March 29, 2001

One Hundred Thousand Reasons Still Aren't Enough
by Carl S. Ey

He has an airport named after him, the International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. bears his name, and he is the first living President to have an aircraft carrier named after him but our 40th President can't get a metro sign changed to properly reflect the stop at Ronald Reagan National Airport.

"I intend to vigorously oppose the attempts to change it solely to buckle under the threat of a member of Congress," Christopher E. Zimmerman, a Democrat Washington Area Metro board member told the Washington Times.

Zimmerman is opposed to changing the Metro signs guiding subway passengers to the Ronald Reagan National Airport. His comments referring to Congress are directed at Rep. Bob Barr's (R-Ga.) letter to the Metro Board threatening to withhold federal funds if the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority doesn't change the signs to accurately reflect the airport's Metro stop.

Over $718,000 has been spent in the last three years to update the Metro signs from Maryland through the District and into Northern Virginia.  However, money was not earmarked in the Metro budget plan when the airport's name was officially changed in February 1998. Yet, the budget funded changes to seven other Metro signs since President Clinton renamed D.C.'s airport.

The cost to change the sign at the airport is $100,000 - money well spent on a legendary Commander-in-Chief.

Furthermore, Mr. Zimmerman believes he is doing the right thing by saving $100,000 and getting one more board member to vote with him to stop the sign change. The board needs a total of two votes to stop the renaming of the Metro stop. Zimmerman should heed his own words with regard to this nation's history.

"A professor I had in college once described the importance of history by saying 'what memory is to the individual, history is to the collectivity.' Without it we would have no identity, no sense of self," Zimmerman said at an Arlington County Organizational Meeting on January 1, 2001. "Among other things, I'd like us to develop a plan for historic preservation, and incorporate it in the County's Comprehensive Plan."

Yet, Zimmerman's vetoing the name change for one of history's greatest leaders doesn't seem to bother him with regard to "historic preservation."

"Ronald Reagan's achievements grow larger with the passing time," said President George W. Bush at the dedication of the USS Ronald Reagan. "And because of Ronald Reagan, the world saw America as a strong and peaceful nation."

Yet, D.C. commuters may not see their most revered leader's name on the Metro sign leading to the airport that honors him.

© 2001 Carl S. Ey