VIRGINIA BEACH
Six candidates for the House of Delegates flashed their green credentials Wednesday night to about 100 residents at a forum on environmental issues. While they all showed love for the comeback of Lynnhaven River oysters, the sharpest ideological contrasts emerged on offshore drilling, a proposed uranium mine and global warming.
The forum, at Cape Henry Collegiate School, was sponsored by Lynnhaven River NOW, an environmental advocacy group. With the exception of few barbs traded at the end by Republican Del. Bob Purkey and his challenger, Peter Schmidt, there was little mudslinging.
Del. Joe Bouchard and fellow Democrats said offshore drilling shouldn't be pursued because of Navy concerns about impact to training areas.
"The Navy has said we are absolutely opposed to drilling," said Bouchard, former commanding officer of Norfolk Naval Station and director of government sales for Cox Communications.
He's facing a rematch with Chris Stolle, an obstetrician/gynecologist and vice president of medical affairs at Riverside Regional Medical Center, to represent the 83rd District.
Stolle and other Republicans at the forum said offshore drilling could boost economic development.
"Jobs are a darn good reason to drill offshore," said Stolle, brother of state Sen. Ken Stolle. "The Navy is not a problem."
Republicans at the forum said it's important to explore uranium mining at a site in Pittsylvania County.
"We've got to let the science play out," said Republican Ron Villanueva, a Beach councilman and defense contractor challenging Democrat Del. Bobby Mathieson, a retired police officer now working for a security firm. They're vying to represent the 21st District.
Mathieson and other Democrats said the risk of the proposed mine contaminating Lake Gaston, Virginia Beach's water supply, is too great.
"We spent too many years trying to get that water," he said.
Bouchard said combating global warming isn't a threat to the economy and said he will push to attract green industries such as wind and power companies to Virginia Beach.
"This attitude of oh-my-God-if-we-do-anything-it-will destroy-the-economy is just not true," he said.
Stolle said he would not support "government intervention" on greenhouse gas emissions.
"The planet has been warming for 12,000 years now. It continues to warm," he said. "The ocean is rising. We need to prepare for that."
In his closing statement, Schmidt, a Democrat, former city councilman and former director of the state Department of Environmental Quality, said Purkey has been "asleep at the wheel on environmental issues." He ticked off bills he said Purkey voted against.
Purkey, a Republican delegate since 1986, said he's cast more than 20,000 votes, some of which he regrets.
Citing water quality problems near Chesapeake golf course built with fly ash, Purkey said Schmidt relaxed rules when he was DEQ director under Gov. George Allen on how the coal byproduct could be used.
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
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New Delegate
Purkey must be evaluated on his record in the House of Delegates. What good is seniority if you fail to act? Purkey is the Chairman of House Finaance, yet the Speaker of the House, Bill Howell, knows that if he sends a bill to House Finance to increase revenue for transportation, it is dead on arrival in Purkey's committee. Citizens have expressed their utter frustration that the General Assembly acknowledges that our transportation funding is broken, but Purkey fails to fix it. Frankly, throw the bums out. Purkey has had every opportunity to be part of the solution; instead, he and Howell are the problem. Now, of course, they say we are in a recession, yet when the General Fund had a $300M surplus, they would not act either. Any citizen hoodwinked by McDonnell, Howell, Purkey, et al. in the House of Delegates should know that they simply won't act. We need a new Delegate.
Broken record
Amazing how you turn an article on the green debate into another soapbox for your transportation fantasies. Yes we know Mike that all Republicans are evil...blah, blah, blah. Republicans are evil in my book when they cease to be conservative and Constitution-abiding (many of them fall into that category.
As for the "green" movement, Man-made global warming is a hoax, based on faulty research. Drill for oil while we look for alternative sources on energy.
Run Mike Run!
It looks like in reality The Republicans have thrown YOU out Mike.
Environmental Issues are Economic Issues
While I admire Del. Bouchard, I think his philosophy that "gobal warming isn't a threat to the economy," is wrong. Environmental issues are economic issues. Maybe the line scrolls around the graph, but just like many other issues such as as education, transportation, social policies, health care, etc., the economy is affected by bad policies and poor decision-making, one way or another.
I do not agree with Dr. Stolle's assessment of the need for offshore drilling. It is surprising to me that he dismissed the concerns of the Navy in such a cavalier manner. Especially from a man who wants to represent a city that depends on the military for its contribution to our economy. Arrogance in the General Assembly will not be advantageous to the interests of VB in the state legislature nor with any other partners we may need to move this area forward.
I would like to know how many jobs will be created? 50? 100? 10,000? Will they be high paying jobs? Or minimum wage, entry-level positions?
Del. Bouchard's philosophy
was misrepresented by this article. He is well aware that global warming is a threat to the economy. What he actually said is that efforts to limit our contributions to global warming need not harm the economy, but will actually provide opportunities for economic growth through the development of renewable energy sources and green jobs.
Correction
The Virginian-Pilot didn't misrepresent Bouchard's position, you did. He didn't say "global warming isn't a threat to the economy, "Bouchard said combating global warming isn't a threat to the economy and said he will push to attract green industries such as wind and power companies to Virginia Beach."
Job performance
Stating facts about a legislator’s voting record isn’t “mudslinging.” Perhaps it was a bit unfair of Peter Schmidt to highlight just three of Del. Bob Purkey’s anti-environmental votes out of “more than 20,000 votes” he has cast, “some of which he regrets.” In fairness to Purkey, he should be evaluated on his legislative record as a whole. According to the League of Conservation Voters, Purkey’s voting record since 2000 supported environmental legislation just 39% of the time.
More Specific Information is Needed....
Depending on which of those 20,000 votes he "regrets.'
Cycles
The ocean rises all the time. It's called high tide.
Dikes?
"The ocean is rising. We need to prepare for that."
I'm thinking dikes?