Fall Elections: Who has the Ball and is it Rolling?

There is a process. The County registrar/elections staff can help people walk through it. Also, County Attorney's Office is key too (Karen Harwood & Michael Long in that office) with insight. There are assorted deadlines and steps.

First step is to file with court. Apparently this is not the petition, but rather some kind of procedural notification. After that, we have technically 8 months to get signatures on petition.

What is petition for? A petition with 10% of the Vienna registered voters must be signed (1000 people roughly). That petition and or the request then gets reviewed by the US Justice Department (comply with 1965 voting rights act) since it is a voting issue - and so that must be accounted for time wise.

Then it all has to be done in coordination with County elections people where all these steps are to be completed by early Fall (45 days before election) to get on a November ballot for consideration.

It is too late to get done for this Fall 08 election. It would have to be done for Fall 2009 consideration.

With this bit of insight I am sure smart, motivated folks on here can take this forward to completion.

Maybe you could do it, Mr. Man? Having already done the research, and knowing the issues as you do, you would be a logical choice. The national elections this fall could mean that US DOJ review of a town petition could be slower, because they'd be in a transition period following new political appointees (although obviously the civil service personnel wouldn't necessarily be changing over).

The Town of Vienna ARROGANCE Newsletter

Just received my August 2008 copy of the Vienna ARROGANCE magazine (tax payer paid propaganda)

Oh, this issue is sooooo-much “BETTER” than the last issue; in as much as this issue doesn’t contain a self-promoting diatribe from the mayor that “we can all do “better”. If the mayor was in charge of FEMA, George Bush would be saying “you’re-doin-a-heck-of-a-job-Janie”

Let’s see what else is in the new ARROGANCE… the Vienna Halloween Parade Committee wants you! We’l1 don’t let the same idiots that planned Vienna’s 4th of July “laser show fiasco” mar another town tradition. Another $20k of your tax dollars down-the-drain.

Here’s a good-one on page 3. Vegetation Must Be Kept Trimmed. The Town Code prohibits “grass, weeds and other foreign growth”. Yea right, the Town should be found in violation of this ordnance for the same thing going-on at the, you-quessed-it, CEDAR PARK SHOPPING CENTER. The irony kills me.
“Every resident’s efforts to keep plantings trimmed will help make Vienna a safer and more attractive community” And, there-you-have-it, the VTC mentality. Keep Vienna safe with mowed lawns and completely ignore crime and violence.

Moving on… page 4, guess what? VTC decide they need more of your money… say-it-ain’t-so. Let’s see it now cost you (us) $30 million dollars a year to run a four square mile town. Hmmm, $30m/15,000 residents = $2,000/year for every man, woman and child in Vienna… that ought to pay for some water. What? Vienna residents pay 2x what Fairfax residents pay to buy our water from FALLS CHURCH???

Page 5… This one REALLY KILLS ME… apparently, the Town Staff Adopts “Core Values” Here’s the Preamble “Our most valuable asset is our reputation. We balance the need for change while preserving our history and small-town character”. Our reputation is a town going to hell in a hand basket and these idiots think it is our most valuable asset? The only thing changing in this town is that Money magazine recognizes the decline of the town and in only 3 short year goes from rating Vienna the 4th best place to live to not even making the list. Small-town character??? Used to be you go to the Vienna Inn for a chilidog and a brew and not have to worry about an illegal alien knifing you.

Listen to these “Core Values”

Integrity (you have to be kidding me. VTC & integrity? – not)
Customers (us the tax payers, the hell with them)
Value Employees (because we’ve got a lot of them)
Organization Excellence (again, VTC & excellence? – not)
Communications (propaganda)
Accountability (stop-it!!! you’re killing me here)

The article goes on to address “how we will measure success”. The question remains how will you the Vienna resident TAXPAYER measure success? You might get the drift here that the Town can’t continue to endure anymore the of current level of “success”

Also on page 5, the Town of Vienna souvenir vehicle decal, available free of charge at the Town Hall. “FREE OF CHARGE”??? There ain’t no free in the town of Vienna. Can somebody please look-up and report to us how much the VTC authorized expenditure of YOUR TAX $$$ for a stupid decal that is not needed for anything and nobody wants?

Now, here is a helpful item on page 6. Especially, if you frequent the CEDAR PARK SHOPPING CENTER or are pedestrians in SE/SW Vienna. The Town is offering a Personal Safety Class for Women. (guys, you can handle a knifing) Specially trained officers will teach women to be alert and mindful of their personal safety here in Vienna; how appropriate?

Page 9, the always-popular “August on the Town (taxpayer) Green” Every Friday evening at 6:30PM a traffic calming performance on Rt. 123.

And, lastly on page 10, if you are new resident in-town, stop by Town Hall for a “paquete bienvenido” Written entirely in spanish by our mayor since she so welcoming. The paquete bienvenido is filled with great information on where to find over-crowded flophouses and seething apartment complexes. The best spots to loiter at the CEDAR PARK SHOPPING CENTER while waiting for the cops to show-up. Where the best places in-town to get liquored-up and then drive around the SE/SW Vienna neighborhoods. And. the mayor’s personal recommendations on the best places in-town to spray-paint your soccer team’s colors.

That’s about it in this issue of the ARROGANCE. A fine publication recognized for what-it-is…

No one really wants to stick their neck out to do anything. Everyone sits around and points fingers at the HV.com "complainers" but they are the only people over the past few years who have at least tried.

At this point, I'm content to sit here and "complain" till Maud Robinson is no longer with us. That is how pathetic the voter apathy is around here.

In the newsletter - customer service as a core value? That makes me laugh. They have, hands down, the worst customer service mentality I've ever encountered. It's totally appalling. (See - we do agree!)

The Arrogance letter! Well done! I love it! I think each month it should be posted here. This government is a joke!

They just need some self important crap to fill the news letter because, it's been a slow news month.
Your tax dollers hard at work

Slow news month? they could fill it with stabbings, shootings, the decline of the Maple Ave business corridor, and the gross incompetence of town leadership.

I was surprised when you said

>>>>Vegetation Must Be Kept Trimmed. The Town Code prohibits “grass, weeds and other foreign growth”. Yea right, the Town should be found in violation of this ordnance for the same thing going-on at the, you-quessed-it, CEDAR PARK SHOPPING CENTER. The irony kills me.

I had no idea that the town of Vienna owned that shopping center.

SW mom - hope you stick around. This blog does need a variety of opposing viewpoints, ranging from my more moderate position to the 100% support for the existing order you seem to have.

In my opinion, if the shopping center is not following Town rules, it should be fined the same as any homeowner. In fact, I'd hold it to stricter standards than residential property owners.

I had no idea that the town of Vienna owned that shopping center.

The Town doesn't own the shopping center. I've got to stop consulting my Dennis Miller metaphor handbook; this is a professional, non-satirical, publication.

Regarding zoning laws in the Cedar Park area: has anyone noticed the permit parking sign between the last apartment building and single family home on Patrick Street? It appears the zoning laws for commercial vehicles do not apply to the apartments. I suspect the sign was in place due to "siding crew trucks" parked in front of residential houses. Regardless, if parked overnight on a residential street, they are in violation. We can't even get speed bumps on Patrick Street between Cottage and the ball fields--maybe if a speeding Vienna mom/dad hits a child we will, but there are speed bumps between Cottage and the apartments. There is a deaf child on that side, but what kid hears 45 MPH minivans/SUVs when they are playing and having fun? At any rate, I'll start the petition process again to request speed bumps--anyone gone through the process, any guidance is appreciated?

Arrogance Newsletter:

You should also consult your Literary Devices Handbook. That wasn\'t a metaphor.