Alexandria Politics

Alexandria Politics

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In Session

With the fresh tragedy of Newtown, Conn., haunting the Virginia General Assembly, the issue of gun control is certain to be one of the most emotional topics on the docket.

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One-Party Rule Takes Hold at Alexandria City Hall

All-Democratic City Council members begin three-year term.

Say goodbye to bipartisan government at Alexandria City Hall.

Week in Alexandria

Alexandria's historically black American Legion Hall may be headed for the wrecking ball soon.

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Should Virginia’s Governor Be Able to Run for Reelection?

Longstanding ban on second consecutive term to be reconsidered this year.

Virginia is the only state that limits its governor to a single, four-year term, a vestige of the distrust Americans had for executive power during the American Revolution. Now, more than two centuries later, the commonwealth may finally be ready to ditch the longstanding term limit and allow Virginia’s governor to run for reelection.

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City Leaders Approve Plan to Demolish Jefferson-Houston and Construct New Facility

$45 million facility is seen as a way to revitalize long-struggling school.

The name “Jefferson-Houston” presents a paradox — a hyphenated marriage of slave-owner Thomas Jefferson and civil-rights leader Charles Houston.

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Union of Pedestrians: Waterfront Plan Prompts Changes to Union Street

Union Street to become 'shared street.'

The first signs of change from the waterfront plan are about to sweep through Old Town, adding features city officials believe will make the thoroughfare more friendly to pedestrians who will walk along the redeveloped properties.

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The Way We Were

A look back at 2012.

Dominated by a hard-fought City Council race and the ongoing battle over the waterfront, Alexandria citizens had no shortage of topics to debate over the last year.

Neighbors

Taylor Run

ELECTION WRITE-INS A certain amount of dissatisfaction with our current political setup raised its head in write-in votes for the recent election.

Column: When To Be Representative or Trustee?

Lessons #3 for serving and governing.

City Council members: What are you, representatives of the people or trustees for the people? Answer: You are both, but not at the same time; and only you can figure out the time to be one or the other.

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Legislators Are Not Gun Shy About Responding to Connecticut Shooting

Should access to guns be limited or expanded?

Last year's mass shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut has already prompted a heated debate about gun control in Virginia, where the upcoming session of the General Assembly is likely to feature a number of bills on both sides of the issue.

Business Matters

Two Alexandria landlords are vying for their properties to become the new home of the National Science Foundation, a prize the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership has identified as valuable goal for the city.

Council Notebook

They fought like cats and dogs. They pounded their fists of the dais at City Hall. On several occasions, they raised their voices at each other.

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Historic Chapel at Virginia Theological Seminary Rises from the Ashes

Seminary reaches compromise with neighbors to retain ruins of historic chapel.

When God appears to Moses in the Book of Exodus, a bush is described to be on fire yet not consumed by flames. The same could be said for Immanuel Chapel at the Virginia Theological Seminary.

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Upcoming Zoning Decision on Beauregard Pits Tenants Against Council

West End residents are 'frustrated and angry.'

As residents of the West End gathered this week to celebrate Human Rights Day, a spirit of defiance was in the air.

Crisis of Governance and Leadership

This is the third in a series of columns, coordinated by former council member Lonnie Rich, that includes other past city leaders writing on governance and politics. Alexandria’s reputation for good governance has been severely tarnished over the last few years in large part because there has been too little debate about issues of real concern to the community. There is absolutely no reason to believe that the situation will change for the better with the re-election of Mayor Euille and the election or re-election of six Democrats, the majority of whom seem to share Mr. Euille’s one-shoe-fits-all vision for Alexandria.

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