Arthur G. Purves (R)

Office Sought: Va. House of Delegates District 35
Age: 59
Residence: Vienna.
Education: BA, natural science, MS, systems engineering, MBA, decision science, University of Pennsylvania.
Occupation: Computer programmer, General Dynamics.
Web site:http://www.votepurves.org
E-mail address: votepurves@cox.net

Elected offices/civic activities:

President, Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance; member, Fairfax Committee of 100; past member, Fairfax County schools family life education advisory committee, professional and technical studies advisory committee, superintendent's advisory committee for the Fairfax Framework for Student Success; past president, Thomas Jefferson High School crew boosters; former Scoutmaster.

Why should voters elect you?

"My opponent voted for abusive-driver fees and higher taxes while soaring school and Medicaid spending were perpetuating the problems they were supposed to solve."

What do you think is the most urgent problem facing your jurisdiction?

"Runaway taxes and government spending. Real estate taxes doubled between 2000 and 2007. The state raised taxes for transportation and imposed abusive-driver fees even though the state was running billion-dollar surpluses. Public school staff, statewide and in Fairfax County, is increasing two to three times faster than enrollment. Inflation-adjusted Medicaid spending is increasing five times faster than population. Government employees get generous pensions while the taxpayers are losing theirs. Also, between 2000 and 2007, county employees got 5 percent annual raises while taxpayer incomes were increasing 2 percent annually."

What is your plan to address the traffic problems in Virginia?

First, fund transportation without tax increases and "abusive driver fees." Schools incur excessive remediation costs because of the curriculum: no phonics-based reading instruction, over-reliance on hand-calculators, too little content in history and geography, especially in early elementary school, and moral relativism. Fixing this would lower remedial costs and increase achievement, especially for low-income students, who could become self-supporting adults. Second, build roads, not rail. Rail to Tysons Corner will not relieve congestion because the buildings there are too dispersed. Moreover government cannot afford to maintain the existing Metrorail system. Example: the transformer that just blew due to Metro's "aging infrastructure." Rail is MUCH more expensive than roads. Rail to Dulles will cost $55,000 per rider ($5 billion and 91,000 riders a day) while the Springfield Interchange cost $1600 per car ($676 million and 430,000 cars per day). More roads would permit more housing construction to end the affordable housing crisis.

Do you think current policies governing growth & development in your area are too restrictive, not restrictive enough or just right?

too restrictive

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