Hello, Yupette,
I live in Douglas Park and I was not surprised by the bicyclist-motor vehicle accident at the intersection of South Walter Reed Drive and South Four Mile that resulted in the bicyclist being killed after he ran into a car on Four Mile Run Access Road coming off South Walter Red Drive hill.
Reckless behavior by bicyclists and pedestrians is epidemic in this area.
County Government must IMMEDIATELY begin a comprehensive county-wide pedestrian, motorist, and bicycle safety program, before there are more fatalities. The next fatality or fatalities will be bicyclists hitting a pedestrian or pedestrians at high speed.
I will not vote for incumbents running for political office who allowed this situation to develop. Arlington County Government is totally reactive and this accident is proof.
Douglas Park
Monday, May 9, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Time for County Board to Reveal Federal Income Tax Data
Hello, Yupette,
What do County Board members actually do in the County board offices, besides play politics, meet with the gimme groups to discuss how many tax dollars will be allocated to buy votes, and meet with developers?
One thing Walter Tejada and Jay Fisette do is use their tenures on the County Board to enrich themselves. Jay Fisette steers corporations that want to do business with or in Arlington County to his domestic partner's consulting corporation. Walter Tejada has a number of 'consulting ventures' facilitated by his de facto position as Arlington's Roving Sister Cities Ambassador.
None of that shows up on their annual financial disclosure forms. So, it's time that Jay and Walter, and the other County Board members, disclosed their federal 1040s. Also, Jay's domestic partner's personal and corporate federal tax data. Of course that would lead to immediate calls for resignation(s). And it would be also be obvious to everyone that Jay and his domestic partner could write personal checks to cover the Artisphere's annual deficits.
2100
What do County Board members actually do in the County board offices, besides play politics, meet with the gimme groups to discuss how many tax dollars will be allocated to buy votes, and meet with developers?
One thing Walter Tejada and Jay Fisette do is use their tenures on the County Board to enrich themselves. Jay Fisette steers corporations that want to do business with or in Arlington County to his domestic partner's consulting corporation. Walter Tejada has a number of 'consulting ventures' facilitated by his de facto position as Arlington's Roving Sister Cities Ambassador.
None of that shows up on their annual financial disclosure forms. So, it's time that Jay and Walter, and the other County Board members, disclosed their federal 1040s. Also, Jay's domestic partner's personal and corporate federal tax data. Of course that would lead to immediate calls for resignation(s). And it would be also be obvious to everyone that Jay and his domestic partner could write personal checks to cover the Artisphere's annual deficits.
2100
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
County Board's 5 Year Plan: Massive Urbanization + Massive Borrowing = Massive Vanity Projects
Hello, Yupette,
The County Board is preparing to implement its new and unofficial 5-year plan for Arlington. County Board's plan calls for massive urbanization to put as much new luxury real estate on the assessment rolls as possible. No matter what the consequences for our quality-of-life. Increased tax assessment will be used to leverage borrowing to fund the County Board's massive vanity recreation, transportation, and entertainment projects. The most expensive will be the $300 million Columbia Pike and Crystal City streetcar systems (two additional $150 million streetcar routes are being discussed). Not far behind streetcar spending will be the $265 million Long Bridge Aquatic Center, Field House, and Sports Arena. If enough parents complain the County Board is prepared to spend $150 million to construct brick-and-mortar classrooms to handle the projected increased student population, otherwise students will have to learn in leased trailer classrooms.
Other Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources funding will be for a $20 million boathouse on the Potomac, and at least two $20 million more live theaters. The County Board will also spend extravagantly for a greatly expanded Sister Cities and Cultural Exchange Program.
Bottom line, if you are living in affordable housing today, you can be assured that it will be re-developed into luxury housing tomorrow to pay for the County Board's extravagances.
2100
The County Board is preparing to implement its new and unofficial 5-year plan for Arlington. County Board's plan calls for massive urbanization to put as much new luxury real estate on the assessment rolls as possible. No matter what the consequences for our quality-of-life. Increased tax assessment will be used to leverage borrowing to fund the County Board's massive vanity recreation, transportation, and entertainment projects. The most expensive will be the $300 million Columbia Pike and Crystal City streetcar systems (two additional $150 million streetcar routes are being discussed). Not far behind streetcar spending will be the $265 million Long Bridge Aquatic Center, Field House, and Sports Arena. If enough parents complain the County Board is prepared to spend $150 million to construct brick-and-mortar classrooms to handle the projected increased student population, otherwise students will have to learn in leased trailer classrooms.
Other Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources funding will be for a $20 million boathouse on the Potomac, and at least two $20 million more live theaters. The County Board will also spend extravagantly for a greatly expanded Sister Cities and Cultural Exchange Program.
Bottom line, if you are living in affordable housing today, you can be assured that it will be re-developed into luxury housing tomorrow to pay for the County Board's extravagances.
2100
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Funds Diverted from Street Paving to Expensive Walter Reed 'Traffic Calming'
Hello Yupette,
Many streets and roads near the intersection of Walter Reed Drive and South Four Mile Run needed to repaved like 3 years ago. So where is the money for repaving going? To an extravagant and expensive 'traffic calming' project for South Walter Reed hill (between S. Four Mile Run Drive and South Pollard Street). As described during an April 27th 'community meeting' (which nearby communities only learned about from local blogs) between $600,000 and $2 million (depending on which transportation staff member you spoke with) will be spent to narrow South Walter Reed Drive with planted medians and nubs. The project will also paint bicycle lanes on South Walter Reed Drive hill (which does not need repaving).
What is really appalling - presently one small speed limit sign is visible going up Walter hill and there are no speed limit signs on the downhill lanes.
Transportation Planning Director Dennis Leach dismissed residents' concerns about traffic from Columbia Pike redevelopment and from BRAC in Alexandria. Several residents are greatly concerned about the effect of street narrowing upon the response time for fire and EMS vehicles from Fire Station 9.
Members of nearby communities who expressed their concerns were ignored, except for representatives from Arlington's bicycle organizations.
The laundry list of streets and roads in South Arlington within a mile of South Walter Reed and South Four Mile Run Drive that need repaving includes portions of S. 16th Street and South Quincy Street in the Douglas Park neighborhood where County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman lives.
S. Quincy Resident
Many streets and roads near the intersection of Walter Reed Drive and South Four Mile Run needed to repaved like 3 years ago. So where is the money for repaving going? To an extravagant and expensive 'traffic calming' project for South Walter Reed hill (between S. Four Mile Run Drive and South Pollard Street). As described during an April 27th 'community meeting' (which nearby communities only learned about from local blogs) between $600,000 and $2 million (depending on which transportation staff member you spoke with) will be spent to narrow South Walter Reed Drive with planted medians and nubs. The project will also paint bicycle lanes on South Walter Reed Drive hill (which does not need repaving).
What is really appalling - presently one small speed limit sign is visible going up Walter hill and there are no speed limit signs on the downhill lanes.
Transportation Planning Director Dennis Leach dismissed residents' concerns about traffic from Columbia Pike redevelopment and from BRAC in Alexandria. Several residents are greatly concerned about the effect of street narrowing upon the response time for fire and EMS vehicles from Fire Station 9.
Members of nearby communities who expressed their concerns were ignored, except for representatives from Arlington's bicycle organizations.
The laundry list of streets and roads in South Arlington within a mile of South Walter Reed and South Four Mile Run Drive that need repaving includes portions of S. 16th Street and South Quincy Street in the Douglas Park neighborhood where County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman lives.
S. Quincy Resident
Friday, April 29, 2011
Audrey Clement Files As County Board Candidate
Hello,
Virginia Green Party Co-Chair and Arlington resident Audrey Clement filed voter petitions and candidate forms with the Arlington voter registrar's office today. Dr. Clement is so far the only non-incumbent to declare candidacy for the County Board.
Audrey lives in the Westover neighborhood. She is fiscally conservative and environmentally progressive. Audrey played a key role in the Arlington Green Party's litigation against VDOT to stop I-66 widening.
Audrey graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and earned a doctorate in political science from Temple University. She served as a Congressional Fellow during the 100th Congress. She is employed as a statistical analyst in the area of homeland security. For more information about Audrey and her County Board campaign please visit audreyclement.org.
Susan
Virginia Green Party Co-Chair and Arlington resident Audrey Clement filed voter petitions and candidate forms with the Arlington voter registrar's office today. Dr. Clement is so far the only non-incumbent to declare candidacy for the County Board.
Audrey lives in the Westover neighborhood. She is fiscally conservative and environmentally progressive. Audrey played a key role in the Arlington Green Party's litigation against VDOT to stop I-66 widening.
Audrey graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and earned a doctorate in political science from Temple University. She served as a Congressional Fellow during the 100th Congress. She is employed as a statistical analyst in the area of homeland security. For more information about Audrey and her County Board campaign please visit audreyclement.org.
Susan
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
County Residents Shut Out of Site Plan Conditions Revision
Hello, Yupette,
As you may be aware, at the March 12th County Board a local activist and civic association president raised the issue of citizen inclusion in the ongoing site plan conditions review and update by Community Planning, Housing, and Development. The County Board indicated that citizens should be included in the process. Well, it's been 6 weeks and citizens still know nothing about the review process, which is being coordinated by - you guessed it - County Staff who don't live in the County, with input from out-of-state developers, attorneys who don't live in Arlington representing developers, out-of-state REITs, national builders associations, and so on. Latest from County Staff is: "We'll tell you when we're finished." Did someone else mention that County Staff controls Arlington County?
T.Y.
As you may be aware, at the March 12th County Board a local activist and civic association president raised the issue of citizen inclusion in the ongoing site plan conditions review and update by Community Planning, Housing, and Development. The County Board indicated that citizens should be included in the process. Well, it's been 6 weeks and citizens still know nothing about the review process, which is being coordinated by - you guessed it - County Staff who don't live in the County, with input from out-of-state developers, attorneys who don't live in Arlington representing developers, out-of-state REITs, national builders associations, and so on. Latest from County Staff is: "We'll tell you when we're finished." Did someone else mention that County Staff controls Arlington County?
T.Y.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Biodegradable Trash Bags Available for Aerobic and Anaerobic Landfills
Hello,
I live in Fairlington and the total number of plastic trash bags that are left on the curb for 6 days-a-week pickup from Fairlington's 3,500 households may be as many as 650,000 per year.
You can find biodegradable trash bags and kitchen bags advertised on the Web, the most biodegradable trash bags and kitchen bags seem to be constructed of starch and they biodegrade in both aerobic and anaerobic landfills. Check out the Web for details.
Using highly biodegradable trash bags is something we can do right now, we don't need permission from Dominion Resources or Washington Gas or the other fossil fuel polluters who are micro-managing Jay Fisette's Energy Task Force.
Susan
I live in Fairlington and the total number of plastic trash bags that are left on the curb for 6 days-a-week pickup from Fairlington's 3,500 households may be as many as 650,000 per year.
You can find biodegradable trash bags and kitchen bags advertised on the Web, the most biodegradable trash bags and kitchen bags seem to be constructed of starch and they biodegrade in both aerobic and anaerobic landfills. Check out the Web for details.
Using highly biodegradable trash bags is something we can do right now, we don't need permission from Dominion Resources or Washington Gas or the other fossil fuel polluters who are micro-managing Jay Fisette's Energy Task Force.
Susan
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