Fort's future a political minefield

Stall and Gear point to "proof" that Miller wants to hand Monroe over to developers.

Daily Press

By Kimball Payne 247-4765

October 13, 2007

Republican Tricia Stall is using campaign fliers and recorded phone calls to suggest that Democrat John Miller wants to hand over Fort Monroe to developers when the Army leaves the post in 2011.

The future of the 570-acre waterfront installation is still unclear almost two years after officials in the Pentagon decided that the Army should leave the base, and Stall is playing on that uncertainty to drum up fear over what might happen. [[If the fear is legitimate -- and if it is shared, for example, by the Civil War Preservation Trust and by Preservation Virginia -- then the phrase "playing on that uncertainty to drum up fear" is a biased editorial judgment inserted into a news article. Why not "hightlighting that uncertainty to convey her outlook to voters"? If facts rebut Mrs. Stall's charge that Mr. Miller is in cahoots with developers, then report those facts. But don't insert an editorial opinion that it's drumming up fear if a candidate highlights the threat of inappropriate development. That threat is "shouting news," despite what Daily Press editor Ernie Gates has said, and it deserves highlighting by any leader.]] Stall said her campaign has brought up Monroe because real estate developers and construction companies have donated thousands of dollars to Miller's campaign.

"I just don't think that John Miller can be trusted to protect it," Stall told the Daily Press Friday.

But many of those same donors have been financially involved in politics for years — donating to both Republicans and Democrats — and Stall is relying heavily on monetary support from GOP leaders in the state Senate, who have all taken significant funds from real estate players. Miller said the attack surrounding the future of Monroe is simply a distraction tactic.

"I haven't said anything publicly about Fort Monroe," Miller said. "This is typical of a campaign that is desperate and behind."

Fort Monroe has become a campaign issue in large part because whomever [sic] wins the 1st District race will have a seat on the planning committee that will shepherd the post through the closing process. That panel has until next September to submit a reuse plan to the federal government. It is currently investigating adding more emphasis on tourism and open space. [[Wait -- "more emphasis on tourism and open space"? More than what? Maybe more emphasis than the known, planned, presumed emphasis that those in control have long had in mind, and that the Daily Press accepts unskeptically?]]

But one committee member — Del. Tom Gear, R-Hampton — is leading the charge against Miller. Gear is arguably Stall's staunchest political ally. He is prominently displayed on a flier claiming that "Fort Monroe is UNDER ATTACK" and has recorded a phone message sent throughout the district saying Miller's developer friends are "trying to pave over 400 years of history to make millions."

Gear has supported Stall since she entered the primary to challenge 12-year incumbent Republican Sen. Marty Williams. Gear politically aligns extremely well with Stall because they share a mutual disdain for tax increases and both have signed no-tax pledges.

Gear said that just looking at Miller's list of donors was scary.

"It's no secret that developers are chomping at the bit to get at Monroe," Gear said. "It's the good ol' boys."

Gear balked at naming the companies or donors who have grand personal plans for Monroe. "I'm not talking about any one specific person," Gear said. "I don't want to name names."

Instead, Gear pointed to the list of real estate executives and developers that Miller has reported as donors to the State Board of Elections. The list includes prominent local construction companies such as Basic Construction and W.M. Jordan, developers like Whiting Chisman, and the Newport News real estate management company Drucker and Falk. [[Mr. Chisman was an original member of the Fort Monroe Authority, but in early summer 2007, after he and another member stepped out of line with Hampton City Council's plans, the council replaced him.]]

Board of Elections records show that these donors and others on the list routinely give to both parties and have given recently to Republican Dels. Phillip Hamilton and G. Glenn Oder, and to state Sen. Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City.

Further, Stall is relying on financial support from the Virginia Senate Republican Leadership Trust — a political action committee created and funded by Norment, Senate Majority Leader Walter Stosch and Sen. Ken Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, who have for years taken generous donations from developers and contractors.

Gear shrugged off the idea that if the money is tainted going to Miller then it should also be considered tainted when it goes to influential lawmakers.

"Who else do they donate to? I have no idea," Gear said. "I'm talking about this race and these candidates."

Members of the grassroots group that is pushing to turn Fort Monroe into a hybrid national park are happy that candidates are finally talking about the base, but they're not wild about the tone of the discussion.

Steve Corneliussen is the head of communications for Citizens for Fort Monroe National Park. Corneliussen said the danger of bad development on Monroe is real, noting that two separate groups — the Civil War Preservation Trust and APVA Preservation Virginia — have both warned that the post is at risk.

"The boulder of truth is that there is a threat to improperly develop Fort Monroe," Corneliussen said.

But he said donations from business groups don't "implicate John Miller as someone who is corrupt."

"Of course he's not corrupt," Corneliussen said. "This flier is over the top."

Corneliussen said he has spoken at length with both candidates about Monroe and credited Stall for attending numerous meetings about the base since the spring. However, at one time Cornelisussen [sic] was going to be the Democratic candidate in the district and he has personally donated to Miller's campaign.

But he said the park organization would not pick sides in the race. "We absolutely do not support either candidate," Corneliussen said.

Corneliussen said that he and his colleagues would like to see both candidates pledge not to sell pieces of the fort to developers.

Both Miller and Stall indicated similar positions on a basic framework for the future of Monroe. Both want to maintain and preserve the historic areas — especially the moated stone fort — keep the beaches and park space open to the public and make sure that the wetlands at the north end aren't disturbed. [[The Daily Press considers this to be the neutral, reasonable, universally agreed-upon starting point, and therefore ascribes it to the candidates and to others, even if this starting point isn't what others actually mean. Please note the presumption that only the fortress and some other parts of the post are historic. In fact, all of Old Point Comfort is historic. That's why, for a half-century, nearly the entire post at Fort Monroe has been designated a national historic landmark. The Daily Press's neutrality is not actually neutral. They believe that it's OK to contemplate building on a national historic landmark without much thought for the land's status.]]

Miller refused to speculate beyond that. [[Which means that the Daily Press, because of the bias described in the italicized note just above, has conferred on him a license to profess open-mindedness while also considering historic areas fair game for routine "development."]]

"I don't think it's my place to have a position on Fort Monroe," he said. "The final plan isn't even proposed yet." [[But in fact he does have a position. His position is that large parts of the post, even though they are designated a national historic landmark, can be freely considered for routine development.]]

Stall said the most important factor for now is not restricting access. "We need to make certain that we are preserving it as public space," she said. [[So there's at least one concrete difference between the two candidates. She wants to keep all of Fort Monroe open to everybody, whereas Mr. Miller has not taken a position on that.]]