U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte's long campaign to inflict damage on both Virginia's economy and infrastructure is also taking aim at the commonwealth's environment. Again.The 6th District representative, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, appears poised to push legislation that would cripple the Environmental Protection Agency's cleanup efforts in the Chesapeake Bay.
Why would a congressman from Virginia, which surrounds the lower Chesapeake, do such a thing? Perhaps an explanation can be found in the $2,014,628 Goodlatte has received during his long career in Washington from individuals and organizations connected to agribusiness, according to OpenSecrets.org, the donation-tracking clearinghouse of The Center for Responsive Politics.
In other words, the guy's a corporate tool and an anti-environmental sociopath. Meanwhile, between his constant attacks on the environment, his obstructionism regarding comprehensive immigration reform, his assault on the Voting Rights Act, and much much more, Bob BADlatteBob Goodlatte is now vying for the lead in the "worst Congresscritter from Virginia" category with Dave Brat, Morgan Griffith, Robert Hurt, Randy Forbes and Barbara Comstock (not saying Scott Rigell or Rob Wittman are good, they're just not quite as heinous as the ones I listed). Sad to say, but BADlatte's district is gerrymandered for his incumbency protection, which means unless/until the courts intervene and force Virginia to redraw its Congressional districts, we're probably stuck with this embarrassment to our state.
The purpose of Blue Virginia is to cover Virginia politics from a progressive and Democratic perspective. This is a group blog, founded by me (Lowell Feld), but now including several other progressive writers. I can't speak for the other "front pagers," but I consider myself a progressive in the tradition of Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, JFK, RFK and actually a bunch of progressive Republicans (e.g., Jacob Javits, Lowell Weicker). As such, I believe in expanding opportunities to all, utilizing government as a tool to promote the general welfare and the common good, protecting the environment for ourselves and for future generations, and expanding the rights promised in our Constitution and Bill of Rights to all Americans.
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