Saturday, January 18, 2014

County Board's 2013 Financial Disclosure - CB Increasingly Controlled by NGO Elites

Hello,

We asked a volunteer to peruse the County Board's financial disclosure forms, which Virginia public officials must file by January 15th and which are stored in the County Board Offices at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.

Like former-Governor McDonnell, Arlington County Board members have no hesitation in accepting travel and entertainment gifts. Arlington County Board members (with the exception of Chris Zimmerman who was comped by the Smart Growth lobby last year) are increasingly accepting tickets to upscale events hosted by non-government organizations, like the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, where they are heavily lobbied by people whose corporations, law firms, non-profits, and so on regularly come before the County Board. If you want to see who they are you can visit the Arlington Chamber of Commerce's Web site and take a look at who's on the Chamber's Board of Directors. NGO non-profits that depend on the County Board for funding are also County Board favorites.

Speaking of the Chamber, the Arlington Chamber's Vice-Chairman for Economic Development and Governmental Affairs is none other than Arlington Sun Gazette Editor Scott McCaffrey. In the event you wondered why this blog, candidates for political office, and others who don't go along with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce's program are routinely disparaged by McCaffrey.

Cindy

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

FYI Shooshan Company and Marymount are represented on the Chamber's BOD.

Anonymous said...

Arlington Economic Development? Sun Gazette has moved its offices several times in the recent past, from one location in Fairfax County to another location in Fairfax County.

Anonymous said...

Is a majority of those who serve on the Arlington Chamber's BOD residents of Arlington County?

Anonymous said...

Arlington Economic Development? Notice all the law firms, architects, planning consultants, engineering firms, construction companies, etc., that are located in Fairfax County and are massively urbanizing Arlington County?

Anonymous said...

Time for $cott McCaffrey to fill out and file a Statement of Economic Interests.

Anonymous said...

Is there anyone with a business address in Fairfax County who is NOT massively urbanizing Arlington County?

Sheesh said...

So, a few hours after approving the $hoo$han-Marymount Corporate/Nonprofit $teal next Saturday afternoon, the County Board gets to party with $hoo$han and Marymount at the Chamber's Gala? Sheesh.

Anonymous said...

$ara$ota $cott McCaffrey has already picked out his luxury retirement home site near beautiful $ara$ota. Think he's gonna stick around to see his Fairlington neighborhood overwhelmed by infill redevelopment approved by the CB in one or more of the CB's handshake deals with the REITs?

Anonymous said...

Hey, it gets worse. Former Falls Church Chamber of Commerce President and FC News-Press Publisher Nick Benton essentially controls FC City Government.

Anonymous said...

Marymount-$hoo$an giveaway is Item 41 on the County Board's January 25th meeting agenda.

Anonymous said...

Why are upscale County board members not paying for their own tickets to these Gala events?

Anonymous said...

How many of the handshake giveaway deals from the County Board to the pet developers and pet non-profits are happening at these Galas?

Anonymous said...

Arlington Economic Development? The County's Economic Development Office costs taxpayers $10 million per year. For what? Creating hundreds of jobs every year that pay $10 per hour? Creating a luxury housing bubble after creating a luxury luxury office space bubble? Inundating us with traffic from redevelopment and telling us to ride bicycles?

Anonymous said...

Arlington Chamber is a bunch of racists as well as being a bunch of elitists. A few minority business owners are invited to attend the Galas, rest are discouraged from attending.

Marisol said...

That's correct. Take a look at the photos from last year's gala on the Chamber's Web site.

Anonymous said...

Scott McCaffrey is also a racist. Take a look at the photos in the print version of the Sun Gazette. Deja vu 1964. A few "community leaders" from minority groups. A few minority students in sports photos.

Pike Rider said...

Arlington Chamber of Commerce a bunch of racists and elitists? You got that right. Check out the County Board's agenda for January 28th - when County Government, Chamber, CPRO, Arlington Heights Yuppie Association, etc., go after the Pines of Italy.

Anonymous said...

Look up the definition of 'Oligarchy'.

Anonymous said...

If accepting corporate comps is all right for a born-again like Bob McDonnell why isn't it all right for the hedocrats who control Arlington?

Anonymous said...

How about a 'Restaurant Impossible' team from the Chamber to fix Pines of Italy and other failing Arlington restaurants?

Anonymous said...

Yeah, you would think "Gourmet Jay" Fisette would want the Pines to prosper.

Anonymous said...

Anyone know what Sun Gazette's owner - Richard L. Connor - has be up to the last couple of years?

Anonymous said...

Fixing Arlington's failing restaurants is too much like work. All the County Government Elite want is as much business tax and meals tax revenue they can squeeze out of restaurants to fund their pet projects.

Anonymous said...

Richard L. Connor is hiding out somewhere until the messes he created are resolved. Would not surprise me if McCaffrey is promoted to become RLC's Executive Assistant.

Anonymous said...

Cindy, you really should call one of the adults at the Sun Gazette and tell him or her that you publish the A.Y. blog.

Anonymous said...

What's the old saying about Washington journalists, which certainly applies to Scott McCaffrey - thin skinned, arrogant, lazy, and frequently wrong.

Anonymous said...

Guess a different Chris Zimmerman, Richard Doud, Scott McCaffrey, Terry Holzheimer, Barbara Donnellan, and Bob Brosnan are creating all those $10 per hour service jobs and 'affordable housing' for people who earn $30 per hour.

Anonymous said...

This Saturday the Chamber will have a Gala all right, to celebrate the ten million or so that non-profit Marymount University will make every year from its redeveloped education-retail-office-residential complex at 1000 Glebe Road. Approved by the County Board a few hour earlier.

Anonymous said...

Vast majority of Arlington Chamber members - especially small and minority business owners - can't wait until 'Richey Rich' Doud retires.