Why I travel for candidate Jennifer Boysko

Jennifer Boysko

Letter submitted to the Herndon Patch :

Dear Editor,

In 2003 I joined what seemed like thousands of others to ride shuttles from the West Falls Church Metro Station to a farm in Falls Church to hear presidential candidate Howard Dean speak at a rally.

It was a beautiful fall day, and I was struck by the many members of the press who turned out and filled rows of bleachers to stand, take pictures, and shoot video. I can't remember anything Mr. Dean said, but I do remember meeting Jennifer Boysko, now a candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates from the 86th District.

Jennifer was then, as she is now, a cheerful and enthusiastic volunteer, smart and driven to work hard for those goals in which she believes (which happen to coincide with mine!).

You know when you meet someone, and you know right off the bat he or she is sincere and genuine? That person "clicks" immediately with you? Jennifer is one of those. Her great demeanor and energy are contagious.

Over the past decade I have had the pleasure of working with her on many campaigns. I have met her two daughters, her magnificent husband, Glenn, and have visited in their home.

Without equivocation, I can state Jennifer is a committed public servant who will work hard to represent her constituents. Her dedication and earnestness to work hard in Richmond is why I drive from my district at Tysons Corner (although I love my delegate) to Herndon to work for Jennifer, to canvass and "knock on doors" for her since Virginians need the very best we can find to be our voices in Richmond.

Plus, she is a woman. I believe if we had more females in office, a lot more communication between various parties would get done. There would not be so many turf wars, and increased female perspective would benefit us all, men and women. We women are not so "territorial."

I checked with the Clerk's Office at the House of Delegates who told me fewer than one of five Virginia delegates is female (19% or 19 of 100) and in the Virginia Senate, female representation is only six of 40 representatives (15 percent). The U.S. Census Bureau says women made up almost 51% of Virginia's population last year..

Àin't I a woman? Ain't it time for a change? I urge your readers to elect Jennifer Boysko to the Virginia House of Delegates.

Jennifer Boysko for Delegate/farmteam.org

patricialesli@gmail.com

President Obama fires up the troops

President Obama in Clifton, Virginia/Patricia Leslie

Last weekend in Clifton President Obama talked to several hundred of the faithful, the volunteers who will call, deliver, cook, drive, knock, walk, seal, fold, stamp, register, canvass, vote, smile, and talk to convince straddlers about the wisdom of re-electing their man.

It was a hot and muggy afternoon, and his supporters without complaint had waited outdoors a long time for admittance to the cool Centreville High School gymnasium, and once past security and inside, the wait was forgotten for smiles and joy adorned faces in anticipation. 

The smile to melt Iceland/Patricia Leslie

President Obama said the Republicans have only two ideas ("check out their website"): Cut taxes for the wealthy and cut taxes for polluters and credit card companies/Patricia Leslie

The same Republican ideas have been tested before, for about a decade when Republicans held the White House: "Guess what, Virginia," the president said to deafening cheers, "their ideas didn't work."/Patricia Leslie

President Obama said contrary to Republican Mitt Romney, he supports bottom-up economics and "in-sourcing," not out-sourcing. "I fight on behalf of the middle class, and that's why," he said amidst cheers and hands showing four fingers, "I am running for four more years."/Patricia Leslie

 "I believe women should make their own health care decisions" which "Romney wants to restrict."/Patricia Leslie

"In Virginia, immigration is a strength, not a weakness."/Patricia Leslie 

"We're Americans first before we're Republicans or Democrats."/Patricia Leslie

President Obama was the center of attention/Patricia Leslie

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-11th District) preceded the president on stage. He said Congress was not totally lifeless: It had voted 33 times on the same thing: against health care for all/Patricia Leslie

To kickoff the event, she sang the "Star Spangled Banner."/Patricia Leslie

At the end of his remarks, President Obama descended the stage to shake hands with supporters/Patricia Leslie

Where is he?Patricia Leslie

Check out under the "I" in "Wildcats."/Patricia Leslie

patricialesliexam@gmail.com