Dr. Babur LaTeef seems to think we have!
Introducing Dr. Babur Lateef for Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.
You can visit his facebook page by doing a search on Babur Lateef.
I think we will be seeing a lot more out of Babur Lateef.
39 Thoughts to “Seen Enough?”
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Priceless!!
Oh wow. Where did you find this??!!
About 5 people sent it to me. It is also posted on Babur Leteef’s facebook page and on Blue Va. blog
Baby, I love that it’s all numbers. AND the source is included. I’ve watched it three times. MH- you are good. But, what will Lateef DO? I’m hoping he’s got something. He could stop this darn road building that the state and fed should do (why I pay state/fed taxes) and use that money for public safety and open parks.
He’s got your attention which is a start. I guess we are all waiting for the next part!
He is very approachable. Tell him your concerns.
will do.
Wonder who produced the video. Excellent.
ONE WORD……FABULOUS!
I don’t know who produced the video but it was brilliant.
Juturna, start with the leaf bag pick up!
Bag, who said bag??? Rake them to the street gutter!!!!!
Sorry. I guess I was getting fancy on you. Does the city pick up leaves from the gutter?
Grind them up in your mower. Its good for mulching.
I want to see his birth certificate!
@slowpoke
I don’t think you have to have been born in the United States to be a supervisor. You might though in PWC.
All kidding aside, I don’t know where he was born.
According to his bio he was born in Youngstown Ohio. http://lateefforchair.com/about
Thanks PWCVoter.
That clears that up, Slowpoke.
@Slowpoke Rodriguez
Let’s have Donald the Dumb**s Trump look into it.
Can we look under the hood before declaring Dr. Lateef the answer to all of Prince William County’s problems? This is a well-produced video, and Dr. Lateef has a nicely-done web site. All that tells us is that he has some technically proficient people supporting him. However, his message seems to be nothing more than Corey is bad and I’m good. What are his positions on major issues in the County?
I’m very concerned about the Democrats dumping Gary Friedman, a solid, moderate candidate with decades of experience in Prince William County, and a person we know is right on the important land use issues, including the Rural Crescent, in favor of a complete unknown.
Is this another developer scam to ensure they continue to get what they want from the BOCS? Dr. Lateef says nothing about these issues on his web site or Facebook page. Readers of this blog know that I’ve been very critical of Corey on these issues, but blaming him entirely for the state of the housing market is very disingenuous. Overdevelopment of the residential market is what got us here, combined with a national housing market collapse. Corey did not bring this situation on single-handedly. Through the recent comp plan updates, Avendale, and other actions he has certainly contributed but Sean Connaughton, Kathy Seefeldt and boards from many years past played a large role in creating this disaster also. How will Dr. Lateef be any different? At least Gary understood these issues and was able to confront the developers effectively. Now, the Democrats are running someone with no background or expertise in these matters.
I want to hear Dr. Lateef come out and say explicitly that he supports the Rural Crescent (sign Elena’s pledge), declare that after he is elected he will immediately redo the land use and environmental chapters of the comp plan, and work to defeat any comp plan amendments or rezonings that independent analysis (i.e., not coming from developers or Melissa Peacor) show have tax negative impacts on Prince William County. Moreover, he should publically announce that he will decline campaign contributions from developers.
In the absence of the above, we’re just looking at more of the same.
I don’t think there is proof that the Democrats dumped Gary Friedman.
I see 4 people remaining in the field. Corey, Bob Weir, John Gray and Babur Lateef. The next contest will be between Corey and Bob. Let’s get the Republicans settled before we start on Dr. Lateef.
I was very sorry to see Gary drop out of the race. He was a knowledgeable candidate. However, I think it is best to take him at his word over why he decided to drop out of the race.
Here are some more items to add to Dr. Lateef’s credibility agenda. New updates to the chapters of the comp plan must be done by groups reflecting all segments of the population including taxpayer rights, conservationists, and environmentalists. The same goes for the economic development task force. Mike Lubeley out. Charlie Grimes (or someone like him) in. That group must also include representatives of taxpayer rights, conservationists and environmentalists, instead of being a who’s who of developers, their attorneys and lobbyists.
Absolutely essential – we need new leadership in the Office of Executive Management and the Long-Range Planning Divison. The corruption and incompetence there are unbearable. I want to hear Dr. Lateef say that these two changes will be at the top of his priority list upon taking office.
How about it, Dr. Lateef? Are you ready to deal with substance rather than just attack Corey Stewart?
Now NTK, one campaign ad doesn’t create a trend. I expect those issues you saw were just setting the agenda for his plans for improvement in PWC. From what I understand, Lateef has all sorts of plans.
Moon, I understand. But letting him know what I’m looking for (as are others) helps him as well as the rest of us.
What I hope not to see is blaming the housing market collapse on the “resolution.” That would be a sure sign to me that the Democrats are playing games and don’t intend to deal with the core, underlying problems in Prince William County, which stem from too much power and too much bought influence by the development community. Yes, the resolution might have caused a few people to leave PWC but most have returned. That factor was nothing but a blip on the radar. To get our economic house in order, we need a BOCS that does not pander to every whim of the development community, and we need a County government that does not produce staff reports to justify what they want.
Again, I hope Dr. Lateef deals with these decades-old problems rather than just attack Corey and the resolution. He has a clean slate as of now. Let’s see what he does with it.
Well, let’s not suggest things that haven’t been stated. If they are stated, then fine, be critical but so far they haven’t been. I am sure Dr. Lateef or his campaign manager would be more than willing to talk with you about your ideas.
If I were Corey I would stop the blowing and crowing about all he did with the resolution to stop illegal immigration. He states something to this effect every time he picks up a crime report or UVA report to misinterpret the data. So far the only person I have heard discuss the resolution would be Corey Stewart.
Since I am now officially no longer a candidate for this election, I am able to speak openly and freely. First, thanks to the several posters on this and the earlier entry on Moonhowlings about this race, for their kind and supportive words.
What follows are my comments only as a private citizen and prior candidate:
Please be assured that I decided to drop out of this nomination contests for exactly the reasons I stated in my press release, which was posted, in full, on Moonhowlings. There was no pressure from anyone to drop out. To the best of my knowledge there was no backroom effort to get me out. Though my prior frictions with the Democratic Committee in PWC are well known, Bruce Roemmelt assured me that the nominating process would be meticulously even-handed, and I took him at his word.
Need to Know makes several very good points in his postings here. There is still much to learn about Babur. I have many of the same questions and need them to be answered before I do anything more to support his candidacy. I have spoken with him and we are planning to meet very soon to discuss many subtantive things. I will report back as freely as I can after that meeting.
It is also true, as Need to Know observes, that Corey should not be blamed entirely for all the ills in the county, (though I am sure he would jump to claim all the credit for the successes), but he certainly has contributed mightily to the problems. Among other things, Need to Know is 100% right in his comments about the Environment and Land Use chapters of the Comp Plan.
It is well known that I tried hard to work with Corey for a little over two years. While it is true that Corey is fun to “have a beer with”, selection of political leaders should not be based on either that or what one person describes as his “howdy-doody personality”. Most of the time I worked with Corey was unproductive, (from my perspective), and became increasingly so as I became fully convinced that he is very skilled at masterfully “gaming” PWC citizens and the government more to serve his own ambitions than for any other purpose. More on that later. As I stated in my press release, there are compelling arguments as to why Corey Stewart should not be re-elected. Many of them are already known. Some are not. I am sure they will be presented to the public as the election cycle progresses, but if the campaign ad on this posting is representative of the work Babur’s team can produce, Corey could have a real problem getting the nomination and/or getting re-elected.
Moon-howler, you do a great job of trying to get people back to what is relevant.
NTK, respectfully, don’t you think you are jumping way ahead here? This is one, introductory ad to counter Corey Stewart constantly taking credit for everything good in the county. It’s not reasonable to expect any candidate to come out of the gate with the kind of detailed statements on development you’re making. Friedman wouldn’t have done it either. In fact, I’m not sure any candidate would have done it at any point in a campaign. You’re suggesting a lot of detail on one particular issue.
Also, let’s be clear, the Democrats did not dump Gary Friedman. He chose not to run. You could criticize them if he ran and they didn’t nominate him, but he never game them a chance to do so. If this ad from Lateef is any indication, I think Friedman made the right choice in not running since Lateef looks like a formidable candidate. Friedman has burned a lot of bridges on both sides of the aisle. Not because of his positions on land use, which a lot of people agree with, but because of how poorly he treats people. Beyond land use, who knows where he stands? Let’s not forget, he worked for Corey Stewart and stood silently by during the whole immigration debate. Even on land issues he started to waver after he announced his candidacy. I doubt Stewart, rightly or wrongly, really ever considered Friedman much of a threat.
@Thomas
Not being a Democrat, I’m not privy to what went on behind the scenes, but I just don’t see Gary Friedman, who has wanted to be elected to the BOCS for many, many years, just waking up one morning and deciding to end his candicacy without nudging from anyone else. Moreover, everyone knows where Gary stood on these key issues.
Note in my comments above that I have made not a single remark judging Dr. Lateef. I’m simply laying out what I want to hear to consider him a credible candidate rather than a developer stooge. As a wrote, he is a blank slate now. I want him to start filling in that slate.
When do you think is an appropriate time for him to tell us specifics about his stands on these key issues? The election is only about seven months away, and the primary only four or five months. Shouldn’t other Democrats or independents know something about him so they can consider a challenge? Is his campaign strategy going to be to sandbag until the last minute? I hope not. To be clear, I’m not attacking Dr. Lateef. I just want to know what his views are, besides the fact that he does not think Corey should have another term.
Thomas, thanks. I try but am not always that successful.
We have 4 candidates left. Let’s not forget Mr. Weir and Mr. Gray. I have no idea what their intentions are at this point. Having said that, it looks like Corey has 2 challenges. If he is able to pass by Mr. Weir, then he will need to pass by Mr. Gray and Dr. Lateef. (whose name I hope I have spelled correctly now.)
I get confused because his name sounds familiar to another blogger master’s name.
Gary, a warm welcome. I am glad you are here. Hopefully you will return frequently. You have much to contribute to our on-going debate.
Thank you again throwing your hat in the ring for this important election. I understand and respect your decision to step aside at this time.
For those who need to review Gary’s letter of resignation from the supervisors race:
https://www.moonhowlings.net/index.php/2011/03/22/friedman-withdraws-name-from-supervisor-race/#more-12782
I believe we all need to “stay tuned”. He has made a great beginning “statement” with this video, now we need to understand what HIS vision is for the future of PWC.
NTK, I know you are not attacking Lateef, and I do not mean in any way to attack you or Mr. Friedman. His withdrawal from the race seemed very classy. I just think your views on what Lateef should be doing right now are unusual.
For example, what makes you think Lateef has not already made himself known to others? My assumption would be that someone encouraged him to run, or that he consulted some others before deciding to run. For all we know, he could have already met with a bunch of democratic or independent constituent groups. Maybe he and Friedman spoke before Friedman dropped out. Maybe he did not do any of those things, but it seems odd to presume he has not done any of that based on the ad he released. Candidates don’t run ads so other candidates can consider whether or not to challenge them. They run them to win elections. Lateef ran his ad promptly after Friedman decided to drop out which makes me think his first focus was going to be on getting the nomination, and once Friedman dropped out he promptly turned his attention to Stewart, immediately angling to put Stewart on the defensive. That seems like smart and nimble campaign tactics.
Contrast that with Friedman, who you apparently know. He announced before Lateef, but do you know if he has done anything since his announcement, other than loan his campaign some money? He had a lot of burned bridges to rebuild if he wanted the Democratic nomination. Do you know if he did any of that? I doubt a majority of voters have even heard of him, so I disagree with you that everyone knows where Friedman stood on these issues. As bad a relationship as people say Friedman had with the Democrats, I doubt there was any “behind the scenes” when it comes to Friedman. It sounds like he made a calculated and rational decision not to run based on his own assessment. That alone indicates he might have been a good candidate, but he chose otherwise. It also seems unusual for you to already be raising the question of whether or not Lateef is going to “sandbag until the last minute” when the election is 7 months away and right after his primary opponent drops out he immediately pivots toward challenging Stewart’s rosy view of the county. Is there any evidence to suggest he is a “developer stooge”? That kind of language is classic Corey Stewart tactics. I’m told he has used it in every single election, even in Republican primaries. If his opponent gets any money from real estate agents, settlement attorneys, developers, home repair firms, or anything like that he claims they are in the pocket of developers. All kinds of people buying into that kind of logic about one issue alone, while ignoring where Stewart stands on everything else, is exactly what got us Stewart in the first place.
I realize I am arguing like a Lateef supporter, which I am not ready to be at this point. But your arguments sound like the kind of misdirection Corey Stewart likes to do–no offense intended.
NTK, unfortunately, I did not see Mr. Friedman’s posting before making my last one. He appears to answer some of the questions I raised in my recent comment to you. Like his press release, his posting is very classy, and it seems he would certainly have made a good candidate. In short, I understand you want to hear more from Mr. Lateef. I think we should just give him some time.
How about this for a start. I have no doubt that members of the Prince William Democratic Committee, and most likely Dr. Lateef himself, are reading Moonhowlings. Please get the protect the Rural Crescent pledge from Elena. Have Dr. Lateef sign it, and provide his comments. Moonhowlings can post his response for everyone to see. We’ll go from there with the remaining issues.
Land use is the future of Prince William County and our quality of life. Anyone who wants to be elected to the BOCS should be required to lay out clearly and plainly how they stand on the many issues related to it.
I did not call Dr. Lateef a developer stooge. In fact, I hope that everyone got my message correctly that I hope that he is in fact not. He wants our votes. He needs to convince us.
@NTK, I think Elena is already sent her message. 😉
to all: (not at NTK)
His private comments to her (as opposed to policy or position comments) would not be posted here, just in case anyone needs to know that. The same goes for all candidates. If they tell us something in confidence, it stays there. That would include Mr. Stewart also. Just make sure to separate confidential vs. policy.
Post moved up closer to the top. Many people still had a lot to add to this topic.
I’d still like a good reason why local taxes are going to build state roads……
@Juturna, when is this happening?
what an asinine video. by the same standards, obama should be thrown out of office for record unemployment and dismal economic and housing statistics too. the whole country is going down the toilet, throw the bums out
The video is a campaign teaser — and a compelling one, at that. In one minute, it visually marginalizes the opposing candidate and makes him disappear, without a single word other than the ones coming out of his own mouth.
Compare that to that fuzzy tinny-sounded home-library video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67z_EtLuSQc
Or another candidate’s static ads in the News & Messenger (makes funeral home ads look more exciting).
Who has your attention? The doctor. I don’t even know what he looks like, but I know his name and I want to know more.
Totally agree with you, Cindy. I think Babur Lateef’s video was brilliant and visionary. I want to know more also.
I also didn’t think he ran Corey down. Corey spoke. The good doctor provided stats relevant to our county along with sources.
been happening