Fairfax County's War Against the People
-- Thomas Cranmer at Fairfax County Board of Supervisors FY2019 Budget Hearing, April 11, 2018
Madam Chairman and Members of the Board:
Thank you for the opportunity to speak at your hearing regarding my objections to the budget and your policies that are degrading Fairfax County. My name is Thomas Cranmer and I am the First VP of the Fairfax County Taxpayers' Alliance and a Fellow at the American Center for Democracy. My wife and I live in Great Falls.
George Mason's Steven Fuller recently published his finding that Fairfax County's population decreased by 15,000 last year. This is due to the many problems introduced by the Board of Supervisors.
The Loudoun Times Mirror headline today says in bold print: "HERE'S
YOUR TAX CUT:
Four-cent cut brings lowest rate in a decade. Average 2019
tax bill for homeowners is $5,071."
Fairfax does not seem to understand it is competing with Loudoun and other counties. As a result of Loudoun's attractive policies, my wife and I shop in Loudoun, dine in Loudoun, and I testify before the Loudoun Supervisors.
Fairfax County's Wars Against the People
Taxes: The proposed tax rates plus increased assessments and water taxes exceed inflation rates and pay increases by up to four times. This is outrageous and continues a trend of ignoring people's ability to pay that has been going on for over a decade.
People are being hit with multiple taxes, but the calculation of the increased taxes is difficult, and the hidden payments come out of the mortgage payments to the county for home owners. Apartment dwellers can't see the reasons for the rent increases due to higher taxes. Thus, most people seem to be unaware of the magnitude of the hit, but in some cases, it can be as much as 8% percent.
Many people realize they cannot afford to live in Fairfax County.
Crime: "Crime against persons" in 2017 rose ...with a total of 8,194 such offenses last year versus 7,879 in 2016” according to Inside Nova on 5 April 2018.
- Homicides were up 6%,
- Assaults were up 4%,
- Forcible sex offences were up 6%The sheriff's new refusal to cooperate with the U.S. Department of HomeLand Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) means more criminal illegal aliens are being released into the Fairfax population, rather than deported. The sheriff now requires ICE to get a court order to detain a criminal in jail who is about to be released, but how can ICE know when and where a criminal illegal alien is going to be available for deportation?
At least the rebel counties and cities in California are planning to publish on web sites who is in jail and when they are about to be released. Does Fairfax post this information, and if not why not?
On 3 April 2018, the Fairfax Supervisors had a public meeting on safety. ICE was on the agenda to speak, but at the meeting ICE was not allowed to speak. This was a slap in the face of the ICE personnel present.
My son and his daughter in another state were nearly killed by two illegal aliens who drove their Tahoe SUV into the side of my son's car. Police said the illegals had "big guns" in the Tahoe. Of course, the illegals had no insurance.
A friend's son's car was hit by an illegal. The Fairfax Policewoman investigating found that the illegal had a forged driver's license. She did not give a summons to the illegal for the accident or the forged driver's license. She told the illegal not to drive the car. Then she left and of course the illegal drove away.
People can't rely on police in Fairfax anymore to get rid of illegal alien criminals. For protection, my son bought me a gun safe for my car.
Peoples' chance of getting assaulted and murdered are growing in Fairfax. Prince William County reduced violent crime nearly in half by identifying illegal aliens for ICE. Shouldn't Fairfax protect its citizens the same way?
Low School Performance: The ACT test results attached show Fairfax Schools should get an "F" for performance. These are all students who want to go to college, and took the ACT test voluntarily, but the results show nearly half are not ready for college. Mt. Vernon High School student had only a 16% passing rate. The teachers all get paid the same, so why would increases in teacher salaries make any difference? To cover up the miserable test results, the Fairfax Public Schools will no longer buy the ACT results. Even before, it required a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request for a citizen to get the results.
For many people, the answer is private schools if the students can't get into the one stellar school, Thomas Jefferson. The arithmetic is clear: with a $5,000 subsidy for a student switching to a private school, this would save the taxpayers $10,000 per student who moves to a private school, or millions of dollars in total. Students should also have the choice of charter schools, but there are none here. They have been successful in D.C. and elsewhere. The teachers' unions should not have a monopoly.
Dangers in Schools: Fairfax Public Schools use to have ten teacher applications per position, now the rate is negative. One important reason is the school refuses to provide adequate discipline. It is good that the middle and high schools have policemen present, called "school resource officers". But if they are not allowed to arrest students, and teachers are not allowed to report discipline problems, they are useless. Jeff Bell, president of Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies Association has accused the school system of tying the hands of school resource officers saying: "They were basically paying us not to make arrests." (Washington Times, 9 April 2018, p. A8)
The U.S. Justice Department issued a "Dear Colleague" letter on 8 January 2014 "That told schools that their federal funding can be cut off if they discipline African-American students at higher rates than white students, even if the difference is the result of the evenhanded administration of their disciplinary code" (Law Professor Gail Hariot 10 April 2018, National Review). This is the basis for Officer Bell's citation above re the Parkland School shooting. It appears this is one of the reasons why teachers don't want to work in FCPS.
Teachers are discouraged from reporting incidents, especially with minority students. One of my friends, a big male teacher, was assaulted by a black boy. The principal only asked did you hit him back? My friend said no. My friend and his wife who each had over 25 years of teaching experience quickly retired, because they were fed up.
Drug Dealers in Schools: In 2017 drug arrests in Fairfax were up 13% to an amazing 6,452 (Inside NOVA, 5 April 2018, p. 10).
A friend's son died of a drug overdose here. He said drugs were readily available in his high school. Fairfax's drug program has been a failure as shown by the Fairfax study distributed to the BOS last year.
For realistic solutions, watch this video, where Elizabeth Charity in Virginia presents "End the School-to-Prison Pipeline". In 2013, re-arrests reoccurred within one year for 46% of juveniles released from jail. Youth Corp provides college and business mentors, counseling and mental health services. Mike Hawkins, Substance Abuse Counselor discusses building a foundation for a substance-free life.
Efforts to Introduce Racism in Thomas Jefferson Admissions:
A newspaper campaign has started to increase "diversity" in TJ. About 75% of the new students admitted to TJ are considered Asian-Americans. This campaign reflects prejudice against Asian-Americans who succeed on their own diligence and intelligence. It is similar to the University of California discrimination against Asian-Americans, to broaden the ethnic mix. It took a referendum in California to provide equal opportunity.My family has seen this sort of prejudice. My daughter-in-law, a Japanese-American emergency room physician in Connecticut refuses to consider practicing medicine in Virginia, because she believes she would be discriminated against. Her brilliant family has experienced discrimination in school acceptances.
The physician's daughter won the CT History Prize for an exhibit and presentation on President Roosevelt's imprisonment of all Japanese-Americans and confiscation of their assets during WWII. Her project was a runner-up for the National History Prize competition at the University of Maryland. She is conscious of continuing prejudice.
The only criteria for admission to TJ should be excellence in the students' academic work and scores on tests. Objective tests and encouragement for hard work by studying should continue.
Terrible Traffic Delays: When I spoke to the Loudoun staff yesterday about how people would drive to the Fairfax Wiehle Avenue Metro Garage, they laughed loudly. Why put up with the traffic? Even though the new garages in Loudoun would charge $8 per day, and the Fairfax garages charge $4.75 per day, the benefit is not worth the hassle.
Clearly the delays and hassle of Fairfax traffic are getting worse.
Bicycle Lanes are a Worthless Cost and a Bad Handicap in Traffic.
My wife and I've never seen a bicyclist in McLean or on Route 7 at Georgetown Pike in the new ten-foot lanes on each side of the road, and rarely in the Fairfax County Parkway. The new lanes just squeeze and congest traffic. The basic driving rule is leave six feet between you and a bicyclist when passing. When is that possible?Bike lanes are not for 99% of the people. Who bicycles in the rain, snow or heat, except athletes in training? Where are the studies?
The width of new roads does not conform to U.S. Dept of Transportation Guidelines.
The new lanes in roads in Fairfax are one foot narrower than US transportation guidelines for similar roads. These slow traffic several miles an hour.New roads should conform to U.S. guidelines for facilitating traffic.
Density of Building seems Unrestricted Now, and New Roads are Not Added.
The BOS seems willing to approve any project, especially if the developers "contribute to" the BOS. Reston is a great example where the people's objections are ignored in favor of the developers. Additional road congestion is not adequately analyzed or is dismissed by saying a "D" or "F" grade for road congestion is "acceptable".BOS members should provide roads for additional traffic due to higher densities. They should admit in public forums how much they and their families have been paid by developers. Just saying "I have received more than $100" is not enough.
Tolls of over $40 each way are outrageous.
The hearings for Route 66 had people testifying that even $20 tolls would hit. Those people were mocked as exaggerating. Now they are twice that, but the BOS is doing nothing to protect the people.Commuters should be surveyed on how they can afford to pay the new high tolls and what they are doing about it. Are they diverting to other non-toll roads and considering moving out of Fairfax?
Our Taxpayers Will Pay $243 Million to Metro in FY2019.
This is a subsidy of $213 per person, or a huge burden of $852 for a family of four. Most of these people do not use the Metro. The Federal government subsidizes Metro users. In April 2000, Executive Order 13150 mandated that all Federal agencies in the National Capital Region (NCR) implement a Transportation Subsidy Program by October 1, 2000. WMATA's annual report for the year ended June 30, 2017 showed "passenger revenue" as only 28% of total revenue. However, the New York Subway's (MTA) proposed budget for 2018 showed fares and tolls at 51% of total revenues and included 2% annual fare increases.Metro users should pay their own way up to at least the 51% that New York Subway riders pay. This would help cut out the need for raising taxes. Is subsidizing Metro riders more important than educating our children?
Pensions and Benefits are Unreasonable.
Compared to the private sector, government and school retirement ages of 55 are lavish. A teacher retiring at age 55 receives annually 75% of prior three years pay. Private sector pension plans do not pay such a generous rate, and they penalize people retiring at age 55. Private sector pension/retirement plans are aimed at retirement ages of 67, the target also of Social Security. Fairfax could save $100 million per year with a private sector type plan of retirement at 67, based on a study by FCTA's Fred Costello. People are living much longer, people in their 60's are capable and considered "middle aged". The fastest growing age group in the U.S. is over 100 years, and the benefit plans must support them. The present value of local teachers' and government plans for those at retirement age is $2 million.The FCPS and Fairfax government benefit plans should be revised to conform to private sector plans.
The Pre-retirement Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) is Absurd.
This allows employees who are eligible for normal retirement to "work beyond their normal retirement date ... to receive some of their retirement benefits in a lump sum, rather than continuing to earn additional years of retirement service and higher monthly annuities". This is an expensive supplemental program. For an individual making $65,000 per year "the total DROP balance at the end of three years would be $143,917.67" (Fairfax benefits info).The DROP program should be dropped, and the retirement age raised.
Incomprehensible Statements by the County Executive.
On the first page of Bryan J. Hill's letter of 20 February 2018 to the BOS he says: "Inequity is the thread that runs through many of the core problems we face as a community." The letter does not explain the source of this statement. Does that mean:
- Everyone in the county should be paid the same?
- Everyone should have the same size house?
- Every student should receive the same grades?
- People are excluded from the "economic, social, civic and creative contributions of County residents."This sort of vague smear of the County will make companies and people look elsewhere for investment. If such a terrible problem exists, why hasn't the BOS addressed and corrected it in the past?
Thank you for considering my remarks.