To the Editor:
This week should tell the story of what and who are behind the write-in campaign for mayor being conducted by Bill Euille. That is when the financial reports of candidates are due to be filed with the State Election Commission. The first report from the Euille campaign in mid-September, filed not long after his announcement, may well have set the pattern.
At that time the Euille Campaign reported initial contributions totaling $4,502. The breakout of that figure by the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) on its website is instructive. Two $1,000 contributions are recorded, both from development firms. Listed by occupation, “real estate/construction” companies contributed a total of $3,360 to Euille, just short of 75 percent of the total. Moreover, the remaining 25 percent largely came developer lawyers, financial institutions, and others doing frequent business with the city.
Prospective voters should review the mid-October filing. If the sources of Mr. Euille’s contributions reflect the earlier filing, it would reconfirm what many have believed about the write-in effort: It is the brainchild of the development community and not a grassroots effort. Alexandria deserves something better. We need a mayor who represents us all — not just a narrow group with something to gain financially from the city. Allison Silberberg, while supporting sensible development, will not accept developer contributions. She deserves the support of Alexandria voters.
Ernie Lehmann
Alexandria