As I read the resolution in the newspaper, my first reaction was “is this it?”

It isn’t just non profits that benefit from “close” relationships to Board members.  What about all the developers that give large sums of money to campaigns and then subsequently have an application before the BOCS.

I believe this is a good beginning but certainly the endeavor to stop conflicts of interest should not stop with money being directed to non profits.

Candland’s resolution would be presented on the annual carryover day where the board reallocates funding leftover from the previous fiscal year. Included in the 2012 carryover budget is a funding request from Rainbow Equestrian Center, where Brentsville Supervisor W.S. “Wally” Covington III’s wife serves on the board of directors.

The supervisors passed a conflict of interest policy this spring, which included Candland’s proposal to eliminate discretionary spending by supervisors on charities or nonprofits. The impetus for the resolution came from Covington’s initial desire to spend $100,000 of his discretionary funds on his wife’s charity project last fall. Ultimately, he pulled the donation.

The most corrosive force in PWC are the Developers who pay to play.  Here is one quick example I came up with quite easily.

For the second time in less than two weeks, incumbent county chairman Corey Stewart is getting criticized for the political donations he has accepted. This time, Haymarket Town Councilman Bob Weir called out Stewart this week for accepting $10,000 from Bruni Peters of Fairfax-based RK Realty less than two weeks before the county board approved an amendment to its comprehensive plan that paved the way for a housing and office project on 44 acres off U.S. 15 in Haymarket.

Ten grand is no chump change, especially in local politics.  Supervisor Candland needs to broaden, in my opinion, the scope of this resolution.

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This is hilarious. Seriously, just put aside your preconceived ideas, and enjoy! Now, will my family be boycotting chick-fil-a? Probably not. I am not not one of those people that boycotts on a whim.

I thought boycotting “french” fries was just plain innane, down right ridiculous. I boycott make-up companies that still test on animals, but that is not an ideological reason, its more of an ethical reason in my mind.

My favorite line in this skit is when Jon points out that the Boy Scouts being concerned about having a “gay” image is somewhat redundent. Just watch, you’ll love the new Cow mantra!

I have to share, my husband, for years, made fun of me for “wasting” our money on organic chicken, beef, and pork.  I would say “honey, I am NOT feeding my kids meat laden with antibiotics, hormones, and other crap.”

Furthermore, the conditions in which animals are raised in factory farms is not only incredibly inhumane, its DISGUSTING!  They live in their own feces, often develops sores, etc, due to their crowded living conditions.  Which is WHY they are fed antibiotics like its their food, to inhibit diseases which would normally grow in such living conditions.

Apparently, a superbug may be putting several million women at risk for a hard to treat bladder infection.  I always thought it was common sense, if we ingest meat full of antibiotics, wont’ we become immune to its medicinal effects?

Anyway, the article is “food for thought” !

This a great article from ABC news.

A growing number of medical researchers say more than 8 million women are at risk of difficult-to-treat bladder infections because superbugs – resistant to antibiotics and growing in chickens – are being transmitted to humans in the form of E. coli.

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Allow me to answer my own question……NOT ME!

Some of you may, or may not remember the infamous “Brentswood” proposal a few years back.  Like the outer beltway, whose path remains the same, but name changes, “Brentswood” has now morphed into Stonehaven.

So here was the promise by Developers, “we’ll front you the money for the 66 improvements, including the 29 overpass, if you let us build SEVEN THOUSAND homes on the Atlantic Research property.”  Yet, the Developer wasn’t even going to proffer the money themselves, they were going to make citizens pay for the improvements while they pocketed the profits!

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The irony of yesterdays vote was that it was business as usual in Prince William County.   Poor Pete Candland had a first row seat to the systemic sickness on our Board.

The amendments John Jenkins proposed were not integral to the problem of discretionary spending, and yet, with no due process, the amendments were passed.  Lest we forget, this was simply an example of business as usual.  Although Mike May voted yes, his tone was one of indulging a petulant child.  He was the only one offering an explanation of how these amendments were simply reinforcing county policy for elected officials.

It is interesting that the events yesterday have brought to the forefront a problem that has existed for as long as I have been watching government in PWC.

How many times has an applicant come before the Board with last minute changes to a development and citizens would have had not time to review the changed and comment?  The answer it too many to count.

One of the most egregious examples of cutting citizens out of the process was the recent Environment Chapter update.

Approval of these last minute changes allow input from one special interest group (developers) without providing an equal opportunity to all stakeholders, notably citizens and community organizations.

The effect of these changes is to shift the cost of stormwater management away from developers, forcing local residents to pay higher stormwater fees.

Corey Stewart, having proposed last minute changes from the Dias, was not even able to explain the consequences of those changes!  We all can guess why, was he the original author, I wonder , who could it have really been?  And yet, those changed occurred, weakening the rules for Developers.  Why was the environment chapter important?  Who pays for poor development practices when there is flooding?  Yes folks, we do, the taxpayers.  Who will pay for the fines levied by the EPA when we fail the Chesapeake Bay clean up requirements?  Correct again, the taxpayers.

The examples are endless, the Parks and Open Space Chapter update, once again, last minute changes that allowed little citizen input.

The irony is that Pete Candland was hoping to create a more transparent process with greater citizen input, and yet, as the most real life example of how broken our process is in PWC, he was able to witness how easy it is to loop citizens out of their own government.  Proposed last minute changes and offer no opportunaity for comprehsive debate or a reasonable to time to reflect of the consequences of those changes.

For me, this is simply the first battle in a long war to create a better government where citizens have an opportunity to become participants and not just powerless bystanders.  I am tired of last minute changes that loop citizens out of government.

Keep up the honest approach Supervisor Candland, you have the momentum.

Supervisor Candland is proposing a resolution to begin a much more extensive process to our “discretionary” spending problem in PWC.  To read the full resolution, click here.

Discretionary money only scratches the surface to a much broader endemic problem in Prince William County– Who, what, when , where receives tax payer funding that is not a direct government entity.  I am a strong proponent of private/public partnerships.  However, in PWC, there is no real process for which non profit receives tax payer funds.  Our “process”, or lack thereof, has been at the sole behest of the individual Supervisor.  The only pseudo check and balance is a perfunctory Board approval that we all know is simply a rubber stamp.

Ending discretionary funding will not solve this problem.  We give away 12 million dollars in each annual  budget to our “community partners”.  I would like to know, how are these partners selected?  While some may seem obvious, many others may not be.  What is the process that defines the success of such groups?  How do other counties partner with non-profits?

What citizens like myself are wondering is, where is the transparency for funding these groups?  This is not a left or right issue, this is not a republican or democrat issue, this is an issue of fairness and open government.

Prince William County can no longer operate like a “good ole boy” network.  It is time to govern like we are a modern exurb of our nations capitol!  My hope is that the Board of Supervisors will take Peter Candland’s resolution and not just approve it, but build upon it and really start addressing how we do allocate our government funds in PWC.

This resolution is not about ending private public partnerships, it is about improving our process so that there is a fair playing field, one that is transparent to citizens and non profits alike.

Discretionary funds have been the topic of conversation ever since Wally wanted to give 100 grand to Rainbow Riding.   Peter Candland found himself in the spotlight again, but this time, Moonhowlings can tell him “good job!”

Supervisor Candland has proposed elimating disrectionary funds.

On Tuesday, Candland presented the Board of County Supervisors with a rough draft of a resolution that would move their  donations to private entities or nonprofits into the annual budget process. Candland’s resolution is tentatively scheduled for more discussion at the board’s June 5 meeting.

Donations to schools would be excluded from this procedural change, said Candland. The Gainesville supervisor would also like to discuss what to do with annual funding carried over by some supervisors for future projects.

“We should be like other localities and handle this in the normal budget process,” Candland said.

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Having been the recipient of both Pell Grants and Stafford loans, I can vouch for the critical importance of these programs.  Maybe for people whseo parents are in the 1% of wage earners and don’t rely on financial assistance to afford college, these programs don’t matter, but for me, and millions of others who have benefited, you bet they matter.

What is the future for America if we our next generation isn’t educated, if we reduce the number of young people that have an opportunity to become the next doctor, teacher, scientist, engineer, and a multitude of other careers.

College is not the only path for a successful life and career, but for young people who WANT to pursue a college degree, money should not be the ultimate decider.

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/04/student_loan_interest_rates.html

More than 7 million students and their families rely on Subsidized Stafford Loans to help pay for college. The loans distributed by the U.S. Department of Education currently hold an interest rate of 3.4 percent. But that rate is set to double if Congress fails to act by July 1, 2012. If that occurs, millions of students will see their interest rates soar to 6.8 percent on the new loans they take in the next year thereby causing a steep rise in their loan burden and effectively increasing the cost of attaining a college degree. At a time when tuition is rising at 8.3 percent a year and median wages for young people are falling, young Americans and their families can ill afford more Washington inaction.

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. 

 

 

 

 

Allen West sound just plain foolish.  Good lord, are we now going to revert back to the “red scare” and start having hearings on rooting out the “communists”!

Solidad handled this beautifully.  West is smart enough to realize that actually individually naming names of his colleagues may look untoward so thinks better of taking that final step, which really, in my opinion, solidifies the inanity of his communist blather.

Was Teddy Roosevelt a Communist?  I hope not, but he sure was a Progressive!  He was President during a very contentious period in American history.  Remember the “square deal”?  He was a strong advocate for fair labor contracts and busting up corporate monopolies.   He created the first federal department to ensure the health of food products and safety of drugs.

Lets not forget our first National Parks also and push to protect our natural resources.  Not sure how progress became a dirty word, but shame on West for scraping the bottom of the barrel to insult his fellow congressmen and congresswomen.

Thomas Jefferson was a progressive. Does anyone here really believe the Declaration of Independence was not a “progressive” forward thinking document?

Read about the Progressive Caucus here.

Yesterday was was the day that Jews and others around the world honor the memory of those who were murdered in the Holocaust.

My Bubbie’s cousin, Izzy, survived the death camps, he is an Auchwitz survivor along with his wife Anna.  My Grandmothers father was from Poland, his brother never emmigrated.  Of Izzy’s entire family, only his two brothers survied, Anna, unfortunately, was the only survivor of her family.

My father created this video.  It tells an amazing story of perseverence, love, bravery, and luck.

Izzy and Anna’s Love Story from A Cut Above The Rest Productions on Vimeo.

http://vimeo.com/19904869

The password is izzy.

Peter Candland got a good ole fashioned verbal a$$ whuppin’ on Tuesday!

I have to admit, I was pleasently surprised by the turn of events during the budget discussion on Tuesday.  As we all by now, the “main event” was centered around Peter Candland and his incoherent suggestion that we gut the government spending with absolutely NO vision on how to get it done.

He set himself up as the victim being circled by “sharks”.  Really?  Who were the sharks?  His “in the majority republican” fellow supervisors?  He came unprepared with only his silly soundbites. Mike May, in his usual measured way, had tough questions  for Candland.

“Forgive me if I sound like a circling shark,” he began. “It sounds like you talk about reasonable proposals but you haven’t come here today with any of your own.”

On one hand Candland says “I support the 3% raise” for county employees but  offers no feasible way to follow through if his tax rate is adopted.  He looked like a deer caught in  head lights when fellow Board members asked him for specifics on how to run government while keeping the tax rate so low.

Staff and Supervisors have been working on a county budget for months and Candland, last minute, has the gall to suggest everyone start from scratch?  How RUDE!

As we all know, I am not usually prone to compliments for Corey, but whatever his reasons, whether it be his run for Lt. Govenor or whatever, he was terrific and deserves kudos for squashing the ridiculousness of  $1.175 tax rate.

The Gainesville Times reporter, Tara Donaldson, wrote a fabulous article.

Corey gave the final blow to Candland, when, with a raised voice, he said:

 “It’s not responsible” and said supervisors need to act responsibly, “not just sit here and make political points.

We are the 9th richest county in the United States, our schools, our roads, our general infrastructure needs to reflect our financial status.

Maureen Caddigan probably made the most sane comment during the entire debate though.  She said she use to believe that housing paid for itself, but clearly, only new housing in the 650 grand range actually was net positive.  She said that 500 house here, or new housing over there, was putting an incredible burden on the budget, i.e. taxpayers.   Supervisor Caddigan then followed up with the common sense statement that we need more commercial and less housing!

I hope that sentiment holds strong during the debate surrounding the Rural Crescent and its fiscal importance to the County

Bring your family and friends to Merrimac Farm on Sunday, April 15, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, to welcome spring and celebrate wildlife.

This year’s Bluebell Festival has a greater focus on wildlife and history… due to the extreme warm temperatures this winter, the Bluebells and other wildflowers are early bloomers this year.

There’s so much more to see at Merrimac Farm! With some of the best Northern Virginia naturalists leading tours and activities, we’re looking forward to a special day at an outstanding natural area. We hope you can join us.

This year there will be numerous guided tours.  I hope to see you all there!