Lee Shewmake Comes Out Swinging
In response to an accusation that her campaign lacked energy or resources, 5th district City Council candidate, Lee Shewmake posted a lengthy comment on this blog. On the whole, it’s a fascinating commentary on Ric
hmond politics. See the full comment after the jump. For those looking for the highlights, here are a few eyebrow raisers, mostly directed at her fellow challenger, Parker Agelasto:
I have actually had a vibrant campaign running since last year, when I started attending neighborhood meetings and events. Mr. Agelasto was not present then, because his epiphany to public service arrived two days before the filing deadline.
Mr. Agelasto has continually proved his ability to parrot resident concerns, but has failed to show his ability to get to the root of an issue.
When challenged at debates by Mr. Jewell over his zero participation in community leadership (note the irony here), Mr. Agelasto replied he had tried to participate by contacting Marty but never received a call back. Really. Wow, I am blown away by that level of initiative.
So, please Mr. Woodson, if you feel compelled to talk to a candidate about dropping out then go and talk to Parker. Clearly, you are desperate enough to be rid of Marty that you would vote for anyone regardless of qualifications, but I am running and being supported by people who see no point in replacing a do nothing man with another do nothing man.
On this side of the river, Shewmake’s campaign is just beginning to take shape. There were no yard signs but Jewell and Agelasto’s until recently. Many were not aware that the race was going to be again contested three-ways. On the surface, the race has seemed like it would essentially be just between the two men, save for Shewmake’s base of support in Woodland Heights. Perhaps, to address this perception, Shewmake includes an update:
I walk with people who give testimony to my service and skills, as we did in Maymont yesterday, where my signs were added to the line up. If we have not seen you yet, we will see you soon.
Interesting how some people love to comment on things they know nothing about. I have actually had a vibrant campaign running since last year, when I started attending neighborhood meetings and events. Mr. Agelasto was not present then, because his epiphany to public service arrived two days before the filing deadline. I would encourage voters to truly vet the candidates. Not on the fluff and stuff of race, gender, home location or dollars in a campaign fund, but on actual experience, productivity, and knowledge. Only when this happens can we avoid having goobers in elected office. Mr. Agelasto has continually proved his ability to parrot resident concerns, but has failed to show his ability to get to the root of an issue. Example: Agelasto says we need to focus on middle schools because families leave the city or opt for private school when their children are about to enter this education level. True? Yes. But it is a superficial analysis at best. As the parent of a 7 year old who has actually spent a great deal of time in RPS schools for the past 2 years, I know that the core issue is the insufficient number of high performing elementary schools. Since several elementary schools feed into a single middle school, challenges increase in maintaining achievement when high and low performing schools funnel to a single school. Elementary school is where the foundation for learning and the core skills needed to learn are acquired. When we can adequately prepare all children in elementary school, we will alleviate the middle school issue. I am supportive of expanding the middle school IB program because every child who qualifies to participate should have a slot, not as the magic wand fix for middle school challenges. The latter position is mere pandering and the equivalent of putting a band aid over a severed artery. Currently, Munford is all but closed to out of zone students and Fox and the charter school are close behind. Waiting lists are the new norm. My point here is that we are swiftly approaching the point that the coveted high performing elementary schools will be unable to service the number of people wishing to use them. So in the near future, we will begin loosing families pre-elementary instead of pre-middle school, especially if we manage to actually expand the tax base by adding new residents. As a city, do we want to install a quick fix for a couple of hundred people or do we want to eradicate the problem altogether? Richmond has a history of top coating things our leadership lacks the ability to truly address. I would like to see this end. I do have a long record of civic leadership. When I held my first meeting as President, I invited the police to attend and received a call back inquiring where the neighborhood was located. I am serious. Today, all of city hall knows where Woodland Heights is as do many residents across this city. I took over a defunct and broke association and produced a coordinated machine that now funds local churches, schools, the library and parks as well as neighborhood and community wide events. We have a logo merchandise line, website, storage facilities and 501c3 status. I led the neighborhood to victories against inappropriate ABC licenses and development issues. I chaired the committee that brought Federal and State historic designation to the 80 city blocks of the neighborhood, the largest volunteer effort in state history and served as a consultant for the second largest effort for the Forest Hill neighborhood, located in 4th district. Under my leadership all 80 blocks were inventoried for tree loss and we worked with the city to see 250 new trees planted in a single year. The crossing guard at Patrick Henry, the infrastructure work at the school entrance on 34th st, the traffic circle on W 32nd St are all my projects and I haven’t even gotten to my other leadership posts. Now let us look at my opponents. Mr. Jewell: main roads were repaved in 2008. Mr. Agelasto: When challenged at debates by Mr. Jewell over his zero participation in community leadership (note the irony here), Mr. Agelasto replied he had tried to participate by contacting Marty but never received a call back. Really. Wow, I am blown away by that level of initiative.
As for how much money a candidate has, are we not currently embroiled in talks about campaign finance reform? Who thinks that will ever happen, if people vote based on that criteria. Elected officials spend money like they spent money as candidates. Does our current economic situation not scream that a change is needed? And let us look at our current representatives across government levels, most of whom received the most contributions. Happy with the group? Do you feel Congress truly represents the best and brightest we have to offer? Do you all love Eric Cantor who leads Wayne Powell in money by a huge margin? I will give you some insider information. I just bought another 5000 door hangers for $238.00 including shipping. There are about 22,350 people in 5th district, about 15,000 registered voters, many of whom are at a single address. So when you see a candidate with loads of money, you should be asking what it is for. I have a website (www.ElectLee.com), door hangers, business cards, vehicle magnets, signs & holders, large banner, etc. Instead of sitting back and asking for you all to pay for these, I cultivated relationships with providers who donated the campaign items. The point is, the power to change things rests with the voters. The way you vote reflects your values. Please remember that the surrounding regions and delegates across this state that have historically had a low opinion of our leadership choices are watching this election. The level of assistance we receive over the next 4 years will be affected by those who are seated in January. Since my family has been involved in county politics for decades, I can assure you they are vetting candidates on substantive criteria and they are watching to see if you all do the same. So, please Mr. Woodson, if you feel compelled to talk to a candidate about dropping out then go and talk to Parker. Clearly, you are desperate enough to be rid of Marty that you would vote for anyone regardless of qualifications, but I am running and being supported by people who see no point in replacing a do nothing man with another do nothing man. In the next 2 weeks, my team and I will complete visiting every door, church and business in the district. I walk with people who give testimony to my service and skills, as we did in Maymont yesterday, where my signs were added to the line up. If we have not seen you yet, we will see you soon. I can always be reached by email ShewmakeLee@yahoo.com or by phone 230-7684 or 212-6847. Thank you for reading my lengthy post.
Lee,
You actually participated in an event recently in a venue that is very important to me. For that reason, I actually considered you for a moment.
However, I did meet Parker. He came to my door and we talked and he sent me a card thanking me by name for my time. He was walking the neighborhood. Funny, I haven’t seen you yet. Your bitterness has wiped any shred of uncertainty from my mind. Why on earth would I pick a hot head that isn’t walking the beat and is making a judgement on her opponent’s commitment by the filing date? That is by far one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. How do you know what he was thinking or talking about with his family or place of business.
Is,
#1, you don’t know if Parker is a hot head or not because in general he isn’t the one who supposedly “should back out of the race” and hasn’t had to defend himself. I think Lee has a right to be mad. I wonder if it’s just a way to say “Lady get out of the way and let the men have this”.
#2, Marty J. has also made statements relating to Parker and civic involvement before he decided to run. It’s not hard to volunteer for your community but it is a huge commitment. Don’t you wonder about that? How would he have any idea about community or district needs? Where has he gathered that information?
#3, so you met one candidate who sent you a card with your name on it and he’s got your vote….really.
Parker’s been out walking in every neighborhood of the district for months. It’s two weeks to the election and you’re just now starting? Not saying you’re not a nice person or anything, but Agelasto has been to association meetings outside of Woodland Heights, we’ve met him, we’re excited to finally have someone with his talent and credentials represent us. That’s why we’re donating to his campaign – we’re desperate for the type of representation he can give us.
I’ve been talking to some of my neighbors about the upcoming this race, and one neighbor used to live in Woodland Hills and she had nothing but negative things to say about Shewmake…
Aside from my own positive experience repeatedly meeting Parker Agelasto, I just can’t see supporting this kind of adolescent snakiness from Shewmake “Only when this happens can we avoid having goobers in elected office. ”
I also can’t where her own behavior (assuming it’s as negative and snarky as her lengthy post) would help in negotiation as a council member.
If Lee were to come knocking on my door: I wouldn’t answer.
People want Shewmake to withdraw because she has no chance to win against either Agelasto or Jewell, and from what I’m reading today, I’d vote for Jewell over her. Marty at least means well and is not all that delusional, Shewmake clearly lives in some kind of fantasy land.
I strongly support women like Kathy Graziano, so it’s not gender bias. Parker’s chances are improving with your candidate behaving like this. A vote for Shewmake is a vote for Jewell, just like last time.
Thank you Kim for your comments. I am actually not mad or bitter, nor am I snaky or a hot head. Having lived in the city for 20 years, I can assure you I am not in a fantasyland. I hope those who have yet to meet me and the neighbors who walk with me take the same time to hear from those who are happy enough with my service and abilities to give up their free time to walk miles door to door talking to people they do not know. I have been out for months as well. This district has 22,300+ residents and about 15,000 registered voters if you only visit homes from that list, which I don’t. It takes a while to knock on all those doors. I have also attended more than 150 meetings and events since the campaign season began in January. (For IS, all other candidates made their decisions by the end of the first quarter of the year. By his own statements, Mr. Agelasto worked for himself at that time, not beginning with the adjunct faculty position until September. If you do not find his waiting until such a late time curious, being after Mr. Gammino was forced to withdraw for personal reasons, there are many who do, which is why I included it in my narrative.) The main point of my post was to delineate the difference in qualifications between candidates. I have spent many successful years in executive management positions, which require the ability to negotiate and to problem solve. I provided a lengthy list of community accomplishments which also required negotiating with businesses, churches, individuals, other civic organizations, non-profits and most certainly city & state governments. I laid out my qualifications and Mr. Agelasto’s. There is a clear difference. He has no executive leadership experience beyond his own business, no budget construction experience, no civic leadership or service experience. I do. A simple statement of facts laid out in a logical fashion. Nothing more, nothing less. I know that Parker is nice and I like him as well. To be honest, I like Marty as an individual. He is pleasant, sometimes funny and I have heard such from many people in the 5th district. He did after all, receive 49% of the vote in 2008. So clearly he was not so hated by the constituency. But when we cast a vote it is not supposed to be about who we would enjoy having at the next party, it is about who will be managing our business – the one funded in part with money taken from our family budget. I therefore require more from an individual than a personality trait. Each voter will determine their own criteria. My talking about criteria and pointing out the differences between my skill sets and experience and my opponents’ is not being negative, but truthful and providing information that should be important to decision making. At least that was the spirit of the post and the purpose of having a campaign. I do stand by the goober statement, but I will pass on listing the numerous issues with our leadership that have made front page news over the last 20 years or so. All of them were deemed by many to be nice and their election to office has cost us dearly in status and money. Again, not negative and snarky, just truthful. I would see that change in the future.
Yay…Kim is going to vote for Lee! That’s one.
Lee,
You speak of making our middle schools great. You behave as if you we’re a student in middle school, instead of one who could lead a school. My vote is for Parker.
As a woodland heights resident for 3 years now I plan on voting for Parker. I had hoped that Lee would run the sort if campaign that would unite our community but after reading the continual snarly attacks on David and now Parker I just can’t support her. I’m looking forward to a respective I can nee proud
…be proud of. (grrr touchscreen)
So, if I had opened this post and not seen the title I know I would have read it without an “angry Lee” in my head. Emails, posts, blogs, texting….we all infer a tone to them that may not be anything like the tone that was intended. I agree that to read a few of those sentences without hearing it from Lee or seeing her facial expressions can come off as angry. I hope that for every slot in this election people will vote for the candidates that align best with your views. We all need to pick someone who we feel will lead (no matter their position) and work with others to fix, mend, continue to improve our neighborhoods, schools, city and state.
No one is going to make everyone 100% happy. I don’t know who I am voting for yet but I can say that I have not seen any of the 3 candidates at my door yet and I am not bothered by it. I’ll look it up online and see your views. No need to visit me.
Thanks to all of you for choosing to run b/c there are many of us that sit and gripe about everything wrong but never bother to try and fix it.
Good luck to all of you.
It’s the level of snide pomposity and condescension that makes this a perfect example of what “snarky” truly is. No need to back out of the race – just keep posting.
Thank you LS for your comments.
If you read my first post, I said I didn’t have a dog in the race because I live in another district now. I wasn’t trying to get anyone to vote for anyone and I’m not advocating for Lee, I just asked an intelligent question about why I keep reading post asking Lee to step out of the race when she has the qualifications to run. Simple.
Hilbert and Delp are running in my district and I haven’t had them knocking on my door and there aren’t many signs in the neighborhood. That’s really not what it takes to get my vote so I’m surprised by those sort of comments but not angry. I don’t usually pick a candidate based on the number of signs I see. Qualifications mean more to me so I do find that interesting and puzzling.
Good for everyone for having a candidate that they support. But I still support my opinion that it’s wront to ask someone to step out of an election when they clearly have the qualifications and dedication to run.
I wasn’t trying to start a beat up session, and I agree that you shouldn’t read anger into everything but hey what fun would it be to read blogs if everyone was civil and open minded.
What ev
I do not think that making comments such as these are helping Lee’s campaign. As much as I would like to throw my support behind a candidate representing my own neighborhood, the sad truth is that I live less than 10 blocks away from Mrs. Shewmake and the only candidate that has stopped by is Mr. Agelasto (twice). Parker has put in numerous hours to his campaign and it shows throughout the 5th. He did this even after Mrs. Shewmake tried unsuccessfully to get his name disqualified from the ballot.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2012/aug/27/tdmet01-candidates-challenge-is-latest-complaint-s-ar-2153168/
Seeing as this is Lee’s second time around running for the 5th district seat, one would have expected a more prominent presence from the Shewmake campaign. Just from reading the blogs and newspapers it seems Parker caught Lee and Marty sleeping at the wheel. Just my humble opinion.
lee, consider the advantage of using paragraphs in your communication.
yes your view seems to ring true that parker’s appetite for civic service comes a few days before the qualification deadline
Bill and others- yes, Lee has made many blustery claims on these blogs. I believe Parker Agelasto’s response on the Style article and Lee’s charges is worthy of sharing here:
For the record, I am not under investigation by the FBI or any other regulatory or law enforcement agency. I submitted all of the proper paperwork to the Voter Registrar along with 173 signatures from individuals in Oregon Hill, the Fan, Randolph, Byrd Park, Maymont, Carillon, Carytown, Woodland Heights, and Swansboro neighborhoods. These registered voters in the 5th District who signed my petition have been strong supporters throughout my campaign.
Likewise, I would like to clarify some other factual misstatements from earlier posts. I was the Manager of Membership and Visitor Services at the VMFA where I managed a staff of 13 employees and 40 volunteers and was responsible for nearly $1 Million in annual revenue being processed through our office. I was part of a team that created the business plan for the museum’s expansion.
In 2010, I wanted to work on the US Census to understand the numbers from which so many decisions are being made in government. Demographic and population statistics are the most cited metric in our understanding of unemployment, poverty, education, etc. A hands-on experience provided a complete understanding of how these numbers are generated. During my work with the Census, I was a recruiter, a trainer, and a supervisor and met thousands of the City’s residents and listened to their needs and concerns.
Finally, the Entrepreneurship Certificate program that I teach for the University of Virginia was the product of Prof. Greg Fairchild whom I have known for nearly 10 years. In 2008, when the economy tanked, I challenged Dean Bob Bruner of the Darden School to get more engaged in giving back to communities who were hard hit by the recession. It took years to plan the program though it was inaugurated in 2011 when I joined the faculty. You can read more about our accomplishments in the Financial Times article.
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/9d14626e-e5…
I appreciate the tremendous support I have from 5th District residents and thank all those who go out to the polls to vote for their candidate of choice. In the meantime, I ask that readers please contact me with any questions.
Parker C. Agelasto
804-355-3648
Lee walked our neighborhood on Sunday. I enjoy having candidates visit, although she visited before I had known about this blog reply she had made. While I do find some comments she made “snarky”, I believe the greater issue is momentum. In a city council race like this, you need to be prominent in the district and be known to people. Lee simply isn’t. I’m in my 20′s and seek out and enjoy reading candidate websites, facebook, and this blog, but the majority of my neighbors are in their 50′s, many upwards of 80. The way to communicate with potential voters is changing, but not that quickly. Many folks are not going to seek out information on candidates, they are going to rely on what they see and hear. The reason there are so many Marty and Parker signs on my street is simple: Marty is the known candidate, and Parker has been visible in our neighborhood for months, working hard to get to know people. For Lee to come by less than two weeks before election day is simply too little too late. For good or for bad, most folks have never heard of her, and it’s impossible to win an election without people knowing you are running.
@Todd: The FT link is to content for subscribers only. But I would have read if I could have.
So, reading Lee’s huge post in the story, and her second huge post in the comments, and all the other comments, it’s clear that Lee Shewmake basically just wants to beat Agelasto, and Agelasto wants to beat Jewell, and Jewell is campaigning because why wouldn’t he? A vote for Shewmake is basically a vote for Jewell at this point.
Maybe Parker’s “appetite for civic service comes a few days before the qualification deadline”, but he’s been going non-stop since then. Maybe she’s been busy at work or something, but Shewmake’s really only been running for a couple weeks now.
I still have yet to see a single Shewmake sign, but I did get a Shewmake door hanger on my door (during the day on a weekday, but better than nothing), so she does have someone doing something for her in the last couple weeks. Her hangers are plastic-coated and clearly pretty durable, but aren’t bio-degradable like Agelasto’s. But what’s her goal, to get Jewell re-elected?
To Todd & Willikers,
First, I don’t make blustery claims. I simply state the facts. You can google the VMFA minutes to see where Parker was hired as the Interim Membership and Visitors Desk Manager in 2006. While I have stated I was interviewed by the FBI, I did not say about what, so I am curious why Parker would make a statement on the topic. Perhaps he was also interviewed and he just wanted to clarify the situation. As I have stated before, I have been quite visible since January 2012, though I cannot guarantee every single person in the district will have noticed that fact. Anyone who beats Marty will have to pull a percentage of his base. That requires spending time at those locations, which is not where Todd or Willikers or Carillon live. I have divided my time between all areas of the 5th, since all areas vote. Here is just one of many examples why: I was walking today and stopped at a house with a Parker sign. (We have consistently done such for weeks, having learned that signs often have no correlation to how someone will vote.) The gentleman took my information, asked me a number of issue related questions and when I had finished responding, he paused, looked at me and said “You can disregard the sign. My church had them and asked that we put them up. Parker’s problem is, he has no platform and no resume’.” Succinct and true. I am running because I offer the best qualifications for a job that will require all of them in addressing the varied issues facing our district and our City. Those who are interested in substance find my campaign attractive. There choice is worth no less than yours.
Best Regards,
Lee Shewmake
Ya know what counts even less than a yard sign? Votes that cancel each other out. Thanks for ensuring another Marty Jewell term, Lee. How much is he paying you?
Lee- your claims about the church signs as well as your remark the other day about a potential City Stadium developer supporting one of your opponents are but more arrows in a quiver that points to the fact you are not tethered to reality nor a credible candidate. Is this election really worth sacrificing your dignity or trustworthiness as a person? Im ashamed for you.
Lee,
Disregard the sign? Well, a little birdy told me you take signs down in private buildings and enter without permission. Parker came by and we put that sign up. You took it down and put yours up there. My source is credible and I am appalled that you do this. It’s like grade school..
Well….that was fun. I feel like lighting a cigarette.