Arlington County Board candidates on schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:JV is clearly our best CB member

Define "clearly" please.

If he does for APS what he's done for Columbia Pike transit, well, we won't have to worry about overcrowding much longer, as nobody will want to send their kids there.

I vehemently disagreed with JV regarding the streetcar and still do. I'm voting for him. You can blame him all you want for the demise of the streetcar; but it was the Democratic triumvirate of Fisette, Hynes, and Tejada who ultimately gave up. Actually Fisette and Hynes. Tejada was the only one to support it until the end (the only thing positive I'll say about that man). They still had a majority and could still push it through. But Arlington has to be a consensus state and they lacked any leadership or backbone.

JV is the only one who has pushed for geographical distribution of affordable housing. He's the only one who shows up at our neighborhood picnics and the County Fair and the farmers markets and actually asks what people's opinions are, and actually implements those perspectives in his arguments and efforts. The others all dismiss your concerns if you disagree and merely nod there heads in sympathy "yes, I understand. It's a difficult issue" and go on their merry Arlington democratic way. Matt will be no different. He's a very nice guy; but he offers no real reason to oust the incumbent. In fact, for those concerned or impacted by the economic segregation and the impacts in our neighborhoods and schools, Matt will be harmful. the streetcar got killed because the Pike's concentration of poverty does not warrant the County's investment. THAT's what needs to change. THAT's the message voting for JV will send. The last thing we need is to go backward.

I have to agree with everything here, and add that John is not a one shot thing, or in unique possession of political skills. he's just behaving like a normal, responsive local official. He's demonstrated that an independent, bottom up approach that any future candidate can apply. The ACDC is still telling themselves this is just a bad dream. The people that JV most appeals to are the people who used to pick up and move to fairfax. No longer. That's going to lead to more JV and probably a serious conversation about the sanctity of AH and the ferranti position that hitting a target number of units is more important than thoughtful development and geographic dispersion. Especially if Amazon comes, it'll force the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll be voting straight Democratic, except I've decided to vote for John V. again. I met Matt at a meet & greet and he gave me no reason to vote for him over Vihstadt. John has done a good job and I like having an occasionally contrarian voice on the board.

I'm also voting for Vihstadt. I vote straight Democratic and have done so in every election since I moved to Virginia 11 years ago. I voted against JV the first time he ran, but having observed him on the County Board during his first term, I support his re-election. He provides a sensible balance to the CB. It is unhealthy for the full Board to all think in lockstep. JV asks questions that help reveal the Board's blind spots. While I don't agree with him 100%, I think he's an important voice on the CB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, the Arl. County Dems are so far to the left

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA OHMIGOD that's one of the funniest things I've ever read. Arlington Dems are 100% DNC-style corporate centrists. If there was anything "left" about them, they'd do things like occasionally turn down a development project. I realize that to some of you, anyone to the left of Saint Ronald Reagan is basically Stalin, but you really should adjust your sights a tad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, the Arl. County Dems are so far to the left

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA OHMIGOD that's one of the funniest things I've ever read. Arlington Dems are 100% DNC-style corporate centrists. If there was anything "left" about them, they'd do things like occasionally turn down a development project. I realize that to some of you, anyone to the left of Saint Ronald Reagan is basically Stalin, but you really should adjust your sights a tad.

The reason they don't turn down development is that they would never miss an opportunity to foist more AH onto SA or pad the AH fund via negotiations with developers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still don't understand why millenial Marylander Cristol is on the board.

Is there a residency requirement that candidates must meet before they run for County Board? If not, there should be.

I realize that the Concerned Arlingtonians for Making It 1955 Again would probably prefer a 50-year county residency requirement, but isn't a simpler idea just to, y'know, not elect someone if she's so egregious? Surely there must be an endless list of REAL ARLINGTONIANS- white,male, conservative, over 60- just itching to snow the uppity young do-gooder a thing or two?

This comment makes you sound like an uninformed simpleton.
Get educated on the issues and the players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still don't understand why millenial Marylander Cristol is on the board.

Is there a residency requirement that candidates must meet before they run for County Board? If not, there should be.

I realize that the Concerned Arlingtonians for Making It 1955 Again would probably prefer a 50-year county residency requirement, but isn't a simpler idea just to, y'know, not elect someone if she's so egregious? Surely there must be an endless list of REAL ARLINGTONIANS- white,male, conservative, over 60- just itching to snow the uppity young do-gooder a thing or two?

This comment makes you sound like an uninformed simpleton.
Get educated on the issues and the players.

I'm all edumacated, cap'n. I'm still looking for the influx of motivated GOP candidates and electorate ready to defeat this uppity Millennial woman-folk that yinz seem to think isn't Board-worthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still don't understand why millenial Marylander Cristol is on the board.

Is there a residency requirement that candidates must meet before they run for County Board? If not, there should be.

I realize that the Concerned Arlingtonians for Making It 1955 Again would probably prefer a 50-year county residency requirement, but isn't a simpler idea just to, y'know, not elect someone if she's so egregious? Surely there must be an endless list of REAL ARLINGTONIANS- white,male, conservative, over 60- just itching to snow the uppity young do-gooder a thing or two?

This comment makes you sound like an uninformed simpleton.
Get educated on the issues and the players.

I'm all edumacated, cap'n. I'm still looking for the influx of motivated GOP candidates and electorate ready to defeat this uppity Millennial woman-folk that yinz seem to think isn't Board-worthy.

Never mind. I was being too generous with you. You do understand Katie Cristol won’t be on the ballot? Of course you don’t....
Even so. A candidate can be a millennial female and also be hostile toward APS, and a terrible leader. A candidate can be a white male boomer, and have the best interests of schools at heart and better represent his constituents.
- younger ( informed) dem voter

[Anonymous]

Re: JV being "clearly the best" I say that based on having met and talked to 4/5 of them. In fairness, I haven't met Dorsey but I went to a meeting once where he said almost nothing so I don't really know what he cares about.

JV comes across to me as sincere and not willing to just rubber stamp everything, which is why I like him best.

Cristol seems a little false to me. She says the right things and is well-spoken but I don't really trust her intentions. She's probably my second favorite though.

Garvey is so out-of-touch with reality it's laughable, and she just offends me. Last place for sure.

Gutshall is OK. He's a nice guy, but I don't see that he cares about anything in particular other than staying in office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll be voting straight Democratic, except I've decided to vote for John V. again. I met Matt at a meet & greet and he gave me no reason to vote for him over Vihstadt. John has done a good job and I like having an occasionally contrarian voice on the board.

I'm also voting for Vihstadt. I vote straight Democratic and have done so in every election since I moved to Virginia 11 years ago. I voted against JV the first time he ran, but having observed him on the County Board during his first term, I support his re-election. He provides a sensible balance to the CB. It is unhealthy for the full Board to all think in lockstep. JV asks questions that help reveal the Board's blind spots. While I don't agree with him 100%, I think he's an important voice on the CB.

+1. Well said!

[Anonymous]

Arlington County dems are not to the left on local issues. If they were, they'd actually care about economic segregation. They are essentially "left" when it comes to taking a position on national immigration policy or the name of the Redskins. But otherwise, they just pay lipservice to democratic principals while working with developers to segregate the county. They protect monied interests--particularly real estate and affordable housing "non profits."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Re: JV being "clearly the best" I say that based on having met and talked to 4/5 of them. In fairness, I haven't met Dorsey but I went to a meeting once where he said almost nothing so I don't really know what he cares about.

JV comes across to me as sincere and not willing to just rubber stamp everything, which is why I like him best.

Cristol seems a little false to me. She says the right things and is well-spoken but I don't really trust her intentions. She's probably my second favorite though.

Garvey is so out-of-touch with reality it's laughable, and she just offends me. Last place for sure.

Gutshall is OK. He's a nice guy, but I don't see that he cares about anything in particular other than staying in office.

Gutshall is interested in cramming as much AH into Arlington as possible. He was the darling of the AH Booster Club when he was campaigning. If you see a problem with what the heavy concentration of AH in small areas is doing to schools you might want to give Gutshall a pass in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington County dems are not to the left on local issues. If they were, they'd actually care about economic segregation. They are essentially "left" when it comes to taking a position on national immigration policy or the name of the Redskins. But otherwise, they just pay lipservice to democratic principals while working with developers to segregate the county. They protect monied interests--particularly real estate and affordable housing "non profits."

I agree there is a deep "vote left, live right" vein the local Democratic Party. Affordable housing really is their top priority (as long as it's not in NA where it might irritate 2/3rds of the voters and the wealthy people for whom building AH assuages their conscience.

Economic development is simply not priority 1. If it were, the vacancy rate would be lower and we'd have a slightly less furious pace to AH construction. I think they know the party is just about over though. People are getting tired of these backwards priorities and once the CB starts raising taxes on people to build more AH and to plug the hole that will be created from giving away the farm to Jeff Bezos (e.g., they'll pay little if any taxes a single acondition of HQ2 being here), there will be a reckoning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington County dems are not to the left on local issues. If they were, they'd actually care about economic segregation. They are essentially "left" when it comes to taking a position on national immigration policy or the name of the Redskins. But otherwise, they just pay lipservice to democratic principals while working with developers to segregate the county. They protect monied interests--particularly real estate and affordable housing "non profits."

Nutshell

[Anonymous]

I vote Dem a fair amount of the time (except locally), and I cannot wait to see the day that Arlington is rid of that cabal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington County dems are not to the left on local issues. If they were, they'd actually care about economic segregation. They are essentially "left" when it comes to taking a position on national immigration policy or the name of the Redskins. But otherwise, they just pay lipservice to democratic principals while working with developers to segregate the county. They protect monied interests--particularly real estate and affordable housing "non profits."

Nutshell

And this is why whether you consider yourself a liberal, a conservative, a democratic or a republican or anything else or none of the above, you should judge each candidate as a individual. Party labels are largely meaningless at the CB and SB level. The real question is, which special interest group, if any, has captured this politician and will they do that interests bidding or act independently for the good of the county. What ambitions does the candidate have? Is it just personal self esteem? Higher office? These are way more meaningful than some party label, and that's why JV wins.