Paid for by Lee Whitnum 2008
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1. Back in 1996 I fought very hard to prevent an off-track racing facility from moving into my neighborhood. I
formed a neighborhood association, got myself elected president, planned and orchestrated two protests, stormed
the Richmond City Council, and filed two lawsuits against Colonial Downs. We did not win that fight but it was
worth the battle. When I look back at television clips of myself I can scarcely believe I had such passion! Read
about it:
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1996/vp960718/07180383.htm2
2. I successfully fought NJ Electric to stop the cutting down of trees in my neighborhood as a "preventative
measure against winter power outages"; I made the cover of the metro section of the Daily Record. I saved the
trees in my neighborhood including a 300+-year-old tree on my street. Here was my winning argument line: "That
tree is older than the United States of America and you do not have the right to chop down a healthy tree that
predates this country. That tree has more right to be here than you do." I won! I recently visited the old
neighborhood and I was thrilled to discover that the trees were still alive! I was so thrilled I nearly cried. Read
about it:
3. I've lived in places where I literally had to get in my car and drive away from the area in order to breathe fresh
air. An example of such a place was Huntsville, Alabama. While on contract at the Redstone Arsenal I lived in a
neighborhood near a company that made computer monitors. Apparently cyanide was used in the manufacturing
process. One evening, when I was washing my dishes, I nearly passed out and I had to go to the emergency room.
I talked with my neighbors and they all agreed the air quality was terrible and that it had been going on for years. I
decided to do something about it. I called up the Environmental Protection Agency in my region. A few days later I
called the CEO of the company. He yelled at me and said, "We adhere to all environmental standards."; I said,
"No, I don't think you do, and I've called the EPA and you are being monitored." As of the next day, and for the
remaining four months until my contract ended, I never again had a problem with the air quality. It wasn't much of a
fight but it taught me, never underestimate the power of one concerned citizen.
4. In 2007 I fought hard to convince a Greenwich Public School principal do the right thing and provide a recycle
bin in the cafeteria. I sent this letter to the superintendent. Not long after, I received an email from a trusted teacher
over there, Mr. Ellerin, who said, "... lo and behold the waters parted and a recycle bin appeared in the cafeteria."
Alleluia! I stood up and cheered when I got that email. Read the letter that I sent to the superintendent that finally
made that principal do the right thing.
1. Keep gambling and other vices out of our neighborhoods.
2. Protect our residential neighborhoods and property values.
3. Protect our environment and natural resources.
4. Teach our children to respect the environment and to recycle.
5. Ensure that our public servants and paid administrators do what they are supposed to do and to set a good
example for our children.
No one will fight harder for you in Congress. Get me on a cause for the greater good or a fight against injustice
and I become a different person. In all of the above battles I received no compensation and in some cases I paid
a price. But, I know no greater reward than the fight for a cause - the fight to make our world a better place. Let
me do what comes so naturally for me. Empower me to fight the big fights that can really make a difference.
