Gov. Bob McDonnell

Gov. McDonnell Announces Funding for Transportation Projects

By ARLnow.com

The Route 50/Courthouse Road interchange project is among the projects receiving funding under a new transportation push by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

At a meeting of Northern Virginia elected officials and transportation planners yesterday, McDonnell announced that VDOT will advertise some $1.1 billion in new construction and maintenance projects during the first six months of fiscal year 2011.

The spending will create 33,900 jobs and generate $2.83 billion in total economic activity, according to the governor’s office.

McDonnell says his administration has been working to unclog a backlog of projects in VDOT’s pipeline. The governor noted that now is the time to invest in new infrastructure, since financing costs are at near-record lows.

One question that remains is how McDonnell plans on funding the slew of new transportation projects. He has pledged not to impose new taxes.

Board Warns of Ill Consequences from State Liquor Plan

By ARLnow.com

County board members are not big fans of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s plan to privatize state liquor stores. At yesterday’s board meeting, members took turns bashing various aspects of the plan.

“It does not come anywhere near funding the transportation needs of the state,” Barbara Favola said, of the plan’s stated goal of helping to fill the $20 billion worth of unfunded transportation needs in Virginia.

“Four-hundred-fifty million dollars is nothing,” said Chris Zimmerman, referring to the estimated one-time revenues that selling state-run ABC stores and auctioning off liquor licenses could provide. He said that one estimate puts the additional amount needed for transportation in Northern Virginia at $500 million per year.

Jay Fisette worried about the loss of the state’s lucrative ABC business, which provides millions each year to fund human services programs. That revenue, he said, would be lost under the plan, choking off the state’s already shrinking human services budget.

Also a concern was the number of new liquor stores and liquor-licensed grocery and convenience stores that could be approved under the plan. Zimmerman cited a report saying the number of stores selling liquor in Arlington would increase from 8 to 26.

“I think this has great potential to affect our community in a negative manner,” said Mary Hynes. She said it would be easier for teens to buy liquor from grocery stores than it currently is to buy liquor from the state-run ABC stores.

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Dozens Protest Immigration Policies Outside Arlington DMV

By ARLnow.com

Nearly 100 people chanted slogans, held signs and beat drums outside the Arlington office of the Virginia DMV this afternoon, decrying tougher policies on immigrants enacted in the wake of a nun’s death in Prince William County.

The protesters, many of whom were affiliated with the Laborers International Union of North America and Alexandria-based Tenants and Workers United, were noisy but peaceful. Their hour-long protest was watched closely by a dozen Arlington County police officers.

The demonstrators were protesting two recent actions that they say amounts to a “war and persecution of Virginia’s immigrants.” Last week, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell barred the Department of Motor Vehicles from accepting “employment authorization documents,” commonly used by immigrants, as proof of legal residency. Then this week, the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agency revealed a change in policy that will put illegal immigrants charged with DUI on the fast track to deportation.

Both policy changes come after a Benedictine nun was killed in a crash that police say was caused by an illegal immigrant who was driving drunk. Carlos Martinelly Montano, 23, was awaiting a deportation hearing on two prior DUI charges at the time of the August 1 wreck.

While calling Sister Denise Mosier’s death “tragic,” organizers of the protest said the crash should not be used to “promote an anti-immigrant agenda that would effectively segregate immigrants from society.”

“Some people are going all out to turn Virginia into the next Arizona,” Tenants and Workers United Suyapa Hernandez said in a statement. “We will not stand for this… we must unite and fight back against policies that divide and weaken our communities.”

“Racist application of the rule of law and state resources is an unfortunate legacy in Virginia politics,” said John Liss, executive director of Tenants and Workers United. “From slave-owners of the old South to the life-long disenfranchisement of ex-felons and recent attempts to… detain and deny immigrants their basic civil rights, we are witnessing the struggle of the dominant class to maintain control as the demographics… in the Commonwealth change.”

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Gov. McDonnell To Visit Arlington on Wednesday

By ARLnow.com

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell will stop by Arlington on Wednesday to participate in a grand opening ceremony at the new offices of New Media Strategies in Rosslyn.

NMS recently moved into larger offices at 1100 Wilson Boulevard, and the governor will help CEO Pete Snyder formally dedicate the space. No word yet on whether Snyder will break out the jumbo ribbon-cutting scissors for the second time this month.

McDonnell will also visit a homeless shelter in Alexandria as part of a series of Northern Virginia stops on Wednesday.

Del. Englin Blasts State Surplus

By ARLnow.com

Del. David Englin (D), who represents parts of Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax, says Virginia’s $404 million budget surplus is the result of “irresponsible choices and budget gimmickry.”

Englin, Vice Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, says the surplus is the result of borrowing $600 million from the state pension trust fund and forcing state retailers to pay their July sales taxes early. That’s in addition to the $4 billion in cuts to state services that was needed to plug Virginia’s budget deficit.

“Instead of trying to score political points by claiming a surplus that isn’t, leaders of both parties ought to level with citizens who see for themselves the decline in services and quality of life,” Englin said in a statement. “A balanced budget and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars requires money in to equal money out, without gimmicks that cook the books and risk our future finances.”

Gov. Bob McDonnell plans to spend the surplus on roads, education, the Chesapeake Bay cleanup and a one-time 3 percent bonus for state employees, according to the Washington Post.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Woman Locked Inside Virginia Square-GMU Station — A 25-year-old woman said she felt “completely terrified” when she found herself alone locked inside the Virginia Square-GMU Metro station Tuesday night. Metro says the station manager, who is supposed to walk the length of the platform before locking up at night, will receive some “retraining,” Fox5 reports.

Planetarium Group Doesn’t Expect to Meet Fundraising Goals — The board president of the Friends of the Arlington’s David M. Brown Planetarium says the fundraising goals set by the school board are “unrealistic” and she doesn’t expect to be able to meet them. Alice Monet says she hopes that showing a large base of support will convince the board to keep the aging planetarium open. More from the Washington Post.

Favola to Research the Scourge of Private Liquor Sales — Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is hoping to sell off the state’s liquor business, a move that could bring in as much as $500 million for transportation projects. But Arlington County Board Member Barbara Favola would like to see some hard facts before private companies can sell hard liquor. She wants to compare alcohol abuse rates in states with private liquor sales and states with state-run liquor sales. More from the Arlington Connection.

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Happy Fourth of July Weekend! — Wondering where to watch fireworks in Arlington? The county has a handy national fireworks viewing guide just for you.

Metro Board Approves Virginia Funding Deal — During an emergency session, Metro’s board of directors approved a $300 million funding deal with Virginia, which had earlier threatened to withhold its funding unless the state received two seats on the Metro board. With the deal complete, Metro will be able to order more than 400 new, badly-needed rail cars to replace aging and trouble-prone 1000-series cars.

Virginia Still Pushing for Seats on Metro Board — Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and state transportation secretary Sean Connaughton are continuing their push to receive two seats on the Metro board, but they may have to wait awhile to get them. The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, which divvies up the seats allocated to Northern Virginia, deferred a crucial vote on the matter to September. More from the Washington Post.

Flickr pool photo by mennyj.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

It’s July — After the hottest June on record in DC, we have finally reached the temperate month of July.

Virginia/WMATA Deal Imminent? — The Metro board of directors is holding an emergency phone meeting this morning to approve a last-minute funding deal with Virginia’s state government. Two weeks ago Gov. Bob McDonnell threatened to withhold $50 million in funding for the agency unless the state could get two seats on the Metro board. More from the Washington Examiner.

Lawmakers Blast Arlington Cemetery Mistakes — At a hearing on mismanagement at Arlington National Cemetery, Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) told Army Secretary John McHugh that he was “downright angry” about the mistakes that led to hundreds of misidentified or unmarked graves. “Management ineptitude and neglect has resulted in a web of errors,” Skelton said. “How in the world could this tragedy be allowed to happen?” More from NPR.

State Police Cracking Down for the Fourth — Virginia State Police will step up enforcement this weekend, Dr. Gridlock reports. Officers will be on the lookout for speeders, drunk drivers and people not wearing their seat belts.

Miss Virginia Overcame Speech Impediment — Caitlin Uze, the new Miss Virginia and a Washington-Lee High School grad, still has a bit of a lisp. But as a kid in Arlington’s public schools, her speech impeach impediment was much more noticeable, and it led to her being teased mercilessly by a bully. During her reign as Miss Virginia, Uze will use her experience to encourage kids to build self-confidence. More from the Arlington Connection.

Murray Relishes Moran-Limbaugh Spat — To the delight of underdog Republican challenger Patrick Murray, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh has taken aim at his opponent, congressman Jim Moran (D-Va). Limbaugh called Moran a “left-wing hatemonger” after Moran suggested that Limbaugh may be partially responsible for inciting violence against census workers. In an email, Murray’s campaign called Limbaugh’s on-air rant “a huge breakthrough.”

State Lawmakers Hold Prison Reform Town Hall

By Lauren Rosenberg

Is the Virginia prison system failing those with mental illnesses? Does the state need to reform its re-entry program? Those were among the topics of discussion Thursday night at a town hall meeting on prison reform, held by local Arlington delegates Adam Ebbin and Patrick Hope.

Helen Trainer of the Legal Aid Justice Center pointed to a story of an inmate who wasn’t allowed to self-medicate in his prison cell. Told to wait in the daily line at the clinic, he ultimately suffered numerous seizures and left the prison as a quadriplegic. Trainer believes the story is not an isolated incident and is indicative of the reform needed throughout the nation’s criminal justice system.

Trainer said prison employees, more often than not, falsely believe that inmates’ behavior stems from a lack of control, rather than from mental health problems. Identifying individuals with mental health issues from the point of intake and diverting them to mental health facilities could help alleviate many of the outbreaks that occur in prisons, she explained.

Scott Richeson of the Virginia Department of Corrections spoke about the department’s new emphasis on prisoner re-entry programs. He said that 13,500 people are released from Virginia’s prisons annually, but only 600-800 are paroled, making Virginia one of the country’s lowest parole-granting states. And of the 13,500 prisoners released, 28.5 percent are incarcerated again within three years.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Veggie Garden at Central Library Feeding Those in Need — Did you know that Arlington Central Library now has its own vegetable garden? The garden’s first crop of leafy greens was harvested yesterday. All produce grown in the garden is being donated to the Arlington Food Assistance Center. UPDATE: We hear that Christie Vilsack, wife of Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsak, may visit the garden later this month.

Gov. McDonnell Wants a Say at Metro — Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is making a heavy-handed push for the state to get two seats on the Metro Board of Directors. If he’s successful the seats may be taken away from Arlington and other Northern Virginia locales. More from the Washington Post.

Arlington MS-13 Member Sentenced — A member of the notorious street gang MS-13 has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring to extort money from a prostitution ring, the Arlington Connection reports. Prosecutors say the defendant, 23-year-old Alcides Umana of Arlington, is an illegal immigrant from El Salvador.

Flickr pool photo by Mark C. White.

As Governor Makes HOT Lane Push, Companies Donate to GOP

By Uriah Kiser

Virginia Republicans got a major boost last month from those vying to build toll lanes on Interstates 95 and 395.

The Texas-based engineering firm Fluor and Australian toll road developer Transurban collectively donated $20,000 to Virginia’s GOP in May, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Neither company donated to Democrats in the most recent reporting period, according to VPAP records.

The money comes as Governor Robert McDonnell and state transportation officials are pushing to resurrect a plan to replace HOV lanes with High Occupancy Toll lanes on both highways. The lanes on I-95 would then be extended from Dumfries to Spotsylvania County to make a 56-mile toll road, which would compliment HOT lanes now being built on the Capital Beltway, between Springfield and Dulles Toll Road, by the same two companies.

Virginia Transportation Secretary Sean T. Connaughton did not immediately return a request for comment on Monday.

Fluor was also a major contributor to Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell’s 2009 campaign. The company’s $25,000 in donations made Fluor one of McDonnell’s largest contributors, according to VPAP records.

VPAP also shows Fluor donated $15,000 to McDonnell’s inaugural committee in January, making for a total of $307, 235 in donations to Virginia Republicans since the introduction of the I-95/395 HOT lanes project in 2002. During the same period, Fluor donated $146,200 to state Democrats.

The I-95/395 HOT lanes project stalled last August when the companies said they didn’t have enough private investors to back the project and after Arlington County filed a lawsuit against the state and federal government over the project. It claimed the necessary environmental impact studies that needed to be completed before the lanes could be built were never done. Officials also said the lanes would have an adverse affect on Arlington residents who live along the I-395 corridor.

The suit could now end up in federal court.

If the I-95/395 HOT lanes are finally approved, it’s not clear how much drivers would have to pay to use the lanes or how long the two companies would lease the lanes from the state.

When the Beltway HOT lanes open in late 2012, Fluor-Transubran will lease the lanes for 75 years.

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