Smokey Says: Parents - Only You Can Prevent the Arlington Fire Department from Poisoning Arlington's Kids With Toxic Smoke

Hello,

On June 4, 2012 this blog ran a feature about vehicles being burned and explosives being set off during 'training' exercises by the Arlington Fire Department near the old Arlington Fire Academy, in the Arlington Arlington Trades Center, 200 feet from Abingdon Elementary School and close to several residential neighborhoods.

Rather than re-locate the Fire Training Academy to a site where toxic smoke from vehicle fires would pose no threat to human health the Fire Department was allowed to build a new and improved fire training academy on the same site. At the same time a new fire training academy was being planned and constructed Arlington County spent $8 million planning and building a multi-jurisdiction firearms training facility at Dulles Airport.

The Arlington Fire Department has refused to provide information about what hazardous materials will be stored and burned at the new fire training academy - due to be dedicated on Saturday. Based upon what we've been told by 'County Staff' we can expect to hear more loud explosions and smell more toxic smoke from burning vehicles in the near future. However, if enough parents call the County Board offices at 703-228-3130 we may at least be informed about what hazardous and toxic materials will be stored and burned.

Cindy

County Board's 2013 Financial Disclosure - Stamos Rules No Way on Rob-and-Jay Pay-to-Play Disclosures

Hello,

This blog has often criticized the 'revolving door' between Jay Fisette's former domestic partner (and now legally-married spouse) Robert Rosen's consulting firm - Healthy Companies International - and County Board Chairman Jay Fisette's office.

Now that Rob and Jay are legally married, A.Y. was anticipating that Jay and Rob would fully disclose the extent of the pay-to-play activities between Rob's office, at 2101 Wilson Boulevard, and Jay's County Board office, just across the street, at 2100 Clarendon Boulevard. Rob Rosen and Healthy Companies International represent some of the worst fossil fuel polluters in the world, ranging from Boeing to the anti-EPA National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). (In the event you wondered why Arlington is lagging so badly when it comes to installing on-site renewable energy).

According to County Staff, dispensation from reporting their pay-to-pay activities was granted to Rob and Jay, on the grounds that Rob and Jay aren't legally married in Virginia, by Arlington Commonwealth's Attorney Theo Stamos. BTW, appears that Theo Stamos and her spouse and Rob and Jay are tied for first place as the wealthiest elected officials in Arlington, if not the Commonwealth.

Cindy

County Board's 2013 Financial Disclosure - CB Increasingly Controlled by NGO Elites

Hello,

We asked a volunteer to peruse the County Board's financial disclosure forms, which Virginia public officials must file by January 15th and which are stored in the County Board Offices at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.

Like former-Governor McDonnell, Arlington County Board members have no hesitation in accepting travel and entertainment gifts. Arlington County Board members (with the exception of Chris Zimmerman who was comped by the Smart Growth lobby last year) are increasingly accepting tickets to upscale events hosted by non-government organizations, like the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, where they are heavily lobbied by people whose corporations, law firms, non-profits, and so on regularly come before the County Board. If you want to see who they are you can visit the Arlington Chamber of Commerce's Web site and take a look at who's on the Chamber's Board of Directors. NGO non-profits that depend on the County Board for funding are also County Board favorites.

Speaking of the Chamber, the Arlington Chamber's Vice-Chairman for Economic Development and Governmental Affairs is none other than Arlington Sun Gazette Editor Scott McCaffrey. In the event you wondered why this blog, candidates for political office, and others who don't go along with the Arlington Chamber of Commerce's program are routinely disparaged by McCaffrey.

Cindy

County Board Democrats Impose New Rules on Advisory Commissions

Hey, Yupette,

Four County Board Democrats (Fisette, Hynes, Tejada, and Zimmerman) and the Arlington County Democratic Committee are concerned that, Jim Moran and Chris Zimmerman having announced their retirements, it's increasingly likely that one or more reformers will be elected to replace Chris and Jim. So, Jay, Mary, Walter, and Chris are visiting Arlington's Government's advisory committees and telling the members that all communications about anything have to go directly to the County Board through the County Staff Liaison, who sits at advisory committee meetings to report what transpired to the County Board Office and 'provide guidance' from Jay, Walter, Mary, Chris, and the Arlington County Democratic Committee.

Looks to me like a Regime that's long overdue for being booted out of office and investigated by the Feds. Thanks for the A.Y. blog.

2100 too

Marymount-Ballston Redevelopment: No Affordable Housing for Poor Baby Humans, $1.15 Million for Baby Beavers

Hey Yupette,

I attended last night's Planning Commission meeting. Heard Jay Fisette tell the Commissioners he wants more of the same from them.

Stayed around to see what the redevelopment of the so-called "Blue Goose" building (corner of Fairfax Drive and Glebe Road) owned by Marymount University (a Catholic institution of higher learning) is going to look like.

According to the site plan this is going to be a massive office, educational and residential redevelopment with 835 parking spaces. Only 11 of the 267 apartments will be "affordable" at the usual 60% of area median income. So the working class people who clean the classrooms and office space will have to live elsewhere.

Marymount, as the owner of the present building and owner of the redeveloped site, will apparently pay no real estate taxes on any of the redeveloped site. Among the 'community benefits' offered by Marymount is a contribution of $1,150,000 to protect the beaver habitat near the site.

How did we get to the point that with all the fuss being made about affordable housing in Arlington a huge amount is being spent by Pro-Life Catholics to save the baby beavers? Sheesh.

Peter, 22201

Crystal City Corporations Would Be Primary Beneficiaries of Aquatic Center

Hey Yupette,

I have to wonder why the local media haven't reported what everyone at 2100 Clarendon Blvd. already knows - corporations located in Crystal City would be the primary beneficiaries of the Jay Fisette Aquatics Center in Longbridge Park.

In fact, the Aquatics Center has been marketed to Crystal City mega corporations like Boeing and Vornado as a low-cost employee fringe benefit and a corporate activity center. Heavily subsidized by Arlington taxpayers, of course. In the event you wondered why Boeing, Vornado, and other corporate high rollers aren't pledging millions to build and operate the Aquatics Center. It's like everything else in Arlington, the Artisphere, Pike streetcar, live theater organizations, massive spending on athletic facilities, and so on.  Arlington taxpayers pay and pet special interests play.

Later,

2100

Warning: County's Million Dollar Bus Shelter May Be Hazardous to Your Butt

Hey, Yupette,

I visited the County's famous Million Dollar Bus Shelter on Columbia Pike at Noon today and no one was sitting down while waiting for a bus. Outdoor temp was 15 and I wondered how cold the steel seats were. So I brought my refrigerator's thermometer and put it on the steel bench inside the bus shelter in the sunlight. As you can see, after about 5 minutes the thermometer read 18 degrees.

Sheesh. You would think that after spending a million the County could install a nice piece of non-endangered species hardwood over the steel, in the winter at least. Guess all the County's spare disposable income will be going to fund the Pike streetcar.

Another reason I won't be voting for a Democrat as the successor to Chris Zimmerman this year.

Pike Rider