Bristol Herald Courier on Who Pulls the Strings in Richmond

By: Lowell
Published On: 2/3/2008 7:47:06 AM

One of my favorite Virginia newspaper opinion writers, Andrea Hopkins of the Bristol Herald Courier, has a good one today on "the extent of lobbyists' influence" in Richmond.  Specifically, Hopkins' op-ed concerns "legislation to strip Virginia's citizen boards of their power to regulate air and water pollution." Sadly, this legislation is sponsored by an otherwise good Democrat, Sen. Phil Puckett (D-Lebanon). Here's Hopkins:

PUCKETT'S VERSION of the bill is still alive. It would still eliminate a valuable avenue of protection for health and environment.

Puckett and others complain that the citizen boards lack the expertise to decide the complicated scientific matters connected with air and water pollution permits. Regular citizens shouldn't be making such calls, he argues.

This is a bit deceptive. One of the "citizens" who is the subject of such concern is Hullihen Williams Moore, an Air Pollution Control Board member who wants Dominion Virginia Power to provide more information about its proposed Wise County coal-burning power plant.

[...]

But this debate isn't really about the qualifications of citizen board members. It's about who pulls the strings in Richmond. Right now, it looks like the lobbyists for the power industry and other moneyed interests, like Big Tobacco to name just one, are pulling the strings and the lawmakers are doing the dancing.

Somehow, I doubt that most citizens of Virginia want powerful corporate lobbyists "pulling the strings" while our lawmakers "do the dancing."  That's how we end up with situations like the homebuilders opposing a bill to require $2 rain sensors on sprinklers (to save water), Dominion Virginia Power writing parts of its own re-regulation bill, and tobacco companies blocking  government from protecting restaurant workers against second-hand smoke.

Crazy, I know. Perhaps it's time for some serious tightening of rules on lobbying and political contributions in Virginia?  Perhaps we should pay our representatives more but forbid them from accepting anything - even a cup of coffee - from a lobbyist?  Whatever it takes, as far as I'm concerned, to get this insidious, corrupting influence out of Richmond once and for all. Of course, the lobbyists will try to block lobbying reform, and the politicians have little incentive to do anything about it, barring a public outcry - hint hint.

P.S. And we wonder why things are the way they are? Read this and you'll get a good idea: Gifts to Lawmakers Surpass Record: Va. Reports Show $263,000 in Trips And Other Treats.

Comments



The Virginian-Pilot too (elevandoski - 2/3/2008 9:23:47 AM)
Granted it comes from the opposite side of Virginia, but still...

The VP has now put out two lead editorials chastising the two bills (HB1302 and SB423).  There's "Citizen role vital on pollution boards".  And there is yesterday's editorial entitled "Business Demands Foul Air in Richmond" in which VP recants the conversation VB's Delegate Joe Bouchard had with industries in want of pollution permits. Go Joe!

This bill, SB423, comes before the Senate Ag Committee on Monday morning, Feb. 4th at 9:00 am as does Sen. Frank Wagner's uranium mining bill.  PLEASE contact these senators and tell them to vote NO on SB423 (Striping Citizen Voices on Environmental Boards) and SB525 (Uranium mining).  bout here.  And there is yesterday's editorial in which VP  



Legal Bribery is the Problem (connie - 2/3/2008 11:46:04 AM)
Gifts aren't the biggest problem. There used to be a time when trips, dinners and other gifts were what made the rotten system stink.  But there is no longer need for such frivolities when bribery is legal through outright campaign donations and the open faucet of PAC money.  This is true not just in Virginia but throughout the country,  including Washington.   Private citizens don't have anywhere need the access and influence of the special interests and their lobbyists....The Bristol Herald Courier is using one tactic to fight back....publicity and shame....it's about all the grassroots organizations have since they aren't throwing around PAC money.  (And even if they had it they couldn't throw it around without losing their nonprofit status)... Unless one tries to get involved, the average citizen has NO IDEA how the game is played.  I talked to a community volunteer recently who objected to the suggestion that the Pay Day Lending Industry had used campaign donations to influence the outcome of the battle pending in Virginia.  "That's not true with regard to my Delegate, she said.  He's a friend of mine and he doesn't take money from ANYBODY"....Right!!!

Can you imagine in this day and age someone thinking that any candidate can get elected without cow towing to special interests for campaign donations?  I gave her the VPAP website address.

The role of money in political campaigns has made our country cease to be a true democracy in my view, and the average person doesn't understand or care about how this dirty game is played.  We will never truly be able to have the voice of the citizens heard if the system isn't changed.

What's really sad is that the late, great Henry Howell railed against the abuses and disproportionate influence of the power companies and other "big boys", but in the 30 years since he last ran for office nothing has changed.  In fact, it's gotten much worse despite the hype of so-called campaign finance and ethics reforms.  Alleged reforms have been an empty gesture: a joke in fact.  As Henry said:

There's more going around in the dark than Santa Claus, and hanky-panky is its name!