RestonWeb

Bob Bruhns · Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 1:48 pm Post subject:

Uhh, you want to call that a grey area? Amazing.
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jeremy · Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:14 pm Post subject:

Bob Bruhns · Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2012 5:07 am Post subject:

Well, the exponential hyperinflation that seems to characterize government rail pricing does not appear to me to be based on any realistic economic necessity other than political parties needing large contributions, and the entitled class of political appointees needing to give their cohorts lucrative and non-competitive contracts. Unfortunately, the voting public seems unaware of the situation, so I keep trying to point it out.

I don't know what reason stix has to support the rail, except perhaps that he has friends or benefactors in construction or who own golden properties, or maybe he holds some grudge against me personally. Certainly those would be reasons to unquestioningly support a Billion-dollar-plus ripoff.

In your case, perhaps this line might get you to an office in DC, although you might have to leave earlier to get there, because this marvel of modern transit has no express tracks. The irony might be that you would support the rail, and then it would come in time for you to retire, and then you would choose to leave the area because of the ongoing costs the line incurred for the region.
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Government debt and deficits are robbing your children, your grandchildren, and your great-grandchildren. http://www.usdebtclock.org/

stix · Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 4:13 am Post subject:

jeremy.. your interpretation was correct. I tried to be constructive and sent the message but unfortunately it seems the receiver was turned off...
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Bob Bruhns · Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 1:47 pm Post subject:

Many sources, including the Dulles Metro "Phase II updates" page, show an outdated Dulles Rail Phase II metro map that does not happen to show the planned rail yard and property to the northwest of Dulles Airport.

Why is this outdated map so often displayed in the media? Was the omission of that property in that map just an oversight, or was it a deliberate attempt to downplay that rail yard and property?

2009 - 2010 map

2010 - 2011 map
This outdated but often displayed map is linked under "Download our Phase 2 information packet »" on this page:
http://www.dullesmetro.com/phase_2_updates/index.cfm

2012 current info and map

The 2010-2011 plan was changed over a year ago, as noted in this press release:
http://www.mwaa.com/3785.htm
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Government debt and deficits are robbing your children, your grandchildren, and your great-grandchildren. http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Bob Bruhns · Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2012 4:10 pm Post subject:

OK - as planned, MWAA threw the union preference under the bus. Next, Loudoun County's BOS will most likely declare that everything is wonderful, and approve participation in Phase II.

Not much will change financially - the project will still cost nearly two times what it should. The project will probably be approved by Loudoun County BOS, the $150 million long promised from Virginia will be forthcoming, and a Billion and a half dollars of overcharge will go into some very greedy pockets. Laughter will be heard on routes to various banks.

Next, the Toll Road tolls will skyrocket, and enough voters will scream, that even our most comfortable politicians will be worried. But no additional money will be coming from the federal or state governments. So, it will be up to Fairfax and Loudoun Counties to come up with a few billion dollars to keep the tolls from getting so high that our most important crooks - uh, politicians - might get kicked out of office. This will be borrowed, of course, and it will take a very long time to pay it back. Meanwhile, those politicians will somehow manage to have remarkable luck with all of their investments, etc, etc.

Later, we will see that the rail made some wealthy little spots here and there - but at the end of the day we should have spearheaded the logical use of Bus Rural Transit, and that actually would have been good for the region. Alas, this will not happen here. Maybe other people will be wiser - somewhere else.

One faint glimmer of hope, is that Moody's and/or Standard & Poors, and/or Fitch, might say something before we make this horrible blunder.

MWAA board votes to drop labor language on Phase 2 of Dulles rail
Washington Times, June 6, 2012
Article

Bob Bruhns · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 11:11 am Post subject:

Here is what is coming after the Phase II agreement is signed. Remember when the $17 tolls were supposedly a scare tactic? This is from State Senator Mark Herring, on June 7, 2012.

Senator Herring's statement

Bob Bruhns · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 11:45 am Post subject:

How did the planned prices get so high for Dulles Rail Phase II, aka Rail to Dulles, aka Rail to Loudoun, aka The Silver Line (Phase II), that a 70% to 100% overcharge can easily be shown?

It was hyperinflation by stealth.
http://www.mwaa.com/dulles/2552.htm

Take a look at these two documents from that page:
Design-Build Contract (7.87 MB PDF)
Contract Exhibits (10.31 MB PDF)

Oh my, look at all those redactions! You know, other students of overpriced rail tactics might be interested in this too!

Did you enjoy those redactions? You can find more here:
http://www.mwaa.com/dulles/2554.htm
(This page has Supporting Documents that were submitted to the Federal Transit Administration on February 1, 2008.)

So you see, this is how hyperinflation was orchestrated in the Dulles Rail project. MWAA put big overcharges into the Phase I prices, and they hid the overcharges with redactions so that nobody would know - well, nobody but the insiders, anyway.

And now, their apologists use the Phase I prices, to justify the Phase II prices. Despicable, isn't it.

This overpricing tactic caused unnecessary hyperinflation in the price of one public project, and it threatens to cause unnecessary hyperinflation in the cost of MANY public projects. JUST SAY NO!
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Government debt and deficits are robbing your children, your grandchildren, and your great-grandchildren. http://www.usdebtclock.org/

stix · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 7:47 pm Post subject:

Your post is nonsense and proves nothing, other than your creditability for rail Dullesrail costing is ZIP. You proved that long ago and with this post it is clear that nothing has changed...
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Bob Bruhns · Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 8:09 pm Post subject:

Wait; I don't know how to act. Should I be surprised that you won't admit that MWAA has handed us double prices, stix?
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Government debt and deficits are robbing your children, your grandchildren, and your great-grandchildren. http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Bob Bruhns · Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 7:29 pm Post subject:

Virginia's Governor McDonnell is exercising his power to remove Board members from MWAA. In this case, Dennis Martire is being removed.

McDonnell orders union leader off Dulles Rail board
Washington Examiner, June 15, 2012
Article
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Government debt and deficits are robbing your children, your grandchildren, and your great-grandchildren. http://www.usdebtclock.org/

stix · Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 7:45 pm Post subject:

McDonnell has no power to remove Board members from MWAA. You clearly lack reading comprehension, and in this case your own link. Could be one of the reasons you have little credibility with facts.

It is important to note that Dennis Martire is on the board that is resisting the seating of two more Virginia representatives to oversee MWAA actions in general, and Dullesrail in specific. Cheers to McDonnell for attempting to press the point...
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Bob Bruhns · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 12:41 am Post subject:

I was astonished by the juvenile demeanor of Delegate Ken Plum in this recent letter.

Get on Board, Virginia
Reston Patch, June 13, 2012
Article

Multi-billion dollar infrastructure is serious business. Reston really needs a better Delegate.

As for your comment, stix, I would say that if an MWAA board member can be appointed by the Governor of Virginia, he can also be removed by the Governor of Virginia. Mr. Martire was appointed by Virginia Governor Kaine in 2009, and now he is being removed by Virginia Governor McDonnell in 2012.
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Government debt and deficits are robbing your children, your grandchildren, and your great-grandchildren. http://www.usdebtclock.org/

stix · Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2012 7:40 am Post subject:

What you “say" is meaningless in this instance. Unless there is new legislation, the case is litigated or the MWAA acquiesces to his demand, McDonnell has no “power” to remove Martire from the board of this independent public corporation.

My prediction is that Martire will serve his full term...
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Bob Bruhns · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 3:47 am Post subject:

Certainly MWAA is its own operation, and needs to be stopped. It astounds me that no MWAA board member spoke up when members were serving terms beyond their appointment while they were busily involved in elections overseas, etc. All of them who conspired in that way, should be removed, and I hope that their misconduct is not soon forgotten.
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Government debt and deficits are robbing your children, your grandchildren, and your great-grandchildren. http://www.usdebtclock.org/