The saga of Rainbow Riding continues. It began with Rainbow Ridings inclusion in a land use deal involving Toll Brothers, Silver Lake, and 400 additional home that Toll Brothers wanted in addition to their original rezoning of Dominion Valley.
The questions begin with why was a small non profit given a seat at the negotiation table back in 2004? Why was 45 acres of public land “handed over” for free to a small non profit?
Fast forward to today, now Rainbow Riding is asking for an additional 211,000 dollars, almost a quarter of a million in tax payer money.
Has anyone looked online at the financials of Rainbow Riding? At the end of 2010, which is their last public financial statement one can view, they had 694,749 dollars of cash/cash equivalent on hand.
Why is it while our parks go unfunded, Rainbow Riding is given special access to tax payer coffers?
Silver Lake has YET to see its master plan implemented. As pitiful the master plan is, isn’t it only a fair expectation that those capitol improvements be made to parks that service everyone before the Supervisors feels they have the right to redirect precious resources to small non profits?
Our libraries and Community Centers, like Chinn Park, are in dire need of improvements to meet the needs of our growing population. This is not about the quality of Rainbow Riding, this is about fairness and where tax payer dollars should be directed.
Tom Jackman wrote a great article for the Washington Post today, here are some exerpts. Please don’t be shocked, Greg and Moonhowlings are in complete agreement on this one!
“They raise my taxes,” said conservative activist Greg Letiecq, “to give it away to a charity that serves people outside of Prince William County,” referring to a recent Board of Supervisors meeting where Fairfax County families stood up to endorse the funding. “It’s outrageous.”
The county board is scheduled to vote today on the $211,000 allotment to the center. It’s a sensitive subject because the recipients would seem to be so worthy, yet seemingly already well-funded.
Part of the resentment comes from Rainbow’s relocation several years ago to Silver Lake, which had a master plan for enhancing recreation. Elena Schlossberg, a land use activist and blogger, said no county money has gone toward that master plan.
“That minimal master plan should be completed,” Schlossberg said, including a picnic pavilion, playground and community garden, “so all citizens have access to Silver Lake, rather than 100 from Prince William County. You have how many thousands of children who could be served by Silver Lake, and by the Chinn Community Center?”
The county supports numerous charitable organizations, including the Red Cross and the Boys and Girls Club. But The Post’s Jeremy Borden reported Monday that 12 organizations, including Northern Virginia Family Service and Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault had been cut to zero.
Schlossberg noted that a charity receiving $33,000 from a local government “is a lot of money. If the county has $200,000 and they want to put that into a grant process so other nonprofits can apply, I think that would be more fair.”
correction:
CountyExecutive’s direction at last week’s markup was to prepare for the Board’s consideration at carryover the following items: 1) Americans at Wartime Museum Capital Donation request; 2) Northern Virginia Conservation Trust funding request; 3) Rainbow Riding capital donation request; and, 4) Route 1 preliminary concept and engineering study. These funds will not be disbursed as part of today’s budget vote; instead, they will be presented during carryover later this summer for the Board’s consideration.
Elena, their finances are even stronger than the $700,000 cash indicates. Their net worth (total assets minus liabilities) is over $1 million. That’s largely because they have very, very little debt. Most of their assets consist of the $700,000 in cash, which puts them in a highly liquid position and able to fund pretty much whatever they want at their facility from the resources they currently have.
The County is struggling to meet important, unfunded needs and keep the tax rate as low as possible. Rainbow Riding and Wally (whose wife is President of Rainbow Riding) are showing some real gall coming to taxpayers wanting a handout.
This situation is tantamount to an adult child who makes a one-percenter salarly (north of $300,000 per year) coming to elderly parents who are living on Social Secutiry and asking them to buy him/her a new, expensive sports car.
great analogy NTK. Can you clarify what it means to “carryover” these items until summer. My instincts tell me its an opportunity for shenanigans (my word of the day!)
Last I checked, we had a good alternative to Covington, and he won re-election anyway. People get the government they deserve.
Slow,
Do you have to rub it in?! She was great, and came awfully close I might add. She did not have near the spending capacity as Wally.
What “carry over during the summer” means is taking care of things the public may not like during the summer months when people are more likely to be at the beach than paying attention. It is a supervisors sleight of hand trick also used by developers.
Go through the BOCS for the most controversial votes and coincidentally 99% of them occur during June, July, August, or December/January (especially right before or right after holidays).
Isn’t it ironic that the votes that would be the most likely to have public input tend to fall during times when the public is least likely to be involved? The only exception is the county budget and that doesn’t count because the state requires the county to vote by a certain time. If that requirement didn’t exist we’d probably be voting on the budget on midnight July 4th.
In a nutshell, carryover funds are funds that were budgeted for the current fiscal year but not spent. In other words, the Board appropriated more money than the department, office or whatever could spend. As excess funds, the Board has the authority to budget them for use in the next fiscal year.
I’ve always thought that as money the bureaucrats were not able to get spent, however hard they tried, that all carryover money should be used to reduce, or at least hold down the tax rate in the next fiscal year. Others see carryover funds more as a Santa Claus has come to town and left money for pet projects, such as Rainbow Riding.
so this money is STILL included in the budget, just not “legally” distributed yet?
It has been nice knowing you all. I figure the day BVBL and MH are singing in harmony it has to be a sign that the end times are upon us.
@Moe
Funny 😉
“Others see carryover funds more as a Santa Claus has come to town and left money for pet projects, such as Rainbow Riding.”
Exactly and what better time to play Santa Covington than in the summer when public attention is elsewhere. It beings a whole new meaning to the term “Christmas in July”.
This just makes me sick. Gutless cowards! If there was ever a good reason to start a grassroots movement to end discretionary funds, this is it!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-state-of-nova/post/prince-william-rainbow-riding-centers-request-for-211000-from-county-attracts-controversy/2012/04/24/gIQApvngdT_blog.html
The amounts of money that get very little oversight is just appalling.
@Morris Davis
It is 2012. Maybe this is what the Mayans predicted.
@Elena
Imagine that you give your children some money to go out and spend, and for some reason you gave them so much that they could not spend it all, despite trying really, really hard. Also surprising suppose you find out they still have the leftover money. You now must decide how to use that leftover money. One might think saving it would be a good idea. Instead, other family members find out about the money and start swarming you with their hands out. You figure that doling it out might buy you some favors in the future, and get the beggars off your back. Therefore, you hand it all out.
Next week, your kids come to you again and say they need even more money even though they didn’t spend all the money you gave them this week. Moreover, you have the power to force your neighbors to give you the money to give your kids and don’t have to use your own money.
By the way, some of the kids like horsies.
Welcome to budgeting and carryover.
@Elena
You’re right on the opportunity for “shenanigans”. Summer time = fewer people in the area to monitor what the BOCS is doing.
The true test would be if Supervisor Candland would vote NO. He voted No vor every thing else yesterday including public safety and education.
@ George
Yes, Avendale appeared on the agenda quite suddenly, it was August! Nothing like an ambush.
Wally’s $100k also happened right before Thanksgiving didn’t it? He was trying to slide it on in before we noticed.
NTK – good analogy. You have it exactly right. Hard to imagine anything worse from what the clowns on the BOCS do in the public eye, but the while-everyone-else-is-on-vacation-or-prepping-for-holiday-activities is exactly when they save for things that are the most outrageous.
Not thrilled with the idea of agreeing with Slow but he also has it right when he writes: We get the government we deserve. We (PWC voters) put Candland, Covington, Nohe, Jenkins and Stewart (and Caddigan from time to time) into office so we (PWC voters) shouldn’t be too surprised with what they do to us. They think they have a mandate to do this stuff.
If Fairfax parents are coming down here to ask for more money for Rainbow, how much money is Fairfax County throwing in the pot? Same for Loudon and Fauquier.