Dear George:

I have thought about the candidates who have stepped forward to run as Democrats for City Council. These are very interesting candidates with a variety of positions and perspectives. It is very important for me that the entire community be represented. After much thought, I offer these two endorsements:

Blake Caravati: Blake had done an excellent job as a city councilor with four years experience under his belt. Prior to that he served on the Planning Commission, and numerous other committees.This council experience, I think, is crucial at this budget crunch juncture. Blake knows already about planning, traffic issues, the Capital Improvement Plan, the education issues, the judicial issues--the things which continue to be important to this community.

He has wide involvement in the various areas of the community. He can talk with "just folks" as well as developers, businesspeople, planners, housing advocates, the University, school advocates--he has already been there. He is a person with a tremendous head for details, including the intricacies of government-local and state funding, which I think is very important . He is very analytical and thinks things through carefully. He talks straight and he does listen. He is politically savvy. He has years of experience and he has my endorsement.

David Simmons: Aside from Blake, David Simmons has the longest, most continuous record of service and participation in the community, in many capacities, serving on the Shelter for Help, the Black Nurses Association, the Police Advisory Board and You've Got a Friend Day, Piedmont Virginia College Board, the Red Cross and the Community Development Block Grant advisory committee. His areas of most knowledge are education, police issues, and in general the health of the community. He started at the community college here, finished UVa undergraduate and graduate school in nursing. His son went through the public schools here and graduated from UVa. His wife attended Jefferson School.

He is a thoughtful, deliberative person, who thinks through issues carefully. He is a consensus builder. He is a solid candidate who will think through an issue before he responds, and will focus more on getting the job done than on who gets credit for it. With all of the sensitive issues that have hit most recently, from Jefferson School to the recent arrests of a number of CHS students, we need a calming influence on the Council who has the ear of diverse publics in this community. I feel he is a very important voice to have on council, and I endorse him.

Nancy Damon (electronic mail, February 17, 2002)