Thanks for highlighting the article, I was pretty excited about it.

Two small corrections to the piece though; first, the Next Generation Democrats HQ isn't in Morris's basement, but Mike and Sean are working for Morris, so I'm over there a lot meeting with the guys. Second, I said "campaigns that build progressive infrastructure" not "campaign infrastructure".

But besides those two points, I thought it great article that painted us in a fair and positive light.

One thing that really got my attention was the "jumbo maps" of the precincts. Where did you get the maps ? I'm working for several Va. House of Delegates and Senate candidates in Prince William County, the Hampton Roads area, Montgomery County (mainly Blacksburg and Christiansburg, and Wise County; and I need large maps with precincts boundaries. The only maps I've found so far are the ones on the Va. government web site with street-by-street boundaries in text form that I use to mark the boundaries on the maps.

Thanks in advance for any info. you can provide re jumbo maps.

  Tom Counts, Gainesville, VA

  Honored to be a Jim Webb Democrat

Get a copy of microsoft Map Point or Streets and Trips, highlight the the precinct lines manually, and take em to a printer.

Heard them both speak, and I think either would be a very good candidate....

However, Simmons did seem to have a better grasp of not only the issues facing Fairfax County, but how they actually impacted those living here...

His answers to questions posed were to the point, insightful,  and were obviously derived from his longtime residence in the County...

I don't want to hit this too hard because it in no way disqualifies him from running, or being an effective candidate and legislator, but Morris Meyer has only lived in the county and state a little over a year...so doesn't seem to possess quite the breadth of experience Simmons displays.

However, with either candidate, Hugo is going to have a tough ride this time...

Let's not forget that Morris has been a member of FCDC and his local committee longer then Rex has.  In fact, I believe Rex didn't join up until he wanted to run for office.

His job as a federal employee prohibited him from joining.

I don't want to sound like I am criticizing Meyer...I think he would be a fine candidate...I was just a bit more impressed with Rex.

After June 12 I will be working hard for whoever wins!!!

I'm obviously in Morris' camp right now, but whoever wins, deserves our full support.

Hatched or not, Simmons lives (literally) next door to Mark Itzkoff....who was previously the chair of the Springfield Committee. If he wanted to be involved, stay informed, and at least be on the outside looking in on nova politics he could have.

Regardless of who has been in the area longer, Morris joined up with the democrats and jumped right in the day he got off the plane. He is passionate about the issues facing us, and he has a vision for what our future should look like.

He has inspired me to volunteer with him, and I strongly believe that he is the progressive candidate we need to take on Hugo.

I was not acquainted with Mr. Simmons until recently, so do not know what overt efforts he made to involve himself with the Democratic Party locally, but judging by the talks I have heard him give, and the answers he provided to pointed questions on issues facing the residents of Fairfax County, I would say that not only has he kept himself well informed, but has formulated very cogent plans to deal with them.

but I feel that you are misleading people who read this blog.  I refer you to these two letters to the editor in this weeks Centre View from: Jackie and Dennis Darling and Carol Ann Coryell. 

Carol Ann Coryell writes 

"Mr. Simmons clearly came to our neighborhood with only self-promotion in mind. He was demonstrably not interested in pipeline safety issues facing Virginia Run, whom he wants to represent in the House of Delegates"

And Jackie and Dennis Darling note

"Mr. Simmons was asked by FERC to stop circulating his political petition, but told that he was welcome to stay and listen to the concerns of the neighborhood. Unfortunately, he chose not to stay and listen our apprehensions."

These articles sound to me to be the complete opposite of what you are saying.  Now I agree with you that whoever wins the primary will be better then the lobbyist Tim Hugo currently there, and I will continue to volunteer and support whoever that candidate is.

I felt that I had to address your statements though, that simply because someone has lived somewhere a long time they are the best choice to represent it.  And until the primary is over I am going to continue volunteering with Morris to make our shared vision of what the 40th future should be more of a reality.

That Meyers relatively short time as a county resident in no way meant he would not be a good candidate or legislator...however, in my opinion only, from listening to both candidates speak, Simmons had a better grasp on the issues as they affected Fairfax county residents...part of which I attribute to the fact he has lived here and has experienced the consequences of prior failed policy...

As to the two letters in the Centreview...they were both clearly written by Tim Hugo supporters...so until I hear Rex's side of the story I am taking them with a very large grain of salt...

Make no mistake about it...whoever wins the primary will get 100% of my efforts!

Tom,

I wrote software that interfaces to Google and the Virginia GIS precinct boundaries to create huge maps - which we then mounted on older campaigns 4x4' signs.

Give me an email and I can help you out.

--morris

Democratic Candidate
House of Delegates - 40th District
morris@morrismeyer.com