VA-6th Independent Janice Lee Allen: Nothing is off limits
While preparing for an upcoming post on the financial disclosures of the congressional candidates in the VA-6th, I emailed the Janice Lee Allen for Congress campaign to ask why no report appears for the campaign on the website of the Federal Election Commission. Meticulously attentive to detail, Allen answered directly and completely:
As you probably know, I announced my intentions to run for the United States House of Representatives on April 2, 2008. At that point, I needed 1,000 signatures on petitions so that my name will appear as a candidate on the ballot. I did not declare for candidacy with the State of Virginia until May 16, 2008. I have since met the required signatures, and I am now on the ballot. . . Over the years, working for government and in my own private business, I am well in tune to the need to read all fine print in documents and to call whomever I need . . . please refer to my web site: www.AllenForCongress.com under donations. I will not be taking any donations until July 16, 2008. According to the FEC, no filing is required from me until the deadline, October 15, 2008; since, as a candidate, I will not be spending in excess nor receiving in excess of the $5,000 prior to July 15, 2008. And, this, I assure you, I have more than once validated with the FEC.
Allen and I have been trying unsuccessfully to coordinate an interview between the Village here in Roanoke and the Allen Campaign headquarters in Harrisonburg. However, we have communicated back and forth via email and here is what I know so far. An eighth generation inhabitant of the Shenandoah Valley, Janice Lee Allen was born in Harrisonburg, but raised and educated in Rockingham County, graduating from Turner Ashby High School in Dayton, Va. She started at Bridgewater College but eventually transferred to Emory and Henry College, where she received a Bachelors Degree in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations. Allen's graduate pursuits are varied to say the least: she was awarded a Masters Degree in Urban Affairs (Planning) from Virginia Tech and completed a Ph.D. in Theology from the fundamentalist, evangelical seminary, Christian Bible College and Seminary in Independence, Missouri. As if that weren't enough, Allen balances time between her Divine Wisdom seminars and her fourteen year old real estate brokerage business.
Janice Lee Allen has not been afraid to tell me how she sees it: her thoughts on the lack of competency and failed promises of Representative Bob Goodlatte (R), her view on the War in Iraq, and suspicions about the loyalties of Democratic contender Sam Rasoul. For this scrappy Virginia native, nothing is off limits.
I asked Allen about the fact that she has far, far fewer financial resources than Sam Rasoul (D-just over $105, 000 thus far), who has 1/15 the funds of Mr. Goodlatte (R, incumbent-just over $1.5 million). Allen replied,
"I have spent time pondering how campaigns have changed over the course of time. How did someone so humble as President Abraham Lincoln get elected with so little money? And, would it not be so fascinating to win an election without a lot of money collected and spent? Would this not show America that this can be done?"
A determined independent who seeks what she calls common sense solutions to nagging problems, Allen has some very detailed reasons for why, in her opinion, Mr. Goodlatte needs to be replaced:
"Our incumbent, Bob Goodlatte, is ranked by www.congress.org as having very little influence in the House of Representatives. His standing is number 254 out of a total of 435 Representatives. This means that after 8 terms in office, 16 years, he has not stood out and is not a household name in the United States. His leadership is lacking and his bills lack creativity. He has been a sitting duck, following the coat tails of President Bush in voting (in the high ninety percentile) . . [he] has not been honest with his promise for term limits, and his proposals have largely lacked concrete solutions, while his statements tend to focus on computers and farming, and, by all appearance, are not [representative of] all the people in this District, especially the unheard voices' who are facing difficult financial times . . . how can we not overlook the fact that Goodlatte voted for the War in Iraq, with no plan for withdrawal, and with no regard for the overall indebtedness to this nation that this war is costing us? In addition to all of this, over 4,000 men and women have died on the battlefield, and thousands of our soldiers have been injured. The soldiers and veterans deserve a better support system. And, with this, shall I add that Goodlatte has not been supportive of past legislation regarding diseases and he has not made proposals for such. Maybe his decision has largely been made based on his beliefs [as a Christian Scientist]. We must do all we can to help those who are suffering, the Veterans, and those individuals who are fighting for their lives against illnesses and diseases. We all know someone dear to us who has faced these challenges in life. Ignoring the need for medical help is not the answer.
Allen's most pointed criticism is saved for 26-year old Sam Rasoul. She describes Rasoul as "young . . . with no in-depth life experiences nor extended work experience [or] in government." Allen recounts an email she recently received from a supporter and some questions from voters on the beat:
"Recently, I received an email from someone who informed me of the American Federation of Ramallah Palestine's 49th Annual Convention, held in Houston, Texas, June 28-30, 2007 (see page 10 of this pdf) . . . Sam [sic] was the guest speaker at that convention. He said that he intends on igniting involvement in Arab Americans [in his role as Congressman to] bring to light the America's huge monetary support of Israel.' So, will Sam represent District 6 or the Arab world? This is the question that has been posed to me as I walk about meeting people in this District. Then, in his Democratic Party acceptance speech, Sam says [sic] that he is going to bring his army' with him [to Congress]. There are those who have said to me, openly, since, that it is unfortunate that Sam was selected to represent the District Democratic Party."
We hope to bring you some detailed responses from Allen to other questions in posts to follow. In the meantime, visit Janice Lee Allen's campaign website for an overview of her positions on a variety of national and Sixth District issues.