Democratic Sock Puppets Should Not Serve on the School Board

 Hi Yupette,

I'm a parent with a child who attends Washington and Lee High School. And I am tired of the same sock puppet Democrats being nominated and elected to the School Board.

Whatever Barbara Kanninen and Nancy Van Doren say they want to do on the School Board in fact they have to go along with whatever decisions are made by the Arlington Democratic Committee behind closed doors. So, because Jay Fisette wants a new "Taj Mahal" elementary school (with lots of parking) at Thomas Jefferson Middle School they will have to facilitate that. Doesn't matter what the neighbors who live around TJ want.

It gets worse. At least three School Board members have retired or resigned in recent years because they disagreed with ACDC's agenda for APS - more strains on an already-stressed school system because of massive urbanization.

Barbara's and Nancy's performance at the Civic Federation candidates' forum last week - platitudes and promises - indicated they will do only what the Arlington Democratic Committee tells them to do. If they  serve on the School Board at some point one or both will get fed up and quit.

I ask the School Board to appoint an Independent to serve the remainder of Sally Baird's term of office. I'm voting for Independent Audrey Clement in November. Virginia's school boards are supposed to be independent of party politics. But Arlington's School Board is even more partisan than the County Board was before Chris Zimmerman left. And Barbara Kanninen and Nancy Van Dorn are a couple of Democratic sock puppets.

Linda, Cherrydale

Independents Clement and Vihstadt Decisively Win CivFed Candidate Forums

Hello,

Several Arlington residents who contribute to this blog attended the Arlington Civic Federation's annual Candidate Forum last night. Their consensus reports - Independent Candidate for School Board Audrey Clement and Independent Candidate for County Board John Vihstadt decisively defeated their Democratic opponents for County Board and School Board.

First to Audrey Clement - While her Democratic opponents Barbara Kanninen and Nancy Van Doren mouthed platitudes and promises Dr. Clement has a clear plan for improving the quality of education for Arlington K-12 students at less cost to taxpayers,

Rather than spending hundreds of millions building more Taj Mahal Post Modern schools advocated by APS's VIP architects Dr. Clement advocates adaptive re-use of office buildings and construction of modular classrooms, as Alexandria Public Schools have been doing for several years, at substantial savings to taxpayers, with the same or better quality of classroom education provided to students.

John Vihstadt kept his promises to make Arlington Government more efficient and less costly to taxpayers. Mr. Vihstadt's opponent, Alan Howze, wants to gold plate the Pike streetcar but wouldn't, or couldn't, provide estimates of how much that would cost. Mr. Howze also misstated that Mr. Vihstadt voted against Arlington's 10 year CIP when in fact Mr. Vihstadt voted for the CIP, minus funding for the Pike streetcar. It became obvious that, if elected, Alan Howze, will take Arlington Government back to the tax-borrow-spend Zimmerman era.

No contest. Anyone who's rational about County Government and APS viewed Audrey Clement and John Vihstadt as the decisive winners of their respective candidate forums.

Cindy

Arlington Police Facilitate 'Drive Kids to School Day'

Hi Yupette,

Received the County's 'Car Free Diet' brochure in the mail on Saturday. Just in time for the Arlington Public School System's 'Drive Your Kid to School Day' today. This year facilitated by not one but two Arlington police officers at our elementary school. Oh, no one dared to ride a bicycle to school because of the traffic.

Why do APS and County Government waste our time and money with these charades? The traffic to and from our schools is worse than ever. Only difference is.the arrival times are spread out and the cops are on the scene to keep the traffic moving.

No Howze am I going to vote for another Democrat for County Board or School Board. Every year we pay more for less because of the Democrats' Stupid Growth.

Thanks for your blog.

Karen, 22206