Today's news is far less amusing.
Martinsville's Foreign Supplier Assessment Center's contract will not be renewed by the DoD. Unfortunately for the city of Martinsville, Mr. Goode insisted (rather bizarrely) that MZM not be burdened with any of the risk, should the facility fail to meet expectations.
As Waldo Jaquith noted, it seems a little strange that Goode was able to get the unwanted contract while Wade was giving him money, but now that the flow of cash has stopped, the contract is no more.
Why would Goode care so much that MZM not carry the risk? Did he even care how long the facility lasted? After how hard he tried to get it off the ground, how hard did he try to save it? He's given back the $90,500 in dirty money he already got, so now will he give Martinsville the $500,000 it needs to cover the bill?
Goode had this to say:
"I cannot help but believe that the recent negative publicity surrounding the president of the former owner of the property contributed to DoD+óGé¼Gäós decision."
Ya think? Might it also have something to do with the fact that the DoD didn't want the facility to begin with. They already had the equipment and the personel to do what the FSAC was charged to do. Maybe that's why Virgil Goode was so careful to ensure that MZM would get off scott free when someone finally drew a line through that line on the budget. Well, Congressman Goode, It's not just a line on the budget to Martinsville. You have failed this city for ten years through inaction, and after all the credit you took when "Project Goode" started up, you've hung them out to dry.
No one in Martinsville should vote for Virgil Goode ever again.
In the meantime, here's another link:
http://www.tpmmuckra...