"Diner" -- Signature Flop Subsidized by Arlington Sheeple

Hey, Yupette,

I'm as unhappy as anyone else who's not a performing arts fanatic about the Signature bailout. In the event you missed Signature's adaptation of the 1982 film "Diner" - it's a flop. Never mind the Post's review.

Having grown up in Baltimore in the 1950's and 60's I can attest that Baltimore in 1959 was both grimy and grim. Baltimore then was a steel town and my father was a steelworker employed by Bethlehem Steel at Sparrows Point. There was a very long strike by steelworkers in 1959 and we went hungry for weeks. But you won't see any of that in the 1982 urban hipster film "Diner", nor the urban hipster musical adaptation currently playing at the Signature. I have to wonder whether anyone involved with producing 'Diner" at the Signature ever spent more than an afternoon in Baltimore.

My experience attending a performance of "Diner" a week ago was it felt as dated as a late Rogers and Hammerstein musical. Why anyone would put so much time, energy, and money making something so dated "work" as a musical was puzzling, until I realized that it's OUR money, and a lot of it,  that Signature is using making "Diner" ready for prime time, meaning Broadway.

The clueless County Board has yet to realize that it hasn't seen the last of the Signature. Thanks for exposing this performing arts country club for what it is. And thanks for your blog and enlightening taxpayers about who's ripping us off.

Joan 22207

Next Signature Bailout Set for 2017

Hey, Yupette,

Thanks for the report about the massive welfare-for-the-wealthy rip off of the taxpayers to benefit the richey riches who operate the Signature.

Did you happen to read the reports about the PW County Chamber of Commerce boosters contributing major amounts to build a new baseball stadium for the Potomac Nationals? Meanwhile in Arlington, all the Chamber of Commerce can do is ask for handouts from the County Board and plan golf outings and winter gala events. Have you noticed that restaurants are closing every week in the R-B corridor?

FYI - the mega-million bailout of the Signature last week will not be the last Signature bailout. The plan is to give the Signature the old Garage building on South Four Mile Run, which the County owns and agreed last week to lease to the Signature at no cost for the next 5 years, with the County even paying the building's utilities.

The Nauck side of Shirlington is going to be redeveloped soon, so the Signature will own a valuable property. The Signature has no plans to cut expenses and will use funds obtained from naming rights to the theater to keep producing money-losing amateur theatrics to give its VIP members with acting ability stage time.

Like the forthcoming Bikeshare Bailout, the list of demands for the Signature bailouts were worked out not at 2100 Clarendon Blvd but in the living room of Jay Fisette's and Rob Rosen's mansion in Ashton Heights.

Happy Holidays, and thanks for your blog.

2100

County Web Site Details Massive 'Welfare for the Wealthy' Giveaway to Signature Theater

Hello,

In the event you haven't seen it by now, Arlington residents and taxpayers should visit Arlington County's Web site, arlingtonva.us and read the terms of the County's outrageous 'Welfare for the Wealthy" proposed giveaway to the Signature Theater.

Why outrageous? Because the Signature's Honorary Trustees, Directors, Directors Emeritus, and Signature Council are all wealthy people. At least a dozen are incredibly wealthy and have extensive backgrounds in management, finance, commercial real estate, entertainment management, public relations, and management consulting.

But don't believe A.Y. Visit the Signature's Web site:  www.signature-theatre.org/board-of-directors and see for yourselves.

Any ONE of the dozen incredibly wealthy people on the Signature's Board can write a check to pay off all the Signature's indebtedness. That includes County Board Chair Jay Fisette's (aka Giveaway Jay) spouse, Robert Rosen. Oh, BTW, Rosen is also owner and CEO of a successful management consulting firm named "Healthy Companies International". That leaves the rest to cough up the cash to keep the Signature's budgets in the black.

The County Board already bailed out the Signature twice, once by paying the Signature's utility bills for several years and again by paying the Signature's back taxes.

It's obvious what the Signature was, and is, and always will be...a taxpayer-subsidized party zone for the Inside-the Beltway Elite.

Signature doesn't need or deserve a dime of tax dollars, and never has.

County Board / FC City Council - Lee Highway Will be Another Clarendon. Primary Mode of Public Transit Will be Bicycles

 

Hello,

The Arlington County Board and Falls Church City Council held a joint meeting at 2100 Clarendon Blvd. last night. Discussion was about planning the mixed-use redevelopment of the Lee Highway corridor on the Arlington / Falls Church border.

No surprises, the planning staffs in both jurisdictions call for Lee Highway / North Washington Street to become another massive mixed-use redevelopment, like Clarendon.

Discussion was for the East Falls Church Metro Station to become a major multi-modal hub.

What was both interesting and appalling is there was no mention of public transit for the redeveloped area other than more parking garages for motor vehicles, better pedestrian safety, and bicycles, and more bicycles, in new bikeshare stations all over the area. Brought to Falls Church by the same Arlington  streetcar proponents (Fisette, Tejada, Hynes, and Planning and Transportation Staff) who tried to inflict the Pike streetcar on us.

Arlington Transportation Director Dennis Leach admitted that Bikeshare returns 70 cents for every dollar spent because few ride bicycles in Winter. Again, no mention at all of ART bus expansion.

In fact, there was no mention of any improvements of any kind to non-arterial neighborhood infrastructure for current residents, only the "vision" of the area as another urban hipster enclave.

Cindy

Fairfax County Decision-Makers Driving 'Public Lands for Public Good'

Hey, Yupette,

'Public Lands for Public Good' debate in Arlington? What a hoot! Who's driving 'Public Lands for Public Good'? Arlington's so-called 'decision makers' who live in beautiful suburban Fairfax County, of course! And not just Barbara Donnellan and hundreds of County and APS employees who work for her, but Fairfax County residents who belong to the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Committee of 100, developers, planning consultants, lawyers, bankers, and many, many others who are packing as many people and vehicles into our tiny County as they can, with the help of Lexus Liberal New Urbanist Super Nimbys, like County Board Chairman Jay Fisette.

So what's going on where THEY live a few miles up Columbia Pike from Arlington? As you can see from the photo, life goes on, on Lake Barcroft, in Sleepy Hollow, and elsewhere off the Pike same as always.

Thanks for this blog.

Dennis, 22204

Post, Local Media, Continue to Censor Bus Alternatives to Streetcars

Hi Yupette,


So, the County Board majority said NO to streetcars last week? Where are the information and photos about streetcar alternatives, like bus rapid transit, double deck buses, and high-capacity city buses?

Here's a short video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=x30ivqQEGao

And here's another:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpEbfqFu9b4

Where are the local media? Obviously still shilling for dumb growth streetcars.

Never mind THEM. I want MY tax dollars spent on information about alternatives to streetcars on the Pike and in Crystal City. Don't see any information on the County's Web site and AVN? Call the Arlington County Board at 703-228-3130.

Pike Rider, 22204

Time for a Transit System We Can All Live With

Hello,

County Board majority (except for Walter Tejada) finally came to its senses. Columbia Pike and Crystal City streetcars cost way too much for way too little benefit. The long-term costs would have included hundreds of injuries every year from pedestrians, bicyclists, and motor vehicles encountering streetcars and streetcar tracks.

Now it's time for EVERYONE to become involved in bottom-up planning for a state-of-the-art transit system that serves all Arlingtonians and seamlessly connects with other local transit systems across the region. We don't need any more major decisions (transit or otherwise) made for us behind closed doors at 2100 Clarendon Boulevard.

No way I and tens of thousands of other Arlington residents are going to ride bicycles in Winter, meaning from mid-November to mid-April. Tens of thousands more Arlingtonians won't and/or can't ride bicycles.  There has to be a modern transit system for everyone. The County can start with new ART bus routes (not merely lengthening current routes) to provide ART bus service to every neighborhood. Time to evaluate state-of-the-art bus rapid transit vehicles (also known as articulated buses) rather than ignoring them.

So, we're looking for more and better local bus service soon, now that County Government has a dedicated revenue stream for transit improvements unencumbered with having to fund two streetcar systems..

Cindy