Press release from Rep. Moran’s office, this truly is a “nightmare.”

Moran Slams Brakes on Approaching Traffic Nightmare

Caps parking at 1,000 spaces at BRAC facility to mitigate gridlock

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat and senior member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, included language in the FY ’11 Defense Authorization bill which would cap the amount of available parking at the Washington Headquarters Service facility currently being constructed at the Mark Center in Alexandria (map) at 1,000 spaces. VDOT has projected that even with the current transportation management plan, I-395 and local roadways and intersections will experience failing levels of service that will heavily increase traffic during morning and evening rush hour.

“If nothing is done and the relocation continues as scheduled, VDOT has stated there will be ‘complete gridlock’ on Seminary Road and Beauregard Street and ‘severe’ congestion between the King Street and Duke Street exits on I-395,” said Moran.

The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) plan requires that 6,400 defense personnel currently working in Metro-accessible leased office space in Northern Virginia must move to the new Mark Center facility by September 2011.

The Moran language limits the number of cars commuting to and from the Mark Center by restricting the number of parking spaces that would be available for DoD use, as well as banning the lease of additional spaces in the immediate vicinity. “Our goal is to force the Army to put an effective transportation solution in place before the majority of workers are allowed in the building. Under the current plan, the traffic situation will be intolerable.”

Under the language, the DoD must first receive congressional approval for a detailed traffic management plan that would prevent service levels at six key intersections near the facility from being negatively affected.  Next, the DoD would be required to complete construction of the transportation improvements such as access roads and ramps before the parking cap is lifted.

The six intersections in question include:

(1) The intersection of Beauregard Street and Mark Center Drive.

(2) The intersection of Beauregard Street and Seminary Road.

(3) The intersection of Seminary Road and Mark Center Drive.

(4) The intersection of Seminary Road and the northbound entrance-ramp to I-395.

(5) The intersection of Seminary Road and the northbound exit-ramp from I-395.

(6) The intersection of Seminary Road and the southbound exit-ramp from I-395.

“The Pentagon dropped the ball on transportation planning for the base realignment at the Mark Center. A building of this size with no access to Metro should never have been considered at this location,” said Moran. “Now we’re pulling out all the stops to mitigate the consequences of the Defense Department’s mistakes.”  

Moran and local officials in Alexandria and Fairfax County have called on the military to construct a direct access ramp to the Mark Center from I-395 to help alleviate some of the congestion.

The language was included in the FY’11 Defense Authorization bill which passed committee on Friday and is scheduled for consideration on the House floor this week.

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Wednesday “Clips.”

2. MCDONNELL SAYS HE DIDN’T KNOW OF FRED MALEK’S NIXON WORK, SEC SETTLEMENT

5. VA., FEDS SPAR OVER STATE’S RIGHT TO SUE OVER HEALTH CARE

7. VIRGINIA MAY PASS ON U.S. EDUCATION GRANT CONTEST

8. ALLEN SAYS ‘POOR JUDGMENT’ LED TO ‘MACACA MOMENT’

9. FIMIAN POLL SHOWS HIM LEADING HERRITY IN NOVA PRIMARY RACE

10. SEN. WEBB RETURNING TO MYANMAR

13. GOP CHALLENGER RIGELL CLAIMS 37 POINT LEAD OVER OPPONENTS ON INTERNAL POLL…

19. VA. RECEIVES $1 MILLION FOR SNOW REPAIR

20. VIRGINIA APPEALS COURT AFFIRMS POWER PLANT PERMIT

21. TUITION IS UP ACROSS THE STATE

31. VIRGINIA NEEDS YOU TO MOW ITS MEDIANS

41. SENATORS INTRODUCE $2B BILL THAT COULD EASE METRO FARE HIKES

This looks like a good event by Repower America, check it out!

Arlington Small Business Roundtable: How Clean Energy Will Benefit My Business

You are cordially invited to attend a gathering of local business leaders in Arlington to discuss the benefits of clean energy. This will be a chance to interact with other businesses in the area, exchange ideas and learn what you can do right now as a business leader. No matter if you own a used bookstore or install solar panels, this breakfast is for you.

A clean energy economy will help Virginia businesses save money and create jobs. This breakfast gathering will highlight how your business can benefit from clean energy and learn how to get more involved regarding clean energy in your community.

When: 7:30 to 8:30 AM, Friday, June 4

Where: Café Assorti (1800 Wilson Boulevard, near the Rosslyn and Court House Metro Stations)

Please let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from you about this exciting event!

Please RSVP to

chris.janszky@climateprotect.org or 203.253.7213

Thank you,

Chris Jánszky

First, here’s Jim Webb’s statement on “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen have laid out a specific and responsible plan to examine the current ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy in a manner that includes a comprehensive survey of those wearing the uniform. The White House and Secretary Gates both said today that, ideally, the Defense Department should complete this review before legislative action is taken. There is no question that a review of the policy is necessary and important. I see no reason for the political process to pre-empt it.

Now, here’s my response to Sen. Webb.  

First, this policy has been an abject failure almost any way you want to look at it. In a military that’s overstretched as it is, the concept that we would discharge highly-trained (at high cost to taxpayers), highly-qualified people, such as experts in the Arabic language, makes absolutely no sense.

Second, most other countries in the western world already allow gays to serve openly in the military, and they seem to be doing just fine. That includes the Israeli armed forces, not exactly known as a pushover as a military force.

Third, we don’t need any more “study” about whether to end DADT; we already know it makes no sense and serves no useful purpose. The only question is exactly how to end it, which the military should figure out in the next few months. Other than that, there’s zero reason to keep DADT on the books for another minute.

Fourth, not that we should base public policy on opinion polls, but according to a new CNN poll, the American people overwhelmingly (nearly 8 in 10) support ending DADT.

Finally, DADT should be repealed because it is deeply unjust and fundamentally unfair.  Just as you opened more operational billets to women than any other Navy Secretary, today it’s time for you to support opening the military to gays and lesbians who want to serve their country.

Thank you.

Alan Grayson, the quirky progressive Democratic Congressman from Florida, has introduced a piece of legislation in the House of Representatives with that title: The War Is Making Your Poor Act. It eliminates separate funding for our two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, so citizens can actually see how much those wars cost. Of course, for the past nine years the wars have been funded through special, “emergency” supplementals, rather than laid out in, and included in, the normal budgeting process. In case you are curious, the Independent Media Institute in San Francisco has figured next year’s cost of the two wars at $195,000,000,000.

The War Is Making You Poor Act not only ends the dodgy emergency supplemental funding for the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, but also eliminates federal income taxes on the first $35,000 of income ($70,000 for couples) and pays down the national debt. What could be wrong with that?  Well, it could be the industrial-defense complex might prefer taxpayers did not know what our military interventions cost us, so Congressman Grayson needs the help of concerned citizens everywhere to support his dandy little The War Is Making You Poor Act, so Don Hazen (Executive Editor at AlterNet.org) sent around an e-mail with a petition from Change.org you can sign, supporting the Act

here

The contents of an email just received from Del. David Englin:

Dear Ken,

Three weeks from today — on June 15 — Democrats have an opportunity to pick up a seat in the House of Delegates that we’d have almost no chance of winning any other time. Our Democratic nominee, Kai Degner, is a grassroots community organizer who, at age 27 was elected Mayor of Harrisonburg, winning every precinct in the city and receiving more votes than John McCain and Sarah Palin. For the past two years, he’s been hard at work creating jobs, making government more transparent, increasing citizen involvement, and working toward a more sustainable Harrisonburg.

Now he’s running in the June 15 special election to fill the seat vacated by Matt Lohr, a Republican who has accepted a position in the McDonnell Administration. During a regular election, it would be very difficult for a Democrat to win this heavily Republican district. However, special elections are different, and the candidate with the best grassroots operation who can target and turnout voters can win. Mayor Kai Degner is that candidate. Better still, the Republican candidate has virtually gone into hiding, and there’s an Independent candidate running as an even more conservative alternative to the Republican. In other words, with your help and support, this could be the perfect storm for an upset victory by a terrific Democrat!

Mayor Kai Degner needs all the help he can get down the home stretch. Can you please contribute $25, $50, $100, or whatever you can afford right now so he has the resources to win an upset victory on June 15?

Yours,

Thanks to Tom Whipple for the Tuesday “Clips.”

1. MCDONNELL A MAN OF THIS TIME

2. BOB MCDONNELL IN VA.: FROM CONSERVATIVE TO PRAGMATIST

3. HAS MCDONNELL’S NATIONAL REHABILITATION BEGUN?

4. BOLLING, CUCCINELLI KEEP EACH OTHER INFORMED

5. FEDERAL LAWYERS MOVE FOR DISMISSAL OF HEALTH-CARE CHALLENGE

9. MCDONNELL MEETS WITH LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS

11. WHY DID FAIRFAX CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT REPUBLICANS CANCEL THEIR CONVENTION?

12. HURT CALLS FOR A RETURN TO THE COUNTRY’S FOUNDING PRINCIPLES

14. REP. JAMES MORAN’S INVESTMENTS ILLUSTRATE CONGRESS’S LEEWAY IN TRADING

17. VIRGINIA MEMBERS OF VETS ACTIVIST GROUP URGES REPEAL OF ‘DON’T ASK DON’T TELL’

18. TERRY MCAULIFFE FIRM BUYS ELECTRIC CAR COMPANY

24. FOR VIRGINIA’S EX-CONS, MORE AID WITH REBUILDING THEIR LIVES