Scott Bradford: Off on a Tangent

Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 2009

Posted

In the race for Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Attorney General Bob McDonnell (R) faces off against Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds (D-25th). Governors serve four-year terms, and are limited to one consecutive term (hence, Governor Tim Kaine [D] is ineligible to run for reelection). This race presents a rematch of the 2005 Attorney General race, in which McDonnell narrowly defeated Deeds by the closest margin for a statewide office in Virginia election history.

Following the generally inept leadership of Governor Jim Gilmore (R) from 1997-2001, Virginia changed political course with the election of Governor Mark Warner (D). Warner’s tenure was one of comparative stability and, while I certainly disagreed with many of his policies, he did well enough to merit the Off on a Tangent endorsement when he challenged Gilmore for the U.S. Senate in 2008.

Virginians elected Warner’s natural successor, Governor Tim Kaine (D), to the highest office in the state in 2005. In a rare move for such an important office, I made no endorsement in that race. Kaine and his challenger, Jerry Kilgore (R), each presented nothing but empty rhetoric and half-developed plans to solve Virginia’s toughest problems. Neither were the right person for the job, and Kaine’s leadership over the last four years has not changed my mind. There has been little to no progress on the biggest issues.

Read more . . .

Corrrection Regarding John Catoe of WMATA

Posted

In my brief piece last week calling for accountability at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA, ‘Metro’) Board of Directors, I stated that Metro General Manager John Catoe came to Washington from the San Francisco BART system. This statement was incorrect. Catoe actually came to WMATA from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. I apologize for this error. Per Off on a Tangent policy, I have corrected the original piece with an annotation.

I wanted to call attention to this with its own post for two reasons:

First, I feel bad about it. I try to make sure everything I post is accurate and I should have more carefully checked my facts about Catoe before publishing them. Mea culpa. The remainder of that post, however, is accurate and I stand by its core thesis unequivocally. The Metro Board and Catoe appear woefully out-of-touch with riders and the general public, and they must be held accountable for their mistakes.

Second, I want to thank Brett Tyler, Director of the Office of Customer Service for the Metro Board of Directors. On the same day I published my piece here, I sent an email to the Metro Board expressing these same sentiments to them directly. Tyler responded this morning with an actual message (not a form letter!) expressing the Board’s point of view. He also politely pointed out that my statement about Catoe’s work history was incorrect. I really appreciate that Tyler took the time to write a real response to my message.

Virginia Statewide Offices (Lt. Governor, Atty. General), 2009

Posted

Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia

In the race for Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, incumbent Bill Bolling (R) is challenged by former Virginia Secretary of Finance Jody Wagner (D). Lieutenant Governors serve four year terms, act as president of the Virginia Senate, and are first in the line of succession if the governor leaves office or is incapacitated.

Bolling’s campaign in 2005 merited only a tepid endorsement from Off on a Tangent, and because of the relatively limited authority granted to the lieutenant governor it is very difficult to judge his four year term. Serving with Governor Tim Kaine (D), a member of the opposing party, Bolling has been limited to presiding over the state Senate in a largely ceremonial role.

Wagner has spent much of the last eight years serving under Governor Mark Warner (D) and Governor Tim Kaine (D) so, once again, it is very difficult to judge her record as an individual. Her responsibilities were primarily to support the policies of Warner and Kaine, not to pursue her own initiatives.

Read more . . .

Virginia House of Delegates, 86th District, 2009

Posted

Incumbent Del. Tom Rust (R-86th) is challenged by Loudoun County Supervisor Stevens Miller (D-Dulles) in the race for the 86th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. The 86th District includes Herndon and Oak Hill in Fairfax County and the Sterling area of Loudoun County. Members serve two-year terms and Rust is seeking his fifth term representing the 86th District.

Unfortunately, both candidates’ campaigns skimp on providing us with any details about . . . anything. Rust presents a total of four 1-paragraph blurbs on his website to explain his views on ‘the issues’: jobs, education, transportation, and the environment. Miller manages to disappoint even more with a total of only three 1-paragraph blurbs about his ‘issues’: education, taxation, and transportation.

It is clear to me that neither candidate particularly wants anybody’s vote.

Read more . . .

Fairfax County Bond Referendum, 2009

Posted

Introduction

Virginia county governments are required to put bond issuance to a voter referendum in order to borrow money on behalf of the county. Bond issuance is usually used by governments to raise money for large capital expenditures, and those bonds are repaid to their purchasers at a later date with interest. Bond referendums in Fairfax County historically pass by a large margin, in large part because people think they are voting in favor of the agencies that will benefit. After all, who wants to vote ‘against’ schools, parks, or transportation? Many voters do not realize that bond issuance contributes to government debt and should be used sparingly.

Fairfax County School Bonds

Citizens of Fairfax County will be asked through a bond referendum to authorize the Board of Supervisors to borrow up to $232.6 million to fund Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). This money, in addition to bonds previously issued and other funding, will be used for building new schools and improving existing ones.

Read more . . .

Scott Bradford is a writer and technologist who has been putting his opinions online since 1995. He believes in three inviolable human rights: life, liberty, and property. He is a Catholic Christian who worships the trinitarian God described in the Nicene Creed. Scott is a husband, nerd, pet lover, and AMC/Jeep enthusiast with a B.S. degree in public administration from George Mason University.