Republicans: The Other Environmentalists
September 26, 2007 by Joshua Davis
Gary Baise was the first EPA Chief of Staff. He has worked on many cases concerning the environment. And now he (a Republican) is running for county chairman in a heavily Democratic jurisdiction. Most of his views are anti-liberal, from his stance that the County needs an “Ironclad immigration lock-down,” to his views that “Education spending should be second or third priority.”
But the one issue he “agrees” with Democrats on is the environment. This may come as a shock, but in reality he’s toting the party line. The GOP views the EPAs goal as “Restoring the balance between the environment and America.” By that they mean allowing oil drilling from the Everglades to Alaskan wildlife preserves, allowing companies to use dangerous pesticides, and a myriad of other offenses.
The Washington Post even did an article on just how many times this so called Republican environmentalist worked against the environment. In the 80s Baise defended building a highway under New York’s Upper Westside, claiming it would not destroy fish habitats, when he had knowledge it would. Gary Baise also defended farmers burning land to such an extent it caused others respiratory issues.
And this guy says the current chairman “Put to much of an emphasis on mass transit.” The current chairman, Gerry Connoly (D-At Large) pushed heavily for metro rail through Fairfax Counties downtown, which is also the Nations 12th largest business district. The current chairman has also put on hold plans to expand some of the main arteries into Tysons Corner. But Baise wants to widen the road, making the 6 lane, highspeed road even more pedestrian unfriendly.
I don’t have a problem with this guy for holding views opposite of mine. But discouraging transit use can not be called environmentalism. Nor can opposing building walkable communities near transit stops be called that. It reminds of how the Republican party are masters at calling right wrong, and wrong right. Sort of like the Patriot Act is perhaps the most unpatriotic law.
What is so wrong with Drilling in ANWR? Don’t by into the hype the liberals put out… Drilling Technology has come a long way since the Prudhoe Bay days. Drilling in ANWRD wouldn’t disturb the cute and cuddly polar bears.
As for Immigration why do Liberals like you dead set on making Fairfax a Sanctuary County, Link Montgomery County Maryland and Washington, DC and Arlington County? I don’t think anyone in Fairfax would want to turn Fairfax into another Arlington County, well Except Gerry Connolly as he said on WMAL last week on a news clip “… We should be more like Arlington, County…â€
Also Gerry Connolly Company that he works for has been sited by the EPA as one of the Worst Polluters in the Country… Gerry is WRONG on everything. Wake up Transit isn’t going to solve the congestion problem. You can’t take Metro to church or the doctor’s office or to the Park. Most people who don’t work in DC metro just isn’t a viable option. I live in McLean and work in Bethesda, Maryland. I can’t take Metro to my Democracy Blvd Office. I can’t go to my son’s little league games via Public Transit.
Also Gerry has a real ethical problems, he seems to get a lot of money from Big Developers who he then fails to charge them appropriate Proffers. Gerry’s idea is build, build, build… Don’t worry about the infrastructure going to hell in a hand basket.
Gerry has be clobbered by Gary at every debate they have had and his about to get his clock cleaned tonight in McLean, tonight.
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Joshua Davis Reply:
September 26th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
I don’t discriminate people based on what longitude/latitude they where born at. People from Texas can move to NYC and vice versa and no one cares. But the moment you’re crossing a thicker line on the map people want to call you illegal or legal.
Second when I want to move to Arlington, because they’re open to everyone, believe strongly in preserving the environment, and other issues that Fairfax County doesn’t seem to do well enough.
Also I’ve choosen to not own/drive a car, and really haven’t had a problem using mass transit in the county. Perhaps it’s due to Reston’s heavier focus on alternate transit. Talking about alternate transit, how come Reston has better traffic than Tysons? It’s because it is more transit/pedastrian freindly.
It’s why Arlington’s Rosslyn-Balston corridor works so well. I went there one rush hour to see how well traffic flowed, and even the main roads where running pretty fast.
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Andrew Luther Reply:
September 26th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Josh do you have kids?
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Joshua Davis Reply:
September 26th, 2007 at 6:26 pm
No.
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Andrew Luther Reply:
September 27th, 2007 at 7:47 am
That’s why you have no problem wiht using Transit try that with kids. It is a little bit resentful that single folks seem to ingnore the needs of Families with children.
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Joshua Davis Reply:
September 27th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Children where raised for thousands of years without the need for cars. At least two of my grandparents grew up in car free households. How do you think average familys in NYC get around? By buying hundred thousand dollar parking spaces?
If you choose the right place to live, and don’t have each of your children doing an extracurricular every night of the week, a car free life style works for any family.
Besides the times at which you’re running children around for extracurriculars is most likely at off peak hours, when traffic flows fine. Building wider and more roads is an effort to ease commuter traffic. And regardless of family situation, most people can take mass transit work.
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Andrew Luther Reply:
September 27th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Hey Josh in this day and age would you really want to take your kid anywhere on public transit we are a suburban county. You mention NYC well if I lived in DC I could get around without a car. But I still can’t take kids to little league games or Hockey games. Cars are American as Apple pie. Only the socialists oppose car ownership. Cars empowers people. All developed nations have families that own cars. Look at India there are more and more car owners their. Why because they can’t go every where on transit. Transit isn’t reliable.
Actually lets have this conversation after you are married and have a couple of kids then tell me no need for families to have cars. You need to walk in my shoes first.
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Joshua Davis Reply:
September 27th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Transit is way more reliable. Most news stations give traffic updates every ten minutes. But when the metro or bus route shuts down it gets news coverage outside the regular report.
I’m not anti car, I’m just pro transit. When cars override transit I believe preference should be giving to the more environmentally, and fiscally responsible method of transport. For example, widening Route 7 would make Tysons Corner even more pedestrian and transit unfriendly.
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Andrew Luther Reply:
September 28th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
BTW my wife and i our taking our kids to games and other activities during rush hour since Rush Hour now seems to start at 2 and end about 7:30…
I do have a solution to traffic woes… Closed down the Federal Government. Notice best comute times are between Christmas and New Years.
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Andrew, Should I get started on Joshua’s enviormental mess. He wasnts a carbon tax on people who drive SUV’s. THAT IS CRAZY
The worlds problem is the Rain Forests
CHOP THEM DOWN!
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Harrison Sim Reply:
September 26th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
How is an environmental tax on SUVs crazy? It would go a long way to cut back on greenhouse gasses, and smog, a leading contributor to respiratory diseases. And why do you want to chop rain forests down? Do you have something against oxygen?
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Andrew Luther Reply:
September 27th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Harrison
Don’t know about the America you live in but in my America people have the right to choose what cars they own. The government shouldn’t be discriminating against you on what type of car you have. Also try using a small car with 3 kids taking them to Little League, Cub Scouts and other events.
Wouldn’t be too comfortable. Also the only reason people buy SUVs is because the CAFE standards killed the old Big Station Wagons of my youth. There are no more Ford County Squares or Chevy Caprice Classic Wagons. That is why we have more SUVs on the road. Also stop blaming the SUV my GMC Envoy XL gets the about the same gas MPG as a Benz S class with a I-8, or a Buick Park Avenue, or a Lexus 450. Also should we ban all old cars from the road since they are big polluters?
I like Gary’s common sense approach to the environment. We don’t need Green NAZIs running around.
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Joshua Davis Reply:
September 27th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
I believe I was misquoted. I believe that vehicles should be taxed based on the MPG they receive. So that means if someone develops a hybrid SUV, it wouldn’t be taxed as much. But if someone builds a car that gets 10 MPG, then they’d pay a lot.
America was never about doing anything you like and get away with it no matter the consequences. America was supposed to ensure a maximum balance between freedom and NOT having your freedom infringed upon.
If someone wants to build homemade bombs on a 10 acre property, let them do it. But if someone wants to do this in an apartment, it should be regulated, because it could very well affect someones else’s quest for freedom.
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Andrew Luther Reply:
September 27th, 2007 at 8:02 am
Yea or my favorite want to save the earth? PAVE IT! Someone needs to let Josh know its hard to take girls out on public Transit.
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Harrison ,
Making taxes dont help in any situation , Joshua here is the exact q and a segment i asked you.
Question: Do you support taxing people who pollute the earth (SUV’s etc…)?
Answer: Of course.
And it was for a stupid reason!!!!!
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