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Below you will find the text of the following remarks:
- Campaign Announcement Speech -- 1/12/06
- "Taking a Stand" -- Address to the Democratic Nominating Convention -- 3/4/06 **
- Nominating Speech by Joy Johnson -- 3/4/06 **
- Nominating Speech by Holly Hatcher -- 3/4/06 **
- Statement on Behalf of "Environmentalists for Dave" by Peter Kleeman -- 3/1/06
** For audio of these three speeches, click here (courtesy Charlottesville Tomorrow)
Remarks at the Campaign Kick-Off Party, January 12, 2006, Rapture
It’s great to be with you all here today and I’m honored and humbled to have your friendship and support as
I officially declare myself a candidate for Charlottesville City Council!
These are exciting and challenging times
for the City of Charlottesville.
Here we are in the #1 place to live in America, yet too many of our neighbors,
especially the working poor, are falling behind.
Here we enjoy an excellent school system, yet too many of our children
aren’t realizing their academic or social potential.
Here we have a booming real estate market, yet too many
of our fellow citizens cannot afford to buy or rent a home in this area.
Here we’ve adopted far-reaching sustainability
accords to guide local decision-making, yet too many of our plans and policies fall short of the promise and responsibility
of environmental stewardship.
We’re doing well, but I believe we can do better.
*********************
This
is an exciting day for me. I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few months talking one-on-one with dozens of
Charlottesville residents – from prominent community leaders and former mayors, to business owners and schoolteachers,
to homeless ex-felons and low-wage workers – about this race.
For the most part, these conversations have only
reinforced my interest in running for office.
These discussions have also been very eye-opening.
Here’s what I’ve learned:
First, people are disillusioned with politics and with politicians.
We
live, after all, in a cynical age. From the White House and the Congress on down, our political leaders too often play
on our fears and exploit our differences for their own personal and partisan gain.
We wage wars in the
name of peace;
We spew hatred and bigotry in the name of love;
We slash critical services for the poor
and the infirm in the name of compassion.
I, for one, am not going to join that race to the bottom.
I
believe in a politics of hope and opportunity. I believe – I know – that public service has the capacity
to bring people together to enrich the common good.
If nothing else, I want my candidacy, and my time in office, to
demonstrate that politics and public service can be an uplifting and creative force for improving our community and leaving
this world a better place for our children.
Here’s what else I’ve learned in talking with folks over the
past few months:
People are eager for change.
* They see taxpayer dollars being used for questionable
purposes, and wish for greater fiscal responsibility in government.
* They see poverty amidst plenty, and
wish to expand opportunities for people to become self-sufficient.
* They saw the haunting specter of Katrina,
and wish to redress the gross inequities in our society that she laid bare.
* They see kids getting frustrated in school and losing hope in life, and wish to provide them a better future.
* They
see unchecked suburban sprawl, and wish to check it.
* They see important decisions being made with too
little input from the citizens who will be affected by those decisions, and wish for more openness and participation in the
decision-making process.
I, too, see these things and I, too, wish to change them.
It’s tempting sometimes
to just resign ourselves to the idea that there’s little we can do to change the way things are.
But in the immortal
words of Dorothy Day, "No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless. There’s too much work to do."
So,
my friends, we have work to do. Are you ready to get to work?
Good. So am I!
*********************
This
is going to be a fun campaign. And I’m so glad that you all are along for the ride.
We have serious issues
to address, but we’re going to maintain a positive and upbeat tone to this race and not let ourselves get dragged into
the negativity and cynicism that so often pervades politics.
It’s seven weeks until the Democratic Nominating
Convention on March 4th. Between now and then, I will be holding a series of events to unveil specific proposals for:
* Expanding
the supply of affordable housing for renters and homebuyers
* Enhancing educational opportunities for children
and adults
* Fighting poverty and reducing racial disparities in our community
* Promoting
environmental sustainability in local and regional planning
These are vitally important issues to me and for our community,
but this is not just a campaign about advancing my pet issues. It’s about getting people involved. It’s
about reaching out to people who may have never voted before, or to long-time residents of our community who may feel their
interests have been cast aside in recent years. It’s about tapping into the energy and idealism of our young people.
It’s about convincing people that politics matters. It’s about filling the auditorium of Burley Middle School
on March 4 with hundreds of people who say, it’s time for a change. And it’s about building momentum for
a great victory party on May 2 when we can say with confidence and pride: the people responded.
So thank you
all for being here, and for all your words and acts of support.
With your help, I know I can secure the nomination
on March 4 and go on to win the election on May 2.
With your help, I know we can make Charlottesville a true ‘World
Class City’ for ALL its residents.
Address to the Democratic Nominating Convention, March 4, 2006, Burley Middle School
Thank you, Joy and thank you, Holly, for those very kind remarks. And thanks to all of you for being here this afternoon
and helping Chief Taliaferro and me to launch a victorious campaign for Charlottesville City Council!
55 years ago, a young student at the University of Virginia School of Law was faced with a difficult dilemma. As
president of the Student Legal Forum at UVa, he was responsible for bringing prominent speakers to the Law School. Through
his family connections, the young man was able to get Ralph Bunche, the Nobel Peace Laureate, to agree to speak on Grounds.
There
was only one catch, however: as a matter of principle, Bunche refused to speak to segregated audiences. And at
the time, it was against the law in Charlottesville to hold integrated public events. The student organized a series
of meetings to resolve the issue so that Dr. Bunche could come and speak, but he kept hitting roadblock after roadblock.
(I should note that it was not exactly a cause that endeared him to his fellow students, most of whom were from the Deep South.)
Eventually,
the Law School offered a compromise solution: Dr. Bunche could give his talk, and while the school would have one side
of the auditorium marked “whites only” and the other side “blacks only,” they agreed to look the other
way if any of the blacks in the audience happened to stray into the “whites only” section.
Calling
the underlying principle of segregation “morally indefensible,” the young law student rejected the compromise.
Instead, he argued the case for integration all the way up to the President and Board of Visitors of the University.
And you know what? In the end, he prevailed. When Ralph Bunche came to Charlottesville, he found an audience of
whites and blacks sitting side-by-side -- and we’re told that he was visibly moved.
Not many people
necessarily remember what Dr. Bunche said that spring evening back in 1951, but many people remembered who he said it to.
A Jim Crow barrier had been broken, simply because one young man had taken a stand.
That young man’s name…was
Robert Francis Kennedy. Later on in life, he would continue to take stands (many of them equally unpopular) against
injustice, against war, against poverty, and against despair. He challenged his countrymen to dare and to dream and
to “blend passion, reason and courage in a personal commitment to the great enterprises and ideals of American society.”
Thankfully,
we have many more examples of men & women of vision and courage who’ve taken stands to better our world and better
our community. I recall the late Senator Paul Wellstone, in 2002, taking a stand against the ill-fated invasion of Iraq
-- the only Senator up for re-election that year to do so. After casting his vote against the war, he turned to his
wife Sheila and said, “I just cost myself the election.” Sadly, we’ll never know if his prediction
was correct or not…but we do know that his vote was.
We have further examples here closer to home.
I recall my friends Joy Johnson and Wayne Arabie wrapping their arms around a big oak tree at Westhaven some years back when
the Housing Authority decided (with no advanced notice and without prior legal approval) that it was going to cut down a number
of beautiful old trees in their neighborhood. With their simple act of defiance, Joy and Wayne silenced those chainsaws.
We’ve got us some tree-huggers in the house here today!
I recall Jennifer Isbister, a dedicated young social
worker for the City of Charlottesville, summoning the courage a few years ago to stand up before City Council and the Housing
Authority Board, without prior clearance from her supervisors in City Hall, to say: my clients are hurting for safe,
decent affordable housing -- and it’s about time that you all did something about it.
In my own family, I recall hearing the story of how my father, as a young Army officer in the early 1960s, resigned from
his church because it would not allow African-Americans to become ministers. He too took a stand.
And here I
stand before you today.
We’re at a critical juncture in the course of Charlottesville’s history
and we have some big decisions to make about what kind of community we wish to become.
While Charlottesville is
a wonderful place to call home, too many of our neighbors -- especially the working poor -- are falling behind.
It’s time to take a stand for fighting poverty and reducing racial disparities in our community.
While we enjoy excellent City schools, too many of our children are failing to realize their
academic or social potential. It’s time to take a stand for enhancing educational opportunities for our
children and adults.
While our real estate market is booming, too many of our fellow citizens can't afford
to buy or rent a home in this area. It’s time to take a stand for expanding the supply of affordable housing
for local residents.
While we've adopted far-reaching Sustainability Accords to guide local
decision-making, too many of our plans and policies fall short of the promise & responsibility of environmental
stewardship. It’s time to take a stand for promoting environmental sustainability in local and regional planning.
Throughout
the course of this campaign, I’ve unveiled a series of proposals for addressing each of these pressing challenges.
I don’t claim to know all the answers, but I do believe that we can make great strides on each of these issues if we
proceed in a spirit of collaboration, creativity, courage and vision.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I spoke earlier
of some individuals who’ve inspired me in my life and my work over the years. Let me tell you about one final
source of personal inspiration. Their names are Aviyon, Aundrey, Chloe, DreNaisha, Jasaan, Jameria, Kameryn, Kateara,
Nakasia, Sura, Takeem, Talia, Tiahmoni, Treyvon, Xavier, and Henry -- preschool classmates of my daughter’s, from the
Zebra room at Venable Elementary last year. All of them filled with the boundless energy and anticipation of youth.
Most
of these children live in very low-income households, many of them headed by hard-working moms who are doing their best to
provide for their families. Despite the best efforts of these parents, however, statistics tell us that life is going
to be an uphill climb for their children. Children and families living in poverty face struggles that you and I can
only imagine, and far too many end up losing all hope.
So I ask you, who will stand for them?
What does
it say about our community that we allow these beautiful young children, so filled with promise, to grow up without the first
clue that they live in the best place to live in America?
Who will stand for them?
When so many
children in Charlottesville end up dropping out of school, turning to drugs and crime, and becoming the low-wage, low-skilled
workers of tomorrow, how can we not acknowledge the “moral indefensibility” of their plight?
Who
will stand for them?
How can we justify maintaining the status quo when the status quo isn’t working?
I
ask you again, who will stand for them?
The answer is, you and I. We will stand for them.
Our children are our future. We owe it to them and we owe it to ourselves to give them every chance to succeed in life
and to realize their highest potential.
Working together, we can make this a “World-Class City”
for all of our residents.
On May 2, let’s win this one for the Zebras. Thank you.
Address to the Democratic Nominating Convention, March 4, 2006, Burley Middle School
Good Afternoon! My name is Joy Johnson. Many of you know me as a vocal advocate for Public Housing, but I also
care about a lot of other things, and so does my friend Dave Norris. We care about our youth—making sure they
have educational opportunities and safe ways to occupy their time. We care about economic justice—youth employment,
and living wage jobs that make it possible for folks to earn a living that puts food on the table, clothes on their backs
and a roof over their heads. We care about having a city that works for EVERYONE—not just the wealthy or those
privileged to have the time for activism. But Dave does not just care about problems. He rolls up his sleeves,
takes the time to understand all the issues, builds partnerships and CREATES SOLUTIONS. My friends, it is with great
JOY, that I nominate my friend and colleague DAVE NORRIS for city council.
Address to the Democratic Nominating Convention, March 4, 2006, Burley Middle School
Good afternoon. It’s my pleasure to stand before you today to speak on behalf of my good friend Dave Norris. He was
one of the first people I met when I came to Charlottesville five years ago, and I am so proud that today we will nominate
as a candidate for city council.
From what I understand of nomination speeches, it’s my opportunity to
provide a little insight about his character for those who don’t know him and to explain why he is the right candidate
to represent us.
There are many different types of leadership styles. Dave is what you would call a servant
leader. He is a servant first and a leader second. Dave has been serving the city of Charlottesville since he first moved
here ten years ago. Whether it was working with students at Madison house or with public housing activists at PHAR,
starting a vegetarian festival or directing PACEM, Dave has always engaged himself professionally and personally in activities
that help make Charlottesville a better place to live. A servant leader encourages collaboration and trust. A servant leader
listens. A servant leader governs based on compromise but a servant leader never compromises on his principals. That is Dave
Norris.
Serving our city is no easy task. There are many interests and voices to be considered. But you can be
assured that with Dave, you will have a leader who will look around to see who’s missing from the table before any conversation
begins. And once that conversation starts everyone will have a voice. And before any decision is made or vote cast Dave will
ask himself:
* How will my decision affect our children’s future?
* How will my decision maintain
the integrity of this great city?
* How will my decision move this city forward?
I have no doubt that
he will serve all of us well and that is why it is my honor to second the nomination of Dave Norris for Charlottesville City
Council.
by Peter Kleeman, March 1, 2006, Belmont Park
I am delighted to be here at Belmont Park to support
Dave Norris in his campaign for Charlottesville City Council. I am speaking today on behalf of a group of local citizens -
Environmentalists for Dave - who have been working independently and collectively to promote sustainable development in Charlottesville,
and to protect our ever more fragile environment from unnecessary damage and destruction.
We have been among those
doing independent research on how development in Charlottesville will impact our community, and speaking before city council
to ensure that environmental concerns are considered in building a strong, well connected, and dynamic city - without sacrificing
the health and beauty of our rivers, our trails, our parkland, our neighborhoods, or our historic places.
Dave's platform on environmental sustainability is a well constructed and achievable set of goals that will make Charlottesville a place where we will want to live well
into the future.
The members of Environmentalists for Dave support Dave Norris' initiatives to ensure that environmental
sustainability, alternative transportation development, and active public participation will be considered in future council
decisions. We encourage you to join us in electing Dave to City Council in May.
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