Dear Friends: Is somebody doing something? Yes, and you can too. I know it’s difficult to watch as every day the Musk/Trump administration continues to break our government. Destruction and irresponsibility are easy. Building and responsibility are not. It can feel that there is no real opposition or much we can do, but there is. I recommend this article for some perspective; “Is Somebody Doing Something?!: Yes. Let me break it down for you.” Author Jay Quo tells us what people are doing, from Federal government security officials to Senators, and the filing of lawsuits to … [Read more...]
February 5th Blog: Our Civil Service
Dear Friends: I suspect nearly all my readers have family members, good friends and colleagues who are dedicated and hardworking civil servants. Civil servants make our Federal government and its programs work. They help the nation and the world to function. What, exactly, our government does is very unclear to most Americans. They are about to find out – I think – with some painful lessons. I’ve decided that Trump, Musk and all do not understand government service because they do not understand generosity of spirit or why people would want to work to improve the lives … [Read more...]
February 3rd Blog: Don’t Believe Them
Dear Friends: It’s been a difficult week for Arlington and the nation with cruelty and chaos inflicted on our public servants and most vulnerable. On top of that, our hearts go out to those affected by the tragic plane crash near National Airport. I’ve been heartened this week by the responses I’ve seen from those determined to support good government, to help the most vulnerable, and to comfort those grieving. Every day we see the best and the worst of human behavior. Let’s focus on the best and how to counteract the worst. I’m sure a number of my readers are Federal workers and I … [Read more...]
January Newsletter: My New Chapter & the Golden Rule
Dear Friends: With Inauguration Day 2025 bringing so much change, this feels like a fitting moment to share more about my plans for the future. While the direction of our national journey remains uncertain, one thing is clear: the path ahead will likely be challenging and communities coming together will be more important than ever. Local government will continue to serve as a vital force for stability and progress. Indeed, it may be the only functioning government we have for a while. This brings me to my own transition. I’m pleased to officially announce the … [Read more...]
December Board Meetings: The Theme is Good Local Government
Dear Friends, Saturday’s Regular and Tuesday’s Carryover meetings were the final meetings of my 28-year School and County board career. I gaveled the end of my last County Board meeting at 11:40 pm on Tuesday. We had our regular Board and Manager reports and recognitions, and then broke for a celebratory reception. We came back to handle several regular hearing items and a closed session. Hence, the late hour. Saturday’s meeting was happily not so long. Rosslyn Gateway Park Master Plan and Guidance At the Saturday Regular Board meeting, it was a real pleasure to … [Read more...]
November Board Meetings: Libby’s Local List, Deer, Budget FY’26, EHO Appeal & More
Dear Friends,I hope everyone is preparing for a happy and safe Thanksgiving with family and/or friends. Libby’s Local List Before I report on our November meetings, I want to let you know some of my plans for after I leave the Board December 31. I plan to use the funds still in my campaign account to start a local PAC, which I will call “Libby’s Local List.” The purpose will be to support good local government with occasional gatherings to talk about local issues and to provide contributions to good candidates and incumbents on a local level and across the region. Local … [Read more...]
The Election
Dear Friends, The election certainly did not go as we hoped….shockingly so. I imagine all of us will be doing processing of what the election tells us over the next weeks and months and probably longer. For the moment, I offer a couple of pieces I found helpful today: a thoughtful and somewhat hopeful piece in The Atlantic by Tom Nichols titled “Democracy is Not Over,” and a great commentary by Jon Stewart: “This is Not the End” on YouTube. I also will suggest again a book I’ve found very helpful in understanding what is happening: The Fourth Turning is Here by Neil Howe. Neil is a … [Read more...]
October County Board Meetings: Vote 2024, Recovery Residences, Deer Management & Preparedness
Dear Friends, I hope everyone has enjoyed the gorgeous weather we’ve been having. Our October Board meetings were fairly busy. I’ll cover three major issues we voted on. For more information on these topics, please consult: https://www.arlingtonva.us/About-Arlington/Newsroom/Articles/2024/Arlington-County-Board-Wrap-up-for-October-2024-Meetings Recovery Residences On Saturday we voted to change our Zoning Ordinance so that recovery residences are now allowed up to 8 residents, just as are group homes for intellectually disabled people. Recovery houses are homes organized to … [Read more...]
September Board Meetings: Adaptive Redevelopment, Long Bridge, Missing Middle/EOH Suit, Torri Huske & More
Dear Friends, I hope everyone had a good summer and start to the fall. Thanks to our APS colleagues, the County Board was able to meet at the Syphax Center in their meeting room for our September meetings. We had some security upgrades done to our own meeting room and the work was not done in time for our September meeting. Adaptive Redevelopment The main regular meeting item we had this month was various approvals for the redevelopment of an office building project at 1840 Wilson Blvd. The site will become a seven-story mixed-use building with up to 187 … [Read more...]
July Board Meetings: Capital Improvement Program, Central Place Tower, Reeves Farmhouse & More
Dear Friends, I hope this finds everyone enjoying the summer, despite the heat. This month’s County Board meetings were packed causing this rather longer than usual newsletter. For more on meeting topics, see: https://www.arlingtonva.us/About-Arlington/Newsroom/Articles/2024/Arlington-County-Board-Wrap-Up-for-July-2024-Meeting FY’25-34 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) The major item for July was adoption of our $5.2 billion FY’25-34 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) which is adopted every 2 years and sets out our plans for community facilities, environmental resiliency, … [Read more...]
