Details about the negotiations between government officials and Dulles Transit Partners (DTP), the sole source contractor for the construction of the line, are a closely held secret. Bechtel Corp, one of DTP's main partners, was a lead contractor on Boston's notorious Big Dig and has been blamed for massive cost overruns and shoddy workmanship, including leaky tunnels and the collapse of a tunnel ceiling resulting in the death of a motorist. Despite very obvious questions about Bechtel's record:

• Calls for competitive bidding have been rejected, giving Bechtel what amounts to a multi-billion dollar sole-source contract;

• Strong citizen support for a tunnel through Tyson's Corner has been rejected, helping to ensure that the resulting project will be an elevated and dysfunctional eyesore;

• Negotiations continue to be held in secret, despite costs skyrocketing from roughly $63 million per mile to over $240 million per mile. The Board of Supervisors continues to discuss policy and financial issues related to Rail to Dulles in secret sessions, prompting a lawyer for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press to observe that the board "obviously does not care about following Virginia's Freedom of Information Act if they continue to meet in secret…"

• Citizens are losing trust in County officials to represent their interests, especially in public-private partnership transactions.

As Supervisor, Charlie will:

• Put an end to closed-door meetings by the Board of Supervisors on critical issues facing the community;

• Provide the public with key information as it becomes available;

• Actively seek citizen involvement, instead of retreating behind closed doors; and

• Make government more accountable in the deals it strikes and the process used to make those deals

Return to Issues