Delegate Ken Plum's
Virginia E-News

June 6, 2007

COMMENTARY

            Market research indicates that more than 90 percent of the public can identify AFLAC, all because of a quacking duck!  Advertising campaigns are that way.  Say something enough times and people will remember it.  Even if the information is dubious, people will begin to believe it.  Use catchy phrases or clever presentations, and the advertising will be even more effective.
            Our region is being subjected to a professionally run advertising campaign with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of money to create an impression of a grass roots citizens' movement on the extension of Metrorail to Dulles and beyond.  With bumper strips, tee shirts, television ads, weekly newspaper ads, and a fulltime staff, the slick campaign is beginning to sway many in the public to believe that there is something wrong with the design of the Metro extension through Tysons Corner and the way the project is being run.
            Peel away the "It's not over until it's under" slogan and look carefully at the claims in the ads, and a very different picture of the most important transportation project for our region emerges.  Yet the relentless campaign of inflated claims and misleading information could jeopardize the startup of the project.
            Conceptually most people I know believe that a tunnel would be the best option to get the railroad line through the hill that is Tysons Corner.  A tunnel option was studied as part of the federally required environmental impact study but was not chosen by any of the governmental units involved in choosing a locally preferred alternative.  Governor Timothy Kaine impaneled a group of engineers to consider the option but rejected changes in the design because they would delay the project by years and add to its cost, and the Federal Transit Administration made clear that changes at this late date would jeopardize $900 million in federal funding.
            Claims being made in the advertising campaign that would have you believe that building a tunnel would be quicker and cheaper have been carefully reviewed by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).  VDRPT hired the engineering firm of Carter & Burgess to review the engineering drawings and plans upon which the Tysons Tunnel claims were based and found that a tunnel would be more expensive and would delay the project completion date.  FTA hired a project management oversight contractor consisting of Hill International, Inc. and others to review the Tysons Tunnel plans proposed and the results of the Carter & Burgess study.  The conclusions of that report dated May 15, 2007, were even more emphatic.  It found that a tunnel would increase the cost of an already expensive project by 52 percent.  It also found that building a tunnel would be "significantly longer than the construction of the aerial alignment."  Despite the claims of the Tysons Tunnel advertising machine, this federally funded study found that while a tunnel "may be technically feasible in concept, it has not been sufficiently investigated to be able to proceed with an acceptable level of confidence in project completion."
            Fortunately the governing bodies and the regulatory agencies that must make the decisions to move forward on the project will be relying on the best professionally-determined engineering information and not quacking-duck-like advertising claims.

Dulles Metrorail Presentation Available Online

PowerPoint Presentation Available

The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Extension to Wiehle Avenue PowerPoint presentation given to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov.  The report provides background and a status update on the Dulles Corridor Metrorail extension, including the project history, project description, design/build contract, project funding, project agreements and next steps.  For more news and information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov

Delegate Plum's Annual State of the Commonwealth Report

Delegate Ken Plum will present his annual State of the Commonwealth report at a breakfast fundraiser at Hidden Creek Country Club on Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.  For more information or to sign up, contact kenplum@aol.com or call 703.391.2978.

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

Tonight -  Wednesday, June 6 at 10:30 p.m. -Kristen Skowronski, 7th grader at Carson Middle School - "Phosphates and Our Chesapeake Bay"

Tuesday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, June 13 at 10:30 p.m. -  Tracy Bowen, Alice Ferguson Foundation, and Nicki Foremsky, Reston Association - "Working Toward a Trash-Free Potomac"

Announcements

First Lady Anne Holton has launched "For Keeps," an initiative to find and strengthen permanent family connections for older children in foster care.  Stay tuned to the For Keeps web site, www.forkeepsvirginia.org, for the latest on this exciting initiative.

A new online tool called the FAFSA4caster provides high school juniors with an early estimate of their eligibility for federal financial aid, which could include a Pell Grant of up to $4,310 based on financial need.  The tool reduces the time it will take to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The FAFSA4caster is available in both English and Spanish at www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov.

Reston Association will be hosting District Meetings this month in each of the four different voting districts - Lake Anne/Tall Oaks, Hunters Woods/Dogwood, South Lakes, and North Point.  The purpose of the meetings is to connect with RA members and discuss topical issues, hear comments and answer member questions.  Each District Director will host their respective meetings with a "Desserts and Discussion" theme.  Remaining meeting dates and locations are:  North Point District Meeting with Frank Lynch on Wednesday, June 6, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at Armstrong Elementary School cafeteria, 11900 Lake Newport Road; South Lakes District Meeting with Kathleen McKee, District Director, on Tuesday, June 12, 7:30 to 9:00 at Terraset Elementary School cafeteria, 11411 Ridge Heights Road; and Hunters Woods/Dogwood District Meeting with Cheryl Beamer, District Director, on Tuesday, June 19, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Reston Community Center Hunters woods, rooms 3 and 4, 2310 Colts Neck Road.  To rsvp, pleae call Ha Brock at 703.435.7986 or email habrock@reston.org.

The 26th annual Celebrate Fairfax! Festival will kick off on Friday, June 8, and run through Sunday, June 10, at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax.  The annual festival celebrates Fairfax County, its employees, communities, and resources with exhibits, concerts, performing arts, rides, food, and fireworks.  Visit www.celebratefairfax.org or call 703.324.3247, TTY 800.828.1120 for more information about Celebrate Fairfax!

"Cooling the Commonwealth - Making Virginia  Leader in Global Warming Solutions" will be presented as a Town Hall Interactive Forum on Wednesday, June 13, 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the George Mason University Fairfax Campus Johnson Center Cinema.  This event is sponsored by the Chesapeake Climate Action NEtwork (CCAN) and the Sierra Club.  RSVP appreciated to Paul Burman at paul@chesapeakeclimate.org or to Bram Groen at gerbrandg@gmail.com.

The Virginia Film Office and the Virginia Production Alliance invite you to the State of the INdustry in Northern Virginia on Wednesday, June 13, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the National Rural Electric Cooperative headquarters, 4301 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington.  This event will provide an opportunity to talk, share informaiton,, and find out what's happening in film production in Northern Virginia and in the rest of the state.  Call 800.854.6233 or email rsvp@virginia.org with your name, phone number, company (if any) and the number of people who will be attending.

Fan Care provides free fans to elderly Virginians who live within Dominion Virginia Power's service area and who meet eligibility requirements.  Fan Care is a public-private partnership administered by the Department for the Aging.  Dominion is the primary sponsor, and Dominion donates $50,000 to the Fan Care program each year, most of which goes toward the purchase of fans.  Limited funds are available to agencies to purchase air conditioners for senior citizens with more serious health problems.  Those who are eligible can receive one fan per cooling season.  The program will continue until September 30 or as long as funds last.  Contact the VA Department for the Aging at 800.552.3402 to inquire about eligibility.

Find locations to recycle your old electronics - TVs, stereos, computers, etc. - at www.mygreenelectronics.org.  Maintained by the Consumer Electronics Association, the site also provides a list of electronics that are friendliest to the environment and easiest on your energy bill.  Cell phones can be sold to www.greenphone.com for about $35 where they will be refurbished and resold.

The Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) is men and women in their 50's, 60's, and 70's volunteering among people who are poor.  Ignatian Volunteers use their extensive work, community, family, and life experiences to make a difference in their communities.  Email wash-nova@ivcusa.org or call 703.533.7322 for more information.

The 2007 "Heroes for the American Red Cross" fundraiser in Fairfax County/Falls Church runs through the end of June.  An individual becomes a Hero by agreeing to raise at least $1,000 for the American Red Cross of the National Capital Area.  The funds can be raised in a variety of ways.  Individuals may work alone or may choose to involve their company, civic club, church, or school in their fundraising efforts.  An individual or business may also choose to donate the needed $1,000; or match the donation of its employees.  For more information call the Fairfax/Falls Church office at 703.584.8710.

The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce has scheduled "Taste of the Town 2007" for June 16 at the Reston Town Center.  To celebrate, the chamber has unveiled www.restontaste.com, the new online home of Taste of the Town and your direct link to all things Taste related.

Bring your family and friends to Reston's 43rd Birthday.  This year's Reston Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, July 7 and 8, at the Reston Town Center.  Hours are Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.  Visit www.restonfestival.com or call 703.435.7989 - volunteers and sponsors are welcome.

Authorized and Paid for by Kenneth R. Plum

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