Even Loudoun's Low-ball Estimates Reveal $713 Million Loss on Rail
Note: Based on Loudoun County-released information. Actual costs may double these estimates
Are you listening? Your Taxes WILL go up and stay up to pay for the Metro
Based on the county’s own low-ball guesstimates Metro will cost Loudoun taxpayers $1.2 Billion over the next 28 years.
It will probably be many times more than that amount.
See the full accounting of this black hole of debt spending here.
See the full accounting of this black hole of debt spending here.
Please urge Chairman York and Supervisors Clarke, Higgins, Letourneau, Volpe, and Williams to go on-the-record for OPTing OUT. Elected officials can’t commit Loudoun to $1.2 billion in Metro taxes and claim to be ‘fiscal conservatives.’ Ask them why fiscal conservatives favor this kind of BAILOUT.
Don’t just call them once; they need to hear from you once a week until they publicly commit to BAIL on RAIL and avoid this financial disaster!
Metro-to-Loudoun 'Town Hall' Meetings
Purcellville: Train Station
April 27th, 7pm
April 27th, 7pm
Leesburg: Rust Library
May 17th, 7pm
May 17th, 7pm
The Finale: Loudoun Board of Supervisors
Dulles Rail Public Input Session
June 4th, 6:30pm
June 4th, 6:30pm
Revised Study: Metro Investment Myth
Loudoun County's Revised RCLCO study was just released and should put to rest any notion that Metro to Loudoun can be called an investment. Regardless of the crystal-clear facts, there are plenty of headlines promising $300 million in revenue. County Administrator Tim Hemstreet reminded us that,
“Capital costs and operating costs were not reflected”
Translation: Loudoun can bring in $300 million if we spend $1.2 billion (or much more). Check out these other great myth busting quotes taken from Hemstreet’s summary.
“Nonetheless, RCLCO has not found any credible evidence to indicate that the extension of rail transit brings new development to an entire region.”
“...In RCLCO’s view there are not research studies that clearly support the view that rail investments catalyzes economic activity that would not otherwise have happened in a region...”
Maybe we should just build this thing to make a few landowners rich...oh wait, that’s what we are doing.Virginia rejects $300 million Dulles Rail Bailout
Not a bad week overall. Virginia stamped REJECTED on MWAA's $300 million funding request. Hopefully this marks a new resolve that will lead to fixing the MWAA problem instead of administering costly pain-killers.Reprinted from Senator Dick Black’s mass email:
Through an impressive display of dedication, the Virginia Senate passed a Budget!
I am pleased to tell you that just a couple of hours ago, we finally passed the bi-annual budget by a vote of 21 to 19 in the Virginia State Senate. The budget does not include additional funding for Metro-Rail, but it does have vital funding for education, police, hospitals, transportation projects, etc....
Warm Regards,
Senator Dick Black
Opt Out Guy in the News
Dan Davies, who helps with Loudoun Opt Out, was contacted by the Washington Examiner and used that opportunity to push the cost side of this project into view. Dan pointed out that even using Loudoun County, MWAA and WMATA's current (low-ball) numbers, when you press total it shows money-out of $1.2 billion over 24 years. It will probably cost twice that based on the pattern of under-performance of similar projects and the present condition of Metro. Dan's interview brought about 500 hits to the http://click.icptrack.com/icp/rclick.php?d=OBEMGylzLCUPf3er1JexXaPr_HKv_l4u&w=2&destination=http%3A%2F%2Floudounoptout.blogspot.com%2F website.
Metro Came to Town
Will Loudoun’s Metro Marriage Go Through?
A recent series of articles from the Washington Times show a side of the Metro organization that is hard to believe exists in a civilized society.
Joining with Metro will mean inheriting Metro’s financial needs which would in all likelihood trigger tax increases in Loudoun. If Loudoun says yes... divorce is not a legal option, it will last forever.
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said this about the Dulles Rail project, "It is a real estate deal, not a transportation project." Are we listening to this warning?
Links to Rail Videos:
Chairman York's Rail Reality Check
Lovettsville Town Hall Meeting Highlights
The Metro Song
The Metro Phenomenon
Contact us and we'll get you a
"No Metro Tax" bumper sticker or yard sign
to spread the word about our efforts.
Please tell your friends to get more info about this rail scheme on our website: http://www.loudounoptout.com/
Thanks for your blog. I commute from Leesburg to DC and have a few questions about the metro project that perhaps you could help me answer:
ReplyDelete1) Has anyone disclosed how long it will take the new/proposed metro line to go from Dulles to Rosslyn? From the proposed Ryan Rd station to Rosslyn?
2) I understand that someone did a 2008 of Loudoun commuters who said they would rather keep the bus service to DC (only 50 min from Leesburg to Rosslyn) than switch to a metro commute. Is that study available?
Thanks,
Eric