I attended an event for Creigh Deeds with the NoVA Black Democrats hosted by Barbara Monroe and was pleasantly surprised by how well it went. Deeds has been taking a lot of heat from all quarters recently. The polls are not encouraging, Deeds is down 52-39 in the pollster average:. And enthusiasm among the progressives netroots and grassroots has well . . . not been encouraging. Deeds tonight, however, was passionate, knowledgeable and articulate. He lit up a standing room only home with a good stump speech and great answers to detailed questions.Deeds began his remarks, by telling his story of growing up in rural, Bath County. He said he didn't feel poor growing up, but going to college made him realize that he didn't grow up with a lot. Then in visiting other rural areas he was asked this question by children, "You mean they eat here more than once a day?" When, four years ago, Deeds ran for attorney general and lost by 323 votes, one newspaper article wrote that "McDonnell almost lost to a nobody from nowhere." Deeds said, "Well I had been in elected office for more than 10 years at that point, and if I am a nobody from nowhere then there are a lot nobodies from nowhere out there."
After loud applause, Deeds switched to answering questions on small business, education, restoration of voters rights, alternative energies and transportation. The first two questions were from small business owners who were talking about the incredible difficulties minority owners faced in getting business contracts from Virginia. This was despite getting contracts in DC, MD and throughout the region. Deeds said that this was unacceptable and he would do everything he could to accelerated process and programs that had been put in place to expand minority business state contracting. Delegate Charnielle Herring made a point that she had introduced a bill on this topic that had been shot down. The numbers are stunning - only 0.5 percent of contracts went minority small business. Herring said that we will go backwards if Deeds is not elected.
On education, Deeds talked about the crucial importance of universal pre-k. Teacher salaries especially, outside of NoVA needed to be raised to the national average. Also, outside of NoVA, the achievement gap between white and minority students becomes drastic in terms of graduation rates. During the Democratic primary this past spring, all three candidates agreed on universal pre-k, raising teachers salaries and making college more affordable. Deeds remains firmly committed to all three planks. McDonnell, in contrast, has voted to cut funding for education and for vouchers [Lowell's note: and McDonnell has promised to cut a LOT more money from education if he becomes governor!].
On the restoration of voter rights, Deeds said he believes that after someone has served their sentence, their rights should be restored. Deeds would continue the process streamlined by Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of restoring rights to former felons. He would also go further and advocate for the passage of a constitutional amendment in order for the process not to be dependent on the whims of a particular Governor.
On the environment, Deeds discussed his plans for making Virginia a leader in green energy, investing money directly in bio-fuels such as algae, switch-grass, and yes chicken waste. Solar panels are being installed on smokestacks and we need to encourage this. Deeds said that we need to offer tax credits to encourage alternative energy.
On transportation, Deeds suggested that while he is not Warner or Kaine, he could succeed this time since he has been working in Richmond for 18 years he knows the process and the people.
Finally, Deeds said that whatever your faith - or if you have none at all - these are words he tries to live by from Philippians 2: "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others." I love that quote.
Well now it's time to hit the doors for a wonderful, humble man who believes in serving others.
