PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Page Valley News has been publishing profiles of local candidates in contested races for the Luray and Shenandoah councils in this fall’s elections over recent weeks. Each race features four candidates for three open seats, and voters may cast ballots for up to three candidates.
Alex White
• Age: 22
• Education: B.A., Government – Public Policy, Harvard University, 2023; Associates Degree, Lord Fairfax, 2019; Luray High School, 2019.
• Experience: Appointee, Governor’s Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice, 2022-present; Governor’s Fellow, Commonwealth of Virginia (Labor Secretariat), Summer 2022; White House Intern, The White House, Summer 2020; District 1 Representative, Page County Economic Development Authority, 2020-2021; Columnist, Page Valley News, 2020-2022.
• Community: Food Pantry Assistant Manager and Grant Writer, Page One, 2019-present.
• Family: Mother, Betty White; Father, Jack White.
•••
• Why are you running for public office?
I am running because I want to give back to the place that has given me so much opportunity. If we want Luray to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family, then we need a young person at the table. I believe that I can bring that fresh perspective.
• What makes you the best candidate?
My youth, extensive government experience, and roots as a working class kid mean that I am uniquely prepared to serve. I can connect with our community’s young working families, while also being able to leverage my network of leaders at the highest levels.
• What is the most pressing issue facing the Town of Luray?
Luray has to continue to be a great place to live, not just visit. That means taking steps to ensure that the people who live here have access to good jobs close to home, an affordable standard of living, and resources addressing an addiction epidemic that destroys lives. We can and should do more to ensure the quality of life of those who call Luray home.
• What is one thing that you would like to change or improve about Luray?
I would like for our town to have an even closer relationship with the church-driven charities and nonprofits that do so much for our community. Places like Page One and the Rec are doing great things, and we know that we can accomplish even more when we coordinate.
• Briefly describe a decision you have made in a leadership role and tell why you made that decision.
While serving on the Page County Economic Development Authority, I cast the deciding vote for the board to participate in a countywide study on the future of our local agricultural economy. Since then, there have been several successful public gatherings, connections between restaurants and farmers, and work towards bringing back our local farm markets. I cannot take credit for any of that (the results have been the work of many other people), but my decisive vote in favor showed that I have a bias towards taking action on behalf of our area.
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Good morning Alex.
I’ve noticed that you are associated with Harvard University.
The link here dated July 2022 is a survey of the political affiliations of Harvard professors.
I’m concerned that having had to successfully through the political minefield there, that maybe a Stockholm Syndrome was in play or you wouldn’t have made it through.
Identifying as this or that is all the rage these days, so how do you identify? Liberal or conservative?
Mr. Sanford,
Thank you for your question. As for that survey, I find it molds less to the reality that I experienced there. I had professors across the spectrum – indeed Harvard is home to conservative “heavy hitters” like Mansfield and Vermeule.
That brings me to what I think is the most important point I could make: those labels are only useful to a degree. For example, my disposition towards fiscal responsibility would probably be considered more “conservative” in today’s terms (pay for what you spend, don’t tax and borrow on the backs of regular people endlessly). My reverence towards institutions like the Constitution in the Burkean sense would be too.
Still, my views on trade and industrial policy hold that the state can do more to protect workers from globalization, automation, and sheer greed. Those are probably liberal dispositions, but then again the Bible itself condemns usury and greed, and Mr. Trump was as loud a voice against corrupt trade deals and corporate greed as Mr. Sanders…
I’d say the part with the most application to council is this: I’ll work for things that pass a cost-benefit analysis for tax payers and oppose those things that come up short. If there are nice things that don’t pass the “sniff test,” then we can seek out grant funding that would go elsewhere anyways (so why not compete for it)!
Thankful and looking forward to speaking more on issues,
Alex
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/7/13/faculty-survey-political-leaning/
Robert, you never disappoint as our local gatekeeper of what we citizens can and cannot think.
This conversation interests me, mainly because I think the terms “conservative” or “liberal” don’t have much meaning any more. Today’s Republican Party, identified as it is with Donald Trump, is more accurately described as “right wing” or “reactionary” than it is conservative. Indeed, one can make a case that the one quality you describe as a “conservative” value, Alex – reverence for the Constitution – is hardly a value held by the former President (that said, I would take exception that reverence for the Constitution is exclusively a “conservative” value).
I’m also not sure how being liberal or conservative makes a difference for a town council seat. The closest we have come to that divide is when the former mayor made some racially insensitive comments, and the shake-out from that confirms for me that Page County still has a lot of growing to do. Perhaps a set of fresh eyes will help in that growth.
Hi Alex.
You’ve spoken about financial investments and obligations with regard to the government here on this site.
You know that with public office, nothing is private, so we’d like to know how your stay at Harvard was financed. Federal student loans, grants, student jobs, etc.
Harvard tuition is over $54,000, so how did you manage that?
Mr. Sanford,
I was the recipient of a full need based scholarship consisting of private grants from Harvard’s financial aid office due to my family’s income hovering at the “poverty line.” If you get in, Harvard makes sure that a low family income isn’t an obstacle. I have also worked part time in a couple of jobs throughout the semester and cleaning golf carts in the summer in order to finance personal expenses.
(As an aside, I may not manage a reply to each comment over the busy next few days though I’ll try, so please do not hesitate to get a hold of me if things work out and you are interested in following up!)
With Gratitude For your Consideration,
Alex
Thank you for being forthcoming with your answers, Mr White.
If you win, I know you’re not going to hurt us with any “progressive” or “woke” BS.
Robert Sanford, Guardian for all Precious Snowflakes against wokeness ?
Christopher Gould. I know when I start getting flak that I’m over the target. Got any more little guy?
Not flak from this “little guy,” so much as a curiosity about what it is about “wokeness” you expect the Town Council to protect Luray from. It’s silly enough that there’s controversy about a traffic circle, but this just feels like you’re looking for stuff to be offended by.
Robert Sanford is always reminding us how afraid he is and that he owns guns. I wish I could give him a hug to make him feel better. It’s going to be okay buddy!
Bill B. (Bozo) and Christopher Gould. I’m offending you two. Sorry! Drink some decaf and calm down. I don’t need a gun to trigger you two duds.
Not offended. Just was wondering about what “wokeness” you expect members of the Luray Town Council to protect you from.
Wokeness is a kind of cheap route to equality and is used to chisel benefits, when not getting anywhere in life is your own fault. Some say “woke” doesn’t exist any more. If Affirmative Action is ended by the SCOTUS, it will “rise up” for sure.
If everybody is supposed to be equal, why have these kinds of diaper changing stations, when you can change your own?
Mr Gould. Besides answering your question with a definition, here’s an actual example of wokeness (awareness) on a local level. Courtesy of the Rev. Raphael Warnock and his church.
They demonstrate a wokeness about white people, and blame white Christian evangelicals as being the ideological basis for white supremacy.
So there must be a “black Christianity? The white man has long been regarded as “the Devil” you know.
Really throws a cross body block to Audre King’s efforts to “bring people together” at the Rec.
https://freebeacon.com/democrats/warnocks-church-airs-sermon-calling-evangelical-christianity-the-ideological-basis-of-white-supremacy/
I think what Chris Gould is trying to ask is what specific local “wokeness” are you warning everyone about? You keep linking to national issues and events. Page County and Luray leaders are conservative to very conservative. What could any of them do to trigger you?
“Doris” My objective was met in the last message to Alex.
But just to keep it going, could you please give an example of what a “specific local wokeness” would or could be??
When I see your comments over the past months, you’re obsessed with “wokeness”. Just curious where you see it in Page County where we live, and what this news site is about.
You really haven’t answered my question, although you sure have thrown up a bunch of red herrings.
An answer by any other name, is still an answer. Yes I really did. You just don’t like it.
The “wokeness” you and “Doris” seek, will never happen now for a long time. If ever.
White won.
Months?
Mr Gould. Are you going to reach out to “Doris” to learn about the wokeness she/he says I’m obsessed with, (for months)?
What you find will answer your question better maybe.
Please make a list:
1.
2.
3.
Ol’ Robbie has been crazy about race and wokeness for a long time. Just read his comments from a year ago. Unfortunately we could never expect him to be responsible for himself and what he says. https://pagevalleynews.com/thriving-not-just-surviving-in-page-county/ Robert Sanford says:
OCTOBER 23, 2021 AT 1:09 PM
I think the government is doing more than enough to help the 4000 “poor”. The left and the liberals that support them have, and are still trying, to destroy family life, religious belief, the wotk ethic, the education system, and just generally brainwashing the young to believe everything that makes the US better than any other nation is all wrong.
Right now all that is focused into Critical Race Theory which fits perfectly, the definition of what a bigot is.
Just think, if white people had never existed on earth there wouldn’t be any Declaration of Independence, US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and just about everything else people touch every day. Go ahead. Don’t censor this. Prove me wrong.
Hey “Doris” thanks for broadcasting that again. Don’t just repeat it. Like I said, prove me wrong.
“Woke” up and buck up for equality.
Marxist infiltration. Beware
https://store.flagandcross.com/products/uncle-tom-ii-dvd-an-american-odyssey/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=ad&fbclid=IwAR19x8vJXOEeO8VzelH2iAOzuedpxZDfq2WmANF-Yn1weoDmaSfO-Rw56dM_aem_AV-5gWOXJ8IzMY0WeuyQFE2kgj1ZBJ_rnIJ_IcB9kh1j7Lap3ztzxFuHoU8Qh1W1EhEixGTm5_K9FzR7PBsvXNKN6gCORogPIHuJubDye7hvA1MeY4c4hGeE0Q6EW7zXeDo
LOL. Black guy arrested.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/mississippi-police-arrest-suspect-church-arson-democrat-called-tactic-suppress-votes
Here’s some wokeness.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/biden-department-education-official-claims-school-discipline-racist-blames-whiteness
https://www.foxnews.com/media/pentagon-equity-chief-praises-book-calling-911-first-responders-menaces-pushes-revolution