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.
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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.
30 comments:
Arlington's Economic Development Director, Victor Hoskins, was hired 3 1/2 years ago when Arlington's commercial vacancy rate was stuck at 20%. Today Arlington's commercial vacancy rate is stuck at 20%. Any questions why Arlington County is offering Amazon an offer it can't refuse?
Look up Mark Warner and Tim Kaine on Wikipedia
Victor Hoskins should resign as Director of Arlington Economic Development and go where he's desparately needed - Baltimore.
What was Congressman Moran doing 15 years ago? Wringing his hands over the mess in Iraq. What's Congressman Beyer doing today? Wringing his hands over aircraft and helicopter noise. Assuming Amazon decides on Crystal City for its headquarters some other Congressman will be wringing his / her hands over quality-of-life issues inside I-495 in Virginia 15 years from now.
Don't want Amazon in Arlington? E-mail Jeff Bezos -- jeff at amazon dot com
Amazon is the direct consequence of the pervasive inaction by the Arlington County Board over 15 years in resolving the vacancy problem in Crystal City.
Agree. County Board played games with Vornado rather than acting responsibly and seriously exploring other redevelopment opportunities for Crystal City.
When he was hired Victor Hoskins promised he would remediate Arlington's commercial vacancy rate within 18 months.
LOL...We have a 20 Donkey Team trying to drag Arlington County into the 21st Century...that's why.
Latest from Arlington's Urban Village Idiots...They hired a Progressive Elitist who was a 'Progressive Economic Development Asset' for Syria's Assad's Regime as Crystal City BID's County Government-Amazon Development Coordinator.
Complete unsurprising when you realize that Arlington's Democratic Regime has been completely occupied trying to inflict expensive infrastructure on us for 20 years, a major league baseball stadium, streetcar system, expensive schools with every possible amenity, expensive regional sports facilities.
Carol Mitten was Deputy County Manager for several years and had a huge amount of local commercial real estate experience. Nothing major happened to re-purpose Crystal City. Looks to me that the only way Crystal City can be re-purposed is by making Amazon an offer it can't refuse.
Fire-Aim-Ready Planning? Hiring a Major League Infrastructure Improvement Facilitator to run the Crystal City BID a few months before the County Auditor audits the BIDs.
What Arlington's offer to Amazon is all about -- County Board and its Economic Development Guru weren't going to ever turn around Crystal City without Amazon.
Notice that more Arlington VIP Planners than ever don't live in Arlington.
Agree that Arlington made an offer to Amazon it can't refuse because with all the major diversions of time and money over the past 15 years (baseball stadium, streetcar system, expensive sports infrastructure, expensive schools infrastructure) there is no way Crystal City was going to be turned around otherwise.
Mark Warner is more responsible for the current state of Crystal City than any single person who's held public office in Virginia over the past 20 years. Governor, then Senator, lives in Alexandria, major league business leader for more than 20 years.
Present and past Democrats on the County Board are responsible -- concerned about special interest projects for decades (remember the Signature Theater / Shirlington Library deal 20 years ago?) when they should have been planning Arlington's long-term needs.
LOL. Anyone seen Chris Zimmerman, Mary Hynes, or Walter Tejada lately?
They STILL aren't planning Arlington's long-term needs.
Hillarycrats control the Democratic Party, so it's all about $$$$.
Amazon is the ultimate corporate trophy for Victor Hoskins.
Then there are the Local Media ;~}
So what's going to happen in the Future -- 5, 10, 15, 20 years? We're living in a home we bought for $250,000 twenty-one years ago that's now assessed for $850,000.
I blame Jim Moran. Mayor of Alexandria before being elected to Congress. Lived in Del Ray than lived in Arlington. Spent years in Congress being distracted by Iraq and the Middle East while Crystal City gradually became a commercial Ghost Town
Jim Moran cared about Alexandria, whether it was the feds funding the new Wilson Bridge or the feds moving from Crystal City to I-395. He also cared about his Beltway Bandit Buds in Tysons getting big federal contracts related to Iraq warfighting.
In 5 years your $850,000 home will be assessed for $1 million.
See any mention of the June 21st Amazon Community Meeting in the Amazon Po$t, In$ide Nova, $un Gazette, or Ar$Now ? You won't
It gets worse....CIP is a Charade..$500 million in secret promises made to special interests by CB Members.
Like - $20 million to WETA for new studios, $50 million to bikesters for dedicated infrastructure, $50 million for a new boathouse in Rosslyn, $185 million parents for a new high school off the Pike, $100 million to arts groups for various types of arts infrastructure in Four Mile Run Valley.
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