“I don’t disagree with the perception, but the reality is not there,” said Evans, who has taken money from Fort Myer and other businesses seeking city contracts. He dismissed the argument that such contributions sway how legislators act. “This isn’t Prince George’s County,” he said. In response, ATU Local 689 releases the following statement:
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ATU Local 689, the largest union of WMATA, representing more than 7,000 members and their families in Prince George’s County, find the Chairman’s remarks to be divisive, insulting, and disrespectful.
At this critical time for WMATA, insulting elected officials, and the constituents who support them, by implying that Prince George’s County officials are corrupted by political donations more than the District of Columbia is not helpful, and the coded language is not lost on us. As the head of the Metro board, Chairman Evans has a responsibility to work towards collaboration and consensus among the jurisdictions that Metro serves. On this day, where the Metro board planned to take a preliminary vote on extending his term as chairman, our union calls upon Evans to apologize to the people of Prince George’s County and cease his divisive language immediately, or step aside to allow WMATA to have a leader who is willing to unify and take the system forward.