CJ Domingo - Candidate for Asheville City Council
A Little About CJ Domingo
(And why should you vote for him)
It might as well be said, if you spend fifteen seconds talking to CJ, you'll find out that he's a big nerd. He likes to learn facts and figures. He wants to hear about your hobby. He wants to talk about the books you are reading. If you saw a documentary on that changed how you think about rainfall, he will be needing a link immediately.
That's why he advocates for government that follows data-driven decision making. He believes that knowledge and ideas are meant to be shared, and that the truly great ideas should be made to work for us.
CJ's dad is an immigrant who left the Philippines because of the Marcos regime. Dad came to Asheville with about $50 to his name. CJ's mom is a mountain girl from Rosman, who grew up thinking of Asheville as the "Big City." She lost her home after her father passed away and she was living out of her car before she got to Asheville. They both came here because Asheville used to be a place in which a person could work hard and succeed.
That would definitely not be the case today.
All through CJ's childhood, his parents would find ways to help others. Whether it meant temporarily taking in a child whose parents needed help, or mentoring people in the community who were struggling to make progress. CJ saw the example his parents set and it inculcated him with a lifelong appreciation for charity and generosity, for teaching and building community.
CJ attended school here and graduated from UNCA where he studied Microbiology. During his career, he has worked in the Food industry (Waiter, Barista, Grocery Store Manager), in government (Operations Supervisor in Parking Services).
CJ has tremendous empathy for all the ways that life can lead people in unexpected directions. He understands that many people feel trapped from a lack of social mobility, and that one thing links many people who work front line jobs -- that they are trying their best and that they feel that the government doesn't care if they succeed or fail. CJ believes that if our government is to serve any purpose at all, it must adhere to and strive for the ideal of "government of the people, by the people, for the people."
CJ is running for City Council because our government has gotten away from us. There are too many leaders who believe that their only mandate is to get re-elected and only act when it suits their vanity. CJ will fight to secure meaningful progress for the people of Asheville. CJ has seen what many of you have seen - that our infrastructure and public systems are rotting beneath our feet. Too often, our City Council will hide the worst of it in closed-door meetings and only acknowledge the need once they are forced to do so, like with the recent Malvern Hills Pool, like with the electric Busses, like with the Parking Facilities, and like with the Water systems. CJ will make the health and long-term planning surrounding these public systems open and visible to the people who rely on it and whose tax dollars pay for it.
“Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are”