When did the Board of Supervisors start meeting at Tammany Hall? yeah, that's pretty much a chicken and egg question.

Let's keep protesting and complaining about this so Metro finally says F--- off and the land for the stations magically becomes strip malls and town houses.

See, Legoland in Woodbridge. Redskins Stadium at Potomac Yards, Disney park at Dominion Valley.....

Thank god! Finally someone who is actually analyzing this decision, and all of the complex ramifications. We Loudoun residents will be effected in so many ways by this decision, and it appears that many residents, and board members, are not even considering them (dense-living population increase, much more traffic from the added people, much more infrastructure needed for said people, increased tolls and taxes to pay for all of this as well as the rail itself, etc.).

It seems to me that having the railway as close as Reston and the airport is ideal. It is MUCH closer than is currently the case (for the relative few that wish to take it), and it leaves Loudoun the way we like it - green, beautiful, and without the down-town feel.

As far as traffic congestion, Loudoun would be much better served by working on improving East/West roadways. That would result in immediate and long term relief of traffic congestion much more effectively in Loudoun than building metro here will. Building a metro to Ashburn will not even put a dent in the traffic.

I don't see how anyone can support this project after reading the above article, and realizing the amount of unanswered questions, and the effects it will likely have on Loudoun.

I think we should be more concerned with the serious traffic problem that we have here. We have the third worst traffic in the country and something needs to be done about it. Building new roads will not be enough and really the area is so developed, where are we going to build new roads without kicking people out of their houses or businesses? Busses pollute too much and add to the traffic problems. They don't move near enough people and it takes forever to get anywhere. We need busses and we need new roads, but we also need a train, Metro. It's clean, it's fast, and it will serve generations to come. It's a permanent part of the solution and we needed it 10 years ago and everyone knows thats true. It's time we stop debating how expensive it will be and start debating when it will be finished.

Yes to Metro

Sorry to disappoint you, but as soon as the shovels broke on Phase I, Metro is coming one way or another - and we'll all be paying for it - the question is, do we get the benefits as well, or simply pay for something that we get little benefit from at this point.

MWAA is going to build Metro to Dulles... the question is whether or not Loudoun chooses to participate in the process. If Loudoun participates, we'll have some say in the process and can get the benefit of transportation options and controlled development, more jobs in Loudoun, and transferring some of the tax base from residential to commercial uses. If Loudoun doesn't participate at this point, MWAA is going to make up the difference in toll road tolls anyways... and then you'll also be creating a 'mixing bowl' at the junction of 28 and the toll road by adding the only practical metro station for 95% of Loudoun to get to.

The only alternative to keep any control on quality of life and tax base if Loudoun opts out would be to do that in conjunction with an immediate freeze on all construction/development in Loudoun... and that's not going to happen either.

There are also other funding mechanisms that haven't been discussed... what about a nominal ($5?) surchage fee to add to anyone using the Dulles metro station - just add it to the Metro fare? What about adding a fee to rental cars at Dulles airport? Just some ideas....

Good point Dave, we are going to be handing this money over anyways, we might as well get a nice shiny train to go with it and all the economic benefits as well.

Yes to Metro!!!

Great letter Janet Clarke!
We are not going to be handing over hundreds of millions if we opt out and that does reek of a scare tactic. Metro to Dulles funded by the toll road which is why Kaine turned it over in the first place. No more money from Loudoun and keep the 2 extra stops, they will not alleviate traffic congestion or the carbon footprint. Where is it you think the electricity comes from? Not much from renewable sources you say!

Melvin, How were traffic problems solved in Fairfax county when metro came? When it came to Vienna traffic did nothing but get worse. No metro has ever solved traffic problems. I have no idea why the pro metro people continue to use that argument when a quick trip to Fairfax will show you that it is not true.

Thank you Mrs. Clarke for looking out for the taxpaying citizens of Loudoun and for asking the tough questions about this pig in a poke. How can anyone commit to buying anything without knowing what the full cost will be? No citizen would do that. Why would our board?

Prolapse, are you really saying that the board of supervisors should just shut up and fork over the money to MWAA, now and forever, in whatever amount they ask for?

Finally, a Loudoun supervisor going on the record to discuss concerns and demonstrating some independent analysis and asking common sense questions. This helps explain why she beat out an incumbent.

What an outstanding letter. Someone has put her thinking cap on and is asking the tough and rational questions. If Janet can withstand the pressure from the narrow band of interests, Loudoun County may have found our Maggie Thatcher. Don't go wobbly on me Janet. :)

"It's time we stop debating how expensive it will be and start debating when it will be finished."
This kind of impulsive thinking and acting is exactly why our country is in the horrific financial state it is in. Do you follow the same process when making financial decisions at home?

Why is Loudoun as it is 'not good enough'? We have very low unemployment and the highest income in the country. What, exactly, is Loudoun lacking that two metro stops will bring, other than more growth? What will more growth provide us, other than more taxes to pay for it?

I am in Brambleton and fully support the metro, as do most of my neighbors. I also supported Mrs Clarke and am very disappointed in her waffling stance on the metro. The residents want it and support it and want and need our supervisor to support it to.

CC. Any chance to use the Don't Go Wobbly on me line. And yes, you might be right about biding time, again, Don't Go Wobbly on me.

The letter was heads above the nonsense produced to date. It is about time someone started asking grown up questions.

CC what's up?

Here is a different view from a person who is typical. You seem well informed but too many are completely unaware that this project will pick their pocket.

Sent to me from an Ashburn resident:
" I live within the 2 mile radius. I am a working mom. My spouse also works. We pay a lot in tolls for two cars each way 5 days a week. One of the proposed ways to pay for metro will be to increase those tolls. So I am already going to be paying a lot for my two car family.
Add to that a proposed increase in my property tax. Add on top of that a special tax for living within a two mile radius. I am not having to budget way more money then ever between the tolls, property tax, and now a special tax. My family simply cannot afford that. When I moved out to Ashburn we had to budget very carefully what we would pay in tolls (which have since on the Greenway gotten out of control and will only get worse). You are basically going to price out of our home.
In speaking with my neighbors it is very clear to me many of them do not understand how metro is being paid for which leads to false results of who is really "pro metro". Many are pro metro - but once you explain the cost you get - NO!!! So believe me when I say MOST of your voting public do not want metro at this cost.
Please vote No. Many, many, many families live in your district. Many of them are two parent working families and you are going to put a HUGE financial burden on them.

Great letter from Vice Chair Clarke. She has been asking the important questions about this project that Scott York has refused to ask for 16 YEARS. It's not Janet's, or any of the other newly-elected Supervisors' fault that Scott York has failed to lead and prepare for this huge decision. I hope Janet and the other Supervisors vote to Opt Out until someone figures out how to pay for this mess without increasing taxes on our already over-taxed residents.

Thank you, Supervisor Clarke. This is the best writing I have seen to date on the Metrorail project.

I feel very sad that Miss Clarke would ignore the opinions of all the people who voted to put her in office. The position of her office is to execute the will of the people. It is not to assume that she knows better then some 80 percent of the people who's opinion she represents. This is the core principle of our democracy, and if she votes no to Metro, I plan on voting no to her when she seeks her office again.

A poll is just that, it places no restrictions on a supervisor. If we just follow the polls why have supervisors. She has the inside scoop and the knowledge to represent all of Loudoun not just the people polled. The core principle you speak of is truly false. Her job is to represent Loudoun counties best interests whether they are aligned with the majority or not. Only about 40% of the early colonists supported Americas separation from England, i guess George Washington should have stuck with the majority using your core principle.

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts: I speak for businesses and families: If Loudoun County wants to create future oriented jobs by attracting more companies (or at least retaining them, I know a few that have left the county), we have to have sustainable growth and good public transportation. I have not heard one member of the LC CoC or the environmental or economic development department being against the silver line. Do you want that our county in the future only offers jobs for people making more than 200K and can afford sitting in traffic in a comfortable big car? Or a place for young people and families their can call home? Think about it.

Chilax everyone, JC will vote yes on metro...she has done the numbers. That is, her west loudoun constituents will not get her re-elected, it is the other end of Blue Ridge that will have the greater amount of voters. And her donors and supporters are all developers. As for someone comparing her to the great Margaret Thatcher, that is ridiculous. It is easy to write something, but when she talks, well York even labeled it as "the most ridiculous" thing he had ever heard. Look out Scott York, she wants your job. And it looks like she is set to take it too.

I think some folks didn't quite interpret my comment correctly... the point is, the Toll Road tolls are going up anyways (inevitable once the Silver Line started construction and the Toll Road was identified as a primary source of funding). Given MWAA's behavior in the past, if Loudoun opts out, tolls on the toll road will likely go up to the same amount anyways - if not, perhaps even more than they would have with Loudoun's participation. Loudoun opts out, there is no seat at the table, and MWAA can potentially flip the table the other way (I haven't heard anything to the contrary). You think $10 tolls are bad? What about $15 or more? What's to stop it if Loudoun opts out? Again, none of the benefits and all of the pain.

Unless the alternative is a complete and immediate moratorium on *all* development in Loudoun to freeze the size of infrastructure here to zero growth (ummmm... yeah), 'opt out' doesn't make any sense... unless you want your property taxes to perhaps go even higher as Loudoun continues to be a bedroom community without the commercial cores (like Fairfax, Arlington, etc). Sometimes you have to make an investment and spend money to improve your tax base and give you more money to spend elsewhere.

Chairman Clark,
I would like to suggest to ask some experienced business owners in LC and families getting their property tax raised almost every year how to finance the silver line? Start thinking outside the box! If we can finance new schools and extending roads to handle more traffice, then we should be able to afford a metro line.

I can always tell those who have never picked up and read a LC budget.

The money is there, and really if they did have to tax properties, it should be based on one thing, how much your properties value INCREASED as a result of being closer to the Metro. Your property values will go up, if your property goes up 10 thousand dollars in value, what is the problem handing a thousand of it back to the project that still made you 9 thousand dollars? This way no one gets taxed unless they made money off the deal. Sounds like a win win for the Government and the land owners.

Yes to Metro

This is your song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ynrSEjHyRI

why spend millions and millions of dollars just to make a commute a few minutes shorter? Driving to Reston only takes a few minutes from a Loudoun metro stop to the Reston metro stop. i thought everyone was complaining about debt? isn't this going into much more debt? What's weird, Loudoun residents will be paying for this through property taxes and user fees. but those from outside Loudoun only pay the user fees. and lots of Loudouners will not use it to commute to work anyway.

Here's an idea, let the people of the county decide. The board of supervisors will have to issue bonds to pay for the initial $300 million, plus $112 we owe for phase one if we opt in, and for the yearly $30 million maintenance. Usually when the county is going to borrow this much money for a big project they put it to the citizens to vote on issuing the bonds. Let the citizens vote in November to decide if they want to float those bonds. MWAA can wait a few more months for their $300 million. We also owe $112 million for phase 1. The total cost, according to a supervisor, will be $1.2 BILLION. Shouldn't the people to be allowed to vote on a project that big, bonds that big? Put it to referendum!

I would like to trust that our representatives would do the prudent thing - perform the analysis fully, understand where the finances will come from, anticipate the impacts upon our community and its residents (realizing the type of people who chose to live in Loudoun, instead of, say, Arlington), understand the impacts upon our infrastructure, etc. Unfortunately however that doesn't look likely. Leaving the vote to the citizens is probably a better idea. At least that way there is an opportunity for everyone (...or at least those who choose to think, and put aside their emotional 'give it to me now and we will figure out how to pay for it later' desires, and act like a responsible adult who wants to understand the ramifications of their actions) to become educated, and understand the FACTS. I fear that the developers, and others who stand to profit from this deal, have too much influence over the decision makers. Look at the debt at ANY level of government in our nation, and you can see the effect of that fact - unsustainable debt, due to bad financial promises made by politicians seeking greater power.

I agree Janie, put it to a vote.

Well thank the lord glen is here to speak for business and families, I guess his totem pole has few members going to the top of it. Speaking of facts where do you come off with the 3rd worst traffic in the United States. You are entitled to your opinion but not your own facts Baconater!

How about asking everyone who is planning on using the Metro in Loudoun County whether or not they are willing to pay at least $15 per day to park their car or $10 to drop off the person in their family that will be taking the Metro, PLUS the cost of the Metro ride, PLUS the cost of any tolls generated from their travel to the Metro station, PLUS a much highter percentage on their property tax rate, (PLUS...PLUS...) and require that they do the math on the individual homeowner's or family's total costs to bring in the Metro, I truly believe the pocketbooks of all sane people in Loudoun will suddenly snap shut.

It's about time Loudoun got Metro and I can hardly wat to see them vote yes to it this coming July. Our taxes should pay for it, just get some of them back from Richmond.

Yes to Metro

I believe that those businesses who stand to profit most should pay a greater share of the taxes for Metro..kind of like Dulles Corridor. I like Clarke's arguments against the Metro...she wants to hear more and know exactly how it will be paid for, not just going along because others say she should. However, I also believe that Loudoun will continue to grow with or without Metro..I don't believe you can stop the growth, and the traffic is unbearable now for anyone traveling points east. We only have two inadequate arteries..7 and 50, and that Greenway gouge road, plus the Dulles toll road which is becoming more expensive every year. So love it or hate it, I believe Metro will happen.

Dear Supervisor Clarke: I totally support you not supporting the Dulles Rail project--and that means all phases, including the extension to IAD. Even if we were in a period of national plenty it would be a poor use of taxpayer dollars. With the current economy, it would be criminal.
--Jack Seeley

Time to start a petition to recall Supervisor Janet Clarke.

I think metro to loudoun is dumb. I want to take my horse and buggy to work, wear wooden teeth, and dream of a day when blacks and women get to vote.

To heck with the gov, Romney should vet Mrs. Clarke. BTW investing in the stock market or a college education are indivdual choices. Taking my money in the form of taxes to pay for rail that benefits the MWAA the most is silly. Alond with the tolls from Loudoun they want to add 270 mil, no thanks!