From: Jael Myrick [mailto:jaelpmyrick@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, August 18, 2012 5:23 PM
To: Butt, Tom
Subject: Code of fair campaign practices

Hi Tom,

Would you mind forwarding the e-mail below to your list.  It explains why I didn't sign the "code of fair campaign practices."  I  would appreciate it.

Thanks
Jael

______________

 

As a first time Candidate when I first saw the "code of fair campaign practices" I wasn't sure what to make of it.  I didn't sign it because of two main concerns.

1. Not being a lawyer and not having a lawyer with me when filing this form I was not sure how legally binding it was and was concerned about sub-point (6) which states "I shall immediately and publicly repudiate support deriving from an individual or group which resorts to..." and then references the above sections of the pledge.  Knowing that so many different groups are involved in Richmond politics and take different views and use different tactics in achieving their goals, I was concerned that signing a document including such a paragraph could leave me vulnerable to some sort of legal action if a third party group did something I didn't approve of and I didn't respond as "immediately" as one of my opponents would like.
2. Richmond politics is notoriously negative, as we all know.  And while I have never run for office, I was very much aware that many of the practices decried in this pledge are regularly perpetrated in Richmond elections.  This led me to the conclusion that many of the other candidates in this race would probably NOT sign the pledge, which made me worry that if I signed the pledge and became a victim of some political attack, I would not be able to respond.  I must say I was pleasantly surprised when I found out the majority of the other candidates did sign this pledge, and I hope we will all live up to its spirit.

  
The irony of this of course is that anybody whose followed my campaign at all knows that my major motivation for running is to attempt to move our local politics away from the exact tactics which are described in this pledge. It would not be in my nature, or, even be politically advantageous for me to participate in such tactics over the course of the next few months.

So, even though I did not file it with the City Clerk, I have attached a copy of the "Code of Fair Political Practices" with my signature as a pledge to you, the voters and my fellow candidates.  As I said before I am happy that the majority of the other candidates signed this pledge as well, and I hope we will all live up to the spirit of it between now and election day.

Let's Unify Richmond!

Jael Myrick