Virginia state Senate candidate Patrick Forrest on Thursday blasted the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority board for opposing Virginia lawmakers’ attempt to gain more power over the authority.
MWAA leaders on Wednesday announced their opposition to a bill sponsored by Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., that would give Virginia more seats on the board and more power to replace representatives previously appointed. Wolf earlier said the restructuring would prevent MWAA from making decisions counter to the desires of Northern Virginia localities, such as its approval of an expensive underground rail station at Dulles airport earlier this year.
MWAA leaders countered that Maryland, the District and the federal government also have stakes in the airports and so shouldn’t be controlled by the whims of Virginians.
But Forrest blasted those opinions.
“I am outraged by these statements. While the airports are federal, the roads leading to them are Virginia’s. So why should an un-elected Board of non-Virginians determine transportation policy for our roads, and also prevent Virginia workers from benefiting from the construction and maintenance of these Virginia projects? This is absurd,” Forrest said.
Forrest is the latest Virginian to weigh in on the controversial $7 billion rail project that is quickly becoming a fiery political issue.
Del. Ken Plum, D-Reston, meanwhile, chastised Forrest for running a “No $17 tolls”campaign against higher fees on the Dulles Toll Road, calling it a “straw man” and “one person’s speculation.” The Dulles Toll Road fees are expected to pay for most of the Dulles rail project.
“Everyone I know has been working actively to keep the tolls down to a small fraction of that number,” Plum said.
