November 18, 2011 -Also posted in Arlington Yupette website

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

Political Notes, the Arlington Sun Gazette, Nov. 17, 20111

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.

Letter to the editor, Nov. 16, 2011
Washington Hispanic Newspaper
8455 Colesville Road, Suite 700
Silver Spring, MD 20910

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

Well, the hard truth is that the Arlington Democratic Party once again won all local races in the November 2011 election, including overwhelming Arlington Greens candidate for county board Audrey Clement, a first-time candidate.

Audrey got about 9,700 votes; each of the two Democratic incumbents each got 24,000 votes (Hynes getting about 840 more votes than Tejada). Apparently about 840 Democratic voters supported Audrey (roughly 3 percent of all Democratic voters). It appears that Democratic voters consistently voted straight party-ticket, voting for Democrats down the whole ballot. Officially, Audrey got about 17 percent of the votes cast for county board, but since everyone could cast two votes, she got support from one out of every three voters. https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2011/EB178FD6-875D-4B0D-A295-900A0482F523/Unofficial/00_013_s.shtml

In this election, there were about 25,000 Democratic votes for one of the three state senators, and about 10,000 Republican votes for one of these three senators. There was a drop off of about 5,000 voters who did not vote for countywide offices. About 30,000 total votes were cast for county-wide offices like county board, county treasurer, commonwealth’s attorney or school board.

A reasonable inference is that Audrey’s share of about 33 percent of voters translates into 28 percentage points from voters who voted Republican for state candidates, and 5 percentage points from voters who voted Democratic for state candidates. Perhaps these shares are slightly different because as indicated above about 5,000 voters for state candidates did not vote at all for local races. Clearly some of the Republicans supported Green position against extravagant and wasteful county projects, such as the proposed trolley up Columbia Pike.

In past elections, Green county board candidates running against only Democrats have gotten as much as 32 percent of the votes cast; but running against both Democrats and Republican candidates, Greens have gotten from 5 to 10 percent. The 2011 election represented an increase over results in 2010.
Audrey got a higher percentage of the votes in south Arlington, particularly in the Crystal City area, her top precinct being Aurora Hills with 25 percent of the votes cast and Crystal City (21 percent). Her worst precincts were Four Mile Run (12 percent) and Fairlington (13 percent) which also tend to be most Democratic voting precincts. Crystal City neighborhoods have been severely impacted by increased density and voters there may be thus more willing to vote Green. Precinct operations improved greatly for the Greens in 2011: Greens had at least one poll worker at 49 of the 52 polls.

In its November 5 editorial endorsement of Arlington County Board incumbents Walter Tejada and Mary Hynes, the Washington Post depicted Arlington as a latter day Camelot where yuppies frolic, and the streets are paved with gold:

“Arlington County has been substantially remade in the last couple of decades mostly for the better. An influx of shops, restaurants and apartment buildings, mainly near Metro stations, has attracted a new generation of ambitious young professionals and lent the county a cosmopolitan gloss,” etc. etc. (more…)