Marrow blasts Landes for his ‘complacency’
The divide between Greg Marrow and District 25 Del. Steve Landes is more about energy than ideology, the Democratic challenger told The News Virginian on Wednesday.
“What it comes down to is that I have nothing against Steve the man,’’ said Marrow, a Harrisonburg optometrist. “But as a delegate he has become complacent.”
Marrow said the seven-term incumbent has focused on doing away with Virginia’s outdated code sections when there are crisis situations in the commonwealth involving transportation, a physician shortage and other issues.
“It’s like Nero fiddling with Rome burning,’’ Marrow said. “These are very tough issues that need to be addressed. We’ve got a delegate sitting in his office picking out these 70-year-old laws and legislation to have it removed. That is counterproductive. That’s not leadership to me.”
Landes said he has worked to attract businesses to the 25th District, and has battled to keep state employment at James Madison University, Blue Ridge Community College and other state institutions in the Shenandoah Valley.
And while he has served seven terms, Landes said that means he is both experienced and has seniority that can benefit his district.
He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and vice chairman of the House Education Committee.
“Sometimes people serve too long, but I don’t think my time has arrived yet based on what I can do for the area,’’ Landes said. He said he works well with the local governments in his district.
Issues are part of the reason Marrow has offered his candidacy.
He said in the past wedge issues like abortion and taxes were ones he was not as passionate about. Now the issues of the day are timely and important to him: health care, veterans and the economy.
“I want to talk about health care and what is going on with veterans and all are very concerned about their jobs. These are three issues I’m very passionate about,’’ Marrow said during an hourlong endorsement interview at The News Virginian. “I can talk honestly about issues that actually matter and can be dealt with on the state level. Wedge issues are wedge issues and won’t be solved in my lifetime.”
Marrow said as an optometrist, he has the mentality to tackle a problem and solve it.
He said the Virginia economy can be boosted through obtaining the green collar jobs that other states are seeking.
Virginia can also exploit the eco-tourism and agri-tourism opportunities available in the Shenandoah Valley through such attractions as the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, Marrow said.
He said Waynesboro is a hub where visitors to those attractions could come and visit.
“We could get the people off the Skyline Drive and have them eat in our restaurants and buy our products and pay sales tax,’’ Marrow said.
When it comes to transportation, Marrow believes VDOT should receive full funding before outside auditors come in to look at the way VDOT operates.
Marrow said it is better to offer full funding of the agency “knowing that there are 1,200 to 2,000 bridges and culverts that are defective and need to be fixed and repaired.”
“We should have funded them first and then go in with the audits,’’ he said.
Marrow proposes a more efficient state government across the board.
“In the long run we will save a lot of money,’’ he said. “Audits are expensive but they are pretty darn thorough.”
Tolls on the interstate to fund transportation are one area Marrow would look at but is not wed to.
Marrow has the “passion and energy’’ to represent the 25th District, which includes Waynesboro and parts of Augusta, Rockingham and Albemarle counties.
“I don’t like the direction of the last decade, it has not benefited us here in the Valley,’’ he said.
He said Landes is more “of a follower and coattail guy.”
Landes said Marrow is naïve about what it takes to be a state legislator.
“I have to work with Republicans and Democrats and get along with the state Senate,’’ he said.
Landes said those responsibilities include balancing a state budget and time it takes to pass legislation.
“He seems to think you snap your fingers and it happens. It takes time,’’ said Landes.
And Landes said while no part of Virginia including the Shenandoah Valley have escaped the economic slowdown, “I’ve worked hard to make sure we are not like Danville, Martinsville and Henry County. He preaches doom and gloom and we are better off than other parts of the state.”
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Reader Reactions
If one is going to correct another publically it should not be done colloquially within writing. It is prima facie of ignornace of both the fact and the respect for another—actually, in the discipline, it would be very rude to speak colloquially in writing to another with whom one does not know, very well or at all.
Within law, character cannot be confused with right of fact. We support Landes from right of fact.
To clarify government representative responsibilities: All legislatures are agents of the government and are therefore bound by the limitations of their agency status to the people. It is the the people’s job to protect themselves from their own peril when dealing with any government agent, including legislatures since the courts will only support what is written in simple language of a contract: this goes from the bottom all the way up the FBI. The people should always recgonize that “governemnt representatives would ordinarily have limited authority.“ For example, “The FBI agents lack the requisite authority—either express or implied—to contractually bind the U.S. to remit rewards to confidential information—when an agent excees their authority, the federal government can disavow the agent’s words and is not bound by an implied contract.“ This was regarding a case of an informant promised more money orally than what was written on paper.
Humlen v U.S. Fed CI 497 (2001).
Your over generilzations kills your own argument, and your last comment is called a “hypothesis contrary to fact.“—that must be a liberal disease since we see lots of that spreading here in the valley!
http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/rgass/fallacy3211.htm
Conner,
All you have done in your diatribe is support Marrow’s position that Landes is no leader. You just maske up excuse after excuse for Landes’s ineptness. Marrow has been, and is, a community leader with energey to get things done. Landes is a follower, heck, he;s just a delivery boy for DuPont Credit Union, the one business that he ran he took about $750,000 of YOUR tax dollars and ran the company into the ground. And prior to that? He was a gopher for Goodlatte and Geisson. OMG! Do you understand the wool that has been pulled over your eyes by a man who was never meant to be a Delegate?
If we had actual leaders and honest people from district 25 in Richmond, then life would be a lot better for all.
Marrow voiced, “I want to talk about health care and what is going on with veterans and all are very concerned about their jobs.”
—In my previous article, didn’t I mention that politicians would blame the other for the economy? If Steve didn’t cause it, then Steve should not be considered a scapegoat of it. Can Steve fix the economy? Then Marrows assertions are baseless and are considered a demurrer.
“Marrow said as an optometrist, he has the mentality to tackle a problem and solve it.”
—there are good professors and bad professors, again, another demurrer.
“He said the Virginia economy can be boosted through obtaining the green collar jobs that other states are seeking.”
—this is long-term growth potential! This will not return a quick return for seniors!
“Virginia can also exploit the eco-tourism and agri-tourism opportunities available in the Shenandoah Valley through such attractions as the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, Marrow said.”
—hasn’t Landes, vowed for the rest areas for the tourist to remain open? If we (the state) cannot support the little things, then how can Marrows promise that the State will listen to him but not Steve? This is “hypothesis contrary to fact.”
“He said Waynesboro is a hub where visitors to those attractions could come and visit.”
—Staunton is a better “hub,” so what’s the point here?
““We could get the people off the Skyline Drive and have them eat in our restaurants and buy our products and pay sales tax,’’ Marrow said.
—this has so many fallacies in it: begging the question, bandwagon, straw man: empirical study is needed to consider such leaps of jump in faith by Marrow on this tourism speculative remark.
“Tolls on the interstate to fund transportation are one area Marrow would look at but is not wed to.”
—Isn’t paying for rest areas fees a nominal toll that the State refused to consider? I think I wrote an article on EZpass like fees for the rest areas. Tolls only for work businesses or when people are in a hurry—live in Richmond and you will testify to this.
“I don’t like the direction of the last decade, it has not benefited us here in the Valley,’’ he said.
—I don’t like it either, but Landes is only representing what the community has asked him to be. So Marrows is blasting Landes for “being YOU the community.” Isn’t that like soliciting to the one spouse flood insurance then selling the other spouse ripped shingles? I call this strawman.
“said Landes is more ‘of a follower and coattail guy.’” And “Landes said Marrow is naïve about what it takes to be a state legislator.”
—argumentum ad hominem
As you can see, Marrow’s argument would not have stood a simple summary let alone a complex trial.
The court of common sense asks for the Valley, its permission, to “motion to dismiss” Marrows as incompetent. The judge of wisdom vows for a mistrial “since Marrows testimonial evidence has been of a highly prejudicial character!”
Court of patience now adjourns.
““We could get the people off the Skyline Drive and have them eat in our restaurants and buy our products and pay sales tax,’’ Marrow said.“
Has Marrow taken a look at what the top of the mountain looks like at Afton? If those hotels and restaurants couldn’t stay in business, right at the entrance of the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, how does he think we can lure the tourists to Waynesboro?
Until the owner of the dilapidated properties is forced to clean up the blight on top of the mountain, the tourists will not be drawn to the Valley below.
If he can promise me that restoring the Afton area to its former welcoming state will be top priority, I will vote for him.
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