Hello,
Several of us who contribute to this blog attended most of this year's candidate forums. We also attend most County Board, Planning Commission, County Board and School Board work sessions, last year's County Board and School Board CIP work sessions and read County Board's consent agenda and peruse agenda items. We do Web searches, read other local blogs and local newspapers, and talk with Arlington residents, at meetings and events and in neighborhoods.
Consequently, Arlington Yupette endorses Audrey Clement for Arlington County Board.
In making this endorsement we evaluated first, what specifically candidates promise to do if elected to the County Board and, second, what they have done over past 10 years years to actually move Arlington forward.
We determined that Katie Cristol, Christian Dorsey, and Mike McMenamin support the status quo that resulted in a voter revolt and John Vihstadt's victory last year. All support New Urbanism 2.0, which doubles down on Smart Growth, despite the many problems New Urbanism 1.0 caused.
Katie Cristol is all about vague promises and feel-good rhetoric. Christian Dorsey is for "Growth" without many concerns about consequences. Mr. Dorsey was insensitive to the environmental concerns of Abingdon School neighbors as an appointee to the Abingdon Building Level Planning Committee. Despite repeatedly saying he isn't pandering to special interests, he supports removing 170 mature trees to create another bike trail to benefit BikeArlington. Mike McMeanmin proclaims himself "an experienced leader", but his service on the Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee and Civic Federation produced no significant results.
On the other hand, Audrey Clement sued VDOT to stop the widening of I-66, worked hard to make "affordable housing" affordable, and has attempted repeatedly to make APS more efficient, most recently by running for School Board last year and this year calling for APS to determine why Arlington's public education system costs so much compared to nearby school systems. Dr. Clement has also called for greater transparency in County Government, a reduction in business taxes to largely benefit small business, preservation of historic buildings like Wilson school, and acquiring open space outside Arlington for multi-jurisdiction field sports facilities.
Audrey Clement deserves our votes on November 3rd.
Cindy, 22206
42 comments:
I'm a 30-something member of my civic association and attended some Civic Federation meetings as a delegate. Unfortunately, I was too busy with work to attend as many CivFed meetings as I wanted to. The CivFed went nowhere during Mike McMenamin's tenure as CivFed President. Same old same old middle aged and elderly delegates from North Arlington making all the decisions. Anyone can brag he or she was selected to be President of some do-nothing organization.
Yes, as an Abingdon School BLPC member Christian Dorsey showed no sympathy whatsoever for the residents who live down slope of Abingdon School and were forced to hire an Arlington land use, planning, and zoning attorney (which cost them $25,000) to ensure their homes wouldn't be swept away by flash floods exacerbated be tree and ground cover removal from the slopes to provide more parking and drop off area for Christian Dorsey's fellow SUV PTA parents.
But don't believe me, check out the video of the September 19th County Board Meeting on arlingtonva.us for yourselves.
What else can you say about a woman who's 66, looks like she's 46, and has the energy and vision of a woman who's 26 ---except --- she has my vote !!
I am disappointed with John Vihstadt's performance on the County Board. The major league extravagances have been abandoned, thanks to our re-electing JV last November. The minor league extravagances have not. JV is also a reliable vote for whatever the Democrats and their developer cronies propose, especially for any and all New Urbanism 2.0 plans, schemes, and scams.
Voting for Audrey is a vote against the worst excesses of "Smart Growth". She has my vote.
Worst part of Arlington's one-party politics is we've elected candidates who the greedy local media, who are closely-bonded with the developers, want us "sheeple" to elect to fatten their advertising revenues through more "smart growth".
I am also disappointed that JV constantly votes 5-0 with the GreedyCrats.
Yes, I am also disappointed that JV consistently votes for Smart Growth 2.0.
Thank you for a well-researched endorsement. Audrey has my vote.
Whomever wrote this AY endorsement must have been a J-School graduate, or close to it. Thank You. I will vote for Audrey.
WOW...This blog is awesome. Yeah, I agree, only a real Journalist could have written this endorsement. Did his/her homework. Audrey has my vote.
I concur totally. Audrey has my vote.
I also concur. Votes for Audrey Clement are votes against the worst excesses of "Smart Growth".
Audrey has my vote.
LOL...this endorsement was obviously NOT written by the likes of Scott McCaffrey, Scott Brodbeck, or Patricia Sullivan, who are obviously all for New Urbanism 2.0, 3.0, 4.0., until they, retire, cash out, and move to someplace 100 miles from the nearest Smart Growth.
Wisdom of someone who's 66, energy of someone who's 26? Audrey has my vote
Katie Cristol will suck Arlington's "parents and children in need" into her educational consulting firm(s) while on County Board.
Local media sat around and reported about the same old same old for years and then get to endorse someone who sat around doing the same old same old for years? LOL.
Same old same old? Like the CivFed while Mike McMenamin was President? Only thing worse than the CivFed is the Committee of 100.
County Government needs a political earthquake. I didn't buy a fixer upper home in Bluemont for Bluemont to be completely urbanized by real estate trusts, their law firms, their consultants, and their county planners who live in lovely suburban Fairfax County..
I want anyone in a decision making position regarding development and redevelopment to be an Arlington resident.
Smart Growth 2.0 is the same stupidity over and over in the hope for kinder-gentler urbanization.
Where's the Arlington Republican Party? Feuding among themselves, as usual?
Smart Growth 2.0 stupidity? Like redeveloping all the gas stations into mixed-use apartment buildings with 450 parking spaces, no electric vehicle recharging stations, forcing us to drive to Fairfax County for fuel and repairs?
We can always ride bicycles to and from work. Let's see, it's the AM rush hour, about 45 degrees, and raining.
Why wasn't Smart Growth Guru Victor Hoskins required to move into the County as a condition of employment? Why weren't the new Deputy County Managers required to move into Arlington as a condition for promotion?
Audrey doesn't own a motor vehicle and frequently rides her bicycle to work. But she isn't irrational about bicycles.
Want to see what Arlington after Victor Hoskins will look like? Attend a Nats game next Spring and look around the stadium.
This morning I received a 8 x 10 campaign postcard from Cristol and Dorsey. Nothing of substance, just feel-good phrases.
So the AY endorsement of Audrey Clement is right on.
Yes, walk around the Nats Stadium neighborhood. Canyon City.
A Victor Hoskins Production.
Directed by Smart Growth International.
Coming to your neighborhood sooner than you think.
I an VERY concerned what Arlington will look like after 4 years of Dorsey and Cristol on the County Board. It's obvious my real estate taxes would go up 4% to 6% every year into the forseeable future to pay for their expensive 'smart growth' programs and plans.
Dorsey and Cristol are all about general promises to spend a lot of money for expensive schools, affordable housing, and various pet vanity projects.
With Dorsey and Cristol on the County Board only two classes of people will be able to afford to live in Arlington - upscale people with a lot of disposable income and people who provide expensive services to the upscale (e.g., teachers, nannies, yoga instructors, restaurant managers) who will live in subsidized housing.
How many more tax dollars are going to be spent persuading us to ride bicycles in the Winter?
I received a campaign postcard from Christian Dorsey today. Laundry list of the advisory groups the all-Democrat County Board appointed him to.
Our real eatate taxes are going WAY up to pay for expensive affordable housing for the Upscale Elite's yoga instructors.
Your kid wants to intern with a non-profit a couple years after college? He / she has to live with Mom and Dad, no affordable housing for low-paid interns.
The Civic Federation became more exclusive while Mike McMenamin was President.
LOL. Received a postcard from McMenamin endorsing Democrats Dorsey and Cristol today. Audrey is the only Independent. She has my vote. No more County Board charades at taxpayer expense.
"Upscale Elite's Yoga Instructors"? Including the Dorsey Family's and Cristol Family's yoga instructors? Can't have them driving to and from Arlington from Spotsylvania County.
Bottom line on Cristol and Dorsey -- Our taxes will go way up to pay for all their campaign promises to their special interest cronies.
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