Roads a Priority, Legislators Told
By Peter A. McKay
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 7, 1998; Page V04
"It takes longer to solve the transportation problem than it does to build schools" or address other concerns, said Buck Waters, president of the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Members of the regional chamber and the Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chamber of Commerce collaborated on an eight-page booklet outlining their priorities for the General Assembly session that begins next Wednesday. They presented their proposals to all six of the Prince William area's delegates and senators at a breakfast at the Old Country Buffet in Manassas.
In general, the elected officials agreed with the chambers' emphasis on transportation.
"I think transportation is important to Prince William because of our growth," said Sen. Charles D. Colgan (D-District 29). "In order to develop an economic base, we have to have good roads."
But he and other legislators disagreed on some of the specifics the chambers offered on projects, such as the controversial $1.3 billion western corridor project. Colgan took issue with the chambers' endorsement of the connector project, a proposed road that would run through the heart of Prince William and Loudoun counties, because he said its proponents have not yet said specifically where it will run.
Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-District 13) opposed the connector as an unnecessary pet project favored by large development interests, although he did not fault the chambers for supporting the idea.
"If you talk to most of these people here, they haven't seen the same studies we have," Marshall said, referring to the chamber membership.
The chambers also supported widening Route 28 south of Manassas Regional Airport, completion of the Route 28 and Route 234 bypasses, and improvements to U.S. 1. General Assembly members were more supportive of those ideas.
The chambers offered fewer specifics on their non-transportation priorities, which included hiring more teachers, supporting new construction at the Manassas campus of George Mason University and opposing several new tax proposals.
School Board member John Harper Jr., who is running as a Democrat in the Jan. 13 special election for the District 51 seat vacated by Del. David G. Brickley (D), also spoke briefly at the breakfast, saying he favored many of the chambers' ideas. He said he supports eliminating Virginia's car tax on an accelerated four-year schedule.
Harper (Neabsco) said in an interview after the breakfast -- but not in his remarks to the chambers -- that he supports stricter regulation of Virginia's utilities. He said some utilities' practice of raising their rates in the short term and then refunding the money if regulators don't approve the increases later is dishonest.
"In essence, they're getting a free loan, because they have the money long enough to earn interest on it," Harper said.
Harper's opponent, Supervisor Michele B. McQuigg (R-Occoquan), was invited to the breakfast but canceled at the last minute, Waters said.
Manassas lawyer Randolph D. Frostick, who headed the Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chamber's legislative committee, said the organizations purposely shied away from suggesting details such as specific spending amounts for programs.
"We decided against that, because that takes too much time and a lot of study that we really think is better left to the legislature," he said.
© Copyright 1998 The Washington Post Company
