Nothing. Since road construction is funded by state funds, this has absolutely nothing to do with the Federal government, George W. Bush, and the Iraq War. Fairfax County Democratic Committee Chairman, Scott Surovell, made these claims in a recent letter to the editor that was published in the Mount Vernon Gazette on June 18, 2009, where he tied the lack of transportation funding to the Bush/Cheney Administration and the War in Iraq, in response to a previous letter to the editor by Jay McConville, who is running against Del. Kris Amundson.

McConville, in his letter to the editor that was published in the Mount Vernon Gazette on June 11, 2009, talked about the need for transportation improvements on Route 1 between the Beltway and Fort Belvoir. For anyone who has driven in this area, they can tell you that there is great need for improvement on this highway. McConville mentioned in his letter that the state seems to be pushing money to other areas of the State, including other areas of Fairfax County. The current Delegate has not been vocal on this issue, and just recently, she sent a letter to the Virginia Department of Transportation to get funding for transportation improvements.

So, what does transportation improvements on Route 1 (namely road construction) have to do with the Bush Administration and the War in Iraq? Nothing. In response to Surovell’s claims, McConville said:

“I’m not sure why Mr. Surovell felt this was a partisan matter that needed more finger-pointing while people continue to sit in traffic,” said McConville. “He went on about issues that have nothing to do with what I was discussing, and certainly nothing to do with our district. Getting people home at a reasonable time is not a partisan issue, nor is pedestrian safety. Results don’t have an “R” or a “D” next to them; unfortunately, Mt. Vernon hasn’t seen any results on transportation for far too long.”