Loose Leaf Notes

~ The following was published in The Floyd Press on March 22, 20102.

Some Floyd residents think Anthony Flaccavento is something to get excited about. During a recent meet-and-greet for the congressional candidate for the 9th District Democratic nomination, one individual remarked, “You’re winning will make people believe in our government again. Citizens need to win again.” Comments made by Flaccavento during a 30 minute talk that outlined his campaign platform drew applause from some in the group of about 30.

“He’s known by his reputation for the work he’s done in Abingdon,” said Jack Wall, who introduced Flaccavento from the deck of the Wall Residences office building, located at the building site of the Floyd Eco Village. Wall was referring to Flaccavento’s involvement in founding the Abingdon Farmers Market and his years of work as founder and director of Appalachian Sustainable Development, a non-profit that fosters economic self-reliance in local communities and connects farmers and small agricultural businesses with markets and resources.

A farmer, husband and father of three, Flaccavento grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and went to school in Eastern Kentucky and Pennsylvania, where he received degrees in agriculture and environmental science, economics and social development. His community development work for the Catholic Diocese in Eastern Kentucky included creating a home ownership program for low income people, which “became a model around the state,” Flaccavento said. His work with tobacco farmers in the late 90’s involved helping them find farming alternatives that were economically beneficial and had better environmental and health outcomes.

Central to his work around housing, food, farming, sustainable forestry and coal field reclamation has been the task of confronting the model that pits jobs against the environment. “My working life has been about trying to create examples where we don’t have to choose between jobs or the environment, or at least to show that the choices we make don’t have to be so black and white,” said Flaccavento, who has lived in southwest Virginia since 1985 and currently heads up a consulting firm that develops sustainable economies and initiatives across the country.

Flaccavento’s recent decision to enter public politics is an extension of the work he’s already done and is motivated by an interest in shaping public policy. His campaign platform is based in the belief that locally-rooted, sustainable economies and communities should be at the foundation of everything, including our global trade policies. “We shouldn’t be desperate for China’s capital or trade. We should be taking care of most of our needs close to home,” he said.

Healthy finance is a part of a vibrant local economy, Flaccavento stated. “There is an emerging network of credit unions, local banks, community development finance agencies and cooperatively owned financial institutions. They are still a small piece of the total financial picture but they are growing fast and their success rate is far greater than the big banks,” which have been vulnerable to failure and big bail outs.

Flaccavento spoke of the transfer of wealth that has taken place over that past 30 years, causing working people, the middle class and low income people to lose ground. “Income increases, not just in the top 10% or the top 1% but in the top the top 1/10th of a percent, have been astronomical. With that comes all the power, power over the political process, power of the media and patent power.”

Addressing the country’s looming financial deficit, Flaccavento said he doesn’t believe the answer is to give more tax breaks to the wealthy. “It’s not just unfair that we keep giving the wealthy and corporations more and more tax breaks; it doesn’t work,” he said, adding that “part of the solution is to reverse loop holes, like the 100 billion dollars a year we give up on offshore profits of corporations.”

“I think we’re dealing with two deficits and debts, the financial and the eco-logical,” Flaccavento said. “In both cases we’re used to spending much more than we can take it, but it’s far more difficult when you use up your ecological capital because you can’t just make more land or make more clean air and water.” He suggests that we all have to get a grip and live within our means, both financially and ecologically. “But that doesn’t mean a dull life of sacrifice. We need a new way of understanding prosperity.”

Flaccavento addressed how negatively money influences the electoral process, not only because of the amount that needs to be raised for candidates to compete, but because “once you get in, the influence of money really kicks in.” He described how some laws have been co-opted, not through legislation but through money interests and corporations. He cited the need for a law to undo Citizens United, a Supreme Court decision that lifted the restrictions on corporate campaign spending, making it easier for corporations to sway elections to their favor.

Touching on the importance of protecting Social Security, he said, “I’m not an expert on Social Security, but I know one thing. At $107,000 of income one stops paying into the fund, which means that a hedge fund manager who makes 10 million dollars does not pay Social Security on $9,900,000.”

When asked how he thought he could secure an electorate that Rick Boucher wasn’t able to secure in the last election, Flaccavento said he thinks he can win back a part of Boucher’s electorate, including some pragmatists, independents and moderate Republicans who may be sorry they gave up on Rick when they did. He hopes to reconnect with and broaden Boucher’s constituency and energize young people.

“I know there will be a misinformation campaign against me, but I think the core of what I’ve been trying to do my whole life – which is practical movement towards a better economy and better communities – will resonate with a lot people.”

The afternoon event also included an explanation by Flaccavento of the caucus process and the Democratic convention process of nomination, which will take place on May 12. Deborah Baum, Chair of the Floyd Democratic Party, announced there would be meet-and-greets held for two other Democratic candidates who, like Flaccavento, are campaigning for the party’s nomination to run against incumbent Morgan Griffith in November. Freda Cathcart reported that the first Democratic Party Headquarters has opened in Roanoke. Terry Carter with Tim Kaine’s campaign for Senate was collecting ballot signatures for Kaine and suggested that people go to kaineforva.com to sign up for local event updates. Colleen Redman

Note: For more information on Anthony Flaccavento’s campaign visit his website at www.flaccaventoforthe9th.com. Campaign donations can be send to Flaccavento for the 9th, PO Box 2199, Abingdon VA, 24212. Floyd Democratic Party chairperson, Deborah Baum, can be reached at deborahbaum@hotmail.com.