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.

Many friends have suggested that we do some cash compensation here through advertising.  To date, I have resisted.  I am not rolling in dough but so far, I have been able to pay my electric bill and my go- daddy accounts.  We owe no allegiance to any advertiser.  We are our own operation. 

We don’t have to worry about our readership.  While everyone  in the blogosphere loves having good numbers, if we don’t have great numbers, that’s ok also.  Several people have left this blog  because they don’t like our rules.   We try to be fair to everyone, despite how it seems.   We can easily have someone tell us they aren’t going to read our blog any more.  What’s the worst that can happen?  What do we tell them?  Not let the keyboard hit them in the ass on the way out?  [Thanks to Elena for that one.]

Hopefully, everyone will stay and we can work together with our differences and our similarities. Very few people have been asked to leave.  Most of those who have left have self deported and are welcome back at any time. 

I think it is our job to be a watch dog for the county, with the help of our contributors.  We don’t claim to hit it all.We aren’t a publication.  Sometimes our silence is what should speak volumes.  Many of you all noticed it during the last election cycle.  Other times we will be vocal.  This is one of those times. From now on, when  a supervisor donates money from his or her discretionary fund, we want to hear the following:  “ I plan to donate x amount of money to Y organization on behalf of the Prince William County taxpayers.” 

 Wally Covington, please withdraw your request to give Rainbow Riding Center $100,000 of taxpayer money. It just the right thing to do at this point.

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. 

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. 

Turning in to the first picnic area is just sad.  There is just the most wonderful view of the new middle school.  Gag!  How can the highlight of a lake area, reserved for passive recreation, be a middle school?  Middle schools are not passive recreation. There needs to be a barrier between that lake and the school.  I don’t care what is placed there as long as something is.  What moron came up with a plan to put a middle school right on top of a lake designed for passive recreation, or any lake at all for that matter?  Who will do bush patrol to keep the kids from sneaking off to the lake?  What person wants to fish while a bunch of kids are around.  The school is probably 100 yards tops from the road.  A barrier wall needs to be put up and a row of fast-growing trees needs to be planted to preserve the integrity of the lake.  The fumes from the buses will probably kill the trees, especially the locusts back in there.

Erect a barrier.  Plant a tree fence.

Driving along past the school side, one can look a few feet in the woods and see discarded picnic tables trashing the area.  They appear to be the old tables from Silver Lake but who knows.  The park visitors have moved the existing tables around so that many are very close to the waters edge and nearly all are inaccessible to the handicapped.  What limited handicapped parking there is goes no where except up an earth berm.  Most handicapped people cannot get to the tables or the beach.

Make Silver Lake handicapped accessible.

And now for the main event.  Put some bear cans in the park.    There is a need for  cans in the upper area before circling around Silver Lake and there is a need for  cans down on the beach and over by the fishing lagoon.  There needs to be a can near the bath house and from what Censored says, there should be to be containers  in the bathrooms.  I expect there also needs to be toilet paper. 

It is human nature to litter when there aren’t adequate trash recepticles.  Let’s avoid human nature. 

Provide adequate trash containers, ones that wild animals cannot get in to.

Supervisors, you insisted on taking this park over and you are not being good stewards.  Bull Run Conservancy offered to take it over, keep it maintained, and allow full access to the public.  but ohhhhh no.  You just had to take it.  Well take care of it.  You are neglecting the park.  It will become an eye sore.  In fact, it already has all the signs.  How long will it take to become plain old undesirable? 

There was an abandoned car back there also.  A ranger was taking down all the vitals there.  Nice car but it didn’t belong abandoned back there. 

Treat Silver Lake like it is something to be proud of.  Get it cleaned up and TAKE DOWN THAT SIGN KISSING TOLL BROTHERS’ ASS.  I don’t need to see that sign when I drive back there.  Put it out front of the school, don’t put it back where all the people who might like to pretend to enjoy nature back there have to look at it. Enough is enough. 

Clean up the picnic tables out of the woods and get rid of that Ass-Kissing sign that blemishes the lake area.

The biggest sin of all was taking 3 years to decide to keep the property, insisting on keeping it and then cheaping on it.  If you aren’t going to take care of it and at least put in trash cans and keep the road in drivable repair, give it to Bull Run Conservancy, if they will even have it now, so that people who care about the environment will have some control over what happens. 

Supervisors, vote no to giving  away $100,000 of our money to a private organization.  We don’t have it to give.  If there is a penny extra, do the right thing with what is left of Silver Lake, before you all completely destroy it.  I put recommendations in red.  These aren’t novel ideas. 

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.

Stewart said that developers were pleased with the direction the board has taken as a whole in easing permit restrictions, building roads and other key infrastructure and keeping taxes low.

He said that he has never taken donations from developers while they have a project pending before the board.

I’ll bet “developers are pleased with the direction of the board!”  Does Avendale ring any bells?!

Tell me, please, why do people spin the truth when the facts can so clearly create obvious contradictions.  From today’s Inside Nova:

On Oct. 7, Bruni Peters of Fairfax-based RK Realty contributed $10,000 to Stewart – just 11 days before Stewart and the rest of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors unanimously approved a comprehensive land use amendment and a re-zoning of one of Bruni’s future mixed-use properties.

At issue is the Hunter at Haymarket development. Thanks to the board’s vote, a six-acre portion of a 44-acre parcel of land off U.S. 15 was approved for office space. The board also approved a higher density residential zoning for nearly 10 of 15 acres that were originally designated semi-rural residential.

Before the vote, Weir asked those board members who had received contributions from RK Realty, Peters or the EV Hunter Trust to recuse themselves from the vote and the rest to vote no. Stewart, Brentsville Supervisor W.S. “Wally” Covington, Gainesville Supervisor John T. Stirrup, Coles Supervisor Martin E. Nohe and Neabsco Supervisor John D. Jenkins received $32,000 in political contributions in the last nine months from those entities, including $20,500 for Stewart alone.

Let me add, back in 2007 Corey’s owns words AGAINST his opponent Sharon Pandak, and I quote……….

“I am pleased to see that my opponent in this years election has changed her mind about pledging to protect the Rural Crescent. YOur supporters should be reminded that my opponent refused to sign the rural protection pledge a mere eleven months ago during the last years special election. By contrast, I have always stood as an uncompromised champion of protecting the Rural Areas of our county against development encroachments. Since my opponent was the developers candidate in last years special election, and is quietly so again this year, there are some who might view her decision to sign the pledge this year as politicl posturing intended to confuse the voters.”

I can recall, vividly, the sign, nay, the BILLBOARD, that I erected on my property for Corey.  It read something like “Vote Corey Stewart//The Smart Growth Candidate”.  Myself, along with many others, feel betrayed by Corey’s lack of commitment to “champion” smart growth along with the preservation of the Rural Crescent. 

During the public hearing, Stewart didn’t address the accusations but said the Class A office space is sorely needed in Prince William County. Covington said the proximity of a cement plant near the development didn’t bother him and said with the construction of a nearby hospital, more office space would be needed.

When reached via telephone Tuesday, Stewart said if this would’ve been controversial at all, he would have asked RK Realty to postpone the donation or he would’ve asked to delay the vote. But he said he saw no reason not to, especially in light of how soon voters will hit the polls.

“Everybody on the board agrees we need more office space,” Stewart said.

Really? We need more office space? Either I am living in an alternate reality, or the numerous “office space for lease” real estate signs EVERYWHERE , indicate we have untold amounts of unrented office space. You see, along with the “much needed” office space (what a joke), the property in Haymarket was also rezoned from semi rural residential to high density housing. What do you think is going to sell? I am willing to go out on a limb and predict the housing with sell like hotcakes.

I don’t know how Corey can look at himself in the mirror. I wonder if it is worth it in the end? To sell the well being of your county down the river in hopes of attaining your political aspirations.

Oy Vay, this IS a bad day for Corey but a good one for citizens.  The Washington Post also did an aricle on the questionable campaign contributions.  Here is my favorite paragraph:

Bob Weir, who sits on Haymarket’s Town Council, had asked that supervisors who had accepted donations from developers recuse themselves from voting. Weir said the town is opposed to the project because, among other things, it would add more than 4,000 vehicle trips to area roads and places an option for an eight-story hotel where the rest of the buildings in the surrounding area have lower height restrictions.

Members of the county’s planning commission opposed the project for similar reasons.

“On this one, and on all of them it would appear,” Weir said, asked if he thought campaign contributions had played a role in the board’s approval of the project. “This isn’t an isolated incident. What’s the purpose of having bodies vet these things if you’re not going to … abide by their recommendations, if the issues that are brought up are just brushed aside?”

But Stewart said that the project was not controversial, noting that it passed unanimously and without debate among supervisors. Stewart said that he did not speak with Peters about the proposed development before the vote and that the donation did not affect his vote or the county’s decision.

“I was concerned about the timing,” Stewart said of the donation. “[But] it was a non-controversial office development the board passed unanimously. Any controversy, I would have delayed the vote until later or I would have asked RK Realty to not donate but … they’re building office space, which is exactly what the county needs and exactly what the voters want.”

Stewart said that the town of Haymarket wanted the project to be within the town’s borders so that it could add the development to its tax base. Weir said that had nothing to do with the town’s position.

So on one hand he admits that the Town of Haymarket had clear issues AND expressed them to the Board but says there was “no controversy”?  What does Corey believe controversy entails ?  Does there have to be a huge protest in order to know that you may be doing something unethical?

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.

Insidenova.com and the News & Messenger received results of a Freedom of Information Act request from Principi’s office which confirms that Royse – a Republican — has never had any official contact with members of the military installation currently located in Stuttgart, Germany.

In at least one speech to potential voters, Royse says that AFRICOM is “real and it’s going to happen.”

In the same speech, posted on www.chrisroyse.com, he states that he had conversations with former U.S. Congressman Tom Davis and current Congressman Rob Wittman about AFRICOM and said it could happen in four years.

“Chris Royse is misleading Woodbridge voters about his number one campaign issue,” Principi stated in a press release on Monday afternoon. “If he is misleading us about this issue, can he be trusted with any of the other issues important to families and businesses in Woodbridge?”

In an email to the newspaper, Royse stated that he hadn’t spoken with anyone from AFRICOM. But he said that a previous News & Messenger article in which he mentions speaking with a number of local politicians as well as with former AFRICOM commander William “Kip” Ward was accurate.

“I am willing to roll up my sleeves, and do the hard, grassroots work necessary to achieve a big goal, like bringing AFRICOM and its associated jobs to Woodbridge,” stated Royse, who lost to Principi in 2007.

For the time being, it looks like AFRICOM is staying put. On its website, it states “The command has no plans to move its headquarters from Stuttgart and will be located here for the foreseeable future.”

AFRICOM, is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the U.S. Department of Defense, and is devoted solely to Africa. It was created by former President George W. Bush in 2007 and became operational in 2008.

The News & Messenger has made efforts to contact Davis and Wittman to confirm Royse’s public statements but so far has been unsuccessful. U.S. Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner have already made a pitch for bringing AFRICOM to the Hampton Roads area.  According to Norfolk TV station, WAVY, the Department of Defense agreed to include Virginia in the assessment of alternate locations for the AFRICOM headquarters, which employs 1,500.

It appears that Mr. Royse promised a little more than he has the capacity to deliver.  I doubt very seriously if he has more pull with this organization than 2 U.S. Senators.  Royse has also tried to get the Arlington Diocese  to withhold the sacraments from his opponent after he lost to Supervisor Principi last time.  He obviously wasn’t able to pull that one off either. 

Chris Royse needs make sure he only makes campaign promises he can keep.  Bringing in AFRICOM seems like a tall order.  Hooking and reeling in a fish this big might take a little more than a mere supervior.  He might have better luck reeling in Jaws.

From insidenova.com:

An estimated 150 to 175 individuals from 35 to 40 families from the Marumsco and Holly Acres mobile home parks were left homeless when more than 10 inches hit the U.S.1 corridor in Woodbridge last Thursday. The heavy rainfall caused massive damage to the parks; 66 out of 108 units in the Holly Acres park were declared unsafe to inhabit.

Many of the displaced flood victims are staying at the Dale City Recreation Center because they have no where else to go.  This arrangement will be very short-lived because the county is shutting the shelter down at 5 p.m. on this coming Friday.

Those still staying at Dale City Recreation Center – between 35 and 40 families – have until Friday at 5 p.m. before they have to leave the Red Cross-administered facility. Many of those families came to speak to the board on Tuesday, relaying their plight.

 Prince William Countydoesn’t have Section 8 housing vouchers at this time. And Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart reiterated to the crowd gathered at Tuesday’s meeting that the county could not provide permanent housing to the victims of the storm.

Residents and community activists appealed to the county at the BOCS meeting. 

Meanwhile, sparring between Representative Gerry Connolly and BOCS Chair Corey Stewart was heard on WTOP this morning:

But Prince William County Supervisor Chairman Corey Stewart says the county simply does not have the means to help more.

“We don’t want to give them the impression that we are going to be able to take care of their housing needs past Friday,” he said before the board of supervisors meeting Tuesday.

At the packed meeting, Stewart gave out the phone number of Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., telling the petitioning residents they should ask him for federal help.

On Monday, Connolly was critical of the county’s response to the crisis. After giving those displaced some clothes to wear and some initial food, other forms of assistance, especially alternative housing, have been slow to come.

“There aren’t a lot of affordable housing opportunities in Prince William County, and a lot of these folks are going to be in a place of deep pain,” Connolly says.

He says closing the shelter on Friday is premature.

“Declaring an arbitrary deadline doesn’t mean the problem goes away,” Connolly says.

The owner of the Holly Acres Trailer Park,  Hank Ridge, admitted that he hadn’t been to the property site in a decade.  He  told WTOP that the county has been trying to shut the trailer park down for years:

“What is being done, can be substantiated that there are some discriminatory attitudes,” Ridge says.

Stewart called that charge “BS.” He says the park should have been condemned years ago for safety reasons and because of flooding.

If it should have been shut down for years for safety reasons, why wasn’t it?  A concerned land owner would have checked on things sometime over 10 years.  There is just no end to finger pointing.  Perhaps an even better question might be why weren’t improvements made to the area  to control flood waters?  I have a sneaking suspicion that this isn’t the first time the creek has risen.  Marumsco Creek is not some little tucked-away stream that no one knows about.

While all the finger pointing is going on, There are some 140 people who will have no where to go.  There are not vacancies in low rent units in the county to accommodate these families.  There is a relief fund posted on the county school website that reads:

The following quotes were found and reported by a little bird from an unknown blog in an unread land:

“Stewart said the bill was a sign of just how out of touch with fiscal realities and good government Congress is: “It is not just irresponsible, it is crazy. Congress suffers from deficit-spending induced dementia.” 

“To hire new employees, which creates an ongoing expense, with one time funds is fundamentally irresponsible,” Stewart said. “We cannot accept funds that are intended to grow government under the pretense of job creation. The federal funding disappears, and you will have to cut elsewhere. This costs taxpayers in the long run.” Stewart noted that Prince William County School system did not layoff a single employee in this year’s budget. 

He cited the bills complex maintenance-of-effort requirements that may force jurisdictions that accept the money to keep spending at higher levels. “Even if some clever budgeting can get around the maintenance of effort requirements, hiring new staff when there is no need is the surest way to bankrupt your government.”   

Stewart continued: “I will fight to ensure that Prince William County rejects the appropriation of the one-time funds to hire new employees and create ongoing liabilities. I urge other mayors and county chairmen to do the same. When you blindly take stimulus money without incorporating the ongoing expenses into your future plan, you are driving off a funding cliff.” 

“Congress might be crazy enough to do that. But we’re not.”

Stewart doesn’t understand how it works.  In the first place, any new hires  would have probably been given a 1 year contract like all new employees.  New teachers not rehired is not considered a lay off.  You just aren’t rehired.  Was Stewart expecting fewer children this year?  That rarely happens.  Did he get those statistics from the pupil planning office?  It doesn’t sound like it. 

Secondly, is Stewart aware of attrition?  Teachers retire.  New ones are hired.  Is he aware of the work force in PWC Schools and average ages?  Apparently not.   He is again just yapping.  Open mike time again in Prince William County.

I expect that John Gray, Baber Lateef and Ann Wheeler would have all taken the stimulus money when it was offered.  It is never a bad thing to create jobs, especially when our students profit from the jobs.  No one wants their kids in classes with 35 students, yet those numbers were not all that uncommon in Prince William County last year. 

Corey is willing to put our kids in overcrowded conditions so he can play Mr. Conservative.  Don’t be fooled.  That just isn’t how it works.   Perhaps he is playing to an older crowd who don’t  have kids in the school system.  That would describe me.  However, I do have grandkids in public school and I know that even if I didn’t I would feel that an educated populace is the best way to go.  Good school systems bring in businesses and quality neighbors.  Bad schools systems bring in people who don’t give a crap about their kids or the betterment of their kids.  Do you really want those folks as neighbors?  I sure don’t. 

The bottom line is, the BOCS needs to stop playing politics with our kids. 

Refresher course?  Click here. (from August 25, 2010)

School board passes resolution asking for federal funds (October 2010)

School Board Dissatisfied with the 4 Horsement of the BOCS

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?

Fortunately, we have shown the nation just how successful strong conservative leadership can be for local government. I will continue to hold fast to my principles for the sake of our community’s future, and I aim to endure the liberal challenges that we face, but I need your help. Please click here to volunteer and take action with my campaign so we can keep moving PWC in the right direction.

I hope that you consider supporting my campaign as I work tirelessly to make Prince William County one of the greatest places to live.

Thank you again for your support,

Signed by Corey Stewart

Oh PUH-Leez, Corey.  We had a AAA bond rating before you came on the scene.  You have no idea what will happen to that bond rating if those you have been cozying up to have their way.  There are 7 other supervisors.  It isn’t all about you.  Do you hear the ‘DC Liberals’ continuing not to support their own leader?  {crickets chirping}? 

What critical investments have been made in schools and on what roads?  Is Corey claiming responsibility for all those pot holes and traffic congestion? 

What DC Liberals is he talking about?  The DC City Council?  Does he mean Washington?  He sounds like an out-of- towner who doesn’t understand the subtle differences in DC and Washington, D.C.   

What conservative values is he speaking of in his letter?  Does he mean catering to developers and using a little league football team to push his way through to get a yes vote for developers?  Does he mean not honoring his own pledge to guard the Rural Crescent?  Is breaking your word a conservative value?  Is using children for political gain a conservative value?  I hope those children have gotten their football fields now. 

How about the trashing of the jewel of Prince William County, Silver Lake?  Yes, that same lake where 45 acres were literally long-term leased  away to a pet project non-profit.   That same jewel where a school was built right on top of the lake?   Shame! 

Corey, stop trying to capitalize on a potential economic crisis.  Who are you cozying up to today?  Are you snuggling with John Boehner or the nay saying Tea Party people who don’t think it matters if we go in to a default situation just so long as they keep their pledge to their peeps.  Which is it, Corey?

Finally, stop begging.    I don’t know if others have noticed, but if you write to the county board of supervisors, you end up on Corey’s beg list.  That’s how I got his letter.  Is that really Kosher?