Letters to the Editor for Sunday, January 29, 2012

Good government requires hard work

In his Jan. 23 letter to the editor, Rick Boyer said I was no longer a member of the Republican party of Campbell County due to my support of a referendum for a meals tax and occupancy tax.

The reason I am no longer a member of the local unit is because I supported his opponent who was successful in the election for Clerk of the Circuit Court in 2010. Republican unit rules prohibit someone from being a member if he supports someone other than the party candidate. In 2011, I chose to run as an independent and joined the Independent Conservatives of Campbell County rather than seek reinstatement to the local Republican unit, which is heavily controlled by Boyer and his friends.

I respect people who disagree with any of my votes when they are informed. Many difficult and complex issues that affect those that I represent come before the Board of Supervisors for consideration. Not all will be decided in a way that every person agrees with. I believe the people who elected me for six terms understand I have the best interests of the county at heart as I make these decisions. Boyer’s attack on me was neither informed nor with the best interest of the county in mind. It was self-serving and apparently a continued attempt to revive his failed political aspirations.

Next year, the county will face very tough budget issues that include increasing mandates from the state and federal governments, decreasing revenues to pay for them and limited local resources. I encourage everyone to become informed on these issues and provide constructive and respectful input to the board in how the tax burden should be distributed. That is what produces good government.

EDDIE GUNTER JR.

Lynchburg

Editor’s note: Gunter represents the Concord District on the Campbell County Board of Supervisors.

Renewable power

Virginia’s renewable energy goals are a modest 15 percent of non-nuclear electric generation (approximately 10 percent of all generation) by 2025 with double credit given to wind and solar and triple for offshore wind.

The law was designed to encourage new sources of electric generation within the state. To date, Dominion and Appalachian Power Co. have received $90 million of utility bonuses, but they have created no jobs within Virginia for generating electricity from renewable energy.

The overwhelming majority of our power comes from generating facilities (18 out of 28) that were built before World War II. The law granting these bonuses even allows Dominion and Virginia Electric Power Company to qualify for these bonuses by buying renewable energy certificates from outside the state.

Two bills are currently pending in the General Assembly to strengthen the laws that encourage clean power and jobs in Virginia and stop more corporate handouts. House Bill 657 and House Bill1166/Senate Bill 382 create basic reporting requirements for energy and jobs for Virginians.

Please, contact your General Assembly representatives immediately. The 2012 session ends March 10.

KEN SMTIH

Lynchburg

Gingrich’s morals

With all of the media ruckus over Newt Gingrich’s marital infidelities and hypocrisy on the question of family values, why is it that no one has held the current (for now) Mrs. Gingrich’s feet to the fire for her lack of morals?

As the old saying goes, it takes two to tango.

Where I come from, we have a word for someone of Mrs. Gingrich’s ilk, a word not suitable to be printed a family newspaper.

Calista Gingrich as first lady? Is this the type of example we want to hold up for our daughters and granddaughters to aspire to?

Apparently conservative (in name only) Republican voters in South Carolina think so.

ARTHUR A. BLACKSTOCK

Lynchburg