One 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.
