I’ve previously written about Fairfax County (Hunter Mill) Supervisor candidate Maggie Parker, who’s running as a Democrat but sure seems like a Republican. Also see In the Hunter Mill (Fairfax County) Democratic Primary, Vote for Anyone *Other Than* Maggie Parker on June 11, which reported on Parker’s Republican ties, as well as on this fiasco, which Parker is involved with:
Comstock Companies, the developer of Reston Station, has barred political campaigning at Reston Station Plaza — a policy that clashes with the county’s official position on the issue.
Conflicting stances on the permissibility of political campaigning at the plaza has piqued some concerns about the privatization of public spaces in Reston.
A spokesperson for Fairfax County told Reston Now that state election law “doesn’t prohibit campaign activities including voter registration on private property.”
Comstock leases Reston Station Plaza from Fairfax County under a 99-year ground lease. This public-private partnership does not prevent political campaign activities, the county says.
The company, however, has adopted a longstanding policy that political campaigning is not allowed at the plaza, according to Maggie Parker, Comstock’s vice president of communications.
Now, as if we needed any more reasons not to vote for Parker, we have her campaign finance numbers for April 1-May 30. A few highlights include:
- Parker received $93k of “in-kind” contributions, almost all from…yep, Comstock Companies, whose CEO is a Republican mega-donor pushing hard for Democrats to nominate his preferred candidate, Maggie Parker, in the June 11th Democratic primary for Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (Hunter Mill District).
- Parker received $155k in cash contributions, the vast majority of which came from big developer interests – $25k from Miller & Long Concrete Construction, $25k from James G. Davis Construction Corp, $10k from Comstock Development Services, $10k from Robert Buchanan (“Under Bob’s guidance, Buchanan Partners has become one of the leading full-service real estate firms in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.”), $15k from something called “Citizens for a Better Tomorrow” (“Republican Advocacy,” receives money from Comstock Development Services and other real estate interests); $5k from LF Jennings Inc (“has worked as a general contractor for owners of quality commercial developments in the Mid-Atlantic region since 1952”), $5k from CLS Bldg C LC, etc, etc. Sensing a pattern here?
- As Parker’s real, non-fake, actual Democratic primary opponent, Walter Alcorn, says, “Maggie is the top grossing candidate in any district county-wide. And the Comstock company or Comstock executives have given at least $108,323 to her campaign this reporting period – that’s more than the total amount I have raised this entire campaign. And an additional $101,500 of her donations come from known developers and their vendors.“
- And, Alcorn adds, “There are still problems with first amendment rights being curtailed on Reston Station Plaza, which is plastered with Maggie Parker campaign ads. Comstock has allowed Maggie to continue campaigning there but has prohibited others from campaigning on the plaza as recently as yesterday.
- Finally, as Alcorn puts it: “Fairfax County has a long history of a citizen-run Board of Supervisors, at least since the scandals of the 1960s, and this represents an alarming attempt by the foxes to control the hen house.”
With that, check out the following graphics, since a picture speaks a thousand words and all that…and please make sure you vote in the Democratic primary next Tuesday – for any candidate NOT named Maggie Parker! (note: I’m particularly impressed with Walter Alcorn and also Shyamali Hauth)
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