Author: Progressive Voice

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com.

This year’s County Board election is the most important in many years.

It is vitally important that Arlington voters take the time to vote.

It is equally important that they cast two votes for the County Board and that those votes go to Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey.

The alternatives in this year’s election will put into jeopardy many great things that make Arlington the community we love. Indeed the County’s longstanding vision and values are at risk if we do not vote for Katie and Christian.

Their opponents want to cut taxes, focus only on ill-defined “core services” and cut school funding. If Arlington were to elect even one of their opponents, we could lose many good things that make Arlington Arlington.

Katie and Christian are policy-oriented people who will bring fresh perspectives on protecting the County’s core values and moving the County forward.

They will make sure that the County’s fiscal resources are spent wisely and prudently.

They are very personable and dynamic – able to engage and listen – to make sure that the voices of residents are heard in the County’s planning and decision-making.

They also understand that Arlington did not become the place so many people want to live by shortchanging its future or by pitting people and priorities against each other in a hostile and harmful way.

From my experience on the County Board, I know that we can and must deliver core services in an effective, efficient, and cost-conscious way.

But I also know from that experience that much of what has made Arlington special is our decades-long commitment to long-range planning, effective innovation and partnerships, and smart strategic investments.

We have always looked beyond what is standard to make Arlington a truly remarkable place that attracts and keeps people who want something better.

And I learned from that experience that we can’t solve our problems by promising every group that they will get their priorities addressed to the exclusion of others. Rather, we must work together to find solutions that advance a range of County priorities simultaneously – good government with sound finances and a reasonable tax structure, outstanding schools, good libraries, fine parks and recreation programs, attractive transportation options, economic development and competitiveness, human services programs, and affordable housing programs, among others.

These priorities are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, they can and do build upon each other to create a greater whole. Our residents are fully capable of coming forward with good ideas for making it all work.

For those of us who remember the accomplishments of Arlingtonians for a Better County – I say that Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey are our best hope for a Better Arlington.

They deserve your votes and your support.

I am heartened to know that a newer generation of Arlington voters sees this election in a similar way. Progressive Voice columnist Harrison Godfrey is a member of the Millenial Generation who was raised in Arlington and wants to make it his long-term home.

Here is Harry’s take on this year’s County Board election:

“It’s not by accident that Arlington has the highest percentage of Millennials of any county in the United States. Smart planning, a welcoming, cosmopolitan culture, and a vibrant economy – especially in the midst of the Great Recession – have made it an attractive destination for young professionals. That’s great news for our County as small non-profits and large companies alike look for an educated, engaged workforce when deciding where to locate.

“Unfortunately the attributes that have attracted young professionals to Arlington aren’t guaranteed. Federal budget sequestration, for instance, is dampening area job growth and raising commercial vacancy rates. At the same time Arlington’s attractive features have helped push home prices beyond the reach of many first-time buyers and winnowed the stock of affordable rental units.

“To meet these challenges, it’s more important than ever that we have a County Board that upholds Arlington’s tradition of smart planning. Katie and Christian will — with a particular focus on housing affordability, education, and economic competitiveness.

“It’s also critical that we have a Board that represents the demographic, geographic, and economic diversity of our County. The addition of Christian and Katie will ensure that.”

Please join Harry and me in voting for Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey on November 3.

Joe Wholey is former three-time Chairman of the Arlington County Board. Harrison Godfrey is a former White House legislative aide who works on clean-tech policy at the state and Federal levels.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com.

On Oct. 6, the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) held its Annual Fundraiser Celebration at the Clarendon Ballroom. The event supported APAH’s mission to develop, preserve, own and advocate for quality affordable housing in Arlington, and to promote opportunity for its residents through partnerships and programs.

At the event, APAH honored Bill Fogarty of Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, P.C. and Mark Silverwood of Silverwood Companies for their contributions to affordable housing in Arlington.

The importance of APAH’s mission was captured in the following remarks delivered by Allyson Suria, who lives in one of APAH’s affordable housing communities:

My name is Allyson Suria, and I am 19 years old. I am an APAH resident and a member of Mi Voz Cuenta. You may remember me from the County Board meeting where I shared my testimony in support of the Affordable Housing Master Plan.

I came to Arlington from El Salvador in 2004. I attended Barcroft Elementary School, Kenmore Middle School and Washington-Lee High School. Coming from a low-income family, I was a FARM (Free and Reduced Meal) student until graduation. Although I did not have as many resources as many classmates, through support from both my family and my teachers I was able to succeed in school.

I was excited to learn and tried my best to be an exemplary student. By age 10 in 5th grade, I was completely integrated with the rest of the English-speaking students and quickly became an honor student.

My family valued the education my brother and I were receiving from the Arlington Public Schools (APS). So as rent prices rose, we moved all across Arlington — a total of 11 times.

Despite the frequent moves, I continued to excel and my teachers recognized this. I was student of the quarter and semester several times, I was invited to attend youth summits, and received several awards during my APS years.

At Washington-Lee, I took AP courses, IB courses and dual enrollment courses; was president of clubs, a leader in my community, and graduated with an advance diploma.

Currently, I am pursuing an education major at Marymount University where I am a member of the Education School’s honor association and the Dean’s List. Additionally, I am president and founder of Marymount DREAMers — a club for immigrant youth and our allies.

For the past three years our family has lived in an affordable housing property and it has improved our lives by adding much necessary stability.

It has also helped us feel a part of the community. After living in apartments we had no personal connection to, we now live in an apartment we call home and we consider ourselves a part of the neighborhood. I feel motivated to participate more passionately in my community. I now invite others to become civically engaged so they too can enjoy such a feeling.

My brother and I continue to excel in school because we have affordable housing.

My parents always say “We know in the future you will be able to do more than we have in our lifetime.” I believe them. Thanks to my stable home and to my academic efforts, perhaps in the future I will no longer be an affordable housing resident but rather an Arlington home-owner.

This is why affordable housing is important to me. I want our future generations to have better access to economic mobility. In order for students to excel and become successful professionals they need two very important things: 1) a stable home like the one I am blessed to have thanks to APAH; and 2) a world-class education just like the one I feel so privileged to have received from APS.

On behalf of all the families who live in the APAH properties, I would like to give a sincere thank you to all the employees, the donors, volunteers, and board members at APAH. Your contributions to this great organization truly improve our lives and make Arlington our home.

Allyson Suria is a Marymount University student and Arlington resident.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com.

Arlington’s dignified new Homeless Services Center (HRC) opened Oct. 1 — ironically, on a day that would cause only the strongest of us to stay outside.

Steady, storm-driven rain had begun as over 400 guests took the elevator to the second floor of the new facility in the Courthouse area.

A-SPAN (Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network) is contracted to run the facility, and A-SPAN’s staff, board members and CEO Kathy Sibert, hosted the long-awaited opening with gusto. Greeting the first invited guests were cheerful paint colors, crisply made beds, fully functional showers, a complete kitchen and laptops and desks in a classroom. Six local restaurants donated trays of tasty refreshments to extend the hospitality.

Local elected officials from County Board Members to Richmond legislators, who had all worked to bring the project to completion, participated in a heartfelt ceremony to congratulate the dedication of County staff, A-SPAN staff, and neighborhood leaders in helping make HRC a reality.

But mostly, the service center, a dream of A-SPAN’s founder, Lora Rinker, bustled with Arlingtonians who have believed in the work of Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network since Lora started serving bagged meals and soup to the homeless from a location beside the Clarendon Post Office more than 20 years ago.

Tucked inside the renovated office building are service facilities that will complement those well-thought-out living amenities. Dedicated caseworkers will now provide support services for all homeless in cubicles that allow respect for the client’s privacy and welfare.

The classroom will facilitate invaluable lessons in how to live inside and how to get and keep a job. A bright dining room assures that all residents will eat healthfully while a commercial kitchen will both allow meals to be served at the proper temperature and, eventually, become another classroom for job skill preparation.

A permanent nurse practitioner now has an office to monitor health and hopefully avoid illness in a space where 50 people live and 30 more work. Homeless people, released from the hospital, will be able to recover “inside” thanks to the inclusion of five respite rooms fitted out with beds donated by Virginia Hospital Center.

Homeless folks have their own treasures and keepsakes, so there is a locker area where valuables can be stored and a clothing closet for upgrading wardrobes.

There was no nostalgia for the former shelter facility or the remote, though aptly named, “Opportunity Place” located in Shirlington. New beginnings mean new hope for both residents and staff.

The reality is that not all of the homeless of Arlington will be housed in the Homeless Services Center. The cohort that remains outside will continue to receive enhanced A-SPAN assistance based on the new, and fully accessible facility. More showers and washing machines are just the material evidence of the continuum of services the HRC allows.

While the HRC will be a professionally run operation, there is still plenty of need for the extensive crew of dedicated ASPAN volunteers to continue specific, day in and day out help — serving street meals (come rain or come shine), sorting donations, supporting office staff, and more.

The new classroom offers a potential for others to share expertise. For more information about the volunteering, contact Amanda Mark: [email protected] or 703-228-7813.

Much of the funding for A-SPAN’s work comes from federal, state and local grants, but local charitable donations are an important source, too. Participate in a mini-walk, provide a new mattress for a “welcome home” event, donate an old car, become a Friend of A-SPAN. Check out the website for the latest news.

After all reception guests departed last week, the first residents moved across Courthouse parking lot to their new quarters. The brightly colored walls, comfortable but sturdy furniture, and even a well-stocked bookshelf send the message that this space will be a friendly place to stay while on the road to something better.

A-SPAN’s Mission Statement clearly declares that “Ending Homelessness in Arlington” is the goal of all activity in the building and on the street…. this convenient, welcoming space is intended to stimulate and prepare everyone to move into a place called HOME. In between, A-SPAN and the HRC provide dignity as a catalyst.

Ann Felker is a long-time resident of Arlington who has participated in many education, community service and faith activities in the County. She is a former member of the A-SPAN Board of Directors. Ann’s photo is courtesy of her granddaughter, Kenna Geary.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or ARLnow.com.

Labor Day is the traditional start of campaigns in Arlington, and the time between now and Election Day will be full of candidate debates, forums, joint appearances and neighborhood events.

Arlington County is attractive to many because of its history of smart growth, walkable urbanism, a population with the highest levels of educational attainment, and an unemployment rate half the size of the nation’s average.

At the same time, however, Arlington can be a transient location for millennials, young couples looking to start a family and families headed by single women, due to steep housing prices and other high costs of living.

I believe 2015 will be a year in which issues that resonate particularly with women will be an important feature of the campaign season. These issues involve some of the greatest opportunities to improve the welfare, quality of life and advancement of Arlingtonians.

We all need to work together to ensure a safe community. A recent series of attempted sexual assaults in Arlington show us we cannot take safety for granted. The three different failed attempts reported by Arlington County Police Department in July have made many women in Arlington, like myself, reconsider our everyday decisions about how to most wisely travel from location to location.

In addition to greater mindfulness about risks and supporting the efforts by law enforcement officials and officers on the street to deter assaults and apprehend those who have committed assaults, we should address gaps in justice for survivors of sexual violence.

One important priority is ensuring the availability in Arlington of SAFE kits and SANE programs, and reducing backlogs in the processing of rape kits.

Another priority is supporting and monitoring the County’s work with nonprofit organizations to extend the County’s 24-hour domestic violence hotline services to sexual violence hotline and companion services. We also need to ensure sufficient staffing of our Violence Intervention Program.

Quality of life for women and families in Arlington is about more than safe communities.

Economic opportunity for women often depends on access to affordable and stable housing options, quality schools and lifelong learning opportunities for their children and themselves, and sensible child care options.

Housing stability is a key consideration for women and men of all ages in Arlington. Rising rents and home prices create concerns that people will be forced out of their communities. Our economic vibrancy, and our capacity to attract business and employers, depends on the continued economic and generational diversity of our residents.

Renters, young people and older residents seeking to “age in place” share common cause in preventing displacement and ensuring that we continue to proactively and innovatively address the issue of housing affordability and the continued presence of affordable units.

While child care in Arlington sets the quality standard in Virginia, our young families are bearing the burden of very high costs for that care. These costs often drive young families, and single mothers in particular, from our community.

Arlington childcare costs, like much of Northern Virginia, are a quarter to a third higher than in the rest of the Commonwealth. This issue is a result of a supply gap. Without sacrificing quality, we can find ways to reduce costs and address the child care supply gap by pursuing flexibilities in zoning to attract new child care centers.

Finally, Arlington should continue to pursue progressive values that help make it such an attractive place to live and a model community in many respects. For that reason, we should continue to build on our emerging collaboration with statewide reproductive choice advocates to ensure our zoning practices are friendly to the location of women’s health centers closest to our community.

We have much to be proud of and much to accomplish in Arlington. We can continue to address important priorities for women in ways that are innovative, cost effective, and both family-friendly and taxpayer-friendly.

I look forward to hearing more from our candidates on these important issues.

Michelle Woods is the Women’s Caucus Chair of the Arlington Young Democrats.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or ARLnow.com.

Arlington’s progressive voters played a significant role in electing Democrats to all five of the Commonwealth’s statewide offices – U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Governor Terry McAuliffe, Lt. Governor Ralph Northam, and Attorney General Mark Herring. All five won highly competitive races that reflect Virginia’s highly competitive political environment. Arlington’s vote margins mattered.

Yet progressive policies favored by a large majority of Arlington voters, set forth in Arlington County’s legislative agenda and advanced by Arlington’s representatives in the General Assembly and in Congress are very often opposed and killed by strong Republican majorities that do not reflect the composition of Virginia voters or the overall partisan breakdown of national votes for House of Representatives candidates.

These majorities do not reflect the values or competitive nature of Virginia’s electorate, but result from Republican redistricting decisions in the General Assembly in Richmond — packing Democratic voters into districts in Northern Virginia and in majority-minority districts in order to create many more safe Republican districts.

The impact on Arlington from this district packing is that political priorities for Arlington requiring legislative approval – and they are many – face a steep uphill battle in a House of Delegates that has a 67-32 Republican majority.

Packing of Democratic voters into strongly Democratic districts dilutes the political strength that Arlington shows in statewide races.

Recently, a federal court ruled that Virginia’s Congressional districts were drawn improperly (with a similar suit pending that challenges the Delegate districts drawn by Republicans in the House of Delegates).

Governor McAuliffe called the General Assembly into special session to fix the problem with Republican gerrymandering of Congressional seats, but the General Assembly took no action.

How did that happen? Why did it happen? What can Arlingtonians do about it?

During the recent special session, Republican legislators in Richmond turned their backs on Arlingtonians and fellow Northern Virginians who bear the brunt of irresponsible gerrymandering that has gone on -by both parties over the years — for too long.

One example occurred in the House Privileges and Elections Committee.

“We’re no longer in session, so we can no longer take your testimony.”

With these words, Committee Chairman, Mark Cole (R-Spotsylvania) interrupted the testimony of a woman’s rights leader and essentially sent home the 19 scheduled speakers at a critical public hearing on how to respond to the federal court order that Virginia fix the Republican-created districts.

Indeed, Republican legislators who control the General Assembly did not even introduce a new map for consideration. With these and other actions and inactions, the Republican legislators failed to meet a unique opportunity for their party to show the world that it stood for strengthening freedom and democracy, and not for undermining the right to vote of many Virginians.

My brother and I were raised by a single mother in South America. My caring, resilient and talented mother made something clear from the get go: if you break something, you take responsibility for it and you go out of your way to fix it. The House Republicans certainly failed my mother’s test.

The key reason why nothing happened is that legislators like the notion of legislators choosing their constituents rather than constituents choosing their political leaders through a fair and equitable redistricting process.

Indeed, “Virginia is ranked as one of the most gerrymandered states in the country both on the congressional and state levels based on lack of compactness and contiguity of its districts,” according to OneVirginia 2021, a Richmond-based multi-partisan organization advocating for fair redistricting in the Commonwealth. Throughout the Commonwealth, counties and cities are being broken up in half or into multiple pieces to create heavily partisan districts.”

What can Arlingtonians do about the need for fair redistricting? An important first step is supporting the efforts of OneVirginia 2021.

Another step is to be vigilant about what happens in the General Assembly and voice your concerns to legislators across the state.

The bottom line: our constitutional right to vote is sacred – it’s our voice. People should pick their political leaders, NOT the other way around. A GOP truly committed to freedom and democracy would support nonpartisan redistricting, which is gradually taking hold in several states and should become the law nationwide. Electoral districts should be compact, contiguous, and grounded on the principles of equal representation. Nonpartisan redistricting should be a moral imperative for all of us and we should demand it from our leaders now.

Federico E. Cura is a strategic communication trainer, outreach specialist and grassroots organizer. He spent years as a K-12 educator teaching Spanish and ESOL, and served on the Arlington County Transportation Commission.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or ARLnow.com.

The Arlington Public Schools’ mission is to instill a love of learning in students and to prepare them to be responsible and productive global citizens.

To help achieve that mission, APS develops a six-year strategic plan with staff and community involvement. Our 2011-2017 Strategic Plan has helped guide our schools to significant successes. We look forward to building upon those successes in the upcoming school year and to addressing capacity issues that arise, in part, from our achievements.

As Chair of the School Board, I am asking our community to focus particular attention this year on Goal 5 of the APS Strategic Plan, “Meet the Needs of the Whole Child.” In pursuing this goal, we commit to nurturing students’ intellectual, personal, social, physical and emotional development and to providing learning environments that are safe, healthy, engaging and responsive to student needs.

With nearly four decades of experience as an educator, I have come to believe that this goal, to support the Whole Child, is the most important. If our students do not feel safe, are not healthy, and do not feel engaged, they will struggle to learn. I believe the ultimate goal in education is, at its heart, a call to care and support our students so they can succeed.

National and local studies, such as the 2014 ASCD/CDC report, “Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child” substantiate the need for this increased emphasis on the Whole Child. The Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth and Families reported in its 2014 Community Report Card that one quarter of Arlington children entering kindergarten are obese or overweight. Both reports note that children who are physically active and receive proper nutrition are better learners.

For this reason, I am asking that we, as a community, put greater emphasis on compassion and caring, on the promotion of the overall physical and mental well-being of our students. We need to change the conversation about accountability. We need to expand our definition of success beyond test scores to include a focus on the development of the Whole Child, making sure each student is healthy, safe, engaged, and supported by caring adults.

In this regard, I believe we must look at enhancing physical, mental health and wellness services in our schools, community and county. We must collaborate and align resources with the child’s needs at the center. Families, educators, community organizations and county services must provide the solid network of support essential for student success. We have so many resources here in Arlington. We now need to make sure they fully work to support our students.

The result will be students who are prepared for college, career and citizenship as well as the full breadth of experiences that their multifaceted adult lives will bring. We will continue to look to test scores as one indicator of our children’s success and well being. In this measure, Arlington students do better and better each year, as APS’ recent release on SOL scores reports.

During the new school year and beyond, we can continue to improve both academically and in our support for the Whole Child. To do so we must work collectively to address our students’ needs. We all must share responsibility for our students and their success. With this focus on the Whole Child, our students will be knowledgeable, emotionally and physically healthy, civically active, and ready for the world beyond APS.

Emma Violand-Sanchez is Chair of the Arlington County School Board. She joined the Board in January 2009 and previously served as Chair during the 2012-13 school year. She is a career educator and has lived in Arlington since 1978.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or ARLnow.com.

Arlington has long been known for mastering smart infrastructure investments that have boosted the local economy, made Arlington an attractive place to live, and led to high levels of satisfaction in surveys of County residents.

Now, County leaders face a public that is cool to ambitious approaches to transportation, planning and infrastructure other than, perhaps, new and expanded schools.

For many, Arlington’s 2014 decision to cancel streetcars in Crystal City and Columbia Pike dealt not only a blow to transportation, but to community pride as well. What if, however, this gives us a timely, useful pause to consider improvements that are less capital-intensive? While I do not believe they can be the only solutions, it is important that we explore such alternatives.

Several fast-changing trends are converging to change how we live, work, shop, play – and get around. This is happening all over the world, but has special relevance for Arlington as we expand a planning focus from Metro station areas to other ways of delivering services, opportunity and quality of life.

These trends – technology, demographics, and shifts in work and workplaces – require new types of planning.

For transportation, Uber and Lyft are mainly known for disrupting the taxi industry, but it is really the smart phone platform that is transforming everything from biking to parking to travel.

So what are the opportunities in Arlington and what does it mean for planning?

Ride and Van Share – New companies like Bridj and Split are building new “microtransit” services that range from $2-$7 per trip. They fit a service level somewhere between solo driving and ART bus lines. They work by using algorithms to assign passenger pick-ups based on the most efficient origin-destination routes among several shuttle buses.

For example, residents living near the intersection of Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive can hail shuttles going to Seven Corners, Ashburn and other job centers not served by Metro (or that require multiple transit connections). These new transit companies are eager to work with localities to share data, incorporate services into formal transportation planning, and optimize public transit routes.

Paratransit – Arlington Transit offers on-demand rides for travelers with limited mobility. While costs have decreased (28% over the past three years to $27 per trip), these new services could reduce the costs of transportation further. As Arlington develops aging-in-place strategies throughout the County, these rides are incredibly important.

Car Owners – Yes, we have the Car-Free Diet, but what about support for drivers? Let’s face it, many Arlingtonians live in areas where a car is really the only practical travel option. However, many drivers want to reduce the hassles of driving, finding a parking space and car ownership. Fortunately, there are apps for all of these. The availability of these resources means that we should expand our transit programs to find ways to use our roads and parking resources in ways that help drivers — since reduced driving through efficiencies and easier route and parking navigation can result in less congestion for us all.

Locally Grown Transportation Companies – Arlington and DC are home to transportation companies like TransitScreen. Mobility Lab tracks new trends at the intersection of transportation, cities and technology. Arlington’s Economic Development chief Victor Hoskins wants to focus on tech for security, health and education. Given Arlington’s leadership in land use and transportation, and with the addition of 1776 to Crystal City, it makes sense to add smart cities to the list.

But there are also questions. How do public agencies incorporate private companies into transportation and infrastructure programs? For land use, what is Transit Oriented Development (TOD) when the transit comes to you through more individualized services? How do people without smart phones access broader mobility services? And finally, how will self-driving cars and transit ultimately disrupt the current disruptors?

Certainly tech-enabled ride sharing apps won’t exactly replicate the performance of a streetcar line. But they can provide immediate, cost-effective mobility options and supply the data needed to support the right kind of larger transportation and other infrastructure investments in the future.

In times such as these, the winning bet may not always be the big bet, but a series of strategic, iterative bets can help continue moving us forward.

Lisa Nisenson is a long-time civic advocate in Arlington and is founder of GreaterPlaces, a startup and member of the tech incubator 1776.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or ARLnow.com.

How are we to understand the “gotcha” video attacks on Planned Parenthood – an organization serving low-income women nationwide with a network of family-oriented and community-strengthening health centers?

It started with a deceptively edited video a few weeks ago attacking Planned Parenthood’s health centers. The next step was a Republican push in Congress to gut funding for the centers, an outcome that would threaten lifesaving cancer screenings to countless low-income women, as well as critical access to contraception and reproductive education.

Then we saw an organization dedicated to criminalizing abortion hacking into the women’s health centers’ computer system.

These efforts go beyond bullying tactics we’re so used to from the right. When right wingers play “hard ball’ — as some of them put it — integrity becomes a lesser priority. What happened to the moral values of honesty and love of neighbor? They seem incompatible with today’s Republican and anti-abortion “me-only” ideologies.

Moreover, these latest attacks on women’s reproductive health advance a continuing right wing campaign to impose a radical “me-only” mindset on those who share the more common framework of “me-and-us.”

It is part of a multi-pronged effort by right wingers to rewrite our great nation’s history by asserting that the uniquely American idea of separation of church and state, which has served us well for over 200 years, was not really meant to be. This historic separation and the rich cultural-religious tapestry our nation has become conflicts with their “me-only” mindset.

This “me-only” mindset suggests that we should all accept as the only valid American morality their interpretation of the role of women and reproductive biology — fetuses, fertilized eggs, and sperm.

The right wingers want to protect fetuses no matter how much the women who carry them may be harmed. We cannot continue the historic neglect of women’s physical and mental health. Enough is enough! A woman should have the freedom to make her own health care decisions in consultation with her doctor and, for women of faith, her God.

I do not expect that everyone should share my point of view. But I also do not expect that I must accept the “me-only” point of view as a divine destiny.

We must especially not allow government actions – pushed by the pro-criminalization forces – to make lesser citizens of women. When government does not trust women, we all suffer as result.

Being bicultural, originally from Latin America, I see what women experience in places that have strict prohibitions on termination of unwanted pregnancies and even on birth control. We see something like where we were before Roe v. Wade — botched illegal abortions, troubling suicides by young and desperate pregnant women, high juvenile hopelessness, violence in places with chronic unemployment and high fertility rates, and the prosecution and marginalization of women experiencing miscarriages.

What the “me-only” activists fail to see is the fundamental notion that we Americans are greater and stronger as a united people than we are in a nation of radical individualism. Our success depends on everyone – men and women – getting an equal opportunity to contribute to our society.

We want an economy that works for everyone and does not leave women behind with less reproductive health, justice and freedom. We want strong families and communities that can depend upon family wellness and access to quality and affordable health care by everyone. That’s how we will move forward together.

Over the years, Planned Parenthood’s lifesaving women’s health centers have contributed to the strength, structure and stability of the American family and communities. Instead of defunding Planned Parenthood, Republicans should support Medicaid expansion so that lower-income women are less dependent on the health centers for cancer screenings and other lifesaving health services.

In our country, we must value women’s lives and freedom. Women, who should be trusted as much as men, should have what they need — including Planned Parenthood’s lifesaving health centers — to avoid unwanted pregnancy and childbirth as well as unwanted forced marriages resulting from those pregnancies.

It is also vitally important to have wanted children. In a society valuing women’s lives and freedom, motherhood should be voluntary. As author Katha Pollitt writes, “motherhood should add to a women’s ability to lead a full life, not leave her on the sidelines, wondering how she got there.”

The recent attacks on Planned Parenthood’s network of women’s health centers reflects the “me-only” ideology that hurts women’s health, lives and freedom, and greatly weakens the American family.

Federico E. Cura is a strategic communication trainer, outreach specialist and grassroots organizer. He spent years as a K-12 educator teaching Spanish and ESOL, and served on the Arlington County Transportation Commission.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author’s organization or of ARLnow.com.

In September, the County Board will vote to adopt the Affordable Housing Master Plan (“Plan”) as part of the County’s Comprehensive Plan. The draft Plan has undergone review and revision and continues to be a hot topic in local blogs and print outlets. Here’s my case in support of its adoption.

Let’s start with what the Plan is: a policy document that contains enabling principles, goals and objectives. It is not a master housing siting plan or an allocation of new resources. The Plan, with a 20+ year look forward, does not commit to a specific course of action or number of committed affordable units (CAFs). In fact, it specifically reserves the right to make adjustments based on feasibility and market conditions.

There is a fair amount of confusion about the impact of the accompanying Implementation Framework (“Framework”), a staff guidance document that describes the existing and potential tools that will be used to achieve the Plan. The County Board will be asked to “accept” the Framework to guide staff efforts to develop new housing tools and consider housing site plans. These resulting processes to evaluate those tools and plans will be subject to community review and input–as has been the tradition.

So why has the County, guided by a citizen working group, spent the better part of three years preparing the Plan? For one thing, a change in state law now requires the County to incorporate an affordable housing plan into its state-mandated Comprehensive Plan which currently contains the County’s policies regarding land use, energy, transportation, and public spaces. This helps ensure integrated planning.

But more importantly, it’s time to re-examine housing needs, given that the last major study and current housing goals and targets were created 15 years ago. Since then, rents and housing prices have doubled, and the County has lost 13,000 rental units that were once affordable to households making 60 percent of AMI (Area Median Income — roughly $46,000 for a single person and $65,500 for a family of four).

Three other trends require the new policies expressed in the Plan.

First, available land in Arlington is scarce and costly. New approaches are needed to encourage market forces to develop affordability and allow for its distribution throughout the County. The Plan proposes exploring new approaches including land use and zoning changes, simplified approvals, and new housing design, including revisiting the accessory dwelling ordinance. Specifically, however, the Plan commits the County to using its financing (loan fund) and land use tools and sector planning to incentivize distribution of affordable units throughout the County.

Second, affordability challenges now confront the middle class. That and the growth in Baby Boomers who wish to “age in place” and Millennials require a fresh look at housing options. The Plan includes policy language and potential tools for addressing these concerns, including using land use and zoning policy to incentivize ownership housing affordable to households between 80-120 percent of AMI. The Plan includes new County policies to both help the middle class and enable Arlingtonians to age in community.

Third, Arlington’s economic sustainability in the face of increased competition requires a robust and stable employee base and a housing mix to support that base. In expressing support for the direction and goals of the Plan, the Arlington Chamber noted the importance of housing to employee recruitment and retention and business location decisions. The Plan expresses a preference for existing residents and Arlington-based workers in using County funds for rental or ownership programs.

Market forces, strong property rights laws and the Dillon Rule notwithstanding, our success in meeting current and future challenges — if we are to remain a place that is both diverse and economically sustainable — will depend on creative approaches and flexibility. The policies and objectives of the Plan provide that foundation.

Mary Rouleau is a 25-year resident of Arlington. She is the Executive Director of The Alliance for Housing Solutions.

Progressive Voice is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organization or ARLnow.com.

This column is written by Joseph Leitmann-Santa Cruz.

My wife and I are proud to raise our family in and be part of a community that recognizes the importance of investing in our public education system. Arlingtonians have built a world-class education system and we need to celebrate that; however, not everyone throughout the County — especially our kids and families in South Arlington — has benefited equally.

South Arlington has been growing rapidly in the past few years. This rapid growth has been placing a burden on how effectively our elementary schools in South Arlington are able to address the needs of the current and projected school population.

Nine out of 10 elementary schools in South Arlington have significant projected seat deficits for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year. Two of those schools, Barcroft and Claremont, have reached overcapacity by 24% and 20%, respectively. Fast forward five years and the projected overcapacity figures increase to 35% and 23%. This is unacceptable. We can do better.

Our kids and families in South Arlington can and should have access to more and better programs, services and facilities.

Because Arlington cares, we seem to be moving in that direction.

On June 25, at the invitation and request from the Arlington School Board, I had the privilege of joining representatives from over 40 civic association, parent teacher associations, and other community organizations from South Arlington as we launched the first meeting of the South Arlington Working Group to Site a New Elementary School. I know, it’s quite a long name!

To achieve the School Board’s goal of opening a new, 725-seat neighborhood elementary school in South Arlington, preferably by the fall of 2019, the Working Group is charged with analyzing site options and providing input on related program moves with two key goals –addressing crowding and enhancing instructional opportunities — in South Arlington elementary schools.

Some might view this as redoing what the Thomas Jefferson Working Group already did. Hopefully, most will view our Working Group’s approach as focusing on having a broad, extensive, and transparent decision-making process.

There is a lot to learn from what worked and didn’t work from the TJ Working Group. Furthermore, our goal is a broader one of having all options “on the table” for community consideration.

The challenges are many but so are the opportunities to truly make available a world-class education system to every child in Arlington regardless of which neighborhood her or his family lives in.

From the very first meeting, the Working Group rolled up its sleeves and got to work. There is no issue too big or too small to be considered: site location, diversity matters, cost effectiveness, open/green space, traffic management, etc.

The focus and resources that the School Board is devoting to seeking solutions for school crowding and enhancing instructional opportunities is commendable, as is the spirit of cooperation and collaboration that the County Board and School Board have adopted this year to help ensure that we maintain a superior school system.

The Working Group will meet every two weeks. Our meetings are open to the public, so please join us and be part of the process. Furthermore, we invite and encourage the community to keep track of our Working Group’s progress by accessing our meeting minutes and discussed materials at http://www.apsva.us/moreseats.

This Working Group and other similar fora we have in our community are what helps make Arlington a special place where different voices can be heard. I look forward to being part of our collaborative approach to benefit all in the community.

Joseph Leitmann-Santa Cruz is the Director of External Relations for Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) and a member of the Board of Directors of the Arlington-based non-profit organization Dream Project.