October 16, 2012
(Kansas City,
MO) After posting another strong
fundraising quarter, early numbers indicate Jeremy
LaFaver continues to hold onto a strong lead in the race for Missouri’s 25
th
House District. To date, LaFaver has
raised more than $40,000, topping his opponent by more than 4 to 1. As well, LaFaver holds onto a 6 to 1 cash-on-hand
advantage at the end of the quarter, making him the clear favorite as the
campaign heads into its final weeks.
“I am extremely grateful to the many people who have donated
to our campaign,” said LaFaver. “Because of their investment, we have knocked
on more than 10,000 doors, sent thousands of pieces of mail, and spread our
message throughout the entire district.”
“At the end of the day, I believe the voters of the 25th
district will overwhelmingly support a strong, progressive candidate who shares
their values,” said LaFaver.
The campaign is organizing neighborhood canvasses throughout
the week and volunteers are encouraged to e-mail Jeremy@JeremyLaFaver.com if they are
interested in helping. People can also
learn more about LaFaver at his website, www.JeremyLaFaver.com.
May 9, 2012
FIRE FIGHTERS ENDORSE LAFAVER IN STATE HOUSE RACE, 25TH
DISTRICT
Greater Kansas City Fire Fighters
Local 42, the Missouri State Council of Fire Fighters and Taxpayers Unlimited,
Inc. announced today their full support and endorsement of Jeremy LaFaver,
Democratic candidate for the Missouri House of Representatives' 25th District.
"Jeremy is clearly the best choice in this race to represent Kansas City's working
families. He has a proven track record of legislative accomplishments, and will
serve our state and city well," said Sherwood Smith on behalf of the fire
fighters.
LaFaver recognizes the invaluable work fire fighters do every day to ensure the
safety and well-being of the community. Once elected, LaFaver will work with
the same determination and vigor on behalf of the entire community.
"I am honored to have the support of the fire fighters, and I look forward
to working with them as a State Representative," said LaFaver.
In addition to the fire fighters, LaFaver has support from numerous individuals
and organizations throughout the city and state, all of whom recognize his
commitment to making the community a great place to live, work, learn and play.
Once elected, LaFaver will be part of a unified team of leaders from Kansas City that will
work tirelessly to protect the interests of all Kansas Citians.
May 7, 2012
Mayor Sly James
Senator Jolie Justus
&
House Minority Leader Mike Talboy
Cordially invite you to join them for a fundraiser in support of
Jeremy LaFaver
Democrat for State Representative, 25th District in Kansas City, MO
Thursday, May 24, 2012
5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Uptown Theater
3700 Broadway
Kansas City, MO 64111
May 4, 2012
Friends,
Acknowledging the work I have done for many years
fighting for social justice and progressive causes, Kansas City's Four
Freedoms Democratic Club has endorsed my campaign for the House of
Representatives.
"Jeremy is, in my opinion, one of the smartest
and shrewdest advocates on child welfare issues in the State of
Missouri. He has shown particular skill in working with both Democrats
and Republicans on legislative accomplishments for vulnerable children,"
said Jim MacDonald, President of Four Freedoms.
Four Freedoms describes itself as "Kansas City's voice for the LGBT community in the Democratic party".
I am truly honored to receive the endorsement of this progressive
organization. As a State Representative, I will continue to work
tirelessly to fight for equality of LGBT people and for social justice
for all.
To find out more about Four Freedoms,
visit their Facebook page here.
March 2, 2012
It's
official!
Earlier this week, on
the first day folks are eligible to file for
office, I officially entered the race for the
Missouri House of Representatives - district 25
in Kansas City.
(Not sure if you're in
the district? Click
HERE for a map of the
newboundaries. Roughly, it runs from
the Plaza on the North end, I-435 on the
south, State Line on the west, and Holmes,
Cherry and Oak on the east.)
As the
news of our official filing hit Kansas City, the
endorsements started flying in. People in
Kansas City recognize my
long-standing commitment to children and
families and they have been eager to offer their
help.
Among the endorsements are a a
number of people who currently represent or
recently represented parts of our District in a
wide range of capacities. Some of the latest
endorsements come from:
Mayor Sly
James
Jackson County Prosecutor and former
State Rep Jean Peters-Baker
City Councilwoman
Jan Marcason
City Councilman John
Sharp
Jackson County Legislator Crystal
Williams
Jackson County Legislator Theresa
Garza Ruiz
State Representative Jason
Holsman
Former State Representative Beth
Low
Former State Representative Marsha
Campbell
Former State Representative Jack
Campbell
In addition, House Democratic
Leader Mike Talboy has fully endorsed my
campaign, acknowledging the years of service I
have given to Kansas City's at-risk
children.
What's important here is that
all of these people share a common goal: making
children and families a priority in Jefferson
City. This is something I feel particularly
passionate about, and I'm honored to have their
support.
NEWS FROM THE
NEIGHBORHOOD:
As of last Saturday,
we have knocked on the doors of half of
our neighbors in the district...and we're
only 2 months into the new year. With the
help of many of you, we are talking to hundreds
of people each week.
This is, by far, the
most enjoyable part of the campaign.
(In addition, it is great exercise and I've
already shed more than 10 pounds.)
If
you'd like to join us, we will be out again this
weekend. We are expecting great weather
and great friends, so come join us! We meet at
Coffee Girls in Waldo every Saturday between 9
and 10 am to go over our lists, hand out
information and then hit the streets. All you
need is a couple of hours, some comfortable
shoes, and a shared vision for making our kids
and their families a priority. Hope you
can make it!
NEWS FROM JEFFERSON
CITY:
As is with most weeks, we saw
the good, the bad and the ugly.
The
good:
Dozens of child advocates from
throughout the state came to the Capitol this
week to help pass a series of bills aimed at
protecting children attending child care. 54
kids have died in 55 months in Missouri due to
lax laws, lax regulation, and poor quality child
care. That's almost one lost life per month,
and if we don't do something we will see that
pace continue. I was honored to serve as the
emcee for the rally, sponsored by one of the
groups I work with, Child Care Aware of
Missouri. Check our our media coverage
here. If you can, please share
this article with your friends
on Facebook.
These bills have all
received hearings and we are just waiting
for them to come to a full vote in their
respective chambers now.
The bad:
We
heard a lot more this week about limiting access
to contraception for women and their
families. I believe that family planning is an
important health care issue for all families and
do NOT support attempts to restrict access to
contraception. Stay tuned, because I don't think
this issue will be going away anytime
soon.
The Ugly:
In a bizarre twist,
the Missouri Family Network (a small but
powerful fringe group of advocates) showed up
to oppose Nathan's Law (
click here for the bill). This
bill would close a few loopholes in
Missouri law regarding safe child care
practices. As it currently stands, some child
care settings are allowed to care for an unlimited number of children in their homes
without being licensed, without training,
and without consequence for breaking the law.
Too many kids die every year as a result of
these loopholes. The Network said they opposed
these measures because their ability to
warehouse children in unsafe settings was
written into the law 20 years ago and we
shouldn't change any law that has been on the
books that long.
I know...it's
weird.
My counter argument was that there
are many cases of bad laws that were written in
the past that are modified when we get better
educated and our society advances. A few that
come to mind are: a woman's right to vote,
eliminating the Missouri compromise that
discriminated against African Americans, and
many other social injustices that have been
overturned.
In Missouri you need a
license to breed dogs, cut hair, and
paint toenails. But not to care for
children.
I told you it was
ugly....
LOOKING
AHEAD:
Our campaign is about our
city, our kids, our neighbors and our friends.
To help us meet new people and find new
supporters, we are hosting house parties in the
district, coffees at local coffee shops, and
we're hitting the streets daily. Check out our
website at
www.JeremyLaFaver.com to see
where we'll be next.
As always, thank you
for your support! I look forwarding to
serving you and your family soon.
All
the best,
Jeremy
February 21, 2012
Public Schools and the KKK?!
You
may have heard recently that St. Louis billionaire Rex Sinquefield said
that the Public Schools were designed by the Ku Klux Klan in an effort
to harm African American children. Check out the video on YouTube:
 |
|
Rex Sinquefield on the KKK and public schools
|
These comments have no basis in fact and serve only to continue to divide our state and nation.
Please join me in telling Rex Sinquefield that we do no support such misinformed and dangerous comments. Sign our petition today!
Dear Rex,
We,
the undersigned individuals, want you to know that not only do we not
share your dangerous views on public education, but that we are calling
on you to denounce your statement that the KKK designed our public
school system. Such comments are not only wrong, but they only serve to
continue to divide our state and country at a time when unity, not
division, is what we need most.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
February 9, 2012
We've
all heard the famous quotation from the Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu (604
BC - 531 BC): "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single
step."
A more correct translation from the original Chinese would be, "The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one's feet."
If
that's true, we've already made real progress on our journey: last week,
thanks to many hundreds of hours, and much shoe-leather, we visited our
one-thousandth neighbor - and what we're learning would fill a book.
On
every street, the response has been overwhelming. It's been heartening
to hear our friends and neighbors tell their stories, and I've learned
from each one of them.
Mostly
I'm learning that folks seem surprised that someone is actually reaching
out to them, one door at a time, to listen to them and learn about
their lives.
I got
to meet a teacher in the Kansas City School District who lives with her
family near Ward Parkway. She told me about some of the great schools
and educational leaders she has worked with as well as a few schools and
leaders than need some help. She was concerned about the recent
decisions that have been made to close some schools and leave some
school buildings still in existence. Her passion for her work was
evident and her love of teaching and children came through with each
minute we spent talking.
In
Waldo, I met Mike, who runs a small roofing company. He told me how he
finds it hard to know where to go to get business licenses, inspections,
and other necessary things he needs to serve his customers. He thought
it would be a good idea for the state and city to work together to
create a "one-stop-shop" where he can go to get everything he needs at
one place, so he can spend more of his time on my neighbors' roofs and
less time running around town trying to find the right office for the
right service.
Some of
my most inspirational visits have happened when I knocked on the doors
of some foster and adoptive parents, who've told me about how difficult
it's been for them to take care of children who've been the victims of
abuse and neglect. They're saving a generation. They're heroes, but they
tell me they need help, and they need it now.
It's
been a humbling experience, and an educational one. Every family I've
met shares one goal - each knows we can do a better job at making Kansas
City a great place to live, work, learn and play.
We've made progress, but we've got many more miles to travel.
I
think you'd enjoy joining us. We visited 1,000 neighbors in the first
month: I want to visit 1,000 more in the next 3 weeks. This campaign is
about them - the challenges they face as we all work together to improve
life for all of us here in Kansas City.
Could you join us for a few hours this weekend?
On
Saturday, we'll meet at The Coffee Girls Coffee Shop in Waldo between 9
and 10 a.m. before we head out into the neighborhood at 10. We'll also
be walking on Sunday, time and place TBD. Let me know if you can make it
by sending me an e-mail at Jeremy@JeremyLaFaver.com
On behalf of my entire family, thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Sincerely,
Jeremy
p.s. if
you aren't able to come out this weekend, we could always use a little
financial support. With your help, we are able to continue to share our
vision, listening and learning from each and every neighbor so we can
help them and their families.
Visit our Online Donation Page to make a secure online donation or send a check to "Friends of Jeremy LaFaver", 7506 Grand Ave, Kansas City, MO 64114.
Jeremy LaFaver Announces his Candidacy
for the Missouri House of Representatives
(Kansas City, MO) – Waldo homeowner Jeremy LaFaver announced he is running for the Missouri House of Representatives in the 25th District in Kansas City today. The seat is currently held by Jason Kander who is vacating his position in the House of Representatives to run for Secretary of State.
“Together with my family, I am pleased to announce that I am running for the Missouri House of Representatives,” said LaFaver. “The 25th District deserves strong leadership. Once elected, I will be ready to lead on day one, seamlessly taking over to represent the 25th district with passion, commitment and experience.”
LaFaver previously served as the Director of Public Policy for Kansas City’s Partnership for Children. In this role, he advocated on behalf of Kansas City’s children and youth in the Missouri Legislature. “For far too long, our children and families have been left behind in the deliberations in Jefferson City. As your state representative, I will stand up for Kansas City’s children, fighting to make sure the 25th district is the best place to raise a family.”
LaFaver identified four key areas for his campaign: education, quality jobs, child welfare, and health care. For more information on each of the platform areas, or to find out more about Jeremy, individuals can visit his newly launched website at www.JeremyLaFaver.com.
Soon LaFaver will be walking the district, hosting coffees with constituents, and attending meet and greets organized by neighborhood supporters. “My family and I are both humbled and honored by the outpouring of support we have received from our longtime friends and neighbors in the district. I look forward to knocking on every door, and listening to the concerns of my neighbors,” said LaFaver. “My experience tells me that the best way to represent the interests of my district will be to listen first and talk second.” 
