Another week begins, another inaccurate media report about another local VIP. In this case a Post feature about Libby Garvey, who is running for re-election to the Arlington County Board. Libby wants the salary of County Board members doubled, from about $55,000 to about $110,000.
AY heard years ago that Libby Garvey spends as much time socializing as she spends on matters related to the County Board and County Governemt, but we didn't have proof.
However, one of Arlington's independent activists recently shared a trove of records obtained from the County via FOIA requests, including recent desk calendars of County Board Members.
From perusal of these records, and the way the County Board operates, it's obvious that Libby Garvey was being disingenuous when she told the Post "this is more than a full time job". The County Board has been packing as much into the Consent Agenda as it can get away with. Often the County Board members are unaware of what they are voting for on the Consent Agenda. The County Board doesn't meet in August, which gives Libby Garvey and the other County Board Members a two month vacation - from mid-July to mid-September.
The way the County Board operates since Chris Zimmerman retired is for County Board members to pre-approve so-called done-deals - like the I-395 Express Lanes deal the County Board will approve today - in 1 hour meetings with developers. Jay Fisette serves as the County Board's de facto Chief of Staff. After County Staff provide preliminary plans for a program or project the plans are sent around the County to be rubber-stamped by the County Board's hand-picked advisory commissions and civic association facilitators.
The plans come back to the County Board for a final discussion and vote, a legal requirement. Since three County Board members have day jobs their incentive is to make County Board meetings as short as possible. After all, these are done deals.
As for Libby Garvey, yes she spends a few long days every month attending to County Board matters. But most days she has a meeting or two with some pet developer or pet non-profit and then socializes with political cronies and personal friends, often at a vibrant local restaurant.
BTW, Libby's opponent, Audrey Clement, has a full-time job and bicycles to work.
As for the Post, what can one say about a Post reporter who takes voluminous notes at every meeting she attends and publishes so little of substance?
Cindy
24 comments:
Why don't they just put everything on the Consent Agenda and stop the charade that we are living in a democracy? We know from Hillary's antics that we're not. That woukd give Libby even more time to socialize, visit sister cities, attend lavish climate change conferences, have lunch with fellow fast-talking politricksters, and so on.
Since Zimmy left and Vihstadt was elected they want to wrap up C.B. meetings by Noon on Saturday and 9 PM on Tuesday. Why prevaricate about done deals?
Three of them - Cristol, Dorsey, and Garvey - need the extra $55,000. Vihstadt and Fisette don't.
That's our Lovable Lyin' Libby...
You would think that someone serving on the County Board would know her desk calendars are subject to FOIA requests and act accordingly.
Libby et.al. are total New Urbanists who want to completely urbanize Arlington over the next 5 years.
Local News Media's in Libby's pockets, what does she care? Plus, she has the huge taxpayer-funded media bureaucracy behine her - AVN, AIM, WERA
How much do taxpayers pay 'Our Libby' for about 1/2 hour a week of attention paid to anything related to the actual needs of Arlington Residents?
Libby's neighbors have needed flashlights to find their cars for the past 40 years Libby's lived in South Fairlington.
Libby will vote for Hillary. Clement thinks the entire system sucks.
Clement is right.
What a sad regression from the Post's Watergate Era journalism of 40 years ago.
Patricia Sullivan's brain is in her boobs.
Not true. She passed Journalism 101 the second time she took the course.
Then there are all the 'community leaders' who trade silence for a seat at the table where the deals are rubber stamped.
Last evening the CB renewed ASPAN's use permit to run the County's homeless shelter without one question or comment about how efficiently and effectively the homeless shelter is being managed. CB tries to end Tuesday meetings no later than 10 PM.
CB open meetings total about 12 hours now over 2 days. Why should we pay them to spend countless hours approving 'done deals' with pet developers and pet non-profits in closed and secret meetings?
Lovable Libby spends hours every week in meetings trading tax dollars for votes in meetings with non-profits and special interests. She spends almost no time on things that benefit or would benefit all Arlington residents.
Yes, Libby's neighbors need flashlights to navigate around her neighborhood at night.
Libby is to Arlington what Hillary is to the USA
Libby attended the VDOT I-395 Express Lanes meeting yesterday where she heard her neighbors bitterly complain about the deal she and the County Board secretly made a year ago as the result of pressure from McAuliffe.
It will be freezing every morning from now until sometime next April. We have to retire people from the County Board who spend scarce dollars forcing everyone to ride bicycles 24/7/365.
Libby is e-mailing County residents telling them 'don't worry, be happy' about her done deal with VDOT and McAuliffe.
Libby has about 6 different sources of income -- she also receives Medicare and is enrolled the County's healthcare system.
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