Dorothy A. Brizill
Testimony to the Committee on Human Services on DC General Hospital
April 27, 2001

Home

Bibliography

Calendar

Columns
Dorothy Brizill
Bonnie Cain
Jim Dougherty
Gary Imhoff
Phil Mendelson
Mark David Richards
Sandra Seegars

DCPSWatch

DCWatch Archives
Council Period 12
Council Period 13
Council Period 14
Election 1998
Election 2000
Election 2002

Elections
Election 2004
Election 2006

Government and People
ANC's
Anacostia Waterfront Corporation
Auditor
Boards and Com
BusRegRefCom
Campaign Finance
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Management Officer
City Council
Congress
Control Board
Corporation Counsel
Courts
DC2000
DC Agenda
Elections and Ethics
Fire Department
FOI Officers
Inspector General
Health
Housing and Community Dev.
Human Services
Legislation
Mayor's Office
Mental Health
Motor Vehicles
Neighborhood Action
National Capital Revitalization Corp.
Planning and Econ. Dev.
Planning, Office of
Police Department
Property Management
Public Advocate
Public Libraries
Public Schools
Public Service Commission
Public Works
Regional Mobility Panel
Sports and Entertainment Com.
Taxi Commission
Telephone Directory
University of DC
Water and Sewer Administration
Youth Rehabilitation Services
Zoning Commission

Issues in DC Politics

Budget issues
DC Flag
DC General, PBC
Gun issues
Health issues
Housing initiatives
Mayor’s mansion
Public Benefit Corporation
Regional Mobility
Reservation 13
Tax Rev Comm
Term limits repeal
Voting rights, statehood
Williams’s Fundraising Scandals

Links

Organizations
Appleseed Center
Cardozo Shaw Neigh.Assoc.
Committee of 100
Fed of Citizens Assocs
League of Women Voters
Parents United
Shaw Coalition

Photos

Search

What Is DCWatch?

themail archives

DC General: Politics as Usual

We have to go beyond politics as usual, Mayor Williams claims. DC General and the Public Benefit Corporation were fiscally irresponsible and badly managed, and he has proposed an entirely new health care delivery system. So it's only fair to examine the proposed contract and the fiscal strength and management of his chosen subcontractors.

The Health Maintenance Organization, or HMO, that he has chosen to get the multimillion-dollar, nine-year contract to provide "administrative services" and access to its physician network. is DC Chartered Health Care, Inc. Last September, the leading agency rating HMO's, Weiss, gave DC Chartered a grade of D+, and put it in the "weak" category. DC Chartered, although open for business from the public, gets 98 percent of its business from its DC government contract to provide health services to Medicaid residents. It has never been able to attract any other major clients, and it has never made a profit. Last May DC Chartered was bought in a bankruptcy sale by DC accountant Jeffrey Thompson, who kept the same management team in place. This year it again showed its management skill by filing its required annual report with the Insurance Department yesterday, 54 days late, after missing the filing deadline of March 1 and three extensions. As a reward, the contract was finalized by the Control Board while the company was out of compliance with DC law, and the Mayor's health contract will triple the company's business.

Since there are many fiscally and managerially responsible HMO's, why did the Mayor choose a weak and shaky one instead? The Mayor has offered no explanation. Here it is. In the past few months, since Jeffrey Thompson bought DC Chartered in May 2000, he, his business partners and associates, and the companies he owns, have contributed at least $65,000 to the Mayor's political causes. They have become one of the Mayor's largest political contributors. They gave $20,000 to the committee that advocated the Mayor's position in the school charter amendment election, and then they gave $45,000 to a political action committee to campaign for the Mayor's favored school board candidates. We have no idea how much they contributed to the Mayor's "non-profits," since contributions to these organizations are still secret. DC Chartered Health Care, Inc., will manage and administer the health care of DC residents for one reason: Mayor Anthony A. Williams put the health care of DC residents up for auction, and he sold it to the highest bidder. This isn't health reform; it is politics as usual.

Back to top of page

Chart 1: Political Contributions to Mayor Williams by Jeffrey Thompson and Associates, June 2000-Present

New School Leadership Committee, supporting the school charter referendum proposed by Mayor Williams

Mary Levy, Chairman
Bill Lightfoot, Treasurer
Mark Jones, Campaign Manager

Total receipts, $157,360

Contribution from DC Healthcare Systems on June 22, 2000, $20,000, or 12.5% of total receipts

Better Schools PAC, established to support Mayor William's candidates for the school board

Established October 23, 2000
Lisa Bolden, Treasurer, 625-4346
Joe Louis Ruffin, Jr., Co-treasurer as of February 20, 2001, 5353 29th Street, NW, 686-5972

Total receipts as of December 10, 2000 $54,000
Balance in account as of February 20, 2001, $299

Contributions from Thompson and his associates

(Total is 83 percent of total contributions)

Other contributions:
Suzanne Peck, OCTO Chief, $5,000
Lottery Technology Enterprises, Inc., 2101 Martin Luther King, SE, $1,500
DC Services, Inc., 2101 Martin Luther King, SE, $1,500
New Technology Games, Inc., 2101 Martin Luther King, SE, $1,000

Back to top of page

Chart 2: Political Contributions to Councilmembers by Jeffrey Thompson & Associates Since 09/00

Back to top of page

Chart 3: Political Contributions to Non-District Political Committees by Jeffrey Thompson and Associates, 1999-Present