Board Deleted Rights and spent $
$10 mill. Spent in 5 min. And How Sup. Herring Killed Property Rights
Liberal Barrage Continues
Sterling is under a full scale attack from a Leesburg-based Establishment Elite force seeking to tax us into oblivion.Yesterday morning, with Supervisor candidates from both parties and a member of the media at an affordable shelter forum , I saluted years of service by the citizens of Sterling, other citizens present, and the affordable shelter group for being a "shadow board".
I called the current board "nightmarish" in its promotion of a dark sky ordinance that would black out Sterling with lights out curfews, make most kinds of light fixtures illegal and limit the wattage on Christmas Lights.
Where did it begin?
It began, and continues, as I have said for 4 years. This board majority deletes the "property rights" and increases spending at the same time. Once the county deleted its duty to preserve property rights, the government workers got the green light to ride rough shod over "targeted areas" and selectively enforce zoning laws.Citizens of Sterling have yet to fully learn of the policies resulting in exploding taxes, budgets and as money is wasted: fewer dollars for Sterling. And the government then can density pack with abandon. I hope to tell you more.
I will go back to May 1st, 2000 --when this board was just starting out --to recall some observations that I made then and still stand today as relevant. This observation was about a 10 million dollar purchase of 690 acres.
By doing this, Supervisor Herring and this board made it seem forbidden to even breath a word of "property rights". The elimination of property rights was endorsed as they purchased land for increasing government.
Here's what I said on May lst, 2000, (changes in tense in parenthesis).
"It's a pattern of misinformation, confusion or lies. A disservice to the taxpayers. I state forthrightly my positions. I do not hide and deny my statements or actions. But this board denies repeatedly the actions it takes soon after they take them.There seem to be ......major mistakes, or lies, in a recent series of public denials by Chairman York, on behalf of the board, being made.
Mistake one?
The Loudoun Board has raised taxes by increasing assessments and then spent the surplus. Yet they claim that they have done a reasonable job of keeping taxes "low" . Some even claim "there has been no tax increase".Mistake Two?
The Loudoun Board has spent most of their budget on non-school building spending, but claim that "building schools is our top priority".Mistake Three?
On Monday, May lst, year 2000, over my objections, the board spent more than $10 million on purchasing 230 acres in Purceville and 460 acres in Leesburg, for 690 acres.Schools need 20 acres. Not 690 acres.
And you don't place schools all in one location. So when did voters approve the purchase of the 690 acres for mostly non-school spending? This is land banking which, like PDRs (I call them prds- Property Rights Deletions) is a new and bizarre form of government interference in property ownership and a subversion of taxpayers' funds.
I said plainly at the meeting and I re-state it here: the people of this county did not vote for culture centers, vast park lands, new jail centers, new county administration buildings, new government warehouses in this last election. This is a boondoggle of a massive nature and an explosion in government growth far beyond the wildest vision of any county planner.
This $10 million cash payment for "land" will rank in infamy with Pearl Harbor in the suddenness and has shocked normally sedate observers.
This land purchase will surely be followed by even more spending.....
Mistake Four?
At the same meeting that this Board voted to silence me at the will of the chair, they also officially voted to delete property rights from the Framework for Review of the General Plan.But Chairman Scott York loudly proclaims that he is not silencing me (we will allow "written comments", he says), and,....has challenged me by stating at the last meeting exactly "where did the Board delete the protection of property rights?"
(So I answered him) (At) Monday's meeting, May lst,(2000) the Chairman said, "No property rights were deleted". Chairman York.. (was) mistaken.
I ......respectfully (told) Scott York :
Mr. Chairman, I know there is a volume of resolutions and materials and regulations. I have to believe that you forgot about this particular action of the board....... Here is what my notes say the public record is: On April 3rd, 2000 the board reconvened after a lunch with Loudoun's legislative representatives to Richmond At approximately 1:45 p.m. EST the Board took up Roman Numeral VIII (seven) entitled "action", item number six, entitled "Framework for Review of the General Plan" (39 pages).SUPERVISOR MARK HERRING MOTIONED TO CUT PROPERTY RIGHTS
On April 3, 2000, Supervisor Mark Herring motioned to delete section 7 on page 13 which was under the section "Proposed Smart Growth and Revitalization Principles"and to substitute the "Vision" statement adopted by the board. It read "Recognize the private property rights of the individual within a balanced framework that considers the public interest and shared values of the community."I objected. I said this motion proves my point that this Board is out to destroy property rights in this county. That governments must protect property rights..
Mr. Herring countered that it is not the responsibility of the county to protect property rights and that it is the duty of the state and federal governments to take care of those issues.
NOW SUPERVISOR HERRING WANTS TO BE STATE SENATOR
I remind(ed) the Board that I condemned the vision statement because it called for more government spending with a de-emphasizing of private property rights and private initiatives being preferred over government actions.The debate ended and Supervisor Herring's resolution deleting property rights from the Framework for the General Plan was adopted...
Mistake Five?
"......This Chairman and this Board is denying that these horrible actions are taking place......But the Board did delete property rights - from the framework for the General Plan. "(unquote)