'Democracy Dies in Darkness' That's a D.C. Media Joke, Right?

Hey, Yupette,

I have to laugh at the Washington Post's slogan 'Democracy Dies in Darkness'. In fact, the Post keeps us in the dark regarding important matters we don't deserve to know about (like Amazon's secret memorandum of understanding with Arlington County and all the unwritten promises agreed to by the County and Amazon) while spending huge amounts of ink demonizing Republicans and Conservatives over the past 50 years.

It's gotten worse since Amazon bought the Post. For many years the Post maintained a Northern Virginia News Bureau and a Post Reporter almost always attended County Board meetings. No longer. Amazon raised the newsstand price and cut local coverage. Post reporters seldom cover newsworthy events in Arlington and Alexandria. Don't expect the Post will publish anything negative about Amazon.

Local news blogs and weekly newspapers aren't any better. Their publishers and editors are out for as much revenue as they can get from advertising and various kinds of infomercials. They aren't going to significantly oppose the status quo as determined by the 1% who control everything and own almost everything, including non-residents who make and facilitate the approval of 'growth for the sake of growth' done deals. Nor are they going to forego opportunities for exclusives with County VIPs.

The ArlNow news blog is the worst. ArlNow's publisher, editors, and reporters are out to makeover Arlington into Millennial County, helped by comments from various pro-urbanization 'revitalization through infill gentrification' boosters. Never mind the consequences from cramming 70,000 more residents into 15 square miles of Arlington over the next 25 years.

Ted 22205

ACPD Is Responsible For ACPD's Problems

Hi Yupette,

I viewed the last County Board meeting, including the segment on electric scooters.

Appears there's a massive number of complaints from residents about "free range" electric scooters and complete lack of enforcement of regulations and stipulations about electric scooter operation on Arlington's streets, sidewalks, trails, etc.

One has to ask what's occurring in the Arlington Police Department's chain-of-command? Apparently the same-old, same-old. ACPD's commanders have been on the force for decades. They have a laundry list of things they want to do and things they don't want to do. Which translates into laws and ordinances that are enforced and are not enforced.

Any little thing related to motor vehicles is enforced, like expired vehicle inspection stickers. Anything related to 2-wheel vehicles (except for gasoline engine motorcycles and motor scooters) is not enforced at all.

ACPD Commanders complain the Department is chronically under-strength and can't recruit. Who's responsible for that?

Appears that about a fifth of ACPD employees are out enforcing ACPD Commanders' priorities, the rest of the Department's employees are doing other things. Who set ACPD Commanders' priorities? Ultimately the County Manager and County Board.

Bottom line -- If ACPD's leadership is comfortable with the same-old, same old, we're going to have more of the same.

Ted 22201

Now's a Good Time to Leave Arlington

Hey, Yupette,

I'm 56 years old and my youngest child graduated from college a couple years ago. Thought I'd be retiring here - live in 22205. But face it, the County isn't being honest about the costs Amazon will impose on Arlington residents, especially on homeowners. Those costs are in addition to the the costs that will be imposed on us from County Government wanting to in-fill and urbanize the entire County, neighborhood-by-neighborhood.

Who wants to live in a neighborhood where most single family homes are 'repurposed' into bed-and-breakfasts, child care for up to 9 children, McMansions renovated into 1-bedroom apartments, and with neighborhood schools at capacity 3 years after another school addition is constructed? Not me.

Consequently, I'm selling my well-preserved larger home on a nice-size lot and leaving Arlington for a community where I won't see my real estate taxes increase every year to reward one-party government's pet constituencies and watch neighborhood streets become gridlocked to the point I won't be able to back out of my driveway.

The last election was a referendum on fiscal and social responsibility in County Government, and it's obvious we're going back to the era of neighborhood parks becoming $1.8 million dog spas and out-of-control pub crawls.

Then there's one-party government that gets worse every year, to the point where public meetings are charades because everything's decided by a handful of VIPs in secret.

Thanks for this blog.

22205

The Future -- Urbanized and Millennialized Arlington

Hey Yupette,

First, thanks to Audrey Clement and John Vihstadt for running for School Board and County Board. In a multi-party system it should not be up to Independents to run year after year against an entrenched political machine.

Second, the Election sends a clear signal that the Arlington Democratic Party does not want responsible government, fiscally or otherwise.

What Arlington Democrats want is what they had before John Vihstadt was elected - unrestrained spending for extravagant infrastructure, unrestrained neighborhood-by-neighborhood in-fill urbanization / gentrification, unrestrained free-range behavior by Millennials (remember pub crawls?).

It will be interesting to see how County Government meets the demands of thousands more Millennials Amazon will bring to Arlington.

Unfortunately, anyone over about 50 who is for responsible government, responsible behavior, responsible anything, was seen, is seen, and will be seen as a Donald Trump surrogate, so long as Donald Trump is President.

Next Blue Wave will be in 2019 for the Virginia General Assembly elections. Next Blue Wave after that will be in 2020 for the Presidential elections.

Thanks again to Audrey and John for running.

22206

McDuplexes - Next Big Millennial Mega Millions Jackpot

Hey Yupette,

Speaking of the Mega Millions lottery, a big Millennial Mega Millions jackpot will go to the residential construction firms that renovate and expand small homes and duplexes. Many duplexes were constructed on so-called 'nonconforming lots' decades ago so their owners spend months and years obtaining building permits for interior renovation and exterior additions from Arlington's Zoning Office.

So County Government and the County Board decided to make renovations of and additions to small homes and duplexes much easier by eliminating the need for extensive review by Zoning.

Unfortunately, the assessed value of most small single family homes and duplexes in Arlington has doubled or tripled over the past 20 years, so this housing is barely affordable to middle class families. What extensive interior renovations and/or exterior additions would accomplish would be to increase assessed value of renovated homes while supplying current homeowners with more living space. The County would realize more tax revenue.

But the major league beneficiaries will be residential renovation and construction companies, which have already made thousands of single family homes unaffordable by adding rooms and significantly increasing the structure's footprint.

It's obvious that the County's 'affordable housing' charades are becoming more numerous and insipid. County Government has no desire to retain a middle class in the County.

T.G., 22203

What More Can Arlington Residents Do for APS?

Hey, Yupette,

I'm a parent of an 18 year old daughter who's a Real Millennial (born in 2000) who graduated from APS and who's in her first year at a state university. I was a PTA parent for several years, and as my daughter went through the grades I became more and more unhappy with the total Democratic control over Arlington's public schools. To the extent I will NEVER vote for a Democrat who's running for election or re-election to Arlington's School Board. Certainly not Barbara Kanninen.

Like other APS parents I had to keep my mouth shut while my daughter attended APS. No longer.

To say I was unhappy that my daughter attended class in a trailer classroom while a hundred parents who moved out of Arlington dropped their kids off at my daughter's school in the morning and picked them up in the evening (usually after extended school day activities) would be an understatement. Then there was (and is) the secret APS program that's relocated hundreds of children whose parents were and are economic (not political) refugees from Central America to Arlington. Then there was and is the traffic through my neighborhood because APS allows parents who live a block from a school to drive their kids to school and builds big turn-arounds to facilitate that. Then there are the Taj Mahal schools themselves, built with every amenity that has little or nothing to do with education but too few classrooms.

But what really aggravated me and other parents was that, no matter how many relocatable classrooms, no matter how much traffic, no matter what the costs are imposed on students, parents, taxpayers, everyone, neither the County Board nor the School Board would let go of in-fill urbanizing the County. Every year, more of the same.

Latest Taj Mahal schools will cost $130 million. When will it end? All we wanted was a good basic pre-K through 12 education for my daughter. She didn't receive one because APS is all about sports-entertainment-recreation aka 'enrichment activities'.

Thanks for this blog.

Mike P

'Your County Board Is Insane for Allowing Electric Scooters in Arlington'

Hello,

Like many other Arlington residents AY saw and heard reports of serious injuries resulting from electric scooters ridden inside the Beltway. So AY wanted to see how dangerous electric scooters are. We did a Google search on 'Bird electric scooters crashes injuries' and 'Lime electric scooters crashes injuries'

Short answer. Electric scooters are VERY dangerous and should have been banned from Arlington, not given a 9 month trial in Arlington, including during the Winter. Cities like Nashville, San Diego, Santa Monica, and Los Angeles have either banned or severely limited the places where electric scooters can be ridden.

Only persons who are either elected or a candidate for public office in Arlington who have expressed concern about electric scooters are Audrey Clement and John Vihstadt. The representatives from the Bird and Lime scooter corporations, who attended the last County Board meeting, were only concerned about their corporations' bottom line.

When AY spoke with an attorney at a personal injury law firm that has been deluged with complaints about injuries from Bird and Lime scooters she stated: 'Your County Board is insane for allowing electric scooters in Arlington'.

AY

Activists Demand DeFerranti Resign From Housing Commission

Hey, Yupette,

I and other Arlington residents have become exasperated with Arlington's so-called 'Affordable Housing Program'. This program has completely failed to construct and renovate workforce housing to serve the needs of Arlington's workforce. The County's AHIF and other housing funds have been used to gentrify the workforce out of Arlington, while approximately a thousand new jobs which pay below the 'living wage' of $15 / hour are created in the County annually. The 'affordable housing' being constructed and renovated is actually expensive middle class and upper-middle class housing for persons and families with incomes from $55,000 to $85,000 / year.

How expensive? Consider that the housing non-profit which owns The Carlin Retirement Home on Carlin Springs Road is seeking $42 million in financing to renovate a 161-unit 20 year-old building with almost all the apartments 1-bedroom, or more than $260,000 per unit. Hard construction costs are $10.6 million or $66,000 per apartment and soft costs of $9.1 million, or $56,000 per apartment. The County Board will vote whether to loan the Carlin's owner and developer $3 million at the next County Board meeting and the Staff Report for the Consent Agenda item can be viewed on-line.

A renovated Carlin Retirement Home would include every possible residential amenity. The Staff Report is unclear about whether very low income seniors would continue to live at The Carlin or whether The Carlin would gradually transition to moderate income senior housing. Housing Commission member and County Board candidate Matt DeFerranti constantly states he wants the County Board to break with the past but he constantly votes on the Housing Commission for the same old same old extravagant deals that enrich the Democratic Party's Old Guard -- when he bothers attending Housing Commission meetings.

Time for Matt DeFerranti to resign from the Housing Commission and for the County Board to appoint housing activists who won't just rubber stamp every extravagant housing deal the Housing Commission takes up.

L.K. 22201

Clement Decisively Wins CivFed School Board Debate

Hello,

A.Y. asked a couple of Arlington residents who regularly attend Arlington Civic Federation meetings to report what occurred during the School Board debate between incumbent Democrat Barbara Kanninen and her Independent challenger for School Board Audrey Clement.

No contest. According to A.Y.'s correspondents Audrey 'wiped the floor' with Barbara.

While Barbara concentrated on bringing more of the 'same old same old' extravagant spending to the School Board and APS, Audrey asked what Arlington residents are receiving for their tax dollars except Taj Mahal schools with declining standardized test scores among their students, especially minority students.

This year's CivFed candidate debates will (again) be broadcast and re-broadcast over Arlington Independent Media. Stay tuned to what the local media who transform boosting the status quo into ad revenue have to say about this debate. BTW, the Amazon Post reporter who supposedly covers Arlington politics appeared at the CivFed meeting, after about 8 months when she wasn't seen in Arlington at all.

Cindy, 22206

ArlNow Played...North Fairlington Pays

Hello,

Remember all the fun the ArlNow news blog had with the raccoon over-population in North Fairlington aka Fairlington Villages?

The raccoon over-population was the result of no effort by the North Fairlington condo association aka Fairlington Villages to control the raccoon population in North Fairlington for many years. As with other condo associations in and around Fairlington, it was/is the decades-long practice of FV residents to leave trash in kitchen trash bags on the curb for morning pick-up 6 days a week. Squirrels, birds, opossums, and rarely raccoons, would occasionally forage for food among the curbside trash. Wildlife tearing into trash bags was a recurring, but manageable, problem.

As for raccoons, occasional raccoons attacks on FV residents occurred over the years, but nothing was done except to warn FV residents - until recently.

After two raccoon attacks within weeks the FV Condo Association finally realized raccoons posed a significant risk to residents. Enter ArlNow whose Publisher, Scott Brodbeck, lives in an undisclosed location in North Fairlington. ArlNow being the tabloid it is, raccoon sightings were continually reported and there were many comments about raccoons this and raccoons that.

So what actions did Fairlimgton Villages take as the result of ArlNow's constant negative stories about raccoons?. The condo association ordered raccoons trapped and euthanized - and 15 raccoons were. End of problem, right? Wrong.

FV decided to install trash bins throughout North Fairlington. No more wildlife foraging in trash bags. But North Fairlington being mostly in Arlington County the Arlington Way determined the final outcome of ArlNow's Raccoon Saga. The FV condo association is spending $15,000 per trash bin location to create landscaped Taj Mahal trash bin locations, like the one under construction in the photo. Total cost several hundred thousand dollars.

Speaking of 'Journalism' being an oxymoron in this region, a few hundred thousand is nothing compared to how much Amazon is going to cost us once the Amazon Post finally reports the Amazon-Arlington deal.

Cindy, 22206

ACPD Completely Disinterested in Multi-Modal Safety

Hey Yupette,

Only a couple weeks until the school year begins. So ACPD will be interested in multi-modal safety -- for a couple weeks as that relates to neighborhoods around schools. Rest of the year - forget it.

ACPD only wants to ticket drivers of motor vehicles, for anything and everything. And chase 'bad guys', including bad guys driving motor vehicles (with the exception of pursuing bad guy vehicles at high speed).

Multi-modal safety isn't even on ACPD's radar. How did we get to the point where, in only a couple months, electric scooters are ridden recklessly all over the County, dirt bike and ATV riders from DC feel free to cross into the County, raise hell for awhile, and ride back into DC, where pedestrians have to dodge group bike rides on sidewalks, bicycle bozos won't yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, and when a bicyclist runs into a motor vehicle the cops automatically blame the vehicle's driver?

So how much longer before a pedestrian who gets hit and hurt by a bicycle in a crosswalk sues multiple parties, including the County. Not long. Will be interesting to see how many lawsuits end up being settled via the County Board's agenda.

Susan, 22203

Local Media: Fake News, Phony Journalists

Hi Yupette,

Thanks for this news blog.

Wanted to let you know I no longer believe anything the D.C.-area Media publish. It's all Fake News, disseminated by phony 'Journalists'.

They're all addicted to New Urbanism - Growth for the Sake of Growth, like the other VIPs who get to micro-manage our lives Inside the Beltway. Consequences? What are Consequences?
They deluge us with propaganda press releases from local governments, non-profits, and for-profits, many printed/published as 'infomercials', more fake news.

They're only concerned about ad revenue, obtained from not offending anyone. Investigative Journalism? What's that?

Washington Post is the worst. Almost all of their 'Staff Writers' have been through J-School and should know better.

Dana, 22207

County Board Promised Amazon $10 - $20 Billion

Hey Yupette,

How much did the County Board promise Amazon? Between $10 billion and $20 billion, depending on how well Amazon and the local economy perform over the next 20 years. Basic deal is that Amazon redevelops Crystal City for its new headquarters and in return Amazon is exempt from real estate and business taxes Amazon would have to pay in Arlington. Amazon would also be exempt from some State taxes. The County would also provide Amazon the same incentives it's been giving to REITs like JBG/Smith and Forest City, most recently at the County's 'Christmas in July' meeting earlier this month.

Think of a family owning a McMansion assessed at $1.5 million today to be assessed at $4.5 million in 2038 not having to pay Arlington real estate taxes or State income tax over the next 20 years. Only Amazon wouldn't have to pay businesses taxes either and would get various kinds of essential infrastructure constructed at the County's expense.

Whether that's good for Arlington's residents, taxpayers, and voters with a County Government addicted to growth-for-the-sake-of-growth and which is always scrounging for a million here and a million there won't be known until years after the County and Amazon sign the deal.

Bears repeating that most of Arlington's decision makers don't live in Arlington, or if they do, live in exclusive enclaves and disappear a few years after they make deals for extravagant projects. Like Jay Fisette and his aquatics center.

2100

'Christmas in July' County Board Meeting Saturday

Hey, Yupette,

Arlington County Board's Annual Christmas in July Meeting will be held on July 14th with the carry-over Meeting on July 17th.

Biggest for-profit County Board Gift Recipients this year are Ballston Quarter (formerly Ballston Common) Mall Owner and Operator Forest City, and Crystal City Owner and Operator JBG/Smith (also the Landlord for the County Office Building). Placed on the County Board's Consent Agenda, of course.

Usual Christmas in July spending on the Consent Agenda for extravagant parks, recreation, and sports facility makeovers, grants to wealthy arts organizations, AHIF loans for more extravagant subsidized moderate-income housing (e.g., Berkeley Apartments).

Biggest non-profit Gift Recipients are various County and other bureaucracies (e.g.,WMATA) who will spend $2.8 billion over the next decade via the County's Capital Improvement Plan and funds from bond referenda (this year's referenda will allocate $243 million).

This year the County Board MAY throw a few crumbs to ordinary Arlington residents in the form of tax relief for Seniors and not having to bother affixing personal property tax stickers to vehicle windows anymore.

Too much more on the gift list to write about here, so go to arlingtonva.us -> County Board -> Meetings and Agendas and check it all out.

2100

Virginia's Democratic Leadership Responsible for Amazon Consequences

Hello,

Some local residents are convening at Arlington's Central Library tonight (June 21st) to try to determine what the consequences would be if Amazon accepts whatever the County has offered in the way of inducements for Amazon to build another headquarters here.

Why did Arlington County even bother to contact Amazon? Two reasons. County Government is completely addicted to growth-for-the-sake-of-growth. And, more important, because Virginia's Democratic Leadership allowed Crystal City to become a run-down, high-vacancy mess.
.
Reality check - the Navy and a number of defense contractors began leaving Crystal City two decades ago. First important BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) consequences to our Region occurred in 1995. Second occurred in 2005. What did VIP Democrats do to prevent Crystal City becoming a commercial Ghost Town between 1998 and today? Ask Senator (former Virginia Governor) Mark Warner. Ask Senator (former Virginia Governor) Tim Kaine. Ask our former former Congressman, Jim Moran. Ask the Democratic elected officials who served between 1998 and today in Northern Virginia.

While we HOPE Arlington County Government's Democrat New Urbanist Progressives made a rational and sane offer to Amazon, it's more likely County Board Democrats reacted to Arlington's pervasive 20% commercial vacancy rate by offering Amazon a corporate welfare deal Amazon can't refuse.

Arlington's Trails and Sidewalks: Too Dangerous for Pedestrians

Hey Yupette,

I agree that bicyclists are out of control in Arlington. All the trails, e.g., W O & D trail are too dangerous for pedestrians. So are many congested sidewalks, including those in the Ballston-Rosslyn corridor, Shirlington Village, Westover Village, and Columbia Pike in the neighborhoods around Four Mile Run. Neighborhoods I once visited.

I live in Cherrydale. I stopped walking on the trails last year. Last week I was almost hit by a guy riding a racing bike on the sidewalk on Wilson Blvd near the former NSF building. Enough. If County Government wants to allow free-range bicycling on sidewalks, I'm not walking in those neighborhoods. Bikeshare is the worst. Bikeshare's corporate motto has to be Safery Last. I took a photo of a Bikeshare rental station and as you can see there's no safety information at all. Much less a helmet vending box.

As for the police enforcing traffic ordinances related to bicycles forget it. They're too busy writing tickets for people who operate motor vehicles. How many? I discovered ACPD is on-track to write 30,000 this year.

So if the County wants me to shop in "vibrant" Ballston, forget it. I'm starting to order more from wonderful Amazon and signed up to have groceries delivered from Giant. Which only leaves driving out to work on I-66 in the morning and in to Arlington at night

Thanks for your blog.

Ted, Cherrydale

Arlington School Board Inherently Biased Against Washington and Lee

Hey, Yupette,

So where is the School Board coming from in its quest to rename Washington and Lee High school?

The School Board majority, Reid Goldstein, Barbara Kanninen, and Nancy Van Doren grew up in states that were both anti-slavery before the War Between the States and whose state regiments were major participants in Civil War battles. From a Web search it appears that Reid Goldstein grew up in Upstate New York, Barbara Kanninen grew up in Minnesota, and Nancy Van Dorn grew up in Connecticut.

The School Board minority, Monique O'Grady and Tanya Talento, apparently grew up in the D.C. metro area.

Except for Monique O'Grady it appears that none of the School Board members lived in the former Confederate states for any significant time before they moved to Arlington.

In recent decades both Robert E. Lee and George Washington have been demonized as slaveholders in so-called Progressive states like Connecticut, Minnesota, and York and in the D.C. area public schools.

At least two current School Board members attended public schools whose names and / or names of their sports teams became an embarrassment and were changed.

Thanks to the local media becoming little more than facilitators for the status quo the only way we can determine where candidates for public office are coming from is by doing Web searches ourselves, and through FOIA requests.

Thanks for this blog.

Terri, 22201

Bikeshare - More Arlington County Board Corporate Welfare

Hey Yupette,

First, thanks for this blog. Much appreciated by this former Democrat and current Independent.

I was almost hit twice by Capital Bikeshare riders while walking on the sidewalk in Virginia Square, where I live. Visited Capital Bikeshare's Web site twice to ask when Bikeshare was going to do something about the reckless behavior of its customers. Never received any response.

So I perused Capital Bikeshare's Web site again to so try to determine who's in charge at Capital Bikeshare. First thing I found is that Capital Bikeshare is no longer owned by Alta in Portland. Capital Bikeshare and other metropolitan bicycle rental companies are owned by a company named Motivate International, headquartered in New York City. This company is run by a former head of New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority.

Then I found an informative feature on the Fast Company Web site. Turns out Motivate International is owned by a corporate entity named Related Companies, a huge real estate developer. Who owns Related Companies? A mega billionaire named Stephen M. Ross.

Here's the link to the Fast Company Web page:

https://www.fastcompany.com/3055168/love-citi-bike-you-have-a-real-estate-developer-to-thank/

So I have to ask, why doesn't Motivate International provide helmets, safety vests, and riding classes to its customers? And why is the County Board always voting to subsidize this wealthy, wealthy company, which has very deep pockets?

Maybe someone can ask the County Board at it's next meeting.

Madison, 22201

More Car Diet Party's Over Here In Ballston

Hey, Yupette,

I live in soon-to-be-gridlocked Ballston, and walked over to the Merlex previously-owned vehicle lot on Glebe Road across from AED over the weekend. Even more packed with upscale vehicles than the last time I visited. This time there were Ferraris parked next to the Bentleys and Maseratis.

'Car Free Diet' is an even bigger County Government charade than 'Affordable Housing'. Every other County Board meeting another upzoning of the General Land Use Plan to pack more people and their vehicles into this neighborhood. Then bicycle fanatics like Fibbin' Libby Garvey drive around in their SUVs telling us we have to ride bicycles 24/7/365

Next big thing to generate more vehicle trips will be the grand opening of the new Alfa Romeo-Fiat-Maserati dealership at the other end of Glebe Road. Followed by the expansion of Car2Go. Followed by I-66 and I-95 Express Lanes extended a dozen miles farther out. When will it end? When the Urban Village becomes an Urban Nightmare with multi-modal gridlock. Meaning hundreds of vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians trying to use the same major intersections at the same time. When will that occur? Sooner than we think.

Thanks for this blog.

Sandy, 22201

amazon Headquarters Will Be In Crystal City

Hey Yupette

The VIPs at 2100 just got the news. amazon has decided to locate its second headquarters in Crystal City. Nothing beyond that's been decided, but we've been told to be prepared to 'fast track' whatever details are worked out between amazon and the County Board. And, yes, the County has offered to rename Jefferson Davis Highway Jeff Bezos Highway.

We've been told that amazon moving into Crystal City will be like the reverse of the Feds moving out starting 20 years ago. Not going to happen overnight, but will definitely happen.

Also, we've been told to be prepared for several years of 'lean government'. Meaning amazon is not going to contribute much towards whatever new infrastructure needs to be constructed. Arlington Police Department has already announced it's not going to pursue minor offenders (like bicycle scofflaws, LOL)

So thanks for your blog.

2100

Greedy Local Media Boost Bicycle Bozos

Hey, Yupette,

Thanks for the feature about the Bikesters' First Mom, Libby Garvey.

But the Bikesters wouldn't be able to do their free-range thing if it weren't for the increasingly irresponsible, increasingly greedy, Local Media.

Local Media Publishers are afraid to offend any advertiser, potential advertiser, or special interest. So you're never going to see any of them editorialize about the complete lack of bicycle safety in Arlington. Let alone order an investigative report about the number of bikesters who bicycle DWI, have PTSD issues, or are out-and-out sociopaths.

As with guns, alcohol, and tobacco advertising decades ago, Publishers profit from boosting bicycles. They don't worry about consequences may be suffered as the result of the Bikesters' behavior because Publishers don't live anywhere near where the bad behavior occurs (e.g., B-R Corridor).

As with guns, alcohol, tobacco, and pub crawls, the cumulative amount of bad behavior by the bikesters will eventually reach the level of Editoral hand-wringing, very likely precipitated by some event like a Millennial's infant in a stroller hit by another Millennial DWI on a bicycle, who lost his driver's license as the result of multiple DWI convictions.

In the meantime, stay tuned for more of the same, in ArlNow and elsewhere.

J.L., 22201

Does the County Board Ever Listen to Voters?

Hey, Yupette,

Does the County Board ever listen to voters? Not apparently when it came to the County Board's FY 19 Budget. The FY 19 Budget is "balanced" by cutting popular services which are socially useful and cost little (Arlington Independent Media and monthly secure paper shredding, for example) while spending huge amounts on special interest activities and their constituencies, bicycle trails, all weather soccer fields, aquatics, Taj Mahal recreation centers and schools, and "regionalized" neighborhood parks, so-called affordable housing, and health services.

I took the photo of the monthly shredding event in the Trades Center on April 7th. Hundreds of Arlington residents stood in the cold waiting to shred old bills, tax documents, etc. The program costs $20,000 per year. Did anyone at 2100 do a cost-benefit analysis on this program and on other programs and services being cut? Why start these and other low cost programs and services (WERA-FM is another) if they're going to be cut a few years later?

But we're dealing with one-party government that's controlled the County for almost 40 years, so anything is possible. If they think I'm going to re-elect any one of them based on their party's attacks on Donald Trump, the NRA and local country clubs they're living in a Limo Liberal fantasy world.

Paul, 22204

Secret Amazon Deal Includes Country Club Acquisition

Hi, Yupette,

What's the real deal about real estate taxation of the Army-Navy County Club and Washington Golf and Country Club? Real deal is that County Government needs land the two country clubs occupy very soon for public infrastructure if Amazon decides to locate another headquarters here, and within the next several years otherwise.

As has been mentioned on this blog before, elected and appointed VIPs who run County Government and the Arlington Public School System have long been addicted to New Urbanism, commonly referred to as Smart Growth, which is mixed-use redevelopment-for-the-sake-of-redevelopment imposed upon low and medium density suburban neighborhoods. This redevelopment paradigm is also also referred to as 'more Clarendons everywhere' among Arlington's planners, few of whom choose to live in Arlington, let alone Clarendon.

Arlington has been ruled by a one political party for almost four decades. Although Arlington is controlled by self-described 'Progressives' the County is actually regressing from authoritarian government to a repressive regime, like the People's Republic of China. Not surprising given the human behavior that's been either criminalized or demonized over the past 17 years, both nationally and locally.

So Washington Golf and Country Club and the Army-Navy Club have been lumped with Donald Trump, the NRA, and a laundry list of the Regime's other "deplorables" for the purpose of forcing a sale of most or all of their open space for various types of new infrastructure, from new schools to new upscale townhouses. Assessed value of ANCC is about $157 million and WGCC about $87 million. The amount both clubs pay in real estate taxes every year is about what the County spends on "regionalizing" Arlington's neighborhood parks to provide upscale infrastructure to several local jurisdictions.

As the deal stands now, Amazon would heavily contribute to redeveloping ANCC and WGCC to provide housing and other upscale amenities for its employees while the County and APS would have at least 100 acres for new schools and regional sports and recreation infrastructure.

County Staff, Advisory Commissions, and Civic Association 'community leaders' have been trained or are being trained to facilitate the Amazon deal. Latest were the Advisory Commission Chairs at last night's secret County Board meeting.

Thanks for this blog.

2100

County Office Bldg. to Receive Taj Mahal Makeover

Hey, Yupette,

The Democrats who've controlled Arlington for more than 35 years constantly complain about the Trump Administration and the Republicans who control the Virginia General Assembly but behave the same in Arlington.

Latest extravagant waste of tax dollars by the Democratic Leadership is their proposed $35.9 million Taj Mahal makeover of the County Office Building (now referred to as the Bozman Building after the late "Queen Ellen" Bozman), for completion of renovations to the office building the County owns at 2020 14th Street, and for miscellaneous other purposes.

The County Office Building last received a major renovation in 2006 and has received many expensive upgrades over the past 12 years.

As has become the usual practice, the County Board's Democratic Leadership put this on the Consent Agenda and made it off limits for public discussion. Item 11, due to be rubber-stamp approved on March 17th, will appropriate $2.6 million for architecture, design, and construction management services related to the $35.9 makeover(s). Since the Staff Report for this item is only two pages it's unknown where the $35.9 million will actually be obtained and used for.

According to the Staff Report the $35.9 million cost of the Taj Mahal makeover will come (among other sources) from a so-called "tenant improvement allowance","brokerage fee reimbursement", and "free rent" from the building's landlord, JBG, which has come before the County Board on many occasions seeking and receiving approval for major redevelopment projects. Is this deal even legal?

Meanwhile, Public Safety employees bitterly complained during the County Board's "Open Door Monday" yesterday about being under-strength, over-stressed, and under-compensated. Next fiscal year's budget will be balanced by increasing taxes and fees for residents and businesses and reducing and eliminating services.

Obvious to me, and many others, that "transparency" has joined the list of County Government oxymora, together with "car-free diet", "affordable housing", "smart growth". and "urban village".

Thanks for publishing this blog.

B.H., 22205

Work Continues on APS - Abingdon Taj Mahal Crosswalk

Hey Yupette,

What's the latest in waste and mismanagement by the Arlington Public School System? It's not what you might suspect, the multi-million dollar interior makeover of recently-constructed Yorktown High School, approved by the School Board last Thursday.

No, latest APS Taj Mahal project is the crosswalk under construction on South Abingdon Street near Abingdon elementary School, which is on-track to cost between $100,000 and $200,000 when completed sometime this Spring. Work has yet to commence on the raised portion of the crosswalk across South Abingdon Street, which may cost another $50,000, or more.

Neighborhood residents, who are still fuming over the number of use permit condition violations that were allowed to occur during Abingdon School's renovation and expansion, never wanted a Taj Mahal crosswalk, which will only be used an hour in the morning and in the afternoon, but wanted a crossing guard on Abingdon Street at 29th at the vehicle entrance to the school. Fairlington's NannyCrat civic association and Abingdon PTA didn't want parents to be slowed down dropping their kids off and picking them up at the school, so they decided to go with an extravagant crosswalk down the street instead.

Neither of Arlington's two news bloggers, Nanny Scott McCaffrey and Scott-the-Bro Brodbeck (both live close to Abingdon School) is going to write a word about this huge waste of money, so thanks in advance for running a feature and publishing a photo.

L.D. South 29th Street

Public Safety Employees Getting Out of Dodge

Hi,

I work for the County in Public Safety and I can't wait to leave County employment. Have resumes in 4 counties and a couple cities in NoVa. I'm not uniformed. Work in admin. What's the problem with Arlington's Public Safety employees? We're under-compensated and over-worked. Hiring hasn't kept pace with population growth for two decades. Police Department and Fire Department are way under-strength for the work load and population growth.

Yeah, lots of Arlington cops are a$$holes. They're really stressed, like the firefighters and paramedics. Too many calls for service. Too many complaints. Too much overtime required because the County really doesn't want to hire any more uniformed employees. Pols and the people they appoint keep telling us to "suck it up". That sucks.

It's always the same old problems, only more every year. Altercations at convenience stores, shoplifting in the malls, thousands of complaints against african americans, latinos, and homeless persons, parking lot fender-benders, domestic disputes, and suspicious person complaints by anyone about anyone else. The Fire Department is stressed by an increase in medical emergencies caused by an aging population.

If you're wondering why there's no community policing in the County, that's why. Everything in Public Safety is reactive, except for the employees who plan for events that will never occur.

So I'm looking forward to working in a less stressful environment in the near future.

1425

Capacity Audience Hears Garvey, DeLa Pava, Davis Endorse Vihstadt

Hello,

A Y sent a contributor to cover County Board Member John Vihstadt's kickoff re-election campaign event at the Lyon Village Community Center this afternoon.

The event did not disappoint. The number of Vihstadt supporters who attended reached the capacity of the Communty Center. Leaders of same coalition that elected Mr. Vihstadt 4 years ago attended the event together with many new Vihstadt supporters - Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Greens, and Libertarians. Democrats Libby Garvey and Carmen De La Pava endorsed Mr. Vihstadt. So did former Republican Congressman Tom Davis.

It appears that whatever advantages the Arlington Democratic Regime may have against the Regime's usual County Board opponents may well be again negated this next election.

Cindy

Arlington Amazon HQ Would Cost Taxpayers $3 Billion +

Hi Yupette,

I'm a long time Arlington resident and my significant other is employed in an administrative capacity at the County's Economic Development Office on Glebe Road.

If you wondered why Chair Katie is being coy about the total cost of the secret corporate welfare giveaway to Amazon it's because the deal will cost Arlington taxpayers more than $3 billion.

Succinctly, here's what Amazon's getting from the County: a $500 million direct corporate welfare stipend from the County, another $500 million in tax breaks, and at least $2 billion in new infrastructure (e.g., schools) to serve the needs and wants of 50,000 new residents who would live in Arlington by 2025 associated in some way with Amazon.

Amazon is looking to build a second headquarters every bit as as extravagant as Amazon's Seattle Headquarters. So you can kiss the "urban village" goodbye if the County Board and Economic Development succeed in bribing Amazon to locate another headquarters here. Here's a photo of Amazon's Seattle HQ, in the event you've never seen it.

Thanks for your blog.

Ted 22205

Beyer Helicopter Noise Meeting - Huge Charade

Hello,

A.Y. attended Congressman Beyer's helicopter noise meeting at Abingdon School last night. We didn't see Scott McCaffrey, Editor of the Arlington Sun Gazette, or Scott Brodbeck, Publisher of ArlNow at the meeting, though they live close to the school.

The meeting was similar to Congressman Beyer's last aircraft noise meeting, held at Reagan Airport. Lots of questions, few answers from the Military and FAA. Democratic "community leaders" from Fairlington were present as facilitators. Arlington cops were there to keep "undesirables" away, e.g., Latinos. Dandy Don was his usual slick self. But he's a car dealer, right? Libby Garvey and John Vihstadt also attended.

So what's really going on? Turns out the Obama Administration greatly expanded the number of VIP helicopter flights to and from the Pentagon, Reagan Airport, Dulles Airport, Belvoir, Quantico, and elsewhere inside and outside the Beltway.

Not a huge secret. But you have to know where to look. Go to google.com then search for: These Elite Military Helicopter Units Fly Washington's Power Players

So again, what can you expect from one-party government for the past 35 years but constant lies and charades?

Cindy

Ballston Experiencing a More Car Renaissance

Hey Yupette,

Thanks for your blog. Like many other Arlington residents and voters I'm sick of "development for the sake of development" in my Ballston neighborhood. Whatever County Government may say about a "No Car Diet" what it's inflicting on Ballston is a More Car / More Vehicle Trips Diet.

What the County says it wants is for everyone to take Metro if you want to go somewhere. Or ride a bicycle 24/7/365.

So why build Express Lanes? Why sell so many expensive vehicles in Ballston? Why so many more Uber and Lyft trips? The Merlex used vehicle lot on Glebe Road is full of pre-owned Mercedes and other luxury vehicles. Merlex used to sell used Nisan Sentras. Why so many big new buildings with big underground garages? Why does the County keep a dozen people on the transportation staff who commute to Arlington from 40 miles away and tell everyone to ride bicycles in the Winter?

Because this County is completely screwed up, that's why. The pols tell us so many lies they can't keep track of the lies anymore. Affordable housing means un-affordable housing. No Car Diet means More Car Diet. Urban Village means Millennial Ghetto.

Where does the County's so-called "planning" take us in 5 years? Another expensive Metro entrance and 5,000 more underground parking spaces. This neighborhood is a mess right now. I am not going to vote for any more Democrats for anything. Thanks again for your blog.

C.E., Ballston

Audrey Clement Considering School Board Run

Hello,

Again this year the majority of County Board members will have children or grandchildren attending Arlington Public Schools. With Jay Fisette retired and the County Board and School Board committed to jamming 70,000 more residents into the County by 2040, the School Board will be increasingly focused on giving APS parents more Taj Mahal schools with every conceivable amenity that they've historically demanded.

But providing extravagant educational infrastructure isn't sustainable, given other special interests with their extravagant wants. What to do? Keep on with "growth for the sake of growth," raise taxes every year to cover the demands of 3,500 new residents and 800 new APS students, and hope there isn't a serious recession and the Trump Administration doesn't start moving federal agencies to the Rust Belt. Also known as kicking the can down the road another year, and hoping the bubble doesn't burst on their watch.

That's why we're we're happy to learn that Dr. Audrey Clement is considering another run for School Board, against Barbara Kanninen who Audrey ran against 4 years ago. For all her supposed analytical expertise Barbara's singular accomplishment during her 3 years on the School Board has been approving construction of Taj Mahal new schools with every conceivable amenity but too few active learning spaces, aka classrooms.

Abingdon School parents (about a hundred of whom are no longer legally Arlington residents, but that's another story) are already lobbying the School Board and County Board for more brick-and-mortar classrooms, although Abingdon just received a $32 million makeover and expansion.

So A.Y. is happy that a candidate with fiscal sanity who's not addicted to Smart Growth is considering running for School Board - Dr. Audrey Clement.

Cindy, 22206

Politburo - White Citizens Council Hold Hugfest Meeting

Hey, Yupette,

I attended the County Board's annual organizational meeting last night, followed by the County Board's work session with the Arlington Civic Federation, aka White Citizens Council. Can you spell C-H-A-R-A-D-E-S ?

County Board members spouted the usual drivel about the need for transparency, openness, fiscal responsibility, etc., after spending 2017 approving exorbitantly expensive programs and projects and secret deals (like the $1 billion corporate welfare package for Amazon). Current prohibition against citizens removing extravagant programs and projects from the consent agenda will remain. First Yupette Katie Cristol was elevated to Chair of the Politburo. First Yuppie Christian Dorsey was elevated to Vice-Chair.

What stood out from the drivel was the County Board's total commitment to its New Urbanism/Smart Growth ideology/addiction/belief system/religion and the concomitant increase of Arlington's population by 70,000 in 22 years (2040). That's why the County Board has to embrace the CivFed like Kim Jong Un embraces Dennis Rodman.

As for the CivFed, it's become less inclusive and diverse over the past several years and much like the White Citizens Council it was 100 years ago. Both the CivFed and County Board are committed to excluding non-upscale, non-trendy people from the County. Looking around the County Board Room last night it was hard to find a minority-group member who wasn't County Staff.

As usual the police were sitting in the Board Room on the lookout for "troublemakers" who the Regime's enforcers have told not to attend meetings, while County's bloated PR bureaucracy makes videos telling citizens to come to meetings. LOL. Police are also on the lookout for non-trendy homeless who have been banned from the County's Taj Mahal homeless shelter.

So look for more of the same, and worse, from the County Board this year.

Eric, 22205