The Nov. 5 election completed Virginia’s progression from red to blue, although not in Culpeper or its neighboring counties. For the first time in a generation, Democrats took control of both houses of the General Assembly.

Republicans fought this election with their usual vitriol and misrepresentation, while rarely offering problem-solving proposals.

During the time they controlled the General Assembly, Republicans blocked most meaningful legislation aimed at practical solutions to serious problems, usually by not allowing it out of committee.

After only 90 minutes, they shut down the governor’s special legislative session on gun violence in response to the Virginia Beach shootings and relegated any action to a commission. Then, just this past week, that Republican-controlled commission issued a mere three-page report without any recommendations.

Political observers note that Virginia Republicans outside Northern Virginia have been stepping to the right and boosting narrow partisanship at every opportunity.

Culpeper Republicans censured GOP Sens. Emmett Hanger and Jill Vogel, and even removed these candidates’ names from the Republican sample ballot mailed out across the county. Furthermore, the Culpeper Republicans made every effort to advertise down-ballot candidates as Republican, even though Virginia ballots do not list party designation for offices below House of Delegates and state Senate.

This ill-advised partisan labeling does not well serve our local community. For example, a School Board member is also in charge of Culpeper Republican party campaign events, including staging demonstrations for President Trump, instead of focusing on improving our local schools.

Culpeper Republicans are now characterized by Corey Stewart’s brand of Republicanism: immigrant-bashing, gun-loving, women’s healthcare-controlling, trash-talking, Trump-lionizing, and the like.

Del. Nick Freitas, who is on the libertarian side of the conservative spectrum, is equally in limbo. He had hoped to position himself for a congressional race in 2020. Emerging from a hard-right small county in the northern part of the 7th Congressional District will not help him in the suburbs of Richmond, regardless of how much money outside libertarian millionaires put into the race.

Democratic control of Virginia House and Senate committees means Culpeper’s five Republican legislators could be isolated, impacting the farmers, businesspeople and families they represent. If these lawmakers fail to find practical ways to influence legislation, such as adopting a veneer of bipartisanship, as Loudon County Republicans have done, they will be ignored.

While Culpeper Republicans are on the outside looking in, the new legislature will work on important issues that have not been addressed in years.

Passage of the Equal Rights Amendment may be first on the list. It is unsettling that full citizenship rights for women and freed African-American slaves have required specific constitutional protections.

Virginia’s formulas for funding of rural schools should come under scrutiny. Reducing gun violence by enacting expanded background checks and red-flag laws should be a top priority. There will be no legislation that takes away anyone’s guns.

We should see continued support for the bipartisan constitutional amendment that will create Virginia’s first-ever redistricting commission and, hopefully, end gerrymandering in the commonwealth once and for all. Culpeper voters would welcome this. Many found this last election confusing because the county was divided into three state Senate and two House districts that required 17 different ballots.

Elections have consequences. Culpeper Republicans may be right that change is coming. The new Blue Virginia will be significantly different, and that’s what most Virginia voters want.

David Reuther

Editor’s Note: this originally appeared in the Culpeper Star Exponent and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

We need change in Richmond. I believe that change is voting Juanita Jo Matkins into office.
 
Living in the richest country in the world, we should all have the opportunity to become prosperous. That’s not what we have right now. The evidence of this is the vast disparity between the billionaire class and the many who work more than one job and still can’t afford the basics. Something is not working and it’s not because people are lazy.
 
It’s because a lack of education, especially in early childhood, can prevent a person from obtaining the necessary tools to succeed. It’s because poor health and medical emergencies can destroy a family’s savings and cause them to lose their home. It’s because too many jobs do not pay a living wage. The children suffer the most and the cycle continues.
 
Having to choose between medicine, food and housing puts a person in a situation none of these proud billionaires (who claim to have made it on their own) would be able to extricate themselves from. And yet some members of the House of Delegates and Senate voted last winter against bills designed to alleviate this situation, both in the areas of health care and education. Instead they voted for House Bills 1027 and 2260 and Senate Bill 1674, all of which undermine health insurance by allowing insurance companies to insure healthier people separately. Those healthy people aren’t always going to be so healthy. Then what?
 
These members also voted against expanding access to pre-k education, where inequality starts, as well as against providing additional funding to low-income school districts in order to close achievement gaps. (House Bill 1700-136 #3h and #10h)

We need a delegate who believes we can all prosper if we have access to the tools. Vote for Juanita Jo Matkins. She has been in the trenches. Having taught school for 20 years in Louisa County, she has seen promise die in young minds for lack of needed supports. She knows what would have prevented these tragedies. She will work for solutions to these problems and move us toward a society that works for all of us.
 
Sara Macel
 
Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 31st edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission

I’m voting for Juanita Jo Matkins for delegate next Tuesday, Nov. 5th, and I hope you will too.
 
Her heart and mind will be on the job of bringing the voice of the people of Louisa to Richmond. She will be focused on solving the problems facing us here. She knows our district and she understands rural issues, such as lack of internet. She will spend her time and energy working on our problems.
 
Our legislators are only in Richmond for a short time each year. But that doesn’t make it a part-time job. It takes year-round work to find solutions to the problems facing the citizens of the Commonwealth. Juanita Jo will be spending her time between legislative sessions hard at work for us. Being recently retired, she has the time and has publicly committed to representing us in Virginia’s General Assembly for the full term of service.
 
Juanita Jo Matkins has lived in Louisa for over 40 years. She taught school in Louisa for 20 years. She grew up on a tobacco farm. She not only understands our needs, but she also knows how to work in a bipartisan way to solve problems. We need her voice in Richmond.
 
Dan Patton
 
Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 31st edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

Culpeper has become a more modern, educated and diverse community than the rigid radicals the Culpeper GOP touts for office. It has been trending “blue” in the past three elections. Culpeper is anything but a Republican county.

Many fine candidates are up for election this Nov. 5. Virginians almost always run as independents rather than with party labels, as is appropriate where community issues are at stake.

The divisive, extreme politics that have been perpetrated by the current occupant of the Oval Office and his worshipers, including those right here in our community, have no place in Culpeper.

Republicans recently posted on Facebook, “I’d Rather be an American than a Democrat,” and “Keep on Trumpin.’ ” Seriously? This is not the way patriots do business.

If you want to keep Culpeper from returning to the dark ages, you will vote for real community activists and public servants such as: incumbent Paul Walther for commonwealth’s attorney, incumbent Terry Yowell for commissioner of the revenue, Denise Whetzel for treasurer, Tami Coughlin for Salem supervisor, Kathy Campbell for East Fairfax supervisor, Gary Deal for West Fairfax supervisor, Paul Bates for Catalpa supervisor, and Ed Dunphy, Pat Baker, Anne Luckinbill and Barbee Brown for School Board, Thomas O’Halloran and Dennis Verhoff (write-in candidate) for the Soil and Water Conservation District, and these four people for the Town Council: Frank Reaves Jr., Meaghan E. Taylor, Hank G. Milans III and Jamie M.D. Clancey.

And finally, vote for C.J. Johnson for sheriff, for obvious reasons.

In the state legislature, Culpeper deserves better than the five Republican incumbents who have ill-served us for many, many years. This means you should vote for Ann Ridgeway, Laura Galante, Amy Laufer, Ronnie Ross and Annette Hyde. They are all community-oriented individuals running for office based on local issues and the needs of our residents.

Mike McClary

Editor’s Note: This originally appeared in the Culpeper Star Exponent and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission, and has been edited to include a relevant graphic.

Jon Russell’s columns in the Culpeper Star-Exponent are always insightful. In his Oct. 27 column [“Republicans, our future hangs in the balance”], his call to vote should be heeded by one and all. 

Russell warns that if Democrats win a couple of seats, Virginia will have one-party rule. Missing is the fact that we have had one-party Republican rule for over two decades now
.
That is why financing for public schools has fallen 8 percent in a decade. That is why there is no broadband, no gun-safety provisions even after the Norfolk massacre, why children are being killed in their homes because of unsecured guns, why the prices of insulin and other medications are soaring, and why hospitals can charge outrageous fees and sue people into bankruptcy.

Russell writes the Republican voter should not “monkey around with voting for candidates who are Democrats or even independents.”

God forbid you vote for an independent candidate, someone with an open mind.

Apparently, problem-solving is not as important as maintaining political rigidity. That is why two Republican candidates who have part of their districts in Culpeper are not included on the Republican sample ballot.

Republicans seek a red wall of ideologically motivated candidates from state Senate down to School Board. At this moment, one of our School Board members is the Culpeper Republican campaign manager and is in charge of President Trump rallies.

Is that what we want for the School Board, for the Town Council, perhaps the Board of Supervisors?

Republican candidates in Loudoun County and other areas of Virginia are moving toward the center to attract votes. In fact, it is axiomatic in democratic politics that as political parties become evenly balanced, more effort goes into finding common ground. Don’t build this wall.

David Reuther

Editor’s Note: This originally appeared in the Culpeper Star Exponent and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with thee communication model, I’ll try to describe it quickly and give a brief explanation of how it should work, especially with the Louisa County Board of Supervisors.
 
The sender is the board, which has about 95 percent of the responsibility for making sure that the message gets communicated to the public with as much understanding as it can collectively muster. Even if there’s incomplete understanding, that’s relevant for the public to know.
 
It’s been made painfully obvious by the board itself that it has little understanding of substantial issues brought up for its deliberation. This factor itself is significant and deserves much more attention than the supervisors are willing to give.
 
The message is the information that the board is supposed to provide the citizens. That includes things like financial reports, status of projects, projections about growth, school system, public safety and other matters. All these things are important to us because we have to pay for them, and we are impacted by the decisions of the board, which they make on our behalf—not for us, as they claim.
 
Most important is that the message is accurate, both from the perspective of facts and how the board processes those facts.
 
There’s a serious gap that the board keeps making wider. That gap is noise and there are several possible reasons for that mindset. One being the self-impression that the board thinks it should be omniscient—which will never happen—and any display to the contrary would be a sign of weakness. Another is a mental state of arrogance that more actively pursues the myth of omniscience.
 
The medium is the board meetings that the public is “graciously” allowed to attend, and this is where the problem begins. For the supervisors, we are an impediment to their actions.
 
As the receiver in the communication model, we have the remaining responsibility— about five percent—to be open-minded and receptive to new projects. The board prefers we remain ignorant, uninformed and gullible. That would create fewer complications and distractions from whatever its unstated mission really is.
 
The final piece of the communication model is the feedback that interferes with board activities. There is at least one very effective means of disrupting the feedback mechanism—ignore the public comments. In fact, it works so well that the board uses it consistently to confound the efforts of the citizens.
 
If the board was less intent on deflecting the legitimate concerns and comments of the public, the result would be a meaningful dialogue leading to a constituency satisfied with the performance of our elected officials. Instead, we have supervisors who cajole the citizens into participating with a government that only intends to rebuff them for their efforts. The board is nowhere near fulfilling its share of responsibility in the communication model. I wouldn’t even give it five percent based on its actions.
 
Status quo is what we have in Louisa County. The board ignores what we say, does what it wants and sets us up for another round of ignoring us.
 
If the only thing we do is complain about what the board does—like we have been doing—we’ll keep getting the same results. Some people have mentioned that the pressure should be kept on the board. Well, maintaining that pressure has done precious little to change the board’s strategy of ignoring the public.
 
I hear very little about increasing the pressure to get government for the rest of us.
 
Joe Mikolajczak
 
Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 31st edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

As a small business owner, I support Juanita Jo Matkins for 56th district delegate to the Virginia General Assembly. I’ll tell you why.

One of the main obstacles facing someone who wants to start his or her own business is the cost of health insurance. It’s hard to give up a job that provides health insurance when you are also taking all the other risks associated with stepping out on your own; especially if you have a family.

Juanita Jo believes that every citizen should be able to go to the doctor and access quality, affordable health services. She’s committed to standing up to big pharmaceutical companies by refusing their campaign contributions and finding a way to put an end to the skyrocketing prices of insulin and other prescription drugs.

Another reason that I, as a Louisa business owner, support her is that businesses need employees who are educated and have skills to do things. Juanita Jo is a strong supporter of career and technical education. She will fight to fully fund public education from preschool through college.
Having an educated work force is one of the things that will make Louisa a better place to start a business.

I have known Juanita Jo for many years. These are not empty promises—when she plans to do something she will follow through. She gets it done.

Christine Stanley

Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 24th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

Politics today is all about the fight and not the issues. I don’t think that politics is the place for fighting but for solving problems. In our democracy, we elect candidates to represent our interests, not be our favorite on WWF fight night.

We are facing serious problems that need to be resolved for our continued well-being. Some of us lean conservative and some are progressive. Our solutions should be a mix of those perspectives. We need candidates who may have different views but are willing to compromise to get things done.

I know and love the Louisa community. I’ve lived here for over 30 years. There are things we can all agree on, regardless of our politics. I want to recommend two state candidates who can help solve issues that concern us here in Louisa.

Education—Both candidates are experienced educators who have worked as teachers. One is a university professor and the other has served on a local school board. Both believe that good schools and education are drivers of stable, prosperous communities. They support quality K-12 schools, expansion of trade schools, expanding community colleges, and keeping our state universities strong. They are strong advocates of making education accessible and affordable for Virginia students.

Affordable health care —Whether it’s the cost of prescription drugs, pre-existing conditions or affordable premiums and reasonable subsidies, both candidates believe we can find solutions to make accessible, affordable health care a reality for Virginia families.

Rural Broadband—Reliable internet access is a strong driver of economic growth for large or small businesses, home businesses or people working from home, which many Louisans do now. Many residents use telemedicine instead of visiting specialists in the city, like my husband, who regularly uploads heart data to his cardiologist. Technology resources are part of our school curricula. Louisa County High School students have laptops to take home, but many students are without internet access. Most jobs now require technological and internet skills. Students must have these skills to get and keep a job. Both candidates are strong supporters of expanding rural broadband and have spoken publicly about finding solutions at the state level, working across party lines to make that happen.

Rural Life—Both candidates grew up on farms, one on a dairy and the other helped raise and train horses. They both know rural life and the importance of farming to our Central Virginia community. They also realize the Internet is a part of modern farming. These candidates grew up around guns and hunting and they support the Second Amendment. Like many gun owners, they realize that commonsense laws can help keep the most dangerous weapons away from those who want to kill themselves and others. Background checks are a reasonable requirement to help prevent mass shootings before they happen. As your Louisa County neighbor, I ask you to vote Nov. 5th for Juanita Jo Matkins for the 56th district House of Delegates seat and Amy Laufer for the 17th district State Senate seat. You may not agree with them on everything but they will work hard on those issues to keep our county and state prosperous and strong.

Joanna Hickman

Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 24th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission

Juanita Jo Matkins is the person we need representing us in the House of Delegates. As a former Louisa County school teacher, she will be a strong advocate for our schools and will work hard to lower prescription drug prices. She understands that better broadband access is vital to the future of Central Virginia.

But more importantly, Juanita Jo will represent all of us in Central Virginia, not just follow the dictates of one political party. I have seen Juanita Jo travel all over the 56th district this past year. I have seen her listen to all of you tell her your concerns for your families and community and I know she will carry these concerns with her to Richmond.

We have all grown used to hearing campaign promises and are tired of those promises being forgotten once the election is over. Juanita Jo will not let you down. I worked with her over the past few years, before she decided to run for office, when she was working to register new voters. She was relentless. Each person she met was treated with respect and dignity. Whatever the need of that person, she did everything she possibly could to help them. Juanita Jo is genuine. She really cares and when she is elected to the House of Delegates you can believe Louisa County residents will not be forgotten.

Kathy Itzkoff

Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 24th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

When you vote for a candidate, how do you make your choice? So many of the issues can be argued logically from either side. They are complicated issues. If you have a job and family, how do you ever have the time to delve into the details so that you can see who has the better solution? Most of us go with the party we’ve always been aligned with or ask our social and church communities for guidance.

If you are looking for a way to make your own choice, one idea is to follow the money. Unfortunately, candidates need a lot of money to fund a campaign and to get their voice heard. TV ads, Facebook ads, signs: all that costs a lot. All other things being equal, the candidate with the most money wins. Sad but true. Where does the money come from? It stands to reason that, when elected, a candidate will have to make policy decisions favorable to their largest donors if they want to be reelected. Sad but true.

So I look at who the major donors are to see what a candidate will do once in office. Did Dominion Energy write a big check? They have written quite a few. And that just might be why the General Assembly keeps making decisions that help Dominion’s bottom line, rather than the bottom lines of the customers paying their electric bills. How about the pharmaceutical industry and our drug prices?

Rather than accepting corporate donations, Juanita Jo Matkins is raising money one small donation at a time, from individuals who believe in her. That means she’s working for us, not for the big money people. She understands that politics isn’t so much about left versus right but big versus small.

That’s why I’m voting for Juanita Jo Matkins for 56th District delegate.

Mary Kranz

Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 24th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.
 

Tuesday November 5th is Election Day and you get to exercise your right to vote. One of the races is our 56th VA District Delegate seat and our candidates are Juanita Jo Matkins and John McGuire

Juanita Jo has lived, worked and raised a family here in Louisa County for 40 years. As a teacher here for 20 years, she understands the role our school system plays in educating our youth and preparing them for their future and the future of our community. She has lived through the recession of 2008 which saw public education funding by the State of Virginia plummet.

She supports expanding funding for public education including trade schools and returning it to the 2008 levels.  Juanita Jo supports significant expansion of rural broadband for our citizens.  She has been a witness to the civil rights movement here in Virginia and the organized stall of the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) by the Republican Party.  Juanita Jo believes all Virginians should have a fair chance and supports the passage of the ERA.

She believes corporations too often buy their way into the political process at the expense of rural citizens.  She does not accept contributions from large corporations. She believes every citizen should have access to quality and affordable healthcare and supports the expansion of Medicaid, and  has spoken at hundreds of events and is open to meeting and speaking with you.

Her opponent is “No Show” John McGuire. You see a lot of his signs but seldom see him or hear him speak. John is not from these parts and he had to rent a place in the 56th District to qualify to be a candidate in the 2017 election.

In Henrico and Goochland, McGuire has great broadband and cannot quite relate to our problems.
He has not supported Medicaid expansion in Virginia and has voted consistently against it. McGuire has refused to commit to raising our State financial support for education to 2008 levels.

John introduced and supported the ERA until he discovered Virginia Republicans opposed it! Now he is a staunch opponent and voted to kill it in com

“Equality of Rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex” That’s it!  Very straight forward! No hidden meanings! 

McGuire does a photo op with the Girl Scouts in the morning and denies them equal right in the afternoon!    I don’t understand how any woman could support those who oppose the ERA.
What has McGuire done in his first term? Not much!

He voted against prohibiting texting while driving (twice) and against increasing the age for purchasing tobacco/vaping, and twice voted against the ERA.  Look at his donations – Dominion, Pfizer, TitleMax, Hospital Corporation of America, beer, wine and liquor distributors, tobacco distributors, auto dealers’ association, building contractors, and other lobbyists.

Follow the money!  They want a return on their investment from McGuire!

I will vote for Juanita Jo Matkins on Tuesday November 5th and I urge you to do the same!

Gary Schatz.

Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 24th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

As you head to the polls on November 5th, there are a few facts voters should consider. 

For years, Republicans have represented Louisa County in the General Assembly, and for years; our schools have been under funded, common-sense gun-safety and suicide-prevention legislation, and the opioid epidemic and unaffordable health insurance crisis were ignored.

It was only after the 2017 Democratic Blue Wave, which saw the Republicans go from a near super majority (66-34) in the House of Delegates down to a razor thin 51-49 margin that the Republican controlled General Assembly finally passed health care providing 400,000 Virginians with affordable health insurance they did could not get before.

Now that they are about to loose control of both the House and Senate in the General Assembly, count on these politicians to do everything they can to cling to power, including lying about their records, as Bryce Reeves has done with two short term Health Care bills, SB1240 and SB1674
Or that if re-elected, they will continue to do everything possible to block any reform while blatantly misrepresenting their actions.

Meanwhile, Democrats like Amy Laufer and Juanita Jo Matkins are committed to fighting for more money for our rural school districts, getting the broadband infrastructure that rural economies need, increasing funding for mental health and drug treatment.

These Democratic ladies won’t be for something one year and against it the next, unlike their hypocritical counterparts, they will maintain their commitment to passing the Equal Rights Amendment, and will push for improved mental health services, and dealing with the opioid crisis in our communities.  

And like our local Sheriff and Commonwealth attorney, our Republican representatives view these issues as additional opportunities to be punitive … I mean “get tough on crime,”  while doing nothing to address the underlying issues.

If you want to see real meaningful change in the Virginia’s General Assembly, please cast your vote for these Democratic ladies; Juanita Jo Matkins as your 56th District Delegate and Amy Laufer as your 17th District Senator.
 
Jon Taylor  
 
Editor’s Note: this letter originally appeared in the October 24th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been reposted with the author’s permission.
 
 
 

The Local Candidate Forum, originally organized by The Goochland Democratic Committee, The Goochland Tea Party and The Goochland Republican Committee and scheduled for October 21st at 7 p.m at Grace Chinese Baptist Church is canceled.

Although all three Forum sponsors agreed to the format and rules in June, The Goochland County Republican Party sent an email on September 22, 2019 to their membership recommending that their candidates not participate in forums for this election cycle.

The reason for the withdrawal was cited as the GOP candidate not being treated "fairly". Last time I checked, both Sheriff candidates were running as Independents. One Candidate has been endorsed by the Goochland County Republican party. If the Goochland County Republican Committee's definition of "fair" includes candidates or their campaigns going through the questions submitted through the online portal ahead of time and participating in which questions are chosen for the moderator to read and removal of rebuttals--then I really don't know what to say.

There are not professional, non-partisan or bi-partisan political forums anywhere that I am aware of that lets candidates or their campaigns choose the questions to be asked or do not allow for rebuttals.

Furthermore, back in 2017 when the 3 Goochland Committees (GCRC, Goochland Tea Party and GDC) sponsored a primary forum for Republican and Democratic Candidates running for the 56th District--the Democratic Candidates were never given an opportunity to pick questions or have a hand in the rules for the forum. It was show up or don't.

Melissa and Lizzie walked into an unfriendly situation, but they showed up because they were running to represent EVERYONE.

I am not sure why things are so different in 2019.

Candidates running for office are expected to be able to speak anywhere, anytime and answer questions as to why they are the best person for the office they are seeking. To only seek out "friendly" audiences not only does a disservice to the candidate but to the community as well.

For example, Abigail's 1st Town Hall was here in Goochland and it definitely was not a majority friendly crowd--she showed up anyway. Those folks are her constituents too. She needed to hear from them just as much as they needed to hear from her.

It is a shame that the Goochland County Republican Party denied the citizens of Goochland an opportunity to hear from their candidates. It is also a shame that the majority of their candidates chose to give up an opportunity to speak with voters and answer their questions. The GDC believes it is imperative that our candidates make themselves available to the residents of Goochland County so that voters can make informed decisions.

Voters should question why the GCRC has taken away the opportunity to learn about their candidates and why their candidates went along with the decision. This is one of the many reasons why we need to continue to build a bench of candidates to give voters a choice.

While we considered moving forward with the October 21st forum alone, our candidates felt that if their opponents were not going to show up, their time was better spent doing what they do best--talking directly to voters at the doors.

I will give credit to Don Sharpe who was going to show up even though he was running unopposed. He stated he wanted to meet with voters. I only wish that other Republican backed candidates felt the same way.

Tina Winkler, Chair, Goochland Democratic Committee

Editor’s Note: A shorter version of this letter was submitted to the Goochland Gazette, and it’s worth noting that the Gazette has previously commented on the Goochland Republican’s derailing local debates, a pattern of behavior which is being repeated in Louisa County, and likely in many other localities around the Commonwealth.

Elections have consequences, and the election on Nov. 5 is of historic significance for residents of Culpeper County.

We have the opportunity to create a seismic shift in the power structure in Richmond. We hold in our hands the ability to flip control of the House of Delegates and the state Senate.

To do this, voters of conscience must turn up at the polls. With the 2020 census and redistricting on the horizon, this is crucial.

A democratic legislature will allow a constitutional amendment to be placed on the 2020 ballot allowing for reform of Virginia’s redistricting process. This reform will depoliticize redistricting so your future votes will have more impact. Politicians will no longer select their voters; voters will select their representatives!

Culpeper County has been represented in the General Assembly by five Republican members for years now. Most of them have opposed legislation that would improve access to health care for the poor, voting against Medicaid expansion.

In spite of them, this legislation has provided 400,000 Virginians with an affordable health insurance option that they did not have before. You better believe that, given the opportunity, these same legislators will try to overturn that reform and continue to block others.

Culpeper’s legislators have refused to allow common-sense legislation that would make our streets, schools, and places of worship safer. The majority of Virginians think that all gun buyers should be subject to background checks. The majority of Virginians think that there should be a method to remove firearms from individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others, by a system that allows for due process for the gun owner. Our current representatives won’t allow any legislation like this to be debated or voted on.

Amy Laufer, Annette Hyde, Ronnie Ross, Ann Ridgeway, and Laura Galante. Take note of these five Democrats’ names. You will have the opportunity to vote for two of the five, depending on your address, on Nov. 5. These Democrats—who are mothers, teachers, public safety and national security officials—are all committed to improving access to affordable health care.

These Democrats are committed to passing common-sense gun-safety and suicide-prevention legislation. These Democrats are committed to fighting for more money for our rural school districts.These Democrats are committed to getting the broadband infrastructure that we need to grow our rural economy.

These Democrats are committed to increasing the funding for mental health and drug treatment. They believe we need to stop viewing the opioid crisis in our community as simply a law-enforcement matter, and begin to approach it as a public health emergency.

These Democrats are committed to equal rights for all and for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. These Democrats are committed to a Virginia constitutional amendment that will provide for nonpartisan redistricting.

The voter should very carefully consider the individuals who are on the ballot for local offices this Nov. 5.

Do you want a sheriff who fosters fear and distrust of Muslims and immigrants or one who believes in the importance of community policing? You have a choice. Do you want Board of Supervisors, School Board and Town Council members who are true independents, and have demonstrated their commitment to our community with years of volunteerism and community service?

You have a choice. To help, on Election Day, Democrats will offer sample ballots at most polls.

Elections have consequences, especially the election on this Nov. 5. We have the opportunity to move the needle toward new jobs, accessible broadband, and better schools. But to accomplish this, voters of hope and progress must turn up at the polls. Let’s do this!

Dave Reuther
 
Editor’s Note: This letter originally appeared in the Culpeper Star Exponent, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.
 

What a difference Amy Laufer would make in the Virginia Senate. Drawing upon her personal experiences and demonstrated commitment to a better tomorrow, she would be a welcome change working on behalf of the 17th District.

Amy recognizes that all Virginians need access to affordable healthcare—not simply cheap insurance that leaves the poor and the sick without access to the care they need.

As part of this access, Amy is committed to fighting to expand rural broadband, which is so critical to expanding business opportunities and student achievement.

A former math and science teacher, Amy knows first-hand how critical investing in teachers and schools is to creating a viable future for all students in our community.

Let’s put Amy to work putting an end to gerrymandering through fair third-party redistricting, reforming our criminal justice system, and decreasing mass incarceration, while providing avenues to help former prisoners become full participants in our society.

Women, Amy will fight for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment as well as a woman’s individual right to choose the course of her life—rather than letting others choose for her.

I could go on, but limited space pushes me to the bottom line: Amy will fight for a level playing field, equal opportunity, increased investment in Virginia, and the enjoyment of Virginia’s promise and prosperity by all its citizens. Vote Amy Laufer on November 5.

Carolyn Walker 

Editor’s note: this letter originally appeared in the October 15th edition of the Culpeper Star Exponent, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission

Louisa County has some excellent teachers and administrators who give their all for our students. They work overtime, not only to fulfill requirements, but also figuring out what each student needs to succeed. Plus, they spend their personal money on supplies that are not adequately provided by our schools. These dedicated superheroes need our support.
 
One reason I plan to vote for Juanita Jo Matkins for Virginia House of Delegates is that she will prioritize public education. She taught in Louisa County schools for over 20 years and understands the needs well. She went on to teach future science teachers at William and Mary. She understands both what it takes to educate students and the need for a curriculum that will give Louisa’s students access to success in this century.
 
Some say that you can’t solve problems by throwing money at them. Well, actually, we can solve a lot of them with money. We can pay teachers well enough to attract the best. We can hire more teachers so we can have smaller classroom sizes. As a retired Louisa County educator, I have seen many teachers leave for better pay and better benefits.
 
The Commonwealth of Virginia is 32nd among the states in teacher pay rates. Virginia is not a poor state, although we have counties that are not so well off (Compare Louisa to Northern Virginia). Funding schools to make them more nationally competitive, as well as more equal among counties, is a state-level concern.
 
Let’s send Juanita Jo to Richmond where she can tackle this issue. She will not only fight to better fund public education from preschool through college, but will also work to expand career and technical training and to raise teacher pay. Our children and their parents and our teachers need her in the state House of Delegates.
 
Sue Rayburn
 
Editor’s Note: This letter originally appeared in the October 17th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.

Dennis Wallingford and Pam Dawling (Letters, Oct. 3 and Oct. 10) are clearly of the same opinion when it comes to treating the environment with respect and doing so in an intelligent way (to paraphrase Wallingford’s words.)
 
I would like to respond to Mr. Wallingford’s request for references for the statistics showing public opinion on human-caused climate change in the 56th district. The statistics Ms. Dawling cites are from the following source: “Yale Climate Opinion Maps 2018.” Yale Climate Communications Center, July 20, 2018.
 
As to the 31,000 people who reportedly signed the petition cited by Mr. Wallingford, I rely on snopes.com to research such a claim, and they rate the claim Mostly False.
 
This is because most of the signatures are (1) not verifiable as to names or truth of their science connections, (2) the number of supposed signatures with background in earth, environmental or atmospheric science is not 31,000, but only about 3,700, and (3) the organization that circulated the petition is clearly a political, not a scientific, organization, with political, not scientific, interests. The petition has been around since 1998, and its wording refers to the Kyoto agreement of 1997. Go to snopes. com/fact-check/30000-scientists-reject-climate-change.
 
Another source of information about the denial of climate change by those who stand to benefit from business as usual is the 2014 film Merchants of Doubt, which explores the way tobacco companies were able to deny cancer connections for so long, and the use of the same tactics by the oil and gas industries.
 
One reason I plan to vote for Juanita Jo Matkins for delegate from the 56th district is that she is a scientist who has done the research. Matkins is a former Louisa County teacher and professor at The College of William & Mary, not a employee of the oil and gas industry. She will vote for sensible legislation that will reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that are contributing to climate change.
 
Dave Kellar
 
Editor’s Note: This letter originally appeared in the October 17th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission

Republican political ads have been denigrating Abigail Spanberger for not doing her job in Congress. In my opinion, the most important job any Congressional representative can do now is to get rid of President Trump.
 
Every day that Trump is in office, he does something to destroy the U.S., both internally and internationally! Last week he pulled U.S. troops out of Syria, leaving our Kurdish allies vulnerable. Now Turkey has attacked the Kurds. Several Republicans, even Senator Mitch McConnell, disagree with Trump’s change of policy because it gave our other allies reason to believe they cannot depend on the U.S. any longer.
 
Trump is currently facing an impeachment review for his request to another nation to investigate Joe Biden, one of his Democratic opponents running for president. Trump said that Biden’s son received special consideration because his father was vice president.
 
Since Trump’s election, his daughter Ivanka has been granted at least 20 Chinese trademarks. This week China granted Ivanka seven new trademarks. Why isn’t Ivanka’s special consideration by China being investigated?
 
Trump consistently espouses “made in the USA,” yet a large majority of his own products are made overseas. His excuse is that “they can’t be made here.” The fact is, he doesn’t want to pay the difference of having them made overseas in sweatshops instead of here in regulated manufacturing companies that pay a living wage.
 
The trade war between the U.S. and China is costing the American consumer 25 percent more for products produced in China. Trump knows so little about tariffs, he says China is paying the tariffs, when, in fact, we Americans are.
 
Trump should be facing impeachment for his obstruction of justice. Each time a member of his cabinet or one of their subordinates was subpoenaed, Trump used “executive privilege” as an excuse to keep them from appearing. If he has nothing to hide, why is he working so hard to hide it?
 
He should also be impeached for using his presidency to make personal profits. Any time he goes to one of his golf resorts for a weekend, taxpayers foot the bill for his staff members and Secret Service personnel who are required to accompany him. That money goes straight into Trump’s pockets, since he did not divest any of his financial holdings when he took office. He eventually turned control of these holdings to his son, but he still reaps the rewards.
 
What else can I say? Trump has overturned almost every regulation to thwart climate change. Our self-proclaimed genius says it doesn’t exist, despite findings from thousands of scientists and daily episodes of catastrophic natural disasters.
 
His tax reform bill ended up making golf courses and private airplanes tax-exempt (he owns quite a few). It also provided loopholes for companies with billion-dollar profits such as Amazon, John Deere, Eli Lilly, etc., which resulted in them paying zero taxes. As a result, the U.S. now has the highest national debt in history. Trump doesn’t blame the deficit on the lack of incoming taxes from major corporations, he blames it on social programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, all of which he wants to cut.
 
We all know, or should know, that no House bills will pass without the Republican controlled-Senate’s approval. So, in my opinion, if Spanberger spends 28 hours per day trying to get rid of Trump and other Republicans, she’s working very hard for the American people! The only way we can make America Great Again is to get rid of Trump and his corrupt cabinet.
 
Deanna Nicosia
 
Editor’s Note: This letter originally appeared in the October 17th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission.
 
 
 

Wouldn’t it be nice have one of our own in the General Assembly? It’s been a long time since that happened, but it is possible on Nov. 5 if you vote.
 
We are fortunate to have Juanita Jo Matkins running for the House of Delegates. She has lived in Louisa County for more than 40 years and knows our rural way of life.
 
Matkins grew up, worked and still lives on a small farm. She reared her family here in Louisa, worked here and goes to church here. She knows what rural life is like and what the needs of rural people are.
 
She is an educator by profession who taught school in Louisa County for 20 years and then at the College of William and Mary. She will fight for all of our children to get a quality education, beginning with early childhood education and expanding career and technical education programs.
 
Matkins will fight to get access and quality broadband for Louisa. The lack of access to reliable broadband has made it difficult for some schoolchildren to do their homework, for employees to work from home and for some farmers and some businesses to get things done. Louisa County loses out on economic development opportunities that would increase county revenues, so broadband is critical to us.
 
Matkins believes every citizen should be able to access affordable, quality health care and she will stand up to big pharmaceutical companies to stop skyrocketing prices for insulin and other prescription drugs.
 
She is smart as a whip, energetic as the energizer bunny, and when she goes to the House of Delegates from the 56th district we will have one of our own. She who knows the needs of rural people will be accessible to the citizens of Louisa and there is no doubt she will fight for us.
 
That is why I am voting for Juanita Jo Matkins on Nov. 5.
 
B. Stewart Kienast
 
Editor’s Note: this originally appeared in the October 10th edition of the Central Virginian, and has been reposted here with the author’s permission.

I have been trying to stay out of the fray regarding the 30th  District House of Delegates race.  The half million­ dollar donation from an out-of-state billionaire has pushed me to speak out. Do we really want our delegate to have his seat purchased for him by out-of­ state special interests, or used to fund other state races?

   Contributions by Frietas campaign to other state Republican campaigns (July quarterly report)
 
Let's look at the facts.

Nick Freitas failed to do his due diligence and check to see if his campaign paperwork was filed completely and on time. There are literally 21 other candidates on the November ballot in my precinct who all managed to properly file.

Mr. Freitas' failure to follow through reflects his lack of commitment to his position as our Delegate. Furthermore, Mr. Freitas has never accepted responsibility for his mistake.  He blames Richmond and the Democrats when all he needed to do was pick up the phone and check on things. I want a representative who takes responsibility for his actions even when they don't cast him in the best light.

I support Ann Ridgeway for the House of Delegates 30th District seat.

She has a proven record of accomplishment in the 30th District as a teacher, a Juvenile Justice Probation Officer, and  a change maker.

Did you know she started the Office on Youth in Orange County? She also initiated the work needed to establish a Recreation Department there. Ann already has a track record of community activism.  She is truly an advocate for families here in-our district.

Ann will listen to her constituents and Ann will fight for us in Richmond. She will do the hard work to get improved funding for rural school districts. She will fight for broadband infrastructure.  She will work to make sure everyone, including the poorest among us, has access to affordable health care. 

Send someone to Richmond who isn't building a financial war chest to run for national office. Vote for Ann Ridgeway on Nov. 5th!

Ed Dunphy
 
Editor’s Note: This originally appeared in the Culpeper Star Exponent and has been re-posted here with the author’s permission, and has been edited to include a relevant graphic.