Moonhowlings

Since Moonhowlings began questioning how county money was being spent, it seems that the question has come up about the place of blogs in communicating county affairs.  Have we overstepped our boundaries as citizens of Prince William County?  We say resoundingly, NO! 

Understandably, print newspapers are struggling  and often face the wrath of their readers.  How many times does a story evoke the “I am going to cancel my subscription” because of this or that story or editorial?   Even though most of a newspaper’s day to day funding comes from advertising, it does no good to advertise if there are no readers.

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To whom it may Concern (i.e.  All Prince William County residents and Tax payers):

It has come to our attention that Supervisor Wally Covington, Brentsville District Supervisor, intends to give away $100,000 from his discretionary magisterial funds to the non-profit organization Rainbow Riding.   This resolution is to be voted on at the BOCS meeting on Tuesday, November 29.

Rainbow Riding is a worthwhile organization that provides therapy riding for children with physical and mental disabilities. People are often hesitant to say what they are thinking when questioning process.  Especially when children are involved as beneficiaries.  However, we cannot ignore irregularities when those irregularies  involve public money.

Allow us to be crystal clear:  This is not an issue regarding the credibility of Rainbow Riding or the services that they provide to a very specific population.  Instead, this is an issue about how county funds are spent and the degree of transparency involved in the determination of who will receive these funds.

During the past year, this blog has posted several articles regarding the permitting process or lack thereof for a huge riding arena constructed for the Rainbow Riding facility.  It became clear to citizens that Rainbow Riding was exempt from the regular processes that other residents are required to follow.  For example, the county informed us that this huge building, equipped with seats and bleachers, and bathroom facilities, was classified as a “barn.”  In the Rural Crescent, barns are not required to go through the permitting process.  Then, as now, we dispute the idea that a huge complex riding arena the size of this structure is a barn.  A riding arena is not a barn and a barn is not a riding arena.

From the very beginnings of negotiations with Toll Brothers, somehow Rainbow Riding became an integral part of that process.  How did a small 501C (3) organization become entrenched in negotiations regarding county land use?  The 45 acres that Rainbow Riding sits on is public that excludes the public at large.

Fast forward to the present.   Paying only a pittance for the public land this organization occupies; now the taxpayers will be required to put $100,000 more into a private organization.

Does anyone else find it troublesome that Supervisor Covington’s immediate family members are in leadership roles at Rainbow Riding?  Is there a fair process for the allocation of county funds to non-profits?  Or better yet, is there even a process?  How can citizens  be  assured that favoritism does not come in to play when taxpayer funds are being distributed to various organizations?   Should being an elected official entitle one to take care of family and friends’ favorite charities and organizations?  At what point do we question whether this isn’t nepotism?

 Note:  this article was originally published 11/24/11 in the evening. Thanksgiving night.   I moved it up several days as I felt it was an important story to have out there.  We do that with stories we want to keep active. 

 The time stamps stay behind the scenes and can be used for documentation should the need ever arise. 

I couldn’t stand peace and tranquility so I threw my favorite dog in the car and went on a field trip to Silver Lake.  In the first place, if I didn’t know there was a Silver Lake, I could never find it.  There is no signage until you actually get to Antioch Road and it is a cheap, worn out looking sign.  I know that it is on the same turn off as the winery so I look for the LaGrange sign.  If you drive until you see the Silver Lake sign, you can’t make the turn.  The road pops out from nowhere.   We need adequate signage.

Turning off onto the area where Silver Lake is, you immediately get into rough road territory.  Ok, its a lake.  Nearly all the property going down to the lake is posted–both sides of the road.  If I am a county resident, and I am on county property, why can’t I be there?  Something is being built on the left, between the riding arena and Antioch Road.  What is back in there?  Why can no one tell me?  The area is blocked off and there has been heavy equipment back there a year.  What is being hidden back there?  Again, posted signs.

Onward to Rainbow riding.  They had an open door on the left hand side that looked mighty inviting to vandals.  Again, posted signs so I didn’t dare get out and poke around.  More county property I cannot go on.  The huge field across the gravel road  that had been graded and is now grassed over is also posted. 

The road to Silver lake needs to have the pot holes filled or patches of the road need to be regraded.  Some of them are deep enough to break an axle.  This is an ongoing problem back there.   Fix the road. 

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So the truth is out.   Confirmed, via the most recent article in the in an interview with The Washington Post that he plans to introduce a policy next year on the concept of “clustering,”a new approach to managing the county’s rural area.

Allow me to interject some facts here.  There IS a “cluster ordinance” in the comprehensive plan for allowing clustering of homes on large tracts of land.  I will put a copy of the ordinance  up on the rural crescent website and link to it so people can become better informed.   I am hopeful that maybe even Corey and Peter Candland will visit the link in order to educate themselves on the current cluster ordinance.

Lo and behold, Peter Candland is already finding ways to do Corey’s bidding!   I don’t think that Peter has a full understanding of land use or else he would understand why Corey’s proposal is bunk.

“That, I believe, succeeds at nothing,” Stewart said. “I think that we need to look at better ways of preserving very large areas of rural ground as well as promoting more commercial office space and high-end retail. We have to take the emotion out of this debate and give it a cold, hard, objective look.”

Stewart said his argument is that having a hodgepodge of 10-acre lots doesn’t make sense. Better, he said, to have a development on 100 acres, where 30 acres are developed and the other 70 are open space, he said. Stewart said that such a policy would take a long time to develop, and the board would do so “in conjunction with the community.”

Candland said he rejects the commonly used term “slow growth,” saying “managed growth” more adequately describes his philosophy to encourage growth along with adequate infrastructure. But he largely agrees with Stewart’s philosophy of bringing the county more high-end retail and office space, he said, adding that improving the county’s quality of life will drive economic growth.

“Plain and simple,” Candland said, “we need to bring business to Prince William County.”

The level of ignorance astounds me.    I wonder if Corey and Peter are aware that there is plenty of undeveloped land in the “Development Area” that has YET to be rezoned for its allowed long range use.  There is not a lack of opportunity for high end retail and commercial (anyone heard of Innnovation?) in Prince William County.  There is a lack of those high end retailers and Corporations CHOOSING to do business here. 

Busting open the Rural Crescent will only have one sure fire result, higher taxes for everyone.  Gotta love those conservative values.

I wonder if Michael Neibauer from the Washington Business Journal will have a follow up article to citizens of Prince William County affirming his pre and post prediction on Canlands election being the “game change” for development in the western end.

Not that there’s some massive push to build new homes in Prince William County, especially the western end. But when a proposal does come along — and it will — Candland’s victory may give the developer a narrow opening.

When Republicans who attended the debate last night agree that Peter Candland presents as an empty suit, you know you are in trouble.

One of the most memorable moments of the evening, for me, was when the two candidates were discussing bringing new jobs to Prince William County. The broader question became–why AREN’T businesses relocating here?

Peter Candland, talked about how he has the business savvy to bring new economic investment to the County. He touted  his experience serving on a corporate relocation task force, but then failed to  verbalize  why he was unable  to bring these business to Prince William County.  Candland freely admitted  that “quality of life” issues are what will bring high-end retail and corporate investment, but  he lost traction informing his listeners how to upgrade the quality of life issues.  He lacked specifics and upbraided his opponent over stimulus money but failed to reveal how he would finance these issue that both candidates feel are important. 

Ann Wheeler was confident and articulate in her answers during the debate.  Wheeler has a moderate and realistic grasp of the needs of Prince William County. She understands that PWC must invest in those quality of life resources like  schools, libraries,  parks and recreation, walkable communities, superior fire, rescue and police services  and decent roads.  These are the issues that attract quality economic investment. 

While both candidates addressed county concerns directed at the Gainesville District, Ann Wheeler clearly demonstrated substance over ideological talking points.  She backed up her remarks with specific examples whereas Candland spoke in sweeping generalities.  She simply appeared to have her thumb directly on the pulse of the community.

Sentencing has been postponed for one Maneesh Gupta, age 47 for embezzling millions of dollars from Prince William County while he was the head of the IT Department in Prince William County government.

Insidenova.com:

Gupta was set to be sentenced Thursday, but the sentencing was continued to Nov. 3.

At Thursday’s hearing, Prince William Circuit Court Judge Richard B. Potter formally accepted a plea agreement in the case.

According to the terms of the agreement, Gupta will be sentenced to serve three years in prison, with another 48 years suspended and 10 years of probation and to repay $3.7 million the county lost in the scheme.

Prosecutors said Gupta and three other men created a company and arranged for most of the OIT office’s bids to be awarded to that company, between 2004 and April 2009.

I am offended.  3 years?  48 suspended?  Why?  $3.7 million bucks is a lot of money.  How about 20 years for being a thief and if his relatives repay the money he took, then he gets to come out after 20 years.  I think he got slapped on the wrist.  How long does he have to repay the money he took?  What happens if he doesn’t?  Will he go back to prison?

This dude has always managed to find a way to find a short cut.  I feel confident he will find a way to never repay that money. I hope the County has a back up plan.

 What’s wrong with this picture?  Plenty, actually.  The signs say:  Jury Parking-Towing Enforced.

The new reserved spots are in the public parking lot where 28 splits at the courthouse and rescue squad.  There is very little parking left for the public with this expanded jury space.  However, do you think the owner of that truck is really on a  jury?    I bet not. 

Perhaps Prince William needs to adopt a policy similar to Arlington– After 11am the spots become public parking. No juries are starting up after that time.  However, I am not so sure the sheriff’s political truck constitutes being ‘the public.’

While we are discussing the court house, how does one order up the golf cart if they have mobility issues?  I see it out there but if Ihad to park on the south 40 and had, say, a broken foot, how would I get a ride?  It looks nice but is the concept utilized by the handicapped?

Personal property taxes are due Wednesday.  I remembered for once and decided that rather than find all the bills, I would just pay online.  In the first place, if you pay by credit card or debit card, you are going to get assessed a fee of 2.5% which I highly resent.   There’s just something about getting charged $5-20 bucks (my cars are old) that irriates the living hell out of me in the age of electronics.  If you pay by echeck, there is no charge.  I chose to pay by echeck.

Secondly, has anyone ever tried to navigate the county website?  Other than Park Authority, I don’t think there is a more poorly designed website.  Just finding the right place to go to is no easy feat.  I have to enlarge my page to 200% just to be able to see it.  There is more junk on that thing.  Major topics with sub topics would be great.  Just floating through all the options is daunting.

Thirdly, I noticed that I was not assessed a county tag on my second vehicle.  I could not just voluntarily pay the extra $24 bucks either.  Now what happens if I get stopped?  Will I be fined, hung out in the public square of humiliation?  Where should I go confess?

Fourthly, my email address was wrong.  I attempted to correct it.  The freaking website would not accept the submission of change.  I gave up.  It is far easier to bitch about the lousy website than it is to do anything about it.

Don’t we have an IT office?  Wasn’t that the office that embezzled millions of dollars from the taxpayers?  Didn’t that money go out of country, to India or something, never to be returned?  Is that what they were doing when this website got designed?  I expect better.  I expect not to have thieves in the office and I expect a website that is somewhat easy to navigate.  Paying a bill shouldn’t take a half hour.  Yes, I could go up to Sudley North, but I shouldn’t have to.

If I were running for supervisor, I would prioritize getting the website in order.  That is the most contact most of us have with county government.  May I rank my customer satisfaction?  F

What we have no is close to being a disgrace.  The Park Authority website IS a disgrace.

What a great idea! 

The Prince William Park Authority has approved major renovations for the Pfitzner Field to begin after the Nationals’ season ends on September 6.  Renovations will include the installation  new grass, a new irrigation system, new sod and soil.  The cost of this project will be about $300,000 and will be shared by Prince William County and the Park Authority.  The Nationals will oversee the progress which is supposed to take 6 to 8 weeks to complete.

The field is 27 years old and was the subject of quite dust-up several weeks ago.  Quoting Potomac owner Art Silber, according to insidenova.com:

“The field is 27 years old and has never been rebuilt. With the amount of clay underneath it and the natural subsoil in the area, it’s difficult to develop a proper drainage system and develop some low spots in the outfield. It’s also impossible to get the water to not accumulate. That has created some situations that are less than ideal.”

Park Authority executive director Jay Ellington said that one of the project’s main purposes is to raise the elevation of the outfield and that the Nationals are working on obtaining a waiver from the office of minor league baseball that allows the field to be under the regular field standard.

This project will be the latest in an attempt to get Pfitzner Stadium’s field in proper playing shape to avoid the difficult predicaments Potomac has experienced this year.

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An email from Corey Stewart:

For the past couple of weeks, liberal DC politicians have been flirting with a national default and the prospect of a declining credit rating. With such an irresponsible approach to take care of the nation’s debt, we are fortunate that in Prince William County our AAA bond rating is stable.

Our AAA bond rating and steady financial outlook are a result of my willingness to make hard decisions and stick to my convictions.  In tough times we kept taxes low and reduced government spending while still making critical investments in our schools and roads.

These same DC Liberals that are spending our children’s future away are attempting to bring their reckless policies to Prince William County and we need your help to keep proven conservative leadership right where it belongs. Will you help us by donating $5, $10 or $20 to our campaign?

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Former PWC IT chief, Maneesh Gupta,  plead guilty to 49 felony charges related to a bid rigging scheme.  Gupta is the former head of Prince William County’s Office of Information Technology.   According to insidenova.com:

Maneesh Gupta, 47, the former OIT systems division chief, pleaded guilty to charges of public fraud, combination to rig bids, conspiracy to commit forgery, uttering and obtaining money by false pretenses.

The public fraud charge was amended from a charge of racketeering. Prosecutors dropped a charge of money laundering.

Prosecutors offered Gupta a plea agreement, but Prince William Circuit Court Judge Richard B. Potter said he would defer his decision on whether or not to accept it until Gupta’s sentencing hearing on Oct. 6.

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Jennifer Buske has written an article about the area plans for the Sesquicentennial for the Washington Post entitled “As Civil War anniversary nears, Manassas sees a historic opportunity.”   In the Friday the 13th  article she writes what begins as an ode to deceased event planner Creston Owen and takes us though the history of the arriving at the Sesquicentennial.  Included in the article is a comparison between the Manassas Battlefield and Gettysburg.

Any attempts to compare the two battlefields ended about the time of the battles themselves.  Manassas is not Gettysburg and never will be, based pretty much on location, location, location, both then and now.  Gettysburg pretty much is a dedicated battlefield.  Manassas is a suburb of D.C.  And here is the gist of the problem.

According to the Washington Post:

Playing off the excitement of the sesquicentennial, Corey A. Stewart, the Board of County Supervisors chairman, said he wants to begin branding Prince William as a military history corridor where people can stop at the battlefield, the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the future American Wartime Museum. That attraction is scheduled to open in 2014 and cover every era of war from World War I to Iraq and Afghanistan.

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There was a request for a thread on Neighborhood Services.  I am not sure how many people are interested but here it is.  I am also going to combine it with another county issue:  DISCRETIONARY FUNDS

Many people see the discretionary funds given to the BOC supervisors as a way for the supervisors to reward their pet groups, charities, organizations with OUR money.  What do YOU think?

The telephone has rung off the hook today with tidbits and rumors.  The email box has been chock full.  Where to begin….

The Lion and Bull in Haymarket  was the place of Carl Genthner’s kick off campaign for Gainesville Supervisor.  There was a welcoming committee for all who came to meet Mr. Genthner.  It seems that some of the current Gainesville Supervisor’s staff were sitting right outside the meeting room to check out who all was going in and to give a little stare down to the guests.   Fans (Thanks you Mr. Supervisor, thank you) were also there for the official stare down.

correction: there were NO CURRENT staff members from Supervisor’s Stirrups office at Carl Genthner’s kick offevent

Like minded political support was there for Mr. Genthner.

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Corey Stewart proposes to use addition county funds for his pet projects to curry some favors.  More information should be forthcoming.

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A Dark Blog–A certain blogmeister removed an inflammatory but sizzling exposé about a certain senate macaca candidate and a past RNC chair from his blog.  Did he out-sleaze himself or is there a touch of chivalry still alive?   Do Republicans really practice cannibalism?  It seemed like it reading that exposé.  Now should that person win the party nomination for the Senate, how does one undo the image planted in the minds of Virginians that the gentleman is a home-wrecker and an adulterer?  White-out just won’t cut it.

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BOCS–What former BOCS member might be challenging the remaining lady on the board?  Rumors abound.

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BOCS (2)–What supervisor needs to prepare outgoing email more carefully?

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Residents- Some residents think that the new magisterial district boundary lines are going to split up families.  Are some lines running right through the middle of someone’s home?

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Updates:

Blogosphere:  A local blogger has announced his/her candidacy for House of Delegates.

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Feel free to add to the rumor mill.  Things are getting interesting for sure.  We might just need a bookie before election day rolls around.