August 22, 2007

COMMENTARY

        Jane and I will be traveling to Biloxi, Mississippi, later this year to rehab homes that have been severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Although a couple of years have passed, a great deal of work remains to be done to restore housing throughout the Gulf coast region.
         The devastation in Biloxi came from a seawall of water estimated at being thirty feet high washing across the city. Nearby in New Orleans the destruction came about as levees that were supposed to protect the city from flooding failed. The breach of the levees followed most recently by the collapse of Minneapolis' I-35W bridge into the Mississippi River raise persistent questions about the condition of the crumbling infrastructure of our country. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, more than 27 percent of all U.S. bridges are in poor condition. The bridge that collapsed had been found to be "structurally deficient" in 1990, and repairs to it were not expected to be made until 2020.
         In Virginia, 38.5 percent of bridges have been found by the Virginia Department of Transportation to be in need of repair or rehabilitation. Based on a 0-9 scale, with 9 being excellent condition and 0 being failed condition, nearly 40 percent of Virginia's bridges received a rating of less than 6 meaning that they were in less than satisfactory condition requiring more than regular maintenance. Virginia has 12,000 bridges with more than 4,600 needing repairs or rehabilitation. Bridges that are at least 50 years old total 4,496. To view the VDOT report, go to www.VirginiaDOT.org and click on "Projects and Studies."
         There are 12 bridges in Virginia of the deck-truss design like the one that collapsed in Minnesota. An additional inspection is being made of these bridges and will be completed by the middle of next month. VDOT has also launched a new website to provide citizens with the latest information on bridges in the Commonwealth. Go to www.VirginiaDOT.org/bridges to learn more about Virginia's efforts to ensure bridge safety.
         Bridges as part of our crumbling infrastructure revive the debate on the adequacy of transportation funding in the Commonwealth. VDOT's six-year budget for bridges of $265.7 million is about half of what is needed in Hampton Roads alone. As I have said from the adjournment of the last session, the transportation package passed by the General Assembly is woefully inadequate to meet our needs. As unpleasant as some legislators may find it, the issue will need to be revisited next legislative session.
         We will not be literally building bridges in Biloxi, but we will be making new friends with people from throughout the country who come there as volunteers like us and with the families whose homes we are restoring. We will get great exercise and fresh air. If you would like to volunteer for a trip to Biloxi or New Orleans, send me an email at kenplum@aol.com, and I will tell you more about our experiences.

Delegate Ken Plum's Weekly "Virginia Report"
on Reston Comcast Channel 28

Tonight – Wednesday, August 22 at 10:30 p.m. – Mike Rolband and Jennifer Brophy-Price of Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. – "Ensuring an Environmentally and Economically Healthy Virginia"

Tuesday, August 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, August 29 at 10:30 p.m. – Delegate Ken Plum's "State of the Commonwealth 2007" Report

Re-Election Campaign

Ken is a candidate for re-election to the House of Delegates on November 6, 2007. To ask Ken a question about the issues, e-mail kenplum@aol.com. To contribute electronically to his campaign, go to www.kenplum.com.

Announcements

VDOT has launched a new Web site to provide citizens with the latest information about VDOT's bridges. The new site – www.VirginiaDOT.org/bridges – will provide a clearinghouse for citizens to gather information about Virginia's ongoing efforts to ensure bridge safety.

Two Fairfax County agencies have been selected to receive Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) Achievement Awards. The Park Authority's Community Connections program and the Department of Tax Administration's Tax Relief Outreach will be honored at an official ceremony during VACo's 2007 Annual Conference in November. Congratulations to all involved!

Take the Pledge. National Parental Involvement Day is November 15. Visit www.projectappleseed.org to find out more about how you can help our community's children achieve a better future by being an involved and commited parent, grandparent, or caring adult doing important volunteer work.

Calendar of Events

Intelligent Transportation Society (ITS) of Virginia and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, along with ITS America, will be having a Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Technology Showcase and a VTTI/Smart Roads Open House from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 23, 2007. If you would like to attend, RSVP by August 3 to ITS Virginia by calling 434.977.3716 or email amy.shaw@easterassociates.com.

SIDS Mid-Atlantic, The CJ Foundation for SIDS, and Wawa Food Corporation will sponsor the 11th annual Walk to Fight SIDS at Locust State Park in Triangle, Virginia, and at Buddy Attick Park in Greenbelt, Maryland on Sunday, September 9, 8:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The mission of SIDS Mid-Atlantic is to support family members and others who have been affected by the sudden, unexpected death of an infant and to provide education and outreach to help prevent SIDS. For more information about this event and about SIDS, visit www.sidsma.org.

VDOT will host a special outreach event on Friay, August 24, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Hilton, 6550 Loisdale Road, Springfield, to assist Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) and Small, Women-owned and Minority-owned (SWAM) businesses in learning about opportunities for subcontracting as major transportation projects unfold in Northern Virginia. Register online at www.wilsonbridge.com/cr-outreach.htm or call 703.329.3433. Call VDOT at 703.383.2345 for more information about the event.

Join Delegate Ken and Jane Plum and their family at a Family Picnic and Political Rally on Sunday, September 9, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Temporary Road Park (Corner of Temporary Road and North Shore Drive near the Reston Town Center). Bring your family and friends. There will be food, entertainment, games and very short speeches. Visit www.kenplum.com to rsvp and for ticket and sponsorship information.

Attend the Sully Quilt Show and Sale, "Stitches of Friendship – Quilts from the Quaker Community," on Sunday, September 9, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Show and Sale will be held at the Sully Historic Site, 3601 Sully Road, Chantilly. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/sully or call 703.437.1794 for more information.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors cordially invites you to attend a Remembrance Ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial Grove on Monday, September 10, 2007, at approximately noon. The ceremony will begin after the morning session of the Board of Supervisors' meeting. Please gather by 11:45 a.m. in the Forum of the Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax. For more information, directions, or ADA accommodations, call 703.324.3187, TTY 711

The 2007 International Children's Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 22 and 23, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. This year features young performers from Bolivia, Nepal, Spain, and Sweden. There will be entertainment on four stages featuring over 20 performing groups form near and far including interactive art experiences. Volunteers are also needed. Contact volunteericf07@artsfairfax.org to volunteer or for more information.

The Aaron Burr Association (www.aaronburrassociation.org) will meet in Richmond on October 5 and 6 for the 200th Anniversary of Burr's trial. On Friday night, October 5, members of the association will return to the "scene of the crime," the Old House Chamber in the Virginia State Capitol, to witness a dramatization of the 1807 trial that pitted the most brilliant legal minds of their day against each other and against President Thomas Jefferson. On October 6 they will convene at Sam Miller's Warehouse Restaurant for lunch and a lecture by historian Charles Hobson, noted for his work as the editor of the papers of John Marshall. Contact association president Stuart Johnson at 301.641.0494 for more information about events and cost.

This year's Commonwealth of Virginia Energy & Sustainability (COVES) Conference will be held on October 16-18 at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA. Visit www.covesva.org for registration and conference details.

The Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council will host a one-day regional conference, "Turning a New Leaf," on Friday, November 9, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Northern Virginia Community College's Annandale campus. The conference will feature tracks on conservation landscapes, green development, and creative stormwater management. Topics include eco-friendly lawns, native alternatives to traditional plantings, backyard forests, rain gardens, stream restoration techniques, and public-private partnerships for green development.  Registration has begun. Visit chesapeakelandscape.org for more details.

Authorized and Paid for by Kenneth R. Plum

Delegate Kenneth R. Plum | 2073 Cobblestone Lane | Reston | VA | 20191