Growls

On Monday, we Growled about an indulgent Arlington County plundering its hardworking taxpayers so staff could ship a World War II tin-can house to New York City’s Museum of Modern Art for a summer exhibit. We noted that staff was asking the Arlington County Board to approve $60,000 for the project.

So even though the Board in 2006 approved acquisition of the home, this morning, the Board virtually killed any further effort to use taxpayer money to ship the house to NYC for exhibit at the MoMA. Here are the first three paragraphs in the online Arlington Sun-Gazette, as reported by Scott McCaffrey’s:

“After facing a mini-rebellion from the public, County Board members have decided Arlington taxpayers won't be asked to spend nearly $60,000 in support of a New York City museum's art exhibition.

“Board members removed the appropriation from consideration prior to the Feb. 23 board meeting, and made it plain they won't try to sneak the appropriation through any other way.

“It's our intention not to spend any public funds,” board member Mary Hynes said.”

A hearty thanks for the victory this morning is owed to fiscal watchdog Wayne Kubicki, according to the Sun-Gazette’s McCaffrey. Taxpayers should also thank the the Arlington County Republican Committee for sending “a pre-recorded phone message to local residents, alerting them to the situation and urging them to contact county officials in opposition.”

By the way, the County Board had already removed the item from their consent agenda even before the meeting started. Consequently, the link, which Growls referred to on February 18, will no longer access the Manager’s report. However, the report posted yesterday by the Sun-Gazette provides much of the background.