Transportation Plan Passes Despite Odd Opposition from Stevens

On Tuesday, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved revisions to the Countywide Transportation Plan. Supervisor Stevens Miller, voting in opposition to the plan that would widen badly congested roads, offered a curious reason for his vote. As reported in Leesburg Today,

"Board Vice Chairman Susan Klimek Buckley (D-Sugarland Run) voted against the plan because she does not believe it would support the commercial tax base needed to shore up Loudoun’s economy. Supervisor Stevens Miller (D-Dulles) said he felt like he couldn’t 'get to the heart of my issues' and he was being asked to trust something 'I don’t really know a lot about.'"


While I question Buckley’s veracity, Miller’s excuse for voting against the proposal is, well, inexcusable. His job is to “know” about the issues presented to the Board, make reasoned evaluations of them and act according to his conscience (and common sense). Here, though, he pleads cluelessness despite the fact that this very issue has been percolating for so long that one reason supervisors voted against it was that the CMP was now outdated. Indeed, back In July 2009, the Board extended the time for considering the proposal. That was 11 months ago.

Well, Miller may not be doing his job, but at least this time he didn’t do something really stupid - like challenge Delgaudio to a duel.