09 April 2010

Ninth District politics

While Delegate Morgan Griffith will pick up the Ninth District GOP nod to run against Rick Boucher and has extensive experience within the House of Delegates, I submit that politics as usual will not cut it in the Ninth this year. Need an example? This year is the first in recent memory that a true independent candidate is running. Jeremiah Heaton has already been on the stump in significant ways.

Traditionally, the Ninth has reelected Boucher on the strength of his efforts in the coalfield counties such as Buchanan, Wise and Dickenson. Why does Boucher perform well in coal country? He’s in the pocket of Cecil Roberts and the UMWA. Boucher will spend most of his time in District in Abingdon or in the coal counties. I can understand that, one has to keep his bread buttered. I submit that this year may present a different outcome.

Current dissatisfaction with Congress is not necessarily limited to just Democrats. Anger with incumbents reach across party lines. Mr. Morgan, Mr. Heaton and Mr. Boucher would all be well advised to remember this. The American people and the people of the Ninth District want real solutions. They want real, good paying jobs in the manufacturing sector. They want our coal jobs to remain where they are, in the Ninth District. The people of the Ninth District do not want politics as usual.

Washington County is in dire need of good manufacturing jobs to bolster a sagging economy. The new Lowe’s has provided much needed jobs, but we have several industrial parks sitting empty with infrastructure available to companies who would be willing to invest in the site and in the community. Companies rumored to have been interested are TRW, Toyota among others. Why is the Glade Highlands Industrial Park sitting empty? Where are the good paying jobs Mr. Boucher assured us would come.

Perhaps the most indicative indicator is Mr. Boucher’s support of the so-called Cap and Trade legislation. According to the Heritage Foundation, Virginia will lose 26,604 jobs while raising electricity prices by $532.18 per household. These numbers are for the timeframe 2012 – 2035, or 23 years.On average, Virginia will lose almost 1,200 jobs a year. Why did Boucher vote for Cap and Tax?

Last year, Crystal Clear Conservative asked if Boucher could kiss his seat goodbye. At the time, I was skeptical. Now, not so much.

3 comments:

  1. Well there is a lot this year that makes Boucher distasteful to the voters. But the GOP has given the 'nod' to someone who doesn't even live in the district!? And independents sadly enough are not only guaranteed to lose, but hasten the slide to socialism by splitting the conservative vote. So are you telling me there are no potential citizen legislators in the 9th??!!!!
    The Independence Caucus has interviewed 2 stellar republican candidates so far and I encourage you to get out and find them.
    http://www.lightforcongress.com/
    http://davidmoore4congress.com

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  2. I have made my decision to support Mr. Heaton because he represents the truest form of citizen legislator. He has no machinery to support him like Mr. Griffith nor does he have access to large PAC contributions like Mr. Boucher. I have deep respect for each of the individuals running against Mr. Boucher, but Morgan Griffith's candidacy smacks of another Jay Katzen run. As much as I dislike admiting this, voters in the lower portion of the Ninth District tend to have a distrust of the more intellectual northern end of the district.

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  3. I've heard the candidates speak in Bluefield and this guy David Moore out of Tazewell is a Constitutional pro-life retired military man and he really inspired me that the Republicans might have found someone the people will actually vote for.

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