Supervisor Dana Kauffman -- West Group's Lackey Boy
Fairfax County Supervisor Dana Kauffman (D-Lee) has written a letter in support of the multi-billion Silver Line boondoggle that shows that he, along with most of his colleagues, are lackeys for West Group and the other big Tysons Corner landowners. His letter is available at www.tysonstunnel.org/images/pdfs-articles/DanaKauffman_Letter.pdf
The letter argues for taxpayer funding of a tunnel for the Silver Line through Tysons Corner. Standing alone, a tunnel is better option than the elevated track. But the tunnel does not stand alone. It is part of a multi-billion dollar construction project that does not provide any significant traffic relief. See my post for September 6, 2006. What it will do, however, is permit Kauffman and his colleagues to grant West Group and the other big Tysons Corner landowners rezoning, which, in turn, will bring them billions in windfall profits. Needless to say, Kauffman's letter does not address the traffic issue. Good lackey boy, Dana!
Kauffman argues that the tunnel is "a real, economically justifiable option." However, he does not address the fact that the cost projections for the entire project are several years old and, given the high rate of inflation in construction costs, totally out of date and too low. Needless to say, Kauffman's letter does not address the inflation issue or who will pay those added costs. Good lackey boy, Dana!
Next Kauffman complains that Congressmen Davis and Wolf have failed to override the Federal Transit Agency's cost-benefit guidelines to fund the Silver Line regardless of the facts. Kauffman implicitly argues that the new Democratic Congress will override the FTA's standards. I thought the Democrats campaigned against earmarks! Shouldn't the federal government limit spending to projects that provide benefit, rather than fund those supported by lobbyists? Needless to say, Kauffman's letter does not address the influence-peddling issue. Good lackey boy, Dana! Or should we start calling you "Dana DeLay Kauffman"?
Then Kauffman argues that, because the Silver Line plan's have reincluded facilities for disabled access that were previously eliminated to meet the FTA's cost-benefit standards, adding the costs for a tunnel would not cause a problem. Kauffman's lack of logic is staggering here. The removal of the facilities for disabled access to meet cost-benefit standards, which is both repulsive and illegal, shows how desperate the Silver Line's sponsors are to deliver the goods for West Group, et al. The likely truth of the matter is that Governor Kaine looked at the facts and determined that, given the high level of inflation in construction costs, the marginal benefit to traffic congestion, it was touch and go that the project would pass the FTA's test -- even without a tunnel. Needless to say, Kauffman's letter does not adequately address this issue either. Good lackey boy, Dana!
Supervisor Kauffman adds the frosting to his letter by saying: "We owe it not only to ourselves but to our children to stop making shortsighted decisions. Now, more than ever, the project must be put to bid with a fair review of the tunnel option." If Kauffman were not West Group's lackey boy, he would have called for a review of the entire project that demanded taxpayers receive a Silver Line proposal that resulted in traffic congestion improvement, met FTA cost standards and put the burden of paying for cost-overruns on West Group and the other big Tysons Corner landowners that benefit from this project. But then, Kauffman would be taking care of the public interest and not that of his master, West Group. Good lackey boy, Dana!
The letter argues for taxpayer funding of a tunnel for the Silver Line through Tysons Corner. Standing alone, a tunnel is better option than the elevated track. But the tunnel does not stand alone. It is part of a multi-billion dollar construction project that does not provide any significant traffic relief. See my post for September 6, 2006. What it will do, however, is permit Kauffman and his colleagues to grant West Group and the other big Tysons Corner landowners rezoning, which, in turn, will bring them billions in windfall profits. Needless to say, Kauffman's letter does not address the traffic issue. Good lackey boy, Dana!
Kauffman argues that the tunnel is "a real, economically justifiable option." However, he does not address the fact that the cost projections for the entire project are several years old and, given the high rate of inflation in construction costs, totally out of date and too low. Needless to say, Kauffman's letter does not address the inflation issue or who will pay those added costs. Good lackey boy, Dana!
Next Kauffman complains that Congressmen Davis and Wolf have failed to override the Federal Transit Agency's cost-benefit guidelines to fund the Silver Line regardless of the facts. Kauffman implicitly argues that the new Democratic Congress will override the FTA's standards. I thought the Democrats campaigned against earmarks! Shouldn't the federal government limit spending to projects that provide benefit, rather than fund those supported by lobbyists? Needless to say, Kauffman's letter does not address the influence-peddling issue. Good lackey boy, Dana! Or should we start calling you "Dana DeLay Kauffman"?
Then Kauffman argues that, because the Silver Line plan's have reincluded facilities for disabled access that were previously eliminated to meet the FTA's cost-benefit standards, adding the costs for a tunnel would not cause a problem. Kauffman's lack of logic is staggering here. The removal of the facilities for disabled access to meet cost-benefit standards, which is both repulsive and illegal, shows how desperate the Silver Line's sponsors are to deliver the goods for West Group, et al. The likely truth of the matter is that Governor Kaine looked at the facts and determined that, given the high level of inflation in construction costs, the marginal benefit to traffic congestion, it was touch and go that the project would pass the FTA's test -- even without a tunnel. Needless to say, Kauffman's letter does not adequately address this issue either. Good lackey boy, Dana!
Supervisor Kauffman adds the frosting to his letter by saying: "We owe it not only to ourselves but to our children to stop making shortsighted decisions. Now, more than ever, the project must be put to bid with a fair review of the tunnel option." If Kauffman were not West Group's lackey boy, he would have called for a review of the entire project that demanded taxpayers receive a Silver Line proposal that resulted in traffic congestion improvement, met FTA cost standards and put the burden of paying for cost-overruns on West Group and the other big Tysons Corner landowners that benefit from this project. But then, Kauffman would be taking care of the public interest and not that of his master, West Group. Good lackey boy, Dana!
posted by Toomanytaxes at 9:09 AM
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