‘Visual Pollution’ Of Signs Stain Major Corridors
Editor,
My wife and I are new to Falls Church, having recently moved just 3 miles from Arlington. We now spend more time driving the Rts 7 and 50 corridors.
I have found it appalling and “visual pollution” to see the absurd proliferation of signs posted on the local medians and road sides – signs promoting everything from furniture store “closeouts”(the majority), stores that buy gold (the most recent gross entries), to home tutoring and dog walking services. Some posters have the nerve to post dozens (hundreds?) of same signs within feet of one another.
I have not conducted research, but I’m guessing Falls Church and/or Fairfax County governments cannot police these eyesores, as perhaps the main arteries are state (VA) maintained. I would be grateful for FCNP or reader input/assistance on who can be written to stop the “litter” by providing enforcement and removals.
In the meantime, I would respectfully request your readers that care about local environment / appear- ances to:
• Refuse to patronize any “merchant” using these ugly practices. (Perhaps those merchants would be better served spending money to advertise in FCNP!)
• Take a few minutes to call the phone numbers shown for the biggest offenders, and voice your objections. Maybe they will stop if they get enough complaints.
• Write to the hopefully to be named government agency that presumably has restrictions on such eyesores.
David W. Giger
Falls Church
Benton Column On Usury Hit Important Issue
Editor,
I was so pleased to read Nicholas Benton’s column on usury in last week’s issue of the News Press. I have been amazed at how little attention is paid to this most significant sin; it is given much more attention in the Bible than subjects like homosexuality or birth control, topics which seem to consume the minds of the religious right.
The Biblical Prophets all rail against institutionalized greed; huge long passages are devoted to crimes against the poor.
The column was the first one I have read this campaign season which gives light to one of our most fundamental moral obligations – to treat others as we would have them treat us, including in terms of our financial and economic systems.
The big banks have made it easy for poor and struggling families to get into debt and extremely hard for them to get out of debt; sometimes I feel like they are living in a modern version of Dickens’s debtor’s prisons.
At Homestretch, we offer a rigorous service to help families reduce their debt and restore their credit; something they cannot do easily on their own.
I pray that Mr. Benton’s voice sounds the alarm and that this subject – the crime of usury – becomes a topic debated around dinner tables and on news shows across our great nation.
Christopher Fay
Executive Director, Homestretch
Need for Tough EPA Standards as Planet Heats
Editor,
Over 7 million Virginians have lived through extreme weather causing extremely big problems, according to a new Environment Virginia report released on February 16. Hurricane Irene, which affected 12,332 people in the Falls Church area, was among the events highlighted. Virginians can see which weather-related disasters hit their area through an online interactive map at www.environmentvirginia.org.
Climate scientists have clearly stated that global warming increases the likelihood that we’ll see even more extreme weather in the future. Given the damage that Virginia has already seen from recent extreme weather, it’s critical that we cut emissions of the carbon pollution that is fueling global warming.
The Environmental Protection Agency is about to develop carbon pollution standards for coal-fired power plants-the largest single source of carbon pollution and yet a source that currently lacks any carbon pollution limits. I urge Virginians to speak up in favor of EPA moving ahead with these standards, to help protect our environment, our health and our public safety.
Emily Jorgensen
Springfield
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