Democratic candidate in  the special election in the 81st House district, John LaCombe, was on 89.5 WHRV with Kathy Lewis on Thursday, December 18th, 2008. The interview was short, but gave an opportunity for LaCombe to get his name, his previous experience, and his positions out to the public.

Here’s a paraphrased run through the interview:

Lewis: You’re about 24 years old. Congratulations on wanting to be involved. Is this your first foray into citizenship?

LaCombe: No, I fought predatory lending for two years, and that’s where I got my feet wet in getting out and working for people who needed assistance.

Lewis: What did you do to fight predatory lending?

LaCombe: Predatory lending has contributed to the current economic crash. I worked to provided voice for people who were struggling with an unregulated system that charges ridiculous interest rates. I brought the people to legislators so their stories could be heard. Over and over again I would hear from our leaders that payday lenders weren’t hurting anyone, so I knew they needed to be exposed to those who were being hurt.

Lewis: I understand you founded an organization to do this, CapAmerica?

LaCombe: Yes, it is a coalition against predatory lending. CapAmerica was a self-funded grass roots organization that went out and discovered that lending corporations were not acting properly and took advantage of working poor. We had a lot of success in pushing for greater regulations and protections for people in Ohio, and raised the bar in Virginia.

Lewis: If you are elected, is payday lending an issue that you will continue to work on? What else would be a focus for you?

LaCombe: Virginia recently passed legislation regarding payday lending, so I’m going to see how that works. There are major issues needing attention that I plan to work on. With our budget deficits, I worry about the cutting of any educational opportunities. I will work to make sure these programs are not cut, as they are an investment into the future.  In connection, I will work for educational opportunities for working adults and our retired military. Of course, transportation is going to be a focus. Hampton Roads should receive assistance from the state and federal government, as our transportation system is connected to our national security.

Lewis: How do we create a transportation plan?

It’s going to need to be a combination of idea. I don’t support adding tolls to roads currently without tolls. I think the use hot lanes, where drivers can chose to pay a toll for access to less congested lanes. This option is being used in norther Virginia. Really, people should have already been pushing for plans to be ready to take advantage of Obama’s infrastructure stimulus package.

Related posts:

1. Deeds WAPO editorial clarifies his transportation plan
2. Little heat in the debate between Bouchard and Stolle