Timeline of Campaign

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2000 Feb - Blair Hawkins decides to run for City Council as certified write-in.   Summary of campaign.  

...Kevin Fletcher decides to run a write-in campaign against Lindsay Dorrier, Scottsville district, Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, for two apparent reasons- Fletcher has an issue and the incumbent is unopposed ("Write-in", Sep 24 2003, The Observer; "Write-in: Latecomer challenges Dorrier", Sep 25 2003, The Hook).

Jun 5 - First speeches on urban renewal:

  1. Letter to Mayor Daugherty to investigate renewal.
  2. "Property Street" for Sally Hemings and Laura Dowell.

2001 Feb 28 - Constitutional argument in a newspaper

Aug 27 - The Witness Report newspaper debuts.   Sixth and final issue April 30.   All 19 pages as jpg images (100k-200k each) on one page best viewed at 1024x768 screen resolution..

Nov - Hawkins begins telling people he will challenge Van Yahres if he runs unopposed again in 2003.   Van Yahres is elected to his eleventh 2-year term with 167 write-ins opposed.

2002 Jan - HealingCharlottesville website debuts.

Apr 2 - "Schilling and Salidis for Council", The Daily Progress.   Incumbent mayor Blake Caravati (D) and challenger Rob Schilling (R) were elected.

Dec 19 - Landmark essay on public housing.   "No reparation for slavery.. Yes restitution for renewal".

2003 Mar 15 - "Ides of March" email to Van Yahres.

Apr 7 - Campaign website debuts.   Campaign kicks off.   Vision and biographical resume articulated.

Apr 16 - "GOP adds two to House races", The Observer.   (The other candidate was Delegate Steve Landes for re-election.)

Apr 17 - "4 better or worse", The Hook.

"Best long shot in the 57th District.   Blair Hawkins challenges Democrat Mitch Van Yahres for the General Assembly seat Van Yahres has held since 1981.

Best Credentials.   Hawkins is two-time winner of the Clark School spelling bee, according to the press release announcing his candidacy."

Apr 21 - First two planks articulated:

  1. Fifth Amendment vs. Housing Authority.
  2. Education.

Apr 29 - "Switch hitters: Two candidates pick parties and abandon Independents", C-ville Weekly.   (The other candidate was Eric Strucko for the White Hall seat on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.)

"...In Hawkins' mind, City annexation of the County and urban renewal are the two issues that explain every aspect of current-day local government...."

Apr 30 - Classifieds Legal Notices, The Daily Progress.

"REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA

Physical Stock Assessment.   The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority (CRHA) seeks proposals from A/E firms to evaluate its physical stock.   The successful firm will conduct a comprehensive assessment of CRHA's physical assets and develop a long-range capital plan based upon the agency's mission, market conditions, best and highest use, and effective use of resources.   Submission deadline is 12:00 noon EST on 6/11/03."

May 6 - CRHA Board Chairman Dave Norris identifies modern urban renewal.

May 10 - "Housing director resigns: No reason offered for Harvey's action", The Daily Progress.

May 14 - Third plank:   "A politician on the politics of gay", The Observer.   Position echoed in "Domestic partners walk many paths", Sep 21 2003, letter in The Daily Progress.

May 28 - "Several Va. races lack challengers", The Daily Progress.
"...Blair Hawkins, who garnered four votes as a write-in candidate for Charlottesville City Council in 2000, failed to file the necessary $500 check by the deadline and thus will not be eligible for nomination even though he had announced as a candidate, said Robert Hodous, city Republican chairman..."

Jun 2 - "Undelivered Nomination Speech" at Republican mass meeting at McIntire Park.   Democrat incumbent Van Yahres runs unopposed.

Jun 3 - "Republicans nominate NFL referee for board", The Daily Progress.
"...Blair Hawkins threw in the towel and acknowledged he was giving up a quest for the Republican nomination after missing a filing deadline last week...

WVIR-TV Dateline29 News gives the candidate a few minutes of fame.

Jul 11 - "From The Editor", The African American Reflector.
"...I have learned that many feel that the same "Urban Renewal" that dismantled the famed Vinegar Hill as a black business district is resurfacing in the form of housing programs that many feel are preying on the ignorance and misfortune of the elderly and poor for the express purpose of acquiring property in traditional black neighborhoods and building housing that is not affordable in their place..."

Aug 20 - "Eminent Domain is main issue in Va. state house race 2003" email to Neil Boortz' radio talk show syndicated on WINA AM-1070.

Sep 29 Monday - Boortz spends half the three hour show talking about eminent domain abuses.   Citizens Fighting Eminent Domain Abuse.

Oct 16 - "Write in urban renewal!", The Hook.

Oct 22 - Final Letter of Campaign to The Daily Progress.

Campain Slogan-   Private Property for the Common Good

Ad in The Daily Progress Classifieds Special Notices for 7 days centered on Jun 2-

"Private Property for the Common Good." Blair Hawkins for House of Delegates 57th District. Republican Convention Jun. 2, 6 p.m. McIntire Park. Election Nov. 4. "oocities.com/HealingCharlottesville/Campaign2003"

Reflections of the candidate (Sep 29)

I've always known that urban renewal is a big story.   But it wasn't until I ran for Council and talked to people that I realized just how big a story it really is.  

People generally fall into two groups:   those who have never heard of urban renewal and think all those parking lots south and west of downtown have always been there, and those who know what has happened.   Those who know fall into two subgroups:   opponents and victims who are happy to talk about it, and supporters and officials who avoid the issue.   Most of the opponents have moved away.   The supporters remain and have risen to positions of leadership and wealth.

The discussion on my part seems already to have shifted away from public housing and the facts of urban renewal to redevelopment.   After all, the housing authority is the redevelopment authority.   Since some high profile officials of urban renewal are now members of ASAP (Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population), a few logical questions follow:

  1. Does ASAP support the creation of a development agency in the county, whose mission would be to override eminent domain to accelerate development but whose result would be to slow growth in the county, a rural area?
  2. Does ASAP support the elimination of the city development agency in order to encourage growth in the city, an urban area?

The biggest irony of the campaign would have to be the anti-Patriot Act resolution introduced by Richard Sincere to the Republican mass meeting.   The resolution warned of possible future civil rights violations by a federal agency while I had just run a campaign against known civil rights violations by a specific local agency.   The resolution passed and moved on to City Council.   I guess I'll have to write a resolution informing city employees that they could be arrested for grand larceny if they participate in the taking of property under eminent domain for private use.

There is no shortage of ideas on how to grow this issue:   Such as a petition drive for a referendum to abolish the Redevelopment Authority.   A run for Congress would be an escalation.   Or maybe even a lawsuit as the Authority sells its eminent domain property to private developers.   Only time will tell.

I am very happy that this issue went national (CBS "60 Minutes", Sep 28 2003).   I am proud to have participated in the movement to restore Fifth Amendment property rights in America.   My goal is to compile this work as a Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat file for distribution on CD to book publishers by Christmas.   I hope also to reproduce a dozen or so old articles from The Daily Progress.

On November 4, I will write in myself to record for history that I publicly stood up for private property.   When an incumbent runs unopposed, that's a golden opportunity to write in the one issue you think needs to be addressed.   Any of these phrases would be support of my issue campaign:

  • urban renewal
  • eminent domain
  • due process
  • Fifth Amendment
  • civil rights
  • private property
  • land use management
  • housing authority
  • redevelopment authority
  • Vinegar Hill
  • Garrett Street
  • Levy Avenue
  • any address taken under eminent domain for private use

If you are happy with the way things are, you should vote for the incumbent, Democrat Mitch Van Yahres.

- Blair Hawkins

The opponent:   Mitch Van Yahres

Mitch Van Yahres Acceptance Speech for the Democratic Nomination May 29 2003.

Democrats Nominate Mitch Van Yahres/ Delegate Criticizes GOP Plan/ Hawkins' Press Release May 29.

"Mayor Mitchell Van Yahres said the council will meet...and immediately vote itself into executive session" ("Closed Annex Meeting Set", Jul 28 1971, The Daily Progress).

"The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority has begun to file for condemnation proceedings for acquisition of land in the Garrett Street urban renewal area" ("City Authority Begins Filing For Garrett Condemnations", Jul 28 1971, The Daily Progress).

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