"Virgil Goode, This Is Your Bill, Will You Pay It?"

By: Al Weed for Congress
Published On: 8/3/2006 5:55:10 PM

Al gave the following statement today at a press conference outside the City Manager's office in Martinsville, VA.

Mr. Goode, In 1994 you were quoted in the Roanoke Times asking the question of Senator Chuck Robb, +óGé¼+ôHave you exhibited the character, the judgment and the lawful conduct that Virginians deserve from their elected officials?+óGé¼-¥ Today, Mr. Goode, I ask the same question of you. You wanted answers for Senator Robb+óGé¼Gäós behavior in +óGé¼Gäó94, and today I would like some answers for yours.

Sometime in 2003 your friend, and fellow millionaire, Mitchell Wade enlisted you to help him make as much money possible regardless of the cost. You pocketed his illegal contributions and got him what he wanted.

You then stood by Mr. Wade+óGé¼Gäós side as he made great promises to the citizens of Martinsville. He claimed that by the end of this year, his company would create over 150 jobs with a payroll of over $7.8 million dollars. He even wrote in a letter, +óGé¼+ôI am sure you understand that we anticipate a long relationship with the City of Martinsville and so these benefits can be expected to continue and even grow in the years that follow.+óGé¼-¥


You supported his lies when you claimed this was about jobs. This is, and always was, about money. You got what you wanted, and once again neglected the citizens.

While Mr. Wade engaged in felonious acts of bribery on the grandest scale you gave him an earmark for a multi-million dollar Pentagon contract. A contract the Department of Defense never wanted. Now that your supporters are in jail and their money has dried up, so has the contract. How can you have the gall to blame the media, when the real cause is your failure as a Congressman?

Why did you sacrifice your constituents to protect your illegal contributions? When Mr. Wade offered only $400,000.00 for a building worth over $1 million, and said that the rest was Martinsville+óGé¼Gäós problem, what did you do? You should have told him to pay up, but you didn+óGé¼Gäót.

Instead, you requested that Martinsville enter into this performance agreement with the Commonwealth of Virginia. As your support for massive deficits shows, you have no problem disregarding the taxpayers+óGé¼Gäó interests for your political gain. But this time you have gone too far.

Now the Pentagon has officially terminated the useless contract you earmarked for your friend. With Athena+óGé¼Gäós closing, the terms of this loan will not be fulfilled. Now the taxpayers of Martinsville will have to pay at least as much as you took in illegal contributions, perhaps twice that much. You got the useless earmark, you pocketed the cash, which you then distributed for your own political gain, and you put Martinsville at risk. I stand here with taxpayers and we are angry that you look to cast blame on others when the blame falls squarely on your shoulders. Mr. Goode, this is your bill, will you pay it? You owe it to the people you claim to serve.

Al wasn't taking any prisoners today. Goode has already broken his policy only to respond to questions submitted in writing, and as more people start demanding answers, it'll be harder and harder for him to stonewall and dodge questions.

His first cop-out answer will be that Martinsville won't have to repay all that money; but even if the entire loan were forgiven, the Commonwealth of Virginia will have spent a half a million dollars for something that didn't help Virginians at all -- just a millionaire felon from New Jersey.

His second cop-out answer will be that, "No one could have foreseen in 2003 that the center wasn't here to stay." Sure. No one could have foreseen that the Pentagon would cancel projects they never wanted in the first place, just like no one could have foreseen the levee breach or the insurgency in Iraq. Would you risk your own money so your buddy could start a business to provide services no one wants? Of course not. Then why would you risk ours?


Comments



In light of Katherine Harris's subpeona (lwumom - 8/3/2006 6:09:50 PM)
can we expect for Virgil Goode to get one as well?  Or is he hiding his, too?


Oh man, (Al Weed for Congress - 8/3/2006 10:23:39 PM)
I didn't even see this until you mentioned it.


TPM Muckraker - Virgil Goode and Mitchell Wade (ixtx - 8/4/2006 8:18:14 AM)
Go to this site to find out more...

http://www.tpmmuckra...



Progress in Coverage (Kathy Gerber - 8/4/2006 11:00:44 AM)
It's been brought to my attention that the local media picked up the event here:
Danville Register Bee

and at
Martinsville Bulletin

and I hear there will be more to come.

Comments are invited at the Register Bee.



Virgil, was it stupid, or criminal? (Bubby - 8/4/2006 12:28:44 PM)
In March, April and November 2003, MZM's PAC and company officials gave Goode's campaign a total of $19,000 in the days surrounding the award of three Pentagon contracts to MZM.

Show me one other politician (other than the incarcerated Rep.Cunningham) that would accept such donations.  Name one. So Virgil what is it, are you a crooked politician, or a stupid politician?  Virginia deserves better.



MZM Martinsville: Where the money came from. (Bubby - 8/4/2006 2:16:43 PM)
By MICKEY POWELL
Bulletin Staff Writer
4/4/03

While MZM Inc. declined to take local or state incentive money directly, the city of Martinsville received $627,000 in state and private-sector funds to help the defense firm buy the shell building at Clearview Business Park for its new operation.
.....
The Governor's Opportunity Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission each presented city officials with checks for $250,000.
......
Also, the Chamber's Partnership for Economic Growth (C-PEG) contributed $127,000. The partnership, affiliated with the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce, raises private money to support local economic development efforts.

(the same Chamber that made admitted felon, and former Athena Innovative Solutions /MZM Director Richard Berglund president of the Chamber last year?)

MZM bought the 50,000 square-foot building for $400,000, according to Martinsville Mayor M. Gene Teague. The state and C-PEG money, along with MZM's payment, will cover the building's $945,000 construction cost plus interest, he said.
...
MZM turned down direct incentive money because "it was easier for us to make a cash deal on our end," said company President and Chief Executive Officer Mitchell Wade.

Yeah, "cash deal"; MZM "owned" Virgil Goode with "cash" paid, and Martinsville was desparate for a "deal" on their unused industrial building. Easy!

So the taxpayer money went to Martinsville, and Martinsville used it to pay-off the building (according to Mayor Teague).  Athena Innovative Solutions is holding an asset (bldg.+12 acres) paid for by Virginia taxpayers, citizens, and the Chamber. And Martinsville agreed to pay the debt on a building that they had already been paid for?  That is so unusual that it begs the question, were Martinsville and Virgil Goode hostages of MZM/Athena Innovative Solutions?  Was the deal structured to guarantee that Goode and the City would peddle their influence in Washington and Richmond to keep MZM fully funded?

Virginia deserves answers.