Virginian-Pilot Slams Allen on the Craney Island "Mosquito Farm"

Allen has been a longtime proponent of Craney Island+óGé¼Gäós potential as an economic cornerstone for the commonwealth, dating back to his days in the governor+óGé¼Gäós mansion.

It+óGé¼Gäós what he+óGé¼Gäós done +óGé¼GÇ¥ or not done +óGé¼GÇ¥ since that+óGé¼Gäós the problem.

The dream of turning Craney Island into something more than a spot for dredge spoils and the nastiest mosquitoes on Earth founders on one simple fact: It+óGé¼Gäós a peninsula with no roads for getting trucks in and the cargo out.

As governor, Allen gutted the Virginia Department of Transportation, and took the lead in a long parade of governors unwilling +óGé¼GÇ¥ or incapable +óGé¼GÇ¥ of funding the kind of roads that ports and people need.

Great work, George!  Yeah, you really care about developing Craney Island.  Not.

More from the Virginian-Pilot:

In 2002, Allen refused to campaign with Sen. John Warner for a regional sales tax referendum that would+óGé¼Gäóve financed that third crossing and other transportation projects, a defeat that set the stage for the current impasse. Allen+óGé¼Gäós excuse? He didn+óGé¼Gäót want to get involved in local politics.

That reluctance, of course, didn+óGé¼Gäót stop him from opposing the 2004 state budget deal, an agreement that provided Virginia with the little money it has now to spend on roads.

As if making amends, Allen has pointed to $39.4 million secured last year for the third crossing. But a third crossing of Hampton Roads will cost more than $4.5 billion, which makes last year+óGé¼Gäós appropriation less than a rounding error.

If Allen is going to take the easy bows for stoking Craney Island+óGé¼Gäós economic possibilities, then he must also accept blame for not shouldering the unpopular, but necessary work of seeing it through.

Hey George, next time you try to score debating points and "embarrass" a true American Hero, maybe you ought to actually have DONE SOMETHING about the issue in question?  Other than obstruct it, that is?  As the Virginian-Pilot concludes:

[Allen] left out the fact that Craney Island won+óGé¼Gäót be anything other than a mosquito farm without the roads he has done little to provide.

That's right. With George Allen as our Senator, Virginia can be one giant mosquito farm.  Hey, it's not a pleasant vision, but at least it's a vision!  Good work, George.  Keep it up.

Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign.  The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not necessarily represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.

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