Letter to the Editor: Advice on Road Sand
To the Editor: To follow up on several recent letters regarding collection and disposal of residual road treatment sand from this winter's snows, I have the following suggestion:1. remove shovel and push broom from garage (1 minute)2. sweep sand from road into gutter (5-10 minutes)3. use shovel to scoop sand from gutter and place in low spots in yard or in flower beds, etc. (don't put it where the kids play or in your vegetable garden) (5 minutes)
Even Mean Speech Is Protected
The matter of free speech surely, completely and without exception is certainly alive and well. Contrarians and other questioners need only remember the name of Fred Phelps. Phelps is the odious man who masqueraded as a Baptist preacher. He pushed the limits of saying what you want, when you want, no matter where you are or who you hurt. To the utter astonishment, but truly proper perhaps, the U.S. Supreme Court backed up his rantings. I have known, met and worked with hundreds, probably thousands of ecclesiastical types all of my life from all sorts of denominations. Fortunately I never met a man or person of the Phelps ilk or who personified such hate as this disbarred attorney. There are certainly other malicious and despicable public personages in the United States and around the world, not attempting to pass as members of the cloth.
Editorial: Challenging Budgets
Local Government should be able to access income taxes to give relief on real estate taxes.
Northern Virginia governments are facing shortfalls in the classic budget sense: projected revenues are less than last year’s expenditures plus increases in costs.
Another Milestone
March 30, 2014. My age 59 and a half (9/30/54 is my date of birth). The age at which money deposited into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) can be withdrawn without incurring a 10 percent early-withdrawal penalty from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Not that I’m retiring. I am remembering though when this cancer-centric life of mine began.
Letter to the Editor: True Cost of Medicaid Expansion
To the Editor: State Sen. Adam Ebbin’s constituent report highlighted the proposed state Medicaid expansion which has forced a special session because the legislature’s two houses, under the control of different parties, cannot reach agreement. In this liberal state senate district, most constituents likely support Senator Ebbin’s stance.
Commentary: Let’s Be Fair about Route 1
As we’re about to see the Route 1 widening project get underway, it’s worth a review of what brought the need to widen the road in the first place. Contrary to what some of us are given to understand, Fort Belvoir’s growth under the Base Realignment and Closure did not bring about the need to widen Route 1. It did, however, play a critical role in getting the project funded.
Column: Is Severance The Main Suspect?
Ruthanne Lodato, 34 days, unsolved. Ronald Kirby, 147 days, unsolved. Nancy Dunning, 3,757 days, unsolved. Alexandria Police Tip Line: 703-746-4444. The best news source and report in the Alexandria murder cases apparently come from West Virginia. Investigators locally may have hit a stone wall, again, in the Ruthanne Lodato murder. They've been stymied for some time now in the November shooting death of Ronald Kirby and the Dec. 5 2003 killing of Nancy Dunning. No facts seem to be forthcoming.
Letter to the Editor: Bone-Rattling Potholes
To the Editor: I live in the Del Ray-Rosemont area and each day when I drive to work I am reminded of a serious shortcoming of my local government: the local roads. Driving around the city is literally a bone-rattling experience due to the poor condition of the roads. Weather-created potholes aside, the streets are in horrific shape. I can’t imagine the amount of damage being done to cars as they navigate the bumpy and distressed streets. Where are my tax dollars going? They are certainly not going to road maintenance.
Editorial: Income Gap Alive and Well
Statistics make life in the area sound idyllic, but many families are left out in the land of plenty.
Northern Virginia is a place of wonder and plenty. So says the New York Times this past week in, "Income Gap Meet the Longevity Gap," (March 15, 2014).
Letter to the Editor: ‘The Eminent Domain Council’
To the Editor: On Saturday I attended the public hearing on approving the Special Use Permits (SUPs) of two used car dealers whose businesses are located on the 1300 block of King Street. The city in all its wisdom has decided that these two used car lots are non-conforming uses for King Street. They did however give them until October to find alternate spaces elsewhere in the city. This is easier said than done as finding affordable alternative and accessible sites elsewhere is almost impossible.
Letter to the Editor: Making a Trial Run
To the Editor: The conditioned vote on the King Street bike lane was a heartening start to using compromise to produce a better solution. Vice Mayor Silberberg and Councilman Chapman are to be commended for their outreach efforts that created a bike lane pilot project whose performance at the end of 18 months will contribute to the final configuration for combining pedestrians, vehicles, bikes, and residential needs.
Letter to the Editor: Fiscal Blindness
To the Editor: I enjoyed Annabelle Fisher’s Feb. 13 letter on business as usual in City Hall. She was spot on, the $100,000 spent on civic engagement, it is equivalent to losing about $10,000,000 in the real estate tax base. It is truly a complete waste. However what can we expect from a city government whose secret motto appears to be “We don’t listen, and we don’t care.” This abuse of the taxpayer is typical of Alexandria politicians.
Editorial: Voting Against Virginia?
Local proponents of expanding health coverage for poor people have a point about those in the General Assembly voting against it.
When Delegates Scott Surovell, Charniele Herring and Rob Krupicka, along with Sen. Adam Ebbin got together to make the case for expanding Medicaid in Virginia, they brought slide presentations, charts, spreadsheets, poll results and more.
Whew!
Originally, this column was to be a discussion about the communication process between my doctor and this patient. Specifically, the time lag between when tests are performed/completed and when those results are communicated to the doctor who in turn – per this patient’s request, e-mails them to me. In the olden days, results were most likely offered up in person; in the post-olden days, more likely a phone call was made; presently, at least in my experience, results most likely will be e-mailed. I imagine an enduring problem for the patient – during all three "days," has been the time waiting for test results and hearing about them from your doctor. Excruciating is one of the most accurate characterizations of that delay, combined with an unhealthy dose of helplessness. Eventually, if you live long enough, you sort of become accustomed to the process and learn to roll with the punches, both figuratively and literally. Nevertheless, the patience and experience you learn can’t totally stop the rampant speculation that keeps you up at night and sleepy during the day.
Why Not Recall Retired Homicide Detectives?
Since retired judges are always available for further bench duty, why aren't retired detectives and other officers accessible for recalled duty?