Make Change: Mike Dickinson for Richmond City Council 1st District 2020

Used to worship people’s thought, I ain’t carin’ no more

They say I changed and that I ain’t the same as before

They keep you locked in the box like they don’t want you to grow

Just know a God’s in the room when you walk through the door”

New York Nights Intro

Roy Revolution

Change as a verb means “to make or become different” as a noun means “the act or instance of making or becoming different”.

Major things sometimes have to happen in life in order to promote change in people. People hit rockbottom with drugs and or alcohol in order to change and become clean. Some people have a near death experience. Some have become born again. Whatever it is that makes change know that it is a powerful dynamic.

Mike Dickinson is the Republican Candidate for Richmond City Council District 1. I know that many of my readers are like, “wait a minute?! A Republican candidate running in the City of Richmond?!”

Yes, Mike Dickinson is the lone Republican in the race. Taking a look at the make up of Richmond’s 1st District, it is the only district in the city which President Trump won in 2016. It is possible that Mike Dickinson could become the lone conservative voice on the Richmond City Council.

In his bio, Mike Dickinson says the following, 

“My name is Michael Dickinson. Born in Richmond. Small business owner. 3-time VCU alumni (Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice, Masters in Urban Planning and a Phd in Public Policy). 

I decided to run for Richmond City Council because of the dire condition the city is in. The local leadership in Richmond has vanished. The Mayor and current City Council have been nowhere to be seen during the last months of unrest, leaving citizens and small business owners to fend for themselves! 

I have not always been a Republican, in my younger days I THOUGHT I was a Democrat. As I had life experiences running small businesses, meeting a missionary and journeying to God, my father passing away, coming to terms with my own mortality, and the democrat party becoming the party of aggrieved people rather than that of hard working people my views shifted. Plus President Trump brought me to the party with his America first non-apologetic style and his business sense. 

The biggest priority for the City of Richmond is that we need to restore order, provide leadership, and support our police. The protestors do not even KNOW what they are protesting- they protest Monuments and the Police Department – YET ignore the 50 years of neglect to city schools by democratic leadership! Time and time again democrats have bought shiny new things with taxpayer money at the expense of city students! Thats where the injustice is. We have 100 year old schools with rats and no air conditioning and democrat mayors like Levar Stoney, Tim Kaine, and Dwight Jones would rather fund Redskin training fields (11 million) and Breweries (33 million).  Even this year the current budget is filled with waste! Anyone, with any level of business experience, could easily cut 10-15% off of it without making difficult choices. Good example is 550k for a press office?

Instead of taking care of what we have, the democrat solution has time and time again be to build something new or to create a new tax. In the past few years my First District opponent has voted repeatedly with the mayor to raise taxes on property owners and businesses.

My priorities if elected will be to run the City as a business. Reduce business taxes. Reduce property taxes. Fix the schools. Support the police. Most importantly- stand up and act like a leader and not hide for 3 days as the city burns (what our mayor and city council members did) and yet they have not cleaned up any of the graffiti or vandalism.”

One of the most impressive things about Mike Dickinson in my opinion is that over the Labor Day Weekend he connected with VA 2A For Preservations Lovers. The Chesterfield County base second amendment rights organization. Together the group of concerned Virginians conducted graffiti removal from the concrete bases where the Confederate Statues once stood. Cleaning Graffiti with Strength & Unity in VA  is a Go Fund Me group created by VA 2A Preservation Lovers. Since August 11, 2020 the community and Neighbors have raised $5,571.00. 

So, to the constituents of the 1st District. What is it going to be for 2020 and beyond? You all have the ability to make change here and now. You all should take a chance and do it.