Replace Rosslyn's Crumbling Sidewalks With NC Funds

Hi Yupette,

I'm a Rosslyn resident and I've had it with Rosslyn's deteriorated brick sidewalks and streetlights. Also with Wilson Blvd, which needed repaving years ago. I'm walking with a LED flashlight at night so I don't trip and fall. Some of my neighbors also walk at night with LED flashlights. You would think that the people who produce the ArlNow blog and the people who work at WJLA would say something about the state Rosslyn' sidewalks are in, since they are tripping too. But no, they're too busy with homeless guy steals food from convenience store, scaring mommies, and producing more vibrant smart growth stories.

I have to agree with both former Arlington Republican Committee Chair Mark Kelly and former Democratic Committee Chair Peter Rousselot that it's time to end Arlington's Neighborhood Conservation Program, which funds whatever pet projects the little groups that control civic associations want. If you don't have a civic association your neighborhood doesn't get NC funds. Is that legal?

My civic association is feuding over where a temporary fire station will be located so it's no good talking with them.

The Neighborhood Conservation Program has to be replaced with a 'needs first' agenda for public infrastructure maintenance and upgrades. Apparently the only people who are standing in the way of that are the Democrat ward heeler civic association presidents.

Thanks for your blog.

Dan in Rosslyn

Audrey Clement to Meet Westover and Lee Highway Communities on August 18th

Hello,

In fairness to Independent Candidate for County Board Audrey Clement, who is again being ignored and disparaged by the Arlington Democratic Machine-controlled local media, AY is posting a recent Clement campaign press release verbatim.

Clement to Hold Westover Meet and Greet Fundraiser on August 18th

I'm Dr. Audrey Clement, Independent candidate or Arlington County Board.

On Thursday, August 18th I'll be hosting a Meet and Greet fundraiser at Westover Market's indoor restaurant between 6:30 and 8:00 PM. Suggested contribution to my campaign is $20.

As a long time Westover resident I'm acutely aware of the needs of residents and businesses in Westover and the Lee Highway corridor.

When elected to County Board I will work to preserve housing and small business diversity in Arlington. County Government can do much more to make housing truly affordable and help small businesses grow and prosper.

I look forward to meeting Westover area residents on Thursday and talking about our common issues, needs, and opportunities.

Please feel free to contact me at www.audreyclement.com for more details about this event or about my campaign.

Audrey Clement, Ph.D.

Anti-Dumping Enforcement Would Be 'Too Embarrassing' for Dems, Pike Reycling Site to be Relocated

Hey Yupette,

Thanks for this blog.

FYI, as the result of an investigation by the County Manager's Office into the long-time illegal dumping at the Columbia Pike - South Four Mile Run recycling drop off point, the County Board and County Manager have decided to move the recycling drop off to another location at a cost of several million dollars. Space now taken by recycling bins will be available for contractors who are loyal Democrats to park their trucks overnight and on weekends.

There WAS an investigation as to who were and are illegally dumping household items and home renovation debris and the Democratic Regime decided that if the police started arresting people for illegally dumping that would prove to be too embarrassing to the Democratic leadership, since a number of Democrats were and are doing the dumping while DES looked the other way, for more than a decade.

After 30 years of one-party rule, it's become politically impossible for DES to install video cameras and for the police (who are already on the WOandD bike trail arresting Latinos for drinking beer) to apprehend people who are dumping illegally.

The relocation of the recycling drop off is supposed to occur before the next County Board meeting, so it will be interesting to see in whose back yard it ends up and where the Pike neighbors and contractors will dump their junk after September.

Pike Rider

Clement Asks Sanders Supporters to Join Her Campaign, Calls for a Moratorium on Smart Growth

Hello,

AY received a press release from Independent Audrey Clement's campaign for Arlington County Board. In the interest of fairness, AY is printing the press release in its entirety, since Dr. Clement has been ignored by the local Media to the extent they barely acknowledge her campaign's existence.

For Immediate Release: August 1, 2016

Clement for County Board,
http://www.audreyclement.com

Contacts:

Audrey Clement, Candidate, Arlington County Board, 571-830-8889
aclement65@hotmail.com
Emily Pfister, Media Advisor, 703-307-5668, epfister@yahoo.com

ARLINGTON, VA -- County Board Candidate Audrey Clement Calls for Sanders Supporters to Join Her Campaign

I'm Dr. Audrey Clement, Independent candidate for Arlington County Board.

I applaud the efforts of all those Arlington voters who worked hard to make Bernie Sanders the Democratic Nominee for President, and I share your disappointment that Senator Sanders did not succeed,

I happen to share a lot of Bernie's values, among them a sincere interest in good government. As an Independent, I will place meeting the needs of all Arlington residents first and the wants of wealthy special interests last on my agenda when elected to County Board.

So I'm asking you to join my campaign, to make progressive changes locally that you tried to make nationally.

I live in affordable housing that's in danger of being bulldozed for million dollar townhomes, displacing seniors, students, the disabled, and the working poor. I want affordable housing preserved and new affordable housing built that's actually affordable for everyone in Arlington.

I've ridden a bicycle everywhere for decades. But bicycles shouldn't be Arlington's only transportation altrnative to more parking for thousands more single-occupant vehicles.

And it's time for on-site renewable energy installed throughout the County.

It's time for electric vehicles throughout our County, charged by renewable energy sources.

It's time to put a moratorium on Smart Growth -- which is just an euphemism for gentrification -- until there's a comprehensive evaluation of where Smart Growth is taking our County.

Who wants to live in a County that is unaffordable to anyone who earns less than 100% of area median income, or $110,000 per year?

Not me.

My opponent says she's "progressive". She initially voted against the Pike Streetcar and the most extravagant excesses of the Democratic Old Guard. But, having been challenged in a primary election by an Old Guard Democrat, she's gone back to rubber stamping the Arlington Democratic Party's agenda.

With your help we can have better, more diverse, County Government at less cost.

I urge you to visit my website -- http://www.audreyclement.com -- to volunteer, donate, or read and comment on my blog.

Audrey Clement, Ph.D.

County Board Makes Mega Deals While Existing Infrastructure Crumbles

Hey Yupette,

I let the newspapers I read accumulate for a couple weeks and thought I would toss them in the paper recycling bin located on the Pike at South Four Mile Drive. Surprise. There wasn't just the usual amount of construction debris, and household junk the Goodwill store across the street won't accept, there was so much junk dumped around the recycling bins that there was no way I could toss in my newspapers. The little parking lot was packed with home improvement contractors' trucks, so that's a likely source of the construction debris. Who in DES gave the contractors permission to park in this lot and dump debris on this site?

Meanwhile, County Board spends its time making mega deals for Pike redevelopment. Latest was Wellington Apartments, where the "affordable housing" will be for Millennials who work at the Pentagon.

Oh, BTW, this is Katie Cristol's and Christian Dorsey's neighborhood.

Thanks for your blog.

Pike Rider, 22204

County Board to Celebrate Three Days of 'Christmas in July'

Hello,

A.Y. contributors just completed reviewing the County Board's agenda for it's annual "Christmas in July" Meeting. (AHIF Christmas gifts are still being wrapped). This year the County Board is making it a three day celebration - July 16th, 19th, and 20th.

Again this year there's a gift for everyone, County's bureaucracy, APS, for-profits, and non-profits both on the Regular Agenda and the Consent Agenda stocking stuffers.

Going down the Consent Agenda it's interesting to note the various memoranda of agreement between the County and various entities where no cost estimates are provided (e.g., MOA between the County and Bishop O'Connell High School).

As usual, the big expensive gifts are going to the developers via the Regular Agenda. This year the New Urbanist County Board is outdoing itself trying to pack as many people, vehicles, and human activities into as little space as possible (e.g., Christmas gift to Penzance for massive redevelopment of one block in Rosslyn).

As usual, no proffers from developers, or if there are you can be certain the proffer is a money-maker for the developer. And wealthy non-profits are again receiving hand outs via the Consent Agenda.

Entire meeting agenda should be on-line by tomorrow, including AHIF gifts.

Cindy

Libby's Neighbors: 'Never Mind the Gondola, Pave Our Streets First'

Hi Yupette,

I live in Libby Garvey's neighborhood of Fairlington (the kind of Urban Village the County is always talking about but actually wanting to bulldoze for "smart growth") on both the Arlington and Alexandria sides of Quaker Lane.

What is it with the County wanting to spend millions on a Gondola to Georgetown? Our streets in Fairlington badly need repaving, including those in Libby's neighborhood (photo attached).

I am not going to ride a bicycle in our neighborhood until the streets are repaved. Libby was seriously injured in a bicycle accident in Fairlington when she hit a pothole on South Buchanan street. The pothole's been filled but S. Buchanan Street still needs repaving.

I met Libby's opponent, Audrey Clement, who has ridden a bicycle around Arlington for years. Audrey wants the basics, like street paving, funded first. So do I.

Shame on Libby. She opposed Pike streetcar, apparently because she doesn't like streetcars. Now she and the County Board are wanting to waste money on a tourist gondola they do like. How about running rubber-tired tourist trolleys (like those on King Street in Alexandria) across Key Bridge instead?

Thanks for this blog.

Kathy, S. 35th Street