Dave Webster
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On the Blog Post Commercial Development at Dulles Airport May Impede Herndon’s Metro Station Area Plan
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On the Blog Post Commercial Development at Dulles Airport May Impede Herndon’s Metro Station Area Plan
Dave Webster
11:44 am on Sunday, May 19, 2013
ReplyLet's see what he says.
Mr. Connaughton,
An acquaintance of mine forwarded a response from you to the effect that Virginia can do nothing about the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority's intended use of Dulles Airport for commercial use.
As you know, the Federal government authorized the use of Dulles Airport for commercial use in February of 2012. This Federal act, however, merely allowed for MWAA's lease to be amended.
The original MWAA lease and all lease amendments must be, and have been, signed by Virginia governors. Please take a look at the original MWAA lease and subsequent three lease amendments, all signed by Virginia governors. The source for Virginia's rights with regard to the MWAA lease comes from Va. Code § 5.1-154. Acquisition of airports; approval. This code section states that the "Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority created by this act is hereby authorized . . . to acquire from the United States of America, by lease or otherwise, the two airports known as Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport . . . , but only with the approval of the Governor of Virginia."
Therefore, Virginia has a right to object to the proposed commercial use as a constituent member of MWAA. In other words, we don't have to go along with the lease amendment or could attach conditions to it.
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On the Blog Post Commercial Development at Dulles Airport May Impede Herndon’s Metro Station Area Plan
Dave Webster
11:15 am on Sunday, May 19, 2013
ReplyThanks. I will send my own letter to Sean Connaughton informing him of his erroneous analysis and see what he says.
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On the Blog Post Commercial Development at Dulles Airport May Impede Herndon’s Metro Station Area Plan
Dave Webster
9:07 am on Sunday, May 19, 2013
ReplyHe is wrong on two fronts. Whether he knows he is wrong is a different story. First, Virginia granted MWAA exemption from STATE income taxes. We can take that exemption away now that MWAA has decided to become a commercial venture rather than merely running an airport. Two, Virginia could attach conditions to the MWAA lease amendment if we wanted to. Virginia governors must sign, and have signed, every amendment to MWAA's lease with the Federal government.
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On the Blog Post The GreenTech Automotive, Inc. v. Watchdog.org Libel Suit
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On the Blog Post The GreenTech Automotive, Inc. v. Watchdog.org Libel Suit
Dave Webster
12:46 pm on Friday, May 10, 2013
ReplyI would like to note for the record that not a single person defended GreenTech's actions in filing this suit even though this column appeared in the following Patches: Asbhurn, Bethesday-Chevy Chase, MD, Del Ray, Alexandria, Fairfax City, Greater Alexandria, Herndon, Leesburg, McLean, Old Town Alexandria, and Reston.
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On the Blog Post The GreenTech Automotive, Inc. v. Watchdog.org Libel Suit
Dave Webster
6:50 am on Tuesday, May 7, 2013
ReplyThis blog was also posted on some other local Virginia Patches, including the Del Ray, Alexandria Patch. So Del Ray Rez wanted to know why this topic was relevant to Alexandria.
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On the Blog Post The GreenTech Automotive, Inc. v. Watchdog.org Libel Suit
Dave Webster
9:27 am on Sunday, May 5, 2013
ReplyThe Franklin Center is located on King Street in Alexandria.
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On the article 10 Burglaries in Less Than 6 Hours in McLean
Dave Webster
7:59 pm on Saturday, May 4, 2013
ReplyThis sounds suspiciously similar to the April 22, 2013 robbery in Shouse Village. On that day a home on Trombone Court in Shouse Village in Vienna was burglarized. The front door was found open with the lock broken. The police reported there were two suspects, one male and one female, both around 30 years old. They carried the stolen belongings and a safe to a grey, older model, Isuzu.
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On the article Could a Plastic Bag Tax Be Coming to Virginia?
Dave Webster
8:26 pm on Thursday, April 25, 2013
ReplyI agree the Town of Herndon can't pass such an ordinance on its own. Did someone make a comment the Town could do so? I didn't. With regard to the Moran bill, it's clear from this article his proposal is to use the money to fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund. As I stated above, "if such a tax is going to be passed, it should be done by the General Assembly. Let's keep this money in Virginia to be used to solve Virginia problems."
Dave Webster
11:45 am on Sunday, May 19, 2013
Also please note that Virginia independently granted a state income tax exemption to MWAA pursuant to Va. Code § 5.1-172. Virginia can take away this exemption from state income tax now that MWAA has decided to become a for-profit commercial entity rather than a mere steward of Dulles Airport.
I look forward to your response.