Perriello's faith guides policies

DILLWYN — Tom Perriello, a Democrat running for Congress, stepped up to the pulpit at the Crystal Cathedral in Buckingham County on a recent Sunday morning and addressed the predominantly black congregation.

“I know how blessed I’ve been, so I’m not going to politick today. I’m just going to bear a little witness,” Perriello said, a slow gospel jam grooving in the background. “Let us remember today the people who’ve lost their job, the people who can’t afford to keep their electricity bill paid or keep fuel in the tank. We all know there’s a lot of pain in our community right now from a lack of jobs and costs going through the roof.”

Tom Perriello
- Age: 33
- Residence: Ivy
- Education: Yale University, B.A, J.D.
- Career: National security consultant; co-founder of faith-based organizations; instructor at the University of Virginia School of Law
- Family: Unmarried, parents live in Ivy
- Web site: www.perrielloforcongress.com

“That’s right!” a lady shouted. Perriello, a national security consultant who has visited some of the world’s hardest-hit war zones, told the worshippers that God has guided him through the good times and the bad.

“God has been very good to me. He has protected me,” the 33-year-old told the congregation. “I spent some time in West Africa and Sierra Leone during the blood diamonds war. I was in Darfur during part of the genocide and in Afghanistan. The good Lord has always watched over me, whether it’s in Albemarle County, Buckingham or Afghanistan.”

Inspiration to run

Perriello decided to run for Congress after returning last summer from a trip to Afghanistan on behalf of the Century Foundation, a nonprofit think tank headquartered in New York. When Perriello returned to Washington, he was asked to brief officials of both parties about the troubling conditions in Afghanistan. However, the politicians were less interested in fixing things than they were in trying to score political points against the other side, he said.

That desire to put partisanship over progress in Afghanistan, Perriello said, came to symbolize in his eyes how far off-track many U.S. elected officials of both the GOP and the Democratic Party are on numerous issues.

“The threats we face right now — the economic threats, the environmental threats and the national security threats — are very real,” he said. “And neither party is doing anything about it.”

Economic focus
The top issue of Perriello’s bid is the economy. He recently wrapped up a tour of 22 counties and municipalities in the 5th District that he called his Economic Revival Tour.

“I’m just sick and tired of seeing the jobs go overseas because we haven’t been creative enough to keep them here,” he said.

As part of his plan, Perriello promises to invest in infrastructure such as rail and broadband technology; offer rebates and incentives to small businesses that provide health insurance for employees; and encourage small-town downtown development. He also wants to boost workforce training in high schools, community colleges and vocational schools. Plus, Perriello has proposed a program that would be based on Teach for America, which places recent college grads as teachers.