Putting VA-05 on the Map: Part II

I recently had the opportunity to speak with the man that, to me, is the Democrats' flagship candidate for 2008 - Tom Perriello, running against turncoat Virgil "I'm a peon" Goode in VA-05. Organizing heavily in the southern part of the district, using creative campaign techniques like "tithing" his campaign's volunteer hours to the community, and raising boatloads of money from donations large and small, Perriello has gained national attention from the likes of Roll Call, and Swing State Project, which recently updated the race from "likely Republican" to "lean Republican."

Q:What do you see as the "state of the environment in America" today?

Periello: Well, it's a sad state. We can start by being proud of some things. Our rivers are cleaner, our air is cleaner than its been in the past. Thats because people came together, Republicans and Democrats and said environmental stewardship is stewardship of the earth, and is an important non-partisan issue. But it became more partisan over time. And I think we didn't have the guts to tackle problems like climate change. When I think about the threat to our climate, its our number one national security threat, its our number one environmental threat, and its our top economic opportunity. This is the jobs engine of the next generation. Its alternative energy, clean energy, and the 5th district can be at the forefront of that. But Congressman Goode has spent 10 years thinking that this is liberal claptrap instead of putting us at the forefront of the energy independence struggle and the green jobs that come with it...
...[Goode]'s got a zero percent rating on clean energy and alternative energy. He's started talking about it now, but 10 years behind is where we are, so this is a great opportunity, but were going to have to step up as we move forward.

Q:What role do green jobs have to play in the 5th district.

Periello: They do have a big role to play, but I think its also important to remember that 2/3rds of job growth in this area comes from small business. So there are a lot of small business that are a part of driving the good, decent wage jobs that we need in this district. That's important to small business owners. We also need to invest in our workforce. I mean, you think, the countries we are competing against offer free college education, free healthcare and other things to make their workers more competitive. You heard it from Governor Warner today. We are at a tremendous economic competitive disadvantage we put on our companies by healthcare costs in this country.
And green jobs is a big deal. I talk to farmers all the time around this district who are desperate not only to find the next crop they can support their family, but to be part of the freedom struggle from foreign oil. Clearly we have the farmland to be part of second generation biofuels. Clearly we can do that in the 5th district.

Q: In Virginia we have a county, Wise County, where 25% of the land area has been lost to strip mining and mountaintop removal. In VA 29 mountains have been lost because of mountaintop removal. At the same time, this type of mining has caused an incredible loss in mining jobs because of the automation of labor...

Periello: And public health effects...

Q:...The public health effects...Do you have a position on mountintop removal, or is it an issue you are looking at?

Periello: I don't know the details of Wise County but I do know the problems of mountaintop removal and I think it's a disaster for our communities and our public health. I also think when you're talking about where we should be investing our energy dollars, were talking about 75 years investments. We should be making sure we are at the forefront of biofuels we should be at the forefront of alternative energies that can make us a part of that. Those are the areas (where growth will be at?)

Let me say one other thing. The environmental movement doesn't have a great track record of reaching out to working class folks all the time. And I think the kinds of work y'all are doing are very different from the environmentalism that goes on in Washington DC sometimes. But there's a reason I think there has been skepticism, we need to make a kind of commitment that we are as serious about providing healthcare and jobs to middle class families in these areas as we are about the environment. As you know, we can make those two things go hand in hand those things don't happen overnight. It happens from real commitment in bringing people together to make that kind of great job happen in those areas.

THE END

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This quote sums up everything right with Perriello's campaign:

When I think about the threat to our climate, its our number one national security threat, its our number one environmental threat, and its our top economic opportunity. This is the jobs engine of the next generation. Its alternative energy, clean energy, and the 5th district can be at the forefront of that.

Tom is as ready as we are for the kind of drastic change that it will take to save the future of our planet as we know it. In our great crises, he sees great opportunities. Victory on November 4th is possible. But it won't just happen on its own. Help us with GOTV to make Virgil "Im a Peon" Goode history in Congress. Help us send Tom Perriello - a great, qualified, and hard-working man to represent the fifth district in Washington.  

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