LTE: Finding Metro Bucks
Readers makes case for bailing on rail instead of slew of other budget items.
To Mr. Flannery and anyone else who cares about a particular program or about Loudoun County spending in general, hear this: Metro to Loudoun will forever have a dominant effect on spending priorities, second only to schools, if it comes to Loudoun.
It is a one-time mega-purchase managed by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), who Congressman Frank Wolf calls ‘unaccountable.’ It is also a partnership with WMATA, which runs Metro, but is chronically underfunded and is desperate to get its hooks into Loudoun to help with the rehab costs of the entire system.
In early January, Supervisor Buona was quoted in comments made at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast. “The budget process would to have to be viewed carefully, as the board works to drill down to core services and working to trim programs the government should not be responsible for,” he said.
People, it is time to wake up. He apparently considers Metro to be a core government service and Master Gardeners to be dispensable. It is worth noting that Buona works for a CEO and a company that is gaga for rail. He intends to deliver the Metro prize to them and the business community, bought and paid for with program cuts and, eventually, with tax hikes.
Metro riders pay little to offset the cost of their ride. Developers are offering to pay NOTHING toward this project that promises to funnel vast profits to a few landowners and contractors. Do the people of Loudoun want to terminate things like Master Gardeners programs to make this happen?
Rail has an insatiable appetite for money and Buona and others refuse to discuss some of the largest potential costs, like the cost of long term payments to Metro that the current Gazette poll is asking about.
We cannot allow this push to find Metro bucks to crowd out Master Gardeners, drug courts, FLES language, schools, pay increases, libraries, parks, ball fields, commuter buses, and funding needs for Lyme remediation. Remember too, that when State money goes to Metro, it defers the road projects that are needed. AG Cuccinelli said it is not a transportation project; it is a "real estate deal."
Metrorail to Loudoun is a black hole for money. Please ask your Supervisor to opt out and do what is best for the people of Loudoun.
David LaRock
Hamilton
CC Mojo
8:49 am on Wednesday, March 28, 2012
While there are legitimate concerns being expressed by both sides, it strikes me that there seems to be less than 6 people I can count who continually get their anti-rail propaganda online, and certainly Mr. LaRock is the ring leader. Just because a handful of individuals are voluminous in their writing and commenting online doesn't mean the opposition really is that large to rail to Loudoun.
Tax Pig
7:01 am on Friday, April 6, 2012
Mr. CC. Who is the ring Leader on the SPEND SPEND SPEND side? You initials are the same as one of the station property owner. Hmmm.
Do you disagree with any of the points or just the person making them?
...and what's up with the MOJO? I thought that was a 60's slang for pot. Are you a pot head?
Maybe if we all smoked a little weed this Metro Monster would start to look coooool man.
Bob Bruhns
9:16 pm on Friday, March 30, 2012
Many of the people who oppose the present Dulles Rail Phase II plan are the ones who use their real names, too. Who knows who an anonymous poster is? Who is to say that one person is not posting under ten different pen names? And why post from hiding? Is there a problem being identified as a supporter of this project?
One reason that only a few people stand up and oppose this boondoggle, is that our political and business leaders, and the media, have not been forthcoming on the real facts of the project. They NEVER address the two to one overcost, and they would not have admitted the bad financial planning if David LaRock and Rob Whitfield and Terry Maynard had not done volunteer research and spoken out. Only a few of us have dug down and uncovered the truth - and here we are, speaking out. Sorry if that bothers anyone.
Jonathan Erickson
7:27 am on Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Bother away Bob! Maybe some people will have their eyes opened if they just bother to do some reading. No Apology is nessary!
Bob Bruhns
11:42 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Well, HERE is a well-hidden fact - there is a FINANCIAL AUDIT of Dulles Rail Phase II going on. This is a new audit that began on March 15, 2012 - but for some very strange reason, it is not reported by the news media to this day. I only found out about it because Tax Pig put it on Facebook.
Why are our leaders and our news media acting as one to keep this story quiet? THIS is why only a few of us speak out - only a few of us know! And this is no accident. One has to dig very hard and very deep to learn what is going on, because the truth is being COVERED UP.
Audit Initiated of Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project
USDOT - Office of Inspector General
March 15, 2012
Project ID: 12M3001M00
Summary:
http://www.oig.dot.gov/library-item/5747
Full PDF Document
http://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/dot/files/Dulles%20Phase%202%20Announcement%20Letter%5E3-19-12.pdf
"...audit objectives will be to: (1) determine whether DOT's proposed oversight role for phase 2 adequately addresses key project risk areas, including cost, schedule, and financing; and (2) assess whether MWAA's phase 2 project plans rely upon reasonable assumptions of revenue from the Dulles Toll Road"
This is a big story... so why is it being covered up?
joe brewer
1:32 pm on Friday, June 22, 2012
The audit came out. The MWAA still stinks. Compare the GAO report from 2002 to the Inspector General's report of 2012 and there is very little difference. Same problems, same tired ass answers.