Discretionary funds have been the topic of conversation ever since Wally wanted to give 100 grand to Rainbow Riding.   Peter Candland found himself in the spotlight again, but this time, Moonhowlings can tell him “good job!”

Supervisor Candland has proposed elimating disrectionary funds.

On Tuesday, Candland presented the Board of County Supervisors with a rough draft of a resolution that would move their  donations to private entities or nonprofits into the annual budget process. Candland’s resolution is tentatively scheduled for more discussion at the board’s June 5 meeting.

Donations to schools would be excluded from this procedural change, said Candland. The Gainesville supervisor would also like to discuss what to do with annual funding carried over by some supervisors for future projects.

“We should be like other localities and handle this in the normal budget process,” Candland said.

Read more…

Having been the recipient of both Pell Grants and Stafford loans, I can vouch for the critical importance of these programs.  Maybe for people whseo parents are in the 1% of wage earners and don’t rely on financial assistance to afford college, these programs don’t matter, but for me, and millions of others who have benefited, you bet they matter.

What is the future for America if we our next generation isn’t educated, if we reduce the number of young people that have an opportunity to become the next doctor, teacher, scientist, engineer, and a multitude of other careers.

College is not the only path for a successful life and career, but for young people who WANT to pursue a college degree, money should not be the ultimate decider.

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2012/04/student_loan_interest_rates.html

More than 7 million students and their families rely on Subsidized Stafford Loans to help pay for college. The loans distributed by the U.S. Department of Education currently hold an interest rate of 3.4 percent. But that rate is set to double if Congress fails to act by July 1, 2012. If that occurs, millions of students will see their interest rates soar to 6.8 percent on the new loans they take in the next year thereby causing a steep rise in their loan burden and effectively increasing the cost of attaining a college degree. At a time when tuition is rising at 8.3 percent a year and median wages for young people are falling, young Americans and their families can ill afford more Washington inaction.

The saga of Rainbow Riding continues.  It began with Rainbow Ridings inclusion in a land use deal involving Toll Brothers, Silver Lake, and 400 additional home that Toll Brothers wanted in addition to their original rezoning of Dominion Valley.
The questions begin with why was a small non profit given a seat at the negotiation table back in 2004?  Why was 45 acres of public land “handed over” for free to a small non profit?

Fast forward to today, now Rainbow Riding is asking for an additional 211,000 dollars, almost a quarter of a million in tax payer money.

Has anyone looked online at the financials of Rainbow Riding?  At the end of 2010, which is their last public financial statement one can view, they had 694,749 dollars of cash/cash equivalent on hand.

Why is it while our parks go unfunded, Rainbow Riding is given special access to tax payer coffers?

Silver Lake has YET to see its master plan implemented.  As pitiful the master plan is,  isn’t it only a fair expectation that those capitol improvements be made to parks that service everyone before the Supervisors feels they have the right to redirect precious resources to small non profits?

Our libraries and Community Centers, like Chinn Park, are in dire need of improvements to meet the needs of our growing population.  This is not about the quality of Rainbow Riding, this is about fairness and where tax payer dollars should be directed.

Tom Jackman wrote a great article for the Washington Post today, here are some exerpts.  Please don’t be shocked, Greg and Moonhowlings are in complete agreement on this one!

“They raise my taxes,” said conservative activist Greg Letiecq, “to give it away to a charity that serves people outside of Prince William County,” referring to a recent Board of Supervisors meeting where Fairfax County families stood up to endorse the funding. “It’s outrageous.”

The county board is scheduled to vote today on the $211,000 allotment to the center. It’s a sensitive subject because the recipients would seem to be so worthy, yet seemingly already well-funded.

Part of the resentment comes from Rainbow’s relocation several years ago to Silver Lake, which had a master plan for enhancing recreation. Elena Schlossberg, a land use activist and blogger, said no county money has gone toward that master plan.

“That minimal master plan should be completed,” Schlossberg said, including a picnic pavilion, playground and community garden, “so all citizens have access to Silver Lake, rather than 100 from Prince William County. You have how many thousands of children who could be served by Silver Lake, and by the Chinn Community Center?”

The county supports numerous charitable organizations, including the Red Cross and the Boys and Girls Club. But The Post’s Jeremy Borden reported Monday that 12 organizations, including Northern Virginia Family Service and Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault had been cut to zero.

Schlossberg noted that a charity receiving $33,000 from a local government “is a lot of money. If the county has $200,000 and they want to put that into a grant process so other nonprofits can apply, I think that would be more fair.”

correction:

CountyExecutive’s direction at last week’s markup was to prepare for the Board’s consideration at carryover the following items: 1) Americans at Wartime Museum Capital Donation request; 2) Northern Virginia Conservation Trust funding request; 3) Rainbow Riding capital donation request; and, 4) Route 1 preliminary concept and engineering study.  These funds will not be disbursed as part of today’s budget vote; instead, they will be presented during carryover later this summer for the Board’s consideration. 

 

 

 

 

Allen West sound just plain foolish.  Good lord, are we now going to revert back to the “red scare” and start having hearings on rooting out the “communists”!

Solidad handled this beautifully.  West is smart enough to realize that actually individually naming names of his colleagues may look untoward so thinks better of taking that final step, which really, in my opinion, solidifies the inanity of his communist blather.

Was Teddy Roosevelt a Communist?  I hope not, but he sure was a Progressive!  He was President during a very contentious period in American history.  Remember the “square deal”?  He was a strong advocate for fair labor contracts and busting up corporate monopolies.   He created the first federal department to ensure the health of food products and safety of drugs.

Lets not forget our first National Parks also and push to protect our natural resources.  Not sure how progress became a dirty word, but shame on West for scraping the bottom of the barrel to insult his fellow congressmen and congresswomen.

Thomas Jefferson was a progressive. Does anyone here really believe the Declaration of Independence was not a “progressive” forward thinking document?

Read about the Progressive Caucus here.

Yesterday was was the day that Jews and others around the world honor the memory of those who were murdered in the Holocaust.

My Bubbie’s cousin, Izzy, survived the death camps, he is an Auchwitz survivor along with his wife Anna.  My Grandmothers father was from Poland, his brother never emmigrated.  Of Izzy’s entire family, only his two brothers survied, Anna, unfortunately, was the only survivor of her family.

My father created this video.  It tells an amazing story of perseverence, love, bravery, and luck.

Izzy and Anna’s Love Story from A Cut Above The Rest Productions on Vimeo.

http://vimeo.com/19904869

The password is izzy.

Peter Candland got a good ole fashioned verbal a$$ whuppin’ on Tuesday!

I have to admit, I was pleasently surprised by the turn of events during the budget discussion on Tuesday.  As we all by now, the “main event” was centered around Peter Candland and his incoherent suggestion that we gut the government spending with absolutely NO vision on how to get it done.

He set himself up as the victim being circled by “sharks”.  Really?  Who were the sharks?  His “in the majority republican” fellow supervisors?  He came unprepared with only his silly soundbites. Mike May, in his usual measured way, had tough questions  for Candland.

“Forgive me if I sound like a circling shark,” he began. “It sounds like you talk about reasonable proposals but you haven’t come here today with any of your own.”

On one hand Candland says “I support the 3% raise” for county employees but  offers no feasible way to follow through if his tax rate is adopted.  He looked like a deer caught in  head lights when fellow Board members asked him for specifics on how to run government while keeping the tax rate so low.

Staff and Supervisors have been working on a county budget for months and Candland, last minute, has the gall to suggest everyone start from scratch?  How RUDE!

As we all know, I am not usually prone to compliments for Corey, but whatever his reasons, whether it be his run for Lt. Govenor or whatever, he was terrific and deserves kudos for squashing the ridiculousness of  $1.175 tax rate.

The Gainesville Times reporter, Tara Donaldson, wrote a fabulous article.

Corey gave the final blow to Candland, when, with a raised voice, he said:

 “It’s not responsible” and said supervisors need to act responsibly, “not just sit here and make political points.

We are the 9th richest county in the United States, our schools, our roads, our general infrastructure needs to reflect our financial status.

Maureen Caddigan probably made the most sane comment during the entire debate though.  She said she use to believe that housing paid for itself, but clearly, only new housing in the 650 grand range actually was net positive.  She said that 500 house here, or new housing over there, was putting an incredible burden on the budget, i.e. taxpayers.   Supervisor Caddigan then followed up with the common sense statement that we need more commercial and less housing!

I hope that sentiment holds strong during the debate surrounding the Rural Crescent and its fiscal importance to the County

Bring your family and friends to Merrimac Farm on Sunday, April 15, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, to welcome spring and celebrate wildlife.

This year’s Bluebell Festival has a greater focus on wildlife and history… due to the extreme warm temperatures this winter, the Bluebells and other wildflowers are early bloomers this year.

There’s so much more to see at Merrimac Farm! With some of the best Northern Virginia naturalists leading tours and activities, we’re looking forward to a special day at an outstanding natural area. We hope you can join us.

This year there will be numerous guided tours.  I hope to see you all there!

To say I was livid is an understatement when I first read that Democratic pundit Hilary Rosen had stated, that as a stay at home mom, Ann Romney had not actually worked for a living.

While I furiously read the article in the Washington Post, ready to to go after Hilary Rosen, what I realized was this is an age old source of contention between women that I have personally experienced.

While Hilary Rosen clarified her statement:

On Twitter, Rosen did not apologize, but wrote several tweets trying to explain her comments, saying her point was that Mitt Romney should stop saying on the campaign trail that Ann is his guide to the economic problems facing women because “she doesn’t have any.”

Rosen tweeted at Ann Romney, saying: “I am raising children too. But most young American women HAVE to BOTH earn a living AND raise children. You know that don’t u?” Later, Rosen tweeted again at Romney: “Please know, I admire you. But your husband shouldn’t say you are his expert on women and the economy.”

As a stay at home mom, I have felt this defensiveness by moms who stay at home and moms who work.  Each explaining why their “choice” is best.  But for many families, there is no choice, both parents must work.  However, I know mom’s who choose to work, they don’t want to be at home.

Here are some questions that I know exist.  What role model is a stay at home mom to her daughter?  Do we “lease” our children out to be raised by strangers?  I invite others to put up their own questions for debate.

Here is what I do know, women on women offense when it comes to work choices is a distraction from core issues in this country.   I know that I often feel as a stay at home mom, I feel like I am always explaining my “worth”.

Here we are again, less than 6 months later, having a deja vu moment.  Allow me to recap recent financial events regarding Rainbow Riding and tax payer dollars.

Back in November Moonhowlings wrote about 100 grand of discretionary money from Supervisor Covington being directed to Rainbow Riding.  Mr. Covington ended up pulling that money, but apparently, plan B was even more expansive.

The proposed FY 13  budget includes $32,477 for this community partnership; Rainbow Riding Center  has requested an additional $178,398 in the form of a one-time capital  investment for FY 13.

Have I mentioned yet that Silver Lake has a Master Plan that has YET to be funded?  Yes, Silver Lake, the land upon which Rainbow Riding has a 35 year FREE lease, has yet to have any real county dollars directed towards capital improvements.

Here are a few of the items on the Master Plan, adopted by the county, that are still not done, in fact, those project have not even begun.

1)Picnic Pavilion

2)Playground

3)Outdoor Classroom

4)Community Garden Area

Why, you may be asking, are these minimal improvements being ignored while the county even entertains the suggestion of giving away $200 grand of our taxpayer money to an organization that only services less than 100 children?

Did you know there is not ONE quality public playground in western Prince William County.  I take my kids to a park in Fauquier County!   That is simply disgraceful in my opinion.

Lets not forget the Eastern end of the county and their critical needs.

The Chinn Public Library and Community Center are woefully over crowded and in need of serious renovations to accomodate the thousands of adults and children that use those facility’s.  There was suppose to be a Park Bond that was intended for those improvements but it was redirected, to where, I am not sure.

Park and Community Centers serve everyone in the community and I firmly believe, until we can ensure those facilities are fully funded, our tax payer dollars, in such large sums, should not be directed to small non profits.

When I spoke at citizens time a couple of weeks ago, a man from Fairfax County, yes, you read that correctly, Fairfax County, shared that his children use the Rainbow Riding facility, and that he hoped the Board would approve the additional funding for the facility.  Does anyone here have an issue with a resident from another county asking us to put our limited resources for a facility that draws people from other counties?

Rainbow Riding has a great funding resource and if the Board would like to put their personal money towards Rainbow Riding, or help, on their own time, plan a fundraiser, I support that fully. However, to give ONE non profit such a large sum of money, is unconscionable and an insult to the all the other worthy non profits in this county who would welcome even a smidgen of what Rainbow Riding has recieved from the County coffers..

My hope is that the BOCS will reject this improper use of county funds and we begin to move towards a more holitistic approach to the needs of all county residents regarding our Park services.

Addendum:  It appeaars that Rainbow Riding is sitting on a ton of money,  according to their federal 990 form.  To download, click here.

Allow me to share my perspective living in this County.  On a regular basis, I find myself having to explain I am not a Christian and  it is always  very uncomfortable.

As I have shared in previous posts, having suddenly felt as though I was being “evangelized”, I made the  decision to leave my hairdresser because the owner of Tranquility chose to spread her faith in her Salon, Tranquility Day Spa.

Here is a story I did not share.  My kids had picked raspberries on our property and sold them on the corner of our property. Our street intersects a main road.  A very nice woman stopped and wanted to buy some berries.  I shared that a portion of the money the kids raised would go to the Wounded Warrior Project.  This very nice woman replied how wonderful  it was that the kids we donating a portion of their hard earned money to a charity.

She then continued on to share her church,  had recently done a fundraiser for Wounded Warrior also.  I told her I thought that was fantastic.  The conversation should have stopped there in my opinion.  It didn’t.  Let me interject, at this point in the story, that I  always wear my Star of David.  In this county, I almost feel like I have to in order to deflect the religious overtures I feel on a regular basis.  Anyway, I digress.

Read more…

Have you ever heard the old adage,” if you believe this, I’ve got some swampland in the desert to sell you ” !

Classic Concepts Developer, Mark Granville-Smith is trying to sell us some swampland in the desert.  He will be asking tomorrow, March 20th, to initiate a full study into trading his 306 acre parcel in the Rural Crescent for high density housing.  He would request that 30 homes be turned into 102 homes.  And what, I know you are asking, is he willing to exchange for this quadrupling of homes?  A “park” that he can’t build on anyway!

Exhibit A clearly shows, in green, the high density housing in the middle of the parcel of land.  Surrounding this area is a creek with various streams running through the edge of the proposed deveopment area.  This area is called an RPA(resource protection area) and you cannot legally build on an RPA.  He is “giving” us land that he can’t use.

This proposal includes running a major road plus a lengthy and hazardous alternative sewer system through not only an extremely environmentally sensitive area, but through multiple streams and a large creek which create the headwaters to the Occoquan Reservoir watershed and your drinking water supply.

However, what taxpayers WILL be able to do is pay for the degradation that is sure to come when this area is disturbed by a road and over a hundred houses.  Why will taxpayers be footing the bill?

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. –

Prince William County is preparing to play its part in the cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
The problem is, officials don’t know exactly how to prepare due to a lack of guidance from the federal and state governments, Prince William Watershed Management branch chief Marc Aveni stated.

The state has placed a Feb. 1 deadline on how the county will tackle this issue, which also includes reducing impervious sub­stances (i.e. parking lots) and deciding who will foot the bill.  There is also a potential financial impact to the county should it not comply. Penal­ties could be several thousands of dollars per day, per violation, Aveni said.

Several homebuilders active in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed have been hit with penalties in the last few years. The Ryland Group Inc. was fined $625,000 to resolve alleged Clean Water Act violations at its construction sites, including those in the watershed.
“The county is looking what it can reasonably do with its resources towards [meeting] this goal,” Aveni said. “…We are doing everything we possibly can, and at the same time, not bankrupting our citizens.”

 

I have an idea how to prepare, DON’T approve projects like Mid County Parks and Estates as a starting point!

Read more…

You know what, Moon and I will stop obsessing about birth control and the Republican attack on women, when no longer have to read about insane legislation!

I am almost speechless, ALMOST, being the operative word.  Are we in the 21st century?

Since when do you have to tell your employers about your sex life?????!!!!!!!!!

In what WORLD do these Arizona Republicans believe it is ok to fire women because they use birth control for sex??!!  WHAT IN THE HELL is happening to my country?

Why would a woman get fired you may be asking, well, what if the sex police determine her affidavit was fudged?

This my friends, THIS legislation, is what intrusive government really looks like.

OMG, what an invasion of privacy.  I am disgusted.

Arizona Birth Control Bill Penalizes Women For Using Contraception For Non-Medical Reasons

Arizona legislators have advanced an unprecedented bill that would require women who wish to have their contraception covered by their health insurance plans to prove to their employers that they are taking it to treat medical conditions. The bill also makes it easier for Arizona employers to fire a woman for using birth control to prevent pregnancy despite the employer’s moral objection.

House of Representatives passed earlier this month and the Senate Judiciary Committee endorsed on Monday, repeals that law and allows any employer to refuse to cover contraception that will be used “for contraceptive, abortifacient, abortion or sterilization purposes.” If a woman wants the cost of her contraception covered, she has to “submit a claim” to her employer providing evidence of a medical condition, such as endometriosis or polycystic ovarian syndrome, that can be treated with birth control.

This is a wonderful opportunity to help those families in need!  Erick Finley is sponsoring this event.  Even if you can’t make it to bowl, any donation to SERVE is appreciated.

For many years now Finley Asphalt has sponsored the annual ”Strikes for SERVE”  Bowlathon to support the SERVE campus of the Northern Virginia Family Service. This year’s event will be held on Saturday March 10th at the Bowl America in Manassas.  In addition to Finley Asphalt’s sponsorship I will also be bowling with my wife Lisa and my two sons Jonathon and Nick. While my bowling skills are quite embarrassing, it is for a great cause and we have a lot of fun. I am reaching out to you to raise money for this event. Last year our team (“Team Finley”) was the top fundraiser for this annual event. Please assist me by donating as much as you can to do your part in “Striking” Out Hunger and Homelessness!  I realize that the economy has not been great for the past several years. We all wish that things would return to the boom days that we all experienced.  However, we are all still doing okay. There are many people out there who are far from okay.

 

Here are just a few things that SERVE provides to the community.

 

•   900 families each month are receiving food assistance

•   Over 65,000 meals were served to 400 people, including over 200 families, at our emergency shelter last year.

•   The need for emergency housing is so great that SERVE maintains a waiting list of 150 people who have no place else to stay.

 

Please make all checks payable to “Strikes For SERVE” and mail to:

Finley Asphalt and Sealing, Inc.-Attention Erick

P.O. Box 1710

Manassas, VA  20108

 

I need to collect the donations prior to the march 10th event. My goal is to raise $5,000.00. Finley Asphalt will match all donations dollar for dollar up to $5,000.00.  A reminder e-mail will be sent out  one week prior to the event.

 

Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

So ,let me get this straight, in spite of the Planning Commission denial of the application and Staff’s recommendation that it be denied, the BOCS votes to approve the CPA Wolf Run development. The proverbial “Cherry” on the top is the subsequent two Supervisors, Stewart and Candland, who decry the approved “advertised” tax rate of 1.215 up from last years 1.204.

Let’s recap shall we. Corey approves the HUGE residential development of Avendale, Candland approves what SHOULD have been commercial zoning into residential with his Wolf Run vote, and they are complaining about having to increase taxes to pay for needed local resources like teachers and new police stations?

Stewart said one item that he thinks can be cut from Peacor’s proposed budget is the Central District Police Station, which has generated some neighborhood opposition. Stewart said it needs to be built at some point but could probably be pushed off to the future.

Peacor’s facility budget calls for a new station near Davis Ford Road and Prince William Parkway to maintain response times and relieve overcrowding of the area’s other police stations. The station would cost of $28.1 million over the next three fiscal years.

What world do some people live in? The BOARD is directly responsible to for ensuring the needs of the community are met. Who do they believe will ultimately pay for the new housing they themselves approve?

Here is a suggestion, all these Comp plan amendments that will come before you in the next month or so, all these developers (well, really, only two) who will ask for special allowances to build houses in areas zoned for commercial, just say one word…… “NO”!

Read more…

On its face, several large HOA’s joining forces to influence policy sounds good right?  I am not so sure.  One of its leaders, Mac Haddow, was/is a huge supporter of Peter Candland.  From the article, it sounds like there are several leaders in this group, I hope that their voices are not overshadowed by Mac Haddow. Unlike Maddow, the other members are not political donors to any specific elected local official, that is good news.

What makes Haddow particularly noteworthy is that he has experience as a Republican state legislator in Utah and as a lobbyist, meaning he understands how politics works on an in-depth level.

He also donated $1,000 last year to newly elected Gainesville District Supervisor Peter Candland (R) and serves as an informal adviser of sorts to Candland.

Read more…