My understanding was that Russ Potts who supported most of these same ideas (raise taxes and pave the rest of Virginia)lost overwhelmingly. Tim Kaine won. He's the guy who said let's stop building where transportation facilities are lacking.

Who funds NVTA? Developers? Builders? Road contractors?

Transportation planning, management and execution is an activity that requires significiant civil engineering discipline, expertise, integrity, training and competency.

Outcomes such as exist in the State of Virginia, where Richmond, Charlottesville and every other major metropolitan region in the State have continuously built and upgraded transportation systems while in Northern Virginia funding and results have consistently fallen behind, slowed or diminished dramatically can only indicate the absence of competency, integrity and discipline.

The fact that the engineered solution in every other major metropolitan area in Virginia is to build more roads, and that every other major metropolitan area in Virginia has a "rush hour" that ranges from 1/2 hour to 1 hour morning and evening as compared to the fact that in Northern Virginia the answer is to "do something besides building roads" and we have a "rush hour" of 4 hours every morning and evening, indicates a severe inequity that requires direct and escalating action by the voting public to achieve reform. Such action is required, in my opinion, because no other action, outreach, public meetings or outcry has remedied the situation or achieved reform.

The simple fact is that metro rail to Dulles should have been built 20+ years ago, a second bridge crossing (outer loop) over the river should have been built 10+ years ago, and around one billion dollars a year should be spent on Transportation in Northern Virginia, given that we pay around 10 billion dollars a year in taxes as a group.

Anything less is a brazen rip-off of Northern Virginia tax payers in order to fund transportation improvements in Richmond, Charlottesville and other municipalities at our expense, and leaving us lacking adequate transportation systems and substantially harmed.

Thank you

Larry,

Please try to attend the upcoming (no specific date yet) Fairfax Transportation session with Tim Kaine to make your points.

http://www.govelect.virginia.gov/

Why should we spend at least $1.8 billion for extending Metrorail when the State of Virginia has stated in writing that running Metrorail to Reston will not make any major improvements in traffic congestion? So far, no one has ever answered that question satisfactorily. Considering the likelihood of cost overruns, isn't that an awful lot of money to spend without reducing the horrible traffic mess we all suffer?

To Igor....to answer your question as to why spend $1.8 billion to fund a rail system that by WMATA's and state's analysis will not provide any congestion relief.

Why? Greed.....this rail is about density...not about congestion relief.

Hope you read the latest article in the Reston Times.....guess who will pay for cost overruns....

We will...the tax payer....Not the big developers who will make millions by getting higher density in Tysons whether the rail is built or not.

If our elected officials would stop pretending about development and honestly admit that over-development in Fairfax County was a serious problem, we could begin to work towards real solutions. The alternative will be a "war" that ends in the imposition of draconian restrictions on development.

We are already seeing many Democrats and Republicans moving beyond fundamental differences on many issues to unite in a common opposition to the same old game - let'em build and everyone else be d----d. How long will elected officials keep trying to fool the voters?

Igor -

I beleive that elected officials of both parties will keep trying to fool the voters for as long as voters put up with it.

If we wait until the county elections in 2007, it'll be too late. Instead, EVERYONE who really WANTS change, instead of just talking about it, should join the party of their choice. I know, most people feel they are too "smart" or too "independent" to join a party, but it is the parties that decide the issues, and who the candidates will be. As long as we ignore the parties, the parties will ignore us.

If we have time to grouse on these boards, which is good, then we have time to really do something. Start by going to http://www.fairfaxdemocrats.org/joinup.htm or to
http://www.fairfaxgop.com/GetInvolved/JoinTheCommittee.asp
and GET INVOLVED!

Fairfax Voter -- sound advice. You have identified an important method of addressing these very important issues. Well done!

The NVTA is funded by your tax dollars. They were to reap the benefit of the transportation sales tax, but the voters said no.

In 2007, voters will have another opportunity to say no....to those members who want to spend our hard earned income to pad the pockets of the developers who want to further gridlock our roads.

2007 won't come to soon. However, getting candidates to run comes now..

Seeing Clearly. The NVTA is not a government entity, but rather an lobbying organization funded by developers, contractors, etc. who stand to benefit mightily if we raise taxes and pave the rest of Virginia. www.ntva.org