Opinion | ARLnow.com

The Right Note: Kudos to the Civic Federation

Published October 3, 2013 at 2:00PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

This idea is about more than the well-documented trolley cost under-estimate and the super stop fiasco. Arlington has an annual budget of more than $1 billion, hundreds of millions in cash on hand, and county debt of around $1 billion. Taxpayers simply deserve to receive financial information from an independent voice, similar to federal government offices of inspector general (OIG).

Morning Poll: What Are Federal Workers Doing to Pass the Time?

By ARLnow.com

Published October 2, 2013 at 10:05AM | Updated October 2, 2013 at 12:46PM

The furloughed workers spent part of Monday on the job, winding down their work in order to ensure as orderly a shutdown as possible. Today, they’re staying at home.

Morning Poll: Sponsored Content

By ARLnow.com

Published September 27, 2013 at 10:15AM

Currently, we have two types of sponsored content: that written by us, and sponsored by an advertiser (e.g. Pet of the Week and Startup Monday); and content that’s written by an advertiser for the purpose of being informational and useful to readers, not directly self-promotional (e.g. Your Beermonger, Ask Adam).

So as to not flood our homepage with sponsored content, we limit the amount of sponsored articles to 1-2 posts per day.

Peter’s Take: Questions Remain About Arlington’s Cash Surplus

By Peter Rousselot

Published September 26, 2013 at 1:00PM

Peter’s Take is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Deputy County Manager Mark Schwartz took the time to write a detailed response. Mark deserves kudos for providing it.

The Right Note: Studying the Trolley Again

By Mark Kelly

Published September 26, 2013 at 12:15PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

In the past, the Board has ignored the data and input it does not believe fits the narrative that a trolley on Columbia Pike is, well, a big shiny ball of awesome. And, the consensus among people I talk to who are regular “Board watchers” is this study is a play to see if the Board can take another run at federal funding. As Chairman Tejada said, the trolley is “County Board policy.”

The Right Note: Does One Endorsement Matter?

By Mark Kelly

Published September 19, 2013 at 3:30PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

According to a Washington Post report, “. . . Cuccinelli had detailed responses to questions in candidate interviews, three board members said, while McAuliffe was uninformed and superficial . . .”

Peter’s Take: Time to Finish the Job

By Peter Rousselot

Published September 19, 2013 at 2:45PM

Peter’s Take is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

As the Sun Gazette reported last week, parents at the elementary schools that currently lack FLES demanded again at the Sept. 12 School Board meeting that the School Board follow through on its repeated prior commitments to provide FLES. The School Board Chair re-affirmed that doing so is an APS priority. Parents who support finishing the job now are asking supporters to sign a petition.

Morning Poll: Is Arlington the ‘Hoboken of Washington?’

By ARLnow.com

Published September 13, 2013 at 10:10AM

That’s what conservative commentator S.E. Cupp said of her current home, during a party to celebrate the relaunch of CNN’s Crossfire earlier this week.

Cupp, who is one of the four co-hosts on the show, told the packed party crowd that, when she recently moved to Arlington from New York City, she didn’t realize she was moving to the “Hoboken of Washington.”

Peter’s Take: Mark Herring for Attorney General

By Peter Rousselot

Published September 12, 2013 at 12:45PM

Peter’s Take is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

In the AG race, the contrasts also are stark. The Democratic candidate, Mark Herring, is a moderate Democrat.

The Right Note: Spinning Arlington’s ‘Low’ Tax Rate

By Mark Kelly

Published September 12, 2013 at 12:00PM | Updated September 12, 2013 at 1:11PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

One of my favorites is when Arlington’s elected officials extol the virtues of Arlington’s “low” tax rate. Chris Zimmerman was quoted in one article earlier this year saying Arlington is “eating everyone else’s lunch” on tax rates. Zimmerman credited “smart growth” for bringing in commercial projects and keeping taxes “low.”

Afternoon Poll: Ben’s Chili Bowl in Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

Published September 9, 2013 at 12:30PM

The new Ben’s will be located in at 1725 Wilson Blvd, in the former Ray’s Hell Burger space, WBJ reported.

But will the idea of scarfing down a chili half smoke closer to home be enough to drive Arlington residents to the new restaurant? Or is part of Ben’s allure tied to the original U Street NW location — whether it be the location’s history or proximity to popular bars?

The Right Note: Pop Quiz

By Mark Kelly

Published September 5, 2013 at 2:45PM | Updated September 5, 2013 at 3:07PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

With all of the attention given to the top of the ticket race for Governor in Virginia, the two down ballot races are a lot like Rodney Dangerfield — they get no respect. You can use Google if the name Rodney Dangerfield doesn’t ring a bell.