Browsing Category Politics

Albemarle County BoS goes RSS?

in Albemarle Politics on

An alert reader just tipped me to this -Subscribe to the Board of Supervisors’ RSS Feed for Board MeetingsRSS, or Really Simple Syndication, is a convenient way to keep up with the County of Albemarle Board meetings.  Once you subscribe to the Board’s RSS feed, this information will be delivered to your computer’s desktop automatically.  You will be able to download an audio file (in .mp3 format) to your hard drive or audio device for listening at your convenience.Say it with me – “Whoo-hooo!”  (for those of us who are government geeks).  It’s labeled TEST TEST TEST, but …

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A gas tax?

in Politics Transportation on

A gas tax has been tossed around quite frequently as a method to both pay for transportation needs and encourage the use of other forms of transportation (e.g. walking, biking …)This post explains how many Americans may be in favor of a gas tax.  The best part of the story is this comment – Yes, the idea is that the gubb’mint would spend the extra tax money on The Best Alternatives(tm).  The theory here is that thousands of years of tradition of government blowing the vast majority of its tax revenues would suddenly be cast off and you could sleep easy knowing that clueless politicians are disbursing your hard-earned dollars better than nobel prize winning energy physicists (or so the government says and wants you to assume).What he said.I don’t think a gas tax is necessarily a bad idea.  Trusting the government to implement said tax and use it as directed is the problem.  Maybe all we have to do is wait for the politicians to not run for reelection, and then they’ll “do the right thing.”

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Affordable housing in C’Ville

in Affordability Charlottesville Politics on

C-Ville reports:Councilor Kevin Lynch foresees that with more precise tax-relief in its toolbox, the City will be able to target “low- and moderate-income homeowners who have seen the most rapid appreciation in their properties,” rather than enacting blanket tax-rate relief as Council did in 2005 when the property tax rate was cut by 4 cents to $1.05.This kills me.  I wrote about this bill last month before the eminent domain language was removed.  I don’t even get this -Harumph, says Lynch: “The Free Enterprise Forum and the realtor group are always in favor of affordable housing and preventing any legislation that would block it until someone asks them to provide it.  Then they’re nowhere to be seen.”  Realtors are in favor of preventing affordable housing legislation?…  Governments have proven themselves time and again to be incapable of running an efficient organization.  There is seemingly little direct accountability in politics, and plenty of incentive to create endless layers of bureaucracy and thus, job security for said politicians and staff.  How does one explain the CAAR Workforce Housing Fund if Realtors are against affordable housing?

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Morning reading 02-16-06

in Growth Politics Transportation on

I went to the General Assembly yesterday for the Realtors’ Day on the Hill.  Thus, I have a great deal of catching up to do, as well as write my thoughts about the experience.The House Transportation PackageDriven to DespairSuing a real estate agent for misrepresentation.  Bottom line: do your due diligenceMore mortgage data than you can shake a stick atPlaces29 – public input?

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Albemarle Place discussion

in Albemarle Charlottesville Growth Politics on

Cox: “Interim transportation improvements …  the improvements that we will be making will help calm the situation for about a 5 year period …  ” those improvements are temporary …  adding quite a bit more asphalt to 29 and Hydraulic …  Jane: “It sounds like the City and County are saying let’s let Albemarle Place be in control of Hydraulic so we don’t have to think about it.”What happens when your development company makes some short-term improvements, what happens when they introduce a grade-separated interchange?

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