pls Add your input- "Always vote for principle..."

Ken Reid is No John Roberts
I'd Say He is More Soros-like

“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” John Quincy Adams

Chris Rankin:

My primary opposition to moving Metro beyond Dulles Airport stems from three concerns that Chairman York and the others who voted in favor of the Silver Line extension have yet to satisfactorily address:

1. Without knowing the final costs, and signing up for a percentage of the total project cost without specifying an absolute cap in terms of dollars, Loudoun County has essentially given Metro and MWAA a blank check. Both of these organizations have an abysmal track record of managing projects to completion on time and within budget. In taking this particular route, our Board of Supervisors has abdicated its responsibility of being good stewards of our tax money, putting total control and authority for all decisions into the hands of individuals who are political appointees and are answerable to nobody.

2. There is no clear path determined to finance the Silver Line opt-in decision. Talk of creating special tax districts has popped up, yet there still appear to be legal questions surrounding the feasibility of creating these. Talk of financing our share of the Silver Line costs through issuing bonds has also been heard, but no specific details have been forthcoming. The lack of a specific, tentatively approved financial plan prior to a vote to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars is indicative of poor planning and execution on the part of the Board. The public has a right to know these details prior to being asked to provide input and guidance to the Board - otherwise it is impossible to speak from a fully informed position. By not performing due diligence beforehand (part of its job), the Board did the public a disservice.

3. There have been no recent cost-benefit analyses which indicate that Loudoun County will receive much benefit at all from building three additional stations and 2.8 miles of track past Dulles Airport. In fact, the studies that have been conducted by private organizations indicate that very little benefit will be realized by the County, as traffic will be minimally calmed (if at all) and business development throughout the planned station area will occur anyway. Any good business owner will tell you that if costs outweigh benefits for any given project, it's not worthwhile performing. By advocating the construction of these three stations, our Board exhibited extremely poor judgment.

By voting to opt in today, our Board accepted the false dilemma of either being "in" or "out" of Metro. Our Board could have decided to take more time to discuss and develop a sound legal plan to finance these costs, but it didn't. Our Board could have red-lined Metro's proposal and come back with its own counter-proposal, working on behalf of our citizens to get a better deal... but it didn't.

Today is a disappointing day for Loudoun County. It is a day in which many came to realize that our current Board of Supervisors - nine people who represented so much strong potential for good - are only just four people who really care about Loudoun's citizens linked with five others who either just don't "get it" or simply don't care. The best interests of our residents weren't well-represented today, and that's a shame. 

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From Dave LaRock:

I just texted a note to a new friend from Ashburn saying that I will not accept that there is or ever will be an East versus West divide in Loudoun. We may mow a little more grass out here West of Rt 15, but that does not mean we have different goals. We all must unite around the demand for accountable and principled leadership if we are to avoid the downward spiral that threatens us.

Having a Metro station or two never mattered to me, but watching idly as our county dove into the Metro project with so much bad information being deliberately circulated was not an option. I am so grateful for having been able to bring some real information to light. It is not the Opt Out mission to push opinions but to provide information promote reason and accountability. 

We’ll never know what the Metro deal would have looked like or how the vote would have gone if the Opt Out Group hadn’t dug in and pushed the issue, but it is my opinion that the only boundary of the Metro tax district would have been the border of Loudoun county. However, shifting some of the burden to the Purple Amoeba is no less an injustice because unless there are massive up zonings put in place as compensation to the landowners outside the sattion areas, then those property owners are being robbed instead of us. Sadly, the cost will come back to the citizens and businesses eventually.

Who will own Metro in the years ahead as traffic, tolls and taxes kick in? Hopefully no one, but today’s vote was a big step in the wrong direction. Tons of money going out, little coming back in is very bad thing (amateur opinion). I’ll ask Roger Zurn if he considers this brilliant when I see him. 

One thing that grappling with this issue has brought into extremely clear focus is who our County can look to as we get up, dust off and move ahead. The Clarke-Higgins-Reid-Delgaudio Team was great. It showed us that we have people who will not be led about by a Pied Piper. They questioned and they negotiated on behalf of entire county and they refused to waiver in spite of relentless lobbying by well organized Metro Bailout proponents. Bravo to you all, except for Ken. Success was right there within reach, but was plucked away from us with a grin and a chuckle by Ken. I don’t know why. But you own it now brother, lock, stock, and all the baggage.

Keep in mind that there’s always lots of support for big spending, so if we do not grow in our resolve and sound off to hammer away at those efforts, freedom will wane.

One last reminder is that MANY contributed to this effort but do know that my friend Dan Davies is THE man. He is a model of humble service and should be an inspiration to us all. He is very gifted and more humble than I  :), much more.

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From Dan:

Today is a tough day for most Loudoun County residents. The Loudoun Board of Supervisors, with the late-in-the-game switch by long-time Dulles Rail opponent Ken Reid (Leesburg), voted 5-4 to Opt In to the Dulles Rail project. Barring a lawsuit, this means Loudoun is now obligated to fund construction of Dulles Rail over the next five years (with bond repayment lasting 30 years). A motion to bring the matter to voters as a referendum this November was defeated, with Supervisor Suzanne Volpe as the deciding vote.

One of the key factors in Reid’s reversal was the assumption that the $1.6 billion cost to Loudoun taxpayers would be covered by three rail tax districts designed by Supervisor Shawn Williams and his staff. The problem is that these districts are highly speculative, dependent upon massive new development to bring needed revenue (currently would bring about $6.5million). With Loudoun already facing a 28% commercial office vacancy rate, and many approved developments not yet built, we question whether tenants will decide the additional cost of locating in the tax district is worthwhile.

Gas tax revenue that currently funds local buses, commuter buses, aid to Purcellville and Leesburg for local transportation projects, road improvements, and land purchases, will also be diverted to Metro beginning in late 2018, or whenever Metrorail service begins. The next board will have to find other cuts or taxes to replace those funds.

Since most of the County’s debt capacity will be tied up with rail for the next several years, Chairman York mentioned the Board will possibly institute a Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Tax to fund road improvements. This would increase the costs of all goods and services in Loudoun County. The County must also find a Public-Private Partner or fund the construction of two parking garages (estimated cost: $130 million). There are also hundreds of millions in unfunded road improvements to provide access to the stations (Rt. 606 widening, etc.).

Later this year, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit will hear arguments on the legality of using Dulles Toll Road tolls to fund Dulles Rail. Landowners within the proposed tax Loudoun rail tax district may also question the legality of sending those taxes to Metro for Capital and Operations outside of the tax district.

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From Greg: 


This should be a lesson to us all. Some of those for whom we supported were not worthy of our support and efforts back in Nov. Others are emerging as fiscal conservatives. My crazy Uncle Eugene as always is the anchor trying to hold the ship against the tides of spending and taxation. I am glad to know more people are seeing that at times he is crazy and other times crazy like a fox . No matter he deserves a shout out from us. 

I enjoyed working this issue with all of you. As you  might have known and have witnessed on this issue it is about fiscal conservatism for me as it was with you. Some in our party are misguided. Some truly believe they were right and others fell prey to BS, money or promises. I don't know who falls into what category and am not going to waste a lot of time trying to figure that part out. 

Some believed and others played games. We know who we can trust.

The circle of trust just got smaller. Stay in the circle of trust ; ). 

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Jeanine says:

I completely agree that I have the best supervisor in the county, and have written him to tell him that.  

Geary and Janet are emerging as the real fiscal conservatives and conservative leaders on this board.  

(Are you Blue Ridge people gonna let this go unchallenged?) 

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From Todd:

Please excuse me for not appreciating your humor, I did not find that a particularly funny moment... I do not consider marrying Loudoun County to METRO without a funding mechanism finalized, and all of the other unanswered questions addressed to be particularly humorous.  But I suppose someone who can have the statement below on their website, and then flip-flop so far to still vote for the METRO is rather humorous.  And I guess I did laugh to myself, when after the Board voted for the METRO, the very next motion was one made by yourself to try to find a way to replace the gas tax revenue that was just taken from your constituents by the METRO.  If you were serving your constituents you would have figured that out first...  Where is that money going to come from, do you have a money tree in your backyard that you can harvest? Your constituents WILL pay as you look for other sources of revenue for everything in the budget because of what METRO will suck out of us, they will pay when they travel the toll road, and you just didn't leave the traffic situation bad for your voters but made it worse.  Oh yes, and when "proposed" tax districts, and toll revenue, and other funding schemes fail, all of Loudoun County will be on the hook... But, Ha, Ha... for you there is always that job that pays $144,000/year! 

Thank you for ensuring my future as a political activist, and I am quite certain that you will be seeing more of me at Public Input Sessions in the future.

Growing to appreciate your humor.


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From Scott York's newsletter (for a laugh) . What Scott is telling us is that spending more will keep Loudoun's bond rating secure. Whoda thunk it? 

We also received word today that Fitch, one of the bond rating agencies, has reaffirmed the county’s AAA status. Here is the link to the Business Wire’s article related to Fitch’s statement regarding their reaffirmation of the AAA status.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/03/idUSWNA035220120703?feedType=RSS&feedName=bondsNews. 

I want to highlight one particular paragraph from the article which says, “Phase II of the project would expand the metrorail to Dulles International Airport with three stops in eastern Loudoun. Funding for phase II includes $315 million in county contributions that have been incorporated in the county's capital improvement plan (CIP). Fitch believes that the phase II expansion will positively impact the county's dynamic underlying economy.” I could not agree more!