To me, Scott Rigell (pictured to the right in the photo), GOP candidate for Virginia's 2nd congressional district, represents some of the worse attributes of the Christianists. He claims to be a deeply religious Christian, but is better defined by those whom he hates and dislikes - gays, blacks, non-Christians, Jews, immigrants, Hispanics, etc. - and has no regard for the safety and well being of others. Not exactly Christian behavior, but all too typical of the Christianists. This hypocrisy is underscored by Rigell's desire for LESS regulation of businesses - including his own - even though he has a history of being fined for having unsafe work conditions at his auto dealership. Yep, he wears his religion on his sleeve, but doesn't give a flip about the safety of his employees. Then there's the hypocrisy of his attacks on Nye for voting for the stimulus plan - even though Rigell benefited to the tune of $400,000 from the plan as he slid up to the government trough like a hog and gladly took money from the "cash for clunkers" program. Fortunately, a new poll shows that Glenn Nye is closing in the polls and the sleazy and disingenuous Rigell may yet go down to defeat. First some highlights from the Virginian Pilot on Rigell's unsafe work environment for his employees:*
Republican businessman Scott Rigell, who has made streamlining government regulation of businesses a centerpiece of his congressional campaign, has faced problems with federal safety regulations that resulted in thousands of dollars in fines over the past 16 years at two of his auto dealerships, according to federal records.
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The violations cited at Rigell's dealerships include improper storage of combustible materials and compressed gas containers, electrical equipment placed too close to hazards, improper grounding of metal cans, not enough eyewash stations, a faulty electrical cord and not using a required surge protector.
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The violations were cited during surprise inspections. The two dealerships originally were cited for 13 violations categorized by OSHA as serious and ordered to pay $17,525 in fines, but the penalties were reduced and one violation was dropped during the appeals process.
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Rigell has spoken repeatedly about his concern that too many government regulations are choking entrepreneurs. His statements on the campaign trail have focused primarily on shortening the time required to gain approval of new projects.
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He said Monday that OSHA rules are among those that need to be examined. "I don't single out OSHA regulations... but every single area, including OSHA, should be reviewed and, to the degree possible, tightened up - still with that absolute pursuit of protecting the American worker," he said.
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I'm sure that in Rigell's mind, employees are expendable - just like gays and others in society he dislikes - and replaceable, so why let their safety get in the way of making money. The Virginian Pilot also has coverage on the closing poll results. Here are some highlights:
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With a week remaining in the combative 2nd Congressional District election, the contest is a dead heat between U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye, a Democrat, and Republican challenger Scott Rigell, according to a new poll of likely voters.
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The telephone survey found that Rigell was favored by 41.5 percent, Nye by 41 percent, and 12 percent were undecided. The third candidate, independent Kenny Golden, was backed by 5 percent.
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"Voters are in a pretty sour mood," said CNU political science professor Quentin Kidd, who supervised the poll. "But they aren't completely sold on the idea of getting rid of Nye and hiring Rigell. Rigell is in the better position because he doesn't have to defend the status quo, but for some reason voters are hesitating on him."
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Maybe voters are figuring out that a vote for Rigell is like a vote for Pat Robertson or a robber baron of old who in his greed detests the"little people."
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