Let’s beat the seal to death!

MoonHowler

CountySeal

Since some of the local blogs have decided to beat the idea of the County Logo to death, I have decided to beat the county seal to death.  Why?  Just look at it.  When was the seal adopted?

logo little    Beating the logo to death

At first glance, it appears we have a white hand holding a scale  over a marijuana plant.  Now there’s a good model for all the kiddies.  NOT!  Are those scales for weighting out justice or are they for weighing out how much substance?

Actually, it is supposed to be a tobacco plant.  I guess that makes it all better.  When was tobacco last grown as a crop in Prince William County?  Probably a lot longer ago than pot was last grown.   How about a nice new county seal if we want something to fight over.  County art students could compete and we could all vote  on the final selections by mail. One house, one vote.  Maybe we could even put it on the ballet for the state elections if we hurried along.

Meanwhile, the pot/tobacco plant needs to go.  How about a logo that includes the battlefield?  That is surely our biggest tourist attraction.   putting the Bobbitts on the seal would just not be appropriate!

Does this seal seem inappropriate to you all or is it just me?  Any ideas on another seal?   Is the logo being beaten to death?  Why is Pete Candland leading the charge of tilting at this windmill rather than John Jenkins who is the person who really voiced his opposition to the blue logo in the first place?   Perhaps their efforts would be better spent replacing our pot plant county seal.

Internal Auditors Revisited: Time to pluck those crow feathers out of some teeth

MoonHowler

crow1

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

By Steve Visser

A top MARTA official tasked with helping overhaul the transit authority’s finances and business model has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of embezzlement.

The victim: the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Institute for Internal Auditors, an association whose members guard their employers against fraud.

“How did he think he would ever be able to get away with it?” said Michael Dixon, the chief deputy commonwealth’s attorney for Prince William County in the Virginia suburbs of Washington. “In this business, it is hard to be surprised sometimes.”

 

Perking up ears….did I hear Prince William County?    Yes, I did.  Who might this sterling character be?  What top MARTA [Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority] official would have the Prince William County  commonwealth’s attorney commenting on embezzlement?

Does anyone remember a character named Robin Howard?  How about the kerfluffle that arose when Melissa Peacor recommended that the internal audit department for the county be let go?  I seem to recall her being excoriated and ridiculed on blogs for suggesting that audits be handled differently.  She was accused of cover up and basically picking on the folks.    The Sheriff  (of Notthingham) said ” Surely there will be a fair hearing for these whistle-blowers and they will not be summarily dismissed because Peacor wants to settle another score.”

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Auditors RIF’ed: Don’t gut the feather pillow

MoonHowler

Get Microsoft Silverlight

 

Washingtonpost.com

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors is expected to vote Tuesday to eliminate the county’s internal auditor department and outsource the work to a contractor, a move that critics charge would deprive the county of an internal, independent watchdog.

In a strongly worded memo, the county’s auditing department said the plan would undercut the county’s credibility and bring in outsiders who are not familiar with the complicated workings of the government, which has an operating budget of $914 million.

“The public should be able to have confidence that there is a genuinely independent internal audit function,” read the memo, which was obtained by The Washington Post.

If the job is outsourced, “taxpayers will never be able to count on learning the truth about what may be going wrong in the county.” The memo also said the plan “would give taxpayers the impression of a county’s desire to not shed light on potentially embarrassing audit findings that could also look bad to regulators or rating agencies.”

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Fired up! Ready to go! Obama comes back to PWC

MoonHowler
11/3/12

Inside Nova:

President Barack Obama will make a last-minute campaign stop in Prince William County on Saturday, along with the musician Dave Matthews and former president Bill Clinton, several news outlets reported Wednesday evening.

Fired up!  Ready to Go!  He’s coming back.  Even Hurricane Sandy couldn’t keep President Obama out of Prince William County, even though he had to cancel last Monday night.  He will bring Bill Clinton and the Dave Matthews Band with him.

The rally is in the evening and will be at Jiffy Lube Pavilion.

President Obama’s latest accomplishment has been to get FEMA right where help was needed.  He was fired up before hand, and ready to go as soon as the storm passed.  That is the secret of FEMA’s success….to be fired up and ready to go before the event, rather than trying to play catch up.  78% of those polled were very pleased with how the President handled the aftermath of the storm.  I wonder who those other trolls are?  That 22%?

Tickets are  at Obama Headquarters over in the City of Manassas.  You will have to supply information before getting the tickets.

Fired up!!  Ready to Go!!!   From Sat. Night at Juffy Lube–insidenova.com

Nov.3, 2012

 

Eat your heart out Silver Lake, there’s a new jewel in town (and it ain’t you)

MoonHowler

Prince William County has been ranked #8 in the nation in  job growth.  It falls behind Loudoun County which is ranked #1 and mostly Texas communities.  It supposedly has a job growth of 48.6%.  My question is, where are the jobs and do  those jobs support a livable wage in this county?

From CNN.com

Prince William County takes the crown when it comes to offering enticing perks to businesses. Expedited permits for companies in “targeted” industries that promise high-paying jobs and capital investment is just one of the ways it rolls out the red carpet.

Also behind the job boom: proximity to the D.C. Beltway, a smart workforce and competitive tax rates. Some 770 new jobs were announced last year, a nearly 14% increase from the previous year.

The jewel of Prince William County is Innovation Technology Park, a 1,600-acre corporate district whose tenants include the FBI, Comcast and George Mason University’s Life Sciences Campus. One of the newest additions is Vector Security, which last year announced it was moving into the park and bringing 130 new jobs with it.

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Prince William Franken-County: Waste Behind the scenes in County govt.

MoonHowler

 

 

People in Prince William County government report that if Prince William County were an actual business, it would have gone bankrupt because of pure inefficiency and refusal to modernize. That sure paints a different picture than El Jefe the chairman paints.

Corey Stewart tried to tell us, in his recent letter to the editor in the News & Messenger, that Prince William County ranks above all others; so much so that the federal government ought to follow our model.  Why is he crowing, blowing and bragging? He wants the supposed county accomplishments on his personal resume for his bid for Lt. Governor. Corey wants us to believe that our taxes haven’t risen and that government is acting responsibly, all while forking over tax payer money to his power broker buds heading up pet projects.  In turn, his war chests are filled.  Deepthroat tells another story.

Corey tries to sell the taxpayers a bill of goods based on tooth fairy money and spending. He tells us rubes what he thinks we want to hear. In the first place, if you lower the tax rate and raise the real estate assessment, you haven’t lowered taxes. Money talks and we know what walks.

We all know what bulls do!

 

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Open Thread………………………………………………….Saturday, July 14

MoonHowler

One award recipient at the BOCS meeting this week will be the county mosquito people for “thinking outside the box.”  The blurb says that it is for using an ipad 2 and putting the data in the cloud (assuming icloud) rather than using a pencil and paper in the field.  I am curious why using one of the main applications for ipad is being considered an example of thinking outside the box, but ok.  When I told Mr. Howler of the good news, he asked if “thinking outside the box” meant another years worth of excuses for not spraying on Sudley Manor Drive.  That must be it.

Why does the truck not spray on Sudley Manor Drive?  I have been told because the speed limit is 35 minutes per hour.  Stop!  It isn’t 35 miles per hour.  It hasn’t been for 15-20 years.  Its 25 and 30 mph.  No matter what I say, I cannot convince this office to update their records on the speed limit.  Furthermore, so what.  I have given up trying. I don’t go outside in the summer.  I am allergic to mosquitoes. I get huge bites, often larger than old silver dollars.  I have to “suit up” with Deep Woods OFF just to get from my front door to the car.  Sitting outside is impossible for me.  It has to be a near perfect day for it to even be worth the trouble.

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The Discretionary Funds Aftermath

MoonHowler

Far more interesting than the original fight over discretionary funds is the aftermath.  There is lots of Monday morning quarterbacking going on and lots of insider conspiracy theory trip trap being cited.

Several things really bother me.  The first is that I think that some on the BOCS now see a colleague as being all tumbled in to what was being said on the blogs.  I don’t think that Mr. Candland was part of the blog gossip.  I hope I am right.   I think he learned to avoid that like the plague.  Additionally, it seems that Mr. Candland’s reform efforts really weren’t finger pointing but seeking correction where correction was needed.  I say that as one who didn’t even like his entire resolution.  However, it was a start–a place to begin discussion.  Unfortunately, the  BOCS felt it was a place to end discussion, so we now have perfectly ridiculous rules that don’t address any of the problems.

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Rainbow Riding, Hand in the Tax Payers Cookie Jar AGAIN!?

Elena

Here we are again, less than 6 months later, having a deja vu moment.  Allow me to recap recent financial events regarding Rainbow Riding and tax payer dollars.

Back in November Moonhowlings wrote about 100 grand of discretionary money from Supervisor Covington being directed to Rainbow Riding.  Mr. Covington ended up pulling that money, but apparently, plan B was even more expansive.

The proposed FY 13  budget includes $32,477 for this community partnership; Rainbow Riding Center  has requested an additional $178,398 in the form of a one-time capital  investment for FY 13.

Have I mentioned yet that Silver Lake has a Master Plan that has YET to be funded?  Yes, Silver Lake, the land upon which Rainbow Riding has a 35 year FREE lease, has yet to have any real county dollars directed towards capital improvements.

Here are a few of the items on the Master Plan, adopted by the county, that are still not done, in fact, those project have not even begun.

1)Picnic Pavilion

2)Playground

3)Outdoor Classroom

4)Community Garden Area

Why, you may be asking, are these minimal improvements being ignored while the county even entertains the suggestion of giving away $200 grand of our taxpayer money to an organization that only services less than 100 children?

Did you know there is not ONE quality public playground in western Prince William County.  I take my kids to a park in Fauquier County!   That is simply disgraceful in my opinion.

Lets not forget the Eastern end of the county and their critical needs.

The Chinn Public Library and Community Center are woefully over crowded and in need of serious renovations to accomodate the thousands of adults and children that use those facility’s.  There was suppose to be a Park Bond that was intended for those improvements but it was redirected, to where, I am not sure.

Park and Community Centers serve everyone in the community and I firmly believe, until we can ensure those facilities are fully funded, our tax payer dollars, in such large sums, should not be directed to small non profits.

When I spoke at citizens time a couple of weeks ago, a man from Fairfax County, yes, you read that correctly, Fairfax County, shared that his children use the Rainbow Riding facility, and that he hoped the Board would approve the additional funding for the facility.  Does anyone here have an issue with a resident from another county asking us to put our limited resources for a facility that draws people from other counties?

Rainbow Riding has a great funding resource and if the Board would like to put their personal money towards Rainbow Riding, or help, on their own time, plan a fundraiser, I support that fully. However, to give ONE non profit such a large sum of money, is unconscionable and an insult to the all the other worthy non profits in this county who would welcome even a smidgen of what Rainbow Riding has recieved from the County coffers..

My hope is that the BOCS will reject this improper use of county funds and we begin to move towards a more holitistic approach to the needs of all county residents regarding our Park services.

Addendum:  It appeaars that Rainbow Riding is sitting on a ton of money,  according to their federal 990 form.  To download, click here.

What’s the job of a blog?

MoonHowler

Since Moonhowlings began questioning how county money was being spent, it seems that the question has come up about the place of blogs in communicating county affairs.  Have we overstepped our boundaries as citizens of Prince William County?  We say resoundingly, NO! 

Understandably, print newspapers are struggling  and often face the wrath of their readers.  How many times does a story evoke the “I am going to cancel my subscription” because of this or that story or editorial?   Even though most of a newspaper’s day to day funding comes from advertising, it does no good to advertise if there are no readers.

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Wally Covington: giving away taxpayer money like it is his own

adultgirl

To whom it may Concern (i.e.  All Prince William County residents and Tax payers):

It has come to our attention that Supervisor Wally Covington, Brentsville District Supervisor, intends to give away $100,000 from his discretionary magisterial funds to the non-profit organization Rainbow Riding.   This resolution is to be voted on at the BOCS meeting on Tuesday, November 29.

Rainbow Riding is a worthwhile organization that provides therapy riding for children with physical and mental disabilities. People are often hesitant to say what they are thinking when questioning process.  Especially when children are involved as beneficiaries.  However, we cannot ignore irregularities when those irregularies  involve public money.

Allow us to be crystal clear:  This is not an issue regarding the credibility of Rainbow Riding or the services that they provide to a very specific population.  Instead, this is an issue about how county funds are spent and the degree of transparency involved in the determination of who will receive these funds.

During the past year, this blog has posted several articles regarding the permitting process or lack thereof for a huge riding arena constructed for the Rainbow Riding facility.  It became clear to citizens that Rainbow Riding was exempt from the regular processes that other residents are required to follow.  For example, the county informed us that this huge building, equipped with seats and bleachers, and bathroom facilities, was classified as a “barn.”  In the Rural Crescent, barns are not required to go through the permitting process.  Then, as now, we dispute the idea that a huge complex riding arena the size of this structure is a barn.  A riding arena is not a barn and a barn is not a riding arena.

From the very beginnings of negotiations with Toll Brothers, somehow Rainbow Riding became an integral part of that process.  How did a small 501C (3) organization become entrenched in negotiations regarding county land use?  The 45 acres that Rainbow Riding sits on is public that excludes the public at large.

Fast forward to the present.   Paying only a pittance for the public land this organization occupies; now the taxpayers will be required to put $100,000 more into a private organization.

Does anyone else find it troublesome that Supervisor Covington’s immediate family members are in leadership roles at Rainbow Riding?  Is there a fair process for the allocation of county funds to non-profits?  Or better yet, is there even a process?  How can citizens  be  assured that favoritism does not come in to play when taxpayer funds are being distributed to various organizations?   Should being an elected official entitle one to take care of family and friends’ favorite charities and organizations?  At what point do we question whether this isn’t nepotism?

 Note:  this article was originally published 11/24/11 in the evening. Thanksgiving night.   I moved it up several days as I felt it was an important story to have out there.  We do that with stories we want to keep active. 

 The time stamps stay behind the scenes and can be used for documentation should the need ever arise. 

 

 

The Silver Lake Scene–the Jewel of PWC? Supervisors! Be good stewards

MoonHowler

I couldn’t stand peace and tranquility so I threw my favorite dog in the car and went on a field trip to Silver Lake.  In the first place, if I didn’t know there was a Silver Lake, I could never find it.  There is no signage until you actually get to Antioch Road and it is a cheap, worn out looking sign.  I know that it is on the same turn off as the winery so I look for the LaGrange sign.  If you drive until you see the Silver Lake sign, you can’t make the turn.  The road pops out from nowhere.   We need adequate signage.

Turning off onto the area where Silver Lake is, you immediately get into rough road territory.  Ok, its a lake.  Nearly all the property going down to the lake is posted–both sides of the road.  If I am a county resident, and I am on county property, why can’t I be there?  Something is being built on the left, between the riding arena and Antioch Road.  What is back in there?  Why can no one tell me?  The area is blocked off and there has been heavy equipment back there a year.  What is being hidden back there?  Again, posted signs.

Onward to Rainbow riding.  They had an open door on the left hand side that looked mighty inviting to vandals.  Again, posted signs so I didn’t dare get out and poke around.  More county property I cannot go on.  The huge field across the gravel road  that had been graded and is now grassed over is also posted. 

The road to Silver lake needs to have the pot holes filled or patches of the road need to be regraded.  Some of them are deep enough to break an axle.  This is an ongoing problem back there.   Fix the road. 

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The Biggest “Fuster Cluck” of All

Elena

So the truth is out.   Confirmed, via the most recent article in the in an interview with The Washington Post that he plans to introduce a policy next year on the concept of “clustering,”a new approach to managing the county’s rural area.

Allow me to interject some facts here.  There IS a “cluster ordinance” in the comprehensive plan for allowing clustering of homes on large tracts of land.  I will put a copy of the ordinance  up on the rural crescent website and link to it so people can become better informed.   I am hopeful that maybe even Corey and Peter Candland will visit the link in order to educate themselves on the current cluster ordinance.

Lo and behold, Peter Candland is already finding ways to do Corey’s bidding!   I don’t think that Peter has a full understanding of land use or else he would understand why Corey’s proposal is bunk.

“That, I believe, succeeds at nothing,” Stewart said. “I think that we need to look at better ways of preserving very large areas of rural ground as well as promoting more commercial office space and high-end retail. We have to take the emotion out of this debate and give it a cold, hard, objective look.”

Stewart said his argument is that having a hodgepodge of 10-acre lots doesn’t make sense. Better, he said, to have a development on 100 acres, where 30 acres are developed and the other 70 are open space, he said. Stewart said that such a policy would take a long time to develop, and the board would do so “in conjunction with the community.”

Candland said he rejects the commonly used term “slow growth,” saying “managed growth” more adequately describes his philosophy to encourage growth along with adequate infrastructure. But he largely agrees with Stewart’s philosophy of bringing the county more high-end retail and office space, he said, adding that improving the county’s quality of life will drive economic growth.

“Plain and simple,” Candland said, “we need to bring business to Prince William County.”

The level of ignorance astounds me.    I wonder if Corey and Peter are aware that there is plenty of undeveloped land in the “Development Area” that has YET to be rezoned for its allowed long range use.  There is not a lack of opportunity for high end retail and commercial (anyone heard of Innnovation?) in Prince William County.  There is a lack of those high end retailers and Corporations CHOOSING to do business here. 

Busting open the Rural Crescent will only have one sure fire result, higher taxes for everyone.  Gotta love those conservative values.

I wonder if Michael Neibauer from the Washington Business Journal will have a follow up article to citizens of Prince William County affirming his pre and post prediction on Canlands election being the “game change” for development in the western end.

Not that there’s some massive push to build new homes in Prince William County, especially the western end. But when a proposal does come along — and it will — Candland’s victory may give the developer a narrow opening.

 

 

 

Committee of 100 Debate…Ann Wheeler Has Stellar Performance!

Elena

When Republicans who attended the debate last night agree that Peter Candland presents as an empty suit, you know you are in trouble.

One of the most memorable moments of the evening, for me, was when the two candidates were discussing bringing new jobs to Prince William County. The broader question became–why AREN’T businesses relocating here?

Peter Candland, talked about how he has the business savvy to bring new economic investment to the County. He touted  his experience serving on a corporate relocation task force, but then failed to  verbalize  why he was unable  to bring these business to Prince William County.  Candland freely admitted  that “quality of life” issues are what will bring high-end retail and corporate investment, but  he lost traction informing his listeners how to upgrade the quality of life issues.  He lacked specifics and upbraided his opponent over stimulus money but failed to reveal how he would finance these issue that both candidates feel are important. 

Ann Wheeler was confident and articulate in her answers during the debate.  Wheeler has a moderate and realistic grasp of the needs of Prince William County. She understands that PWC must invest in those quality of life resources like  schools, libraries,  parks and recreation, walkable communities, superior fire, rescue and police services  and decent roads.  These are the issues that attract quality economic investment. 

While both candidates addressed county concerns directed at the Gainesville District, Ann Wheeler clearly demonstrated substance over ideological talking points.  She backed up her remarks with specific examples whereas Candland spoke in sweeping generalities.  She simply appeared to have her thumb directly on the pulse of the community.

Thieves amongst us

MoonHowler

Sentencing has been postponed for one Maneesh Gupta, age 47 for embezzling millions of dollars from Prince William County while he was the head of the IT Department in Prince William County government.

Insidenova.com:

Gupta was set to be sentenced Thursday, but the sentencing was continued to Nov. 3.

At Thursday’s hearing, Prince William Circuit Court Judge Richard B. Potter formally accepted a plea agreement in the case.

According to the terms of the agreement, Gupta will be sentenced to serve three years in prison, with another 48 years suspended and 10 years of probation and to repay $3.7 million the county lost in the scheme.

Prosecutors said Gupta and three other men created a company and arranged for most of the OIT office’s bids to be awarded to that company, between 2004 and April 2009.

I am offended.  3 years?  48 suspended?  Why?  $3.7 million bucks is a lot of money.  How about 20 years for being a thief and if his relatives repay the money he took, then he gets to come out after 20 years.  I think he got slapped on the wrist.  How long does he have to repay the money he took?  What happens if he doesn’t?  Will he go back to prison?

This dude has always managed to find a way to find a short cut.  I feel confident he will find a way to never repay that money. I hope the County has a back up plan.