The Deborah A. Vollmer Web Site

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A Message to Residents of the Town of Chevy Chase

May 6, 2009

Re: Town Council Election in the Town of Chevy Chase: Some Post-Election Thoughts

Friends,

I would like to thank everyone who voted for me in the Town Council election.  Although I was not elected to the Town Council, I found the experience of campaigning, of getting out and meeting so many Town residents, and getting out some of the issues that I feel are truly important on the table, to have been valuable.

I congratulate Linna Barnes and Pat Burda, the winners.  Pat Burda received the second of my two votes, and I think that she will be an asset to the Council.  In her work on Town committees, Pat has worked long and hard on many of the same issues that I am concerned about.  And Linna has a long record of service to the Town.  I would also like to thank the Town Election Board, and the League of Women Voters, Channel 16 MMC-T.V., the Town staff, and the tireless moderators of the Townneighbors listserv, Ann and Susan, for making this one of my best election experiences ever, notwithstanding my failure to win a seat on the Council.  As many of you know, I have run before for higher office.  But never have I felt that I had such an opportunity to get my ideas out on the table before the electorate, with a lot of hard work, true, but with minimal expense.  I was able to get my ideas for change out there, without having to resort to fundraising!

I will continue to keep on pushing some of the issues that I raised in my campaign for Town Council, whether this be within the Town committee structure, or from the outside, as a citizen activist.  I remain convinced that our building code, while well intentioned, falls short of what it should be.  I remain convinced that if we wait a few years to see how things go before thinking about changing it, as was suggested by some candidates, we will lose most, if not all, of our lovely, well-built, older homes in this Town, as well as parts of our tree canopy.  I hope that the Town Council will still consider amending the building code to strengthen its protections for homeowners impacted by construction projects in our Town, especially to those homeowners next to contemplated construction sites.  I would like to see the subject of historic designation within the Town revisited.

Another issue that I raised in the Town Council election campaign was the issue of whether we should expand voting rights within this Town to legal resident non-U.S. citizens.  I have neighbors who have lived in their own house for about fourteen years, who pay property taxes, and who are impacted by decisions made by our Town government.  But they cannot vote in Town elections, because they are not American citizens, but French.  And as I walked through our Town during the campaign, I met quite a few others either in this same situation, or having someone close to them who was.  Takoma Park has made this reform to local voting eligibility requirements, and I believe we should do the same.

Peace,

Deborah Vollmer
Deborah A. Vollmer

Click here to read previous messages from Deborah.

A Message to Supporters
How Do I Cast a Write-in Vote for Deborah? 
Deborah Vollmer's Entry in the League of Women Voters Voters Guide
(Click here, and scroll down)
Deborah Vollmer's Entry in the Gazette Voters Guide
 See Deborah Vollmer on Cable TV
Status of Campaign: Next Steps
Upcoming Forums and Events
Welcome to the Site
Biography of Deborah Vollmer
Index to Site
Articles that Mention Deborah Vollmer
Letters to the Editor
Out of Iraq Flyer (printable pdf file [click here to download pdf reader])
Letter to Voters Flyer (printable pdf file [click here to download pdf reader])
Endorsements of Deborah
Candidates Endorsed by Deborah in 2006 General Election
A Challenge to Debate Chris Van Hollen
Press Releases & Announcements
Photos

Previous campaign for Congress, Maryland CD-8

 

Index To Web Site:


  • Previous Campaign for U.S. Congress
  • A Message to Supporters
  • Forums and Events
  • Welcome to the Site
  • Articles that Mention Deborah
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Action Alert (Volunteer for Deborah's Campaign!)
  • Biography
  • A 2002 Message To Vollmer For Congress Supporters
  • A Message On Tolerance
  • On the War on Terrorism
  • Issues At A Glance
  • Universal Health Care
  • Abolish The Death Penalty
  • Schmootsie Says. . .(Comments on Campaign Finance Reform)
  • - - - The Case for the Public Financing of Campaigns
  • - - - A Letter About Franking Privileges
  • The Frog's Page (Earth's Fragile Environment)
  • Save the Trail
  • On Women's Clothing in General & Pockets in Particular
  • Archives (Recent Notes From Deborah)
  • The Artist's Corner
  • LINKS That Help Us Focus Our Lives
  • Click Here To Write To Deborah

  • Or contact her:
    * by phone: (301) 652-5762
    * by mail: 7202 44th St., Chevy Chase, MD 20815

    Dear Friends,

    For those of you who are visiting for the first time, here's a little history. I started this web site during the primary election campaign in the year 2000, when I was a Democratic candidate in the primary for Maryland's Eighth Congressional District. (I had run previously for the same seat in 1998, but had no website at that time.) We ran a very low-budget campaign based on issues of importance to the voters, including, but not limited to: universal health care, Clean Money campaign reform, protection of the environment, and civil rights and civil liberties for all - - and I came in second in that race, in a field of five.

    Not one to give up easily, I also ran in the Democrat Primaries in 2002, 2004, and 2006, always running low-budget, issue-oriented campaigns.  I am now running in this 2008 elections cycle in the Democratic Primary for the 8th Congressional District. While many of the issues in this current campaign remain the same as those in earlier races, the events of September 11, 2001, brought about a change in emphasis, as the Administration of George W. Bush embarked on a disastrous foreign policy epitomized by the war and occupation of Iraq. This web site will remain as a source of campaign news, as well as issue advocacy. It is a work in progress and your feedback is welcome. For a detailed discussion of my reasons for running in this election cycle, and some suggestions as to what folks can to do help, see Status of Campaign and What You Can Do to Help on this website.

    Thank you.

    Sincerely,

    Deborah Vollmer signature

    Photography Section
  • Photos from Deborah's Walks With Granny D
  • Photos of Deborah at the NOW March
  • Photos from the Health Care Rally

  • Newspaper Coverage
  • Campaign announcement
  • Recent Letters to Editors
  • Recent Articles
  • Press Releases & Announcements
  • Recent Press Releases & Announcements

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