Friday, November 2, 2012
In statement, regional panel welcomes report, while letter to LaHood criticizes interference.
A long-awaited report about the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation’s Inspector General calls for actions beyond what the regional panel has already undertaken. MWAA, responsible for constructing Metro’ Silver Line project from Falls Church to Ashburn, came under fire for lax oversight of its members. The IG report also raises questions about whether the organization’s policies permit favoritism in awarding contracts and nepotism in awarding jobs. For the full report, see the PDF attached to this article. After an interim report from the IG, MWAA approved a new travel policy and code of ethics, revised bylaws for board members and its Freedom of Information Policy and terminated contracts with…
Friday, August 24, 2012
Examiner: GOP was aware of an insider deal with outgoing board member before politicizing it.
As the legal wrangling continues over one Democrat's seat on the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s Board of Directors, the contract given to another outgoing board member recently opened a new political battle over the group that is tasked with constructing Metro’s Silver Line project. Gov. Bob McDonnell recently failed to persuade a Fairfax Circuit Court judge to seat his new appointee to the panel, while Dennis Martire disputes his removal by McDonnell. Earlier this year, after Republicans criticized MWAA for pushing a project labor agreement requirement on the second phase of the Silver Line, information surfaced that members of McDonnell’s administration were aware of PLA negotiation. This week, the Washington Examiner found…
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
A divided board sends the Silver Line project forward.
During dozens of conversations leading up to the Loudoun Board of Supervisors decision to participate in the proposed Metro project to Dulles Airport and beyond, no one knew how the votes would fall. Would it be 5-4, 6-3? People in the audience, county staff members and even supervisors waged small bets on the final vote, and those who picked 5-4 won the day. Heading in to the vote, there were two supervisors considered potential swing votes: Ken Reid (R-Leesburg) and Suzanne Volpe (R-Algonkian). Speaking with a wide range of “insiders” during the past two months, odds appeared to be on Volpe to support it, with Reid possibly joining the majority. But that would have been the wrong bet. Reid, who had a history of opposing the rail project…
After contentious four months, a divided board stays with the project.
With more eyes on Loudoun County than likely have ever been on it, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors voted 5-4 on Tuesday to continue participating with the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project, which will extend the now-under-construction Silver Line from Wiehle Avenue in Reston to Route 772 in Ashburn. “Well the day has finally come for this board to make the decision about the future of Loudoun County,” County Chairman Scott K. York (I-At Large) said as the vote approached. “This will help our employers reach our employees regionally.” York and Supervisors Ken Reid (R-Leesburg), Ralph Buona (R-Ashburn), Matt Letourneau (R-Dulles) and Shawn Williams (R-Broad Run) voted in supported, while Supervisors Suzanne Volpe (R-Algonkian), Geary …
Bob Bruhns
12:30 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
It's just a bunch of crooks fighting over stolen money. Reports that expose their lies are not going to help them grab the money and run, so they don't demand them. The Dulles Rail project, also known as the Silver Line, costs two times what it should - we're talking about an unnecessary extra $2.5 to $3 Billion dollars of economic drain that is causing a major financial crisis for this entire … more ›