Hello, Yupette,
I grew up in Kentucky where state government has taken a regional approach to providing services and constructing public infrastructure. This saves Kentucky taxpayers billions each year. I am happy to see that Arlington County is going to a regional approach to homelessness treatment, starting with a regional homelessness crisis intervention center, located near Inova Fairfax Hospital.
But why stop there? Arlington's taxpayers could save a hundred million dollars a year (or more) if the County's fat-headed elected elected pols (Mr. Zimmeman foremost among them) and bloated bureaucracy stopped trying to cram everything into one tiny suburban county.
I live in Westover and I am for a total moratorium on any new urbanization, starting with East Falls Church. If Marymount and O'Connell want a lighted team sports center, build it out in Fairfax County where it won't bother anyone.
I find it mind-boggling that so many of the 'decision makers' who are trying to totally urbanize Arlington live in McLean in big McMansions where so much is off-limits to development and redevelopment of any kind. Arlington's Economic Development Office is even helping McLean investors tear down affordable single family homes and affordable market-rate apartments in Arlington.
This started years ago with a County Board that never met a County bureaucracy or a developer it didn't like. Now the bureaucrats and developers have taken over the County Board. When will it end? How many billions will be wasted before we elect County Board members who have fiscal responsibility and common sense?
Mark
21 comments:
A small circle of County bureaucrats and developers (almost all of them from out-of-state) make almost all the major "planning" decisions.
Google "Kentucky Council of Area Development Districts".
As was mentioned before (I think it was this blog) most of the people who make planning decisions for us live in livable suburban communities elsewhere.
Agreed. The County's bureaucracy and the developers control the County Board.
I watched the CB Meeting yesterday and it was apparent that Congressman Moran was not happy with the County Gimme Board.
Sorry Chris. Sorry Mary. Congressman Moran can no longer earmark the anything out of anything.
"Amigo Jim, O.K., one-third are not guilty of anything. So why do we have this secure cities program? All the other two-thirds did was try to attend a Pike planning meeting. O.K.? I know it's illegal for Latinos and Latinas to attend planning meetings in Arlington. And most other meetings too. But one-third had not tried to attend any public meeting. So why can't we just opt out?
What dealing with homelessness on a regional basis would do, if nothing else, would be to reduce the number of county employees, non-profit employees, and volunteers who work to keep the homeless homeless in Arlington.
Can't use the land in McLean for mixed-use smart growth. It's needed for 12,000 square foot mansions.
Arlington is one of two counties in VA with its own public works department.
In the private sector it's called shared services -- reduces the cost of administrative activities by more than 50 percent.
In Arlington County, Donnellan and Zimmerman turn the bureaucracy loose to write reports documenting how "underpaid" they are instead designing a plans for wringing out needless excess and non-productive overhead.
At least a dozen Virginia counties have public works departments. But they are mostly concerned with road and highway maintenance.
Needless excess. Like a $17.5 million fire station.
How about the proposed Crystal City transitway? Five bus shelters and curb cuts for the buses. Cost will be $16 million.
Does County Public Works still run it's own cement plant? Competing with the cement plant 1/2 mile away at Shirlington Rd. and Four Mile Run Dr.?
Now that Jim Moran told Chris Zimmerman he's no longer able to earmark the anything out of anything, will Chris Zimmerman stop the planning work for the Pike and Crystal City streetcars?
If Sister Cities Ambassador Tejada is re-elected the next Sister Cities will be Buenos Aires, Rio, Lima, and Cancun.
"This started years ago with a County Board that never met a County bureaucracy or a developer it didn't like. Now the bureaucrats and developers have taken over the County Board. When will it end? How many billions will be wasted before we elect County Board members who have fiscal responsibility and common sense?"
Amen, amen, and right on!
Elect Audrey Clement to the County Board and it will end.
Alexandria is looking to gentrify Arlandria.
Some say we should switch over to cleaner fossil fuels to avoid a parade of environmental catastrophes. Defenders of fossil fuels rebut this by saying that alternative energy isn't ready for prime time yet. Here is a great article on renewable energy sources as opposed to fossil fuels: http://www.dailyfueleconomytip.com/uncategorized/renewable-energy-sources-as-opposed-to-fossil-fuels/
Jason Kim
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