MWAA: There is a Better Way

Wouldn't it be crazy if your community was threatened by an approaching storm, but local authorities did

little to help citizens avoid the pending danger? That is about where Northern Virginia stands with the

perfect storm of Dulles Toll Road tolls, traffic and taxes that is bearing down on us. There is a lot of talking among 

politicians, but meaningful action is scarce.  

Some elected leaders are speaking out against the "ethically challenged" Airports Authority (MWAA) board,

and for good reason. But, this talk is not enough when they can do so much more. Here's

how.

MWAA bashing for Sport and Political Points

Stupid Dead Horse!

We've all heard this before:

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

The question this brings to mind is whether MWAA's behavior is an unintended consequence or a calculated liability. Consider that Dulles Rail never was a bonafide transportation project , but for years land developers have smelled the profit potential of all the artificially induced development that local governments would release if the project went through, kinda like the sub-prime mortgage boom. These monied interests also learned how easy it is to manipulate inexperienced and ambitious politicians with campaign donations and to guide public opinion through the media.

However, in order to move a bad project like extending Metro westward into Loudoun, there were a few pesky problems that will not be easy to brush under the rug. Problems such as dealing with the "Who pays"  and "Why is Traffic Worse" questions, and how to deal with all the ticked off folks who are affected by this scheme. No worries.  Our political leaders have sharp instincts when it comes to dodging blame, so they decided to bring in a surrogate to manage the dirty work.

That is where MWAA comes in. By handing over the job of building the Dulles Rail and equipping them with the Dulles Toll Road as the cash cow, all that was left to do is step back and complain about how MWAA was spending too much and raising tolls too high. 

Now, because of these shrewd maneuvers, politicians are picking up bonus leadership points by demanding accountability from MWAA instead of being held responsible for MWAA's gross mismanagement of our dollars. Oh, the game of politics. It allows the politicians to fail and then to take credit for the fix. With MWAA however,  the fix is not happening. Follow these articles and decide for yourself if anything is really improving for the taxpayers.

IG Report Highlights MWAA Board Conflicts
read more here

Posted on May 15, 2012 In a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Rep. Frank Wolf, R-10, declared that he was “deeply troubled” by the findings, honing in on MWAA’s contracting practices, conflict-of-interest policies and recusal practices. Wrote Wolf:
Most egregious are the IG’s findings about MWAA’s contracting practices. … Particularly concerning are the number of sole source contracts issued. As you know, MWAA is required by law to fully compete any contract over $200,000, with limited exceptions. Yet the IG’s report states that “[d]uring the period of our review, MWAA awarded five sole source contracts that were over $200,000, but did not fall under any of MWAA’s categorical exemptions. These contract awards, which amount to $6 million, did not have Board approval.” Not only did MWAA abuse the exemptions permitted under federal law, they issued numerous contracts that failed to meet even these basic standards.

Airports board takes care of its own, including Jeffrey Thompson 
July 30, 2012

"The day after Mame Reiley resigned for health reasons from the airports authority, overseeing the $6 billion Dulles Rail project, the authority quietly created a full-time job for her as a "senior adviser" to authority CEO Jack Potter and agreed to pay her $180,000 a year..." read more here

2007 Letter to MWAA from William T. Coleman Jr. Senior Partner and Senior Counselor of O'Melveny & Myers LLP

 Read the entire Coleman letter here.


2012 Dulles rail project needs better FTA oversight, audit finds

  read more here

The Federal Transit Administration’s oversight of the Silver Line rail project must be more responsive to safety issues and more aggressive in its monitoring of costs and scheduling, according to a federal audit released last week .
The 44-page report by the Department of Transportation’s inspector general focuses on what actions the FTA has taken to address safety concerns first raised in 2009. It also recommends that the agency use its oversight role to ensure that costs are more closely monitored.

Contracting Practices Do Not Always Comply with Airport Lease Requirements
GAO-02-36, Mar 1, 2002

read more

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Act of 1986 transferred operating responsibility for Dulles and Reagan National Airports from the federal government to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), an independent, nonfederal, public entity. MWAA, which has a 50-year lease to run the two airports, has entered into a wide range of contracts for supplies, construction, and other services. Although MWAA issued guidance in 1993 for the awarding of contracts and concession franchises, GAO found that the guidance does not adequately reflect competitive contracting principles and is out of date in many respects. Moreover, MWAA does not use its guidance to award contracts for non-concession goods and services. MWAA did not obtain full and open competition for 15 of the 35 contracts GAO reviewed, raising concerns about whether MWAA obtained the best value for the goods and services provided. The failure to obtain full and open competition also raises concerns about whether MWAA has (1) deprived prospective contractors of the chance to compete for contracts and (2) fairly evaluated all of the contractors that have competed for procurements. Finally, by not following recognized competitive principles, MWAA could be giving the appearance of favoritism in its contracting decisions. 

 

Dulles Rail board denounced as 'dysfunctional'

read more here

August 1, 2012

At practically every turn, a majority of the MWAA board seems determined to undermining the public's trust and confidence in the integrity of the authority and its decision-making," Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton said. "It may be time to begin a serious dialogue about the future of MWAA and its current governance structure."

The range of behavior that seems to be typical of MWAA makes it cleat they do not derserve to be entrusted with managing huge public assets such as the Dulles Toll Road. It will be very interesting to see if anything is done to correct that.


David LaRock

NOVA is strangled by traffic congestion

Northern Virginia is being strangled by traffic congestion and some of the highest taxes in America. In 2007, Governor Tim Kaine gave away your Dulles Toll Road (DTR) so it could be the cash cow for Dulles Rail. If DTR tolls start soaring to pay for the Dulles Rail Bailout, beginning January 1, 2013, 35,000 more cars per day will be forced onto already-congested local roads, causing increased gridlock to the region. Can you afford another $1,125 in tolls per year? Do you want to spend more time idling in traffic, wasting $4.00/gal. gas? Say No Toll Increase!"

Dulles Rail triggers more, not less, traffic congestion

Read the full article here

Dulles Rail doesn’t remedy traffic congestion and, indeed, triggers more development that, in turn, increases traffic congestion and causes a need for more road and non-rail transit improvements that will cost taxpayers billions of dollars more.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement for Phase 1, which was prepared by former Gov. Mark Warner’s administration in its waning days, shows (Table 6-2.2) that with the single exception of the Dulles Airport Access Road, no major travel route studied experiences an improvement in Level of Service because of Dulles Rail.
The additional traffic occurs despite the arrival of Dulles Rail; the construction of high-quality, mixed-use development at the four Tysons rail stations; the imposition of extremely aggressive Traffic Demand Management measures by the county and Tysons landowners to reduce volumes; and the availability of substantially more bus service serving Tysons. Yet, after 2030, the road network serving Tysons fails because of more automobiles and trucks. Therefore, between 2030 and 2051 — the end of the planning horizon — every new automobile trip to Tysons must be canceled by a new transit or pedestrian trip.

Comment from Reston Patch:

The Analyst2:26 pm on Saturday, July 28, 2012CC Mojo Wrote:
"We get better jobs, better commute, better living "
This comment epitomizes absolutely everything that's wrong with this Country. A collection of special interests, primarily developers and commercial realtors, presents a collection of unassociated prospects, ties them all together, presents them to the public, and the public believes them - not because there's a basis in fact, but rather because it's nice to believe it's true.
Rail has ->nothing<- to do with jobs. Companies are not going to spend millions of dollars relocating an office within the county to be near a rail station. Out of state companies will not relocate here at a cost of perhaps 10's of millions of dollars just because there's rail.
We heard similar arguments in the dot-com boom. "If we build it, they will come, because N.Va. is the self declared head of the dot-com industry." They built it - no one came, except some companies that were so poorly managed (stupid) they all went bankrupt. Many of the buildings are **still** empty.
I'm afraid we need some new leaders, and leaders that represent the people, not special interests. If you look into the backgrounds of  the board of supervisors members, I think you will come to realize that some, if not most of them, have no business or even qualifications for making decisions of such scope. Special interests must surely find these people an easy target.
If the jobs don't happen, or worse yet they start leaving, don't say I didn't warn you. 

“Nickled and dimed to death at the toll booth,”

                                                       

AAA: Dulles Tolls Are “Reverse Robin Hood Syndrome”

Northern Virginia motorists are being “nickled and dimed to death at the toll booth,” Mid-Atlantic AAA charged today, calling the $6 billion construction of Metro’s Silver Line and the tolls that are financing it, a “silver bullet” aimed at the heart of motorists and consumers.

Read More Here

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.

Insider Politics and Unions are Taking Our Tolls

Overview
History of Urban Transit
Six Problems with Rail Transit
Six Myths of Rail Transit
Private Transit Solutions

"The Government Accountability Office has shown, for example, that buses can provide service as fast and frequently as light rail at a lower operating cost and for about two percent of the capital cost."    Randall O'Toole

...............................................................

How Insider Politics Saved California's Train to Nowhere

The high-speed rail line may never be built, but it will save a few Democratic seats.

The more people read and heard about the train, the more they disliked it. A string of Field and Los Angeles Times polls this year have shown that voters would block the train by a two-to-one margin if it were put up for a referendum. In 2008, 55% of voters approved the rail bond.

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

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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

Metro to Loudoun - Ashburn and Broadlands Speak Up

The fearsome foursome of Loudoun Supervisors is joining forces with other familiar icons to push for Big Government - Big Spending induced "Metro Hope and Metro Change." Yes we can baby!

It is now or never they sing in chorus as they push to  pass this thing. 

Why hurry? They are nervous because Loudoun Opt Out and our many friends are working hard to inform the public of the very real possibility that we will be awash in new taxes if they succeed. They think that pesky little detail of "Who Pays" is just a minor glitch the team can iron out. 

Will they stick it to the whole county with massive property tax increases? Will they put up a new sign that says, "Open for Business Taxation" with a Countywide Commercial Industrial Tax or will their trusting and ill-informed people in the 2 mile Tax Penalty districts be the ones who pay dearly for this under-funded pork project? People of Loudoun, cast your vote soon because if you don't speak up that will be interpreted as saying 

"Go ahead, tax as much as you need ... whatever it takes"


Matt, Ralph, Shawn, Scott, please contact these people to let them know that all we need to do to pay the $50 to $100 million/year that this WILL eventually cost,

Ashburn Mom Says Loudoun's Metro Scheme Will Harm Families-

Please read this letter from an Ashburn woman who has been alerted to what is going on. It is a glimpse of the harm that will be inflicted on hard working people, families, the little people if this goes through. The willingness on the part of some elected representatives to deliberately prey on uninformed but trusting constituents literally makes me sick. Please spread the word, the tax man commeth.

From a mom in Ashburn:

"I live outside the 1 mile proposed special tax rate area but within the 2 mile radius.  Let me put it into prospective for you:I am a working mom.  My spouse also works.  We both commute which means tolls.  We pay a lot in tolls for two cars each way 5 days a week.  One of the proposed way to pay for metro will be to increase those tolls.  So I am already going to be paying a lot for my two car family.  We don;t have the luxury of commuting together.Add to that a proposed increase in my property tax.  Yes it's great that my home is worth more, but I still have to pay for that in taxes.  Add on top of that a special tax for living within a two mile radius.  I am not having to budget way more money then ever between the tolls, property tax, and now a special tax.  My family simply cannot afford that.  When I moved out to Ashburn we had to budget very carefully what we would pay in tolls (which have since on the Greenway gotten out of control and will only get worse).

You are basically going to price out of our home.In speaking with my neighbors it is very clear to me many of them do not understand how metro is  being paid for which leads to false results of who is really "pro metro".  Many are pro metro - but once you explain the cost you get - NO!!!  So believe me when I say MOST of your voting public do not want metro at this cost. Please vote No.  Many, many, many families live in your district.  Many of them are two parent working families and you are going to put a HUGE financial burden on them.  These are not the people that will be using the metro most of all. 
Please review the facts and costs.  Please understand your district and the people and their situations that make up that district."  

(emphasis added)

 posted by David LaRock

Loudoun Opt Out Group

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.

Dulles Metrorail: Is Loudoun Losing Control of Its Future?

Dulles Metrorail: Is Loudoun Losing Control of Its Future?

by Richard Falknor

“One of the most pernicious ways Republicans tend to … [expand the role of government] when in power is to conflate being pro-business with being pro-free market….Being ‘pro-business’ could mean passing legislation that grants big businesses with highly paid lobbyists tax credits, subsidies, or regulatory advantages. Being truly free market means stepping out of the way and allowing businesses to compete against each other and bear responsibility for any risks they take.” - – Philip Klein

If the Loudoun County supervisors bind their jurisdiction to paying the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) for Dulles Rail over coming decades, they will speed homeowners and commuters — those who do not flee elsewhere — into a whirlpool (like that above) of mounting taxes and tolls against which citizens may be powerless.

A Reforming Agenda or Building Pyramids?

But first, some basic questions:

The Letourneau Plan - NO TAXES - CUT SERVICES

Quote of the Day: "I believe in the power of free markets to create jobs and generate growth." Supervisor Matt Letourneau

Matt, we Need Some Answers NOW..what will you cut?

Supervisor Matt Letourneau's Plan to Fund Metro

" ...the county does not necessarily have to increases taxes to pay for the project.  At the end of the day, five of us have to decide that this is a project worth doing as a county,’’ he said. “And if we believe that, then we can find a way to make it work without really impacting the tax rate.” he said.

Since Matt may not plan to provide specifics on the what-where-when of this cost cutting exercise, we thought we should get the conversation going now.

Question: How do you increase spending by at least $30-$50 million a year in taxpayer  dollars and not raise taxes?


Answer: Matt has the answer. Cut spending... more than the Supervisors have already cut spending, a lot more.

___________________________________________________

Good luck folks.
The battle of the red shirts is coming.

Matt, we've heard a rumor that schools will get whacked first and hardest as you propose to remove forever all non-essential public school programs, like school sports and special education.

Question: Is this true? 

___________________________________________________

Matt, my source said...

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:

Ask MWAA to Drop the PLA... How dare you?

Thank you MWAA, for at least being consistent in a world where so few are. You are like the king we don’t have here in America, and kings do what kings feel like doing, consistently.

Whether MWAA is ignoring Virginia’s Right-to-Work Laws or letting a contract to the highest bidder, MWAA is, as the recent IG audit has confirmed, consistent and that is that. Using a union preference fits perfectly with how they operate. The general public wants to assume there should be some pretense of frugality, but kings aren’t frugal because it is not in their nature.

Think about it. The IG is whining about a round trip air fare of $9,200 for MWAA kings. That is a super deal compared to the rumored $200 million/day for our King-in-Chief to travel to India.

Here is the point. When MWAA decided that adding a $500 million union perk to the amount to be borrowed by MWAA as part of the total cost of the rail project, it is perfectly consistent with MWAA's way of doing business. By the time that amount is financed and interest is added, it will amount to the total revenue of many years of Dulles Toll Road income. But don’t waste your breath complaining because MWAA was audited in 2002 by the GAO and guess what, they were kings back then too. Nothing has changed.

"Stupid Potato"

The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority consistently has NO adequate checks on how it awards contracts....pays for travel....or checks on the potential conflicts among its members.

Talk about wasteful; hiring a full time IG as has been suggested by Congressman Wolf is wasteful. Would you hire a full time cop to write speeding tickets to diplomats who have diplomatic immunity?

When Congressman Wolf, the DCRA, the IG, the governor, or the Pope tell MWAA what to do... it is a JOKE. MWAA is consistent, they laugh at everyone, they swipe that toll funded credit card to pay for a $200 bottle of wine and a yummy $2000 dinner without a second thought because they are MWAA.

Spending $100’s of thousands extra to hire friends of MWAA is no different than paying $200 for a bottle of wine, so we ought to quit whining and accept our place as subservient cash cows, at least until a real leader rises up and decides to liberate us from this oppression.

"Thank You Toll Road Users"

One last thought is this; I’ll go out on a limb and forecast the obvious. Within two weeks, maybe three, the MWAA Board will meet to announce for the benefit of the Loudoun Supervisors, that the union preference is being dropped.  Just keep in mind that if MWAA decides to revisit the matter in a July meeting, and reinstate the PLA, they will, because they are MWAA.

Tax Pig

Taxpayer advocate

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.

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.

Businesses offer No $upport For Metro to Loudoun

Lets be perfectly clear, when the Loudoun business community votes with their checkbooks, guess what they are offering to pay to bring Metro to Loudoun

...ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Investment Alert: Metroline A Debacle by Design

click here: Email Your Supervisor Today

“...the thing’s gone south"
You can stop it if you call
your Supervisor NOW.

Congressman Frank Wolf sat on the Elizabeth Dole commission, established in 1984, that recommended the creation of MWAA. Led by prominent area residents committed to Northern Virginia's success, Wolf said, the authority’s triumphs, since its creation in 1987, “have been the reason that many of these companies have come to this region.”

But over the last several years, Wolf said, “the thing’s gone south.” Decisions are made in executive session. There’s no transparency. Its membership is no longer dominated by long time Northern Virginians. At Wolf's request, MWAA is being audited by the Office of Inspector General.