Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 4 · column 1 of 3 · from the scan, no model involved
Disney's Public Cost
1 r
With Gov. George Allen at the throttle, the Disney’s America train is rolling at full speed toward Virginia’s General Assembly.
Last week Allen told a legislative briefing that the Prince William County theme park will lead the state’s economic “renaissance.” He supports Disney’s proposal to use public money for infrastructure improvements in and around the 3,000-acre site near Haymarket.
Allen asked the General Assembly to approve nearly $150 million in state bonds to finance the necessary road improvements —money which Disney maintains will be more than recouped from the additional tax revenue ($1.18 billion over 30 years) the company estimates Virginia will receive.
While we’re not ready to pass judgement on the project, Virginia’s legislators should give Allen’s financing plan a hard look.
Though some of the proposed transportation improvements have already been budgeted, most of the highway work in Disney’s proposal is planned but not budgeted. Northern Virginia already has a tremendous deficit in transportation funding, and additional highway money will possibly be diverted from other pressing needs.
96.5%