News

This is an op-ed by Brian Moran that originally ran in the Bristol Herald Courier on August 24, 2008.

When I was growing up, my parents welcomed two foster children into our home to join my six brothers and sisters and me. Ours was a traditional Irish middle-class family, so we did not have much.

But helping these young kids get a strong start was my parents’ way of teaching us that everyone deserves a chance – that it’s our job to ensure equal opportunity.

I was reminded of that experience during my recent visit to the Wise County Fairgrounds to see the Remote Area Medical (RAM) Expedition. RAM is the nation’s largest free basic health-care event and this all-volunteer event is an important reminder of our shared commitment to leveling the playing field for everyone.

But this visit also made clear that our efforts to increase health care access in rural Virginia have not done nearly enough.

As I watched one line snake around a tent four times – and saw hundreds waiting for basic health and dental care– I knew that this event serves as powerful proof of our failure to ensure adequate health care for every Virginian. Organizers estimate over 2500 received care over the three days, but as many as 1000 more were turned away.

In a prosperous state in the most powerful nation on earth, it is a simple fact that no one should be denied access to health care. Early health care intervention is not only a moral imperative; it also saves resources. It is much more cost effective to make blood pressure screening and medication available than it is to treat a stroke. Regular dental cleanings are more cost effective than fashioning a new set of teeth.

This visit highlighted what I’ve learned as I prepare my campaign for Governor: Intelligence and ability are equally distributed across this Commonwealth, but investment and opportunity are not.

As thankful as we all are for the volunteers who make this event a success each year, health care access should not be limited to one weekend in July, it should be available year round. As proud as we are of the work at RAM, we will only be successful when we have expanded health care access to the point where this event is no longer necessary.

We cannot expect preventative medicine to reduce rising costs if citizens don’t have regular access to a primary care physician. We cannot expect our kids to do well in school if they don’t have a healthy start. And we certainly can’t expect rural economies to turn around if we only provide health care one weekend a year.

Even in light of RAM’s tremendous work, we cannot forget that opportunity is a fundamental guarantee to all those who live in our Commonwealth, and too many people are being left behind.

Virginia must build the health-care infrastructure to guarantee that Virginians, no matter where they live, have access to basic care, including preventative care. With today’s high gas prices, we cannot expect people to travel across regions to see a doctor.

Roughly 20 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural America, but only 10 percent of physicians practice there. To tackle the crisis of these medically underserved areas, we have to look to the next generation of nurses, doctors, and dentists and find innovative ways to encourage them to practice in the regions that need them the most. Virginia’s medical and higher-education communities offer important partnership opportunities to help us meet this growing need.

Ultimately, we need to insure more people. The uninsured population in the Wise County area is one of the state’s highest. Those without health insurance are more likely to delay necessary doctor visits, depriving them of access to preventative care and driving up costs for everyone else. Therefore, Virginia needs a long-term vision for health care that includes preventative care; otherwise, we won’t solve the health-care crisis by tackling symptoms in the emergency room.

We’ve got to tackle the root cause. That means healthy food in our school cafeterias, increased exercise and healthier lifestyles, insurance for every child, immunizations for our kids and quality long-term care for our seniors.

If Virginia needs an example of the progress that can be made if we put our minds to it, we can look to recent work expanding health care coverage to children and pregnant women.

We have insured 450,000 children in recent years - more than at any time in our state’s history.

This success proves that Virginia can meet the challenge of health care access only with the right type of leadership. If we work across partisan divisions and regional lines, I’m confident the line at future RAM clinics will be shorter.

Important speech on the leadership needed for economic growth and innovation

CHESTERFIELD –Today House Democratic Caucus Chairman Brian Moran outlined his approach to the Commonwealth’s environmental and energy challenges. Speaking to the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, Moran reviewed his experience, explained his values and discussed his vision for Virginia’s energy economy and environmental future. Moran pledged a focus on economic growth while defining his measure of success as “the legacy we leave to the next generation.”

The full text of his remarks is here. This is the second in a series of important remarks on public policy challenges facing Virginia.

“We can create jobs by investing in a 21st century energy economy,” Delegate Moran said. “That means putting Virginians to work in good, high-paying jobs in green construction, bringing manufacturing jobs back by investing in wind turbines and creating new industries by investing in alternative energy research.”

During his remarks, he highlighted his work as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and chief legislative partner to Governors Warner and Kaine. He highlighted his long-time environmental record including his 100 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters in 2008. Moran discussed his work to promote LEED construction, create tax credits for renewable energy production, and invest in mass transit and rail.

“From the capitol in Richmond to the halls of Washington, it’s going to take a joint commitment – the type of commitment we haven’t seen since John Kennedy challenged us to land a man on the moon,” said Moran. “It’s going to take another Apollo mission to get this done. Virginia can’t lead our nation, and our nation can’t lead this world, if we stay behind in this race.”

Delegate Moran outlined his commitment to fiscal responsibility on August 18th while addressing the Virginia Commissioners of Revenue and Treasurers Association in Roanoke.

Remarks of Delegate Brian Moran to the Virginia Sierra Club Fall Jamboree
September 13, 2008

Good Afternoon. Thank you for that warm introduction. It’s great to be here today to share my thoughts on protecting Virginia’s environment.

It’s fitting that we’re meeting here in Pocahontas State Park - the state’s largest park. We need only look at the beauty around us to be reminded that environmental protection and conservation are not just policy positions; they are about the values we share and the legacy we want to leave to the next generation.

When I was 10 years old, I saved up the money I earned from mowing lawns to buy an acre of wooded land with a small creek running through it. And as I look back, I can see how the values I grew up with taught me a deep respect and appreciation for the environment – for our environment, values I’ve carried with me to this day. And these are values I’m passing on to my children - with a compost pile in the backyard and a six-year-old who knows exactly what to put in the recycling bin.

Today, I still believe that every acre of land – every stream, wetland, seashore, mountaintop – every part of God’s creation deserves our respect and protection. And our commitment that they will be here for generations to come.

Back when I was a local prosecutor, my wife Karyn and I were out to dinner with our friends Mark and Lisa -- that was back when we called him “Mark” not “Governor” – that night he suggested that I run for the House of Delegates. Sometimes, though, I wonder what would have happened if he would have just given me some stock tips, instead.

In the General Assembly, I’ve been proud to be your partner on important issues:

• Promoting green buildings and LEED standards for state construction;
• Creating a tax credit for renewable energy production;
• Establishing tele-work plans for state agencies and employees;
• Proposing a transportation plan that emphasized mass transit and rail because we need walkable, livable communities -- with fewer cars and smarter land-use planning;
• And I stood on the sands of Virginia Beach with the mayor and the Sierra Club to say “no” to offshore drilling.

The work you, and the 17,000 members of the Sierra Club do, make clear that we can address the issues that threaten our environment. And it’s why I am so proud of my 100% rating from the League of Conservation Voters this year.

Your work is incredibly important. From your advocacy in the General Assembly and local government to education and your work in our schools, you’re setting the bar high for all of us in elected office. You’re holding our feet to the fire – thank you for doing that.

I believe decreasing our impact on the environment is essential. Just a few weeks ago, I purchased carbon offsets to neutralize the carbon footprint of the Virginia delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Denver. That action alone will not solve the problem, but it is important for each of us to do our part.

I look forward to the day when we live in a more environmentally sustainable way and the cost of protecting our environment is built into the cost of doing business – when we can say that our economic activity is in sync with our environmental impact.

Since I’ve returned from the Democratic Convention - the first-ever green convention - I’ve been thinking it’s disappointing that protecting our environment has become a partisan issue.

Whether it was Teddy Roosevelt, who set aside almost 200 million acres for preservation, or Richard Nixon, who created the Environmental Protection Agency, this used to be a bipartisan effort.

But these days the pro-environment Republican has become an endangered species.

Our commonwealth and our country need leaders who share our values, and who will stand up for future generations - because the stakes have never been higher.

The fact is that our challenges today are interconnected. Our transportation, land-use and energy policies effect our environment; our environmental policies and economic development plans affect each other.

Leading this commonwealth requires an understanding that the challenges we face – and the solutions we seek – affect each other like never before.

That’s why we must reject the false choice between growing our economy and protecting our environment. We can create jobs by investing in a 21st century energy economy.

That means putting Virginians to work in good, high-paying jobs in green construction, bringing manufacturing jobs back by investing in wind turbines, and creating new industries by investing in alternative energy research.

As the Sierra Club recently reported, we can create 55,000 new jobs in Virginia with this kind of investment. We can start to build tomorrow’s economy today.

Opportunities exist right here in Virginia. Whether it’s working toward Virginia’s first wind farm in Highland County, our switch grass plant in Chatham, or the biodiesel truck stop in Henry County, we can tackle climate change and create jobs.

Just recently, the Washington Post wrote about one state that’s leading the way in wind energy -- a state that’s doubled its wind capacity in the past 18 months, bringing new jobs and investments in research. That state is Colorado.

Folks, that needs to be us.

We should be leading the way in wind, solar and biomass. Virginia should be getting those jobs. I can promise you one thing – if I’m fortunate enough to be elected your governor, they’ll be writing those stories about us! We should be investing in offshore wind, not offshore drilling. Offshore wind can supply 20% of our electricity needs here in Virginia. It’s time we got serious about wind energy.

Let’s be clear about this: We cannot drill our way out of the energy crisis. We can’t cure our addiction to oil by drilling for more. We can’t tackle 21st century problems with 19th century solutions.

And let’s get serious about energy efficiency. It’s one of the fastest and most effective ways to reduce CO2 emissions, save Virginians money and reduce our use of fossil fuels. In a recent report, Virginia ranked 38th in the nation for efficiency and conservation programs.

We must do better.

We have to start by putting smart meters in our homes, so that our families can use energy when it’s the cheapest and use less of it and by making green buildings that are more energy efficient and cheaper to operate.

And we have to do more to conserve oil and gas with smarter, more efficient cars and transportation systems because the most important gallon of gas is the one we don’t use. And while we can’t drill our way out of this problem, we can grow our way out of it, by investing in crops that produce biomass and biofuels.

Clearly, there is no single solution – no one way to solve this problem. And Virginia can’t do it alone -- but we must do our part. We must invest in research and development, partnering with UVA, Virginia Tech, and all our great universities to ensure that future breakthroughs happen right here. Virginia can and should lead in this - one of the great challenges of the 21st century.

But doing all this won’t be easy. From the capitol in Richmond to the halls of Washington, it’s going to take a joint commitment – the type of commitment we haven’t seen since John Kennedy challenged us to land a man on the moon. It’s going to take another Apollo Mission to get this done. Virginia can’t lead our nation, and our nation can’t lead this world, if we stay behind in this race. This is a mission we can’t postpone and a challenge we can’t fail to meet.

Teddy Roosevelt set the standard for us all when he said, “The Nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets… which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value…and behaves badly if it leaves the land poorer to those who come after….” People ask whether protecting our environment will help our economy, and it will. But this is about something greater. Are we judged by how we best exploit our resources for economic gain? Or do we measure success by the legacy we leave behind? We must act, as Roosevelt said, “So that our children will be richer, and not poorer because we have lived.” That must be our standard. That is how we will be judged.

Thank you for the opportunity to be here today and for all your hard work. Thank you and God bless you.