Columbia Pike: too narrow for buses, cars, bikes and trolley rails

The Arlington County Government’s redevelopment on Columbia Pike should be called by one of its real names– “the minority removal plan,” says Arlington Greens chairman John Reeder. Just the the cost of the trolley alone will exceed $240 million, much of which will likely come from county revenues, Reeder said.

County board Democratic chairman Mary Hynes tells us that she wants to keep current moderate income renters along the Pike, but the economic impact of the trolley makes that impossible, says the chairman of the Arlington Green Party. The county’s own economic consultant, Partners for Economic Solutions (PES), concluded that the cost to the county of subsidizing preservation of 5,000 of the existing affordable apartments along the Pike would be roughly $300 million ($60,000 per unit).

Over the past decade, the county government was unable to meet its annual countywide goal of adding 400 committed affordable apartments, in 2010 adding only 141 units and spending $5 million from its Affordable Housing Investment Fund for this purpose. It is highly unlikely that the county government will be able to come up with at least $300 million to keep 5,000 affordable apartments along the Pike, particularly given the severe school overcrowding, and need for more school classrooms.

“The County Board’s urban renewal for the Pike should be described as to what it really is: minority and low income people removal and a gift of public money to developers.” John Reeder, Chairman, Arlington Greens, www.greensofarlington.org

If you are concerned about affordable housing, fiscal responsibility for schools and and preserving your historic communities, Reeder says that the Arlington Greens county board candidate Audrey Clement will help by working to block the trolley and the inevitable loss of nearly half of the remaining market-rate rental housing in Arlington County. To help go to AudreyClement.org.

Dr. Stein Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate, called for a Green New Deal to counter the “trickle down economic agenda” laid out by President Obama in his State of the Union address. Stein’s “People’s State of the Union: A Green New Deal for America” that is on her campaign website: http://www.JillStein.org

A group of Arlington Greens, including Steve Davis, Miriam Gennari, Don Rouse and John Reeder attended the Jan. 20, 2012 demonstration at the U.S. Supreme Court asking that Congress pass a consitutional amendment to reverse the Supreme Court’s decision that legalizes unlimited corporate political contributions and to declare that only living people are “persons” under the Constitution.

http://movetoamend.org/press

Green Party Presidential candidate Jill Stein spoke eloquently at the Demonstration about Greens support for eliminating corporate campaign contributions of all kinds. The national and Washington DC Occupy groups also supported the constituional change. Speakers all pointed out that a corporation is not a “person” and is not entitled to inalienable rights like the right to free speech, participating in political matters, and running our government.

On Friday, January 20, the Occupy movement took to the Supreme Court as part of a nationwide plan to “Occupy the Courts”. Over 110 actions are planned in front of U.S. federal courthouses across the country to mark the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision that opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate money in elections.
The Move to Amend coalition is working to grow grassroots support for a constitutional amendment that clearly and unequivocally states that: 1) Rights recognized under the Constitution belong to human beings only, and not to artificial legal entities such as corporations or labor unions; and 2) Political campaign spending is not a form of speech protected under the First Amendment.

http://www.thedcmoms.com/2012/01/schools-go-green-in-northern-virginia

If you’re looking to go green in Northern Virginia schools, this is an exciting time. Last night, Arlington Public Schools held the first meeting of its new Sustainability Committee, one of the Advisory Committees that report to the Superintendent. Made up of 15 community members (13 of them with children in APS), the committee will review data at its next meeting regarding energy use, water, solid waste, products used in schools, and recycling. Once the members have a clear understanding of where things stand in schools and across the district, they will begin deciding on priorities to research and present in recommendations to the Superintendent in the fall.

With a little luck and a lot of community support, in a few months, this soggy spot will be home to the Campbell Elementary Wetlands Learning Lab
Arlington County Energy Manager Cathy Lin said there was great interest in the committee. Those selected to serve on the committee for at least one year represent schools and neighborhoods across Arlington and bring with them many years of work in environmental policy and law. The committee, which has one teacher from Washington-Lee High School, is looking for student representatives from each of the three county schools plus, the H-B Woodlawn program and the alternative programs as well. APS parent, former School Board candidate and anti-styrofoam advocate Miriam Gennari, who has been working for years toward getting APS to have an environmental coordinator or a committee like this one, emerged from the meeting very hopeful about the work that can be done by this “outstanding group of people who seem very committed and well-informed.”

One of the members of the group was Arlingtonians For a Clean Environment president Elenor Hodges, who is also working for the group NoVA Outside. On March 3, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the group will hold an expo at George Mason University to showcase programs and opportunities for outdoor education in Northern Virginia. NoVa Outside was co-founded by Elaine Tholen, who works in Fairfax County as the Environmental Education Manager, a position Arlington doesn’t have. Lin did note that Arlington Planetarium director Jonathan Harmon will be putting together an inventory of what green efforts are happening in which schools while the planetarium is undergoing construction.

Yours truly piped up about her own home-grown effort: this Saturday’s Wetlands Benefit Concert to raise money for construction of a wetlands learning lab at Campbell Elementary School. The south Arlington school sits on top of Carlin Springs, and the fact that it was paved over decades ago is doing no favors to the Chesapeake Bay or the muddy swatch of the schoolyard. The new wetlands learning lab, designed by Nancy Striniste of EarlySpace, will take care of the water problem in grand form: by creating a wildlife habitat and natural landscape that will provide learning and play opportunities.

Donations from family, alumni and the community have been pouring in, so the Campbell PTA is hopeful that it will be able to tell contractor Green Earth Landscaping the school can take the company up on its offer to do the work for a discount this winter. Saturday’s event will have plenty of items up for bid at a silent auction plus musical guests Forty Miles Home folk/roots band at 2:00, Groovy Nate at 3:15, a Music Together (TM) Sing-Along by Little Steps Music at 1:30, four Bolivian dance performances, and storytime.

Hours are 1:00-4:00 p.m., Saturday, January 21. Tickets are $10 per family. Campbell is located at 737 S. Carlin Springs Rd., Arlington, VA 22204. The event will take place in the Multipurpose Room and the gym (park in back, enter school in front).

When she’s not fundraising, Jessica Claire Haney blogs at Crunchy-Chewy Mama, writes for her Washington Times Communities column, “Ingredients for Healthy Living,” and for All Things Mothering.

For more information on Audrey Clement’s campaign, check out her website:

http://audreyclement.org

Current winter shelter

Good evening. My name is Stephen Davis, and I have lived in Arlington County for over 30 years. I’m here tonight to speak on behalf of the Arlington Green Party in support of a year-round, low-barrier emergency shelter to be established as soon as possible.

As this Board has heard on numerous occasions, homelessness in Arlington continues to be a chronic, challenging issue.

On November 22 the County Manager announced a proposed plan whereby the County would acquire an office building at 14th Street North for the purpose of providing a year-round emergency shelter for Arlington’s homeless population as well as to provide added office space for County staff.

We support this proposal as a necessary but not fully sufficient measure to address homelessness in Arlington. First, as has been reported, acquisition of the proposed facility requires clearance of several legal and administrative hurdles to become a reality. If even one of these obstacles proves to be fatal, then Arlington’s homeless folks are back to square one or, in their situation, back on the streets. Therefore, we would support development of parallel, simultaneous plans and initiatives for a year-round shelter in case the nascent 14th Street North proposal does not bear fruit.

Second, our understanding is that the County Manager’s proposal may take an extended period to be implemented, by some accounts early 2013 at the earliest. We believe that Arlington’s homeless people should not have to wait that long to obtain the shelter they so desperately need. Until the 14th Street North shelter becomes available we believe that a year-round interim shelter facility should be located and developed so that homeless people will not be required to “shelter in place” when tropical rains and wind invariably come during the summer season.

Third as we’ve noted in the past, apart from the humane obligation of immediately addressing this issue, a year round shelter provides a stable environment for delivery of the social services the homeless require to rise out of homelessness.

We again ask that you recognize the critical need for a permanent, adequately-funded, year-round emergency shelter and that you commit an additional $300,000 to the establishment of this year around, low-barrier shelter in the fy2012 budget.

Note–the County Board voted unanimously at the end of the public hearing to approve the $25 million purchase of the office building in the courthouse area that will host the year round shelter, together with the necessary offices for homeless counselors and staff to work directly with homeless people. The building will host county employees on most of the floors of the building with the first two floors reserved for the future shelter.

All the police in Arlington, Va., in full riot gear, were on hand for the totally peaceful demonstration of Occupy DC and Occupy Northern Virginia at Key Bridge yesterday. What was the county board thinking?

There were large representations of union locals among the many who marched to the bridge and gathered there to show signs protesting the failing infrastructure and the economic and income disparity between the small minority in our society and the large majority; between multinational corporations and the rest of the country, and the disappearance of any activity that would bolster the U. S. economy; basically, that we have lost everything.

There was also another demonstration. The county board demonstrated whose side they are on, and it ain’t you and me.

It was an impressive police turnout for such a small county with its own economic problems. Given the heavy traffic conditions that always exist at the bridge, it is easy to see why the police deemed riot gear useful as protection from oncoming vehicles. Unless, of course, they anticipated encountering teachers in full riot gear.

Although the demonstrators disrupted neither pedestrians nor vehicles, police continually maneuvering their vehicles did do that. Given the current state of our society, it is easy to see why unions must again be out on the street. For that matter, now we all need to be out on the street. Since increasingly, formerly middle class persons are finding themselves homeless, might this be inevitable?

18 November, 2011

GREEN PARTY GETS MIXED MESSAGE FROM VOTERS: Voters sent what could be construed as a mixed message to the Arlington Green Party on Nov. 8.

The party’s County Board candidate, Audrey Clement, picked up 9,724 votes based on unofficial counts reported Nov. 9 by the State Board of Elections. That compares to 24,447 votes for Democratic County Board Vice Chairman Mary Hynes and 23,587 votes for Democratic board member Walter Tejada.

Clement’s vote total equates to 16.5 percent of all votes cast, but since each voter had two votes to spread out among candidates, Clement picked up votes from almost one-third of those who went to the polls.

http://www.sungazette.net/columns/political-notes/article_f1cb44e4-0fb8-11e1-8626-001cc4c002e0.html

Fortunes of Green Party candidates for County Board have tended to be tied to whether the Arlington County Republican Committee fields a candidate:

* Last year, with Democratic incumbent Chris Zimmerman and Republican challenger Mark Kelly on the ballot, Green Party candidate Kevin Chisholm scored 3,454 votes, or 6 percent of the total.

* In 2009, when there was no Republican on the ballot, the Green Party’s John Reeder scored 32 percent of the votes (14,970 votes) against Democratic incumbent Jay Fisette.

* In the presidential year of 2008, Reed scored 21,451 votes, or 23.3 percent, against Democrat Barbara Favola. No Republicans were in the race.

* In 2007, the last “constitutional” election year, Green Party candidate Josh Ruebner won 3,275 votes in a five-way contest that also featured Democrats Hynes and Tejada and Republicans Mike McMenamin and Joseph Warren.

In appearances on the campaign trail this year – often accompanied by political gadfly Jim Hurysz – Clement attempted to make the case that the all-Democratic County Board was too beholden to developers and too interested in funding luxury pet projects over basic services.

Because of your newspaper’s consistent support for social justice for the Latino community, I was surprised to read your article on the election victory of Walter Tejada in Arlington (“Nueva victoria para Tejada,” Nov. 11 ). You praised Arlington’s Walter Tejada for his re-election to the County Board, but inaccurately describe his record of support for Latinos and his opponent in the election, Arlington Green Audrey Clement.
Walter Tejada won re-election to the Arlington County Board mainly because of the dominant Democratic Party machine in Arlington County, not because of his efforts on behalf of the Latino community in Arlington.

During the past four years, Walter voted to cut Arlington County spending on public libraries, youth programs, seniors programs, and for mental health. He failed to prevent the elimination of two-thirds of moderate income apartments in Arlington, including nearly 500 apartments in Buckingham that were torn down or lost. I do not think that the Latino community supports cutting affordable housing, youth, healthcare and libraries.

You failed to describe Arlington Green Audrey Clement who advocated keeping more affordable housing in Arlington for Latinos and other low income people; she also favors spending more money for libraries, schools, youth, and elderly, all of which would have benefitted Latinos. She and other U.S. Greens are very supportive of the rights of immigrants and of all people for social justice.

Tejada on the county board for ten years has been all talk and no action; the community calls him “Walter DeNada” because “nada” (Spanish for “nothing”) is exactly what has done for Latinos. In 2000, there were 35,000 Latinos living in Arlington (when Tejada was elected), but by 2010 there were 10 percent fewer (4,000). Meanwhile, Arlington’s population grew 18 percent, but the Latino share fell from 19 to 15 percent in 2010.

Why are there so many fewer Latinos in Arlington? The number of affordable rental apartments fell from about 20,000 in 2000 to fewer than 6,000 apartments in 2010, a drop of two-thirds or 14,000 apartments, most of which were in older apartment buildings that were demolished or renovated to make way for homes for millionaires. Walter Denada has done nothing in his ten years on the county board to keep these older apartments except talk, talk, talk.

Yes, Tejada talks about immigrant rights but, control over immigration mostly occurs with the Federal Government (Obama and Congress) and the Virginia state government (in Richmond). Tejada has real power at the local level, and has not used it to help the Latino community.

Signed, John Reeder, chairman, Arlington Greens

Spanish version is below:
Carta al editor 15 de noviembre de 2011
Washington Hispanic
8455 Colesville Road, Suite 700
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Estimado Washington Hispanic:

A pesar de que su periódico por lo general apoya la justicia social para los latinos, me ha decepcionado al leer el artículo sobre la victoria de Walter Tejada a la Junta del Condado de Arlington. Usted elogió a Walter Tejada de Arlington para su reelección, pero no describió de forma precisa su récord de Latinos o de su oponente en las elecciones, a la candidatura del partido verde, Audrey Clemente.

Walter Tejada ganó la reelección por la máquina dominante del Partido Demócrata en el condado de Arlington y no por sus esfuerzos en nombre de la comunidad Latina en Arlington. Durante los últimos cuatro años, Walter votó para recortar el gasto del Condado de Arlington en bibliotecas públicas, programas juveniles, programas de adultos mayores y para la salud mental. Él no pudo evitar no la demolición de dos tercios de los apartamentos de ingresos bajos en Arlington, incluyendo casi 500 apartamentos en Buckingham que fueron derribados o perdidos. Pienso yo que la mayoría de los latinos en Arlington apoyan las bibliotecas, la juventud, la salud y el mantenimiento de las viviendas de precio moderado. ¿No?

Por desgracia, usted no escribió nada sobre Arlington Green Audrey Clemente quien abogó por mantener más viviendas accesibles en Arlington para Latinos y otras personas de bajos ingresos; ella apoya la Junta a gastar más dinero para las bibliotecas, escuelas, jóvenes y ancianos, todos los cuales beneficiaran Latinos. Ella y otros del partido verde de los Estados Unidos son muy favorables de los derechos de los inmigrantes y de todos los pueblos por la justicia social.
Tejada en la Junta del condado durante diez años ha hablado por todos sin ninguna acción; la comunidad le llama “Walter DeNada” porque “nada” es exactamente lo que ha hecho por Latinos. En 2000, había 35.000 Latinos que viven en Arlington (cuando fue elegido Tejada), pero para el año 2010 se fueron 10% menos (4.000). Mientras tanto, la población de Arlington creció 18 por ciento, pero la proporción de latinos disminuyó de 19 a 15 por ciento en 2010.
¿Por qué hay tantos Latinos menos en Arlington? El número de apartamentos de alquiler accesibles cayó desde unos 20.000 en el año 2000 a menos de 6.000 apartamentos en 2010, una caída de dos tercios o 14.000 apartamentos, la mayoría de los cuales fueron en antiguos edificios de apartamentos que fueron demolidas o acondicionadas para las casas de millonarios. ‘Walter Denada’ no ha hecho nada en sus diez años en la Junta del condado para mantener estos antiguos apartamentos excepto hablar, hablar, hablar.
Sí, Tejada habla de una manera convincente sobre los derechos de los inmigrantes pero, esto ocurre principalmente con el Gobierno Federal (Congreso y Obama) o con el Gobierno del Estado de Virginia (en Richmond). Tejada no tiene nada que ver con eso, pero él tiene poder real a nivel local del condado y no lo ha utilizado nada para ayudar a la comunidad Latina.
Firmado John Reeder, chairman, Arlington Green Party