More about Z
An afternoon with Governor Jim Justice
A day at the Berkeley County Schools annual Olweus Bullying Prevention Community Wide Kick-Off on September 22, 2022.
Because we care about our neighbors
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Lansdowne at our home Prom for our daughter and her friends
Family is everything and the reason I do what I do
Z then and now My looks may change but the willing to work for others will ALWAYS stay the same.
Article in the Journal
W.Va. House of Delegates — District 93: Zondria "Z" Lansdowne
Apr 24, 2022
Zondria "Z" Lansdowne
Democrat
Age 51 of Martinsburg
Occupation: Director of Non-Profit
Family: Married 30+years with 13 children and 10 grandchildren
How Long Have You Lived In The Area: since 2010
Relevant Experience Serving The Community: Operate a Non-Profit working with the families of Berkeley County managing small support groups, emergency assistance and guidance to make families successful in reaching their goals.
Headshot Photo: true
What Office Are You Seeking: House of Delegates District 93
Are You The Incumbent: No
Why Are You Running For Office: I am running for office for my children and yours. I love West Virginia and I need my children to love it as much as I do. I do not want them to have to go across state line to find housing, jobs or education. We are getting the stores and the restaurants so we should never have to spend our money in another state. WV is almost perfect to me so I am running so the rest of the world can love it half as much as I do. No more complaints let's perfect our Wild and Wonderful state.
Identify The Most Pressing Issues Relevant To The Position You Are Seeking And How You Would Address Them: We need better benefits for our teachers. I understand we may never be able to meet the salaries of the surrounding states for their educators, but I feel there are other ways we can help our teachers and other civil service workers. I would offer assistance in paying off college loans, full paid health care and no state tax for those that went to a WV school and will agree to stay here to work and live. Our children are our future we need to take care of those that instruct them daily.
I would work with our law enforcement to get them the education they may need to identify mental health emergencies, mental health assistance for themselves and customer service classes to help them deal with the multiple personalities they deal with daily. Our law enforcement chose their careers when other chose not to, and we need to all work together to respect one another and our differences.
I would concentrate on the traffic patterns in Berkeley County. There are a few streets like the Fox Croft area that need to be "decongested"..
What Makes You Best Suited To Serve Your Constituents: As a mother, wife, community advocate and a concerned citizen, I possess a unique ability to see the needs in the communities and statewide concerns and issues front the standpoint of the voters that I support. I have a point of view which I can carry to the house of delegates that will resonate the views of the average neighbor. I feel it is time we stop complaining and start taking action to better our communities and our state. I love West Virginia, and I plan to keep WV the greatest state in the U.S.
What Separates You From Other Candidates: I am not the person sitting behind a desk thinking I know what is best for my neighbors. I am the person you see volunteering in the streets, showing up for town hall meetings and working with the average family to hear their concerns and help find resolutions to their problems. We can continue to make WV the place where we can raise our families without them having to move away for better jobs or educational opportunities. We need to stop the mass exodus of our young people and continue to make our state a place to call home.
How Do You Plan To Work With People Who Have Different Views Than Your Own: I currently work with people from all backgrounds and beliefs. I am crazy enough to know that without a difference of opinion we would never see the full picture of any situation. I value differences and always aim to learn from them.
https://www.journal-news.net/journal-news/lansdowne-seeks-election-in-delegate-district-93/article_587ff333-8810-5216-9f78-777f91be9899.html#:~:text=61%C2%B0,might%20be%20needed.
FEATURED
Lansdowne seeks election in Delegate District 93
Feb 16, 2022
Zondria Lansdowne's views come from her roles in life, many that have helped her cultivate the unique ability to tackle issues from many sides. A wife of more than 30 years and a mother, Lansdowne felt it was her time to inspire change as she recently filed to run for the West Virginia House of Delegates in District 93 on the Democratic ticket.
"I was inspired to run by my children," Lansdowne said. "I have 13 children, and they need to know that when they see a need for change, that it is up to them to make that change. I want our children everywhere to know that West Virginia is our state and that their words are powerful.
"If you feel you can make a situation better, it is our responsibility to do that. I am working for equality for all people. I feel it is our time to unite and keep West Virginia wild and wonderful."
Lansdowne said some of her main focuses, if elected, would be fighting for 50-50 custody, having no speed cameras in the sate and legalizing cannabis. She would also work to address the challenges of the drug epidemic, ensure the rights of gun owners and fight for better broadband access statewide.
Through her work with multiple community organizations, Lansdowne has been able to see the areas of need in the state, ones that are important to the average person in West Virginia.
"As a mother of 13 children, a wife of over 30 years, a community advocate and a concerned citizen, I possess a unique ability to view political points of view, local politics, needs in the communities and statewide concerns and issues from the standpoint of the voters that I support," she said. "I feel I have a point of view, which I can carry to the House of Delegates, that will resonate the views of the average neighbor.
"It is time we stop complaining and start taking action to better our communities and our state. I love West Virginia, and I moved here to have a peaceful, quiet life in this wild and wonderful place I call home. It is time I do my part, and I am calling on all of my neighbors, friends, families and all those who are ready for a change to come out and do (their part) so we can make this change together."
A part of several local organizations, Lansdowne spoke of People of Worth Inc., specifically, a group that assists families in reaching pre-set goals to improve their living situations, including housing, education, community, finance and anything else that might be needed.
People of Worth Inc. opens free grocery store in downtown Martinsburg, W.Va., for anyone in need
on June 2, 2022
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — With a goal of providing help to those in need, Zondria Lansdowne, founder of People of Worth Inc., hosted the grand opening of a free grocery store in downtown Martinsburg this week.
“It was the greatest thing ever,” Lansdowne said of the opening.
The vision for the grocery store came from the notice of a financial gap, according to Lansdowne.
“I noticed there was this need, this gap. People need food, but a lot of people work, and they don’t have enough to get the groceries they need to make it to the end of the month,” she explained. “I decided to open a food pantry that is more like a grocery store.” …
Live interview on WRNR https://anchor.fm/panhandle-news-network/episodes/Panhandle-Live--9-29-22-e1oi9vc/a-a8jug89
Parents struggle after monthly child tax credit payments end
By Tami Luhby, CNN
Updated 9:23 AM EST, Sun January 30, 2022
Losing the enhanced monthly child tax credit pushed Joi Lansdowne to start toilet training her daughter Kaleasi, who recently turned 2. That way, the mom of two could save money on diapers, which run her about $100 every 10 days or so.
“That is a huge expense,” said Lansdowne, 26, who worked as a case worker for the state of Maryland until the fall and had hoped she’d continue receiving the $300 monthly infusion this year. “When you don’t have the funds to cover those things, you’ve got to get creative.”
Lansdowne, who also cut off cable at her Martinsburg, West Virginia, home to help her afford the mortgage, is looking for a job. But it’s not easy since she’d have to shell out hundreds of dollars a month for child care for Kaleasi and her baby sister, Lalani, who is four months old.
Lansdowne has a message for her senator, Joe Manchin, a Democrat whose strong opposition to extending the enhanced credit for another year was a leading cause of the Senate’s failure to pass the party’s sweeping spending package last month.
“Go speak to the working class and see how they feel,” she said. “I will tell you, it helped a lot. And now I’m in a predicament where I can’t work because there is no child tax credit to help me with day care.”
Senate negotiations stalled
Manchin effectively put the negotiations over the Build Back Better package on ice last month when he said he could not support the provisions, particularly the enhanced child tax credit.
The Senate has said it plans to revisit the package and possibly change or break up the proposals into ones that Manchin and other moderate Democrats would approve.
However, President Joe Biden recently acknowledged that the beefed-up credit might wind up on the cutting room floor.
Democratic supporters of the enhanced credit aren’t giving up so easily. Five senators – Michael Bennet of Colorado, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Ron Wyden of Oregon – last week wrote a letter to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris urging them to “secure” an extension of the credit.
“The expanded CTC is a signature domestic policy achievement of this administration and has been an overwhelming success,” wrote the senators. “The consequences of failing to extend the CTC expansion are dire, particularly as families face another wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
(above is a part of a larger story on CNN Politics)
Governor Jim Justice makes sales pitch in eastern panhandle on tax plan
by: Steven Cohen
Posted: Mar 25, 2021 / 06:51 PM EDT
Updated: Mar 26, 2021 / 08:45 AM EDT
MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (WDVM) — West Virginia Governor Jim Justice took a sales trip to the eastern panhandle Thursday afternoon.
Is it possible to live in West Virginia and not pay any income tax? It’s probably worth taking a look at the fine print.
The governor is selling his plan to eliminate the state income tax, a scheme he says will attract more residents to the Mountain State and drive economic growth. The legislature is on board with the idea but wants to phase in his plan over the next decade or so.
The governor addressed concerns at his town hall that taxes will have to be raised on other goods and services to make up for the lost income tax revenue.
“Everybody’s going to end up with more net dollars in their pocket after they’ve paid for a rise in consumer sales tax or whatever it may be,” said the governor.
John Overington served for many years in the West Virginia legislature from the eastern panhandle as Speaker pro tem and knows a thing or two about tax policy.
“West Virginia is the only state that over the decades has lost population,” said Overington. “And I think this would be saying to people come to West Virginia. We don’t tax your income. And I think there’s something like a dozen states that are in that category. And they seem to be prospering a lot better than West Virginia. That might attract people to come to West Virginia.”
But what about criticism that if the income tax is taken off the books, sales taxes will have to be raised to make up for the lost revenue?
Zondria Lansdowne of Martinsburg said, “I don’t agree with that. Because I believe we choose what we want to purchase. And if you choose to buy something that’s over $5,000, you’re going to pay more in sales tax for it. If you can’t afford it you just don’t afford it. You just don’t do it.”
The legislative plan will have to be resolved in about two weeks. Governor Justice noted that four of the ten fastest-growing states in the U.S. have no income tax.
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