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A
zealous fiscal conservative willing to reclaim
Republican leadership on environmental issues --
that is a candidate worth noting. That person is
George Fitch, Mayor of Warrenton and candidate for
the Republican nomination for governor of Virginia.
As noted in "Swallowed
by the Serbonian Bog" (April 26, 2004),
until recently, the Republican Party had a
remarkable history protecting the environment.
Theodore Roosevelt, for example, recognized that the
conservation of natural resources was "the
fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem,
it will avail us little to solve all others."
He aggressively moved forward on that premise.
Russell Train correctly advised President-elect
Nixon that
"environmental quality is a unifying goal that
cuts across political and social boundaries... Its
values and support come not from the divisions that
plague our society but from the common aspirations
of all for a life of dignity, health, and
fulfillment."
Fitch
understands these principles and has moved
environmental issues to the front of his agenda. Indeed, Fitch is
the only major candidate addressing an environmental
agenda on his website.
A particularly pressing problem that Fitch
recognizes is mismanaged growth. Fitch decries that
Virginia is losing its open space, historic sites,
forests and farms at an alarming rate. "[W]e
can either
continue as victims of this rapid growth," he
says, "or we can plan for it, shape it and
emerge better from it."
One of the reasons he cites for mismanaged growth is
that land use decisions and highway decisions are
generally made independently of each other. To
cure this, Fitch wants to coordinate land use
planning with transportation planning through
regional authorities, not VDOT, and letting regional
authorities decide on the transportation projects to
be funded. This approach is accordance with Fitch's
belief that the best government is the one closest
to the people.
But, planning for growth will work better if local
governments are granted meaningful authority to
manage the growth in their communities. He
wants to require that infrastructure improvements
keep pace with new development, with the private
sector making the infrastructure improvements.
In the related area of congestion, he advocates a
higher priority on expanding high-capacity public
transportation systems including light rail,
commuter rail, and bus rapid transit.
Fitch takes to heart Article XI of Virginia's
Constitution where the people of Virginia have
declared a policy to protect Virginia's atmosphere,
lands, and waters from pollution, impairment, or
destruction, for the benefit, enjoyment, and general
welfare of the people of the Commonwealth. However,
in the words of the Virginia Supreme Court, this
article is not self executing. It takes leadership
to fulfill this constitutional mandate - bold, solid
leadership.
It is wrong, Fitch maintains, that Virginia spends
the least amount of money on conserving natural
resources than any of the 50 states. It also is
wrong
that the budget for conservation programs has been
slashed more than 50 percent, while all other state
programs have increased. Perhaps the website silence
by the other candidates expresses their commitment
to the status quo - Virginia last among her peers.
Fitch intends to restore full funding for the
Natural Resources Secretariat, create a Virginia
Conservation Trust Fund with an investment of $50
million for the protection of open space, wildlife
and recreational areas, increase the amount of
funding for water quality improvements by at least
$50 million under the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement, and
implement a comprehensive system to plan for and
manage Virginia's water resources.
He will pay for these programs by eliminating waste
in the state's programs, as he did as Mayor of
Warrenton. See "Pitching
a Fitch" (Feb. 28, 2005) and "The
Warrenton Miracle" (Nov. 29, 2004). Jim
Bacon described Fitch as the one "candidate
totally committed to cutting taxes and reining in
state spending." As mayor, Fitch lowered real
estate taxes by almost 80 percent, personal property
taxes by
55 percent, and business taxes by 22 percent. This
was accomplished while retiring a $3 million dollar
debt and doubling cash reserves. Comparable fiscal
management of the state will allow Fitch to cut
waste, allocate appropriate money to environmental
protection, and lower taxes.
Striding out of the environmental void that the
state and national Republican leadership has sadly
embraced, Fitch is the kind of candidate that many
Republicans have been waiting for - fiscally
conservative and environmentally sound. He should be
the kind of candidate that all Virginians want.
--
March 28, 2005
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