ACORN Cracked

There's a website up blowing the whistle on that bunch of nuts, ACORN. The website is at http://www.acorncracked.com Have fun!

TPO July 15, 2009

Today the Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), Hampton Roads' Federally-mandated Transportation board, met. Some big news out of today's meeting.

First, the TPO received full Federal accreditation. Previously Washington had scolded the then-MPO for a number of practices that didn't comply with Federal requirements.

Second, there was a Resolution approved endorsing Higher Speed Rail for the region. Virginia's Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) is currently studying three different scenarios for our region. The catch: who gets the lion's share, the Southside or the Peninsula? Norfolk Southern has informally expressed interest in operating passenger rail between Norfolk and Richmond.

Third, preliminary approval was given to a list of projects for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) stimulus funding. Two regional and some local projects were endorsed. The regional road project was the I-564 multimodal connector, while the regional mass transit project was help for Norfolk light rail, with the focus being a multimodal station at Harbor Park. Suffolk tried to get a project upgraded from local to regional, but was voted down.

1st Annual Southside Republican Picnic & Kickball Classic

Yeah, you gotta love first annuals. However, this one should be fun: a picnic in Virginia Beach's Woodstock Park on Friday, August 21 at 5:30 P.M. The event is being held by the Norfolk and Portsmouth Young Republicans. Already confirmed: Republican Attorney General nominee Ken Cuccinelli.

To offset the costs of the event, Sponsors are being sought. If interested, e-mail D.J. Spiker at danieljspiker@gmail.com

LRT Scoping Meetings

The dates and times for the Virginia Beach light rail Scoping meetings have finally been set. As expected, there will be two meetings: one at Princess Anne High School (September 9) and one at the Virginia Beach Convention Center (September 10). Both meetings will run 6-8 P.M.

The sites are targeted at the two big redevelopment areas in the Study: the Central Business District and the Resort Area. Show up and speak or forever hold your peace.

Pricing Fun

With yesterday being payday, on the way home from work I stopped to do some shopping. The store was offering a 3 bar pack of soap for $3. On the other hand, it was selling a 7 bar pack of the very same soap for $3.25

Wonder how many of those 3 packs they actually sold....

64% Want To Raise The Gas Tax

With new road construction money virtually dried up in Virginia, 64% of poll voters supported raising the Gas Tax to boost Transportation. 36% were opposed.

The new poll question: should Virginia Beach implement mandatory Inclusionary Zoning? Empower Hampton Roads has lobbied for it, while Mayor Will Sessoms talked about it on the campaign trail. The Beach does have a voluntary density credit program in it's Strategic Growth Areas (SGAs), but that so far has resulted in zero units being built.

It's telling that while the Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance (VBTA) repeatedly goes on about what the Mayor said during the campaign about a light rail referendum, they conveniently omit what he promised on mandatory IZ and running mass transit buses on outlying routes after 7 P.M. The VBTA suffers from very selective indignation.

Toscano At The VBTA

Below is the YouTube video of James Toscano of Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) speaking to the June meeting of the Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance (VBTA) on light rail.

What struck me: notice the deafening silence of the audience. The myriad of lies that Reid Greenmun had fed the VBTA are being shredded, and the poor Kool-Aid chuggers - unable to think for themselves - have no idea what to do.

H/T to Michael Ragsdale of HR Transit Ideas for putting together the playlist that allows the three segments (YouTube videos can be a maximum 10 minutes) to be shown as a single show.