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This Saturday I attended the Charlottesville Democratic Party’s sold-out fundraiser, along with VA’s gubernatorial candidates (Tom Perriello and Ralph Northam), two lieutenant governor candidates (Susan Platt and Gene Rossi), my opponent (House Minority leader David Toscano), and various local candidates. I’d like to share three illuminating moments.

1.

Between Perriello’s and Northam’s speeches, about ten protesters took the stage and unfurled a banner reading “Climate Leaders Don’t Push Pipelines.”

x Pipeline protestors have interrupted the Cville Democrats Pasta Supper pic.twitter.com/yaGyrc3fI1 Ã¢ÂÂ Lauren Berg (@laurenbergk) March 18, 2017

In my view, the message could not have been more timely, or more necessary—virtually every other person who spoke on Saturday failed to discuss or even mention climate change.

Yet, the moderator (a local party executive committee member and Toscano campaign staffer) wrenched the microphone away, attempted to tear away the banner, then encouraged the audience to boo the protestors off the stage.

That someone would be alarmed at protesters taking the stage, and even afraid that a carefully planned event would be derailed, is completely understandable. Protests happen, though—particularly when those protesting are in many ways excluded from the political process (as young people, and especially young women, often are), and when there are morally urgent problems being neglected (as is undeniably the case with climate change). In my view, climate activism is especially necessary here in VA, given the extent to which our elected officials (on both sides of the aisle) are in the pockets of fossil-fuel interests (like Dominion Power).

Given all of this, the moderator could have stepped aside and allowed the protesters to be heard for at least a few minutes. But that’s not what happened. Instead, she worked hard to have them silenced, shamed, and off the stage as quickly as possible. In my view, that was a mistake. It disrespects the protesters, their cause, and conscientious people in the audience (some of whom were yelling “They deserve to be heard!”). It was particularly disheartening to witness many of the same people who had (just moments before) cheered Perriello on as he called Democrats the “party of resistance” being so quickly cajoled into booing actual resistance.



Nevertheless, the young women’s demonstration succeeded in inspiring conversation—not just about climate change, but about the Democratic party’s lack of initiative in addressing it. So long as Republicans control government at the federal level, it is essential that states take the lead on climate action—especially wealthy states like ours with ample ability to harness clean and renewable energy. Right now, we have a Democratic governor who supports an “all-of-the-above” energy policy—which amounts to climate change denial in practice, if not in speech; a leading candidate to replace him (Ralph Northam) who is unwilling to oppose the pipelines or refuse Dominion Money; and a House Minority leader (David Toscano) who counts Dominion among his top-ten all-time donors, and who also refuses to oppose the pipelines. To my mind, all this suggests that the Virginia Democratic Party is in need of a reality check. And I, for one, am proud that those young women risked themselves to do that.

2.

Soon after, Ralph Northam took the stage and gave an invigorated speech. Afterwards, I asked him if, as governor, he would oppose the construction of Dominion’s two fracked-gas pipelines. His response: “I don’t believe that’s the kind of thing governors should be deciding.” This was bewildering. Surely he couldn’t mean that governors are somehow legally barred from weighing in on the state’s energy infrastructure. (At the very least, his contender Perriello thinks otherwise.) My best guess was that Northam was expressing an ethical view about the need for limited government, or at least a limited executive. Yet, moments earlier, he had laid out a vision that small-government conservatives would oppose: one of expanding health care access, establishing addiction treatment facilities, etc. Perhaps Northam’s view was just that government should not be involved in decisions about the environment and energy. But if this is right, why? Why should Democrats refrain from using government to address climate change—one of the most vital issues facing our species and one that our own Pentagon has called a major threat to national security?

It then occurred to me that this selective endorsement of governmental power likely had financial rather than ideological roots. So I asked Mr. Northam: “Will you at least refuse campaign donations from Dominion?” (How could anyone be neutral on the pipelines otherwise?) He replied sternly and forcefully: “NO.”

Ralph Northam made clear where his loyalties lie: not with future generations, the parks, environmental activists, the thousands who will die prematurely each year from the air pollution giving rise to climate change, or with the citizens and farmers of Central VA who are having their land snatched. Rather, Mr. Northam’s loyalty is squarely and unapologetically with Dominion Energy’s shareholders.

This, in my view, is not only morally repugnant, it is imprudent. It eliminates a key way Democrats have sought to distinguish themselves from Republicans. How can we present ourselves as the party of science and continue to support dirty-energy projects? It also simultaneously alienates an enthusiastic (and increasingly large) portion of the electorate—those concerned about the dangers of climate change.

3.

Good news came late in the event. I asked my opponent—VA’s corporate-money-backed House Minority leader, David Toscano—if he would participate in a debate with me before the primary.

Given that Charlottesville voters have not had a choice in the Delegate race for six years, and Democrats have not had a primary choice for twelve, providing an opportunity for voters to learn more about this year’s race is vital—especially given the important differences between our two campaigns.

Happily, Mr. Toscano agreed. Now it’s up to the local Party to organize the event.