Alexandria — To the Editor:
I am supporting Don Beyer for Congress because I believe you vote for someone who you know shares your core beliefs and concerns. I also admire someone who can change, and wonder about politicians who say they have never made any mistakes, or boastfully take all the credit. Beyer gave credit to Adam Ebbin for changing his view on marriage equality. I have no doubt that Don Beyer, who grew up in Falls Church, but has lived in Old Town, and has a dealership in Fairfax County, and has already represented the whole the district as lieutenant governor will represent the whole district equally, and that no part of the district will be more important than any other.
Often we don't work hard enough to do what is best for the whole region, and I believe Beyer will be a great advocate for Federal dollars and Federal workers, who are vital to our local economy. We also need someone who will be able to secure Federal funding for regional transportation projects, like the streetcar in Arlington, or extension of the Yellow line to Fort Belvoir. Being able to pick up the phone and use connections from 30 years of public service will mean that Beyer will have a head start when it comes to building the relationships that are essential to getting things done on Capital Hill.
Passing legislation is not the only thing that a representative in Congress will do. I know Beyer will also have excellent constituent services, and when you call or write his office, he will respond. He has had his own assistant, who came to a recent coffee, and he has offered to rehire those on Jim Moran's staff that want to stay. Constituent service will be a significant part of his commitment to everyone in the District. I also know what kind of congressional office Beyer will run by the way he has run his campaign. He has not attacked others, but praised other candidates. He responded to attacks against him without attacking others. I believe he will run a professional congressional office that can work with everyone, and when an issue is brought to him he will listen and act.
There has been some criticism of Beyer as ambassador, but I believe Beyer did not just spend his time in Europe just filling a post, but learning some of the best practices in Europe, lessons we can use here. When he learned of the generous maternity leave policy in Switzerland he made sure to bring that idea home and offer it at his dealerships. Megan Beyer worked to improve the role women in the business world while in Switzerland, and she is one of Beyer's biggest assets, and a great partner in his service to the community. And when Beyer was not ambassador he was working to help one of the most progressive candidates for president we have had, Howard Dean.
That is why I am supporting Beyer. He has run the best campaign, shown that he is the most prepared on national and international issues, and shown that he is a true progressive. A progressive to me is someone who wants to make progress, to make our region better, and is willing to learn when a new idea comes along, and embrace the changes all around us. Wikipedia says that progressivism is: "that advances in science, technology, economic development, and social organization can improve the human condition." I agree with Beyer that Climate Change is the biggest challenge facing the planet, and it will take innovation in science, technology, and transportation to solve this crisis. That will be progress.
Boyd Walker
Alexandria