Anonymous
03/02/2017 11:38
Subject: How difficult is it to get involved in local politics (VA)?
OP, if you'd like to run for school board, could you move to Clifton? Please? Plenty of time for you to gear up.
Anonymous
03/02/2017 10:49
Subject: Re:How difficult is it to get involved in local politics (VA)?
Anonymous
03/01/2017 22:18
Subject: Re:How difficult is it to get involved in local politics (VA)?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:First of all, Jay Fisette realized he'd get destroyed if he ran for re-election
Now, OP, you are not going to be replacing Jay Fisette. No Sweetie, it won't be you. Fisette's replacement is going to be the third vote to fix Arlington, joining John Vihstadt and Libby Garvey. We've already taken down affordable housing with the new budgeting process. Now we'll finish the other SJW initiatives as financial pressures get brought to bear on them.
1. OP asked about the school board, not the Arlington County Board.
2. There is no street car to run against any more. Last two new members of ACB are Dorsey and Kristol. So the Vihstadt block is not strengthening.
3. ArlCo is still investing in affordable housing, with the support of Garvey and I think even Vihstadt (or did her recuse himself?)
4. If you want to win based on financial pressures you need to do it NOW, because at some point WMATA will do better financially, the school enrollment surge will slow, and the ArlCo office market will recover (the Nestle win is already a good sign)
5. I doubt you can win running against social justice. The wins were focused on talking loudly about the street car and the swimming pool, which were widely not seen as social justice issues.
The Vihstadt bloc carried Garvey last Spring as we flooded the Democrat primary.
We're starving the beast on affordable housing. The new funding rules John promoted make everyone compete at one time, and that's it. In this case, the "competition" actually increases costs contrary to what you'd expect. So if there's a market opportunity to get units, there's no money left to take advantage of it. If your project isn't ready, too bad. The larger principle is to eat up the housing money on expensive, low-density units like what John pushed through in Westover. That served effectively as a pilot that swallowed money for what would have been high-density units
Can't win running against SJW's?
Not sure this is playing out that way.
https://ggwash.org/view/62378/thanks-to-good-planning-arlington-is-building-over-200-new-affordable-housing-units
Done deal before Vihstadt. Also, it's the church's decision, and they chose to sell below market value. Because Jesus.
Anonymous
03/01/2017 21:27
Subject: How difficult is it to get involved in local politics (VA)?
In Alexandria, school board will cost from 15000 to 25000 for campaign costs, but the job might as well be full time. There is no chance of being elected unless you have the City establishment (including at least a Council member or two) behind you. School board has meetings, special meetings, planning meetings, non public personnel meetings, task force meetings, and more meetings most nights. There is only a little stipend and you get no staff assistant. So school board members are always ragged and just do whatever the chair tells them to. City Council costs more like 25000 to 40000 or so (Mayor is a much higher price) and you have no chance if the City Democratic Committee opposes you. City Council is a very hard job but it is not full time and a City Council member gets a paid staff assistant. If you really want it get appointed to one of the city commissions or boards or the school board advisory committee and then you will have a record and you can run. But you're crazy if you run ...