I'm a Rosslyn resident and I've had it with Rosslyn's deteriorated brick sidewalks and streetlights. Also with Wilson Blvd, which needed repaving years ago. I'm walking with a LED flashlight at night so I don't trip and fall. Some of my neighbors also walk at night with LED flashlights. You would think that the people who produce the ArlNow blog and the people who work at WJLA would say something about the state Rosslyn' sidewalks are in, since they are tripping too. But no, they're too busy with homeless guy steals food from convenience store, scaring mommies, and producing more vibrant smart growth stories.
I have to agree with both former Arlington Republican Committee Chair Mark Kelly and former Democratic Committee Chair Peter Rousselot that it's time to end Arlington's Neighborhood Conservation Program, which funds whatever pet projects the little groups that control civic associations want. If you don't have a civic association your neighborhood doesn't get NC funds. Is that legal?
My civic association is feuding over where a temporary fire station will be located so it's no good talking with them.
The Neighborhood Conservation Program has to be replaced with a 'needs first' agenda for public infrastructure maintenance and upgrades. Apparently the only people who are standing in the way of that are the Democrat ward heeler civic association presidents.
Thanks for your blog.
Dan in Rosslyn
39 comments:
Civic Federation is also run by a little in-group of yellow dog Democrats.
How much would it cost to remove all the bricks and pour concrete in place of the bricks?
Speaking of LEDs, County uses NC funds to remove highly efficient high pressure sodium streetlights that put a lot of light onto the ground with much dimmer LED streetlights.
I am sick and tired of the civic federation and civic associations and NC and all the rest. Arlington is a feudal society where village elders are rewarded based on their degree of allegiance to the monarchy. Don't live in a village? Then you're a nobody, except when it comes to paying taxes. This will only end when we elect independents to local office.
Rosslyn isn't the only neighborhood where residents use flashlights to navigate poorly lighted sidewalks that are in bad repair.
Vornado recently finished repaving the deteriorated brick plaza at 2100-2200-2300 Courthouse Plaza with a new brick plaza and that's starting to deteriorate. Can we just have brushed concrete sidewalks, please?
A few years ago South 34st Street in Libby Garvey's neighborhood was in serious need of repaving so the civic association used NC funds to install an irrigation system to water the flower beds on one of the 34th Street medians. Street lighting has never been upgraded.
Isn't that totally typical of Libby? Abingdon School in her own neighborhood needed a major upgrade 15 years ago but Libby and the School Board went for spending on Taj Mahal high schools instead.
When will Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn be repaved? Cant be too soon.
Meanwhile there's been a massive amount of construction on the Arlington border with McLean to install sidewalks, millions spent. How many people who live in the McMansions in Rock Spring will use the new sidewalks every day?
Yes. End the NC program ASAP. Spend infrastructure tax dollars on needs, not wants.
End the County's cozy relationship with the Civic Federation. If I had the disposable income I would sue the County over the second-class status of residents who don't live inside the boundaries of a civic association.
Libby persuaded the rest of the County Board to go along with a costly makeover and expansion of Abingdon School. Millions are being spent for parking and drop-offs for SUV parents which will make the neighborhood a traffic nightmare. But Libby doesn't care. She lives a mile away in the walkable, bikeable, driveable Urban Village, South Fairlington, adjacent to Alexandria.
LOL about Abingdon School. SUV PTA parents will be back in 2 1/2 years demanding more classrooms, bigger parking lots and drop offs.
Needs not wants? Millions will be spent on drop-offs, turn-arounds, and parking for the new TJ, Wilson, and Stratford because yupscale parents don't want to put their kids on a school bus.
Why does the County install extravagant new public infrastructure like the designer sidewalks in Rock Spring that will need extensive and expensive maintenance within 10 years?
Libby Garvey, Jay Fisette, etc., are re-elected based on buying votes from special interests with tax dollars. That's why.
Extravagant spending? Anyone know how much the County Fair is costing Arlington's taxpayers? Hundreds of County employees are basically standing around doing little or nothing for 3 days.
So the Elitists in Rock Spring received $5 million for brand new sidewalks that only a few of them will ever use? Answers the question why their elitist Civic Association's Ward Heelers get anything they want for delivering Rock Spring's vote to Democrats.
Thanks to Lyin' Limo Libby
People's Republic of China = People's Republic of Arlington. Who said that Communism and Capitalism can't co-exist?
Anyone know when the next big waste of taxpayer dollars - deal for the $250 million Potomac Yards Convention Center - will be announced?
Attention SUV PTA parents - Arlington's school buses are not old and dirty. I rode in a school bus used as a shuttle bus for the County Fair and it was almost new and very comfortable.
SUV Soccer PTA Parents can't put their kids on school buses. If they did they couldn't play "My Don Beyer Congressional Edition Range Rover Beats Your Don Beyer Congressional Edition Volvo" at the school drop-off.
Know how the civic associations really operate? A civic association president (with approval of the Democratic Party) dreams up some new project or program, tells the County Board and County staff that the residents want it, obtains approval from some member of the County Board, County Staff start facilitating whatever the civic association president wants, finally neighborhood residents are informed that a new project or program is in the pipeline and a 'survey' may (or may not) be taken of selected neighborhood residents to define minor preferences (e.g., color of bricks in a new sidewalk).
I am surprised there hasn't been a class action lawsuit with Arlington County as the defendant over the County enhancing property values in some neighborhoods with taxpayer funded upscale amenities while completely ignoring other neighborhoods.
You would think that the upscale and elderly people who run the Civic Federation would want safe sidewalks in urban areas where they dine and shop.
I am also surprised that the County hasn't been sued over the blatantly corrupt NC program.
Lawsuit would have to be filed in federal district court, local courts are packed with Democrats who support the status quo.
Check out the bond referenda that will be on the ballot in November. Why do we have to vote for wasteful and extravagant infrastructure we don't need or want - like interscholastic Frisbee fields - to get our streets repaved?
More of the same in store for taxpayers if Libby Garvey is re-elected.
Arlington's Republicrats are increasingly outrageous. Transportation and transit funds are increasingly being stripped from sidewalks and bus service to gondolas and rideshare subsidies for the Republicrat Elite.
It gets worse. Try parents driving their kids 2 blocks to school because a) they don't have the time to walk with their kids 2 blocks to school, b) idiots like Libby Garvey cave in to parent demands for bigger parking lots and student drop offs, and c) local media skank "journalists" like Scott McCaffrey and Scott Brodbeck use every opportunity to scare parents into not walking anywhere, with or without their children.
Libby Garvey is an Elitist Republicrat, like Hillary, and de facto head of a coalition of limo Liberals and country club Republicans who control the county.
With Hillary it's facilitating the wants of Wall Street, with Libby it's the out-of-state real estate trusts.
Who wouldn't drive their kid 2 blocks to school with the local and regional media scaring parents day in and day out for years?
No, Libby and Hillary are plain old Ivy League Elitists who are all talk but the same old same old when it comes to actually taking action on anything important that in some way might significantly benefit the 99% living in Arlington and the USA respectively.
Let them keep kicking the can down the road. When change finally occurs it will be revolutionary.
Agree that Arlington's been completely controlled by "Republicrats" for years.
Anyone noticed that County Government is throwing buses under the wheels of autos and bicycles? Why bother funding the purchase, operation, and maintenance of ART buses and school buses anymore if everyone wants to drive, rideshare, rent a flex vehicle, or ride a bicycle?
Many APS school buses are almost new.
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