MCC Scrutinizes $2,500 Donation to Aging Forum

The McLean Community Center board consulted the Fairfax County attorney. The board asked detailed questions. After much discussion, the board voted to donate $2,500 to help support an upcoming forum on aging in McLean.

It looked like a simple request in July. Ed Shahin, senior citizen advocate, former MCC board member and a committee member organizing the forum, asked the McLean Community Center board, which has a $12.6 million surplus, for a small donation to support the community-organized and operated forum.

The program committee agreed. But at the full board board meeting, member David Sanders* started asking detailed questions. He hinted of a political agenda at work. He noted that the forum, slated for Oct. 15, was instigated by John Foust,** (D) who is running for re-election as Dranesville Supervisor. The board decided it needed more information.

"The thinking that there is an opportunity for the MCC to be responsive to the community. And be helpful in things that are important to different segments of our community,” program committee chair Jay Howell said at last week's board meeting seeking approval of the $2,500 donation.

Board member Susan Bourgeois: “It allows the community center to have a voice in this discussion.”

Sanders: How many people will attend the Oct. 15 event?

About 200, said Jennifer Boysko, who works for Foust and is helping to organize the citizen-run forum.

Sanders: “This is not an ongoing series of forums. This is one time thing? This is not an organization?”

Bosysko: "This is a starting point," for churches and nonprofit organizations to begin to discuss aging in place, “This is not a government.”

Sanders: Are any for-profit organizations involved?

Boysko: No. The meeting will be held at the Capital One Headquarters and they are donating the space. The committee wanted to hold the forum at the Community Center but it's booked that Saturday.

After an hour, the board voted orally. Kevin Dent looked at Sanders and asked if the vote was unanimous.

Sanders shrugged his shoulders, then added, "This is a slippery slope. We will see every group of five well-meaning folks coming in" for money, he said. “I’m not saying that’s this group. . . We will see a steady stream of this.”

The board then voted to go behind closed doors to ask a consultant, whom they hired with a no-bid contract and have paid nearly $40,000, to do more undisclosed work on the board's plans to acquire an undisclosed property downtown, to build an undisclosed project.

*David Sanders once worked as a high-ranking staffer to Stanford Parris, the long-time Republican congressman from Northern Virginia. Parris died last year.

After Parris lost his congressional seat to Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) in 1990, he was named administrator of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. Sanders went with him. Sanders now runs his own company.

In 2007, Sanders donated $2,300 to the Giuliani for president campaign, according to campaign finance records.

**Earlier this year Dranesville Supervisor John Foust organized a committee to look at the ramifications of McLean/Dranesvile's rapidly aging population. All of Fairfax is graying, McLean is just doing it faster. Similar forums have been held around Fairfax including one in Reston last year. The forum is free to the public.