Virginia News Source

Blame taxpoortation problem on lunatics or lunatic-fringe protesters?

Dear Editor

I am flabbergasted by the unwarranted attack upon the integrity of a dedicated public servant who spent 40 years acting in the public interest. But from your ranting and raving lunatic, that is no surprise.

Of course, the lunatic blames Art Collins for the transportation debacle, mainly of course to deflect criticism from anti tax Delegates who have signed the no tax pledge and are therefor unable to fulfull their responsibilities as elected officials.

Broken Windows

The “Broken Windows” syndrome, as most people already know, refers to the slow degradation of a neighborhood. Initially, there is a minor problem, but no one pays any attention and the problem is never fixed. Soon, there is another problem and that too is ignored. Over time, the area becomes more and more degraded and perhaps crime-infested.

TIME TO FIX THE HRPDC

Hampton Roads has a rare and unusual opportunity to right a wrong.

The Hampton Roads Planning District Commision the regions MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) is looking for an Executive Director to Captain the ship.

The previous Executive Director was an ego-maniac who defied the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and kept the press out of what should have been public meetings. There were more behind closed door meetings and deals, than any public agency, should ever had going on.

Interpreting who supports what in taxpoortation plan

Dear Editor:

Oh my gosh. How could my personal eyewitness account of a public town hall meeting cause such consternation, rantings, and rumination from an anti tax zealot who was not even in attendance?

Fact is, by my count, 17 citizens spoke in favor of transportation improvements, and four spoke in opposition. Among those speaking in favor were first responders familiar with the declining response times due to traffic congestion.

Since that meeting, attended by most of the Legislators from Virginia Beach, the Governor has proposed a plan to fund the six regional projects and to restore funding for urban roads, both of which will improve our transportation infrastructure.

KAINE'S TRANSPORTATION PLAN - the fatal flaw!

I've gone over Governor Kaine's transporation plan and there are only few minor issue's I have with any of the proposed tax increases. It is essentially the same plan as what the Republicans tried to give us last year with HB3202, except it doesn't add another layer of unaccountable government, like the Republicans did.

The biggest objection from the Republicans is that it wasn't "
their" idea, and that a Democrat thought of it first, so essentially, since the Republicans hold a thin majority in the House, it is DOA.

The "FATAL FLAW" is that Governor Kaine's proposal does not include A COMPLETE HOUSECLEANING OF VDOT and removal of the top management in VDOT. In fact, it completely ignores VDOT!

The Virginia Beach Election Year Budget

Congratulations to those citizens who have spoken to or sent e-mails to the Virginia Beach City Council requesting at least a slow down in city spending.

And, due to your efforts, the real estate tax rate was increased only $.03 from the state-mandated reduced tax rate of $.86 for a tax rate for fiscal year 2009 of $.89.

Special thanks to the Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance and the Citizens Action Coalition, Inc. for leading the struggle to convince our city council to slow spending and to limit the real estate tax rate increase to $.03.

BARRETTS Megalomania out of control!!!

Once again, Mike Barrett is showing disturbing signs of his Megalomania, as he tries anew to pretend that he speaks for large groups of people, when, in fact, he doesn't.

Just to be fair, I have spoken to a number of members of the House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate, firsthand to hear for myself, exactly what they think. They have all told me, (without exception) "Mike Barrett does not speak for me"! And they were adamant about that point. There were some elected officials who didn't even know who Mike Barrett was, and many who had no idea said, "who's Mike Barrett".

VDOT WASTES MILLIONS ON HURRICANE-GATE! Mother of all tests!

To calculate the enormous amount of tax dollars that have been wasted on VDOT's 'hurricane gate' scandal, would take a bevy of accountants and more lie detectors than we could muster in a lifetime.

On Mothers Day (how appropriate) VDOT shut down I-64 between Richmond and Norfolk, to once again, "demonstrate" the gates. (See Murphy's VNS prediction: Operation Chaos! A pre-planned VDOT Disaster!)

The Public Relations Department in VDOT (who always is working overtime) (out of your pocket) convinced the clueless local news media that it was "Getting out fast, when a hurricane hits"! They gobbled up the BS line like it was candy!

Legislators will no longer be swayed by deceitful antitaxpayer tactics

Dear Editor,

Yes, I was quite surprised that John Moss and Reid Greenmun would speak out so vehemently against the interests of our own public safety presonnel.

Greenmun is so stuck in the past that he fails to understand and then acknowledge that there are two components to our traffic misery; the first is how to get into and out of Hampton Roads, and the second is the failure of the Commonwealth to provide the state's share of the cost of local roads.

Ways around a $3.15 MILLION Pembroke/Town Center Bridge

The Sunday May 4th issue of The Virginian-Pilot featured an article entitled “City Aims to Bridge Gaps”, which every taxpayer in Virginia Beach needs to read. It discusses a proposed elevated walkway over Virginia Beach Boulevard between Town Center and Pembroke Mall.