Tell me about Alexandria and South Arlington Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No one wants to go to J-H and many families are fighting to protect their administrative transfers, which are doled out in a process that is completely not transparent and clearly favors only rich, white people.

Um, I'm black and we have an ACPS admin transfer. The process favors those who are English speaking and have the time and energy to keep appealing a denial, and who understand that you need to advance a reason other than "my zoned school is bad."

Sounds about right

[Anonymous]

yep, VOICE claims to want social justice and equality, but they and their allies take a huge chunk of the blame for our segregated ccpunty and the poor education our neediest kids receive. The teachers are excellent, but they cannot reverse the impacts of poverty and lack of social mobility. My goodness there are so many academic studies on this.

Shame on you VOICE. You are not doing God's work.

[Anonymous]

The irony is VOICE et al are against busing to achieve diversity. This is completely opposite from Loudon County and Montogomery where neighborhoods complain about the lack of busing to more affluent schools, or are upset over ending busing.

It isn't that they are just against busing. They want their subsidized housing, access to Arlington's social services, and they want to not feel uncomfortable. Like they never left their home countries.
I don't really blame them. Who wouldn't want those things?
It's all of the back patting and smug satisfaction from " liberals" that is ironic. They've worked to concentrate poverty and perpetuate segregation. Nothing to be proud of.
Immigrants who have never received a formal education don't know the difference, what's everyone else's excuse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ you are very right. This needs to be talked about. Arlington has plenty to be ashamed about.

Why isn't the same venom directed at Alexandria. ACPS has a far more blatant track record of segregating their students and the current process to change boundaries has exposed the total hypocrisy of many of the progressive/liberals who are "living out their ideals" and patting themselves on the back for sticking it out in a poorer performing school district. No one wants to go to J-H and many families are fighting to protect their administrative transfers, which are doled out in a process that is completely not transparent and clearly favors only rich, white people.

I'm sure it's not good, but I don't live in Alexandria, and I'm not as familiar with their struggles. I get the sense that there is something different happening happening in Arlington now a days. Seems that in previous years it was just accepted that the southern schools didn't perform well. A younger generation of middle class moved in and decided to give the schools a try. Things were trending better, and then the county actively swooped in to undermine that progress. It's a little unique. There is a specific tipping point, and think a school that is over 60% poverty is it. Even the most well intentioned, dyed In the wool liberal questions what kind of school experience their kid is getting at that point.
Maybe it just proves that liberals who try and actually walk the walk are suckers.

This is exactly how ACPS parents in many schools feel right now with the current boundary drawing process. The situation really isn't all that unique.

People want the diversity up to a point until they don't and I don't know what the right answer is.

Both Arlington and Alexandria City should revoke their Sanctuary City status. Alexandria City established it in 1997, but in spite of all our fiscal problems continues to allow it to be on the books.

People want diversity in terms of race and ethnicity but do not want socio-economic diversity. They just don't realize that until their child gets to about 2nd/3rd grade.
I am in ACPS and I can say it's not race and ethnicity that's the problem, it's money. White parents are more than happy to have non-white kids in the schools as long as they come from middle and upper middle class families. But that's not what happens and those kids are coming from low income families.

Sanctuary status has resulted in word of mouth to the usual countries in South America, definitely resulting in moves to Alexandria City, some legal, others not so much. It's expensive to live here in Alexandria City, but that doesn't seem to stop them. One South American mom tried to run for ACPS school board years back after having been here 1 year, just to find out you have to have full residency status which she took umbrage to. Not kidding-it was in the papers. Number of Gangs up in Arlington and Alexandria City? Look no further than "come on down" or in our case up. Middle Eastern immigration is up a lot in the last decade too, at least in Alexandria City. Some legal, others probably not. Also, in Alexandria, many out of Virginia licensed cars continue to roll up to ACPS schools each morning. Grandma may live in Alexandria, and so their grandchild is sent here, even though they may live part time with Grandma, part time other out of Alexandria City: this is against the law here. I know several families with this arrangement. Then too there are the federal immigrants that Senator Kaine has smoothed the way for the Federal Government to send to our area, unfortunately without Adequate Federal Support. All these factors are why our schools are bloated and school budget strained so much: ESL is so expensive and takes such a tool on teachers and students alike etc. As the ACPS school budget is strained so are City Social Services, Affordable or Low Income housing, health facilities and police etc.

I am a lifelong democrat and a long time resident of Alexandria. Taxpayers can only pay so much in taxes before their own family welfare is really threatened: local private sector wages have not grown since 2008 the way Alexandria City public wages have. Personally, we cut back: no vacations x years, limited big purchases keeping the old cars and appliances instead, little new clothing just the essentials and no eating out. Nada. Just to pay Alexandria City taxes, which are not only increasing in amount, but increasing in number via add-on taxes (utilities, special area housing tax, and soon the storm water impermeable surface tax). None of these were here when we move in. I guess we may have to move out but after decades you'd think our work in and for the City via communities would not push us to do so because of local taxes.We are reaching a dangerous tipping point here in Alexandria City: our infrastructure needs repair as much as we need new schools. Equally lamentable is that Alexandria City Public Schools still rate So LOW, both on the Virginia Department of Education as well as public rating sites that it cuts off new residency and taxes to Alexandria. I was reminded of this just yesterday by a local realtor. Really, how many Decades do you have to hear this before the problem is fixed. It's obvious this poor rating is not important to either the ACPS school Board or the City Council or Staff, even though lip service is given. Potomac Yards at $285+Million is more important to them. What if that money was put into ACPS instead to truly improve academics and to build all those new schools?

To sum up: Alexandria City can't have it both ways when it comes down to city resident's pockets: if they are threatened fiscally they will voice their opinion loudly-perhaps not this year but the clock is ticking here. Drip. Drip. Then again, maybe Alexandria City is becoming a one Party run Democratic City of the rich and the not so rich!

Ugh, and you are exactly the City residents I was talking about. You ruined the City by voting year after year for Democrats and killing yourself patting yourself on the back for being such a good little white liberal and supporting all the ton of social service/welfare programs in the City but now you can't afford to be a white liberal Democrat anymore and still live in the City because City housing and services is only for the very rich or the very poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ you are very right. This needs to be talked about. Arlington has plenty to be ashamed about.

Why isn't the same venom directed at Alexandria. ACPS has a far more blatant track record of segregating their students and the current process to change boundaries has exposed the total hypocrisy of many of the progressive/liberals who are "living out their ideals" and patting themselves on the back for sticking it out in a poorer performing school district. No one wants to go to J-H and many families are fighting to protect their administrative transfers, which are doled out in a process that is completely not transparent and clearly favors only rich, white people.

I'm sure it's not good, but I don't live in Alexandria, and I'm not as familiar with their struggles. I get the sense that there is something different happening happening in Arlington now a days. Seems that in previous years it was just accepted that the southern schools didn't perform well. A younger generation of middle class moved in and decided to give the schools a try. Things were trending better, and then the county actively swooped in to undermine that progress. It's a little unique. There is a specific tipping point, and think a school that is over 60% poverty is it. Even the most well intentioned, dyed In the wool liberal questions what kind of school experience their kid is getting at that point.
Maybe it just proves that liberals who try and actually walk the walk are suckers.

This is exactly how ACPS parents in many schools feel right now with the current boundary drawing process. The situation really isn't all that unique.

People want the diversity up to a point until they don't and I don't know what the right answer is.

Both Arlington and Alexandria City should revoke their Sanctuary City status. Alexandria City established it in 1997, but in spite of all our fiscal problems continues to allow it to be on the books.

People want diversity in terms of race and ethnicity but do not want socio-economic diversity. They just don't realize that until their child gets to about 2nd/3rd grade.
I am in ACPS and I can say it's not race and ethnicity that's the problem, it's money. White parents are more than happy to have non-white kids in the schools as long as they come from middle and upper middle class families. But that's not what happens and those kids are coming from low income families.

Sanctuary status has resulted in word of mouth to the usual countries in South America, definitely resulting in moves to Alexandria City, some legal, others not so much. It's expensive to live here in Alexandria City, but that doesn't seem to stop them. One South American mom tried to run for ACPS school board years back after having been here 1 year, just to find out you have to have full residency status which she took umbrage to. Not kidding-it was in the papers. Number of Gangs up in Arlington and Alexandria City? Look no further than "come on down" or in our case up. Middle Eastern immigration is up a lot in the last decade too, at least in Alexandria City. Some legal, others probably not. Also, in Alexandria, many out of Virginia licensed cars continue to roll up to ACPS schools each morning. Grandma may live in Alexandria, and so their grandchild is sent here, even though they may live part time with Grandma, part time other out of Alexandria City: this is against the law here. I know several families with this arrangement. Then too there are the federal immigrants that Senator Kaine has smoothed the way for the Federal Government to send to our area, unfortunately without Adequate Federal Support. All these factors are why our schools are bloated and school budget strained so much: ESL is so expensive and takes such a tool on teachers and students alike etc. As the ACPS school budget is strained so are City Social Services, Affordable or Low Income housing, health facilities and police etc.

I am a lifelong democrat and a long time resident of Alexandria. Taxpayers can only pay so much in taxes before their own family welfare is really threatened: local private sector wages have not grown since 2008 the way Alexandria City public wages have. Personally, we cut back: no vacations x years, limited big purchases keeping the old cars and appliances instead, little new clothing just the essentials and no eating out. Nada. Just to pay Alexandria City taxes, which are not only increasing in amount, but increasing in number via add-on taxes (utilities, special area housing tax, and soon the storm water impermeable surface tax). None of these were here when we move in. I guess we may have to move out but after decades you'd think our work in and for the City via communities would not push us to do so because of local taxes.We are reaching a dangerous tipping point here in Alexandria City: our infrastructure needs repair as much as we need new schools. Equally lamentable is that Alexandria City Public Schools still rate So LOW, both on the Virginia Department of Education as well as public rating sites that it cuts off new residency and taxes to Alexandria. I was reminded of this just yesterday by a local realtor. Really, how many Decades do you have to hear this before the problem is fixed. It's obvious this poor rating is not important to either the ACPS school Board or the City Council or Staff, even though lip service is given. Potomac Yards at $285+Million is more important to them. What if that money was put into ACPS instead to truly improve academics and to build all those new schools?

To sum up: Alexandria City can't have it both ways when it comes down to city resident's pockets: if they are threatened fiscally they will voice their opinion loudly-perhaps not this year but the clock is ticking here. Drip. Drip. Then again, maybe Alexandria City is becoming a one Party run Democratic City of the rich and the not so rich!

Ugh, and you are exactly the City residents I was talking about. You ruined the City by voting year after year for Democrats and killing yourself patting yourself on the back for being such a good little white liberal and supporting all the ton of social service/welfare programs in the City but now you can't afford to be a white liberal Democrat anymore and still live in the City because City housing and services is only for the very rich or the very poor.

By absolutely no measure except a single label is Alexandria's current mayor a Democrat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ you are very right. This needs to be talked about. Arlington has plenty to be ashamed about.

Why isn't the same venom directed at Alexandria. ACPS has a far more blatant track record of segregating their students and the current process to change boundaries has exposed the total hypocrisy of many of the progressive/liberals who are "living out their ideals" and patting themselves on the back for sticking it out in a poorer performing school district. No one wants to go to J-H and many families are fighting to protect their administrative transfers, which are doled out in a process that is completely not transparent and clearly favors only rich, white people.

I'm sure it's not good, but I don't live in Alexandria, and I'm not as familiar with their struggles. I get the sense that there is something different happening happening in Arlington now a days. Seems that in previous years it was just accepted that the southern schools didn't perform well. A younger generation of middle class moved in and decided to give the schools a try. Things were trending better, and then the county actively swooped in to undermine that progress. It's a little unique. There is a specific tipping point, and think a school that is over 60% poverty is it. Even the most well intentioned, dyed In the wool liberal questions what kind of school experience their kid is getting at that point.
Maybe it just proves that liberals who try and actually walk the walk are suckers.

This is exactly how ACPS parents in many schools feel right now with the current boundary drawing process. The situation really isn't all that unique.

People want the diversity up to a point until they don't and I don't know what the right answer is.

Both Arlington and Alexandria City should revoke their Sanctuary City status. Alexandria City established it in 1997, but in spite of all our fiscal problems continues to allow it to be on the books.

People want diversity in terms of race and ethnicity but do not want socio-economic diversity. They just don't realize that until their child gets to about 2nd/3rd grade.
I am in ACPS and I can say it's not race and ethnicity that's the problem, it's money. White parents are more than happy to have non-white kids in the schools as long as they come from middle and upper middle class families. But that's not what happens and those kids are coming from low income families.

Sanctuary status has resulted in word of mouth to the usual countries in South America, definitely resulting in moves to Alexandria City, some legal, others not so much. It's expensive to live here in Alexandria City, but that doesn't seem to stop them. One South American mom tried to run for ACPS school board years back after having been here 1 year, just to find out you have to have full residency status which she took umbrage to. Not kidding-it was in the papers. Number of Gangs up in Arlington and Alexandria City? Look no further than "come on down" or in our case up. Middle Eastern immigration is up a lot in the last decade too, at least in Alexandria City. Some legal, others probably not. Also, in Alexandria, many out of Virginia licensed cars continue to roll up to ACPS schools each morning. Grandma may live in Alexandria, and so their grandchild is sent here, even though they may live part time with Grandma, part time other out of Alexandria City: this is against the law here. I know several families with this arrangement. Then too there are the federal immigrants that Senator Kaine has smoothed the way for the Federal Government to send to our area, unfortunately without Adequate Federal Support. All these factors are why our schools are bloated and school budget strained so much: ESL is so expensive and takes such a tool on teachers and students alike etc. As the ACPS school budget is strained so are City Social Services, Affordable or Low Income housing, health facilities and police etc.

I am a lifelong democrat and a long time resident of Alexandria. Taxpayers can only pay so much in taxes before their own family welfare is really threatened: local private sector wages have not grown since 2008 the way Alexandria City public wages have. Personally, we cut back: no vacations x years, limited big purchases keeping the old cars and appliances instead, little new clothing just the essentials and no eating out. Nada. Just to pay Alexandria City taxes, which are not only increasing in amount, but increasing in number via add-on taxes (utilities, special area housing tax, and soon the storm water impermeable surface tax). None of these were here when we move in. I guess we may have to move out but after decades you'd think our work in and for the City via communities would not push us to do so because of local taxes.We are reaching a dangerous tipping point here in Alexandria City: our infrastructure needs repair as much as we need new schools. Equally lamentable is that Alexandria City Public Schools still rate So LOW, both on the Virginia Department of Education as well as public rating sites that it cuts off new residency and taxes to Alexandria. I was reminded of this just yesterday by a local realtor. Really, how many Decades do you have to hear this before the problem is fixed. It's obvious this poor rating is not important to either the ACPS school Board or the City Council or Staff, even though lip service is given. Potomac Yards at $285+Million is more important to them. What if that money was put into ACPS instead to truly improve academics and to build all those new schools?

To sum up: Alexandria City can't have it both ways when it comes down to city resident's pockets: if they are threatened fiscally they will voice their opinion loudly-perhaps not this year but the clock is ticking here. Drip. Drip. Then again, maybe Alexandria City is becoming a one Party run Democratic City of the rich and the not so rich!

Ugh, and you are exactly the City residents I was talking about. You ruined the City by voting year after year for Democrats and killing yourself patting yourself on the back for being such a good little white liberal and supporting all the ton of social service/welfare programs in the City but now you can't afford to be a white liberal Democrat anymore and still live in the City because City housing and services is only for the very rich or the very poor.

You don't know a thing about me other than that I voted democrat in a very democratic town. Our City isn't ruined, but my honest and vocal assessment is that our public schools remain substandard. Not many of my fellow Democrats are willing to admit that. I'm not a "good little white liberal" supporting tons of social services: I'm actually a right-leaning Democrat fiscal conservative favoring cuts in expenditures/debt before new expenditures and raising taxes. Nor do I support the concept of Alexandria City being "sanctuary city" as I said above, especially given our growing world terrorism. I do support physical and financial help to Alexandria City kids here: our family helps buy uniforms and equipment purchases and have driven students who need special rides back and forth from sport and band events. We believe in putting our money where our mouth is outside of Alexandria City government social services. As to housing, it favors no political persuasion, Republican or Democrat alike. Due to City rising taxes, I am in great favor of affordable housing for the middle class in Alexandria City so residents, including myself and our family, may continue to live here in the City we spent our decades.

[Anonymous]

22:03: some cuts in bloated ACPS administration positions and salaries should occur; ACPS and City should blend financial and legal systems so to save both on financial and the very expensive attorney services as well as to fully shed light on ACPS money accountability. Jefferson Houston should be filled fully: it's a beautiful and built school. City Council should take back some of it's decision making power, which over the last decade has creeped drip by drip to City Staff instead: it's become unbalanced. Alexandria City is 15.48 square miles with a current population around 153,000. We are not the biggest jurisdiction around by any means, and our Staffing numbers should adjust downward to reflect that. Note: I said staffing numbers, not pay scale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ you are very right. This needs to be talked about. Arlington has plenty to be ashamed about.

Why isn't the same venom directed at Alexandria. ACPS has a far more blatant track record of segregating their students and the current process to change boundaries has exposed the total hypocrisy of many of the progressive/liberals who are "living out their ideals" and patting themselves on the back for sticking it out in a poorer performing school district. No one wants to go to J-H and many families are fighting to protect their administrative transfers, which are doled out in a process that is completely not transparent and clearly favors only rich, white people.

I'm sure it's not good, but I don't live in Alexandria, and I'm not as familiar with their struggles. I get the sense that there is something different happening happening in Arlington now a days. Seems that in previous years it was just accepted that the southern schools didn't perform well. A younger generation of middle class moved in and decided to give the schools a try. Things were trending better, and then the county actively swooped in to undermine that progress. It's a little unique. There is a specific tipping point, and think a school that is over 60% poverty is it. Even the most well intentioned, dyed In the wool liberal questions what kind of school experience their kid is getting at that point.
Maybe it just proves that liberals who try and actually walk the walk are suckers.

This is exactly how ACPS parents in many schools feel right now with the current boundary drawing process. The situation really isn't all that unique.

People want the diversity up to a point until they don't and I don't know what the right answer is.

Both Arlington and Alexandria City should revoke their Sanctuary City status. Alexandria City established it in 1997, but in spite of all our fiscal problems continues to allow it to be on the books.

People want diversity in terms of race and ethnicity but do not want socio-economic diversity. They just don't realize that until their child gets to about 2nd/3rd grade.
I am in ACPS and I can say it's not race and ethnicity that's the problem, it's money. White parents are more than happy to have non-white kids in the schools as long as they come from middle and upper middle class families. But that's not what happens and those kids are coming from low income families.

Sanctuary status has resulted in word of mouth to the usual countries in South America, definitely resulting in moves to Alexandria City, some legal, others not so much. It's expensive to live here in Alexandria City, but that doesn't seem to stop them. One South American mom tried to run for ACPS school board years back after having been here 1 year, just to find out you have to have full residency status which she took umbrage to. Not kidding-it was in the papers. Number of Gangs up in Arlington and Alexandria City? Look no further than "come on down" or in our case up. Middle Eastern immigration is up a lot in the last decade too, at least in Alexandria City. Some legal, others probably not. Also, in Alexandria, many out of Virginia licensed cars continue to roll up to ACPS schools each morning. Grandma may live in Alexandria, and so their grandchild is sent here, even though they may live part time with Grandma, part time other out of Alexandria City: this is against the law here. I know several families with this arrangement. Then too there are the federal immigrants that Senator Kaine has smoothed the way for the Federal Government to send to our area, unfortunately without Adequate Federal Support. All these factors are why our schools are bloated and school budget strained so much: ESL is so expensive and takes such a tool on teachers and students alike etc. As the ACPS school budget is strained so are City Social Services, Affordable or Low Income housing, health facilities and police etc.

I am a lifelong democrat and a long time resident of Alexandria. Taxpayers can only pay so much in taxes before their own family welfare is really threatened: local private sector wages have not grown since 2008 the way Alexandria City public wages have. Personally, we cut back: no vacations x years, limited big purchases keeping the old cars and appliances instead, little new clothing just the essentials and no eating out. Nada. Just to pay Alexandria City taxes, which are not only increasing in amount, but increasing in number via add-on taxes (utilities, special area housing tax, and soon the storm water impermeable surface tax). None of these were here when we move in. I guess we may have to move out but after decades you'd think our work in and for the City via communities would not push us to do so because of local taxes.We are reaching a dangerous tipping point here in Alexandria City: our infrastructure needs repair as much as we need new schools. Equally lamentable is that Alexandria City Public Schools still rate So LOW, both on the Virginia Department of Education as well as public rating sites that it cuts off new residency and taxes to Alexandria. I was reminded of this just yesterday by a local realtor. Really, how many Decades do you have to hear this before the problem is fixed. It's obvious this poor rating is not important to either the ACPS school Board or the City Council or Staff, even though lip service is given. Potomac Yards at $285+Million is more important to them. What if that money was put into ACPS instead to truly improve academics and to build all those new schools?

To sum up: Alexandria City can't have it both ways when it comes down to city resident's pockets: if they are threatened fiscally they will voice their opinion loudly-perhaps not this year but the clock is ticking here. Drip. Drip. Then again, maybe Alexandria City is becoming a one Party run Democratic City of the rich and the not so rich!

Ugh, and you are exactly the City residents I was talking about. You ruined the City by voting year after year for Democrats and killing yourself patting yourself on the back for being such a good little white liberal and supporting all the ton of social service/welfare programs in the City but now you can't afford to be a white liberal Democrat anymore and still live in the City because City housing and services is only for the very rich or the very poor.

You don't know a thing about me other than that I voted democrat in a very democratic town. Our City isn't ruined, but my honest and vocal assessment is that our public schools remain substandard. Not many of my fellow Democrats are willing to admit that. I'm not a "good little white liberal" supporting tons of social services: I'm actually a right-leaning Democrat fiscal conservative favoring cuts in expenditures/debt before new expenditures and raising taxes. Nor do I support the concept of Alexandria City being "sanctuary city" as I said above, especially given our growing world terrorism. I do support physical and financial help to Alexandria City kids here: our family helps buy uniforms and equipment purchases and have driven students who need special rides back and forth from sport and band events. We believe in putting our money where our mouth is outside of Alexandria City government social services. As to housing, it favors no political persuasion, Republican or Democrat alike. Due to City rising taxes, I am in great favor of affordable housing for the middle class in Alexandria City so residents, including myself and our family, may continue to live here in the City we spent our decades.

See and that's where we differ. I don't support those programs as I think the City already provides too much support and makes the families dependent on the City and freebies. It's really sad that the city hosts free backpacks, free school supplies, free dinner, free hair cuts, free uniforms each and every August. Each year a new freebie is added. That should tell you that these people in public housing can't even afford the basics. Of course, they don't have to afford them because suckers like you think their parents don't have the money for band or uniforms. Yes, their parents have the money because all their other needs are taken care of -housing, food, utilities, etc from social services and their disposable income they want to use on fun stuff not boring stuff like paying for after school activities for kids or band uniforms. If you actually got to know those diversity families you love so much you would find this out.

Look at public housing. lots of generational families - many have been there for 20 + years and aren't going anywhere because the city will continue to prop them up.

[Anonymous]

To sum up: Alexandria City can't have it both ways when it comes down to city resident's pockets: if they are threatened fiscally they will voice their opinion loudly-perhaps not this year but the clock is ticking here. Drip. Drip. Then again, maybe Alexandria City is becoming a one Party run Democratic City of the rich and the not so rich!

Ugh, and you are exactly the City residents I was talking about. You ruined the City by voting year after year for Democrats and killing yourself patting yourself on the back for being such a good little white liberal and supporting all the ton of social service/welfare programs in the City but now you can't afford to be a white liberal Democrat anymore and still live in the City because City housing and services is only for the very rich or the very poor.


You don't know a thing about me other than that I voted democrat in a very democratic town. Our City isn't ruined, but my honest and vocal assessment is that our public schools remain substandard. Not many of my fellow Democrats are willing to admit that. I'm not a "good little white liberal" supporting tons of social services: I'm actually a right-leaning Democrat fiscal conservative favoring cuts in expenditures/debt before new expenditures and raising taxes. Nor do I support the concept of Alexandria City being "sanctuary city" as I said above, especially given our growing world terrorism. I do support physical and financial help to Alexandria City kids here: our family helps buy uniforms and equipment purchases and have driven students who need special rides back and forth from sport and band events. We believe in putting our money where our mouth is outside of Alexandria City government social services. As to housing, it favors no political persuasion, Republican or Democrat alike. Due to City rising taxes, I am in great favor of affordable housing for the middle class in Alexandria City so residents, including myself and our family, may continue to live here in the City we spent our decades.

See and that's where we differ. I don't support those programs as I think the City already provides too much support and makes the families dependent on the City and freebies. It's really sad that the city hosts free backpacks, free school supplies, free dinner, free hair cuts, free uniforms each and every August. Each year a new freebie is added. That should tell you that these people in public housing can't even afford the basics. Of course, they don't have to afford them because suckers like you think their parents don't have the money for band or uniforms. Yes, their parents have the money because all their other needs are taken care of -housing, food, utilities, etc from social services and their disposable income they want to use on fun stuff not boring stuff like paying for after school activities for kids or band uniforms. If you actually got to know those diversity families you love so much you would find this out.

Look at public housing. lots of generational families - many have been there for 20 + years and aren't going anywhere because the city will continue to prop them up.

PP here: you missed where I said we chose direct support to several students who played with our kids in sports and band. I totally agree Alexandria City promotes generational dependency on itself. Take that up with City Council yourself and see how far you get with their current blinders on: we now have two Councilmen who sit together on the dais as the African American spokesman corner. I find that appalling: Councilmen and women are suppose to represent ALL Alexandria constituents equally, not be in one corner. Why not just admit we are a Ward City Council then in function? Because that's what these Councilmen are doing in their representation and were not elected to do by City Council design.