So County Manager Barbara Donnellan has been playing 3-Card Monte with the County's budget after drastically cutting County Government's internal auditing two years ago. Why am I not surprised that the Columbia Pike superstop program got totally out of control? Why am I not surprised that she held a meeting with the County Board last month to discuss selling off public infrastructure? Why am I not surprised that she promised the bond rating agencies another big real estate tax hike every year for the next several years to maintain the County's AAA bond rating? Why am I not surprised that the County awards no-bid and one-bid contracts where the final cost of the program or project is much higher than the amount appropriated by the County Board?
Time is overdue for a change. Time for Barbara Donnellan to retire. North Carolina beckons. Good old boys and good old girls at the local Chamber of Commerce control everything. She will love it there. Plus, she can visit Ron Carlee for lunch and ride the Charlotte streetcar.
Pike Rider 22204
44 comments:
She can take the Arlington Chamber's newsie facilitators with her. Lots of streetcar photos free for the taking to post on a news blog. All kinds of gimmes and freebies available to the media since the Chamber runs the place.
We should write Ron Carlee asking that he hire Barbara as his city finance director, a win-win for smart growth gentrification and Arlington's long suffering taxpayers.
Second the motion. Ron needs expert help to gentrify the NASCAR class out of Charlotte and and get the bicycle-riding, live-theater-going, aquatic-sports-loving, and soccer-playing Yuppie class to become Charlotte's demographic.
Ron needs big help Yuppifying Charlotte. Right now, if a Lance Spandex runs a stop sign and runs his racing bike into some old boy's or old girl's car the driver is not at fault.
So maybe what is also needed is for Ron to hire Chief Doug Scott as Charlotte's next Chief of Police.
Did someone mention freebies? Where?
If you think local media are cozy with County Government read the reports about the White House Correspondents Dinner.
Barbara Donnellan dismantled Arlington Government's internal auditing capability soon after she was appointed County Manager
That would be about the time they were going to the Feds for money for the Pike superstops and preparing their charade small starts grant application for the Federal Transit Administration.
She was playing 3-Card Monte with the taxpayers' money for almost 10 years, as finance director.
Arlington County is yet another example of what happens when the same political party and the same pols remain in power for decades.
Va. ethics rules are among most lax
State one of 10 that allow officeholders to take gifts of unlimited value
Time for Term Limits said...
"Arlington County is yet another example of what happens when the same political party and the same pols remain in power for decades."
Well put, Time for Term Limits! I've been favoring term limits for all politicians, except for the President, who already has a term limit (two four year terms and that's it). Four of the five "board" members and a lot of other "political positions" in Arlington have been in the same people's hands for way too long. Time to boot them out.
Washington Post yesterday, Metro Section (excerpts):
"Virginia requires only that officials disclose any gifts worth more than $50. Kaine reported his vacation gift, and McDonnell did the same for the lakeside lodging. But McDonnell did not disclose the wedding payment or his three-hour spin in William's $190,000 Ferrari."
"On the other end of the spectrum are 10 other states, Virginia among them, that allow unlimited gifts as long as the item is not intended to influence official action. In practice, that means if the official's conscience is clear, he or she can accept gifts of any value".
Do hundreds of cash-filled envelopes handed to key 'decision makers' at the various U.S.S. Arlington events count?
If the envelopes full of $20, $50, and $100 bills were handed to a decision maker's family member who attended, answer is no.
U.S.S. Arlington events were all Republicrat endorsed.
Apparently the gourmet kitchen in the Governor's Mansion served as a food pantry for half the Republicratic Elite of Virginia.
How about the pay-to-pay revolving door between Fisette's domestic partner's consulting firm and the County Board offices? How many millions have Jay and Rob collected in tolls over the past 15 years?
Then there's Audrey Clement, who doesn't own a motor vehicle and demands that local Greens provide her with on-demand chauffeur service.
Don't the family members have to pay income tax on all the cash 'gifts'? Just wondering.
Virginia's WASP Elite = greedy misers.
Post's Metro Section article only confirms my mostly unpleasant experiences with FFVs while working for a large catering firm (weddings and parties) part-time when I attended college.
FFVs as greedy misers? Tell me about it. My Dad and older brother started a small limo company in the Richmond burbs. Long story short, took forever for them to get paid by the FFVs and the VIP pols, when they got paid at all. Company lasted three years.
Elitist? Barbara Donnellan told several of her non-resident staff who also live in Fairfax County "I won't live in Arlington no matter how much they pay me".
Agree - time for term limits for County Board members - 8 years is enough.
So, always remember to hand the cash-filled "gift" envelope to a member of the elected official's family? Screw that. Send them ALL to Allenwood, Goochland, wherever grafters and grifters and con artists get sent as inmates.
Apparently the gourmet kitchen in the Governor's Mansion was also a boutique for free gourmet cookware to half of Virginia's Republicrat Elite.
How about a nice new Louis Vuitton Tivoli PM purse filled with $20s, $50s, and $100s? Party favor for Elite VIP wives at the U.S.S. Arlington commissioning.
Party favor purses stuffed with cash are old news in Virginia.
New York Times Front Page - April 29, 2013:
"Karzai's Office Gets Bags Full of C.I.A. Cash"
"A Decade of Paying for Afghan Influence"
BY MATTHEW ROSENBERG
"KABUL, Afghanistan -- For more than a decade, wads of American dollars packed into suitcases, backpacks and on occasion, plastic shopping bags have been dripped off every month or so at teh offices of Afghanistan's president -- courtesy of the Central Intelligence Agency.
All told, tens of millions of dollars have flowed from the C.I.A. to the office of President Hamid Karzai, according to current and former advisors to the Afghan leader."
Local media producers receive thousands in gifts and gratuities every year for supporting the 'regime'.
There is no corruption in Virginia's state and local governments because it's perfectly legal to hand the spouse, child, parent, etc. of an elected official a $1,400 designer handbag stuffed with $20-$50-$100 bills as a "gift".
Virginia's beloved Attorney General is also the recipient of corporate largesse.
Anyone notice if Barbara Donnellan carries a handbag, and who made it?
Governor: Wedding gift issue painful
McDonnell says probe by FBI won't distract him from his job
What went on in the Governor's Mansion is nickel and dime compared to what goes on at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.
Anonymous said...
"What went on in the Governor's Mansion is nickel and dime compared to what goes on at 2100 Clarendon Blvd."
You can say that again!
Starting with the 'pay to play' revolving door between the contractor, consultant, corporate crony, etc., headquarters and 2100 Clarendon Blvd.
How about the "pay to play" meetings, forums, conferences, etc., held in private venues and costing $25 to $100 to attend?
You gotta pay to hear what some VIP pol who we are already paying with our tax dollars has to say about the public programs that we are paying to finance.
You forgot to mention Arlington's other 'pay to play' fun couple among Arlington's elected officials - Paulie and Karen.
Yeah...be nice to Paulie or else...your case gets assigned to Judge Newman.
Then there are the Arlington code inspectors who have started consulting businesses.
Paulie and Karen LLC has been doing pay-to-play a lot longer than Healthy Companies International.
Forums are set up to give VIP corporate executives the opportunity to lobby VIP pols while the VIP media pig out at the buffet.
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