THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 27, 1995 TAG: 9510270025
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A22 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
Dmocrats [sic] are demanding that Governor Allen's campaign PAC return a $100,000 contribution from a hog-packing company that the state might fine millions of dollars for pollution.
With the Nov. 7 General Assembly races fast approaching, Governor Allen has handed Democrats ammunition to fire at Republicans. He can be accused of hypocrisy for failing to meet standards he applied to his opponent for governor two years ago.
During that race, Allen ran TV ads condemning Democrat Mary Sue Terry for accepting $500 from the owner of a polluting landfill. Terry was state attorney general when she accepted the contribution.
Now the governor's political-action committee has accepted 200 times $500 from Smithfield Foods, an Isle of Wight County company that has been cited at least 23 times for polluting the Pagan River since Governor Allen took office in 1994, but apparently not fined.
The initial administration response was that officials for Allen's PAC, Campaign for Honest Change, were unaware of potential fines against Smithfield Foods.
Well, they're aware now, yet Governor Allen says he'll keep the money anyway, presumably to help Republican candidates for the General Assembly.
A statement issued by Allen's press secretary, Ken Stroupe, on Office of the Governor letterhead, said: ``The Smithfield Company has never approached the Allen administration, the Campaign for Honest Change or the Department of Environmental Quality requesting special consideration of any pending or past regulatory issues.'' Is that the governor's standard now? He'll accept money from companies in any amount, no matter what regulatory fines the companies may be facing, so long as the companies refrain from special requests? Is it a mystery to anyone what favors Smithfield Foods might appreciate? Would a judge accept campaign contributions from a defendant awaiting sentencing - provided the defendant refrained from special requests?
Stroupe's statement also says, ``The Governor's office has had no participation in DEQ's investigation of alleged regulatory violations by the Smithfield Company.''
Fine, except the Department of Environmental Quality staff works for the governor. If the governor is pleased or displeased, the DEQ surely hears about it.
By accepting the $100,000 from Smithfield Foods, the governor has reinforced the often erroneous but familiar stereotype that Republicans would sell the environment down the river to protect big business. It is not enough for the governor to govern honestly. He must appear to govern honestly. His acceptance of the $100,000 contribution will feed cynics' belief that in Richmond the fix is in.
Neither the governor nor Smithfield Foods has committed a crime here. But in Virginia politics, $100,000 is a persuasively large sum of money. By comparison, through August this year the Virginia Bankers Association and the Virginia Medical Association combined had contributed less than $100,000 to all General Assembly candidates.
At minimum, some limit must be put on campaign contributions. And Governor Allen, for his own good and that of his party, must display better judgment about how much he accepts and from whom. Appearances do matter. by CNB