Neighborhood safety zones allowed under ‘living Constitution’

Re: “U.S. attorney questioned constitutionality of sealed safety zones in May,” June 5

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Police Chief Cathy Lanier have proposed checkpoints in dangerous neighborhoods. Civil libertarians reflexively scream “unconstitutional,” not understanding that our “living Constitution” not only allows civil liberties to be expanded, but also contracted as circumstances warrant. 

As any 5-4 Supreme Court decision reminds us, the U.S. Constitution is the ultimate subjective legal doctrine, varying with the political context of the times. Just as our government can make us all but strip before getting on an airplane nowadays, so too can it limit access to publicly owned roads for the legitimate public purpose of protecting life, limb and property. 

Dino Drudi

Washington

Obama would get not one, but two co-presidents

Re: “Agree? Disagree? Barack Obama will not choose Hillary Clinton to be his running mate,” June 4

Barack Obama should not choose Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate because the office of the presidency is not a triumvirate.

With Hillary ensconced in the vice presidency, Obama will automatically get husband Bill, and therefore would be saddled with both Clintons — who maniacally believe they are entitled to be president.

Craig Taylor

Alexandria

Alexandria is wrong place for ethanol transfer station

Re: “Norfolk Southern’s ethanol use draws ire of Alexandria,” May 30

No surprise that Norfolk Southern thumbed its nose at the Alexandria mayor,

City Council and staff again, this time with the help of the feds, and with total disregard for the safety of thousands. They have done it before.

What is more egregious is the way city officials handled this. They knew about the ethanol facility months ago. Why did it take so long to tell city residents?

There is no reason for a potentially dangerous ethanol transfer operation in a populated residential area. Hazardous tanker trains do not belong parked in our city for days. Trucks full of this dangerous chemical should not be on our streets, roads and highways either, especially when adequate firefighting resources do not exist in the area.

Joe Schramm

Alexandria

Task force works to transform Tysons into lively urban hub

Re: “Ignorance is bliss for Tysons task force,” editorial, April 11

The Examiner is much too quick to pass negative judgment on the work of the Tysons Task Force. Check your facts. The Dulles Rail project is far from “moribund.” Work proceeds at full pace and ground will be broken within six months, naysayers notwithstanding.

The work of the Tysons Task Force, central to the future of the Washington area’s primary urban center, is not proceeding independent of transportation analyses. Each land use modification requires a commensurate re-evaluation by the county’s transportation consultants. Ultimately, an optimum balance will be achieved.

A street grid system providing many new access points, a sophisticated internal circulation transit system, and bicycle and pedestrian walkways will make the New Tysons function far better than it does today and provide an alternative to the three-SUVs-in-every-driveway scenario.

 We must note, however, that traffic will increase regardless of a replanned Tysons or not. But if we changed absolutely nothing, traffic congestion would get far worse.

David A. Edwards

Reston