It started with the pronouncement that we are locked in a sluggish world economy and Saddam, if left unanswered, could initiate a second 9/11.
Then there was a somewhat conditional assurance that Inova Mount Vernon Hospital would not fall victim to the economic downturn.
And, to add to the ominous storm clouds being painted on the horizon, the first speaker suggested we may all die of asphyxiation due to vehicle-induced increased air pollution.
It was a fun session all around.
That was the opening of Mount Vernon District supervisor Gerald W. Hyland's (D) 16th Annual Town Meeting last Saturday at Mount Vernon High School. Even his traditional “Virtual Bus Tour" seemed to be proceeding more cautiously this year to avoid the scattered fiscal potholes along the route.
It began at 8 a.m. with a 60-exhibit trade show in the school cafeteria and concluded at 2 p.m. with a new feature, The Taste of Mount Vernon, featuring nine eateries spread throughout the Mount Vernon-Lee districts. Attendees did not lack for information, interaction or sustenance.
As nearly 400 of his constituents poured into the school's Little Theater, Hyland welcomed them to "their town meeting." U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-11th) kicked off the nonstop, four-hour-plus meeting by noting that the local and state economic woes are exacerbated by "a sluggish world economy." He also warned, "Saddam is continuing to work on weapons of mass destruction" with an aim of developing a nuclear capability.
"One of the difficulties we have is that if we leave him alone, he will bring that threat here, and it becomes another 9/11," Davis insisted. But, he asked in a rhetorical sense, "What does happen if we get a regime change? It's a difficult chess game. I would be less than candid not to say that we are concerned about what comes next."
ON A SUBJECT closer to home, Hyland asked Davis, "Can we expect the support of Congress once the study is completed on the closed Woodlawn Road?" The congressman responded, "Of course. We are going to sit down with all the parties to solve this critical situation."
Five million dollars has been earmarked to conduct the study.
Hyland then donned his bus-driver black jacket and cap to take the audience on his Virtual Bus Tour of the district, which highlights various development activities. However, before "pulling out," he took on a serious tone with the announcement that he wanted to address a "very delicate subject."
He noted, "There have been too many rumors going around about the potential closure of Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. We are clear it will not close. As long as I am your supervisor, I will fight like you know what to keep our hospital here. I know, very personally, how important it is to the people of the Mount Vernon District."
Hyland explained, "Citizen groups from both Mount Vernon and Lee districts will sit down with the Inova Hospital System people and talk about the future of the hospital. It needs to continue services that are critical to the citizens. There may be a need to re-evaluate the services.
"Presently, there is no Mount Vernon representative on the Inova Board of Trustees. That will be changing. We will have representation."
He then began his tour via a power-point presentation of various activities throughout the district over the last year. Some of the sites visited were the following:
. The new South County Government Center, which provides a wide variety of services to residents of the area. The number of users has doubled from original projections;
. Belle Haven Country Club's rebuilding of the golf course;
. Plans to seek the establishment of a northbound turning lane into the new U.S. Post Office on Route 1;
. Establishment of a Super Safeway at Mount Vernon Square, without a gasoline station;
. The IMP Building has been sold for $5.5 million with a new hotel planned for that site;
. Another potential hotel planned for Kings Crossing;
. A review of the transfer of the Lorton Correctional Facility and plans for an Arts Center, new 2,500-student public school, senior center, golf course, and other facilities at what is now known as Laurel Hills;
. Commencement of the Gunston Road Trail with the first 1-mile section to get under way in February;
. Creation of a total environmentally protected open space recreation area at Meadowood Farm with biking and hiking trails and allowing no motorized vehicles.
FOLLOWING THE "bus tour" Hyland introduced the first of eight speakers, Katherine K. Hanley (D), chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, whose topic was "Rejection of the Sales Tax Referendum and What Next?"
But she started off by referring to the announcement that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had just upgraded the Washington area's ozone levels to "severe."
Hanley explained this was caused by the December order of the U.S. District Court following a suit by two environmental groups against the EPA for failing to enforce more stringent air-quality standards. The region had been listed as "serious," which does not demand the same cleanup requirements.
This places the Washington region as one of 10 classified as severe. It includes Baltimore. The only area with a higher, more dangerous rating is Los Angeles, which is rated as "extreme."
The EPA had granted the Washington Region an extension from the November 1999 deadline to show improvement based on the conclusion progress was being made. The suit challenged that assumption and caused the reclassification.
"EPA didn't have any authority to extend the deadline and had to bump us up," Hanley explained. "We are now 50 tons of noxious gases over the limit in our air every day. If it doesn't improve all federal transportation funding will stop."
She noted, "Cars account for 42 percent of the air pollution. Heavy-duty diesel trucks, although only 3 percent of the traffic, contribute 30 percent of the noxious gases." Hanley also took a swipe at state Sen. Ken Cuccinelli's (R-37th) effort to reduce the size of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project and stop the building of the Telegraph Road Interchange.
"Cuccinelli's bill would cause a three-year delay in the overall project and end up costing more than it would save," Hanley insisted. Cuccinelli has maintained it would save "hundreds of millions" of dollars if the bridge project was reduced from 12 to 10 lanes.
Following Hanley, Fairfax County Executive Tony Griffin told the audience his "biggest challenge in the year ahead is the budget."
"Even though Governing Magazine from the Maxwell School has rated Fairfax County as the best-managed in the country, we can still do better," said Griffin.
He revealed that only 76 new positions have been added to county government since 1991 and that they recently received a $12 million grant from the federal government to aid in homeland security efforts.
THE BUDGET CRUNCH was given added exposure by dire warnings from the county's chief financial officer, Edward L. Long Jr. "Everybody wants more than is available. We are going in the exact opposite direction of where we want to go," he told the audience.
Long pointed out that the county's revenue flow is dangerously perched on real-estate taxes. "These account for 56.5 percent of our income. The next greatest revenue producer is personal property tax," he said.
"All other revenue sources are flat or extremely slow-growing. Each penny of tax represents $13 million of income," Long said. "The top priority in spending is still education, which accounts for 52.5 percent of budget expenditures."
This brought forth an audience response and a question. "With all these property-tax increases going to schools due to the increase in the immigrant population, what is the county doing about controlling the property-tax situation?"
There was no answer.
LEE DISTRICT supervisor Dana Kauffman (D) rose to the occasion by stating, "There is a real fundamental disconnect between development and our ability to provide services. Gerry and I have tried to address this disconnect between public facilities and development."
He went to on to explain, "We have revisited all the development issue facing the county. This hasn't been done for 15 years. The county has acted to set aside land where we want to encourage smart growth. And, we have set aside enough open space land to equal three New York Central Parks."
In his appraisal of smart growth, Kauffman emphasized, "We are encouraging growth around and near Metro stations. Fairfax County is the economic engine for Northern Virginia. Seventy-six percent of Virginia voters favor empowering local leaders to control and provide for public facility growth and development."
ADDRESSING THE subject of public safety were Fairfax County Police chief Thomas Manger, and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department assistant chief Michael Nuehard. Manger noted that the Mount Vernon District crime rate had dropped in the past year, which sets it apart from other areas of the county.
He also pointed out, "We have a staff of 1,300 officers, which is one half the national average," and when things like the sniper incident occur, "we still must provide all the regular services" while working on such a high-profile situation.
Neuhard revealed that a new station was planned for the Laurel Hill development at the former Lorton prison site. "It will be known as the Cross Points Station," he said.
Over the past year the fire department has responded to a total of 87,000 calls. Of that amount, 11,591 calls were in the Mount Vernon District. This represents a 5-percent growth in emergency calls and a 3-percent increase in fire calls, according to Neuhard. He also noted there has been increasing cooperation with the Fort Belvoir Station in responding to calls.
HYLAND RECOGNIZED U.S. Rep. James P. Moran (D-8th), who revealed that although Fort Belvoir was on the list of bases being considered for possible closure, "It's not going to happen. And, I trust the Army won't carry that too far."
He then launched into a criticism of President Bush's tax-cut proposal and noted, "All the requirements to improve education were passed by the Congress, but none of the money. This is going to put an unnecessary increased burden on property owners and increase pressure on real-estate taxes. I voted against a tax cut and will do it again."
This brought forth an angry response from a member of the audience accusing Moran of using the Town Meeting forum to "make a political speech." Moran responded, "These are my views, and if you interpreted them as a political speech, so be it."
Col. Thomas William, garrison commander, Fort Belvoir, then came to the podium to remind the attendees, "Those at Fort Belvoir are truly your neighbors. Many who work at the installation live in the community."
He pointed out, "The demographics are changing in the military. It is no longer primarily a single person's endeavor. Soldiers now have families with three and four kids. And, Belvoir is one of seven Army facilities that actively participate in the social service programs of the surrounding community."
IN ANSWER TO questions pertaining to the potential loss of baseball fields in the Woodlawn area due to restrictions implemented since 9/11, Williams promised, "Three hundred kids will not miss the baseball season. We will work out a solution.
"We have had a sports partnership with the community for many years, and it will continue. We were particularly happy to be able to host 111 football games during the sniper incident. We are here to stay."
Closing out the forum was Dr. Calanthia Tucker, director, Cluster IV Schools, and a prior principal at Mount Vernon High School. She assured the audience that, in spite of the budget belt-tightening, "There will be no cuts in any of the academic projects such as Project Excel."
Following citizen comments and questions, Hyland urged those remaining to join him across the hall to participate in the first Taste of Mount Vernon. They eagerly followed his advice and poured into the school cafeteria to turn from mental nourishment to that which was more tangible.