Garvey, School Board 'Desperate' for Classrooms

Hi Yupette,

You will be interested to know that Libby Garvey and the School Board are so desperate for classroom space that they are looking at using community centers as schools.

All the community centers are under consideration, Fairlington, Walter Reed, Aurora Hills, and so on.

Same school board that approved the ugly energy pig with too few classrooms that is W-L High school and the new sports-entertainment-recreation center that will be Wakefield High School.

Libby Garvey knew years ago that Arlington County was adding thousands of new housing units to the County's housing inventory every year. She's been constantly running for public office for a decade.

Libby Garvey should be running all right...for retirement. So should the other School Board members. The Superintendent should be asked to resign so he can do what he does best...coaching a sports team.

We've had 33 years of one-party rule here. Enough is enough.

K-12 Parent X 3

Hynes, Democratic Machine Host Big Fundraiser for 'Independent' Libby Garvey

Hi Yupette,

The Democratic Machine hosted a big campaign fundraiser and organizational meeting yesterday for Libby Garvey (who claims she will be an "independent voice" on the all-Democratic County Board).

Libby was having a good old time with her ACDC pals at Mary's home and is hard to see how she would be independent of Zimmerman. So look for more of the same if she's elected.

Ted

Garvey and Kelly Sit Sucking Thumbs at County Board Meeting While County Board Socks Homeowners With Big Tax Hike

Hello, Yupette,

I am not only disgusted with the County Board for socking homeowners with a big tax hike to pay for its pet projects but outraged that Democratic candidate for County Board Libby Garvey and Republican candidate for County Board Mark Kelly sat in the back of the county board room sucking their thumbs. (I heard that Audrey Clement has a very ill sister who she's visiting, so she can be excused for not attending).

But really, I mean really, for a Democratic and Republican candidate to just sit there and not even call for fiscal restraint by a County Board that's already flush with taxpayer cash from assessment increases is unconscionable. Who is in charge of county government, a one-party Republicratic regime? Does anyone care about homeowners anymore? Does anyone feel sympathy for taxpayers who have not had a salary or cost of living increase in years? I would like to know who wrote the letters sent to the County Board asking it to raise taxes. Same people who show up en masse at County Board meetings asking that their pet recreation project be funded?

Libby Garvey and Mark Kelly are poor excuses for candidates. I'm going to ask Audrey Clement what she thinks about this outrageous treatment of residents and taxpayers when I see her at the farmer's market.

Thanks for your blog.

Julie

Greens, Parents, Ask for a Comprehensive Bicycle, Pedestrian, Skateboard, Motor Vehicle Safety Program

Hello Yupette,

I almost hit an adult who was dressed from head to toe in black and ran a stop sign on his racing bicycle last night. I understand the Green Party is also concerned about this, and is urging the County to begin a comprehensive safety program for our streets, roads, sidewalks, and bicycle trails.

There are about 150 reported bicycle and pedestrian injuries every year in Arlington County. That's way, way too many. I want to see the police ticketing bicyclists who run stop signs. I want to see bicyclists and others who are on the streets and roads wearing safety vests. I want to see the County Board's pet bicycle groups promoting safety, rather than just putting more bicycles on the street.

Speaking of streets, they are becoming hazardous to both bicycles and pedestrians who have to cross them. When do they get re-paved? After a billion dollars worth of unnecessary transportation, entertainment, and sports projects are constructed?

Joan, 22204

Greens Ask Jim Moran to Oppose Mark Kelly's Anti-Environment, Anti-Child Federal Legislation

Hello, Yupette,

As you may have heard, the Arlington Green Party met on February 1st and voted to condemn HR 3323, the anti-environment and anti-child legislation sponsored by Congressman Tim Huelskamp (R-Kansas) which was written and is being promoted in the House of Representatives by Mark Kelly, who is Congressman Huelskamp's legislative director and is a candidate for Arlington County Board. Here is the letter the Greens e-mailed to Jim Moran.
Mark, 22203

Congressman Jim Moran
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington DC

February 6, 2012

Dear Congressman Moran:

We write you today to urge you to vote against H.R. 3323, a bill to reduce "the regulatory burden on the agricultural sector of the national economy," that was introduced by Congressman Huelskamp on November 2, 2011 and referred to the Committees on Ways and Means, Agriculture,Energy, and Commerce and Education.

This bill would suspend any efforts of the EPA to reduce global warming and air pollution, protect water from agricultural runoff, end protections against child labor in agriculture, and eliminate OSHA's regulation of dangerous farm machinery.

We in Arlington depend on the Potomac River for clean drinking water; farmers can and should do more to stop agricultural chemical and waste runoff into our rivers and streams. We, through strong support for EPA, need to find ways to reduce global warming and air pollution to protect our community's health. Moreover, we oppose child labor anywhere and firmly support OSHA's protection of farm workers from dangerous practices.

Our group, the Arlington Green party, discussed this bill at our February 1 meeting and voted unanimously to urge you, as our Congressional representative, to vote against it.

John Reeder, Chair
Arlington Green party
P.O. Box 50473
Arlington VA 22205

Arlington Pulls the Plug on Analog Police, Fire, EMS Radio

Hello Yupette,

Turned on my 10-year old Radio Shack scanner yesterday to take a listen. Radio was scanning, but no audio heard. Turns out the County pulled the plug on analog police, fire, EMS dispatch on January 31st. So if you want to hear who done what to whom you will have to purchase a digital scanner - and they're expensive.

Before you do - all the good stuff (like cops talking to each other about the 'suspicious person' they've just stopped for driving through the X, Y, or Z neighborhood while Black) are on encrypted channels. So you won't hear any of that. Not like the good old days, when almost nothing was encrypted and I was alternately amused and horrified by what I heard.

Thanks for your blog.

Tom, 22205

January 31st County Board Meeting Re-Affirms County Board's Massive Gentrification Agenda

Hello,

The County Board held a 'work session' with the County Manager on January 31st at the office of Arlington Economic Development on Glebe Road.

A.Y. obtained a copy of the internal agenda / redevelopment blueprint for this meeting (there were 20 pages of handouts). Copies of the handouts are available by calling the County Board offices at 228-3130.

The internal agenda confirms that the County Board is committed to a massive redevelopment / gentrification agenda for the rest of this decade. The County Board is also committed to keeping non-resident Economic Development and CPHD Staff in control of the 'planning' process, aided by County Board-appointed neighborhood 'facilitators'.

The County Board is pushing for major redevelopment of Shirlington / Four Mile Run, Lee Highway, and Courthouse Square. One surprise - the County Board is also pushing for gentrification of garden apartments not on Columbia Pike. (This was confirmed by a conversation with County Planning Staff).

Here is the list of site plans currently on the County Board's, CPHD's, and Economic Development's agenda for the next several years.

2. CURRENT PLANNING - Site Plans

Current Site Plans - Pen Place PDSP, Virginia Square Funeral Home, Penzance Clarendon, Clean Technology Center, Rosslyn Gateway, Crimson on Glebe, Crystal Mall 3, Bergmanns Cleaners, Rosenthal FBC

Preliminary Site Plan Filings (Not yet accepted) - Colony House, Rosslyn Plaza

Potential Site Plans - 2401 Wilson Blvd., Wachovia Clarendon, Peck Clarenndon/Courthouse, American Service Center - Harris Teeter, Crystal City Post Office, Court House Metro Block, Crystal Plaza, Shreve Oil East Falls Church.

It's obvious that the County Bord's overall agenda is to proceed with neighborhood by neighborhood redevelopment / gentrification (prefaced by a major rewrite of the County's zoning ordinances) until the entire County is urbanized and in-filled with expensive residential homes, condos, and apartments.

Susan