Re: Does Fairfax DOT even repair the roads anymore?
Posted by:
Nova_Native
()
Date: March 08, 2012 05:35PM
Some of you sound like you are recent arrivals and so not full appraised of the history of our fair region.
First, I'm unsure where some of you are getting the idea that the "1 Billion" figure you bat around is some type of taxpaper liability saddled on NOVA by Democrats. While it is true that the agreement was struck during the Kaine Administration, Transurban Inc., an Austrialian company, is funding the construction of the HOT lanes on the the Beltway, and will collect all the tolls. Like the Dulles Greenway, no real taxpayer money is involved, at least not yet. The lanes are "owned" by VDOT so that the State Police can enforce Transurban's toll collection.
Second, if you don't think subway lines bring economic growth to the areas they traverse, I'd suggest you take a drive along the Orange, or Blue, or Yellow, or Red, or, yes, even the Green lines and see for yourself what type of development has occurred and is continuing. Contrast Ballston or Dunn Loring, or heck even Suitland, MD. with what they were 25 years ago. How could anyone claim the Silver Line won't benefit western Fairfax -- unless said individual considers growth unbeneficial.
Third, I fail to see why anyone would manufacture a "Dem" conspiracy to deprive NOVa of it's fair share of tax dollars from Richmond. We've been the cash cow of Virginia for decades, under Democrat and Republican administrations. The simple fact is our economic impact is much larger than our population. There are simply more state representatives and senators from ROVA than NOVA, and they've never acted/voted in our interest. With current population trends, this will hopefully change sometime in the not too distant future.
The Commonwealth has very little to do with NOVA's gridlock. We are to blame for that ourselves. When I was in high school in the mid 1970s', we would have considered anything south of Springfield and west of Fairfax City as "uninhibited". In 1975, however, Jack Harrity and a largely Republican Board of Supervisors took over and proceeded to approve seemingly every Developer proposal that came before them. Yet, with the exception of I-66, a Federal/State project, nothing was done to improve the road infrastructure that was even close to what was needed. Okay, to be fair, Harrity was instrumental in getting the FFX CO. Parkway built, but primarily to open up the western part of the County to more development.
There's no conspiracy here. Just a bunch of short-sighted and "semi-corrupt" politicians willing to pander and a whole lot of taxpayers unwilling to pay for what they want unless it can be done with other peoples money.