Robinson takes aim at Barg

Ron Robinson said if he ousts Hilda Barg from the Woodbridge District seat on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors in November, he will do something few politicians do.

In his announcement Sunday at the Veteran’s Park Community Center, Robinson said if he makes a mistake he will own up to it.

“If I get elected, I’m going to take credit for some good things, but I’m also going to be accountable for some of the bad things that happen,” Robinson told about 50 supporters.

“I think that all politicians and elected officials ought to do that,” said the 37-year-old Marumsco Woods resident.

Robinson said he’s running for the Board of County Supervisors because he wants to make a difference in the community.

“I like this community. We specifically moved to Woodbridge. We had reasons why we wanted to be here,” said the graduate of George Mason University School of Law.

“We just got tired of seeing how things were going in Woodbridge,” Robinson said as he spoke for himself and his wife Maggie, a third-grade teacher at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Dale City.

Robinson told his audience that it’s time to elect another Republican to the Board of County Supervisors.

“This county made a decision back in 1999, I think to change directions, when they elected Sean Connaughton,” he said, “Unfortunately he loses a lot of 5 to 3 votes and that’s what we have to do on November 4th. We have to change that vote tally.”

“It’s clear as a bell to me that people are tired of the incumbent,” he said.

“She’s been on the wrong side of where this county is heading in terms of growth and tax issues. That’s something that has come out loud and clear in my door-to-door effort,” he said.

Robinson, a graduate of Virginia Military Institute, said all the problems that Prince William County faces now and will face in the future can be connected to too much growth.

He said the people he meets while he campaigns door to door, tell him that growth is the preeminent issue on their minds.

Robinson said if he is elected, he will work to curb growth.

“People know what the issues are. They are concerned with growth and they’re concerned with taxes,” Robinson said.

“They understand that all of the issues that they’re concerned with come out of the growth issue, so that’s my number one issue … smart growth,” he said.

“We need to control spending. That comes out of growth. Higher taxes? The taxes are going up because we’re not getting the money as a result of the growth,” Robinson said.

“We need to hold people more accountable for the impact that growth has on this county,” Robinson said.

“Schools are more crowded than they need to be because of growth,” he said.

While Robinson wants to control growth, he said he is in favor of revitalization, but dismisses current plans to improve the U.S. 1 corridor in Woodbridge as unrealistic.

“Part of my objection on the revitalization plan is the excuse for not doing anything is, we’re trying to do this big stuff,” he said.

“Trying to make Route 1 a six-lane interstate … I think there’s a lot of little smaller things that I think the neighborhoods and communities would be happy with, such as neighborhood-by-neighborhood beautification and a responsible maintenance plan,” Robinson said outside of the community center after his announcement.

Robinson said meetings and talk are the only things that will happen, for the time being, in regards to revitalization.

“We’ve got a planner. We’ve held meetings. It gives the impression of forward momentum, but everybody knows that nothing is going to happen,” he said.

Currently there is no money for improvements to U.S. 1 and planning officials said, at a public meeting several months ago in Dumfries, that Prince William County isn’t likely to have any money for the project within the next decade.

“It’s smoke and mirrors. It makes it look like it’s moving forward,” Robinson said.

Robinson, an active reservist in the U.S. Naval Reserves, is a member of the Prince William County Republican Committee, George Mason University Board of Visitors, the Prince William County Economic Development Strategic Issue Group and co-founder of the Gross & Robinson Law Firm in Manassas.

Robinson acknowledged the difficulties of running a campaign against a four-term incumbent.

“This is not going to be easy,” he said.

“I’m going need help at the polls. I’m going to need help going door-to-door. I’m going to need help in a lot of areas and I’m not going to hide the fact that I need help in the money area,” he told his supporters.