MESSAGE FROM FRED HUDSON, Chair, Albemarle County Democratic Committee 5th District Convention The month of May is shaping up to be a significant month in the campaign process. We have another deadline on May 2, when those wanting to be delegates to the Democratic National Convention must prefile for the election by 5 PM . The first election of those interested in being a delegate to Denver will be at the 5th Congressional District Democratic Convention on May 17th in Lovingston. There we will elect four delegates, one male delegate for Clinton , and one male and two female delegates for Obama and one male alternate for Obama. We select an elector to possibly participate in the Electoral College to determine the next President of the United States . We will also be nominating Tom Perriello to be our Congressional candidate in the 5th District. It should be quite a day for the 170 delegates who have been elected by their local committees from around the 5th. We are working very hard to ensure that the convention goes well for all participants, and that it is a positive experience for those who have taken their time to be a part of the process. It should be an exciting day, and I am looking forward to seeing all the delegates there. The convention begins at 11 AM , and those attending should arrive at 10 for registration, at the Nelson County Middle School Auditorium. The convention will last a couple of hours. It should be fun for all and a great “grassroots” expression of the will and aspirations of the folks in Albemarle County and the 5th Congressional District. The delegates representing Albemarle County are as follows:
The delegation is a mixture of new people to the process as well as some who are very experienced. That is the nature of the campaign, and our representation is very reflective of the current interest in the 2008 process. I look forward to working with all the delegates to be sure that we have a strong representation from Albemarle County at the 5th and State conventions as well as the National Convention. It should be a fine season for the Albemarle County Democratic Party. Thank you for your participation and we should have a wonderful month as we move along through the process of selecting our next President, Senator, and Congressman from the 5th District. 5th CD Dinner You will also want to SAVE THE DATE of June 20th. The Annual Dinner for the 5th District Democratic Committee will be that night in Lynchburg . We are busy making the arrangements now, and I will give you much more detail in the edition of the NewsClips next month. You will be hearing much more about the dinner over the new few weeks. Stay tuned! State Convention The State Convention delegates are the same as those attending the 5th Convention, so you will have a lot of party activity if you are selected as an attendee of the 5th Convention. The State Convention will be held in Hampton on June 14, but more information will be forthcoming on that soon. Fred Mark Warner U.S. Senate Campain LaunchMark Warner is coming to Charlottesville to launch his campaign for the United States Senate! Join us on May 6 at 2:15 PM in front of City Hall on the Downtown Mall. Rain location is the Charlottesville Pavilion. To RSVP, call Adam White at 703-740-5100 or email announcement@MarkWarner2008.com or visit www.MarkWarner2008.com/Announcement. ACDP Office ClosedWe've moved out of our old office at 223 West Main Street, so your Albemarle County Democratic Party is temporarily homeless. However, you can still write to us at P.O. Box 5698 We will be announcing a new location as soon as it is available. The phone number is 296-1865, which is still available for you, but please feel free to contact Fred Hudson at fredwhudson@yahoo.com or Cheryl Oliver at caodem@embarqmail.com. New Keswick Polling PlaceVoters in the Keswick precinct have a new place to cast ballots. The new polling location is the Zion Hill Baptist Church at 802 Zion Hill Road in Keswick. Keswick voters used to go the Union Grove Baptist Church. County spokeswoman Lee Catlin says the change was made following safety issues at the former location. The change is also reflected on new voter ID cards being mailed to Keswick Precinct residents. Obama and Clinton Campaigns Request VolunteersAs you know, the Democratic Party cannot endorse any candidate before the nomination. However, I do want you to have the benefit of knowing the local opportunities presented by each of the campaigns. The following are offered to you for your information, by request of the Obama and Clinton campaigns. Obama Supporters. Any folks who are interested in helping the Obama campaign in any way, please contact Kristin Szakos at k.szakos@embarqmail.com or by phone at 434-984-4022. You can also visit the Charlottesville and Albemarle Citizens for Obama web site. Hillary Clinton Supporters. If you are willing to volunteer in support of Hillary Clinton, please contact David Slutzky at dslutzky@e2inc.com or by phone at (434) 989-5888. May 2008 Friday, May 2. Filing deadline (5 PM) for those wishing to stand for election to be either a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Denver or the 5th District Elector.
Monday, May 5. Albemarle County Democratic Steering Committee Meeting (5:30 - 7:30 PM) at the Albemarle County Office Building, 1600 5th Street Extended, Room A. Public is invited.
Tuesday, May 6. Mark Warner is coming to Charlottesville to launch his campaign for the United States Senate! Join us on May 6 at 2:15 PM in front of City Hall on the Downtown Mall. Rain location is the Charlottesville Pavilion. To RSVP, call Adam White at 703-740-5100 or email announcement@MarkWarner2008.com or visit www.MarkWarner2008.com/Announcement.
Saturday, May 17. Fifth Congressional District Democratic Convention, Nelson County Middle School Auditorium, Lovingston, VA. Registration will begin at 10 AM, and the convention will convene promptly at 11 AM.
Saturday, May 17. Charlottesville-Albemarle Democratic Breakfast is cancelled for the month of May due to the 5th Congressional District Convention in Lovingston. It will return to the normal schedule in June.
June 2008 Saturday, June 14. State Democratic Convention. Hampton, VA.
September 2008 Sunday, September 21. Mark your calendars for the annual BBQ! We'll be at beautiful Ash-Lawn-Highland again, but a little later in the year to avoid the sweltering summer heat. Details will be provided as the date draws closer, but you can count on good food, entertaining speakers, and great politics!
Recurring EventsEvery Saturday morning at 9 AM: Listen to the Albemarle Political Corner that focuses on local issues that affect the lives of each of us. WVAX, 1450 (AM).
Every Thursday evening at 6 PM: Drinking Liberally, an informal, inclusive progressive social group, meets every Thursday at 6:00 PM at South Street Brewery, 106 South Street, Charlottesville. Come join us for a couple of rounds or just to hang out with like-minded folks. Visit www.drinkingliberally.org for more information or to sign up for the mailing list. DESCRIPTIONS OF ELECTED OFFICES OF THE ALBEMARLE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY(The following descriptions are meant to set forth the main functions of the offices but are not intended to reflect every possible assignment during the course of the term.) All Committee officers and District Chairs must be residents of Albemarle County and registered to vote. It is not required that the District Chairs be a resident of the Magisterial District of their chairmanship. They should agree to promote the Democratic Party at all levels, and to participate locally in the projects that the party sets out. They agree to support all Democratic Candidates in all elections during their respective terms. CHAIRTo recruit interested people to the Democratic Party, and to promote the Democratic Party in every possible way. Responsible for providing the strategy and executing the method to accomplish the main mission of the Albemarle County Democratic Party which is to win elections. To execute the duties as assigned by the Party Plan of the Democratic Party of Virginia, and to be responsible for the communication with the VADP and the Congressional District Committee. To call meetings as required to manage the affairs of the Albemarle County Democratic Committee and to communicate effectively with the members of the Albemarle County Democratic Committee. To be the spokesperson for the Albemarle County Democratic Party. Recruitment of candidates for all County offices as well as the legislative district candidates that fall within the boundaries of Albemarle County. Ultimate responsibility for the growth and management of all functions of the Albemarle County Democratic Committee. VICE-CHAIR, DEVELOPMENTResponsible for observing and reporting on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors. Responsible for fundraising efforts of the ACDP, including the annual fundraising event. VICE-CHAIR, ADMINISTRATIONCounty wide volunteer coordinator for the ACDP. Responsible for setting agenda for the Democratic Saturday Breakfast. Responsible for observing and reporting on the Albemarle County School Board meetings. As volunteer coordinator, responsible for the recruitment and assignment of volunteers for mailings, meetings and other administration events of the ACDP including the assignment and coordination of volunteers with the Magisterial District Chairs during campaigns, including Election Day. VICE CHAIR, SPECIAL PROJECTSResponsible for all projects assigned by the Chair of the ACDP. Included in the responsibilities is the communication with the many varieties of the Press and the Absentee Voter Program as provided by the VADP. VICE CHAIR, OUTREACHResponsibility is to increase the membership of the Albemarle County Democratic Party including but not limited to groups regardless of race, gender, religion, or sexual preference. VICE-CHAIR, WOMEN’S ISSUESResponsibility is to bring women’s issues to the Albemarle County Democratic Committee and to be the local committee liaison with the Women’s section of the Virginia Democratic Party and to increase women’s membership of the ACDP. VICE-CHAIR, YOUNG PROFESSIONALSResponsibility is to represent young professionals for the ACDP and to be the spokesman of the ACDP to groups whose membership is made up of young people and young professionals. The overall responsibility is to increase the membership of young people in the ACDP. VICE-CHAIR, VETERANSResponsibility is to organize with Veterans groups in the area, be the spokesman for the ACDP to Veteran’s groups in the area, and to increase the veteran membership in the ACDP. VICE-CHAIR, LABORResponsibility is to be the spokesman of the ACDP to labor organizations in Albemarle County and to increase the membership of the ACDP with members of organized labor. TREASURER/FINANCE DIRECTORResponsible for maintaining the financial records of the ACDP, processing the receipts and payables of the ACDP, keeping adequate financial records of all transactions of the ACDP, preparing monthly financial statements to the Steering Committee of the ACDP and preparing and submitting the required quarterly reports to the State Board of Elections. CORRESPONDING SECRETARYResponsible for the correspondence to various other political organizations and the preparation of the monthly “News Clips” (the informational communication with the members of the ACDP Committee). RECORDING SECRETARYResponsible for the preparation and submission of the Minutes of each meeting of the ACDP, including but not limited to the meetings of the Steering Committee. WEBMASTER AND VICE CHAIR- DATAResponsible for maintaining the ACDP web site and for the management of the voter database of the ACDP which would include producing canvassing materials and updating the database with new information provided from any source. MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT CHAIRSResponsible for the recruiting and training of the Precinct Chairs in the Magisterial District. Responsible for the recruiting and managing the volunteers of their particular Magisterial District, as well as the utilization of volunteers assigned by the volunteer coordinator of the ACDP. Supporting activities such as campaign and Election Day organization, canvassing, and any other volunteer activities that occur either within the District or at the direction of the Steering Committee or the Chair of the ACDP.
[click topic to view or hide] Session Newsletter
The 2007 session of the General Assembly is winding down. With just a few days left, many of the controversial issues have been resolved and many remain to be worked out. In 2002, the General Assembly regulated the payday loan industry. Since that time the industry has had a significant presence in Virginia. Last year alone, over 470,000 Virginians took out payday loans. This year there were numerous efforts to rein in this short-term, low-dollar, but high-interest type of service. The compromise bill, which is backed by the industry, imposes modest limits on the number of loans that can be made to an individual each year and establishes a statewide database of the names of people who take out payday loans. Attempts to cap the interest rates on these loans have failed in both the House and Senate. The Governor has voiced some concern for payday loans, and his office has been involved in the final negotiation of the bill. After meeting with final approval by the legislature, the bill will now go to the Governor’s desk. I am uncertain whether he will attempt to put forth amendments to further restrict the availability of this service in Virginia. Bills were introduced this year to dramatically change the way natural resources are managed in the Commonwealth. Bills to combine the air, water, and waste boards into one Board of Environmental Quality with a great centralization of authority with the director of DEQ, have now passed both houses, with a significant amendment. The bills now include a reenactment clause that will require the introduction and passage of an identical bill during the 2008 session of the General Assembly before it goes into effect. Like most legislation, this will go to the Governor, who has supported the bill, and he can offer further amendments. However, it is my hope that he will leave the reenactment clause in place. Combining the boards may indeed be the best way to manage Virginia’s natural resources; however, because of the broad nature of this change, and because so few stakeholders have been involved in this legislation, I firmly believe we should allow for a year to study the issue. The biggest issues for this year’s session of the General Assembly remain outstanding. There has been considerable news coverage with respect to the Dominion Resources bills. Roughly twelve years ago, Virginia charted a course toward deregulation of electric power. Because a market place never developed under the legislative scheme adopted in Virginia, there has been growing pressure to re-regulate the industry. Bills have advanced in both the House and the Senate, and work on those bills continues. I expect this legislation to be resolved, one way or the other, in the last minute of the 2007 session. The overreaching issue, as I have pointed out before, is transportation. Transportation remains unresolved as we head down the stretch of this year’s session. Different approaches have been adopted by the House and the Senate, neither of which will provide an adequate new source of funding for transportation, but either of which would be a start in the direction of pumping more money into transportation. The approach adopted in the House is one that takes General Fund dollars for the first time in a dedicated, continuing fashion and puts them to transportation. I have opposed this approach in the past and will continue to do so. Use of General Fund money on a continuing basis for transportation has been rejected by the Virginia legislature for many years. The time has not come to put highways in competition with schools, public safety, and public health for state dollars. For this reason, we have had a dedicated source of funding for transportation since the 1920s, a tradition we should continue. Both the House and the Senate approaches rely on debt, too much debt in my view, but it appears to be one of the few areas around which consensus can be built. Politics is about compromise, and it is important that we stop delaying action on this critical issue. The transportation proposals remain in conference committee and, as with the electric re-regulation bill, will ultimately be settled in the closing hours of the session. In past years, I have spent a great deal of time using this column to discuss the budget and the budgetary process in the General Assembly. My focus this year has been on transportation and efforts to redirect General Fund dollars to transportation. However, the budget is also an issue that is in conference committee and because of the transportation debate, will likely not be resolved until the last minute. The economy continues to do well in Virginia, and we are fortunate, like many other states, to be running a surplus this year. When the General Fund is in the black and there are surplus dollars, it seems to me appropriate to use some of those dollars for transportation. The real contention lies, however, with the notion that there should be a continuing dedication of money from the General Fund. That is a threshold we have never crossed in Virginia. The fate of the bills I introduced has been settled, for the most part. The redistricting reform bill that I have been working on for six years has been killed in the House of Delegates. In general, my efforts to strengthen public safety in our parks have been embraced. My bills on behalf of the State Faculty Senate did not fare well. My bill to update our welfare to work laws has passed, as has my bill to modernize the office of the State Fire Marshall. While much work remains, many of my goals have been advanced. In these last critical days of the session, legislators are tired and eager to return home. In my experience, mistakes are often made in circumstances like this. I urge all of you to pay close attention to the work of the Assembly in the next few days, and if issues arise which you do not think are getting proper attention, please contact me as soon as possible at (804) 698-7525 or district25@sov.state.va.us. As you know, session is scheduled to adjourn on Saturday, February 24. After that, I can be reached in Hot Springs at (540) 839-2473 or (800) 545-5899. Or, you can reach me in my Charlottesville office at (434) 296-5491 or P. O. Box 5462, Charlottesville, VA 22905. THERE ARE ISSUES OTHER THAN TRANSPORTATION—2 WEEKS TO GO  HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY. The spectacle is worth a visit to the General Assembly. The tradition down here is for each floor in the building to compete as to who has the most distinctive Valentine’s Day Richmond Sunlight . This site sheds much needed day light on the doings in Virginia government.  Assembly Access: The Virginia Democratic Caucus new "Webb cam" web site:
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Contact Us
We've moved out of our old office on West Main Street, so your Albemarle County Democratic Party is temporarily homeless. However, you can still write to us at P.O. Box 5698 You can also call Cheryl Oliver at 434-286-9941. Precinct Map
 5th Congressional District
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Click HERE to jump to the Volunteer Sign Up form. Meet great people, have fun, help your community and make your country a better place! Email Signup
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