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

Arlington Greens to Support Vihstadt, Clement to Run for School Board

Hi Yupette,

Like other County Staff, I attended Bob Atkins's memorial service last Saturday. The news from the local pols who were there is the Arlington Green Party will support Independent John Vihstadt for County Board and Audrey Clement has decided to run for Arlington School Board. The Independent Greens are going to ask Janet Murphy to run for County Board as an IG on their rail, rail, rail platform. The Libertarians have already announced that Evan Bernick will be their candidate for County Board. Appears the Repubs will also support John Vihstadt.

2100

Arlington Politicos Give Robert Atkins a Big Send Off

Hey Yupette:

Drove on Arlington's iced-over streets to Central Library this morning to attend Bob Atkins's memorial service. Quite a surprise to see it was standing room only in the library's auditorium. Almost everyone who's active in Arlington politics attended.

Turns out Bob was more active in local politics and local organizations than we realized. He served for many years as Treasurer of the Arlington Republican Party, and also served in various positions for social service  non-profits, ranging from his civic association to an organization assisting HIV/AIDS victims.

Whatever Bob's personal life was like, and it appears it was messy, as the lives of complex people often are, he was always ready to help others when asked. He never asked for anything for himself the many times he appeared before the County Board..

Did the County Board respect Bob? Yes. Did the County Board listen to Bob? Hardly ever. Bob's Bluemont neighborhood is the latest "redevelopment opportunity" on the County Board's "New Urbanism" agenda. County Board members are too fixated on their own belief system - helping political, non-profit, and corporate cronies - to listen to anyone but their good buds, and the voices in their own heads.

Bluemont Guy

Yuptard of the Year

Hello,

No contest this year for "Yuptard of the Year". First Generation Yuptard Chris Zimmerman wins hands down.

If you haven't read Post reporter Patricia Sullivan's feature about Chris Zimmerman's 'vision' in the Metro Section on December 24th, you should. More than obvious that Chris Zimmerman's goal from the very beginning of his residence in Arlington, 34 years ago, was to make-over Arlington from a diverse middle class county to a county run by, and for, Yuppies.

He not only succeeded in removing the working class and middle class from Arlington but ensured that Second Generation Yuptards would be able to live even more self-centered lives in enclaves on and around Arlington's major arterials, and in tear-down McMansions in formerly middle-class neighborhoods.

Using schemes like "New Urbanism" and "Smart Growth" Chris Zimmerman re-created an Arlington that only a Yuppie could love, packed with sports, recreation, entertainment venues, upscale restaurants, expensive housing, massive amounts of parking for expensive vehicles.

Now Chris Zimmerman is leaving the County Board to earn millions inflicting "Smart Growth" on middle class Americans who've already suffered enough over the past decade. Look for Chis and his colleagues at Smart Growth America to redevelop your older middle class suburb or older middle class downtown in the future, probably sooner than you think.

Cindy

Next on Zimmerman's Smart Growth Agenda - 'Complete Streets' in Your Residential Neighborhood

Hello Yupette,

Ever wonder what all the people in our quiet residential neighborhoods are supposed to do for open space and activity space once our neighborhoods are urbanized? Not to worry. Chris Zimmerman and his colleagues at Smart Growth America and their friends who control the REITS who are set to urbanize our neighborhoods have it all 'planned'. Our streets are going to be turned into open space, activity space, and recreation space. Don't expect REITs that are profiting enormously from dedicating a few hundred square feet of plaza space surrounded by retail and restaurants to pay for acres of open space. It's not going to happen. What to do? Task Arlington's bloated 'planning' staff (almost none live in Arlington) with converting residential streets in quiet neighborhoods into recreation space for New Urbanists who live in corridors like Columbia Pike, Lee Highway, Rosslyn-Crystal City, and Four Mile Run-Shirlington. Of course, Zimmy's own neighborhood is off-limits as are the neighborhoods of his good buds on the County Board, Jay Fisette and Walter Tejada. Stay tuned for 'Complete Streets' coming to your neighborhood soon.

Pike Rider

No Surprise - County Board Says NO to VOICE

Hey Yupette,

I had to laugh when the affordable housing advocates from the Great White North of Arlington, aka VOICE, went to the County Board with their 10,000 petition signatures asking for affordable housing to be constructed on public land in the County. Any so-called 'affordable' housing that's built in Arlington will be funded by the County Board in conjunction with its deals with pet REITs, pet developers, pet housing non-profits, pet consultants, and pet fellow Democrats. Aided and abetted by a bloated bureaucracy (there are more than 50 County employees engaged in public relations across County Government) and local media that are de facto chamber of commerce lobbyists

There is no way Chairman Walter, aka Nada, Tejada could say Yes to VOICE last Saturday. Every spare dollar of revenue will be committed to the County Board's pet vanity projects, whether lighted synthetic surface soccer fields, live theater in every neighborhood, Columbia Pike Streetcar and, oh yes, the Jay Fisette Aquatics Center.

I saw this before, when the County Board committed to building affordable housing in Potomac Yards. Never happened.

If VOICE wants to accomplish its goals its members should not waste any more time on the County Board or the bloated County bureaucracy or the news media. They should volunteer to help elect John Vihstadt to County Board.

Pike Rider

Fifteen Years of Wants-Not-Needs Government in Arlington - Enough

Hi Yupette,

Happy to see an independent is running against whichever Chris Zimmerman clone is selected by Arlington Democrats. After 15 years of wants-not-needs driving County Government, with Jay Fisette and Chris Zimmerman alternately in the driver's seat, it's time to reverse course and fund the basics first, not last.

Chris Zimmerman is getting the gold mine along with his corporate cronies who he'll be working with and for when he leaves the County Board. Jay Fisette already got the gold mine, through his domestic partner's management consulting firm whose clients include dozens of major corporations, many having appeared before the County Board seeking and receiving various gimmes over the years.

Only thing that would make me happier than seeing Chris Zimmerman leave the County Board would be Jay Fisette announce he's also retiring, to become a fund raiser for his pet non-profit arts organizations to take them off the taxpayer dole.

Thanks for your blog.

Joan, 22207