To the Editor:
In less than four weeks residents will be able to take the first step in taking back control of their city. There is absolutely no doubt that this off-year primary election is destined to direct the future course of Alexandria for many years to come.
You know our plight: We are bleeding debt, our financial ratios in force since 1997 which guide the fiscal policy of our city no longer matter. Our neighborhoods are under attack from developers at the waterfront, from the policy of eminent domain, from broken promises made 50 years ago to the Woods neighborhood who have lost so much and are now asked to give up more. The changing of zoning at Woodbine to slip a 75,000-sq.-ft. monstrosity into a residential area under the pretense it is needed there, when indeed it was a rich man's castle with no insurance accepted. Most recently the Patrick Henry neighborhood discovered they stand to lose the tranquility and quiet of their neighborhood to a city and recreation department bent on lighting fields, constructing large recreation centers and dropping them in developed neighborhoods. There are 12 other schools in line for rehab. Do not think for one moment that your school is not part of the grand plan to light up the sky in your neighborhood — to bring noise, rented fields and rec-centers to your little corner of town. Finally ,our schools are in shambles the direct result of the practice of postponement and or deleting appropriated funding from the budget to another project. For this deception a $2 billion price tag must be paid to repair our schools.
Mayor Euille, you have served the city for the past 12 years. I admire your diligence, your passion for your job and your work ethic. However you have lost your way. Real estate development growth works only at certain business cycles; we are now stuck with poor commercialization revenue and a more frugal federal government presence. Your statement at a City Council public meeting that “promises are made to be broken” are evidenced in the aforementioned relationship with the neighborhoods. You delivered BRACC a non tax generating entity, and other projects way over budget. You say we built a lot. No, we spent too much. You are a great leader but a great leader needs to know when it is time to move on.
Mr . Donley, you have served this city with great energy and dignity. However your modus operandi is that of a gunslinger — set the plan quickly— crash ahead and follow through with it whatever the outcome. You are pro-development but as I cautioned the mayor there are cycles for this type of economic activity. You embrace the immediate Potomac Metro development which will have cost over-runs. How do we budget for those? The city has a penchant for grossly under-budgeting projects so there is every reason to believe that the Metro will end up costing 50-100 percent more than budgeted. Then what? You have not stated your position on schools or neighborhoods, so your way out of our demise seems to be through commercial development while revenues generated from commercial development were down 18 percent last year.
So I bring you to the third candidate Allison Silberberg. Her grassroots campaign garnered her the most votes for council and she was awarded the title of vice mayor. An amazing feat. Her platform rests on the tranquility of neighborhoods, the excellence of our schools and controlled economic growth. She seems to know what her constituents wish and makes them feel that they have been heard. She is not afraid to go it alone as was the case with Woodbine and the Waterfront because she truly represents her constituents. She views dialogue and compromise as a necessary tool to solve complicated issues. She is fresh; she is energetic and fully committed to the complicated task at hand. She has the ability to delegate and will surround herself with adept consultants and capable managers on matters of concern but make no mistake Allison will deliver the final say.
Citizens of Alexandria — get to know Allison — meet her at an event — and realize we have a gem in Allison Silberberg.
William Goff
Alexandria