OPINION: Arlington Is a Very Nice Place – But I Don’t Want to Live There
By STAN FENDLEY
Falls Church Times Staff
February 15, 2010
I’m as baffled as the rest of you as to why my friend George Southern keeps banging the Arlington drum.
Don’t get me wrong. Arlington is a very nice place. Well-run, well-planned, and prosperous. In fact, I spend a substantial amount of time there, hanging out at that beautiful new ice rink the Caps built, dining at a number of fine restaurants, and buying things I can’t buy in Falls Church. I like Arlington. Fine place.
Before moving to Falls Church, my family lived in another fine city – Alexandria. Beautiful, historic, great people. A lot going for it, Alexandria.
On the other side of us is Fairfax County. Another very fine place. Also historic, wonderful people, has a great university, some of the finest shopping and dining in the nation.
But my family moved to Falls Church. We like Falls Church. Lots of reasons for that, but the chief reason is – no surprise – schools. Excellent, small schools. Emphasis on the small.
It’s not as if small is good for everyone. We had neighbors who made that decision a few years ago – their kid wanted to go to a bigger school, and Arlington was their choice. At the time, I remember thinking, “That’s cool. It’s all good.”
But my wife and I think small is good for our kids. Everybody knows them, they know everybody, everyone watches out for everyone’s kids, it’s safe, supporting, lots of individual attention – and all that on top of a great education. That seems like a very good deal to me.
And here’s my question. How many small towns and small schools are there inside the Beltway? Hmm, not many, I think. So why would one give that up? As long as my kids are still getting a great education, why would we want to merge with a larger city? For my family, we would lose exactly the thing that brought us here.
I know. George says we can still keep our smallness and still be part of Arlington. I don’t buy that. The pressure on Arlington’s political leaders to treat Falls Church like the rest of their constituents would be overwhelming. George can disagree. He may think we can get a guaranteed deal, but how many political guarantees have you seen broken in your lifetime. Why in the world would we want to take that chance? No, thank you.
And regardless what one thinks should happen, there are a couple of reasons why becoming part of Arlington – or Fairfax, or any other jurisdiction — will not happen anytime soon.
First, no Falls Church political leader would dare support it. Fastest way to lose an election ever. Don’t believe me? Look around. As Andy Rankin recently noted in a retort to George, with election season approaching, we see exactly zero candidates running on the join-Arlington platform.
Second, the reason no political leader would support it is because, as a whole, the community won’t support it. Notwithstanding a lot of discontent over our fiscal situation, people here will do what it takes to stay Falls Church. Run whatever survey you want, and you will get that result.
Now, knowing my friend George, I feel confident that my rebuttal will not end this matter. For reasons unfathomable to me, he feels strongly about this, so we will hear more about joining Arlington.
But for those of you wondering why that drum beat continues, I can only say, use it as motivation not to let that outcome occur. We have a tough budget situation ahead, where the City Council will have to make choices. Everyone who cares about Falls Church should voice his or priorities loudly and clearly to each Council Member, and push them to base their decisions on those priorities.
Then the drum beat will die away. Slowly, perhaps, but it will die away.
By Stan Fendley, Falls Church City
February 15, 2010
Amen.
Andy Rankin made that comment.
You really summarized well why my family moved here to the Little City and not to one of our fine adjourning counties/cities when we had the opportunity. Thanks.
Stan. We know. We get it. You want your kids in a small school system and you will use every means possible to prevent some merger with a Arlington or Fairfax from happening–or as you said it will only happen over your dead body. I am not for a merger, but I know that hard choices are ahead and we have to be open to ideas that will help all students…not just satisfy the needs of the Fendley family and others who see “small“ as an end benefit in itself. So, I suggest you should retune your e-pulpit and as the budget process goes forward help define precisely where the Council can make cuts that will sustain the City and Schools over the next few years. And with regard to George, there are already too many people in this town that would rather pound on the messenger than deal with the message–a path you seem to have started down.
STAN…..IT’S FALLS CHURCH CITY.
The CITY of Falls Church has a serious name recognition problem. Name confusion with the area of Fairfax County called Falls Church has been a continuing problem since the creation of the CITY of Falls Church in 1948. The CITY is surrounded by the Falls Church postal ZIP code areas of Fairfax County, which is seven (7) times the size and ten (10) times the population of the CITY of Falls Church. Many people living in Fairfax and Arlington, and most people living beyond those areas, do not know the difference between the huge, 14 square mile area of Fairfax County called Falls Church and the unique 2.2 square mile CITY of Falls Church, with it’s wonderful places to live, work, shop, dine and take care of business.
Sam,
Although “small” may not be the only end benefit (as you call it), it is definitely one of the main reasons many families chose (and continue to choose) to live in Falls Church. Obviously, there are some negatives to a small system, but those of us who live here already decided the pros outweigh the cons. I appreciate Stan’s thoughtful and positive response to his colleague’s previous articles and hope that we can all keep the tone as positive in our discourse. You asked Stan to “define precisely where the council can make cuts”, but you don’t make any definite proposals yourself. I would be interested in what your specific proposals would be for this budget cycle. To me, it makes sense to begin the dialogue with what are the most important and cherished elements of our school system. Size is one of those elements for many people, but there are certainly others which can guide our decision-making.
I agree with Jack whole heartedly. Why no law enforcement on those illegal aliens who are now loitering at the U haul and across the street? My neice walks to and from school and has told her parents she and her friends are constantly eyed in a innaporriate manner and had lewd remarks made to them as they pass, and syas some of them smell of alcohol at 2:30 pm. The kids now try to detour around those child predators. I am talking elementery and middle school age kids here! Its long past time for our government to suspend political correctness and take the innitative to arrest these people, deport them, and shut off all icentives for them to want to break our laws. If you want to be here to better your lives and prosper, take the legal route! NO REWARDS to law breakers!
Loitering, a crime.
Illegal entry and staying unlawfully, a crime.
Document fraud, a crime.
Failing to file income taxes, a crime.
Soaking up tax dollars in social services such as medical care, which illegals frequently do at our expense, then fail to pay the bill, a crime.
Sexual offenses, driving under the influence, no insurance, false IDs, forming construction companies without licenses, without paying workers comp, and undercutting the economy of legal businesses by driving down labor rates, harms lawful businesses, crimes.
Lisa,
So how do you really feel and who the heck is Jack?
Lisa, those guys at Uhaul are just trying to make a buck to buy some food or whatever for their families.
If elementary and middle school kids are walking by there they are probably on their way to Long John Silvers, not school, because the elementary school is the other way and the middle school kids are not allowed to walk to MEH.