Archive for 'Our View'

Budget flap exposes problems in City Hall

Budget flap exposes problems in City Hall

It would be easy to dismiss the ongoing city council dustup over set-asides for the affordable housing and open space funds as much ado about nothing. Unfortunately, the disagreement reveals quite a bit about City Hall [...]

Editorial: Norfolk Southern went down the wrong track — again

Editorial: Norfolk Southern went down the wrong track — again

The imbroglio kicked up by transportation giant Norfolk Southern last week might best be summed up by the words of the Captain in “Cool Hand Luke”: “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.” Once again, [...]

Editorial: Council spending spree hurts city residents

Editorial: Council spending spree hurts city residents

Get ready, Alexandrians, because your tax bills are about to go up — a lot. Proving that last year’s tax and spending restraint was just election-year politics, this year’s newly elected, all-Democratic city council passed a [...]

Editorial: Complex cab rules need a review

Editorial: Complex cab rules need a review

Coverage of the fractious relationship between taxi drivers, cab companies and city officials has graced our pages several times in recent weeks. And after careful study of the industry, we can confidently conclude the system is [...]

Editorial: United by Boston

Editorial: United by Boston

Ich bin ein Bostonian: I am a Bostonian. We borrow from former President John F. Kennedy’s famous statement of solidarity in West Berlin 50 years ago, after the erection of the Berlin Wall. Then, America’s president [...]

Margaret Thatcher deserves her due

The reaction to last week’s death of Margaret Thatcher, the former prime minister of the United Kingdom, has been fascinating. Love her or hate her, she was the most important woman of the 20th century. Paul [...]

Our View: A silver lining in the Beauregard debate

Our View: A silver lining in the Beauregard debate

As expected, the city council voted overwhelmingly in favor of rezoning the Beauregard corridor Saturday, giving developers more density in exchange for contributions toward public amenities. What was less expected was the thoughtful discussion of affordable [...]

Editorial: Ready or not, food trucks may be wheeling into town

Editorial: Ready or not, food trucks may be wheeling into town

Alexandria may soon be invaded. Not by mosquitos or cicadas (though they’re coming as well), but by trucks bearing convenient, cheap and sometimes even tasty food options. Opinion on allowing food trucks into Alexandria is mixed [...]

Editorial: Developers could — and should — do more for Alexandria

Editorial: Developers could — and should — do more for Alexandria

Residents and officials concerned with Alexandria’s dwindling supply of affordable housing saw two major developments recently: the sale of Hunting Point and the planning commission’s approval of rezoning in the Beauregard corridor. The apartment complex and [...]

Editorial: It’s time for a pair of fresh eyes

Editorial: It’s time for a pair of fresh eyes

Leaders of a grassroots organization dedicated to holding police accountable for their actions have asked city authorities to let outside law enforcement officials investigate the February shooting death of Taft Sellers — to little avail. While [...]