HOT flash
By Amit Singh | Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 | PolicyOne would think it is inexplicable that Arlington County has already spent $750,000 on a lawsuit against VDOT claiming the new proposed HOT lanes on I-395 are racially discriminatory. Why are HOT lanes, which charge a variable toll based on traffic congestion, racist? Apparently it is because non-white people who live in Stafford and work in DC are poor and must carpool while their “caucasian” counter-parts are rich and can afford paying extra to drive their SUVs during rush hour. Nevermind that the additional revenue is more likely to fund programs directed at the poor.
The lawsuit is so absurd that no other jurisdiction in VA found it prudent to spend so much taxpayer money on it. While Fairfax and Prince William counties flat out disagree with the lawsuit, Alexandria, which neighbors Arlington and also is dominated by Democrats, agrees in principle but hasn’t spend a dime on a lawsuit. Perhaps the one reason Alexandria hasn’t done so is because they have a single Republican, Frank Fannon, on their council. When speaking at the 8th District Convention earlier this year, Fannon stated that simply “being in the room” during the budget cycle for Alexandria saved them over $20M even though he did not get any of his initiatives passed.
Arlington needs a “Frank Fannon” to keep the County Board in check. While the county continues to raise property taxes which are already the highest in the area, pursuing ridiculous lawsuits and other wasteful pet projects needs to be stopped. Luckily this year, Mark Kelly, former ACRC chairman, has stepped up and is running for the county board. Mark is a great guy and is the type of Republican that doesn’t scare Democrats because he is intelligent, well-spoken and reasonable. Mark is kicking off his campaign against WMATA moonlighter Chris Zimmerman on June 23. I know I will be supporting his campaign and hope my neighbors wake up and realize how much of their hard earned money is being wasted.
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5 Responses to "HOT flash"
They have spent how much already and for what? Unfortunately the downfall of living in the D.C. Metro Area is that not enough people pay attention. Of course that is what the Democrats count on as they continue to spend money on the likes of a lawsuit that is both frivolous and ridiculous.
Let me guess, the County Board probably joined other Democrats in Virginia in complaining about the $350.00 that Ken Cuccinelli spent on filing what is a legitimate lawsuit against the federal government over the new health care bill.
I for one am going to be doing everything I can to support Mark Kelly. We need a voice of reason on the County Board.
Amit, don’t forget Councilwoman Alicia Hughes in Alexandria! She’s an Independent, but that is due to legal issues with her being a federal employee. She was GOP endorsed and is a member of the Alexandria Republican Women’s Club.
As far as Zimmerman goes, I am not an expert on Arlington County politics but he seems to be a bit of a prick. He is truly vulnerable? It seems he’s been in there since the last Ice Age.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bearing Drift, Rick_Sincere. Rick_Sincere said: RT @bearingdrift HOT flash | Bearing Drift: Virginia Politics On Demand http://bit.ly/95gCwh [...]
Unfortunately, the purpose of HOV has all but been lost. HOV intent is to move more people than cars.
The support for the I-95/395 HOT lanes project is even broader than the article suggests. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors supports it. The project was proposed by the Kaine administration (D), and Gov. McDonnell (R) is even more vocal in support. AAA, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, and the Chambers of Commerce across northern Va. also want the HOT lanes to go forward.
The Democrats on the Arlington County Board are among the few who oppose the project (along with the usual we-hate-highway groups). And even other opponents won’t join Arlington’s outrageous lawsuit.
But our arrogant County Board won’t back down, even though the lawsuit has been widely ridiculed. They’ve spent $750,000 in legal fees (so far) to pursue the frivolous action.
It’s time to elect new, more sensible public officials in Arlington. The election of Mark Kelly (to replace the obstructionist Chris Zimmerman) is an excellent place to start.
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