Hello Yupette,
Thanks for this blog.
I live near Crystal City. As the result of our treatment by Arlington County during Crystal City "re-development" I would like to bring up an issue that deeply concerns me and others in my community - the extent to which people who don't live in Arlington make important planning and other decisions.
I was surprised to learn that County Manager, and long-time County employee, Barbara Donnellan, does not live in Arlington. Perhaps 80% of the people who make important planning, transportation, housing, education, public safety, recreation, and other decisions don't live here, pay taxes here, vote here (some get to send their kids to Arlington schools illegally but that's another topic).
Do you realize that when many important decisions are made by the County Board the only people doing the talking at County Board meetings who are Arlington residents are the five County Board members?
Regarding Crystal City, when this item came to the County Board the beneficiaries of the County Board's decisions were: an out-of-state REIT, its out-of-state law firm, and the county staff who don't live in Arlington, whose jobs depend on putting together these kinds of "deals". Oh, by the way, I understand the County Attorney who signs off on these deals is not an Arlington resident, nor is the County Board clerk who arranges all the meetings between the developers and County Board.
What are Arlington residents anyway? A bunch of fools who pay so others can play, and get rich at our expense.
Cathy
14 comments:
Cathy, at 10% of the the Arlington residents who serve on the advisory committees and commissions spend the majority of their time living elsewhere.
Public Safety decisions are made by Donnellan and a police chief who lives in Fairfax County and a fire chief who lives in Alexandria.
January 1st County Board meeting - more of the same and worse in 2011.
Mary Hynes announced today that she would form a committee of "community leaders" to facilitate Vornado's plans for Crystal City.
Yes, the "community leaders" will be allowed to make important live entertainment decisions - like about music and restaurant seating.
Based upon Mary Hynes allowing Abingdon Elementary School to become an educational disaster zone when she was on the School Board we are against anything Mary Hynes is for.
So, which out-of-state REIT will Zimmerman select to "Shirlington" East Falls Church?
Did Patrick Murphy ever move to Arlington after he became Superintendent of the School System?
Another worthless citizens' 'committee' of Vornado enablers. Why do they even bother with these charades any longer?
Since Vornado is going to get between $82 and $102 million in corporate welfare out of the General fund over the next 6 years, every Arlington taxpayer has the right to be on whatever committee is set up to determine what is and is not being done in Crystal City.
Crystal City Citizens Review Council? Something only an Urban Village Idiot like Mary Hynes could devise. BTW, she's scared enuf about not being re-elected that she's doing something about controlling the party zone that she helped create in her own neighborhood.
When push came to shove during Shirlington redevelopment "County Planning Staff" threatened to call the police if neighborhood residents didn't stop asking questions about the Library-Signature Theater deal.
Dump Mary Hynes - she destroyed our schools when she was on the School Board and she's destroying our neighborhoods now she's on the County Board.
If Mary Hynes were not running for re-election nothing would be done about the out-of-control partying in her neighborhood.
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