RICHMOND – For a county more than 100 miles from the state capital, Arlington is getting a lot of attention during the 2011 General Assembly session. And a lot of it’s not good. From the House subcommittee that killed the county’s hotel tax to a recent proposal that would force Arlington to participate in a federal immigration enforcement program from which it wanted to withdraw, the Northern Virginia enclave has been front and center — and under siege. Pat Carroll, the county’s liaison in Richmond, downplayed the confrontations flaring in the current legislative session, saying all localities at one time or another feel snubbed by the General Assembly — Arlington County included.
“Maybe not to the extent we’ve seen, but I think all localities [feel] targeted one way or the other,” she said. “Northern Virginia is hated and loved. Part of it is that we are more liberal in general, we are wealthier.”
Lawmakers from other parts of the state have often disparaged Northern Virginia, which is far more transient and far less conservative than the rest of the Old Dominion. The current attacks on Arlington, however, come not from afar, but from neighbors.
Del. Tim Hugo, R-Fairfax, halted the renewal of an Arlington hotel tax that funds its tourism promotion budget, saying that if the county had enough money to sue the state over proposed improvements along Interstate 395, it didn’t need the tax. Arlington dropped that 2009 lawsuit Tuesday after spending $1 million pursuing it.
Del. Dave Albo, R-Fairfax, citing Arlington’s attempt to opt out of a program requiring local police to confirm the immigration status of suspects against a federal database, is now pushing legislation to require all localities, including Arlington, to participate.
Even Gov. Bob McDonnell has weighed in, canceling the I-395 project to which Arlington objected, replacing it with a $1 billion congestion-relieving road plan that aids Fairfax County and Alexandria but does little or nothing for Arlington.
Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, arguing against the immigration legislation, sounded a defensive note that seemed to encapsulate Arlington’s woes.
“I feel like I need to defend my jurisdiction,” Hope said. “This is specifically aimed at Arlington.”
