Our Elected Leaders Are All Worthless.

So what proposals do the good folks on HV have to remedy this problem?

It might help to actually pretend that zoning laws get enforced. That seems to be a no-brainer and is more than what is occurring now.

But is there a Herndon level of outrage yet over what is going on here? So far, the answer seems to be now.

(Did crime go down after Benedettis et al. get elected? I honestly don't know.)

Vienna Citizens doesn't seem to have updated their website in months.

I suspect, with $4/gal gas, we will begin moving to a European style of urban planning, with well-off cities and less well-off suburbs.

The question, of course, is whether Vienna will emerge as some sort of enclave for 'those who have' or whether it will be the Prince William County of the 2010s. The town status provides Vienna with the ability to place restrictions.

On the other hand, do we really want to be an island of riches in an ocean of poverty? It's not as if the town limits sign prevents bad guys from Fairfax, Merrifield, Annandale, and Falls Church addresses from coming in.

I don't know where the line will be drawn.

Will 'those who have' show up in Vienna, or will southern Falls Church/Annandale get revitalized?

A further response to these issues depends on how that works out.

"So what proposals do the good folks on HV have to remedy this problem"?

Mr. Pickrell, a good starting point would be a good-old-fashion elected officials RECALL!!!

Doing nothing is not working (duh!) so let's try the opposite.

A policy of zero tolerance for even the most minor offenses (hello, Maple Avenue jaywalkers!). Make people know that we are not slack about keeping our streets safe and clean.

We all know Jane, Maud, Mike, Edythe, Laurie, Dan, and George are completely unwilling to stick their necks out. Real leaders are needed now.

Check points have been established in DC in the Trinidad neighborhood since the recent spate of murders in the district.

Vienna is not on the same scale as the crime in DC but worth a try.

Vienna will not change until the cronyism of Maud government ends. Everyone on Council serves at her leisure...as she controls the dead people vote (read over 80). Move the election to fall and we all have a chance to get people who are progressive who can solve basic and obvious issues. Machine politics in Vienna only survives with the rigged spring election system we have now.

Are recalls allowed in VA? If the anger is that great then sure, go forth and recall.

vienna mommy's ideas are similar to those that Giuliani used in NYC in the 90s. That, and an improving economy, cut NYC crime by 60-70%.

I'm not sure where Enforcer's checkpoints should be. Should we encircle the areas around the Cedar Park Center and Vienna Park Apartments?

I also agree with Mr. Man that the elections should be moved to the fall. Spring elections depress turnout -- already TOV voters have had Presidential primaries, Town elections, Congressional primaries, and now the general election. (I'm not sure if there's been a study about if having more elections reduces turnout.)

Some re-drawing of precinct lines will need to be done to ensure that all TOV voters vote at a TOV precinct, but this is fairly easy.

"On the other hand, do we really want to be an island of riches in an ocean of poverty" ? "Will 'those who have' show up in Vienna, or will southern Falls Church/Annandale get revitalized?"

Why wouldn't you want the best for Vienna?? Do you tell your kids not to do well on a test because they might offend the kid that did not do as well?
I do not like class warfare comments such as these. This has been the tactic for those that govern, and those who wish to remain in power. It merely divides rather than offers any substance. Hence we are where we are now! Do nothing for fear of offending. Well I am offended! I think taking Vienna and tossing it down the tubes is offensive. For the record the Seven Corners area near Annandale is in line for revitalization. I don't think they played those have, have not games.

"I suspect, with $4/gal gas, we will begin moving to a European style of urban planning, with well-off cities and less well-off suburbs".

If you look at history in our area Alexandria, Baltimore and DC have always done this "euro" urban planning, since oh the early 1800's. We are are not re-inventing the wheel here. The point though is it worked then and with proper planning can work again.

“It might help to actually pretend that zoning laws get enforced. That seems to be a no-brainer and is more than what is occurring now”.

The greatest public safety threat to every resident of Vienna is the blatantly over-crowded Vienna Park Apartments. Here’s a novel idea, revoke their license to conduct business in the Town of Vienna. Bet that would get Southern Management’s attention – seem reasonable to you Shawn?

A 12% voter turn-out will not yield new TC members. Need better candidates and every person to vote, regardless of who they vote for office. Stating the obvious, but encourage your family and friends to vote when it is time.

“A further response to these issues depends on how that works out”.

How’s this for a “work-out” … history is destined to repeat itself. Perhaps it is time in our Town’s history that the southern side rejects the ARROGANCE of our “northern” elected officials and tell them to go-to-hell when SE/SW Vienna succeeds from the union (town). I’d love to see the VTC faces when SE/SW Vienna takes ½ the towns tax revenue away and doesn’t look back. If these people (VTC) are so inept in their absolute basic charge of protecting the citizens they represent then I say we-don’t-need-them-anyway. We’re better off without them and might as well be like McLean or Merrifield or any other unincorporated local in Fairfax County.

The South Shall Rise Again

Hi Susan,

The reason I am concerned about the Town being rich and everything around it going to Hell is simple, and I expressed it earlier: 'It's not as if the town limits sign prevents bad guys from Fairfax, Merrifield, Annandale, and Falls Church addresses from coming in.'

If Fairfax, Falls Church, Annandale, etc., are doing well, Vienna will also do well. If they are doing poorly, Vienna will also do poorly, either through crime coming in or through having to hire dozens more policemen to keep the out of town riff raff out. (The latter is preferable, of course, but not optimal.)

I'm really not sure why you were so quick to jump to the conclusion I was waging 'class warfare.'

As for European style urban planning -- the US stopped following it in the 1950s or so with the advent of easy motoring. Now that easy motoring is becoming harder ... the rich begin to go back into the city and the poor go out to the suburbs.

Hi Shut VPA Down,

Southern Management seems unresponsive to complaints, both about overcrowding and about basic sanitation. Fines and a revocal of their license to do business in the Town should not be 'out of the question.' If no one wants to take them over, well, I guess we can just tear them down.

Hi Jeff Davis,

Perhaps a ward system might work better for the VTC, with one member from each of four wards (that try to resemble the four quadrants as closely as possible), and then the Mayor and the other two Council members being elected at-large. But I am not sure of the precedents for part of a town voting to remove itself from the town. (I'm assuming most/all of the TC members are from NE or NW.)

To use the word assume "you make an ass of u and me."

I haven't seen the prolific rent signs and boarded up buildings in our surrounding area, as I do here. I couldn't agree more about things do not stop at the town limits. We do have the power of zoning here in Vienna, and zoning and some of the crime can be a cause and effect.

I understand bad things happen in all places, but there has been a deterioration of Vienna since I have moved here 9 years ago. That is not saying I love or don't love Vienna. It is just a fact. At this point we are basically putting out a welcome mat for crime by not improving the Town to its fullest potential.

Susan, you're right, a do-nothing Town government can lead to making Vienna WORSE than the surrounding areas. If things get too bad, Fairfax County will use whatever power it has.

My opinion:

The state/local GOP is running against illegals and on unicorns and fairy dust with regard to transportation.

The state/local Democrats are running against transportation but seem to be applying unicorns and fairy dust with regard to illegals.

Are we South Mogadisho because of illegal aliens? Of course not.

Are large numbers of people breaking zoning laws en masse making Northern Virginia worse? Of course.

Hey Shawn,
I know you are supposed to be a smart guy, but you lost some credibility with me when you said that Arlington County and Manassas City did a good job managing their problems with illegals.

Hi Southside,
When did I say Arlington was doing a good job with illegals? I said it was worse in South Arlington than here -- I lived there for six years before moving to Vienna.

I also said Manassas Park City might be something to look into -- not Manassas.