Tuesday, February 7, 2012

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

Sunday, February 5, 2012

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

Friday, February 3, 2012

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