WSLS - WSLS Profiles Rep. Bob Goodlatte

Interview

WSLS - WSLS Profiles Rep. Bob Goodlatte

Behind his glasses and unassuming demeanor lies a man ready to reshape the face of the Roanoke Valley. Bob Goodlatte is on a mission, telling a class of adults going back for job training, "I expect great things from you and I hope you expect great things from me. That's the deal."

And Goodlatte intends to make good on that deal, if he hasn't already. Consider the construction out on the Roanoke River which is part of the flood reduction plan and the greenway system that ties into it. Both are major Goodlatte initiatives.

WARREN: "THIS IS ALL DUE TO YOUR WORK, OR AT LEAST PART OF YOUR WORK."

GOODLATTE: "Well, I've been working on this for many years."

Try decades of fighting behind the scenes to get the tens of millions of dollars to pay for the extensive project. It took even more arm twisting to bring together local, state, and federal agencies. That's no small feat.

The flood plan will save hundreds of homes and businesses, places that in the past frequently flooded. And, the greenways are already a major attraction for bikers, hikers, even painters like Eric Fitzpatrick.

"I love the greenway. It's the best thing that ever happened to Roanoke, in my opinion," Fitzpatrick said, who spends time on the greenway painting various scenes.

WARREN: "AS YOU LOOK AT BOB GOODLATTE'S LEGACY, WHAT PEOPLE WILL SAY ABOUT YOU 20 YEARS FROM NOW, IS THIS A LARGE PART OF YOUR LEGACY?"

GOODLATTE: "I think this is one of the things I am most proud of in my work in the Congress."

That's in part because of its long term impact.

"It's going to make the river a centerpiece for the city of Roanoke, rather than the industrial drainage ditch it was for much of the 20th century," he said.

There's the mission Goodlatte is on and it doesn't end there. The longtime congressman happily admits, "One of the reporters in my first campaign called me a policy wonk, that is an accurate description."

That policy wonk is a geek for technology. It's a passion that he believes will be Roanoke's future as he fights to bring more web based, high tech jobs and companies to the Valley.

"No longer do you have to be on Wall Street or inside the Beltway that affects people anywhere in the world. It can be done right here in Roanoke, Virginia," he said.

Seniority helps Goodlatte accomplish a lot of this. Back in 1992 when he was first elected, Goodlatte pledged to serve only six terms. In 2004, he changed his mind.

That has paid off for Goodlatte, and he argues for his district as well. Until the Democrat took control of Congress in 2006, he served as chair of the powerful House Agriculture Committee. It's an influential post that Goodlatte says had a big impact on his district.

"It is very, very important to everyone who eats and especially important to the farmers in the Shenandoah Valley."

Goodlatte's partner in all of this is his wife of three decades, Mary Ellen Goodlatte. Both are from New England, but met at Washington and Lee University where they later wed.

WARREN: "WHEN YOU MARRIED HIM, DID YOU SEE A CONGRESSMAN?"

MRS. GOODLATTE: "No, I saw a wonderful person and he's still that wonderful person."

They put down roots here and raised a family. And now, 30 years later he's a fixture in Virginia politics.

WARREN: "WHAT IS IT YOU LOVE SO MUCH ABOUT SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA?"

GOODLATTE: "Well, I love the people. I think they have a real understanding of what life is about, what hard work is about, what challenges are about and how to go about facing them."

And so does Bob Goodlatte who says he works "90 hours a week." You have to when you're on a mission like his.

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