I normally don’t wade into the local politics of other areas. Heck, just keeping up with the shenanigans in Hampton Roads is enough. However, this time I feel compelled.
Jeff Dion is the Democratic candidate for Occoquan Supervisor, having been nominated by the Prince William County Democratic Committee.
Dion is an attorney and victim advocate with the National Center for Victims of Crime. He is a 21-year resident of Northern Virginia and 5-year resident of Occoquan District. Dion lives in Lake Ridge with his two children who attend Prince William Public Schools. He and his family are members of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Lake Ridge.
So far so good. So just what’s the “problem” with Jeff? Well, it turns out that Jeff is – wait for it – gay! Horrors of horrors – at least according to BVBL. No attack on his politics, mind you. No attack on his positions, mind you. Just an attack on the man because he happens to be gay.
Well, I have an answer for the spewers of such BS: let’s get Dion elected. Dion was the only Democrat to file for this seat.
When asked why Dion was the only filer, Prince William Democrat Committee Chairman Vic Bras said, “There were at least two other very qualified potential candidates who after, assessing Jeff’s qualifications and the short amount of time anticipated before the Special Election, decided that it would be in the best interest of the Occoquan community and the Democratic Party to immediately unite in support of his nomination and get on with winning the crucial Occoquan seat.”
That’s right: no one else stepped up to run.
Do what you can to help out Jeff. His kickoff is tomorrow, where he will be joined by former Delegate Dave Brinkley. Contribute to his campaign.
It’s about building a bench. It’s about electing qualified people. And it also about turning back the “anti-gay at whatever cost to society” agenda.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
I’m in.
First, Dion. Then Sideshow Bob. Go Prince William!!!
I think Vic Bras’ statement, if provided factually, may have looked a lot more like this:
“There were at least two other people that I strongarmed into not running by violating the party plan regarding adequate notice for candidate filings and by setting an outrageously high candidate filing fee. Now the party can rally behind my personlly selected candidate as we transition the Prince William County Democratic party into an arm of Equality Virginia. I hope useless strap-hangers like Paul Ebert, Chuck Colgan, John Jenkins and Hilda Barg finally see the light that the future of our party lies in submission to and promotion of the marriage equality and equal rights for GLBT citizens.”
By all means, go help Jeff though.
No issues there, not at all . . .
Right, because the problem with PW County is that it’s too gay. Not, like, traffic, or sprawl, or crime or…
wait! OMG, the Gays are coming and causing traffic and sprawl and breaking into the shopping malls to open Pottery Barns and Express store…no…no, I believe that these problems transcend gayness.
And even if they didn’t, the Republicans have no right whatsoever to point fingers about gay people in public office. Sheesh. I thought that last election, the Republicans were complaining about not sticking to the issues?
Vivian, glad to see you quoted Vic Bras. I have to chuckle at Greg’s comment. Is this another one of those labelings of gays as “affluent” because Jeff paid the “outrageously high” fee? I don’t have any problem with Democrats who aren’t comfortable with gay people or issues—there’s lots of people in that camp for various reasons. But I do have a problem with people willing to make stuff up because they don’t think that GLBT people are qualified to run for office because of who they are.
Let’s get Jeff elected.
If you can, consider giving Jeff $25 (or more!):
http://www.jeffdion.org/Contribute.html
“And it also about turning back the “anti-gay at whatever cost to society” agenda.”
Nice. I’m with you Vivian, I don’t suppose the Right wing learned ANYTHING from the Allen campaign which ran, and lost, on attacking on a personal level.
VP,
the ever “bench building” me will be there.
nice day for a drive north Vivian.
b
I don’t give two hoots if he’s gay. I do care that he lied to a woman,and fathered two children, knowing that he was gay. I can’t abide men who do that to women, and children. Sorry. Men who lie and deceive women don’t get my vote or my money.
If Jeff had lived the truth, lived his gay life, I’d have no problems with him, but the deception is just plain wrong.
Oh Jane don’t lie. You still wouldn’t vote for him simply because HE IS gay. Don’t think everybody doesn’t know where you stand. It has nothing to do with the fact that he divorced his wife and everything to do with the fact that he’s gay. You and everyone else on the right (especially Black Velvit Bruce Li) are deplorable.
Jane, How do YOU know that he lied to a woman?
There are plenty of men out there who don’t consciously recognize their “gayness” or are in denial. A lot of them are Republicans (some of whom have bought the falsehoods of their churches that say they can be turned back to heterosexual).
Isn’t this response just about as foolish and unthinking as BVBL’s post. Is it not knee-jerk? All someone who calls himself a Republican has to do is push the right buttons and you actively support the Democrat?
Think about what is happening in Iraq. Because of outside instigators, hotheads on the Shiite side are killing Sunnis and hotheads on the Sunni side on killing Shiites. If enough knees jerk, Iraq will have a civil war.
Ignore the reflex to jerk your knee. It is an uncivilized response. Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.
Black Velvet Bruce Li should be known as Black Velvet Bruce Lie. He knows nothing about most things. In particular, he knows nothing about how the Democratic party selects its candidates or its rules for selection. Those rules wee followed. As for any Vic Bras imposed candidates, that is a bunch of non-sense. As for Hilda Barg, et. al, most of the time, BVBL likes to heap abuse on them, so it somewhat ironic that he now thinks it is terrible that they don’t select the candidates. As for a party imposing ideological constraints on its nominees, like making school board members opine on their views on abortion, that is his party, not the Democratic party. AS for Jane, get a life, you have no idea what happened between Jeff and hiw wife, so quit making stuff up.