Hello, Yupette,
Thank you for hosting this blog. Do you want to know how much County Treasurer Frank O'Leary's vehicle decal program will cost Arlington's taxpayers this year? At least $1 million. Most of which will be paid in staff salaries to maintain and promote this program. The rest for printing, mailing, and tracking the vehicle decals. Also, the school system is getting more involved in a contest to choose the most attractive decal. This has become another vanity program that gets more absurd every year. Fairfax County ended its vehicle decal program several years ago and transferred the staff who were messing with decals to personal property tax enforcement. Two hundred fifty years ago Americans were outraged by the Stamp Act imposed by the British. O'Leary's vehicle tax decal is nothing more than a tax stamp. Time to end O'Leary's idiotic program before it becomes a yearly festival costing Arlington taxpayers who knows how many millions.
Ted - 22202
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Howard Manor Residents: "Mr. Zimmerman, We Are the Classmates of the County Board's Children"
Dear County Board Chairman Zimmerman:
I am a resident of Howard Manor Apartments. I am in my mid-20s. I and most of the residents who live at Howard Manor Apartments are starting our professional careers. Mine is in education. Yes, I earn $49,000 per year. But I also have to pay back $5,000 per year in student loans. Howard Manor is a great place to live. As we related to you at Tuesday's County Board Meeting, we are a highly diverse rental community.
You and Ms. Hynes and Ms. Favola have children who are about our age. I am sure that if your children were in a situation similar to ours in another jurisdiction you would be very unhappy that your children were "gentrified out" of market-rate affordable housing by an out-of-state developer with assistance from that jurisdiction's government.
Mr. Zimmerman, you and the Arlington County Board owe Howard Manor residents a big apology for the way we have been treated. Most of us are young Democrats and have, until now, supported the Arlington Democratic Party's and County Board's objectives like Smart Growth and Transit-Oriented Development. But, after reading the postings on Arlington Yupette and other local blogs, it appears that all you and the rest of County Government care about is making affordable market rate rental communities like ours "redevelopment opportunities" for out-of-state developers. Unless and until you and the County Board begin to follow the diversity agenda you set for others we cannot continue to support you or the Arlington Democratic Party.
Howard Manor Resident
I am a resident of Howard Manor Apartments. I am in my mid-20s. I and most of the residents who live at Howard Manor Apartments are starting our professional careers. Mine is in education. Yes, I earn $49,000 per year. But I also have to pay back $5,000 per year in student loans. Howard Manor is a great place to live. As we related to you at Tuesday's County Board Meeting, we are a highly diverse rental community.
You and Ms. Hynes and Ms. Favola have children who are about our age. I am sure that if your children were in a situation similar to ours in another jurisdiction you would be very unhappy that your children were "gentrified out" of market-rate affordable housing by an out-of-state developer with assistance from that jurisdiction's government.
Mr. Zimmerman, you and the Arlington County Board owe Howard Manor residents a big apology for the way we have been treated. Most of us are young Democrats and have, until now, supported the Arlington Democratic Party's and County Board's objectives like Smart Growth and Transit-Oriented Development. But, after reading the postings on Arlington Yupette and other local blogs, it appears that all you and the rest of County Government care about is making affordable market rate rental communities like ours "redevelopment opportunities" for out-of-state developers. Unless and until you and the County Board begin to follow the diversity agenda you set for others we cannot continue to support you or the Arlington Democratic Party.
Howard Manor Resident
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Zimmerman Sneaks Targeted Tax Break Via County Board Closed Session
Hello, Yupette,
In the event you missed Chris Zimmerman's latest stunt, he had the County Board consider, and pass, a piece of legislation during closed session on Tuesday that would allow federal non-military employees serving in Afghanistan (and only federal non-military employees serving in Afghanistan) to delay paying their local taxes for 90 days. It was news to County Treasurer Frank O'Leary, who attended Tuesday's County Board meeting to promote his 2011 Vehicle Tax Decal program. Last time the County Board pulled a similar stunt was 15 years ago. So, you can expect anything from the REITsFuhrer of Redevelopment, aka WMATA's Master of Metrorail Disaster, aka Arlington's Guru of Gridlock, from now on.
Dennis - 22205
In the event you missed Chris Zimmerman's latest stunt, he had the County Board consider, and pass, a piece of legislation during closed session on Tuesday that would allow federal non-military employees serving in Afghanistan (and only federal non-military employees serving in Afghanistan) to delay paying their local taxes for 90 days. It was news to County Treasurer Frank O'Leary, who attended Tuesday's County Board meeting to promote his 2011 Vehicle Tax Decal program. Last time the County Board pulled a similar stunt was 15 years ago. So, you can expect anything from the REITsFuhrer of Redevelopment, aka WMATA's Master of Metrorail Disaster, aka Arlington's Guru of Gridlock, from now on.
Dennis - 22205
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Fairfax County Residents Set Arlington's Budget Priorities
Hello Yupette,
If you wondered who wrote Arlington FY 2012 Budget and who set Arlington's tax rate for FY 2012 you should be aware that the Budget was written by Counbty Manager Barbara Donnelan, who lives in Clifton, and the tax rate was set by the County Board based on advice from Bill Bozman, representing the Alliance for Housing Solutions, who lives in Bailey's Crossroads.
Very few important decisions that affect Arlington County residents' lives are made by Arlington County residents. The County Board usually ratifies advice and recommendations made by County Staff, Consultants, Non Government Organization Executives, Developers, REIT Executives, and others who are not Arlington residents.
Terri, Recently Retired from County Gov't
If you wondered who wrote Arlington FY 2012 Budget and who set Arlington's tax rate for FY 2012 you should be aware that the Budget was written by Counbty Manager Barbara Donnelan, who lives in Clifton, and the tax rate was set by the County Board based on advice from Bill Bozman, representing the Alliance for Housing Solutions, who lives in Bailey's Crossroads.
Very few important decisions that affect Arlington County residents' lives are made by Arlington County residents. The County Board usually ratifies advice and recommendations made by County Staff, Consultants, Non Government Organization Executives, Developers, REIT Executives, and others who are not Arlington residents.
Terri, Recently Retired from County Gov't
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
County Board, Staff, Developer Spent Months Working on Howard Manor Charade
Hi Yupette,
Despite what you may have seen and heard from the County Board tonight, the Howard Manor Apartments gentrification charade was in the works for months. The tenants are victims of another of Zimmerman's pet developers, this one specializes in making lots of money from kicking out tenants from older apartment buildings and receiving huge subsidies for making the renovated buildings "affordable". The tenants only found out about the plans last night. The charade was so transparent that a couple County Board members were actually laughing. Not funny to the tenants, some of whom have have been living at Howard Manor Apartments for more than a decade.
This is a preview of what Zimmerman has in store for the entire Columbia Pike corridor - older rental apartments are not homes for middle-class Arlingtonians, but "redevelopment opportunities" for out-of-state developers.
2100
Despite what you may have seen and heard from the County Board tonight, the Howard Manor Apartments gentrification charade was in the works for months. The tenants are victims of another of Zimmerman's pet developers, this one specializes in making lots of money from kicking out tenants from older apartment buildings and receiving huge subsidies for making the renovated buildings "affordable". The tenants only found out about the plans last night. The charade was so transparent that a couple County Board members were actually laughing. Not funny to the tenants, some of whom have have been living at Howard Manor Apartments for more than a decade.
This is a preview of what Zimmerman has in store for the entire Columbia Pike corridor - older rental apartments are not homes for middle-class Arlingtonians, but "redevelopment opportunities" for out-of-state developers.
2100
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Zimmerman, County Board Republicans FastTracking Massive Anti-Democrat Rt 29 Gentrification
Hi Yupette,
Thanks for your blog, and for supporting working class Arlington Democrats who the Republican County Board is trying to gentrify out of Arlington. Latest attempt will be the Howard Manor Apartments on Lee Highway, which Mr. Zimmerman and the County Board want to totally gentrify. Agenda item 11 on the February 15th County Board agenda. They want to drive out working class Democrats and replace workforce housing with a Yuppublican hedo enclave. Zimmerman, Tejada, Hynes, Favola, and Fisette want to raise rents 30%, kick out hard-working Latino and Latina families, and actually put present Howard Manor tenants into homeless shelters. Traffic in the redeveloped Howard Manor would be "controlled" by telling residents to ride bicycles, take Metrobuses and ART buses to work - even if they don't live on bus transit routes - and try to find parking spaces on the street. How "Smart" is that?
Please attend the February 15th County Board meeting and stop the County Republican Board from removing more Arlington Democrats from affordable housing.
Mark - N. Harrison St.
Thanks for your blog, and for supporting working class Arlington Democrats who the Republican County Board is trying to gentrify out of Arlington. Latest attempt will be the Howard Manor Apartments on Lee Highway, which Mr. Zimmerman and the County Board want to totally gentrify. Agenda item 11 on the February 15th County Board agenda. They want to drive out working class Democrats and replace workforce housing with a Yuppublican hedo enclave. Zimmerman, Tejada, Hynes, Favola, and Fisette want to raise rents 30%, kick out hard-working Latino and Latina families, and actually put present Howard Manor tenants into homeless shelters. Traffic in the redeveloped Howard Manor would be "controlled" by telling residents to ride bicycles, take Metrobuses and ART buses to work - even if they don't live on bus transit routes - and try to find parking spaces on the street. How "Smart" is that?
Please attend the February 15th County Board meeting and stop the County Republican Board from removing more Arlington Democrats from affordable housing.
Mark - N. Harrison St.
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