been living in this neighborhood longer than most.
Looks to me that we have more than one capable person for the job and we should consider ourselves fortunate.
Regarding “the most” experience: If this was all important we would have elected McCain over Obama. Fortunately “experience” alone doesn’t win a race. Hopefully we’ll have more than one running for office along with interesting interviews and lively debates.
I think jj will get the district support
Arnold, I think you are right. I heard that JJ is a great organizer. He is such a nice guy. I think I’ll support him.
“He is such a nice guy. I think I’ll support him.” Call me crazy but shouldn’t a candidate be supported for their take on the issues and not because they are a nice guy?
I’d also like to hear more about how these candidates stand on particular isssues and specifically what they’ve done to help the community. I haven’t noticed any real progress lately other than during the recent boom when investment money fueled renovation. Other than that, what has changed? The 25th St. corridor never really got the push from the city, historic houses are still being demolished by the city, and Chimborazo Park is being repaired by private citizens because for years the city has done nothing, and our district schools are still lacking in resources. If that’s the best they can do, it’s time for someone else to step up.
The real positives that I’d pull from the past 5 or 6 years are that the Neighborhoods in Bloom project has been quite successful in rebuilding and stabilizing certain parts of the neighborhood, violent crime has been drastically reduced, and the city schools have made significant progress in a few short years.
Progress in city schools is due to students, parents, teachers, and the administrators of particular schools, not city council. If I’m not mistaken, city council and mayor are responible for allocating money to RPS, other than that city government and RPS are separate systems.
Unfortunately, we do wind up in this situation where the RPS school board points the finger at City Council for allocation of money and City Council points right back at them for misallocation of money. Its been happening for years and its ridiculous.
Meanwhile, downtown white elephant projects like the Convention Center and the arts center/Center Stage project waste millions and LEGAL and MORAL priorities like ADA for RPS goes without.
Hopefully, Mayor Jones will be able to set the priorities. Schools Before Stadiums!
RE: #58 “Progress in city schools is due to students, parents, teachers, and the administrators of particular schools”
Isn’t that where the progress should start? Please don’t get me wrong…I’m all for allocating proper funding to RPS but if the students, parents, teachers, and administrators of the schools are not involved in the progress then they funds are basically wasted. First and foremost, each student/parent should be committed to the child’s education. I really don’t care how much money you throw out there but if the students don’t care and don’t study and the parents don’t’ care and don’t encourage their children then you might as well throw all that money towards a new stadium…it will do just as much good!
SEW, basically I was saying that city government and RPS are separate systems therefore no one in city government can take credit for the progress or lack of progress in the schools regarding SOL scores, attendance, etc. But no funding for ramps for the disabled, for example, cannot be blamed on the students and parents. If stairs are wobbly and ceilings cracking, would you blame that on the students and parents? I agree with Scott, fix these problems before funding stadiums and art centers.
Re: Post #59
How involved should a parent be in their child’s education?
Involved enough to get upset when their two sons can’t attend the same school because one child is in a wheelchair and his neighborhood school is non-ADA compliant?
Involved enough to climb up the stairs at Albert Hill and Community High School on their hands and derriere in order to attend a parent-teacher conference?
Involved enough to bring a federal lawsuit against the schools, city and mayor asking the courts to enforce state and federal law?
Involved enough to expect the system to make good on promises made in a binding court settlement in U.S. District Court?
Involved enough to attend five years worth of School Board meetings, SB committee meetings, City Council and Council committee meetings?
Involved enough to decide enough is enough and hold the schools accountable for the money they receive and more — involved enough to push for audits of city and school finances and the necessary changes so that city and school personnel stop wasting our money to cover up their mistakes?
Involved enough to expect that teachers who are great be paid accordingly and teachers who are not be invited to leave?
Involved enough to expect the School Board and administrators to submit a “needs-based” budget and be ready to defend that budget line-by-line?
Involved enough to wonder why the school system has not had a permanent CFO or COO for more than a year?
Involved enough to expect the school system to obey the Virginia Public Procurement Act and to get mad at public officials who prefer to sing “Kumbaya” instead of holding lazy and corrupt employees accountable for their actions?
Involved enough to show up at a SB meeting and ask some hard questions and expect some honest answers?
Carol Wolf,
Add to that list, involved enough to try and rid the RPS system of a cruel bullying principal who has been hurting and chasing families, students, teachers, and employees out of the school for years. If I’m not mistaken, she and Dr. Jewel Sherman were close.
re 62, I’m referring to a principal across town.
To echo John’s thoughts, let’s not forget to recognize the progress that has been made in the crime rate and the school system in our area.
I would like to add that in a council representative I would like someone with a positive attitude, who is fair-minded and tough-minded, will work hard for the community, and is able to effective collaborate with other council members and the SB while still achieving the goals for the community.
All the bickering and grandstanding has produced nothing. I am really tired of elected officials trying to ride into office on the back of the school system, and yet do nothing to fix anything. The fact is, the system cannot be fixed by “one” person, but instead by and effective collaboration of efforts that recognize the needs of the whole community. I am tired of “mavericks”. I want someone who can actually work with others to get the job done, not just be a squeaky wheel that has lost all credibility and cannot get anything done.
Gray and Carol,
I think you both have missed my point.
I’m not saying that the parents and students are responsible for the lack of handicap accessible entrances or the wobbly stairs and cracked ceilings.
You can have a brand new school with all the handicap ramps you could ever ask for, state of the art computers, lab equipment, excellent teachers, etc. All of that goes wasted if the students and parents are not wholeheartedly involved in the education process. Yes, there are some parents out there that are actively involved in their child’s education and some children out there that actually apply themselves and I applaud them. The vast majority, though, are not. Take a look at Armstrong, for example, and tell me that mess could be fixed with money. Please…most of the kids that attend that school are thugs with parents that don’t give a damn. Put those students in St. Christopher’s and they would still fail miserably.
Simply throwing money at RPS will not fix these problems…it’s what RPS does with the money that’s been allocated that will solve these problems.
Carol, to answer your post, yes. That’s how involved a parent should be. Granted, I agreed that a parent should not have to jump through those kinds of hoops to actually get an education for their child, however, if that is what is needed to get their child an education, then that is what should be done.
I, personally, do not have children but my tax money goes towards education. All I hear about RPS is that they need more and more money. What is being done with the money allocated to them? I’m all for funding education but shouldn’t we be able to fix the wobbly stairs, cracked ceilings, etc.?
SEW said: “You can have a brand new school with all the handicap ramps you could ever ask for, state of the art computers, lab equipment, excellent teachers, etc. All of that goes wasted if the students and parents are not wholeheartedly involved in the education process. Yes, there are some parents out there that are actively involved in their child’s education and some children out there that actually apply themselves and I applaud them. The vast majority, though, are not. ”
So true! Not to raise anyone’s dander but on an average you have either 1) teachers who are slackers or 2) parents who weren’t interested in school themselves now raising children and not disciplining them to do better because they feel like they did fine – yeah right.
And you have 3) Monster Parents.
These are parents who can not work with the school on their children’s development. Instead of forging mutually respectful relationships with the teachers, principles, etc., these parents are combative from the start. They do not believe their darling offspring could ever be in the wrong. Working through discipline problems with children is impossible with these parents. They believe if their children are disruptive, it is because school is “challeging” for their children. If their children are disrespectful, they believe it is because the teacher doesn’t deserve respect. Etc. Etc.
Many teachers are a problem, but many many more have to deal with the parents that don’t care or the Monster parents who will not work with them to solve problems.
SEW and Steven, your use of terms such as “average,’ “vast majority” and “most” are unfair given your lack of experience in RPS. But maybe you’ve read some stats somewhere. If so, can you share them?
From my actual experience in RPS, I’ve met more corrupt, inept, unqualified administrators and elected officials than I have teachers and parents, however, my kids have not attended the roughest and poorest schools.
SEW I think you’re right about “throwing money” at Armstrong…the first step towards improvement is free -the administration must admit that gang activity is present instead of sitting in denial.
I made a poor assumption -#66 might have RPS experience.
Re: # Post 64
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV-tk8CrqCQ&feature=related
Few are more aware of the progress that our school system has made in the past six years than I am. When I was first elected to the School Board, there were only four elementary schools in the entire city accredited — Munford, Fox, Fisher and J.E.B. Stuart, one of Northside’s best-kept secrets.
Today, all 29 elementary schools are accredited, albeit three (Blackwell, Oak Grove & Swansboro) are provisionally accredited.
To be sure, we have made progress. That said, we must guard against complacency. Complacency is dangerous and will put even more children in our city “at-risk” because it sends the message that this progress is “good enough.”
Until our schools are excellent, we need leadership and citizens who will not be satisfied with the status quo.
We need brave individuals and groups of individuals who have the collective courage to continue to ask why aren’t things better, even though we know we run the risk of being labeled “mavericks,” “critics,” or “outside agitators.”
Before you accuse anyone of political grandstanding, please recall that the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” in response to a full-page advertisement questioning his motivations and criticizing him for not collaborating with the power structure as it existed.
As Dr. King so eloquently stated: “Comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over.”
excerpt.mhtmlhttp://www.theatlantic.com/ideastour/civil-rights/king-excerpt.mhtml
http://www.theatlantic.com/ideastour/civil-rights/king-excerpt.mhtml
My main comment is that no one person can effect change, we need a collaborative effort, which requires a person is able to work with others. This is common sense. Those who are not able to forge relations with both their supporters and detractors are not able to accomplish much and are just as ineffective as the person who does nothing.
“Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.”
Harriet Beecher Stowe.
I would like to point out that last ?spring?, the city govt was accused of not providing funding for handicap accessability and after an accounting audit, it was found that the city paid the $$$ 3 times (example of the city’s extremely poor accounting system) and the schools could not account for how the money was used on any of the 3 occations (example of the school systems extremely poor accounting system) Both of these entities owe it to the taxpayers to audit and justify their accounts every year and we need sensible people overseeing and making judgement of what is acceptable, which to date we have not had (although I must conceed that Doug Wilder was able to ferret some of it out).
Boy, if a student in RPS conducted himself in that manner, he would have been expelled or sent off to CCP. Maybe we should apply the Zero Tolerance Displinary policy on the people responsible for mishandling the $$$ the city paid. How much $$$ did the city pay them?
If they can’t come up with what it was spent on then it should be considered lost or stolen thus paid back by those responsible.
Lenore,
My point exactly. We would have done just as well handing that money over to help pay for a new stadium!