George,

I am writing to enthusiastically endorse Rich Collins for the House of Delegates 57th District. Rich is a lifelong public servant. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War (rooming at one point with Johnny Cash - how cool is that?), and has taught for 34 years at the University of Virginia. Since arriving in Charlottesville in 1971, Rich has been a leader in the community on issues of the environment and affordable housing. He is a dynamic and charismatic individual who knows how to make effective use of the media to draw attention to important issues. He is not embarrassed to stake out progressive positions, and has been doing so for years. At the same time, he knows how to work across the aisles, and will do so in Richmond when necessary but without sacrificing core principles. His roots in the community are deep, and he can be counted on to tell it like it is. As a teacher, he understands education from the inside out. (Education is the biggest item in the state budget, yet you can count on one hand the number of teachers in the General Assembly -- all the more reason to vote for the public educator on Tuesday's ballot.) I urge fellow Democrats to join me in voting for Rich Collins for the House of Delegates on June 14th. He'll make us proud and represent us effectively.

Jeffrey Rossman (electronic mail, June 8, 2005)