Guest Post: Boucher Disappoints

The following is an article written by CCAN supporter and Boucher constituent Theresa Burriss. The piece first appeared in the New River Voice.

After watching Congressman Rick Boucher gut the clean energy bill in the Energy and Commerce Committee, Theresa felt compelled to act. After reading an article a couple weeks later written by the heads of Dominion, Duke Energy and American Electric Power, Theresa wrote this important piece.

I recall, sometime during my parochial elementary education, learning about the structure of our federal government and the roles of each branch. Although I was impressed with the administration and judiciary, the legislature held more of an immediate, relevant meaning for me.

Legislators, supposedly, represented their constituents and their constituents’ concerns. They were elected by a direct vote in their district or state to act ethically, create and vote on new bills for the betterment of society, and ultimately serve their constituents. Although I was far too young to vote, I, and my peers, still counted as constituents according to Sister Maria.

Now that I’m well past the minimum voting age, I’m reminded of Sister Maria’s government lessons and the ideals associated with them, especially as I continue to read about my own congressman’s latest actions, which fall far short of those ideals. I’ll begin to enumerate my disappointments with Representative Rick Boucher (D, 9th District) by citing a recent op-ed printed in another media source.

“Virginian Leads Sensible Climate Change,” submitted by Tom Farrell, Mike Morris, and Jim Rogers in the June 8, 2009, issue of the Richmond Times-Dispatch should come as no surprise to anyone. As the leading executives of Dominion Resources, American Electric Power, and Duke Energy respectively, these men have much at stake in the current energy debate, especially regarding the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act.

In the op-ed the three executives praise Boucher for his “pivotal role, working with committee Chairman Henry Waxman and other leaders to craft climate change proposals that will enable our nation to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 80 percent by 2050 without causing unnecessary economic harm.”

Let’s take a look at those last three words, “unnecessary economic harm,” as they relate to Boucher, the executives, and their companies.

During the 110th Congressional Session (2007 – 2008), Boucher, who serves on both the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Judiciary Committee, received $10,000 in contributions from both Duke Energy and Dominion Resources, along with $7,000 from American Electric Power. Electric utilities as a whole topped Boucher’s industry donations, coming in at $246,797, more than twice the amount from lawyers/law firms at $102,147.

The headline of an article published on HamptonRoads.com reveals much about Dominion CEO Thomas Farrell’s 2008 earnings: “After pay cut, Dominion CEO’s salary worth $14.3M.” I’m sure many of you readers are aghast over Farrell’s tragic pay cut, which was a 5.5 percent reduction from his 2007 salary of $15.1 million.

But rest assured that plans are underway to remedy such an injustice because, according to the article, “Dominion Virginia Power submitted plans to state regulators […] that would result in a 6.9 percent increase [in rates] by May 2010 to residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month.” Lastly, it’s important to note that Farrell’s company’s “operating profit climbed 9 percent in 2008, to $1.83 billion.”

Now, let’s move onto the other two executives. Morris of AEP earned $3.51 million in 2008, while Rogers of Duke Energy made only $524,589; however, in 2006 Rogers received a prorated portion of a 3-year stock award valued at $5.5 million. According to AEP’s Web site, the company’s 2008 revenues totaled $14.4 billion. And Duke Energy’s Web site listed $13.21 billion as the company’s operating revenues last year.

Given all these figures it seems that the only unnecessary economic harm is affecting Boucher’s constituents and the utility companies’ customers. Speaking of Boucher’s constituents, it’s interesting to note that he has not met with anyone other than the utility company representatives, refusing to talk with environmental groups opposed to coal and other fossil fuels.

Boucher cites his concern to protect coal industry jobs in Southwest Virginia, but a look at the latest numbers of those jobs reveals important facts Boucher somehow neglects to include. According to Chad Hancher of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA), surface coalmines in Southwest Virginia employed only 2,012 people, none of which were United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) members. Underground mines employed 2,948, of which only 296 were UMWA members. Both mountaintop removal coalmining and the great mechanization of all coalmining have drastically reduced the number of miners working in Southwest Virginia.

At one time, Boucher demonstrated a commitment to the UMWA through his legislative support, but even that is a moot point now as coal companies strive to obliterate the union. The MSHA numbers testify to this.

Moreover, Boucher has watered down Waxman’s 20 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (from 2005 levels) by 2020 to a 14 percent reduction. He also secured a $1 billion annual fund to develop clean coal technology, a misnomer that many throughout the world have debated as impossible, along with provisions for free emission allowances to utility companies, as if they weren’t making a huge profit in today’s tough economic climate.

In essence, it seems that Representative Rick Boucher has lost his way, has forgotten his sworn mission to represent his constituents, and instead has followed the worst of the contemporary political herd as he caters to multi-billion dollar industries headed by multi-million dollar CEOs. Boucher would do well to remember that his constituents consist of many more than those few CEOs, who appear to hold much sway over Boucher’s actions. Sister Maria would be quite disappointed, I’m sure, just as I am, now that I’m well past the minimum voting age and do exercise my right to vote.

Theresa Burriss is [a] voter in Virginia’s 9th District.