Zimmerman Contemplating Retiring from County Board

Hey Yupette,

Talk of the ACDC Insiders is that Chris Zimmerman is going to retire after his current term on the County Board. Possibly move out of Arlington. So the Streetcar is his Legacy to Arlington, Which is why he's pushing it so hard.

Thanks for your blog. I'm three years from retirement and don't want to live in a condo where the power is going to go out every Fourth of July for 3 days. Too old for that. So I'm going to be moving on myself.

Old Democrat

You Can Have Derecho II, I'll Take Lake Placid

Hey Yupette,

I'm taking your advice and clearing out of Arlington at 5 AM tomorrow for the Adirondacks. Temps reaching 105 here this weekend? No way I'm going to stick around Arlington. Let the Urban Village Idiots (mostly non-residents) who run the County deal with Derecho II. I had enough of their stupidity this week.

Later, Gator,

Peter, 22207

Fire County Manager Donnellan, Replace 'Emergency Preparedness' Staff

Hello,

After talking with hundreds of miserable residents who were stuck in stifling homes, apartments, and condos without power for days (some still don't have power) we conclude it's time for Arlington County manager Barbara Donnellan to go. Also time to replace Arlington's top 'emergency preparedness' staff.

Like most other Arlington Government executives Barbara Donnellan lives far from Arlington and does not, and will not, suffer the consequences of her failures.

Despite massive damage to power lines from downed trees (largely caused by the County's lack of an adequate tree maintenance program) County Government was on its usual summer weekend schedule from 5 PM Friday night to 8 AM Monday morning. A few crews were out picking up downed tree limbs.

About half of Arlington's population suffered extreme heat misery until the crescendo of complaints caused County Government to expedite power restoration.

It's unconscionable that, after spending $14 million for a new emergency communications center several years ago, for 911 emergency calls to not go through. And every year Arlington receives hundreds of thousands more in grants for communications upgrades from Homeland Security.

It's unconscionable that seniors had to suffer for days in senior apartment complexes without air conditioning, when the National Guard Readiness Center for the entire USA is located 1/2 mile away.

We saw this behavior before from County Government, last Fourth of July when a severe storm hit the Palisades and the year before that, when another severe storm hit Fairlington.

Enough is enough. Barbara Donnellan has got to go, along with Arlington's so-called 'emergency preparedness' staff.

Believe it or not, we were lucky. We advised everyone struck without power and air conditioning to pack up the pets and whatever food that could be salvaged and visit family and friends, or go on vacation. Not a big deal on June 30th.

But what happens if there's a major league ice storm on December 30th and power goes out for days? Think about it.

Susan

Mobilize the National Guard - A S A P

Hello,

We have heard and seen enough reports of elderly Arlington residents dying this weekend in their homes where there is no air conditioning and the interior temperature is 90 degrees.

We have heard and seen enough reports of Arlington Public Works employees concentrating on removing as many downed tree limbs as possible, rather than helping Virginia Power restore power.

We have heard and seen enough reports of Arlington's elected and appointed VIPs treating the June 29th storm disaster as a 'usual summer inconvenience".

Consequently, we are contacting Governor McDonnell and General Craig McKinley, Commander of the United States National Guard, Headquartered at Arlington Hall, Virginia (Arlington County), to mobilize the Virginia National Guard to assist Arlington and other local governments to prevent further loss of life and, without delay, restore electric power and communications in areas of storm devastation.


Susan

Arlington County's Disaster Preparedness is a Disaster

You would think that eleven years after 9-11-01 and with the County having experienced several episodes of severe weather over the past five years and the County investing tens of millions in communications and emergency preparedness County Government would be prepared for a severe storm generated by 100 degree daytime temperatures.

Wrong. County Government is totally reactive when it comes to severe storms and prolonged loss of electric power. Consequently, hundreds of Arlingtonians with major health issues are stuck in their homes, condos and apartments, with indoor temperatures in the high 80's. The number of 911 calls from Arlington residents, or residents' friends and family, who have become seriously ill from the effects of prolonged heat exposure averaged 10 per hour yesterday afternoon and evening.

What information have Arlington residents received from County Government? Two brief announcements on the County's 1700 kilohertz public service radio station, one with a list of emergency cooling stations. The National Weather Service's 162 Megahertz weather radio stations are off the air.

Our advice to everyone who's stuck without power: visit friends and family who have electric power. Toss out the food in your refrigerator, if you haven't already done so, pack up your pets, and LEAVE.

This is what we get for electing and re-electing people who are spending an inordinate, no unconscionable, amount of time, effort, and money preparing for the next 9-11 while ignoring the real threats to our health and safety.

Susan

CIP Work Session - County Board, County Manager, County Staff Clueless About Streetcars

Hello, Yupette,

I attended the County Board - County Manager - County Staff 10-year CIP work meeting yesterday afternoon. Most of this CIP meeting was about transportation. As you might expect, the Pike transit discussion was entirely about streetcars. Total cost of Arlington portion of a streetcar system is projected to be $198 million. The County Board would seek a $65 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration through its Small Starts program.

I was appalled to hear County Manager Barbara Donnellan declare that she and her staff don't know anything about streetcars and will have to hire consultants, travel to cities that have streetcar systems, hire streetcar program managers, educate the County Board and County Staff about streetcars, and so on. Not only the County Manager but Transportation Division Chief Dennis Leach stated they are clueless about streetcars.

Oh, even though County transportation staff don't know anything about streetcars that doesn't prevent them from persuading citizens that streetcars are the 'best option' for the Pike and Crystal City. One of the members of the County Board's hand-picked Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission described how transportation staff intensely lobbied FAAC commissioners about the 'merits' of streetcars.

'Alternatives analysis'. What alternatives analysis? Looks like the County will try to tell the FTA that after a fair and unbiased process Arlington residents chose streetcars as the 'best' transit option for the Pike and Crystal City.

2100

County Board Plans to Impose Censorship, Conformity on Residents, Staff, Commissions, Civic Associations, Media

Hello Yupette,

Latest news about the County Board's agenda to control everyone, in every way, all the time was the strategic planning meeting that the County Board its Department Heads and Division Chiefs held at Ft. Myer on June 25th and 26th. Purpose of the day and a half facilitated meeting was to devise ways of tightening the County Board's control over County residents, County staff, advisory commission members, and civic associations while preserving the charade of 'local democracy'.

On June 25th, County Board and County Staff frankly discussed the oncoming budget train wreck, and the $40 billion in expected cuts by federal agencies and federal contractors in our region, loss of good paying jobs to other jurisdictions, and the need for the meeting's participants to be united in order to preserve the status quo, aka 'Arlington Way'.

On June 26th, County Board and County Staff discussed ways of preventing the County Board from losing control through so-called 'end runs' when the County Board makes decisions that are unpopular with residents or groups of residents. The goal is to present an appearance of democracy while consolidating power. The method used to attain this goal is to train County Staff and recruit compliant advisory commission members and civic association 'community leaders' who will work to both market and facilitate the County Board's agenda with communities and advocacy groups. Members of the local media will be offered inducements like exclusive interviews with County Board members to increasingly censor negative news and information about work items on the County Board's agenda.

So, bottom line, if you are concerned about the County Bord throwing millions more into the Artisphere, don't, in the future, expect anyone on County Staff, advisory commissions, citizens associations, advocacy groups or the media to share your concerns.

2100