Last month’s Arlington County Board vote on Missing Middle is a prime example of the questionable instincts of board members, and why it is likely none of them have much chance of advancing up the political food chain.
Already having alienated much of the community – the part that sees Missing Middle as something of a bait-and-switch con job with the likelihood of massive negative unintended consequences – County Board members then alienated those who most fervently support the proposal, by setting annual caps on how many parcels can be affected.
County Board members will justify their decision by suggesting that, if everybody went away somewhat mad, it must have been a fair compromise. We wouldn’t be so sure.
Instead of both sides believing the County Board took a prudent middle course, both sides came away irked. Thus proving the tried-and-true political axiom: When you try to occupy the middle of the road, usually you end up getting run over.
• • •
The front page of last week’s Arlington Connection newspaper carried this headline: “Did Missing Middle Start as a Done Deal?”
Why yes, yes it did. The past three years have simply been a search for a rationale to ram it through.
