On July 1, the Economic Development Authority posted a half page “explanation” in the Page News and Courier, of the Hudson Farm purchase. I (Alice) am running a “political ad” to respond to that explanation. As a candidate, I can’t send Letters to the Editor, so I have to pay for an ad to express my opinion. I could have asked someone else to post it for me, but I thought it was important enough that the citizens should know I am putting my name, and possibly basing my election, on this issue. The political ad should run today, on the Letters to the Editor page.
The ad refers readers to the main website, Page County Watch. I have posted backup information there now.
Please read the backup information and post your comments.
Alice
July 8, 2009 at 9:40 am
Alice,
I’m finding it very interesting that 3 supervisors spoke up last night(at the work sesssion)and declared that they would only do what the taxpayers say they wanted them to do.
I have declared that I would do that myself, this year, if elected. I never heard any one else say that in public in any race that I have run in.
I know that you have said something like that on the blog before or at least inferred something like that but I can not remember any supervisors in open session declaring that they will only do what the taxpayers say they want them to do, no matter what they personally want or desire until last night.
My intention when elected is to only do what the majority of taxpayers/voters say that they want me to do. The only caveat emptor {(Law), let the purchaser beware, i. e., let him examine the article he is buying, and act on his own judgment} would be that they would have to appear in person, write a letter, or in some other way stand identified
to me and anyone/everyone else exactly where they stand on an issue. Then I would vote the way that they wish me to vote.
I read the main blog post thanks for all the work/costs with the foia’s and other docs.
Let’s hope that it turns out to be for the better!
Thanks also to Jim Turner and all of his hard work with the petitions that identify where the taxpayers/voters in page county stand on the issue of project clover.
Lee McWhorter
canditate for supervisor at large, chairman of the board of supervisors.
VOTE NOV. 3rd.
July 8, 2009 at 9:55 am
Hey, Lee, can you elaborate on the part about Supervisors last night saying they would only do what the taxpayers wanted? Who said it when? In what context?
Page County Watch no longer sends spies to these meetings, because nobody wants to go any more, and I’m dissociating myself with the gang. So what happened?
July 8, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Alice,
Larry sours said it in the context of century luray rezoning, he said a lot of district 2 voters have objected and that he was going to follow the wishes of his constituents and vote no.
I’m not sure I remember why Charlie Hoke said it but he also commented that even though he was a short timer he would still vote the wishes of the voters.
Gerald Cubbage was the other one who referenced the voters and said he would vote the way that they wanted.
I’m not sure but Tom La France may have said words to the same effect.
July 9, 2009 at 4:35 am
In that case, I will re-post their phone numbers and we can tell them what the voters want regarding this Project CloverGate.
Larry Sours 743-5779
Charlie Hoke 743-9434
Tommy Ray LaFrance 743-3715
Gerald Cubbage 778-3227
J D Cave 778-2331
Carol Lee Strickler 652-3211
July 8, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Hey Lee, Do you believe that the majority of Page citizens want their tax money spent for those who use the airport? If you don’t think they do, your “I will vote for what the people want” is hollow. If you do think they want their tax money spent there so that in the future Industry CEOs can fly into Luray on their air cars, you are out of touch.
July 8, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Rick,
I have no idea how long you have been here {in page county virginia} but that really does not make any difference for right now, exactly….
Except, if you have been here long enough and if you were paying attention, you would have to realize that the airport has been expanding for the last 25 years. All on grants and matching town or private funds and maybe some county funds.
Grants that were provided to us, to expand the airport. Most have strings attached, some have more attached strings that others.
I do not know for sure but I suspect that an authority such as the EDA was involved in all expansions or aquisitions and that they knew full well that if the airport ever was to be closed because of neighbor complaints or for what ever reason that the county or town would have to pay back any grants or whatever bonds or notes that were given to the project. For all that I know it could have been called a “government project” fact is the strings are the most important part.
As I under stand the rules if the airport were to ever close, all of or at least most all of, the grants would have to be repaid to the grantor, who I presume would be the FAA.
So…..
Way back when the airport was private it was just an airport for the convenience of the owners “PRIVATE” interests.
When the owner was no longer interested in owning the airport, owner ship was transfered to the town and maybe the county at the same time.
When the title changed the the town and county inherited the obligatons for the repayment of the grants should the airport be closed.
I believe this to be the story and that is why, if it is true, that I would vote to keep the airport open with taxpayer dollars.
I would bet that If you asked the taxpayers if they would rather pay back $20 million or so in grants or a few thousand in matching funds like we have been doing for years to keep the airport going they would all say KEEP IT OPEN LEE……
VOTE LEE NOV 3
July 9, 2009 at 4:38 am
Lee, how are other local airports handled? Are they privately owned? Do they make money? Is there some reason why our airport can’t make enough money to cover its costs?
July 9, 2009 at 1:53 pm
He Lee, Your opening comment negates everything that follows follows, “I do not know for sure”, or later you said “who I presume would be the FAA.” Nice try at using wiggle words. Nice try at the scare approach that the citizens would have to pay that all back. I don’t believe it for a second. This is rich boys with their toys getting citizens to put up the front money. The average income in Page is what, $40,000.00 a year, and you expect them to just catch a plane and fly out of Luray on their air cars? I am sorry, not buying it. How about this, you are the one running for Chair, how about quoting from just two previous grants where the citizens would have to repay if the airport closed. For that matter, who is talking about closing the airport? Another attempt at misleading citizens. I am not for closing it, I am just saying let those who use it pay for it. Since it is just “a couple of thousand” it shouldn’t be hard for plane owners to cover. YOU are the one who talked about closing it not me. I have been paying taxes in Page County for over twenty years, not long by some standards but long enough to have seen the board do many many stuiped things.
Rick
July 10, 2009 at 10:36 am
Rick,
20 years here O. K.
Well why haven’t you come forward in public and express your displeasure with spending taxpayer bucks on the airport expansions over the years.
In those 20 past years I have seen Powell Markowitz at meetings asking for permission to get grants and for matching funds to expand the airport, buy more land, erect fencing, build and improve the runway, build hangars, and numerous other projects.
In all of those times I can not remember any one objecting to the requests that he was making, for taxpayer bucks, on behalf of the airport progress.
Those statements that I made were not “wiggle words” as you state.
Exactly what is wrong in admitting the truth?
Because the truth is “I DON’T KNOW EVERY THING” despite what you have been told about me, or what ever ulterior motives about general aviation that you may think I have.
Because I really do not have any.
In fact I really do not like to fly and avoid flying if I can. I’d much rather be sailing.
As for the other line I do presume but {do not know for sure and that is why I presume rather than assume} that the grants were made by the FAA. Those grants do have strings attached.
Like the grants for project clover almost all grants have to be repaid [RETURNED} if they are not used for the purposes that they have been granted.
In the case of project clover if PTS does not open up and create the required number of jobs just who do you think has/gets to repay the grants.
I will say this “I do not know” for sure but I would bet that If PTS fails to comply with the requirements of the grants, and the jobs do not materilize, and they are not in a position to repay, the county will be held responsible and the taxpayer will be the PAYEE!!!”
Given that we have granted 21 acres to PTS, and committed the EDA to purchase more land, and written letters of credit for PTS, and gotten grants for the entrance and sewer and water lines from the state.
If we have been responsible for all of that as taxpayers, then “we the taxpayers” will be responsible to repay any grants.
The idea that the taxpayer will have to repay the grants was not a “SCARE TATIC” as you say it is the reality.
Look at it this way for a minute, Rick.
Just who owns the airport??
It is no longer private.
It is owned by the town and county, you and me.
Another fact is it is not just for the “RICH” It is there for the flying public represented by the Federal Government through the Federal Avaition Administration. Grants were used to make it public and keep it open for anyone flying around the page valley who may have to land for emergencies or whatever. It is in reality a regional airport or airfield.
I know that you are not saying that you want the airport closed {in those words}.
I said that “if the airport were to close for what ever reason” another way of putting that would be “if the airport were to fail for lack of funding and cease to operate the responsibility for any and all debts would fall upon the owners”. Like I said earlier you and me and all of the other taxpayers in the town and county.
For the references to the grants and any requirements for repayment I will find that out monday at the luray town council meeting.
Here’s a fact. Powell Markowitz was at the board meeting the other night requesting funds to close on the land some land being purchased to be used as a protective buffer zone along the air strip. With out a buffer zone the FAA could close the airport if a neighbor compalined loudly enough about the activities at the airport.
The board declined to funds the $1500.00 request made by Powell he did not object all that much cause he plans to go to the town baker and get the dough once again I “presume” that the owners will buy the buffer zone land and protect the grant investments that they have been making over the years rather than cough up any grant repayments….
You can take all of this for whatever you may think it is worth.
Any one out there reading this also has a choice this year.
If you like the way things have been going in “PAGE COUNTY VIRGINIA” for the last 30 years.
Spending money we do not have, excluding the taxpaying public from county business, doing things in secret, purposely being deceptive by using authorities or other means to do business as usual in the dark. Then you have a choice cause I am not your candidate by any strech of my imagination.
If on the other hand you are sick and tired of putting up with willy nilly spending of money we do not have. Buying land we do not need.
Paying to draw up building plans that we do not use. Making deals that we have to subsidize. Raising assesments for new revenue, then raising the tax rates, creating authorities to circumvent the spirit of the law, using taxpayer dollars with out their approval. Then…..
“I may just be your candidate”
I will do your bidding if you come forward and take a stand on the issues before your board.
When you elect me I will be working for you.
I will “NOT” be hiding from you all,
avoiding you all, ducking out the back door trying to get away from you all…..
I will be standing up with you all, I will be your voice on the board doing your business and looking out for your interests as best I can…bear in mind I am only going to be one of 6. But I intend to represent all of you along with your vested interests fairly and equally, with out regard to your race, religion, creed, demeaner, or personal beliefs.
Remember this also you do not have to like me for me to represent you fairly. Same goes for me.
Vote in this election….
LEE NOV3
July 11, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Hi Lee, Thanks for response. I have been content to let government do its thing for years. Now that I am retired I have time to read and learn about our county. I do not dislike you personally, you seem like a regular guy. Your steadfast support of the airport is the thing I take issue with. I like what you say about wanting to reflect what the people are thinking and wanting. I also like the fact that you don’t see your job as a dynasty builder, rather you see yourself as a servant of the people. These are visions I can relate to.
Rick
July 12, 2009 at 10:43 am
Thanks Rick.
Lee Nov 3.
July 8, 2009 at 10:47 am
Too little too late for the Page County Six to get religion. If they really were concerned about what the taxpayers had to say then they should have voted to void the contract last night. The people have already written them off. 3 down this November, 3 more to go in the next round.
July 8, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Alice, just read your ad in the Page paper, I’d give it a 10 out of a possible 10!!!
Excellent Job!!!!
July 8, 2009 at 10:13 pm
I almost missed it… I don’t know why Lowell had the bigger page and he repeated himself. BTW, isn’t a conflict of interest that his architectural firm is the one that came up with the proposal for the new county building? I think it was his firm that came up with the design. Please correct me if I am wrong.
July 9, 2009 at 4:43 am
Keith, I just put in a FOIA for all the conflict of interest statements in the county. There are NONE filed. Following along with the concept here that “they told me there was no conflict so there must be no conflict”, the answer must be no. This is like “they told me this wouldn’t be paid for by tax money, so I needn’t worry” and “they told me PTS was going to invest $15M, so I can plan on a data center.”
It is really time for the people of Page County to take this county back.
Regarding why Lowell had the bigger page — he didn’t have to pay for it. I had to pay to publish mine, which is why I need contributions to my campaign. I also have to pay to get the information under FOIA. My last request, for the Conflict of Interest statements, or lack thereof, cost $55. My previous one for the Hudson contracts, cost $95.94
All of this is intended to prevent the public from knowing, and put obstacles in the path of public disclosure. It can stop. It will stop when Page County voters put a stop to it. Until then, we are like a third world dictatorship here, as Susan says.
July 9, 2009 at 11:11 am
Unfirtunally, the code of Virginia does allow that the collection time for the FOIA requests to be charged. There is no set limit at this time.
July 8, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Alice, your writeup was great. It sounds as though PTS has been given:
- 15 acres worth $900K (or a million five (Mr. La France) or one hundred eighty thousand (land comps from realtor.com)) Take your pick!!
- -a grant of $300K
- letter of credit backing another grant for $700K
- a phone contract for $200K, elegantly obtained and performed upon.
- authority to install broadband in Page County, Virginia, elegantly obtained (homage to Alex. I’m actually sick about what happened…or what I THINK happened.) Past history may be indicative of future performance.
Please clarify if I’ve gotten anything wrong. If I haven’t, things should be going swimmingly for PTS and they should be up and running in no time with all this funding and all this work. In order to pay their presumed taxes of $199K (presumed when fully operational on their 15 acres) which will cover the $378K payment to Ms. Hudson due in less than six months. We know this because the Board was told Premier’s taxes would cover these payments. Oh, yes, and the taxes of the other tenants. Due in six months. Oh, yes. USDA to the rescue. With 100% of all documents backing the ability to pay consisting of the three page Board Resolution I obtained through my FOIA request.
The Daily News and Record told me PTS was breaking ground on their 15 acres in June 2009. So of course they would have 35 employees and be a growing business!! No need to ‘look into this’ because YOU’VE BEEN TOLD.
As to Lisa and Charlie’s concerns, WE’VE BEEN TOLD that negotiations that are not able to be disclosed are close to being signed with occupants of the new industrial park. So clearly all is well. No need to ‘advertise.’
You know, I never knew this kind of dough and assets were there for the asking…taken from taxpayers and given to other people who want to start businesses. Boy, am I ever dumb! But we knew that because I am just a taxpayer.
On another topic, one that I can’t seem to leave, I joked with Carolyn when I went to pick up the documents in answer to my FOIA request about presuming there would be boxes of business plans detailing where the money would come from to pay Ms. Hudson. She mentioned a powerpoint presentation (in response to my use of the term ‘plan’) and offered to make it available to me. I see in that presentation mention of ‘estimated ROIs’ (Return On Investment) using the ‘Page County Economic Benefits Model’ concerning all of several ventures that estimate the ability to pay from a ‘technology company on 15 acres, 96 new jobs’ and ‘a light industrial on 20 acres, 50 new jobs’ and a ‘food processing on 5 acres, 25 new jobs.’
It’s curious that none of this was provided in response to my FOIA request. My puny brain is taking a long time to comprehend this as an insult and clearly states what your representatives think of you to have done this entire deal behind closed doors, and an insult and indicative of what your employees think of you to be given what I was given in response to my FOIA request.
My employees?? How can I say that??!! I truly wonder how absolutely everything is nothing like what we thought it was. If you pay real estate and personal property taxes and all of the other taxes taxes taxes and these taxes are used to pay people who do jobs in service to YOU…then YOU employ them.
Never doubt that if your tax dollars pay someone’s salary or support an agency in service to The People, that they are your employees. It’s flabbergasting to see taxpayers duck and run when our employees tell US how it’s going to be. In the real world, you FIRE an employee who behaves like that. In Page County, Virginia, you are ridiculed and put down for asking questions and barked at and told what IS and scamper away and vote ‘yes.’ I have never seen anything like it except in third world dictatorships (and I’ve traveled to 60 of them:) a perfectly conditioned population trained to take orders from their handlers. What a gig, and don’t doubt the chortles over clinking champagne glasses over what they are getting away with.
But I digress!! Because that’s NOT what’s happening here, it only happens in those third world dictatorships. All is well, go back to sleep. Snow is on the way.
July 9, 2009 at 4:46 am
This can be stopped by the voters of Page County. I reluctantly agreed to run for District 1 Supervisor, because I CAN stop it. If the voters want it ended, this is the chance.
July 9, 2009 at 11:15 am
Susan,
Can you make that powerpoint presentation avaliable?
July 9, 2009 at 12:13 pm
It’s basically the one that is already posted on the county website as the Project Clover dog and pony show.
July 9, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Sure, Keith, but I’m really bad with a scanner. I propose another Town Hall meeting where we can all share this information and talk in person. What say you all?
July 9, 2009 at 8:13 am
I really hate to be the bearer of bad news, but everyone needs to know that all that “Grant Money” and “Matching Funds” from some Gov’ment agency doesn’t just appear out of thin air. Those of you who work for a living, go get your pay stub and let me show you something. I’ll wait…….
OK, got your stub? Fine. Look closely, do you see the part that says something like “Federal” and “Va State” and “FICA”?
On my stub these 3 add up to about 20+ % of what I make. These are taxes. Money you never get, that goes directly to the Gov’ment. Ok, I know some of you are screaming “FICA” is social security, not a tax”. Well all I can say is look up the definition of “FICA”. Social Securities web page even states they are a “payroll tax”.
If you have seen a newspaper of TV news show anytime in the last 30 years, you would know none of this “tax” ever goes into a fund for “social security”. The money is used to fund all the wars and other boondoggles the government runs.
Anyway kids, all that wonderful “Grant Money” and “Matching Funds” comes right out of your pocket (again, this only affects working folks that actually pay taxes. By my estimation only about 1 human being in 5 in the United States actually pays this type of tax). Since you never see this money or get to hold it in your hands, you don’t miss it at all.
I drove by the airport two days ago, new hangers everywhere, new big asphalt pads, really looks nice. I think I saw a total of 3 people. It looked like they were admiring their new $300K plus toy they had in one of our new hangers. I’m sure there will be plenty of other rich folks there soon, doing the same. I think it’s great that in Page County if you’ve made it big and have millions, you can park your toys at a new airport the taxpayers have paid for! For the other 99.8% of us, just keep paying those taxes…..
A friend of mine and I have what we think is a fantastic idea! It’s futuristic and will solve Page Counties Money Problems.
We can get Grant Money to Start Up, we can get the county to give us the land and factory we need! We’ll put over 500 people to work in Page. We’ll need a railroad and fibre optics, oh and an Airport too!
I can’t reveal all the facts right now, but just think of a Garbage Truck with Wings….huh? Ain’t it a great Idea!
“The only problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money”
July 9, 2009 at 9:35 am
That is correct, Red. We let Our Employees call themselves ‘Supervisors’ and ‘Authority’ and look what happened!! The People started believing THE PEOPLE exist to Obey Authority and Be Supervised…NOT the other way around!! Think about this. And then go hurl. And maybe weep a little for what The People have become.
It’s incredible. The People pay Authority and Supervisors to do their bidding. WE NEED NEW LANGUAGE TO ACCURATELY DESCRIBE REALITY. If you pay someone to do something for you, YOU are the Authority / Supervisor. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. THEY ARE YOUR EMPLOYEE.
So. Start calling yourself The Authority and The Supervisor and the people who call themselves supervisors and authority Your Employees. Over and Over until you get comfortable with this concept, this truth.
And then let’s see what happens.