Joseph T. Fitzpatrick, the state Democratic party chairman during the 1970s, died Wednesday. He was the party’s nominee for Congress in 1970 and served as a state senator from Norfolk from 1976 to 1981. The next 20 years of his career were spent as City Treasurer, a job from which he retired in 2001.
According to the Pilot:
Considered liberal for his time, Fitzpatrick was part of the power structure that eventually toppled the remnants of the political machine created by the late Sen. Harry F. Byrd.
[…]
He was known to have exchanged sharp words with Jimmy Carter and to have walked out during a speech of a Virginia Democratic congressman who supported Richard Nixon. He also was said to have threatened to oust Democratic city committee members who did not support his candidates during primaries
I didn’t know Mr. Fitzpatrick, other than as an outside observer. I first became aware of him in the 1980s when a friend of mine, Stanley Jones, who passed away earlier this year, ran against him on a couple of occasions to eliminate the treasurer’s office. During Stan’s second run against Mr. Fitzpatrick, I was singing six nights a week at a Hampton hotel and every Tuesday, Mr. Fitzpatrick would come in. I recognized him from beautiful head of white hair that he had. I remember calling Stan about it – and that’s when I learned more about Mr. Fitzpatrick and his political prowess.
The Pilot points out that Mr. Fitzpatrick had a no-nonsense approach to things, a view that he held while treasurer:
“Nobody got a break when it came to paying taxes,” [Norfolk Mayor Paul] Fraim said.
A quick Google search indicates this is certainly the case. A number of lawsuits appear, related to his efforts to collect delinquent taxes. And then there is this article from 1997 in which he garnished the paychecks of Norfolk employees to pay delinquent personal property taxes.
“He fought against a system of state government that he perceived worked in favor of the privileged and the wealthy,” Fraim said. “He wanted to make both state and local government more open and transparent. He was also opposed to the system of anointing people for political office.”
I wonder what Mr. Fitzpatrick would think about the state of the politics today – locally, statewide and nationally. The General Assembly eliminated the estate tax but cut funding for 1900 children in Northern Virginia. The amount of money needed to run for office is obscene, eliminating many from the pool of candidates. Party members fail to support party nominees. I have a feeling he would be disappointed.
In his memory, the Norfolk treasurer’s office will be closed Monday, July 17.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 