Hello,
After talking with hundreds of miserable residents who were stuck in stifling homes, apartments, and condos without power for days (some still don't have power) we conclude it's time for Arlington County manager Barbara Donnellan to go. Also time to replace Arlington's top 'emergency preparedness' staff.
Like most other Arlington Government executives Barbara Donnellan lives far from Arlington and does not, and will not, suffer the consequences of her failures.
Despite massive damage to power lines from downed trees (largely caused by the County's lack of an adequate tree maintenance program) County Government was on its usual summer weekend schedule from 5 PM Friday night to 8 AM Monday morning. A few crews were out picking up downed tree limbs.
About half of Arlington's population suffered extreme heat misery until the crescendo of complaints caused County Government to expedite power restoration.
It's unconscionable that, after spending $14 million for a new emergency communications center several years ago, for 911 emergency calls to not go through. And every year Arlington receives hundreds of thousands more in grants for communications upgrades from Homeland Security.
It's unconscionable that seniors had to suffer for days in senior apartment complexes without air conditioning, when the National Guard Readiness Center for the entire USA is located 1/2 mile away.
We saw this behavior before from County Government, last Fourth of July when a severe storm hit the Palisades and the year before that, when another severe storm hit Fairlington.
Enough is enough. Barbara Donnellan has got to go, along with Arlington's so-called 'emergency preparedness' staff.
Believe it or not, we were lucky. We advised everyone struck without power and air conditioning to pack up the pets and whatever food that could be salvaged and visit family and friends, or go on vacation. Not a big deal on June 30th.
But what happens if there's a major league ice storm on December 30th and power goes out for days? Think about it.
Susan
22 comments:
What vanity projects have they been diverting the street tree maintenance funds to?
Streetcar. Duh.
Can someone ask Jack Brown the latest 'we know but we're not going to tell you' tally of residents who died from heat-related causes?
Susan, it's not too early to rent an apartment, condo, or home in Florida for December, January, February 2012-2013.
The County's 1700 kilohertz AM station was virtually useless all weekend.
Since Friday night between 25 and 50 Arlington residents have died from the effects of living w/o power and AC in overheated buildings.
It's the same fire and EMS bureaucracy that sets off explosions and burns junk vehicles near an elementary school and keeps it secret. They have a tally of victims but they're not going to admit anything.
Last year of the Bush Administration more than 30,000 Americas died in the 2008 influenza epidemic because the flu vaccine didn't work. No one said anything about it at the time.
How much is being been spent on communications upgrades by the County? Tens of millions of dollars. To tell residents to visit a fire station for help if they can't get through to 911? Fire all of them, starting with Mary Hynes.
Susan, ACFD is PO'd at you again.
WHY are the other local blogs so wacko about people sheltering in place in hot as hell apartments and condos? Half of America is on vacation this week. What the hell is wrong with packing up the kids, dog, cat, and whatever food can be salvaged and visiting family and friends?
Short answer, other local blogs and media in general are under control of Arlington County Government.
Shelter in place in the Summer for days after a storm ends --- sucks.
Local Media can't risk offending The Regime by making any criticism whatsoever.
We've reached the point where local blogs are so into supporting the status quo political machine that they won't tell you to visit your sister in Saranac Lake in July rather than sit in a 95 degree apartment cranking an emergency radio tuned to the political machine's worthless AM broadcast station waiting for the power and A/C to come back on.
You wouldn't be referring to the ACDC Patch.
Yupette, half the people who are allowed to post at will to the ARL NOW blog work at 2100 Clarendon Blvd, a couple in the County's Public Information Office.
I took your advice. Visiting Montreal. Drove up Monday. Warm but not oppressive. Lots of Americans here on vacation. Thanks for your blog. Later.
Anonymous said: "Yupette, half the people who are allowed to post at will to the ARL NOW blog work at 2100 Clarendon Blvd, a couple in the County's Public Information Office."
I don't know if its is half of them, but quite a few there are real shills for the County being all-wise, all-knowing, all-perfect and woe be to anyone who disagrees with them or criticizes the County in any way, shape, or form - or even mildly and politely questions the County. They try to stifle or railroad any posters that disagree with them - often in the nastiest and rudest ways.
Yupette, thanks for the info about the seniors with serious pre-existing medical conditions who fell ill and died since Friday. Arlington Mercury blog mentioned how many sick elderly people were transported to the hospital.
The media who accept advertising are not going to offend anyone in any way.
ACFD-EMS is not going to admit anything.
Same local media who don't DARE show a photo of the Vegas ACE articulated bus. Arl Now is so censored it's worthless as a news source, except for Yuptard news.
Supposed to be over 100 degrees again this weekend? I'm outta here tomorrow morning for a week in Vermont. My refrigerator is already cleaned out.
Don't leave out editor and blogger Scott McCaffrey, a member of the County's emergency preparedness commission, who's said almost nothing about the County's lack of emergency preparedness.
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