Editor,

You might have noticed this week, in the local ABC store, all the Russian vodka has been removed. This is an empty move by Governor Youngkin to make it seem like he cares about Russian oligarchs’ profits. In reality, if he cared about imports from Russia he would do more to lower demand for the 400,000 barrels of oil a day the US is importing from Russia. Instead, in Senate Bill 657 and House Bill 1261, he has elected to remove citizen advisory boards’ roles in decision making around water and air pollution; placing it behind the closed doors of the Department of Environmental Quality. Why does the party of “small government” always seek to remove citizen control and take power away from local groups every time they get the chance? Especially around local environmental issues.

Regardless, if you really want to stick it to the oil-rich oligarchs (Russian or otherwise), ride a bike or walk the next time you would take a short drive. Driving less will have a big impact on our foreign oil imports, and the sustainability of Falls Church.

Joseph Schiarizzi
Falls Church