The News Leader
by Edward Long

In reply to a recent opinion letter promoting the individual challenging Del. Steve Landes: “Never judge an individual but upon their own performance.” The bills Delegate Landes has submitted and his leadership and wisdom in areas such as education, health care, and the biannual Virginia budget clearly show he listens to his constituents, sincerely represents them and not himself, and spends hours solving problems on behalf of Virginians.

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is NOT in the 25th District. The author of the recent letter is either not informed or is promoting a falsehood. Del. Landes’s opponent was against the ACP, then for it, and now again against it. Del. Landes sent a letter to Gov. McAuliffe urging that an open dialogue and full transparency by all involved parties is essential in order for the process to move forward and for the public’s trust to remain intact.

Landes' opponent thinks the ACP is ‘unnecessary.’ Fact: If you wear clothes made of synthetic materials, take medication, wear makeup, have a computer/TV/etc., then thank oil and natural gas for those luxuries. The car you drive could not exist without plastics that come from oil and gas. You would freeze in the winter and swelter in the summer without oil and gas. His opponent thinks the ACP is ‘dangerous.’ Fact: Oil spills by rail are 5.7 times that by pipeline. His opponent thinks the ACP is a step backwards in terms of energy production and climate change. Fact: The ACP is ‘energy transport’, not ‘energy production.’

EDWARD LONG
Waynesboro 

Read the full letter to the editor in The News Herald