People - wake up. This MWAA circus sideshow is happening because there is about $1.5 Billion of overcharge in the massively excessive price estimates in Phase 2 of the Dulles Rail / Silver Line project alone. And the CONTRACTS for these massively overestimated jobs are about to be approved... by MWAA! How about that. And nobody ever questions the price estimates!

Example: Our Rt 28 rail station. Compare it to the Fairfield Connecticut Metro station completed in December 2011. Rt 28: 8 car trains. Fairfield: 12 car trains. Rt 28: supposedly less expensive 'single island platform' design. Fairfield: supposedly more expensive 'dual side platform' design (because it has express tracks between the local tracks). Rt 28: half length canopy. Fairfield: full length canopies on both platforms. Yet, the Rt 28 station is estimated to cost well over TWO TIMES what the Fairfield station cost! And our 'leaders', their parties and their complicit news media outlets never say a THING about that, do they. No, they don't.

There are other examples of double priced estimates in this job, but nobody EVER questions the estimates! Why not? I think that it is because this extra money is to be directed to the 'right people', for financial and revolving-door rewards later. What do YOU suppose?

Call out the FTA ad MWAA price estimators and have them explain their double priced estimates! if not - WHY not?

Did Tom Davis force Dennis Martire to take a 9 day junket to Sardinia? Martire's problems were brought on himself by his inexcusable behavior. But let the Washington Post speak for me:

"On returning from his Sardinian adventure, Mr. Martire filed an expense claim for $10,586, most of it for a business-class air ticket. … He also wrote a brief trip report, noting that smartphones can be useful tools for airports to communicate with passengers."

Again, Martire went on an approved trip that you like to call a junket. Most of his expenses were airfare. He was never cited for abusing expenses. Davis on the other hand hired his daughter at MWAA. Then used MWAA money to hire Mame Reiley for $180,000 for 5 years. Do you think this is cause for removal? What if Martire did these "missteps". People like you would be calling for his head. But Davis you say nothing about. Blinded by ideology.

The Post Editorial Board is in Tom Davis's pocket. Have you noticed they have not written about your friend Tom. Also the report you mention was not Martire's report but Lee's view of the report. Maybe you should ask to see what his report said before you cast an opinion. The trip to Italy was three days not nine. But why let facts get in the way of a good story.

Bob has a very good point. Who is contractor "A" who was mentioned in the IG report? MWAA still is being silent on this issue.

Just the Facts, is your name actually Dennis Martire? If you aren't Martire then how would you know that the report is not Martire's but Lee's view of the report. I will say something about Davis, who is not my "friend" as you put it. He shouldn't have hired his daughter. This statement about the Washington Post editorial board being in the pocket of Tom Davis is the same garbage Martire peddled with his WAMU interview. Martire refused to accept blame for anything. The statement that the Sardinian trip was "approved" also means nothing. The rules were so lax that the MWAA board members were guided only by common sense, a facility that Martire lacks.

Incidentally, Just the Facts, if you have Martire's actual report send it to Dusty so he can post it with this article. I am sure we all would like to read it.

Dusty should FOIA the report like I did. The report was about using smartphones to create airport revenue. That is actually good for the airports. But the WP Editorial Board described it like you reported it here. So should Davis be removed if you feel he did wrong ?

Also you blame the Mwaa policy and Martire for his travel. So if the rules for employees say they get 10
Days vacation and the use all 10
Days, they should be fired because even the rules and policy say its ok, the employee should have know better. Give me a break. If MWAA has policy and procedures that allowed travel then he did nothing wrong. If you don't like the policy and procedures then change the policy and procedure. But you can't remove someone for following the rules that they were given. All Board members at MWAA are allowed to travel. Why was all the travel to Cancun, Russia, Middle East, all ok but this guys travel you're against? No other Board member has ever been removed for traveling. That is why this story shows a bias. You can't dance around that a bias exists here. Has Davis been removed? He has cost the Authority way more then Martire's travel where Davis and his family benefited directly. But I don't hear you calling for his head, strange.

Why should Dusty FOIA a report that will take months to obtain if you can send it to him today? Does the report have information damaging to Martire? I want to read the report.

Everyone involved in this nepotism scandal should be let go, including Davis. Here is a Washington Post report detailing the scandal.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/dc-airport-authority-employment-is-frequently-a-family-affair/2012/12/08/e29ab88a-3eef-11e2-a2d9-822f58ac9fd5_story_2.html

Davis's daughter by the way is, or was, a medical student who worked the summer as an Emergency Medical Technician at $17.36 an hour. She actually did something for the work unlike Martire with his Sardinia vacation. Another comment from the Washington Post:

"In a statement, Mr. Martire defended the trip as “directly relevant to my duties as a Board member” and “fully legitimate and absolutely consistent with [airports authority] policies.” However, he did not explain how it was relevant or answer any of our specific questions — for instance, why he chose to attend a conference in Sardinia when the same sponsor holds almost 20 conferences and seminars in the United States and Canada each year."

Comparing an employee who takes all 10 days of a vacation to someone who single-handedly spent more than $38,000 attending five conferences in 2010 and 2011 is laughable. Martire abused a system he knew had no internal controls.

Again it was the WPost Editorial Board that you like to quote, not the actual Post reporters. You still try to justify Davis's daughter working at Mwaa. If she has this fantastic résumé, why once Congressman Tom Davis got on the Mwaa Board was his daughter hired? Then once it was exposed she was let go or quit? I'm not defending Martire either. But if most of these Board members traveled and it was approved or policy allowed it, then why were other members not removed for traveling? From what the Post reported( not the editorial board) other members traveled more then this guy did but were not subject of a removal process by a sitting Governor. This WAMU story shows they went after this guy and other Dems on the Board for positions they held regarding the alignment and PLA. This is where the bias comes into play. Between the Governor and MWAA , they spent over 2 million dollars trying to get rid of this one Board member and bought off Mame Reiley for $180,000/5 year contract for her seat. My tax dollars were used for something I feel was a waste of my money. If you did not like the MWAA travel policy, change the policy. It would have been cheaper and would not look like this was politically motivated. You have to agree that this would have been a much simpler way of handling this issue then to spend stupid money to take out a guy who's term only had a little over a year left on it. This WAMU story says this was a political witch hunt, which it clearly was.

Also the hiring of Mame Reiley was a joke as well. No job existed. Once she was hired, no job announcement was made, no job description was given, she never attended any MWAA meetings, Board was never notified of the hiring. This is where Potter, Davis and Curto have blood on their hands. The MWAA Board did make this decision, it was these 3 that were in collusion to make this happen. Davis admitted it was a win, win. She needed something and he needed her seat. But they used MWAA money to make it happen. It smells of dirty politics and it looks like WAMU uncovered the real story here. If MWAA is ever going to regain the public trust, I do think you need to change the senior management and get a new Board. But you need to have more then Ray LaHood say all is well now when we all can see what really went on here.

You say you're not defending Martire after writing a series of lengthy posts defending him? Send the Sardinia report to Dusty so we can judge for ourselves.

It could be Martire or anyone else. You're missing the point. All Mwaa Board members traveled. Some more then Martire. Why just this one guy was the target? Why not Mike O'Reiley who is from Va and traveled more then Martire according to the Wash Post? Why don't you FOIA all Board members reports on on travel trips. I would assume some of them do not even provide any reports. Should they all be removed going with your junket theory? I like debating when you can see a bias is at play here. Rules apply to everyone not just who we want to apply them too.

So do you think Tom Davis should be removed? A simple yes or no would be sufficient. Do you think Jack Potter, CEO should be removed? Do you think Michael Curto, Chairman should be removed? All are mentioned in the Federal IG report.

Why didn't the MWAA Board travel to Fairfield Connecticut, and find out that a Metrorail station should cost less than HALF what we are being told for the Rt 28 Metrorail station?

Who knows? Maybe they might have compared our Rt 28 Metro station to the Fairfield Connecticut Metro station that was completed in December 2011.

Rt 28: 8 car trains. Fairfield: 12 car trains.

Rt 28: normally less costly 'single island platform' design. Fairfield: normally more costly 'dual side platform' design (because it has express tracks between the local tracks).

Rt 28: half length canopy. Fairfield: full length canopies on both platforms.

Yet, the Rt 28 station is estimated to cost well over TWO TIMES what the Fairfield station cost! Maybe one of them might have asked WHY.

Apparently the news media has been told not to discuss that, though - just like they were told not to discuss the $53 million FTA blunder, or the March 15, 2012 Audit (that is still under way) of Dulles Rail Phase 2, or the double price of the Phase 2 parking garages, or the 22% leap in the Rt 28 station price, or the 29% leap in the parking garage prices. One word: shame.

I think I lost Dave.

To Rob Whitfields's question, MWAA paid for 3 days only. Please review all the records yourself. Actual records matter, not Wash Post Editorials.

Ron Whitfield says he was appalled at what the litigation cost. But I sitting Gov attempted to oust a sitting member for traveling within the Boards policy and procedures. It would have been cheaper to change the policy if you did not like the policy. Martire is entitled to due process. He exercised his right and appears that he would have prevailed if you read the last judges decision. " he did not see the Commonwealth prevailing". It was a power play plain and simple. It has been reported that most Board members have traveled. Why only this guy was targeted? Other members traveled way more then this guy. Why him?

Davis daughter worked for just a few months until it was exposed by the Examiner or the Post. If it was not exposed, she would still be there. Also Davis did the Mame Reiley deal. He used your and my money to pay for this no show job position. That was $180,000 for 5 years. Martire traveled while an MWAA Board member like other Board members. If his expenses were not justified then he would be in violation. But that is not the case. He only billed MWAA for actual expenses for travel. Most of it was airfare. I don't think he sets the price for his plane tickets. These facts matter. You can't say Board members can travel and then use it against them if they do. Changing the policy was the correct action here. The Gov picked this route. They hired outside counsel because as Sean Cannaughton was quoted in the Post, because it was A very complex issue". If Martire was in violation it would have been clear cut. It was complicated because it was political.

Connaughton said the state paid the law firm Thompson Coburn $500,000 for work on the case. He said the governor chose to have the matter handled by outside counsel because of the “complexity of the litigation.”

http://youtu.be/25nTDQvy5F4

In 2008, the Wash Post ran two articles on MWAA Board travel expesnses. It appears that the MWAA Board did not impose sufficient restrictions to curb abuses.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/12/AR2008101202148_pf.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2008/10/13/GR2008101300075.html?sid=ST2008120302025

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/03/AR2008120301320_pf.html

Found this WAMU article on Martire's comments in October 2012.
http://wamu.org/news/morning_edition/12/10/17/embattled_mwaa_board_member_defends_his_record

“It was a three-day trip [the Post] made into a nine-day trip," Martire said of the accusations. "The conference was only three days. I flew from there to somewhere else on my dime, not on MWAA's dime.

"We have a policy that allows us to go to airport conferences," he continued. "It's not like we pull out a globe, spin it, and say, we're going here today."

Agree that the MWAA travel policies should have been clarified earlier. The Post having highlighted excessive travel expenses in 2008, prudence dictated that Martire should have used better judgment in his travel planning, particularly as Dulles Rail capital costs were double to triple those forecast a decade earlier.

You're making my point with the list of articles you posted. Of all these Board members listed for traveling, how many were removed? Answer "0". To spend 2 million on legal fees to get rid if this one guy is absurd. The State used taxpayer money to get rid of this guy. MWAA money was not taxpayer money. But still was a waste of money. Change the policy was the correct action here if you want to curb Board travel. Mr. Whitfield provided very good information.

For the Martire case, MWAA and other legal fees are shown in an attachment to the WAMU article of December 18, 2012:
http://wamu.org/news/12/12/18/airports_board_spent_15m_on_martires_lawsuit

MWAA (and other similar unaccountable bodies) needs to make public and limit all legal expenses in future. The $855,000 paid to Williams and Connolly for their work on the Martire case shows just how out of control Washington has become. Who was the "third party neutral" person or entity who determined that these were "reasonable fees and expenses?"

It is time for MWAA to stipulate that in future, as the airports and Dulles Rail are within Virginia and not Washington, DC, only prevailing legal rates from Northern Virginia be permitted - not the highest priced lawyers in the land.

Seems to me that if you take all of the MWAA Board improper contracts, nepotism, questionable hiring and questionable contracting, and even if you add the legal fees for Martire, etc, it probably is low on a scale of $59 million of overcharge for the Rt 28 station alone.

But which story do you always see in the news - and which story do you NEVER see in the news?

And are all six of the near-clone Metrorail stations $59 million overpriced? The Rt 772 station, the Rt 606 station, the Rt 28 station, the Herndon station, the Reston Town Center station and the Wiehle Avenue station are near-clones of each other - are they ALL $59 million overpriced? That alone would add up to $354 million of overcharge - where are our so-called 'leaders', who used to claim that they were looking for ways to lower the tolls?

Also ask those so-called 'leaders' why the Phase 2 parking garage estimates are two times what they should be. That adds up to another $146 million overcharge.

In fact, somebody might ask our so-called 'leaders' why they never called out the cost estimators to have them justify the double prices of the Dulles Rail / Silver Line project, that appear to add up to a staggering $2.5 Billion to $3 Billion of overcharge. That might have produced more charges that could be brought against the old MWAA Board - except, of course, that the motive for all of this is merely to control those Billions, direct them to the 'right' people, and collect revolving-door rewards later.

If you look at the legal bills. The Commonwealth's lead attorney billing per hour was higher then the Williams and Connonnly highest paid lawyers. Bottom line is this should have never been in the courts. This was a Board policy that needed changed. But it was used to remove a sitting Board member. I don't know if WAMU favors republicans or democrats and I don't care. I think the reporting is accurate in this case. Virginia taxpayer money was used in this case by the Commonwealth. I don't believe MWAA money is taxpayer money.

Seems to me that if you take all of the MWAA Board improper contracts, nepotism, questionable hiring and questionable contracting, and even if you add the legal fees for Martire, it probably is low on a scale of $59 million of overcharge for the Rt 28 station.

But which story do you always see in the news - and which story do you NEVER see in the news?

And are all six of the near-clone Metrorail stations $59 million overpriced? The Rt 772 station, the Rt 606 station, the Rt 28 station, the Herndon station, the Reston Town Center station and the Wiehle Avenue station are near-clones of each other - are they ALL $59 million overpriced? That alone would add up to $354 million of overcharge - where are our so-called 'leaders', who used to claim that they were looking for ways to lower the tolls?

Also ask those so-called 'leaders' why the Phase 2 parking garage estimates are two times what they should be. That adds up to another $146 million overcharge.

In fact, somebody might ask our so-called 'leaders' why they never called out the cost estimators to have them justify the double prices of the Dulles Rail / Silver Line project, that appear to add up to a staggering $2.5 Billion to $3 Billion of overcharge. That might have produced more charges that could be brought against the old MWAA Board - except, of course, that the motive for all of this is merely to control those Billions, direct them to the 'right' people, and collect revolving-door rewards later.

It's money from concessions is what I was told. It does not come from taxes or the federal government.

This is from one of the Washington Post stories you posted.

Several board members have defended their travel and said they attended worthwhile conferences at which they marketed the Washington region to airlines and learned about an industry trying to survive in financially challenging and fiercely competitive times.

The money being spent comes not from tax dollars but from concessions and passenger fees. Board members are not paid.