It’s been, to say the least, a busy couple of weeks for local news.
At this point next week is not looking any less eventful, though barring breaking news we will not be publishing on Monday on account of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. (Note the county government closures and lack of parking enforcementon Monday.)
Arlington County Board member Christian Dorsey was in the news last year after he accepted, and much later returned, a $10,000 campaign contribution from Metro’s largest labor union.
Dorsey’s original acceptance of this contribution violated Metro’s ethics rules, and led to Dorsey’s resignation from the Metro board.
At this point each year, we have the opportunity to examine the speeches of the five Arlington County Board Members to gauge their priorities for 2021. There was no doubt from those remarks that real challenges lie ahead as we move into COVID recovery.
Arlington has weathered the pandemic better than many communities. Our economy is still largely dependent on the relatively stable federal government budget. We are able to work from home due to access to technology and strong and fast internet connections. Still we saw businesses close their doors. And many more are wondering how much longer they can hang on.
Progressive Voice is a biweekly opinion column. The views expressed are solely the author’s.
By Wesley Joe
Two regional governmental bodies, that don’t receive much detailed coverage in the press, could have a big impact on the transportation options available to you, the quality of the air you breathe and our ability to meet our climate goals.
Have you heard of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB)? Or the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA)?
There is no doubt that 2020 was a difficult year that presented revelations for many, and left almost all of us with unanswered questions.
As we cautiously step into 2021, decisions loom about everything from police-community relations, schools, COVID management, economic development, political leadership, and race. As a community, we have a responsibility to act on many of the conversations that we started. Memories are often short, therefore we should pause to recognize that we took several positive first steps, specifically on diversity, equity and inclusion.
Development planning in Arlington is guided by the idea that density is a burden which must be paid for with public benefits.
If a property owner wants to add more units to their planned apartment building that they are allowed ‘by-right,’ they must also fund something off the community’s wish list. But if the price of this is too high, the community loses both new homes AND the improved urban space.
By all accounts, 2020 was terrible.
A pandemic claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. Police killings. Riots. Violence in the streets. Unemployment. Hunger. Businesses closing. Rising levels of crime. Election controversy. Schools closed. Medical workers exhausted. Lockdowns. Social isolation. To name just a few.
During the pandemic, many who formerly commuted to work are now working from home.
Some are eager to go back to the office full time when it’s safe to do so, while others may be contemplating a switch to either working from home permanently or at least a couple of days per week.
While Virginia prohibits municipalities from banning dogs based on breed alone, this discrimination still persists in housing.
In Arlington where 70% of homes are in multi-unit buildings, and 60% rent, this law is essentially rendered useless for a majority of our population.
On December 4, ARLnow documented APS’s conclusions that:
“Black and Hispanic students [in K-2] dropped off the most [with respect to foundational literacy skills] during remote learning, while students with disabilities continue to perform far below neurotypical children and the overall student population.”
It would not be 2020 without at least one unexpectedly strange story from our County Board. Last week it was revealed by the Washington Post that Christian Dorsey’s bankruptcy claim was dismissed with prejudice for “an overt act of misrepresentation.”
This is the second time in recent memory that Dorsey has had a very public revelation of difficulty with being forthcoming after last year’s failure to disclose a $10,000 improper campaign contribution. And for the second time in a year, he has received a less than enthusiastic vote of confidence from fellow Arlington County Board members for his continued service. Board Chair Libby Garvey said she backed Mr. Dorsey “despite his personal financial issues.”
