Saturday, February 11, 2012

Greens, Parents, Ask for a Comprehensive Bicycle, Pedestrian, Skateboard, Motor Vehicle Safety Program

Hello Yupette,

I almost hit an adult who was dressed from head to toe in black and ran a stop sign on his racing bicycle last night. I understand the Green Party is also concerned about this, and is urging the County to begin a comprehensive safety program for our streets, roads, sidewalks, and bicycle trails.

There are about 150 reported bicycle and pedestrian injuries every year in Arlington County. That's way, way too many. I want to see the police ticketing bicyclists who run stop signs. I want to see bicyclists and others who are on the streets and roads wearing safety vests. I want to see the County Board's pet bicycle groups promoting safety, rather than just putting more bicycles on the street.

Speaking of streets, they are becoming hazardous to both bicycles and pedestrians who have to cross them. When do they get re-paved? After a billion dollars worth of unnecessary transportation, entertainment, and sports projects are constructed?

Joan, 22204

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Greens Ask Jim Moran to Oppose Mark Kelly's Anti-Environment, Anti-Child Federal Legislation

Hello, Yupette,

As you may have heard, the Arlington Green Party met on February 1st and voted to condemn HR 3323, the anti-environment and anti-child legislation sponsored by Congressman Tim Huelskamp (R-Kansas) which was written and is being promoted in the House of Representatives by Mark Kelly, who is Congressman Huelskamp's legislative director and is a candidate for Arlington County Board. Here is the letter the Greens e-mailed to Jim Moran.
Mark, 22203

Congressman Jim Moran
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington DC

February 6, 2012

Dear Congressman Moran:

We write you today to urge you to vote against H.R. 3323, a bill to reduce "the regulatory burden on the agricultural sector of the national economy," that was introduced by Congressman Huelskamp on November 2, 2011 and referred to the Committees on Ways and Means, Agriculture,Energy, and Commerce and Education.

This bill would suspend any efforts of the EPA to reduce global warming and air pollution, protect water from agricultural runoff, end protections against child labor in agriculture, and eliminate OSHA's regulation of dangerous farm machinery.

We in Arlington depend on the Potomac River for clean drinking water; farmers can and should do more to stop agricultural chemical and waste runoff into our rivers and streams. We, through strong support for EPA, need to find ways to reduce global warming and air pollution to protect our community's health. Moreover, we oppose child labor anywhere and firmly support OSHA's protection of farm workers from dangerous practices.

Our group, the Arlington Green party, discussed this bill at our February 1 meeting and voted unanimously to urge you, as our Congressional representative, to vote against it.

John Reeder, Chair
Arlington Green party
P.O. Box 50473
Arlington VA 22205

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Arlington Pulls the Plug on Analog Police, Fire, EMS Radio

Hello Yupette,

Turned on my 10-year old Radio Shack scanner yesterday to take a listen. Radio was scanning, but no audio heard. Turns out the County pulled the plug on analog police, fire, EMS dispatch on January 31st. So if you want to hear who done what to whom you will have to purchase a digital scanner - and they're expensive.

Before you do - all the good stuff (like cops talking to each other about the 'suspicious person' they've just stopped for driving through the X, Y, or Z neighborhood while Black) are on encrypted channels. So you won't hear any of that. Not like the good old days, when almost nothing was encrypted and I was alternately amused and horrified by what I heard.

Thanks for your blog.

Tom, 22205