County Government, Chamber of Commerce, Local Media Failing Arlington Restaurants

Hey, Yupette, I just viewed Tuesday's County Board meeting on arlingtonva.us. The County Board refused to give the Pines of Italy restaurant on the Pike a use permit for live entertainment. There's a laundry list of problems with the restaurant and its owner going back a decade.

Pines of Italy isn't the only restaurant with problems. Almost every week you can read in the blogs about a struggling restaurant closing. So where are the Chamber of Commerce, Arlington County Economic Development, CPRO, the local media, and other organizations who are concerned about the success of small businesses? No one on the County Board offered any assistance to the Pines of Italy at Tuesday night's meeting. Meaning advice to the owners about how to fix the problems. Apparently there is no meaningful assistance offered to other struggling restaurants. All I've ever heard about them is when they're in arrears in sending their meals tax receipts to the County Treasurer. And when they go out of business.

You would think that Walter Tejada would be concerned about this minority-owned restaurant. And Mary Hynes literally micro-manages the restaurants in her Clarendon neighborhood. But I wonder why anyone would want to start a restaurant in Arlington that's not a national chain franchise. BTW, Pines of Italy serves really good Italian food. Pike Rider

County Board to 'Shirlington' Rosenthal Auto, Bergmanns

Hello Yupette,

More bad news for those of us who live in Arlington and want our County to remain suburban. The County Board and its non-resident REITs, developers, lawyers, architects, county staff, etc., are going to replicate Shirlington on the Rosenthal auto dealer site on the Pike and the Bergmanns cleaners site on Lee Highway.

That is, massive parking and vehicle trips, little or no on-site affordable housing for all the restaurant and retail jobs that will be created, and no additional community infrastructure, playgrounds, community activities center, etc.

Another corporate welfare gift for the County Board's pet corporate cronies, facilitated by the usual crew of the County Board's pet 'community leaders'.

Oh, by the way, same Libby Garvey who has said nothing and done nothing about the Shirlington mess that affects her own community is now on the County Board.

Mike, 22204

Arlington Republicans Criticize School Board Mismanagement - In Private

Hi Yupette,

I'm a Republican who's fed up with the cozy relationship the Arlington Republican Party has with the Arlington Democratic Party.

Yes, there's a deal whereby hundreds of non-resident students can illegally attend Arlington schools at a cost to taxpayers of $18,400 per student per year. But there's much more waste and mismanagement in the school system that Arlington Republicans know about that you don't.

There is a huge under-utilization of Arlington's school bus system because parents are given tacit encouragement to drive their children to school and pick them up.

Arlington school HVAC systems break down because of inadequate maintenance and the repairs are expensive. Similarly, the cost of operating and maintaining the Oracle-based IT system is huge. A recent system crash cost more than $1 million to fix. The School Board spent extravagantly for custom architectural services for Wakefield HS but could have purchased off-the-shelf architectural plans for significantly less. The County funded a $1 million baseball field for W-L but the School Board is not even talking about the school itself, which is an energy pig that needs a $20 million classroom addition.

If ever a public institution deserved an Inspector General it's the Arlington School System. But until Arlington Republicans stop going along with the program and start being vocal the waste, fraud, and mismanagement will go on.

Eisenhower Republican

Clement Files Petitions, Will Appear on the Ballot in November

Hello,

Audrey Clement filed her petitions yesterday and will appear on the ballot as a Candidate for Arlington County Board in November. Her campaign e-mailed

AY a photo.

Cindy

School System, County Insiders Tolerate 'Hundreds' of Non-Resident Students Attending Arlington Schools

Hey, Yupette,

So a few Civic Federation Delegates are finally concerned about the 500+ students who aren't legally Arlington residents attending Arlington schools? About time. Another scheme that's been allowed to continue far too long, at a cost to taxpayers of $18,400 per student per year.

Since when is it OK for parents who move out of the County to keep their kids in Arlington's schools until they graduate? Since Libby Garvey, Mary Hynes, and other Machine Democrats were first elected to the School Board, 15 years ago. Lately it's gotten worse. Nice that a few people are finally complaining. Only reason that's happening is because of school overcrowding.

Who to blame? The insiders who control Arlington County and have given the schools an extra $5 million to $10 million a year to perpetuate this 'gimme' to their friends, including County employees, who move out of the County.

I agree that BOTH the school system and county government badly need an Inspector General. And I am NOT going to vote for any incumbent for any elected office.

Jeff, 22205

Enough CivFed R-and-E Charades - Time for a Tax Cut !

Hello Yupette,

Arlington Civic Federation is meeting tonight and its Revenues and Expenditures Committee will most likely go through the same charade budget 'analysis' as last year - recommending the County Manager's FY 13 budget with a 1/2 cent tax increase.

Well, enough of these charades. I want an across-the-board tax cut this year. If the Pike trolley is scrapped the commercial real estate tax surcharge can be cut in half. If the County Board implements Audrey Clement's fiscally responsible management agenda homeowners can get a 2 cent tax cut this year instead of a 2 1/2 cent tax increase.

As for the Arlington County Taxpayer's Association (ACTA) and its president, Tim Wise, he should be calling for Mary Hynes to retire rather than praising her for finally revealing that she and the County Board have been on a tax-and-spend binge ever since she was first elected. By the way, where was Tim when the outrageous designer fence for the wastewater treatment plant came before the County Board?

Enough is enough. I'm not supporting anyone running for any political office who goes along with any tax increase for FY 13.

Peter - 22203

County Board Reacts to Special Election - Expedites Street Paving

Hi, Yupette,

The County Manager has ordered expedited street repaving in response to Tuesday's special election results and especially to Audrey Clement making street repaving a major campaign issue. A paving crew was out yesterday repaving the badly broken and potholed stretch of Washington Boulevard just west of Wilson Boulevard.

The only thing entrenched Democrats react to is the possibility that a non-Democrat will be elected to the County Board. Thanks to Audrey Clement for pushing the County Board into expediting street repavement.

2100