Albemarle rejects meeting with DEQ and says it won’t compromise on water plan It’s such a shame that stagnation is continually chosen by both localities.
Posts tagged Politics
Mortgage Interest Deduction On the Chopping Block?
My argument against the Mortgage Interest Deduction being negated is less about its fundamental nature to the stability of the housing market and more to the point that politicians wield power that we should not permit them to have.
… Proposed : 12% non-refundable tax credit available to all taxpayers; Mortgage capped at Mortgage Interest $500,000; No credit for interest from second residence and equity But for now, I’ll be contacting my politicians* who ostensibly “represent” me and telling them that my opinion is that they: 1) Leave the Mortgage Interest Deduction alone.
…In a nutshell, homes are more affordable because the majority of homes are used and are not taxed, the interest paid on new homes at a lower rate is untaxed, new home prices do not bear taxes imposed upstream, and the saving and investment needed to buy homes is not taxed multiple times.
…Educate yourself : – The Opening Salvo of the Housing War: Mortgage Interest Deduction – Realtors® Say Mortgage Interest Deduction Vital to Home Ownership, Economy – FairTax and Housing * But not Tom Perriello; he is no longer accepting email .
Northtown Bike Trail – From Downtown to 29 North – Looks Great
The Northtown Trail is a smart, functional, bold and audacious plan that would likely help shape non-auto-dependent growth, reduce congestion on 29 and maybe help folks using it get more fit .
…The Northtown Trail is tied to several significant roadway projects in the area, including the Route 250 Interchange at McIntire Road , McIntire Road Extended , the Meadow Creek Parkway and Berkmar Drive Extended . The portions of the trail in Albemarle County correspond directly to planned facilities for the Places29 Master Plan, which aims to improve congestion and land use issues along the US 29 north corridor in Albemarle County. … The City’s portion of the conceptual trail corresponds to planned bike and pedestrian facilities along the future McIntire Road Extended and the Route 250 interchange at McIntire Road.
Shutting Down a Successful Train?
There has to be a way … shame the success is in the hands of politicians. Beginning service Oct. 1, 2009, in its first year the train brought in close to $6.4 million in revenues, far exceeding the $2.58 million that officials expected it to garner. Courtney Ware, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, said Amtrak estimated that the train’s annual operating costs would be roughly $5.48 million. “The train is making a profit,†Richards said.
The Meadowcreek Parkway Might Be Completed
Councilors voted 3-2 — with Mayor Dave Norris and Councilor Holly Edwards opposed — to allowActing City Manager Maurice Jones to endorse the project’s draft memorandum of agreement, which lists the measures the city will take to lessen the negative consequences of building the two-lane road through one of Charlottesville’s largest parks. The proposed measures outlined in the memorandum are to establish two rain gardens that exclusively use native plants; have a landscape plan to integrate the city’s portion of the parkway into the setting’s existing natural features and minimize its influence on McIntire Park; install signage prohibiting truck traffic and posting a speed limit of 35 mph; complete photographic documentation of the eastern side of the park; and complete historical documentation of the McIntire Golf Course.
…I still wonder – if we were designing a transportation solution today rather than trying to implement a 40-year-plus plan , would we create the Meadowcreek Parkway?
… The relationship between the City of Charlottesville and the County of Albemarle is akin to that of divorced parents who really kind of hate each other but are able to keep it together justenough to keep the kids fed.
ACCT Urges Alternative Transportation
Rails, Trails, Bikes and Feet. “We’re trying to access a community of homeowners who have to drive to work,†Eissler said. Awesome.
Charlottesville and Albemarle’s Places 29 – Same Old, Same Old
I stand by what I said in June of this year : Places 29 , Albemarle County’s plan for the 29 North Corridor is in its fifth year (at least) and public outreach meetings continue. Candidly, i suspect that this plan will continue to be yet another exercise is the County and county business leaders publicly demonstrating that their best interests are served by continuing the planning process while those citizens to actually drive 29 continue to lament the interminable planning and delays of the aforementioned “leaders.â€
…What I mean by this is that some parts of the city and county are becoming relatively ignorant of each other, as the residents don’t need to leave their respective worlds. As each neighborhood develops continues to evolve and develop and re-develop its own identity, residents may become more involved hyper-locally but less-so in the greater Charlottesville area.