Rev. Jerry Foltz, the Democrat candidate for Delegate of the 40th District that extends from north Gainesville to Centreville, is the progressive choice, championing transportation, public education, clean energy, choice and marriage equality.
Foltz said he chose to run against incumbent Republican Tim Hugo, saying, “basically, I thought I could do a better job than he’s been doing in the past ten years.”
About Foltz
Jerry Foltz is very involved in his community. He served as Pastor to the United Church of Christ in Maryland, New Jersey and Centreville, Va and in international delegations to Columbia, Honduras and Poland. He is also Chaplain of the Centreville Station 17 of the Volunteer Fire Department and began a labor resource center in the area.
Jerry has been married to his college sweetheart, Alice, since 1965 and together they have four adult children and nine grandchildren.
Foltz said he generally supports many Democrat positions, but also, “doesn’t mind stepping out if I have a particular objection, and I don’t feel I’d be punished for it.”
On Transportation
Foltz believes the bi-partisan transportation bill was a victory for the people of Northern Virginia that will lead to better road infrastructure and improvements in transportation.
“It was a great accomplishment. Not perfect, but good example of a compromise, and we’ve had so few. It was so needed,” Foltz said.
He thinks it is worth the additional sales tax, since the “the money stays here; it’s used here.”
He also explained that if he could change one aspect of the bill, it would be to alleviate the tax on hybrid cars.
Foltz said he is generally supportive of new means of transportation, and claims that Republican incumbent Tim Hugo has voted against legislation for new roads over his tenure in the legislature, including the bi-partisan transportation bill.
On the Bi-County Parkway
On the Bi-County Parkway, Foltz said he not completely for, or against, it. Instead, he would prefer to amend the parkway plans and work to help people keep their homes. However, he said there are some good aspects of the plan for the road, such as protecting the Manassas Battlefield from too much commuter and truck traffic which causes wear and tear on historic buildings along Sudley Road. He would also prefer that roads along the battlefield stay open to residents and tourists, while not serving as a major commuter routes.
He also wants to see traffic alleviated along Sudley Road, and suggested that the Virginia Department of Transportation looks to connect Prince William and Loudoun counties through widening existing roads such as Route 15.
However, he worries the Bi-County Parkway is too expensive and would take state transportation funds away from improving existing roads that need to be retrofit for the growing population in Northern Virginia.
On Bicycling
Foltz wants to improve roads is by adding more bike lanes, encouraging cycling for recreational and transportation purposes.
“I hoped to bike on my campaign, but it’s really too dangerous,” Foltz said.
He believes the current infrastructure is unsafe for cyclists since bike routes often end at major thoroughfares that do not even have shoulders.
On High Paying Jobs
Foltz also wants to bring more good jobs into the area, noting that many people are currently under employed since the recession.
He especially wants to help teachers in Prince William and Fairfax receive a profession level salaries, saying teaching is the lowest paid professional occupation in the area. Now, teachers and other public employees, like police officers, have the added burden of paying into the Virginia Retirement System, so he would like to work with Richmond to alleviate that burden and increase teacher salaries.
On Education
When it comes to education, Foltz supports public education, saying it is the “bedrock” of a democracy. He said Federal dollars should not be spent on private, home schooling or charter schools, and he would like to see stricter guidelines for nonpublic school education.
“When they finish with that where are they?” said Foltz, pointing out that all Virginians should receive a quality K-12 education.
On Testing
However, he realizes that more testing does not always improve education.
“There is probably too much of” said Foltz. “The things we really need to test are hard to test. The message is you need to just teach to the test, but meanwhile, we’re not encouraging enough problem solving and critical thinking, or supporting the arts or phys-ed, which could be an avenue to get students interested in school.”
On Gun Safety
Foltz would also increase gun safety in the state. Although he occasionally hunts and belonged to the NRA in his youth, he explained that gun safety does not mean confiscating anyone’s guns. He is, however, an advocate for closing loopholes which allow people to purchasing guns at gun shows that they may not have been able to buy legally at a gun store.
On Mental Health
To prevent tragedies, he would also increase mental health services offered publicly.
“We need more mental health services in our state, we’ve been cutting back on that and it’s the wrong approach,” he said.
On Prochoice Legislation.
While Foltz said he is pro-life in the truest sense, saying, “I’m so pro-life that I’m against capital punishment;” he would not vote in favor of anti-choice legislation in Virginia.
“I believe in the short-hand response of Bill Clinton that abortion should be safe and rare,” Foltz said.
He thinks to make abortion rare and keep women healthy, the state needs to support, not close down, medical facilities that provide family planning and other medical services, like cancer screenings. He said those facilities are especially necessary for women living in underserved rural populations.
To restrict these services, he believes is a disservice to Virginia women.
“ is a negative approach,” he said, saying it appears as though the state is trying to control women’s choices, rather than providing them with the best access to family planning and medical access.
On Marriage Equality
Foltz would also be in favor of expanding marriage equality rights to same sex couples in the Commonwealth, saying that it was wrong for the state delegates to added a constitutional amendment defining marriage between a man and a woman.
“It certainly should not be a constitutional amendment because it’s too hard to repeal it,” he said, adding, that “I think a lot of Virginia’s want that,” and that he would work to make that a reality.
On the Environment
Foltz defines himself as an environmentalist, and as such, he wants to bring clean energy, like wind and solar to Virginia.
On Immigration
He is also a friend to immigrants. He even started the Centreville Labor Resource Center, an operation that matches day laborers with work so they do not have to stand on the street to contract jobs. He said it is working out well, and serves all populations of native workers and immigrants. They do not discriminate, or ask to see if workers have their Green Card.
Foltz said the system keeps day laborers from being exploited by employers, and it is good for the community to have people employed, supporting their families and becoming contributing member of their neighborhoods.
Readers can find out more information about candidate Jerry Foltz at his website foltzfordelegate.com.
Support Bristow Beat - Donate Today!