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ArlinArlingtonTheThe gton ConnectionConnection Page 13 Sports page 12 ❖ Classified, page 14 Classified, ❖ ToughTough Loss:Loss: PitcherPitcher Entertainment, page 8 GivesGives upup JustJust TwoTwo HitsHits News,News, PagePage 1212 Special Election, Rare Result News, Page 3 Yorktown pitcher Graeme Fineman allowed just two hits in seven innings against Washington-Lee on How Healthy Is April 11, but suffered the tough-lucktough-luck loss.loss. Northern Virginia News, Page 4 Democrats Debut Debate News, Page 3 Photo by Craig Sterbutzel/The Connection online at www.connectionnewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.comApril 16-22, 2014 Arlington Connection ❖ April 16-22, 2014 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Arlington Connection ❖ April 16-22, 2014 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Arlington Connection Editor Steven Mauren News 703-778-9415 or [email protected] Michael Lee Pope/The Connection Photo by Photo All 10 candidates appear at a forum in Mount Vernon along with moderator George Burke. Michael Lee Pope Democrats Clash In First Debate /Connection Newspapers Candidates for Congress claim territory from liberal to moderate. By Janelle Germanos and Michael Lee Pope The Connection Democratic County Board member Libby Garvey poses with independent John Vihstadt oters in the 8th congressional district have a wide variety and former U.S. Rep. Tom Davis, a Republican. Vof choices in the June 10 Democratic primary, an epic primary featuring an unprecedented 10 candidates. Dur- ing their first debate at Mount Vernon High School last weekend, Democrats Lose Special Election candidates clashed over financial issues as well as the kind of tone they want to strike in Washington. Voters will be able to cial election were rejecting business as usual. On the choose between liberal and moderate, a range of options that Opposing controversial campaign trail, Democrats faced criticism on spend- includes those with decades of experience in elected office as ing for an aquatics center and a million-dollar bus well as a handful of first-time candidates. streetcar initiative was key stop, although the debate over the controversial $310 “In a field like this, it’s a great advantage to have been an elected million streetcar initiative dominated most of the official already so people are familiar with your name,” said Kyle to John Vihstadt’s victory. discussion. Kondik, analyst with the University of Virginia Center for Poli- “It’s not so much a win for the Republicans, as it is tics. “So that would help a candidate like Don Beyer, who is the By Michael Lee Pope a defeat for the Democrats,” said Davis, who is now only candidate to have held statewide office before. That said, it The Connection a professor at George Mason University. “The fact was a decade and a half ago.” that John was able to attract so many Democrats, I Beyer was the only candidate to take fire from another candi- he victory party for independent candi- think, should be a message to them that maybe they date at the forum last weekend, an indication that he has a tar- date John Vihstadt brought together a should take a deep breath in terms of where they’re get on his back. Radio personality Mark Levine, who describes Tstrange mix of Northern Virginia politi- going.” himself as “the aggressive progressive” attacked Beyer for sup- cos, a moment that was crystallized when porting a plan that would create a national sales tax. During a the winning candidate posed for pictures with former EVER SINCE longtime County Board member Chris question about income inequality, Levine launched into the first U.S. Rep. Tom Davis (D-11), a Republican, and Demo- Zimmerman announced that he would be stepping attack of the primary season, which is expected to get more in- cratic County Board member Libby Garvey. Campaign down last year, the politics of the streetcar has been tense as the June election day approaches. manager Eric Bescia, who waged his own unsuccess- at the center of the special election. Alan Howze’s “One of the candidates on this stage until just last month op- ful Republican campaign for the House of Delegates campaign manager, Bharat Krishnan said the posed the progressive income tax,” said Levine. “He supported a few years ago, looked around the room and con- campaign’s internal polling showed the streetcar is- Tom DeLay’s plan to get rid of the estate tax, get rid of the in- cluded that the winning coalition was a reaction to sue sunk the Democrat’s campaign. come tax and make everything a national sales tax. That’s not recent actions of the “People are just tired very progressive at all.” Arlington County of this insular all- Board. Election Results Democratic thinking,” THE ATTACK is based on a 2005 article in the industry publica- “One of the most in- said Krishnan. “And tion Automotive News, which quotes Beyer as saying DeLay’s plan teresting observations Independent John Vihstadt: 12,656 votes, 57 percent Vihstadt was just out “makes eminent sense as public policy,” adding that it would I’ve heard about this Democrat Alan Howze: 9,107 votes, 41 percent Independent Green Janet Murphy: 250 votes, 1 percent there every day pound- improve capital formation because wealthy individuals and busi- campaign is that we Independent Stephen Holbrook: 161 votes, 1 percent ing us on this Demo- nesses would have more money to invest in new ventures. Beyer created a very Euro- cratic groupthink.” did not respond during the debate, but a spokeswoman for Beyer pean political coalition This makes the sec- later said he never supported replacing the progressive tax with in which we brought a whole bunch of small parties ond consecutive special election in which the street- a national sales tax, and he never will. together in order to challenge the dominant party,” car initiative played a central role in the politics. Back “Don believes that the middle class and working families al- said Brescia. “We had the Republican Party endorse- in 2012, School Board member Libby Garvey won a ready bear too much of the burden,” said Ann O’Hanlon. “He ment as well as the Green Party endorsement in ad- special election that featured her becoming increas- supported Obama’s rollback of Bush tax cuts for the wealthy and dition to a whole bunch of prominent Democrats and ingly skeptical of the proposal. Since that time, in Congress would work to eliminate loopholes that allow the the firefighters union.” though, she has remained a lone voice of opposi- wealthy to pay a lower effective tax rate than many middle class For Democrats, the loss was a stunning upset. The tion. Now she has another vote to second motions families.” party currently holds a stranglehold over all the and ask county staff to review aspects of the pro elected positions in the county, so losing a seat on See Democrats, Page 5 the County Board was a sign that voters in the spe- See Special Election, Page 4 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Arlington Connection ❖ April 16-22, 2014 ❖ 3 News County Health Rankings County Premature death in Fairfax City is calculated by looking at years of life A map of Virginia rates health factors, including everything from high- lost before age 75 per 100,000 people, but health officials in Fairfax school graduation rates and obesity to smoking and unemployment. City say the data is flawed. How Healthy Is This Neighborhood? Dijk, deputy director of County Health “The data on which the rankings are port, who say they are hoping to refine the New study reveals Roadmaps at the University of Wisconsin. based is inaccurate for several reasons,” said data in the future to make it better. “It’s a way to think about what we can do Louise Armitage, human services coordina- “I don’t have any problems with her as- some parts of collectively to improve these areas.” tor for Fairfax City in an email. “The main sessment,” said Amanda Jovaag, an associ- The annual rankings measure everything reason for the erroneous data is that the ate researcher with the University of Wis- Northern Virginia are from high-school graduation rates and obe- state health department continues to uti- consin Population Health Institute. “That sity to smoking and unemployment. The lize ZIP code to assign seems perfectly reason- healthier than others. goal is to reveal a snapshot of how health jurisdiction of resi- able to me.” is influenced by where people live. Orga- dency even though ZIP “This is an annual By Michael Lee Pope nizers say the point is to help communities codes are not discrete NORTHERN VIR- The Connection have a discussion about how they can use to the city or to the checkup of your GINIA fares well over- the data to make changes. Even when the county.” all when compared to lexandria has the lowest rates of numbers are good — low obesity rates in Armitage says an au- community’s health. the rest of the common- smoking in Northern Virginia, Arlington and Alexandria, for example — dit of deaths in Fairfax It’s a way to think wealth. The top three Abut it also has the highest rates that doesn’t mean a community should be- City deaths shows se- healthiest jurisdictions of excessive drinking. Fairfax City come complacent. rious irregularities. In are in Northern Vir- has the highest rates of physical inactivity, “That’s still one out of five people who 2008, for example, one about what we can do ginia: Loudoun County, although Fairfax County enjoys one of the are obese,” said Van Dijk. “So while it’s en- audit showed 276 out collectively to improve Fairfax County and Ar- lowest rates of premature death.