I manage a restaurant in Rosslyn and we're going out of business in a month or two. We can't compete with the food trucks. Whose bright idea was it to allow food trucks into Arlington to compete with restaurants? No matter. They're here now.
Current Economic Development Director is Victor Hoskins. What's he done for restaurants like mine? Nothing. I can't afford to give our restaurant workers raises. None of them can afford to live here. If my wife weren't teaching we couldn't afford to live here either.
From my understanding of what's occurring here economically, Arlington Economic Development is actually a bloated arts organization. Duh.
It gets worse. Victor Hoskins is all out for "Growth for the Sake of Growth". What kind of "Growth"? One of Arlington's "Growth" industries is used car lots. Arlington supermarkets recently converted as many full-time jobs into part-time as possible, with few or no benefits. County is going on another development spree, this time it's expensive apartments and condos. With ground floor bars, restaurants, and retail. Which will be surrounded by food trucks.
Meanwhile, I have to drive to Alexandria to buy a new battery for my cell phone, paint for my home, and flowering plants for our restaurant's patio.
I voted for Audrey Clement and Mike McMenamin because they have some sympathy for small business. All the Democrats will do is what they've always done - tax us to death to pay for their extravagances.
Thanks for your blog.
Mike
37 comments:
Victor Hoskins want to totally urbanize Arlington, never mind the consequences. Of course HE lives in trendy historic Georgetown.
Wait until you see what Victor Hoskins and the Democrats do to Lee Highway.
How about that Rosslyn BID? Bunch of Idiotic Democrats.
Arlington is one party government at its worst - the Republicratic Party.
Wait until you see what Victor Hoskins and the Democrats do to Bluemont.
In 5 years you in your vehicle will be lined up with other vehicles around the block to buy fuel. Service stations aren't 'trendy'.
Smart Growth 2.0? Victor Hoskins came up with the Magic Number of 66,000 growth in Arlington's population over the next 25 years so the County will double down on Smart Growth spending.
Oh, then there's the County's 'don't ask...don't tell' policy whenever anyone wants to talk about renewable energy.
The only reason I would start a restaurant in Arlington is if I needed an annual loss to reduce the taxes I paid the government.
I drive about 50 miles a week, consider bicycles to be dangerous, and would love to buy an electric vehicle. If Arlington is so progressive, where are the EV recharging stations?
Economic Development? Local supermarkets are repurposing every job possible from full-time to part-time,. So are other retail, bars, and restaurants.
AED? What a charade. Victor Hoskins wanted more employees to work attracting high-paying corporations to Arlington. What he got were 10 more employees who formerly worked at the Artisphere.
After 25 years New Urbanism is as tired as Urban Renewal was 25 years ago.
New Urbanism is just an updated form of Urban Renewal. Same ugly box buildings, only brick rather than bare concrete.
So I don't want to line up at a service station behind 10 other vehicles in 2020 waiting to refuel. Where's the EV recharging stations?
In 2065 New Urbanism will look just as stupid as the Urban Renewal of 50 years ago does today.
By 2065 there will be a worldwide environmental crisis and renewable energy will be the norm.
Only Clement and McMenamin showed any sympathy towards Arlington's small businesses.
Yes. What are Arlington's small businesses anyway? Sources of cash to fuel bigger more expensive public infrastructure?
New Urbanism is socially bankrupt, as Urban Renewal was 25 years ago.
Food trucks from Fairfax County next to Arlington restaurants. How dumb can Smart Growth get? Stay tuned.
Even Dumber - More part time jobs that are traditionally after-school jobs for kids going to adults with kids.
Something like 60 of 66 persons employed by AED have nothing to do with economic development. That's about 91%.
I am waiting to see how many businesses that everyone sooner-or-later needs (like Dominion Electric) get displaced from Lee Highway for more "vibrant" bars and restaurants.
Why did Victor Hoskins not only agree to be Arlington's Economic Development Director and essentially work in a performing arts organization but spend his budget taking on displaced performing artists from the Artisphere? How Smart was that?
Artisphere will soon be demolished. Consent Agenda Item 1 at Saturday's CB meeting.
We are in an expanding residential real estate bubble. The word 'recession' is not in the vocabularies of the people who make Arlington's development decisions.
Millennials are outta here in 5 years. The whole bar crawl scene is going to get really old really fast. Everyone who's making economic development decisions now - ranging from baby boomers to first generation yups who are at early-retirement age - is also outta here in 5 years. Who wants to spend one's retirement living in an increasingly expensive mess?
New Urbanism / Smart Growth is just as stupid as Urban Renewal was.
Last election was a referendum about needs versus wants. Wants won.
Arlington "Economic Development" is all about packing as many Millennials into Arlington as possible. Then what?
Yes, the 'planning' for the Lee Highway corridor will be based on 'vibrant' bars and restaurants surrounded by food trucks.
What a huge multi-generational charade. Baby Boomers' parents 'planned' Urban Renewal then retired to the Sun Belt 35 years ago to escape Urban Renewal. Baby Boomers arrived here 35 years ago as refugees from Urban Renewal and 'planned' New Urbanism. Now retiring to everywhere nowhere close to New Urbanism and leaving future 'planning' to their Millennial children.
Agree. New Urbanism is as dumber as Urban Renewal was.
Urban Village Idiots who brought us Smart Growth 1.0 now want to go back with Smart Growth 2.0 and urbanize what remains suburban.
Chris Dorsey - the next Chris Zimmerman
Audrey needs to give it a rest.
Agree. So when is anyone else going to run who won't pander to every special interest's pet program or project in return for votes?
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