Day: August 28, 2012

There was a very interesting article in Inside Nova a few days ago.  Let me refresh everyone’s memory.  The Mayor of Occoquan and Supervisor May,  along with many many residents, opposed the rezoning of Oaks III back in January.  Here is the fabulous op-ed written by the Mayor Porta.

The developer cites two features of his proposal in particular.  First, he notes that he is setting aside a portion of the parcel in a conservation easement.  On closer inspection, however, this appears to be mostly window dressing, as the conservation easement basically covers the portion of the property on which RPAs, slopes, and other features essentially preclude development.  Second, the developer asserts that his project will actually improve storm water management in the area.  What only becomes clear with further analysis, however, is that this assertion is based in part on his offer to fix the problem created by inadequate storm water management on his adjoining commercial property.  In fact, poorly-planned prior projects by the developer are the catalyst for this entire rezoning effort.  By his own admission the developer was originally interested only in purchasing a small piece of the Oaks III parcel to solve the problem of insufficient parking, again on his adjoining commercial property.  Unfortunately, the property owner has insisted on purchase of the entire parcel, which has in turn led the developer to attempt to cram an office building on the site in the hopes of subsidizing his purchase costs.

Let’s fast forward to the present, with the desired rezoning, the Developer has put the land up for sale. So, the Mayor, a multitude of residents, and the district Supervisor were all ignored by a majority of the Board, inlcuding Corey Stewart, who, in his great knowledge of environmetnal stewardship (NOT), approved this development that is now in the process of being sold shortly after it was rezoned.  Apparently, it appears, as though the developer, Ken Thompson, was seeing dollar signs instead of following through with committments he made to the concerned citizens of Occoquan.

There you go, business as usual in PWC.  I always find it interesting that when citizens oppose development for valid reasons, they are always ignored.  I wonder what Mayor Porta is thinking now?

Huffingtonpost.com:

A Republican strategist said something interesting and revealing on Friday, though it largely escaped attention in the howling gusts of punditry over Mitt Romney’s birth certificate crack and a potential convention-altering hurricane. The subject was a Ron Brownstein story outlining the demographic hit rates each party requires to win in November. To squeak out a majority, Mitt Romney probably needs to win at least 61 percent of the white vote — a figure exceeding what George H.W. Bush commanded over Michael Dukakis in 1988. The Republican strategist told Brownstein, “This is the last time anyone will try to do this” — “this” being a near total reliance on white votes to win a presidential election.

Is it possible to get 61% of the white vote?  The men shouldn’t be a problem.  The women might be a very serious problem.  Last time I looked at polls, the break down was 54% Dem, 39% Repub.  Of course, it all depends on which poll you look at and the election is really light years away.  We are still in August.

There is just something about breaking down votes by white and non white that reminds me of a less desirable time in history.