Senate Dems MUST REJECT Sen. Frank Wagner!!!
With Sen. Ken Stolle’s retirement from the Virginia State Senator, there is now a vacancy on the powerful Senate finance committee. Sen. Frank “Uranium Mining” Wagner, as now the “senior Senator” for Virginia Beach feels entitled to it, spewing crap about Virginia Beach being the largest city, need for VB “representation”, blah, blah, blah.
Since when has Wagner EVER represented the interests of Virginia Beach. Since day 1, he’s been in the Senate to serve only one lord and master – himself and his fat cat special interests. He’s dangerously all the more fueled Bob McDonnell as Governor and he must be stopped.
Senate Democrats who own the majority say on this appointment must be urged ASAP to reject Sen. Frank Wagner. That decision could come out today so we need to act fast! Email Senate Democrats NOW! Below the fold is both a quick message to send to Senate Democrats along with their email addresses.
Dear Senate Democrats:
As a Virginia Beach resident, I urge you to reject application of Sen. Frank Wagner for membership on the Senate Finance Committee.
Sen. Wagner in no way represents my interests. He has proven himself repeatedly as one exclusively catering to big $ dollar special interest groups who stand to gain huge financial gains at the cost of our environment.
- Wagner campaigned for exclusion of citizens serving on the State’s Water and Air Quality boards. He even went as far as to submit letters to the editor in support of this exclusion which he proudly admitted were penned by lobbyists.
- Wagner has deliberately misrepresented adopted Virginia’s Energy Policy before the U.S. Congress. He has represented both that Virginia supports exploration and development of BOTH oil and gas and that Virginia has renewable portfolio standards.
- Wagner is currently attempting to thwart independent study by the City of Virginia Beach on the impacts of uranium mining.
- Wagner fraudulently combats the Navy’s continued opposition to offshore drilling using a MOU dating to 2006 and referencing the Navy’s cooperation with general coastal energy development as applied to the entire outer continental shelf (Alaska included) and contingent on non-conflicting uses. In letters even as late as 2009, the Navy has continued its opposition specific to Virginia’s offshore drilling citing heavy conflicting uses.
- Wagner has spoken at town hall meetings voicing unadulterated disdain for environmentalists and the tenants of the Clean Water and Clean Air Act. He often spouts at public meetings about the economic development gains that could be realized if for not the treehuggers trying to save the one spotted owl.
- Wagner has publicly accused environmental groups of plotting to kill all wind projects based on one individual instance of their opposition to installation of one windmill on a particular individual’s property.
- Wagner as a businessman (shipbuilder) has incurred repeated fines for dumping pollutants in the water.
NEVER has Sen. Frank Wagner EVER represented the interests of Virginia Beach. Since day 1, he’s been in the Senate to serve only himself and his fat cat special interests. He’s dangerously all the more fueled Bob McDonnell as Governor and he must be stopped.
Thank you.
________________
Your name
Virginia Beach, VA
Senate Finance Committee Members:
* Sen. Chuck Colgan (D-29) Chair
* Sen. Emmett Hanger (R-24)
* Sen. Edd Houck (D-17)
* Sen. Janet Howell (D-32)
* Sen. Louise Lucas (D-18)
* Sen. Henry Marsh (D-16)
* Sen. Yvonne Miller (D-5)
* Sen. Tommy Norment (R-3)
* Sen. Fred Quayle (R-13)
* Sen. Roscoe Reynolds (D-20)
* Sen. Dick Saslaw (D-35)
* Sen. Ken Stolle (R-8)
* Sen. Walter Stosch (R-12)
* Sen. William Wampler (R-40)
* Sen. John Watkins (R-10)
* Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (D-31)
Cut and paste into your email, these email addresses:
district29@senate.virginia.gov, district17@senate.virginia.gov, district32@senate.virginia.gov, district18@senate.virginia.gov, district16@senate.virginia.gov, district05@senate.virginia.gov, district20@senate.virginia.gov, district35@senate.virginia.gov, district31@senate.virginia.gov
THANK YOU!!!
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January 15th, 2010 at 10:33 am
First off, I am not a fan of Senator Wagner.
Please explain to me why having Wagner on the Finance Committee would be such a terrible thing. If he does not get the seat, then it will just be some other Republican from somewhere else taking it. It is not like a Democrat is going to get it.
January 15th, 2010 at 11:09 am
The approach that I have seen work before, when dealing with those seen as knee-jerk anti-environment, is to first:
1. Examine and list realistic goals. For example, if we need more energy sources and the Republicans are foaming at the mouth to have oil wells all over the place, a realistic position would be to support a few exploratory wells to actually identify if a significant amount of gas and oil is available, with the caveat that such energy reserves could be developed slowly and carefully, or left in the ground as a strategic reserve. Just having such reserves identified can help us leverage our position with OPEC for lower prices.
2. Engage these supposed anti-environmentalists, not in combat mode, but by looking at each issue from a practical view, where we identify areas of agreement that can be reached. For example, Uranium mining can be done safely, but environmental controls will have to be applied and audited to protect the public’s health. An open discussion of risks and rewards of Uranium mining here in Virginia should be held and the citizens must be presented with an unemotional assessment of the environmental impact and the potential economic and national security implications of developing another domestic source of Uranium. We need facts not emotional, chicken-little hysteria, every time someone proposes an energy development project.
Democrats should rightfully be seen as the Party that protects the citizens health and environment. However, such efforts must be balanced with the economic realities, including job creation and our need to achieve energy independence.
Mr. Wagner should be given the opportunity to show that he can be receptive to fact-based discussions on energy and environmental issues. So far, emotions have been allowed to dominate. The citizens deserve an objective assessment of options and real solutions.
January 15th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
J. Tyler,
In fairness to Senator Wagner, he did sponsor a bill in the Senate that would have cleared the way for offshore wind energy projects off Virginia’s coasts. I am not sure if that bill went anywhere though.
Again, please realize I am not a fan of Senator Wagner, however I do want to be fair.
January 15th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Just read on update on this. Seems the committee membership might shrink from 16 members to 15 this year, so Wagner could end up being frozen out without the need for another Republican to take the seat; the seat would be gone.
Not sure just how wise a move this would be by the Democrats though. With the election of Marsden, Democrats now have a 22-18 advantage in the Senate – 55% of the Senators. Currently, Democrats enjoy a 9-7 advantage on the Senate Finance Committee – 56% of the seats. By eliminating one seat on the committee Democrats will hold a 9-6 advantage – 60% of the seats.
Seems to me 56% is a lot closer to 55% then 60% is. I wonder if Democrats go through with this whether we might see some retribution from Republicans over on the General Assembly side of the legislature. When one side resorts to dirty politics, they should not be surprised when the other side starts slinging mud back.
But perhaps someone with a better understanding of the historical record on committee seat assignments can educate us (or at least me). While it is rather obvious that such assignments have not been winner take all, perhaps in the past assignments have not always been the most balanced?
January 16th, 2010 at 5:47 am
I heard they were going to freeze the Senate Commerce and Labor committee. I didn’t hear that about the Finance. But maybe you are right, LD. Finance is exceptionally larger (+1) than other committees.
January 16th, 2010 at 10:30 am
You’re right, LD! From WaPo:
Democrats reshuffle committees in Virginia Senate
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/01/democrats_reshuffle_committees.html
Democrats in the Virginia Senate will be exercising their newly enlarged majority through committee assignments that will be announced soon.
According to a Democratic source, the Steering Committee, a group of senators responsible for committee assignments, will not be replacing former Republican Sen. Ken Stolle on the powerful Finance Committee. Stolle resigned his seat after he was elected sheriff of Virginia Beach in November and was succeeded by Sen. Jeff McWaters, elected Tuesday in a special election.
Instead, the chamber’s most important committee, will be allowed to drop from 16 members to 15. That means GOP representation on the committee will decrease from 7 of 16 members to 6 of 15.
There will be two new Democrats on the Courts of Justice Committee. Stolle is being replaced there by a Democrat. So is former Sen. Ken Cuccinelli, who resigned after he was elected state attorney general in November. Democratic Sen. David Marsden won Cuccinelli’s seat on Tuesday. Now, Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) and Sen. Don McEachin (D-Richmond) will be joining Courts.
There are some other shifts, including former gubernatorial nominee Sen. Creigh Deeds to the Commerce and Labor Committee. Stay tuned for more.