How to Pay For Metro -- "..install large vacuum cleaners"

If you don't think anybody gets what is going on with the Dulles Toll Road/Silverline scam, reading some of these comments to the article might convince you otherwise.

Keep in mind VDOT could retake control of the Dulles Toll Road and restore order by cutting MWAA out of the process. That would require that leaders exert the political will and act on behalf of the people instead of the many special interests who would resist that action.

How? Go here to see the operating permit

The MWAA waste factor, read it and weep:

click on the title to go to the article

Dulles toll could double by 2015

We should install large vacuum cleaners to automatically suck out our wallets as we pass notable raodway landmarks, then ticket people for not having their wallets. When will this nonsense end!


This is one of the  most avoidable premeditated mistakes of all time


You're not "in" traffic. You are traffic.


A good road ruined by a government boondoggle. The silver line is correctly named. It will line the pockets of lots of inside the beltway thugs with silver.


This is really just a revenue grab wrapped in whatever rationalization makes you feel better. At the end of the day, $4.50 for tolls will probably be less than the fare card for the same trip. Someone did the math and realized that without the toll increase, there would be a disincentive to use the Metro line to Dulles.

Viva la Tax Pig - Not Gentile Enough for LTM

Life Never Gets Boaring for Loudoun's 

Plus-Sized Public Advocate!

Tax Pig is not Gentile enough for the Loudoun Times Mirror.  Oy Vey!

 Viva la Tax Pig

Wednesday, Jul. 18 | 0 comments

A member of the Times-Mirror editorial staff has suggested that the trailer mounted Tax Pig (Tax, as his friends know him) should just go away and never return. What a sad thought that is. Sure, Tax is dimensionally challenged and has to be left outside meetings, but he can’t help that. He has a purpose and he is real.

Perhaps whoever is suggesting Tax retire early does not appreciate what Tax has put in motion in his short career rooting out waste in Loudoun government, or worse, they understand his success and, for the wrong reasons wish to curtail his future endeavors.

Yes, Tax is a mobile 3D billboard with a plus size derriere, but isn’t it more important to focus on his accomplishments rather than his appearance?

What Do Metro and the Redskins Have in Common?

Just Another Day at the Office Focusing
 on Core Government Functions

Judge for yourself but it seems like the money and favors are flowing pretty freely between a tight group of players in both the Metro deal and with this Redskin deal. 

When did Redskin game tickets, tours of facilities, and visits by Skins personnel become a part of Loudoun County government? Scott York is one to ask about that.

I don't buy the idea that if Bob McDonnell or Scott York say something is good for business then our tax dollars should go out the window knowing it has absolutely nothing to do with what  we pay taxes for. 

The day after the big Metro vote, Chairman York wore his #13 Loudoun Hounds jersey to work.

Loudoun's Metro Future is Certain

Now that the votes have been cast there are some people who just won't let it go. What is their problem? It is over folks! Let it go!

Well no, it really has just begun for Loudoun. But we have a window to the future called Fairfax County, if we just look across the border. However keep one thing in mind. While Loudoun may be able to brag about a high average income, Fairfax County's economic base dwarfs Loudoun County's economic base. Note that much of the economic development in Fairfax and Loudoun came before they were shackled to the Metro, go figure.

For Loudoun, the Metro is like the Titanic 2 and it just set sail headed for a terrible fate. Kenedict Reid untied the rope and pushed it off. He and a few have lifeboats reserved but not us.

What's Not to Love About Metro?

According to WaPo:

Rebellion on the Green Line: Passengers flee stalled Metro train

 By Miranda S. Spivack, Published: July 4

It was getting to be stifling hot in the Metrorail cars stuck between Prince George’s Plaza and College Park on Tuesday night. With no power on the Green Line train, there was no air conditioning.

And even more upsetting, there seemed to be no plan to get passengers off the train.

Suzanne Volpe & the Purple Amoeba

DEMAND THESE 20 cent cap on the Purple Amoeba is UNACCEPTABLE Purple Amoeba should pay for roads around the stations People want to know where we stand on Metro. I think this picture is worth a thousand words. Can we rethink this Metro thing PLEASE? Future of Loudoun is riding on the Purple Amoeba  Now that the Future of Loudoun is tied to the Brilliant Purple Amoeba Thing (PA), keep a few things in mind. The proposal is to cap it at $0.20 per $100. Holy moley Batman! What if that PA does not produce enough $$$, or what if, when Loudoun gets around to hiring a new real estate assessor, they juggle some PA property valuations? Taxpayers would be right back there as the backstop for the Metro BAILOUT. That big $$$$ gap brings to mind the Janet Clarke question of where the money is coming from for roads around the stations. That was never answered. So we had better start screaming that the roads need to be paid for with the Metro Bucks from the Purple Amoeba. Remember, that pesky 20 cent cap is UNACCEPTABLE. In a Channel 8 interview on 7/5, Kenedict Arnold Reid (kudos KK) said he would like Opt Out people to support the PA. Well, since we at Opt Out like to negotiate terms before we sign, see the suggestions above. DEMAND THIS: Suzanne Volpe - don’t block a Referendum Suzanne Volpe, tell us why you blocked the Higgins/Clarke/Reid Initiative. Supervisor Suzanne Volpe, known as a major Loudoun County/ 10th Congressional District Republican power broker, made some interesting votes in the last few weeks. First, she voted with Supervisors Buona, Williams and Letourneau to adjourn the June 18th Dulles Rail Finance work-session before the “Opt-In Considerations” document by Higgins, Clarke, and Reid could be discussed. Then, during the Opt-In vote sequence July 3rd, she was the deciding vote against Sup. Delgaudio’s motionto put the record-high debt expenditure for the Rail Project before Loudoun County voters in a ballot referendum this November. We wonder why Suzanne voted against common sense in these procedural votes. Was she afraid to let the Higgins/Clarke/Reid considerations out of the bag, exposing the project as a huge blank check written to corrupt organizations, and possibly killing the project? Is she really a closet rail supporter, hiding behind Sup. Reid’s flip, which allowed her to vote against rail and protect her conservative street cred? Why would she vote against the referendum? We had a referendum last November for $169 million to build/renovate five schools. Why shouldn’t we have one for this $1.6 billion developer bailout? The answer provided by the pro-rail votes that Volpe sided with (York, Buona, Williams, Letourneau) was that a referendum would open things up to county-wide tax increases instead of using the tax district to pay for the cost of Rail. County staff said this was not the case; the tax district revenue could be used whether the referendum passed or not. With or without a referendum, the county’s general revenue is where the funding will have to come from when/if the tax district fails to raise sufficient revenue. Supervisor Volpe has given the appearance of trying to play both sides of this issue. Unfortunately, her maneuvering has left Loudoun taxpayers on the hook without an opportunity to vote against the Metro in a referendum. Suzanne can make this right by requesting the Board reconsider the referendum at the next business meeting on July 17th. We will see if she votes with the taxpayers or the rent-seeking developers this time … stay tuned!  David LaRock Loudoun Opt Out Group

METRO - THE AMOEBA - WHAT TO WATCH

Before

I believe we at Opt Out had the pro-Metro people scrambling right down to the wire and that whatever they had to offer Ken Reid was huge. A year ago their expectation was that this BAILOUT would sail through, and with a little flim flamery most of the questions would never be asked, the taxpayers would be appointed the cash cows, and the business community would keep buying the cooperation they need with campaign donations.

Well people are not thrilled with what they are seeing even before the cold Metro reality hits. Here are a few things to watch for. Knowing a little allows you to spot the tricks. We will keep updating the list. 

Costs will escalate 

No to Metro Say Ashburn Broadlands Leesburg Sterling

 

These are just two of many people who live in the areas that will be most affected if Metro... Metro taxes, Metro crime, Metro toll increases, Metro gridlock come. 

Their voices are being ignored. 

Dear Mr. Reid and Ms. Volpe:

Not now, not ever...please don't bankrupt Loudoun w/the Silver Line.  We are counting on you to do the right thing for the citizens...not the big businesses.  Exactly who stands to benefit from a mile or two of rail, at how much, for how many years to come, with maintenance ongoing till the cows come home?  Not our citizens. 

Please don't be blinded by the talk, the smoke and mirrors...check it out for yourself... is Metro a boon, or a boondoggle?  Having used it on and off for years...I've hated it!  Hated the bums at the entrances, urinating on walls, turning people into animals as they push and shove to enter trains that are hot, dangerous, and poorly maintained.  Do we want to buy into a system that has a PROVEN Track Record of mismanagement, accidents, insufficient budgets, operators that fall asleep at the helm, text and chat while on the job?  Nope.  No thanks. 

Loudoun has always been the kinder/gentler County.  Why ask for the rif-raff that comes with Metro.  Why fund a problem that has been festering for years?  They grew it...let them lift it.  Please do the right thing for those of us who have long been part of the heritage of this great County.  Take a pass on Metro...OPT OUT for our good, and the good of our grandchildren.

Sincere Thanks,

-------------------

Ken-

Just to throw in my two cents on the Metro Project, there really is no funding option which appeals to me, because I don't favor Metro in Loudoun at all.  I like and want to maintain the bedroom community which Loudoun is.  I moved from just down the street of a Metro station out to Leesburg to get away from exactly what could be happening here now. 

Study after study shows the Metro out to Ashburn will be severely underutilized by the population it's trying to serve.  I could see a potential usefulness in going out to Dulles and could compromise there, however beyond Dulles seems ridiculous.  As a Loudouner I don't want to be part of the metro area.  What I experienced in Sprigfield, I don't want to see again. 

For those in favor of Metro, I would suggest they seek a good real estate agent, and uproot themselves to a Metro stop, the same uprooting I did to get away from it.  In the letter below you state Metro out to Loudoun would not alleviate congestion nor would it be utilized by more than 10% of Loudouners.  Adding insult to injury, Leesburg would be losing $1 million from the gas revenue, even with this special class of tax payers the Board is considering.  

I would hope under NO circumstances would the Metro out to Ashburn be built, and under NO circumstances would you support it. 

Name removed

Leesburg, VA  20176

Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2012 9:12 AM

To: Clarke, Janet; Volpe, Suzanne; Buona, Ralph; York, Scott; Williams, Shawn; Higgins, Geary; Letourneau, Matt; Reid, Ken; Delgaudio, Eugene

Subject: Silver line view from the center left

Sent: Friday, June 29, 2012 10:05:26 AM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
To: BOS
Subject: Your Election Year Campaign Pledge to Lower Taxes

Dear Board of Supervisors,
It is now known that four supervisors will break their election year campaign pledge to be fisically responsible and LOWER TAXES on July 3, 2012.
Which of the five remaining supervisors will join in breaking their commitment to lower taxes during their election year campaigning?
Don't Fairfax Loudoun. If you or the people you represent like Fairfax so much -- MOVE THERE.
Don't be known as the supervisor who promised lower taxes but gave Loudoun its biggest tax increase in the history of the county.
Vote NO to Metro. We don't need more housing, more crime, and more cars on the road. We don't need to pay for West Virginia's Metro stations anymore than Fairfax wants to pay for Loudoun's.
Now, we have supervisors who don't want to tax those closest to the stations even though their home values may increase and they are more likly to use Metro.  How is this fair to residents of Leesburg, Western Loudoun, Northern Loudoun, Sterling?
Mike Hudak
   -- anyone of you can call me. I would enjoy the conversation. Afterall, I am just a dumb finance executive who does not "get it."
Loudoun Resident since 1992.  I moved to Loudoun to escape Fairfax. Don't Fairfax Loudoun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear members of the Board; 
   Duty will again have me out of the country during next week’s meeting on the extension of the Silver Line, so I thought to provide my thoughts via e-mail.   Initially, I did not pay much attention to this issue, as I see little impact to my family’s commuting arrangements (we carpool and/or use the Loudoun County bus service.)  However after listening to my neighbors, I sought to learn more about this extension. Let me add that on no other issue have I heard such anger expressed by those in my neighborhood (Broadlands).
I agree Dulles IAD could benefit from a rail line, but that would not be used by most of the people in Loudoun, many who live in close driving distance to the airport anyhow.  The anti-rail group has circulated a flyer stating the two-mile Rail District proposed tax rate of .09 to .21 would increase our taxes (I believe my Broadlands residence falls into this proposed tax zone) by $450-$1050. My family cannot afford this.  (Has the board provided home-owners any information on funding this project to the contrary? )  To push this ahead without identifying how the Country is to pay for it is reckless; business and development will benefit and should pay, if there is to be a tax levied it needs to be universal for the County, and not targeted to an handful of the unwilling. 
I have to agree on this point; to hear my neighbors, the imposition of a tax burden unduly leveled on a selected geographic area from which questionable benefit will accrue will in all likelihood generate a class action suit against the Board and possible individual suits.  The irony is of course, that our present tax dollars will go towards defending the Board members as well as challenging this decision.  Tax-payer losses either way amid the cost and legal gridlock.
There must come a point where this Board stops viewing constituent taxation as an bottomless well.  Many of you were in fact elected to curb the excesses of the previous Board to include some of the current incumbents.  Please stand by those principles.  We are so upside down on our mortgage to market value that we cannot afford to move out of Loudoun County, much less pay forward for a questionable project of which we will never see the benefit.  My realtor advised me that the additional tax burden may further negatively impact our ability to sell our Broadlands residence while the benefit of metro proximity will not be realized until the installation is complete in the coming years.  This is of key concern for already distressed homeowners. 
Please be sage and transparent with our money. 

name deleted
Broadlands VA
20148

_______________________________________________

Board of Supervisors, As a homeowner and taxpayer in Loudoun County and as an Ashburn resident I ask that you VOTE DOWN THE METRO COMING TO LOUDOUN.  The costs far outweigh the benefits of this proposed Metro expansion for Loudoun County. Stop the Metro at Dulles and build some commuter lots - done! Why would you want to put the Metro into a beautiful suburban area such as Ashburn. No one moves to Ashburn saying "I want to move there for the Metro". People move to Ashburn to get away from the congestion the Metro will bring, they move to Ashburn to raise a family in a safe and quiet environment. If we wanted to live near a Metro we would be living in Fairfax, Arlington or Montgomery Counties. Leave Loudoun the way it is and leave the Metro at Dulles Airport! Those of you on the BOS in favor of the Metro speak how it will bring profit and make Loudoun more appealing to businesses. How does that work for the whole county when the metro will only go to part of Ashburn?  Not Leesburg, not Aldie, not Purceville, etc... It is clear that those BOS members in favor of the Metro are looking out more for their best interests in the political arena, not those of who you represent. Who will be paying for this project - the taxpayers!  Raised taxes, higher tolls, more contruction, more traffic - why not use these funds to work towards lowering the tolls to take traffic off such roads as Rt. 28, Rt. 7 and Waxpool. That would be met with great acceptance county wide. Let the residents make the decision on this particular issue - WE VOTE NO TO THE METRO EXPANSION INTO LOUDOUN! Sincerely,name deleted

$600 Million Bonus If Loudoun Opts Out of Metro - Pay $0... Risk 0...

---

Loudoun Board of Supervisors: Public Input July 2 (Monday) 6:00pm Board Room, 1 Harrison St, Leesburg Opt Out and Loudoun Gets a $600 Million Bonus When Metro Comes to Dulles Airport $600 Million in new revenue is forecasted from development around the Rt. 28, Rt. 606, and Rt. 772 station areas with rail ending at Dulles Airport. Loudoun can use this revenue for road improvements, schools, buses, and parks Loudoun can expand commuter and local bus service as needed Parking garage and bus dropoffs at the Rt. 28 station provide convenient access from Loudoun If Loudoun Opts Out, less rail is built and that should reduce future toll hikes Without paying for Metro, financing is made available for roads like Rt. 606, Rt. 7 and Rt. 50, and for schools, parks, and things that improve your quality of life Opt In and You Will Get Buried in Debt and Taxes Currently, Loudoun lacks a way to fund Rail. Special Tax Districts are proposed, but may fall through, shifting ALL the $1.5 billion expense to homeowners and businesses Residential development at Rt. 772 terminal means massive needs for costly new roads, schools and other government services Without federal funding, tolls will increase rapidly to fund Phase 2 of Dulles Rail Rail will take much of Loudoun’s transportation funding, including gas taxes, for at least 30 years. Much-needed road improvements may be postponed indefinitely Current  commuter and local bus funding will be shifted to funding the entire Metro system

Janet Clarke "...Questions That Still Need to be Answered"

Great job Janet for getting at the nuts and bolts of this thing. It is a shrewd person who can sort through so much information to come to the conclusion that the unanswered questions are what make this so risky.The questions that are most relevant are these:


1. Is it the role of a county government to consider entering into such a proposition? If you get past that question next is


2. What is the cost? The answer to this is that cost is very high and uncertain. If you get past that then


3. What is the risk? According to the experts, the risk is enormous. The next question is


4. What is the benefit? It FAILS as a transportation project, FAILS as an economic stimulus, generally 
FAILS to hold promise of improved quality of life, now or in the future. 


Janet's explanation is a wonderful breath of fresh air. She does not attack the proposition of Metro coming, just the terms and conditions that exist largely because the federal and state governments are offering to be minor or non-participants in Phase 2.


There has been a leadership failure on the run up to bringing Metro to Loudoun. Consequently, our current Board has inherited a mess. 


There are two major errors that have been left uncorrected. One is that the public has been kept in the dark as to the extent of costs and effects. Second, is the "Who pays?" As structured now, the profit will go to a few wealthy developers and the taxpayers bear the cost. This supervisor did her job.


We all owe a "Thanks" to Janet for shining bright on this not so savory matter.

Supervisor Janet Clarke's Summary Letter

The Board of Supervisors has held a number of Dulles rail work sessions over the past two months with presentations from staff and various rail entities. Two weeks ago we held our first financing meeting walking away without knowing what financing mechanisms the BOS is going to apply to our citizens and businesses in order to pay for this project if it is approved. Tonight we are meeting again, in an attempt to figure out how and when we will pay for this expensive project.

Based on public comments and emails I have received, it appears that many people think that the county’s decision centers on whether or not rail is good for the county.  In my opinion that is not the issue.

Shinyline to Loudoun Academy Awards

Don't miss the next episode of the, PLA / Non-union penalty mini-series, 

"Now you see it, now you don't, now you see it..."

Metro Shinyline to Loudoun Academy Awards

The stars were out Monday night at the Board of Supervisors' Metro Public Input Session in Leesburg and they were having fun as they talked about the pros and cons of the shiny train. Lots of local activists were there but more than a few sat this event out for some reason we just don’t know.

The We Love Rail and We Want it NOW group, were out in force, coming from Fairfax, Arlington, and even a few from Loudoun, many with hopes and concerns about a spending bonanza and the hype of riding the Metro Shinyline train to Loudoun.

Here’s a rundown of who took home the awards from the star-studded evening.

Loudoun Metro Tax Advisory Committee Formed

Loudoun  Metro Tax Advisory Committee

Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project

Summary of Proposed Loudoun Taxes and Alternative Scenarios

Commercial & Industrial (C&I) Tax

Board-presented options: $0.10- $0.17 (8%-13.7% increase over $1.235 base rate)

Note: statutory limit of $0.125 until June 30, 2013, then increases to $0.25

Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce Resolution: $0.10/$100 (8% increase over $1.235 base rate)

Problems with this proposed tax:

-Most of the western 2/3 of Loudoun is zoned AR1 or AR2, which has been declared by the Zoning Administrator and County Attorney to be commercial. The county is only allowed to exempt up to 15% of potentially impacted properties, so AR1 and AR2 will be hit by the C&I tax if this option is chosen by BOS.

-This funding proposition amounts to asking all businesses countywide to finance a shift of business development to rail station areas.

-A county-wide C&I property tax will be passed on to consumers, increasing the costs of all goods and services purchased in Loudoun County, and driving business out of Loudoun County.

-You may be told these taxes will go away eventually. The promise was made that the Dulles Toll Road tolls would go away. Instead DTR tolls will be soaring to new highs, as these taxes will in the future.

1-Mile Rail Service District

Board-presented options: $0.09- $0.20 (7.2%-16% increase over $1.235 base rate)

Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce Resolution: $0.20/$100 (16% increase over $1.235 base rate)

Problems with this proposed tax:

-The 1-mile tax district will cause businesses to consider locating just outside the line, reducing the projected revenues from the tax district, while undermining the intent of transit-oriented development to consolidate in high-density cores. Loudoun has not studied this; tax districts were not factored into RCLCO’s Dulles Rail Fiscal Impact analysis.

-You may be told these taxes will go away eventually. The promise was made that the Dulles Toll Road tolls would go away. Instead DTR tolls will be soaring to new highs, as these taxes will in the future.

-Creation of a tax district would likely require approval by the Virginia General Assembly, meaning any districts could not go into effect for some time, probably mid-2013 at the earliest, if ever. (waiting for official verification)

Conclusion

-Loudoun’s Supervisors were...

WARNING: Metro = Never Ending Debt and TAXES

WARNING

Note: The information below represents costs generated by Loudoun which are grossly understated, many costs categories are omitted, and forecast revenue is exaggerated.  


Note: There is no guarantee tax districts will ever be formed or that they could come close to generating enough revenue to protect citizens from being permanent  Metro cash cows.


Note: The fact that NONE of the elaborate and complex preparation to establish tax districts has even begun proves that the offer to do this timed at the last minute, is a cheap attempt to defraud the public.


The ONLY safe course is to first OPT OUT to protect the 99.99% of the people of Loudoun who will see no benefit whatsoever  from Rail. 

________________________________________________________________________

Metro to Loudoun At Any Cost? You Will Pay!

Proposed Metro Taxation Scheme

Cost to bring Metrorail two miles past Dulles Airport = $1.5 billion

A combination of these options is being considered by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors: 

Commercial & Industrial (C&I) Tax

$0.10- $0.17 (8%-13.7% increase over $1.235 base rate)

1-Mile Rail District

$0.09- $0.20 (7.2%-16% increase over $1.235 base rate)

2-Mile Rail District

$0.09- $0.21 (7.2%-17% increase over $1.235 base rate)

Countywide Real Property Tax Increase

$0.035 across-the-board property tax increase

Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce on May 23 passed a resolution endorsing the lower-end C&I tax for the County, and the higher-end 1-mile Rail tax district rates. Partial text of their resolution is:

Loudoun Opt Out Group EXPELLED

Chairman Scott York Slams Door on Loudoun Opt Out Group 


Hamilton, VA—May 23, 2012

An Informed Public is Dulles Rails Worst Enemy

Last night, near the end of the May 22nd Loudoun Board of Supervisors Dulles Rail finance meeting, Chairman Scott York announced a unique prohibition on distribution of printed material within 40 feet of the meeting entrances of upcoming Dulles Rail Public information sessions and inside the meeting rooms.

David LaRock, speaking on behalf of the Loudoun Opt Out group, calls this “outrageous” and said it is obviously targeted at Opt Opt's efforts to inform the public. “York has chosen to leave the public in the dark for most of his 20 years of involvement with the Dulles Rail project. Now, weeks before a final and permanent decision by Supervisors, it is apparent York wants to stifle release of any information contrary to the County’s benefit-focused views.” LaRock said he objected immediately, “I asked County Attorney Jack Roberts and County Administrator Tim Hemstreet what the legal basis for restricting citizens from interacting with the public was. The response they gave referenced election laws, school policies, and Loudoun policy.” According to LaRock, Hemstreet backed down and quietly rescinded York’s prohibition. If public access to the Loudoun Board of Supervisors 'Public Outreach Sessions' is selectively restricted based on viewpoint and Loudoun citizens are denied access this is a clear 1st Amendment violation. If anyone from Loudoun Opt Out, or any citizen, is denied access, we will seek remedies to protect our 1st Amendment rights. According to LaRock, “There is a pattern of limiting Opt Out’s access to meetings.

Pro-Metro Zone- Others Keep Out

This is similar to an incident that took place at a recent Loudoun Chamber meeting on Dulles Rail where Opt Out representatives were barred from a meeting that was booked as being open-to-the-public." Loudoun Opt Out has led the effort to inform the people of Loudoun on details of this complicated and expensive decision before the approaching July 4th deadline.

David LaRock

Hamilton, Virginia

Is GMU Now the Local Source of Obama-Economics?

"Trust me I work for the developers 
and I want to help them you." S.F.

Letter sent to the faculty of the GMU Economics Department

Is GMU Now the Local Source of Obama-Economics?

Will someone at George Mason please help us before we decide on Metro?
This is the headline of the week; “Loudoun County Could Lose Billions Without theSilver Line, Study Says"

Is something fishy going on here? Is GMU now the source of a local version of Obama-Economics, all fluff and no meat? When did GMU faculty start offering guaranteed winning lottery tickets payable sometime in the distant future to local municipal governments? Did someone pardon Bernie Madoff and set him up doing business in the area or what?
I am a resident of Loudoun County, I am furious, and I would like some answers, please. As you may know, Loudoun is under intense pressure to make a decision that involves huge amounts of money, sums that would cause state and federal branches to take pause. This is serious stuff. Enter stage right, compliments of the local rail station land owners, one of your own, the esteemed Dr. Stephen Fuller. Versions of this headline are everywhere and the pressure on Loudoun Supervisors to cash in on this promise is intense.

So I ask you people of the Economics Department of GMU, the peers of Dr. Fuller, ‘Is this a bona fide study’ or a hack job? Would you bank your economic future on this as Fuller is suggesting the taxpayers of Loudoun should do? Fuller himself says that question is a “No brainer.” I guess he thinks the answer to that is more obvious than I do.
Here is some background. Loudoun has in hand a study from the Robert Charles Lesser Co. (RCLCO), a 210 page presentation, 400 pages of appendices. For some reason the RCLCO people made these statements that are difficult to reconcile with the Fuller claims, 

"Nonetheless, RCLCO has not found any credible evidence to indicate that the extension of rail transit brings new development to an entire region.” RCLCO

  “This greater intensity of development at station areas will come at the expense of slower development elsewhere in the county...” RCLCO (Development shifted but not increased).

In a letter dated February 10th, 2012, Dr. Fuller began his lobbying in a letter to Loudoun Chairman, Scott York. He had this to say,  “All the forecasts for the County’s future economic growth include the provision of Metrorail service.” He continues saying, “In the absence of Metrorail service beyond Dulles Airport, these projections are very different. The “with” and “without” differences are more than significant and easily demonstrate what a great public investment this Metrorail extension is.” Stephen FullerI’m not a PhD, but if all the studies you have considered Metrorail service beyond Dulles Airport, how do you define the outcome projections in “without” scenario? I’ll attach a copy of the letter and the questions I sent to Fuller in response to this letter. I’m not holding my breath waiting for a reply. 
Now I’d like to see if I can persuade you folks to feel some of my pain. Your GMU vision statement says this:

GMU will -Nurture and support a highly qualified and entrepreneurial faculty that is excellent at teaching, active in pure and applied research, capable of providing a broad range of intellectual and cultural insights, and responsive to the needs of students and their communities.
GMU will -Maintain an international reputation for superior education and public services that affirms its role as the intellectual and cultural nexus among Northern Virginia, the nation and the world.

The GMU Mission Statement sets the bar pretty high. Will you keep it there?
I will say that Fuller did disclose one of his potential conflicts. His bio page reads like a list of who’s who of businesses and entities that might be in line to directly benefit if Loudoun takes his advice. Likewise, GMU appears to also have Close ties to Cardinal Bank who services the borrowing needs of Comstock Development, a Dulles Rail (proposed) station land owner/developer. GMU should work together with decision makers and businesses in the community, but when it comes to influencing important decisions, credibility is everything. There is a distinct difference between cronyism and corruption, but neither is becoming to an institution that values its good name.

This is a link to Dr. Stephen Fuller’s 14 page “study” from which the spectacular claims that fill local newspaper headlines are taken.http://cra.gmu.edu/pdfs/Loudoun_MetroRail.pdf


I see little in the way of source material, no explanation of assumptions, no methods, no mention of peer review, nothing that would allow others to verify or refute his opinions.


I personally verified that Dr. Fuller did not take into account the ravages that are pending as Dulles Toll Road tolls, the funding source of Dulles Rail, increase so drastically that it will push our local roads past the limit. I doubt Dr. Fuller took into consideration the effect of tax districts that might be established if Loudoun opts in. For that matter, the study has no mention of costs whatsoever, so it is safe to assume that opportunity costs of tying up vast amounts of capital and the effect it will have on the local economy, has not been considered either.


The proponents of the Silver Line have failed to provide a clear and unambiguous picture of the cost to Loudoun County. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has been placed in an awkward position of being pro-business and supporting critical infrastructure while facing a muddled and inequitable role as a participant in the Metro system. Will you help them?

Fuller said developers made a $15,000 contribution for his research to George Mason University. "Well, if you don't like the message you shoot the messenger," Fuller said. "Isn't that always the case?" I don’t want to shoot the messenger, but I sure would like to know if GMU is willing to stand behind his message.

Will someone at George Mason please help us before we decide on Metro?Will you look at Fuller’s study and provide an expert opinion on whether this study and its results should overshadow our other forecasts. Or is this a bad joke that needs to be exposed and discredited before its testimony has its intended effect? It just makes sense to resolve this in-house.

David LaRock

Loudoun County Resident

and proud father of a GMU graduate

Metro Math FAILS...It is a Big Loser!

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.

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!

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Will Loudoun’s Metro Marriage Go Through?

I need an answer NOW!

Spring is here, romance is in the air, and it would be such a wonderful time to announce that the arranged marriage between Loudoun County and DC Metro will finally happen, and it probably will happen if Loudoun decision makers don’t peek behind the veil before saying, “Yes, I will.” Although the courtship has spanned decades, the moment draws near when Loudoun must choose whether to whisper that final word of acceptance, or denial.

Most people probably know at least a little about Metro, but do we know enough about this persistent suitor? On Wednesday of this week, Metro sat down in Loudoun’s living room to answer some hard questions. Metro ought to be a little uncomfortable because its name has been in the papers quite a bit lately for all the wrong reasons.

You see, Metro appears to have serious character and money problems. Since you, the people of Loudoun, could be part of this marriage, you deserve to know what is going on.

Around 2004, WMATA initiated what was essentially a fund-raising campaign to address an

The Most Senseless Transportation Project Ever?

...but Dulles Rail is the sweetest of real estate deals for a few influential land owners. When too much money gets in the hands of a few powerful elected people, the taxpayers get fleeced.


A little more history. Rail to Dulles was always contemplated. A wide median was left in the middle of the Airport Access Road (AAR) to accommodate rail. The original plan was to build rail solely in that median, with various stops along the way, including one at Tysons. There was concern the area to be served by rail was not dense enough to support heavy rail. To address that issue and also to enrich Tysons landowners, the plan was modified to run rail through Tysons with three stations being built. (Then chairman of the Fairfax County BoS and SAIC employee, Gerry Connolly, had the plan modified to add a 4th station stop in front of SAIC’s Tysons building.) But this left the "Who will pay for it?" unresolved.

Violence and Getting to Know Metro

KHH from Middleburg facebook comment:

  "I grew up outside of Philly, in Cherry Hill NJ. People were thrilled when the train crossed the river into our town...until everyone living near the stops were being robbed during the day...things that could easily be carried, money, jewelry, etc. that were found in homes. Be careful!"

Real Life Violence may be one reason why so few people actually ride Metro.

What is the allure of Metro? Maybe some think it will make us more like Paris or Singapore. But in reality, the Washington Merto is anything but romantic, unless your idea of romance is being trapped in a closed space with a bunch of thugs who know they have power over you. The link below gives an account of this happening recently to a DC Metro rider. This is probably a unique occurrence, right?

Loudoun Get to Know Metro Before Saying "I Do"

Getting to know your new Metro partner: Part 1

Getting to know your new Metro partner: Part 2

Yes, the Metro is the same relic that Loudouners are told is the key to achieving Loudoun's economic destiny. Wow!

We'll need Metro advocate, Dr. Fuller (pronounced full-of-it), to explain how Tysons Corner became the 12th largest employment center in the United States without Metro. Fuller works as an advisor to the development community. Fuller has appeared on the scene recently trying to insert his unsubstantiated opinions by lobbying through Scott York with contrived info-nuggets from a yet-to-be-released study commissioned by we don't know who. Fuller's spectacular claims contradict the clear and credible forecast (RCLCO Study) that is in the hands of Loudoun officials. The Lesser study shows Metro to Loudoun as a financial disaster for Loudouns taxpayers.