County Office Bldg. to Receive Taj Mahal Makeover

Hey, Yupette,

The Democrats who've controlled Arlington for more than 35 years constantly complain about the Trump Administration and the Republicans who control the Virginia General Assembly but behave the same in Arlington.

Latest extravagant waste of tax dollars by the Democratic Leadership is their proposed $35.9 million Taj Mahal makeover of the County Office Building (now referred to as the Bozman Building after the late "Queen Ellen" Bozman), for completion of renovations to the office building the County owns at 2020 14th Street, and for miscellaneous other purposes.

The County Office Building last received a major renovation in 2006 and has received many expensive upgrades over the past 12 years.

As has become the usual practice, the County Board's Democratic Leadership put this on the Consent Agenda and made it off limits for public discussion. Item 11, due to be rubber-stamp approved on March 17th, will appropriate $2.6 million for architecture, design, and construction management services related to the $35.9 makeover(s). Since the Staff Report for this item is only two pages it's unknown where the $35.9 million will actually be obtained and used for.

According to the Staff Report the $35.9 million cost of the Taj Mahal makeover will come (among other sources) from a so-called "tenant improvement allowance","brokerage fee reimbursement", and "free rent" from the building's landlord, JBG, which has come before the County Board on many occasions seeking and receiving approval for major redevelopment projects. Is this deal even legal?

Meanwhile, Public Safety employees bitterly complained during the County Board's "Open Door Monday" yesterday about being under-strength, over-stressed, and under-compensated. Next fiscal year's budget will be balanced by increasing taxes and fees for residents and businesses and reducing and eliminating services.

Obvious to me, and many others, that "transparency" has joined the list of County Government oxymora, together with "car-free diet", "affordable housing", "smart growth". and "urban village".

Thanks for publishing this blog.

B.H., 22205

Work Continues on APS - Abingdon Taj Mahal Crosswalk

Hey Yupette,

What's the latest in waste and mismanagement by the Arlington Public School System? It's not what you might suspect, the multi-million dollar interior makeover of recently-constructed Yorktown High School, approved by the School Board last Thursday.

No, latest APS Taj Mahal project is the crosswalk under construction on South Abingdon Street near Abingdon elementary School, which is on-track to cost between $100,000 and $200,000 when completed sometime this Spring. Work has yet to commence on the raised portion of the crosswalk across South Abingdon Street, which may cost another $50,000, or more.

Neighborhood residents, who are still fuming over the number of use permit condition violations that were allowed to occur during Abingdon School's renovation and expansion, never wanted a Taj Mahal crosswalk, which will only be used an hour in the morning and in the afternoon, but wanted a crossing guard on Abingdon Street at 29th at the vehicle entrance to the school. Fairlington's NannyCrat civic association and Abingdon PTA didn't want parents to be slowed down dropping their kids off and picking them up at the school, so they decided to go with an extravagant crosswalk down the street instead.

Neither of Arlington's two news bloggers, Nanny Scott McCaffrey and Scott-the-Bro Brodbeck (both live close to Abingdon School) is going to write a word about this huge waste of money, so thanks in advance for running a feature and publishing a photo.

L.D. South 29th Street

Public Safety Employees Getting Out of Dodge

Hi,

I work for the County in Public Safety and I can't wait to leave County employment. Have resumes in 4 counties and a couple cities in NoVa. I'm not uniformed. Work in admin. What's the problem with Arlington's Public Safety employees? We're under-compensated and over-worked. Hiring hasn't kept pace with population growth for two decades. Police Department and Fire Department are way under-strength for the work load and population growth.

Yeah, lots of Arlington cops are a$$holes. They're really stressed, like the firefighters and paramedics. Too many calls for service. Too many complaints. Too much overtime required because the County really doesn't want to hire any more uniformed employees. Pols and the people they appoint keep telling us to "suck it up". That sucks.

It's always the same old problems, only more every year. Altercations at convenience stores, shoplifting in the malls, thousands of complaints against african americans, latinos, and homeless persons, parking lot fender-benders, domestic disputes, and suspicious person complaints by anyone about anyone else. The Fire Department is stressed by an increase in medical emergencies caused by an aging population.

If you're wondering why there's no community policing in the County, that's why. Everything in Public Safety is reactive, except for the employees who plan for events that will never occur.

So I'm looking forward to working in a less stressful environment in the near future.

1425

Capacity Audience Hears Garvey, DeLa Pava, Davis Endorse Vihstadt

Hello,

A Y sent a contributor to cover County Board Member John Vihstadt's kickoff re-election campaign event at the Lyon Village Community Center this afternoon.

The event did not disappoint. The number of Vihstadt supporters who attended reached the capacity of the Communty Center. Leaders of same coalition that elected Mr. Vihstadt 4 years ago attended the event together with many new Vihstadt supporters - Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Greens, and Libertarians. Democrats Libby Garvey and Carmen De La Pava endorsed Mr. Vihstadt. So did former Republican Congressman Tom Davis.

It appears that whatever advantages the Arlington Democratic Regime may have against the Regime's usual County Board opponents may well be again negated this next election.

Cindy

Arlington Amazon HQ Would Cost Taxpayers $3 Billion +

Hi Yupette,

I'm a long time Arlington resident and my significant other is employed in an administrative capacity at the County's Economic Development Office on Glebe Road.

If you wondered why Chair Katie is being coy about the total cost of the secret corporate welfare giveaway to Amazon it's because the deal will cost Arlington taxpayers more than $3 billion.

Succinctly, here's what Amazon's getting from the County: a $500 million direct corporate welfare stipend from the County, another $500 million in tax breaks, and at least $2 billion in new infrastructure (e.g., schools) to serve the needs and wants of 50,000 new residents who would live in Arlington by 2025 associated in some way with Amazon.

Amazon is looking to build a second headquarters every bit as as extravagant as Amazon's Seattle Headquarters. So you can kiss the "urban village" goodbye if the County Board and Economic Development succeed in bribing Amazon to locate another headquarters here. Here's a photo of Amazon's Seattle HQ, in the event you've never seen it.

Thanks for your blog.

Ted 22205

Beyer Helicopter Noise Meeting - Huge Charade

Hello,

A.Y. attended Congressman Beyer's helicopter noise meeting at Abingdon School last night. We didn't see Scott McCaffrey, Editor of the Arlington Sun Gazette, or Scott Brodbeck, Publisher of ArlNow at the meeting, though they live close to the school.

The meeting was similar to Congressman Beyer's last aircraft noise meeting, held at Reagan Airport. Lots of questions, few answers from the Military and FAA. Democratic "community leaders" from Fairlington were present as facilitators. Arlington cops were there to keep "undesirables" away, e.g., Latinos. Dandy Don was his usual slick self. But he's a car dealer, right? Libby Garvey and John Vihstadt also attended.

So what's really going on? Turns out the Obama Administration greatly expanded the number of VIP helicopter flights to and from the Pentagon, Reagan Airport, Dulles Airport, Belvoir, Quantico, and elsewhere inside and outside the Beltway.

Not a huge secret. But you have to know where to look. Go to google.com then search for: These Elite Military Helicopter Units Fly Washington's Power Players

So again, what can you expect from one-party government for the past 35 years but constant lies and charades?

Cindy

Ballston Experiencing a More Car Renaissance

Hey Yupette,

Thanks for your blog. Like many other Arlington residents and voters I'm sick of "development for the sake of development" in my Ballston neighborhood. Whatever County Government may say about a "No Car Diet" what it's inflicting on Ballston is a More Car / More Vehicle Trips Diet.

What the County says it wants is for everyone to take Metro if you want to go somewhere. Or ride a bicycle 24/7/365.

So why build Express Lanes? Why sell so many expensive vehicles in Ballston? Why so many more Uber and Lyft trips? The Merlex used vehicle lot on Glebe Road is full of pre-owned Mercedes and other luxury vehicles. Merlex used to sell used Nisan Sentras. Why so many big new buildings with big underground garages? Why does the County keep a dozen people on the transportation staff who commute to Arlington from 40 miles away and tell everyone to ride bicycles in the Winter?

Because this County is completely screwed up, that's why. The pols tell us so many lies they can't keep track of the lies anymore. Affordable housing means un-affordable housing. No Car Diet means More Car Diet. Urban Village means Millennial Ghetto.

Where does the County's so-called "planning" take us in 5 years? Another expensive Metro entrance and 5,000 more underground parking spaces. This neighborhood is a mess right now. I am not going to vote for any more Democrats for anything. Thanks again for your blog.

C.E., Ballston