The following press release is from the Deeds campaign. The bottom line is this: while
Creigh Deeds may not be the ideal
"green" candidate,
Bob McDonnell will without doubt be an utter, unmitigated, complete (did I leave out any adjectives?) disaster on energy and environmental issues if - god forbid - he is elected the next governor of Virginia. If you care about the environment in the least bit, you should NOT - repeat NOT - vote for Bob McDonnell. End of story.
VIRGINIA’S TOP ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS ANNOUNCE ENDORSEMENT OF CREIGH DEEDS FOR GOVERNOR
Endorsement highlights “Green Divide” between gubernatorial candidates
(Virginia Beach, VA) – With Virginia Beach’s lively oceanfront as the backdrop, the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters today announced their respective groups’ endorsement of Senator Creigh Deeds for Governor.
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters annual General Assembly Scorecard provides a clear picture of the contrast between the gubernatorial candidates. Deeds’ cumulative score is 86% while McDonnell’s is only 18%. “Creigh Deeds’ has made protecting the environment a priority throughout his time in the General Assembly,” said Lisa Guthrie, Executive Director of VALCV. “The choice is clear for Virginia voters who want to protect our air, land and water.”
“As opposed to his opponent, Senator Deeds understands the true win-win opportunity that transitioning to a clean energy economy brings to Virginia”, explained Glen Besa, Virginia Chapter Director with the Sierra Club. “His energy plan with its mandatory renewable portfolio standards, tax credit programs, building an energy-based research triangle, will make Virginia extremely attractive to green businesses that will create in Virginia thousands of good, high-paying clean energy jobs.”
The environmental groups were quick to point out Deeds’ opponent, Bob McDonnell’s poor environmental record. “McDonnell’s agenda is a pro-developer and pro-polluter agenda”, added Besa.
Paul Hamaker, a Virginia Resident active in protecting Stumpy Lake objected to then Delegate and attorney Bob McDonnell for his representation of developer Eddie S. Garcia. “Had McDonnell had his way, 145 acres of wetlands and watershed that is today Stumpy Lake Nature Preserve would have been destroyed for yet another massive residential development”, said Mr. Hamaker.
McDonnell has proposes drilling for oil off the coast of Virginia Beach as means of raising revenues for transportation. “In reality, Bob McDonnell has no real plan to meet our critical transportation needs in Hampton Roads,” said Eileen Levandoski, a Virginia Beach resident who works on drilling issues for Sierra Club. “Even if drilling for oil off Virginia Beach was authorized, there is little chance that the Congress will share royalty revenues with Virginia. The US Navy opposes drilling and the massive and continuing spill off the Australian coast should be a message that drilling off our coast simply isn’t worth the risk.”
