Four Hours in Fairfax, Now I've Got a Splitting Headache

By: Lowell
Published On: 6/4/2007 4:47:43 PM

Man, that was a loooong four hours in Fairfax today.  I think Ben basically sums it up with his post, "FOUR Wasted Hours."  I mean, we sat there for 2 hours (plus the hour each way in travel time), and all we got was, as Ben put it, "random questions and delaying until the over 500 citizens in attendance filed out around 2 p.m."  Ugh.

Then, according to Ben (I had left with the other 500 people, thinking it was over; Ben is wiser as to the wily ways of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, obviously):

With the smaller, more sparse crowd now present their tune significantly changed.  Dana Kauffman moved and Linda Smyth seconded a motion to delay any vote on this project proceeding on June 18th since the Board doesn't yet have the contract,  and a few days is not adequate to review the contract and the Board's options.  The motion also said the hearing would be replaced with a time for public comment on the issue.  With most citizens gone, the rest of the Board changed their tune considerably from earlier.  Gerry Connolly vocally opposed this motion, something Tysons Tunnel said would be "irresponsible" in their handout today.  The motion failed 3 in favor (Kauffman, Smyth, Frey) and 7 opposed (Connolly, Hudgins, Bulova, Gross, Hyland, McConnell, Dubois)

Amazing.

I talked to someone at TysonsTunnel.org, and they said that the Board's vote was "very regrettable" and "disappointing."  The person said that the Board will be voting on June 18 without the risk assessment that Chairman Connolly had earlier said they needed. The person added that the Board's vote against Dana Kauffman's motion for a public hearing went against Governor Kaine's sentiment that this ultimately was about the will of the people locally.  According to my source, "Kauffman's motion addressed that...the vote was a blow [against it]."

Besides that, I would just add that there was a lot of tough talk today, including Chairman Connolly declaring point blank that "we aren't voting unless we see that contract" and also "that's not how democracy works...we've got to have access to the documents or we're not going to mvoe."  The question is, what good is tough talk if, in the end, the decision has already been made to proceed with the aerial option, regardless of public sentiment or the facts?

P.S.  I also liked the moment, in the middle of the meeting, when Gerry Connolly  motioned Scott Monett of TysonsTunnel.org aside and talked to him behind closed doors for several minutes.  What was THAT all about?

Comments



There Were Two Issues on the Motion (Deborah Reyher - 6/4/2007 6:55:18 PM)
Dana Kauffman stongly advocated hearing from citizens on this -- the single biggest public transportation project in the state.  He suggested using 4/18, the date of the scheduled vote, for the type of modified Town Hall that WMATA employed to address public outcry regarding the sale of public land for MetroWest, since there was no time to advertise a regular public hearing.

It was the second part of his motion to re-schedule the Board vote for a date following receipt of the FTA risk assessment (now scheduled for August).

While Linda Smyth seconded the motion and voted for it, her remarks were notable in that she did not ONCE mention hearing from citizens. Her ONLY concern was that the Board members would not have sufficient time to review the documents and confer among themselves before making their up/down vote

I wonder if the press covering the hearing noticed that.

Citizens sure did.  I spoke to dozens afterwards and everyone commented that ONLY Dana Kauffman appears to understand the importance of conducting a public hearing.

The entirety of the BOS debate on the motion revolved around whether or not the Board could adequately analyze all the documents and assess the risks (without citizen input) in the single week they will have between receiving the contract (end of this week) and 6/18.

My favorite line by Connolly, addressed to Kauffman about his motion: "a seemingly seductive motion that actually has a different agenda." 

A different agenda?  What?

 



Throwing Smyth a Bone (Indievoter - 6/5/2007 12:31:41 AM)
I wasn't at the meeting, so this is speculation. But I'm now cynical enough about this Board to suspect that Connolly knew Kauffman's motion wouldn't pass, so he gave the okay for Smyth to second/vote for it. That way, she can claim she tried to get a hearing, but there was never any danger of such a thing happening. And Connolly is worried enough about her survival that he is feeding her this (and lots of other) opportunities to look good in the press.

Also, by being on the opposite side of a vote from Connolly (for what, the first time in 4 years??) she can claim she isn't his stooge. I'm not buying it.



That's my read on it too. (Lowell - 6/5/2007 7:13:11 AM)
It was a total setup, "good cop/bad cop" routine.  Nice try, guys!


Four hours NOT wasted - (toomuchtraffic - 6/4/2007 10:22:05 PM)
The "public briefing" told us everything we need to know. The Board looks and acts like it is guilty of either malfeasance or something much worse. There is no question this Board needs to be removed from office at the earliest possible date. The only question is, why aren't they being investigated by the FBI or the Justice Department?
Fat chance, though. Nobody in the Bush Administration is competent enough to do it.
- TooMuchTraffic


Four hours not wasted (voter4change - 6/5/2007 1:44:09 AM)
I asked the same question....why isn't Fx Cty BOS investigated.  When was it....about mid 1970s that several of the members went straight to jail without collecting $200?

When the WP reported that Loudoun Sups were very investigated, I tried to determine why....well most just happen to be Republicans.  And from What I read, they need to be investigated. 

I don't care which party...bad is bad.  Maybe the WP is actually investigating the Fx Cty BOS...I am sure if they vote for this monster of a 5.15 billion dollar project that will not reduce congestion one bit, they will and should be investigated.

Just because Connolly wants rail to Dulles at any cost and elevated, does not mean that he has to get it.  We are not the spoiling parents that give our kicking kids who throw a temper tantum a reward.  5.15 billion is a bit much, I don't care how much he wants rail. 

Remember Bechtel took 2.2 billion up to 15 billion and counting for the Boston Big Dig.  Bechtel is doing this project also.  Now let me do some fast toe counting....5.1 billion dollars to provide rail to how many passengers per day  ....who knows the answer?