Washington does not have a Dulles Rail "anti-investment mentality" but a growing understanding that the economics and financing for this project do not nearly work. The Washington Metro Area Transit Authority seems to be deliberately delaying providing Loudoun County with timely critical information needed on projected rail ridership, revenues, costs and subsidies.

WMATA's failure to provide current rail ridership and other data needed for the Silver Line reflects a long term lack of responsibility of all those involved. The failure of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation to obtain independently estimated ridership forecast data is equally harmful to public trust and confidence.

I was told yesterday that WMATA has been unable to provide data to consultants trying to estimate parking demand at stations in Loudoun County because WMATA claims it has no ridership information updated since work performed in 2002 for the Environmental Impact Statement. I was told that WMATA has either discarded or destroyed data used in the 2002 traffic model to estimate passenger origins and destinations and modal splits of transit v auto users.

The failure to make Metrorail riders responsible for any of the $6+ billion in project capital costs reflects the OPM mentality that pervades most in Congress, federal agency leaders and unelected authority Board members at MWAA and WMATA, mostly Tim Kaine's buddies from Inside the Capital Beltway.

What Tim Kaine calls anti-investment is what we taxpayers call fiscal responsibility and living within one’s means. It’s clear that as senator, Tim Kaine will not be part of any fiscal solution and will give us more of the same.

Can we hit "Reset" and two different candidates? We've got two unproductive duds in this.

Oh, I see - anti-BAD-investment = anti-investment. And we get this from a senatorial candidate.The sad thing is, that's politics.

As for investing - I suspect that if investors start using their OWN money to pay this, they will be MUCH more concerned about massive overcharges for rail stations, rail extensions, and parking garage buildings, etc. Sorry, but as an investor, our government is very quickly separated from its money. (OUR money, actually.) The people need to get on the stick, and put an end to that.

Certainly, investors can pay for Dulles Rail Phase II if they want to. All I ask is that they not rob me, or my geographical region, in order to do it. Let them build a rail line and charge people fares according to what it costs. Oops, no riders! What happened? Oh, I see - the toll road drivers and taxpayers need to subsidize the rail, so the fares are affordable.

I recently learned that a ride on the Washington Flyer bus costs something like $10 to get from Dulles Airport to Falls Church. I'm not sure what Silver Line fares will be, but Metrorail presently charges $5 maximum. So I guess that some people who now take the bus will be all for rail, since that would benefit them. The problem is that somebody else will have to pay for their rides.

I'm not sure, but I think that riders of the 5A bus will see higher costs from this switch to rail. They probably won't have a choice because the bus line evidently will be deleted when the rail line opens.

Rail transit does not benefit passengers and only benefits unions - some of Kaine's biggest supporters. He supports PLA's on the Dulles project which uses out-of-state labor and non-Virginia workers.

I'd much rather work with a skeptic than a true believer. With a skeptic, there's room for discussion and evolution.

However, I'm with Kim Kolb. Two different candidates would be nice. Realistically, all Allen's challengers have significant detractors, but at least there's a possibility of something different.

The Loudoun Rail is a glorifed parking place for rail to Dulles Airport. Loudoun will get about five miles of rail before a long stop at Dulles for passengers with luggage. Afterward, it's a long trip into the DC Metro area with many stops along the way. This is a boondoggle: Opt Out !

Could adding stops in Loudoun County help by getting commuters on a rail line to work rather than a nose to tail drive to work? I'm not sure a rail to Dulles would be THE way to get more passengers to the airport with their baggage. Is it a working way to really get travelers to National Airport? The parking situation at National is a mess. Finding your way to drop off a passenger is confusing. There isn't enough parking on sight as the airport was poorly planned way back when a 40 passenger plane was the carrier and there were not many air lines. You could drive to National, park and watch the planes coming and going. Big thrill for people then!

This is the sort of platitudinous drivel (“the most important capital city in the world”) that gives political hacks a bad name.

Tim Kaine hails Virginia’s growing economy. As if… (thanks, Bob!). He will “fight hard for federal support”. From the same feds who have gratified Americans with $15 trillion-plus of public debt? “But make it contingent on the state doing the same thing” (more federal taxpayer dollars plus more state taxpayer dollars). As long as it’s “investing”.

Kaine must be banking on Virginia taxpayers having very short memories. Would this be the same ex-governor who attempted in his final budget to saddle Virginians with a further massive tax load which could not attract a single Democrat vote? Er, yes.

Tim Kaine’s fiscal legacy: Trying to raise more taxes, more times than any other governor in Virginia history starting from week two to throughout his term - Expanding entitlements and failing to fund transportation his main campaign promise - Trying to create artificial tax jurisdictions only to be immediately declared unconstitutional, Having to refund his “abuser fees” due to political pressure, - Failing to get any Democrats to vote for his key budget - No compromise or results in special sessions - Presenting a half baked biennial budget with permanent taxes increases, tuition increases, and temporary cuts and then bailing out to work for Barack Obama as DNC Chairman in Dec 2008 during the worst phase of the economic downturn - Handing the Dulles Toll Road to WMAA a corrupt organization which guarantees that toll fares will dramatically increase and drive people to secondary roads - Still advocating that federal tax rates be allowed to rise in January - Being the most visible and consistent proponent of Obamacare in the name of social justice…is that enough?

According to Governor Kaine: "But when it comes to the state being a meaningful participant, Virginia has fallen short too. What i will try to do is go in and fight hard for federal support, but make it contingent is the state does the same thing."

When Kaine was interviewed, was he asked about the transfer of the Dulles Toll Road from Virginia to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for no monetary consideration? According to DRPT Administrator Thelma Drake:

http://www.datatrans.org/presentations/102011-DRPT-update.pdf See Page 13
Upon completion, Virginia will have contributed almost 60% of funding:
– VTA 2000 - $75 million
– CPR Bonds - $125 million
– STP Funds - $75 million
– Dulles Toll Road - $3.52 billion
(Does not include interest costs)

Given the $3.52 billion value of the Dulles Toll Road, why do Governor Kaine and his Democrat allies not see the state as "a meaningful participant?" Governor, please explain why you did not request an investment analysis of your action until after it was initiated. Your Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer in 2008 told a Richmond audience: "We got rid of the Dulles Toll Road because Dulles Rail posed an excessive risk (to the Commonwealth)."

Nate, give your Kate a hug for me. Watching those planes coming and going, all those many years ago was a real thrill and I still love airplanes. I must admit, though, the noise while getting ready to take off is not shrill! It is a deep throated roar! The thrill is the brakes off, slow start and then fuill throttle(?) lift and then there is no more weight of the plane and the pure excitement of being up in the clouds, when we were just on the ground! My other love and still very strong are the trains! The old steam train here to Baltimore and then becoming diesel-electric to Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan! But that is another story and quite long! <grin>

Bob Bruhns - Thanks Bob, blind in one eye and does see so good out of the other.
The phase 1 and 2 construction cost is whopping. With that fact alone would make anyone think more than twice at the continuance.
Afraid that amount is out of my range. I think most of us really look at the real cost - the interest cost and probably at whatever original figure would go up over time to get the construction finished. Contracts should be very closely read and then questioned even more closely. Sally

And the next question to our US Government - why ae there any troops in Europe? Is there a REAL need to protect Europe as a whole from their neighbors, i.e, the whole of Europe? France and Germany have standing armies. I would suppose any European nation, having sent troops as NATO forces would have a standing army. Maybe we need to question who is the enemy of the Europeans? Would we get an answer from NATO? Or would we get dead silence? I think the US needs to take the euphoria of what we think we are and look and act as we are - scared to death someone will challenge us on the pedestal we have made for ourselves. Meanwhile, outside of the troops in Europe, and the troops in the Moslem peopled nations - Why are we anywhere? Seems to me the Moslem nations hate us because we have blown ourselves us to look dangerous and are not willing to recognize that we aren't and aren't willing to see that those nations want their own sovereignty their way. Let's have some real discussions on the subject - other than fear!

Since I live near the future Wiehle station, it would be great for me to be able to ride Metro to the airport. I do see that Loudon residents might wonder how my being able to do that benefits them in a way that would make them want to fund it. For selfish reasons, I hope the rail extension does happen eventually, but being fiscally conservative I also hope that an equitable funding method is worked out and the funds are wisely spent.

Basically agree with Kaine--who I contributed to in 2005--on importance of Dulles Rail and Social Security. I just wish he weren't so close to Wall Street's Obama--who likely will move to privatize Medicare and Social Security--if he doesn't start a nuclear war with Iran, Syria, Russia & China first. And though I have been acquainted with George Allen for many years--I find him too close politically to my distant kinsman Jefferson Davis. As a lesser evil I chose the illustrious lifelong Virginian--Hank The Cat.

In case you missed my point, the current leadership of both major parties is bankrupt--intellectually and morally.

But they are doing well financially--kind of like Hosni Mubarak pre-Arab Spring.

As they say in Opus Dei circles, the Hand Of God Is Waving.

Good Evening, Gerald, Perhaps I did. But as far as I am concerned, both Houses of Congress contain members who are only aware of how much money they will come away with, not only while they manage to screw themselves into the workings of their position, but the even bigger bag of money they will have after they leave office.
When I became old enough to vote, there was an elderly man, whose name escapes me. He had been in Congress over 30 years. He bragged to me, not what he had accomplished - but the sterling silver given him in thanks for legislation had had gotten through Congress for the benefit of the citizens (women, only, evidently). These in some years were over what the pay was for Congressmen. Crooked? Nooooooooooo, he just knew how to fill his pockets. It was commented upon in the 3 papers in DC of the time. Each of them commenting on the sleeping man on the floor of Congress. He finally doddered into retirement and was gone to his well deserved rest! Yeah!

Yeah, my question to Kaine is what the fu$$ were you thinking giving the toll rd away to MWAA. MWAA has to be one of the worst corrupt groups in the DC area. Not getting my vote or my wife's vote and we're Independents.

TOLL ROAD! Yeah - who keeps the road in good condition? I don't live on the west side of the county, so I don't see anything or until now, hear anything about your side of the county. More cars - crowding the road? Toll money winding up in someone's pocket? Race car driving on a street, known as a toll road? The money gotten from paying tolls being used for some person who is part of the hierarchy of the board or whomever misusing the money? That would sound like the usual misuse of $!

!@$%^&^*()) you mean? Yes agree with all who think that is unnecessary. Shows a person with a VERY small vocabulary. Thank you for mentioning that you agree with me! (I think) Sally

Summarizing the position of independent-thinking VA Democrats--those of us who like Dulles Rail but distrust Wall Street's Barack Obama: We are apt to defeat President Obama--but just might elect Tim Kaine.

Hey - Gerald - can we bypass Obama for Kaine who is running for congress? <grin> That would be something!