Thursday, October 20, 2011

Cherrydale Debate - Hynes Evasive About Libraries, Firefighters, Traffic Ordinance Enforcement

Hello, Yupette,

Another candidates' debate, more evasions by Mary Hynes about basic needs. Walter Tejada did not appear. As at previous debates, Ms. Hynes was asked about full funding for Arlington's public library system and restoration of hours and librarians. Same Mary Hynes who voted at Tuesday night's County Board meeting to spend $425,000 for one piece of public art for Penrose Square (check out agenda item 28). Same Mary Hynes who also voted on Tuesday for a major "Christmas on October" gift to the Boeing Corporation (check out agenda item 43). She again gave evasive answers about full library funding. Audrey Clement: 'Libraries are an essential public service, fund the libraries".

Mary's platitiudes, promises, lack of commitment to basic needs, and failure to remedy the problems she and the County Board created are causing serious concerns in neighborhoods like Cherrydale. Unlike Audrey Clement, she would not commit to immediate enforcement of neighborhood traffic ordinances (as the debates ended a resident of the assisted living facility near the fire station was hit by a vehicle while crossing Lee Highway in a motorized wheelchair). She became enraged when asked by the President of the Cherrydale Civic Association whether the County would allow two members of the Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department to bunk with the paid firefighters in Fire Station 3, responding that it was an unfair question and she would have to 'check out the site plan' first. Audrey Clement's response to the same question: "No problem".

It's obvious that Mary Hynes is extremely comfortable making major commitments to out-of-state developers but refuses to make even minor commitments to improve the quality of life for Arlington residents, taxpayers, and voters. So I'm voting for Audrey Clement.

In a related debate, Caren Merrick became fed up with County Board member, and Cherrydale infrastructure procrastinator, Barbara Favola's repeated playing of the abortion and firearms cards and told it like it is about Barbara - a politician who wants to be elected to wage a jihad against the Republicans in Richmond. Oh, in case you're interested, neither Merrick nor Favola mentioned the phrase 'family planning'.

Thanks for your blog.

Jill

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hynes can't say "no" to developers. She's very, very good at saying no to residents (defer, deflect, delay).

Anything that benefits us, voters, residents, taxpayers, only happens after a hugely expensive convoluted process.

My neighbor works at 2100 Clarendon Blvd. The County Board spends about 15% of its time working on programs that would or could directly benefit us, and the other 85% of the time working on programs that would or could benefit everyone but us.

retired EMS said...

Audrey Clement can say yes to a simple question that would benefit Cherrydale. Mary Hynes gets mad that the question is asked and says she will have to check out a duh, 'site plan', before she can make a decision. No contest. Audrey Clement for County Board.

Anonymous said...

Before you vote for Mary Hynes and Walter Tejada, go to arlingtonva.us and look at the video of public comment for consent agenda item 13 from October 18th. The development process is so out-of-control that neighborhoods have to hire expensive attorneys to protect themselves from greedy developers.

Anonymous said...

Know what this campaign is all about? Whether we're going to totally empower the Free Range Yuppies with their free range bicycles, free range SUVs, free range dogs, and, coming soon to your neighborhood, free range chickens.

DL - Cherrydale said...

Accident last night on Lee Hwy. Man got out of assisted living in his motorized wheelchair at 9 PM to buy cigarettes at the Safeway across the street. Hit by a compact car in the southbound lane. Volunteer firefighters and paramedics were on the scene from Cherrydale volunteer fire station in 30 seconds. Also people who were attending the debates. About 15 minutes later some nurses showed up looking for their patient. Cops showed up about the same time asking what happened. Pretty appalling. I saw Delegate Bob Brink watching the paramedics and he was pretty shaken and he's a Vietnam combat vet.

Anonymous said...

ArlNow blog reports the guy in the motorized wheelchair was dressed in dark clothing, was returning from the 7-11 up the street, there were two streetlights out in the area where he was hit, and he was not crossing in a crosswalk.

He was not seriously injured. Vehicle that hit him did not appear to be speeding.

Anonymous said...

Rather than empowering another huge bureaucracy to facilitate citizens obeying traffic laws, can we do as Dr. Clement suggests, enforce existing laws?

Anonymous said...

If Mary Hynes can't make a simple decision that would benefit a community and cost little without spending hundreds of hours in staff time arriving at more sanctiminious platitudes, we don't need or want her on the County Board.

Anonymous said...

Anyone know about the condition of the driver of the vehicle?

Anonymous said...

Driver of the vehicle? You mean the perpetrator who interfered with the County Board's "Own the Road" program, whereby pedestrians, runners, bicyclists, the disabled, and even moms pushing strollers get to use the streets as linear parks 24/7 ?

Anonymous said...

Enforce traffic signal and stop sign traffic laws for bicyclists? What a novel idea. Unfortunately the police are too busy coping with over-the-line partyers in Mary Hynes's neighborhood.

Anonymous said...

We can't afford 4 more years of this...seen what Wash Blvd looks like during rush hours?

Anonymous said...

All Mary Hynes talks about is coming up with more programs to deal with the problems she and the County Board created.

anon 22201 said...

Mary Hynes + County Board = 5 urban village idiots.

Anonymous said...

I saw a woman in a black motorized wheelchair on Courthouse Raod today, dressed entirely in black.