Letters to the Editor for Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Election fervor building up

For Jeff Price
In all my many years of public service, I have never written a letter to the editor supporting a political candidate. I take that responsibility very seriously. However, with the current lack of representation in the House of Delegates in the 24th District, I find it urgent that someone speak out.

This district, which includes most of Amherst County, is not accustomed to having an invisible delegate in Richmond. Whether you agreed with them or not, Don Pendleton and Vance Wilkins were active, visible, and effective representatives for our District.

I believe that Jeff Price can restore that sort of representation to our district. Unlike our current delegate, Price works in the district. He manages a business in our district. He is active in local organizations in our district. He has proved that he can handle the complex responsibility of state government. He is outgoing and dynamic and can get the needed attention of other delegates in Richmond.

Seniority, without effectiveness, in the House of Delegates is meaningless. Look at Del. Shannon Valentine, who has made an immediate impact.

Let’s give Price the opportunity to restore visibility and respectability to our representation in the House of Delegates for the 24th District. Please vote for him Nov. 3.
ROY C. MAYO III
Clerk
Amherst County Circuit Court

Set the record straight
Thanks to The News & Advance for the Oct. 20 editorial regarding Scott Garrett’s attempt to distort Del. Shannon Valentine’s record. It’s time Garrett’s misleading attacks were set straight. I hope our community joins me to call on him to be truthful and raise his campaign to a respectable level the remainder of the election. But alas, he has not shown the character or the inclination to do so.

He has distorted his own record on City Council to try and make himself look better to the voters. As a retired firefighter, I can say that he has not supported the city employees, public safety or education. In short, Scott Garrett would be a disaster for Central Virginia in the General Assembly.

On the other hand, because of her commitment to our men and women in uniform, Shannon Valentine has been endorsed by every public safety organization across the state, including firefighters, police officers, sheriff’s department and EMS officials. As Mike Mohler, president of the Virginia Professional Firefighters, said Valentine is a legislator who “protects the protectors.”

She has more than filled the shoes of her predecessor, Preston Bryant. Her honesty and willingness to work with people and civic groups is rare and much appreciated. She holds the conservative values that have made the Hill City a wonderful place to live as her benchmark. Lynchburg will be fortunate to have her continue to represent all the voices of the Hill City in Richmond.
ART LIPSCOMB
Legislative Director
Virginia Professional Fire Fighters
Forest

Sick of the thesis
For literally months, I have been reading and hearing about the thesis written by Bob McDonnell 20 years ago. That was a generation ago — is there anyone alive who has not changed a thing in all those years? It stands to reason McDonnell would write in accordance with the Christian college he was attending at that time.

Yet, more pathetic, it seems to me that this thesis is the only thing that Creigh Deeds has going for him.

I can’t be duped again by a guy who has so little to offer that he makes McDonnell’s thesis the core of his campaign.
LUCY WILLIAMS
Lynchburg

Competing visions
We understand that Scott Garrett is running for the House of Delegates as a champion of the people who don’t want to pay taxes.

We are with him; we don’t like taxes, either.

We have never had a house fire, and our children don’t do drugs, so we can do away with the fire department and police. We can get rid of schools, too; we’ll just keep our children at home and home-school them.

While we’re at it, we might as well release all those criminals loafing around in our jails and prisons getting free room and board on our tax dollars. Oh, and those roads that need to be built or fixed up? Well, we can let them go; we’ll all just start walking.

On second thought, maybe this is not the vision we have for our community.

We like decent roads, good schools and safe communities. Virginia has always been a low tax state. Yes, this was true even when Democrats controlled both houses of the General Assembly and the governor’s mansion.

We should not question taxes being levied, but whether they are levied fairly (i.e. those who use a public service the most should pay the most taxes for it).

Sadly, the only platform the Republicans of Virginia can come up with is anti-taxes.

If your vision of Virginia is a place without taxes, without firefighters, police or schools, without decent roads, then please vote for Scott Garrett.

We will vote for a delegate who has shown she is responsive to the needs of Central Virginia and can legislate in a responsible manner: Shannon Valentine.
BRIAN and ALLISON JABLONSKI
Lynchburg

For Garrett
I have been very impressed by the volume of letters to the editor published in The News & Advance that support Shannon Valentine for delegate during the past few weeks. Anywhere from two to four letters a day supporting Valentine have been published and in the name of “diversity,” I would like to say that I support Scott Garrett for delegate.

I won’t praise Garrett with endless lofty words to impress your readers — I will simply declare my support for him and vote for him.

Lastly, I appreciate your publication of the letters for Valentine, but don’t you think her supporters have gotten more than enough ink from The News & Advance or will the barrage continue until Election Day? There are other issues going on in the world to discuss.
RICHARD A EFTHIM
Lynchburg

For Valentine
We write in support of Del. Shannon Valentine for re-election.

She has represented our district with care toward all constituents — wealthy and poor, black and white.

Scott Garrett has misrepresented Del. Valentine’s position on taxes.

She has handled her job with grace and class that raises the district’s stature in the eyes of other legislators.

Garrett mishandled the appointment of a School Board member who would not have been approved by the full City Council.

She has run a campaign that has brought people together as moderates in an area too often polarized far left and far right.

Garrett has run down his opponent — through “push polls” and angry attack mailings — as a part of his strategy to win.

With less money to run the affairs of Virginia, we need leaders in Richmond who can do the job with character, humility and honesty. We need to re-elect Shannon Valentine.
ROB and MARGI VAUGHN
Lynchburg