Candidates debate in Vienna

By Frank Mustac

Three of the four Democrats and the lone Republican vying to fill Virginia’s 11th District Congressional seat gathered for a candidates forum last week sponsored by the Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The 11^th District includes Vienna, Centreville, Fairfax City, Fairfax, and parts of Annandale and Prince William.

U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (R), who is vacating the seat and retiring from Congress at the end of his current term, also attended the legislative luncheon event held April 10 at Marco Polo restaurant on Maple Avenue in Vienna. He delivered a few remarks prior to the candidates answering questions posed by attendees.

Candidates present at the luncheon included Leslie Byrne, Douglas Denneny and Lori Alexander, all Democrats, and Keith Fimian, the Republican and Davis favorite.

The fourth Democrat, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald Connolly, did not attend. Luncheon organizers said he was instead hosting an international trade delegation visiting the county.

Byrne is a former congresswoman and former Virginia state senator who lost a bid in 2005 to become lieutenant governor. She also served in the Clinton administration.

Denneny is a retired naval pilot and Iraq war veteran who is employed by the Boeing Company. He currently serves as president of the Mantua Citizens Association in Fairfax and is on the Tysons Land Use Task Force.

Alexander is a physical therapist and community volunteer and activist, while Fimian is head a company he founded called U.S. Inspect.

Because of time constraints, each candidate during the luncheon was allowed a very brief time for opening and closing statements and to answer several questions, including one seeking their views on the proposed plans for Metro rail through Tysons Corner and onto Dulles International Airport.

“The aerial alignment was something that was not well studied in my opinion,“ Fimian said. “There has been a lot of failed leadership when it comes to this issue in my mind.”

“There are 900 million in federal dollars that are at stake here. That money is very much in jeopardy,” he said. “I think if a tunnel had been adequately studied … we might not have found ourselves in this position.”

Denney said, “I believe that rail should be going underground. Metro should be underground through Tysons Corner. I believe we have to fight for that $900 million.”

“I understand costs, schedules and performance,” he said. “This project has failed in all three of those categories. We need to get back and bid this project properly with oversight.”

Byrne said, “Of all the people who are running for this office, I’m the only one who has seniority going back to Congress. Some of you remember I served on the transportation committee, so I would be eligible to take any vacancy in that committee because of that seniority.”

“We have Homeland Security money that is flowing. You can’t tell me that the tunnel isn’t going to be more secure than the aerial,” she said. “We can look to EPA money. There are other baskets that we haven’t tried.”

Alexander said, “The Tysons Corner area is the economic engine of Northern Virginia, and I think probably of all of Virginia, and we need to support a tunnel to Tysons. There’s no question.

“I think Tysons, given enough tax dollars -- these businesses have paid enough tax dollars to get a good decent tunnel.”