Karina Lipsman: Oppose Missing Middle!

My name is Karina Lipsman, and I’m running to represent the people of Virginia’s 8th Congressional District. I hope to earn your vote in November.

I was born and raised in Soviet-controlled Ukraine until I was eight. The Soviet system was all about intimidation, indoctrination and control. Some of what I experienced there, I’m beginning to see in this country. It disturbs me.

The Soviets indoctrinated school children to see the world as the Soviets wished them to see it. When parents tell me about the indoctrination happening in American schools today, often against the wishes of the parents, I recall the indoctrination I was subjected to in a government run school in Ukraine.

Because the Soviets controlled the economy, our choice of consumer goods was strictly limited. When the US government decrees we should all drive electric cars, it gives me a twinge of recognition of government social engineering.

This brings me to the Missing Middle program. This program, to build multi-family dwellings in neighborhoods previously zoned for single family dwellings, is not limited to Arlington County.

It is happening nationwide. That is because the federal government has set aside ten billion dollars in President Biden’s FY2023 budget to entice localities to adopt the Missing Middle. Other proposals would withhold federal funds from localities if they refuse to implement the program.

The idea for the Missing Middle didn’t bubble up from people sensing an urgent need for multi-family dwellings in their neighborhood. The Missing Middle is the federal government using tax dollars to try to influence local decisions. At its core, the Missing Middle is top down government social engineering. The government will decide what kind of car you should drive. The government will decide what your housing should be and who should live there. This is the kind of social engineering I experienced under the Soviets and it bothers me greatly to see it happening here. That’s one of the reasons I’m running.

We, the citizens of Arlington, cannot have comprehensive alterations to our communities decided without citizen approval. Such a transformative and permanent measure should only be implemented with citizen approval.

As a Congresswoman from Arlington, I would vote to withhold federal funds for the Missing Middle. Again, I’m running to represent you in Congress, not the party. I hope to have your vote.