Your Electronic Backfencedc.story is presented in association with Washington’s News Station WTOP-1500 AM and 94.3 FM***They're both WTOP! Remember, WTOP is your official Snow-Closing Station with the latest—up-to-the-minute—information, as well as Traffic and Weather together on the 8s! *** WTOP-AM and FM -^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ Dear Neighbors: Anyone visiting the dc.story web site in recent months will have noticed what resembles a nuclear not-free zone. Broken links lie everywhere. I have neglected the beast and now it lies in tatters. I’m still debating whether I want to archive dc.story or whether it’s merely worth sticking up a billboard that says, "Come and Get It." Your thoughts? Can you persuade me that an archive matters? ***** Next Tuesday dc.parties at TGI FRIDAY’S in Friendship Heights. Discover the face behind that email handle. Everyone is invited to party on December 16 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Free munchies and low-cost drinks. Please, if you would, RSVP by sending me a blank email with the word Friday in the subject line. You can come and bring as many friends as you would like even if you do not RSVP. But we are trying to get a fix on the minimum number of folks who may come. **** Congratulations to Carl Bergman, who Vernon Loeb quoted again today in the Washington Post’s District Weekly. One day Carl threatens to write the expose history of the city—and it may be in the form of a biography. -^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ ** C Associates - Technical Recruiters ** specialize in web-developers, client server specialists, and rational database (Sybase, Oracle, and Informix) specialists. If you are looking to enhance your career, please post your resume (strictly confidential) to our web site, www.cassociates.com, or contact John Capozzi at (202) 518-8595; Fax. (202) 387-7033. Skills in demand include: C, C+ +, Java, HTML, CGI, HELPDESK, Year 2000, and more. -^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ In this issue of dc.story, questionable audits, questionable editorials, questionable truth, and questionable towing. In other words, if you are seeking the certitude of religion, do not look here this week. Cheers, Visit http:\\www.On-Stage.com '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Use the Power, Jack Jack Evans does not believe the MPD’s reports. Hewants an accounting firm to review the department’s finances. Here is a typical place to start. Monday’s Post noted that the MPD lost 249 officers and signed up 246. A net change of three. The story notes new officers make about $30,000 per year. Not so those leaving. While not every officer retires on full pension, their last position usually pays more than $30,000. Lets call it $40,000. That means every departing officer leaves a $10,000 windfall. That’s $2,490,000. Some of this will probably go to paying for police within grade raises, but it can go to anything. We’ll never know. Congress and the Council rarely examine money that’s being used for current operations. They only look at what’s new. Budget managers often use windfalls to pay for things that won’t otherwise past muster. The budget office name for moving old money into a new use is a redirection. A financially savvy Councilmember asks about redirections as well as what’s new. Financial audits, like Evans wants, don’t examine these issues. Financial audits just verify that the books are as they say they are. I’ll save the city several millions by writing the report for you — "We found the MPD’s financial systems unreliable. They are out of date, inaccurate, lack management controls, have poorly trained personnel, and will self immolate in 2000, etc." Evans sounds like he wants a management audit, one examining the agency’s operation. Unfortunately, the Control Board already did that. If Jack wants better MPD numbers, he should use the Council’s budget power. If he held up the MPD’s senior level salary increases, he’d be amazed at the speed of reporting reform. A Correction. In my last posting, I said the Democrats could nominate two at large candidates in 1998. They can’t .However, there could be a Democratic Party nominee and one or more independent Democrats, since the Dems no longer only hold two of the five at-large seats. Thus, Catania, and Mason could be head to head with a host of Democrats. ***** Official State Cheer for DC In this season of good cheer, perhaps what DC needs is a good cheer, a "state cheer" to reflect its state. Something that looks to the need to fix what’s broken (if we *can* mend a city), while also encapsulating an important aspect of recent news stories. All right now, along with me: "Mend a City, mend a city, MENDACITY!" (Sorry for the caps lock, but unless a cheer is shouted at least once, it "just lies there.") ***** Post Ignores Metropolitan’s Message To Clinton, Trashes Elected Officials Instead I found The Washington Post’s sarcastic and partly true editorial "Fine Ones to Complain" (12/10/97) curious. The Post, on the subject of President Clinton’s address to the city at Metropolitan Baptist Church last Sunday wrote "The presidential appearance drew praise from church members, but city political leaders could hardly wait to get outside the church before giving Mr. Clinton poor reviews." The Post then quotes Mayor Barry, Jack Evans, and Kevin Chavous and continues: "...It is ironic, however, that the barbs hurled at Mr. Clinton were coming from so many politicians who, through their own flabby and irresponsible performances, are most responsible for the city’s loss of what little home rule it once enjoyed." The Post then reminds everyone how bad things were two years ago and continues: "...[T]hose who are being bailed out of a financial and political crisis of their own creation now whine because they have forfeited control of the city. They are, indeed, fine ones to gripe." The Post apparently thought it more important to whine about who they feel is to blame rather than to use powerful space to suggest ...at least one elected official should sit on the control board, ...how to prevent future corruption, ...how District residents can achieve basic citizenship rights, ...how to develop a new generation of leadership. Trashing elected leaders and reminding everyone of how bad things were was more important to them. Why? In addition, they DID NOT MENTION that Senior Minister Dr. H. Beecher Hicks, Jr. included in the church bulletin a forceful letter to President Clinton stating "...[W]hile we understand and appreciate the purposes of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority, we believe it must only be a temporary solution to the problems we face. Neither the Control Board nor the Congress should interfere with the fundamental tenents of the very democracy that ensures our freedom….The nation’s capital must be a showcase for the democratic process, not an example of the enshrinement of colonialism, no matter how benevolent its supposed intent." Why didn’t they report that? And why didn’t they mention that the church held a Town Hall Meeting the following day to begin to develop strategies to bring full citizenship rights to the District (a meeting attended by several locally elected leaders)? I find the Post’s editorial curious for what they left out. Thoughts anyone? ***** Secure Buildings Someone asked a while ago about DC-area secure buildings. I recently visited Montgomery County courthouse twice to get a marriage license (twice because there’s 48-hour waiting period between applying for and getting license). It’s more secure than most other government buildings I’ve been to, rivals Tel Aviv airport for thoroughness. After waiting in long line, I walked through metal detector, tried couple times to offload watch, change, keys, whatever was making machine beep. Finally they waved hand scanner around my body, reluctantly decided that I had nothing more to give. Then they worked over my briefcase — asking me to turn cell phone on sufficiently to make it beep. And they (temporarily) confiscated my Swiss army knife with 3.5" blade, which I routinely fly with. I wondered wasn’t it possible to create a bomb that would beep and twinkle like a phone, and how much mayhem one could create with a 3.5" blade — remember Crocodile Dundee’s "That’s not a knife!" ?Even in Brooklyn, Swiss army isn’t a knife… Anyway, it’s not clear what threats they’re averting, people guarding gates didn’t seem open to humor or questions. The marriage license process was interesting, too — big sign "Cash Only — No Refunds" .I asked clerk if people tried to get refunds, she said sure — sometimes returning day after applying. Nope, no refunds, just like sign says. Me, I’m married now, no refunds on that either… ***** To Tow or Not to Tow I know that some of you will think this is a bit hawkish when it comes to traffic enforcement, but… You are not allowed to park on Connecticut Ave. from Woodley Park all the way up to Chevy Chase circle during rush hour(s) in the morning and the afternoon. The city tickets these vehicles promptly at the beginning of rush hour (of course). But why don’t they tow these cars away as well? It’s a win/win/win for the city and its residents. If the city had these cars towed, they’d be guaranteed to receive payment for the ticket (win #1). I know of Virginia residents who simply change their plates after they have received a number of tickets so that they aren’t "booted." The city could award the right to tow these cars to a DC towing company providing jobs and tax revenue (win #2). And the cars would be gone during rush hour easing traffic congestion and reducing risk of accidents which is the point in the first place (win #3). I’ve also noticed the same problem on the stretch of 23rd street from Washington circle down to Constitution Ave. These cars really are a hindrance to traffic and a safety problem. I don’t get it. Does anyone else? Anyone at DPW listening in? [One disagreement. I drive north on Connecticut Avenue from Ordway Street many mornings and often fined myself stuck behind an illegally parked car, which I find a good time to read page three of the Style section. These cars are rarely ticketed. Jeffrey] ****** Movie Houses of Yore Yes indeedy, once upon a time there was a movie theater on Massachusetts Avenue in Spring Valley — the Apex, a big proscenium theater like the Avalon or the MacArthur (RIP). I saw the movie "The Yearling" there in, um, 1962 it must have been, and hated it. (The movie, I mean.) It could have been 1959, now that I think about it. The event was Bobby Gerber’s birthday, I remember *that* much, though not much more. About anything, these days. ***** Independent Films If AU has a communications department or drama department, they should have a large assembly hall on campus. Most colleges do, and most of them have some minor movie schedule. In light of recent closings at the Biograph and the Key, small houses at local universities and other cultural institutions might be a good way to keep small films "viewable" in DC. ================= So you’re interested in that big advertising spot in the beginning of dc.story? Contact Jan Genzer — the dc.story marketing maven—at Oltjan@aol.com or call him at 202.364.0383. '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' dc.query I am looking for a good heating contractor. I have a 50 year old brick-colonial with gas heat, and the air flow is just not like it was in past years. Recommendations by email would be appreciated. Michael Stempel dommss@gwumc.edu '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' dc.events The John Eaton Elementary School at 34th and Lowell Streets, NW is holding its annual Christmas Tree sale this weekend, December 13th and 14th. The trees are fresh and there are many varieties from Frazier Fur to Scotch Pine. Buy your holiday tree here and help out a great cause. Leila Afzal Leila.Afzal@noaa.gov **** First Party, then "Wedding." The dc.story party Tuesday December 16 begins at 6 p.m. in Friendship Heights. At 7:30 that evening, join the theater discussion group "Footlights" in Bethesda to discuss Carson McCullers’s "The Member of the Wedding" (1950), McCullers’s dramatization of her novel about an awkward, imaginative, small-town southern girl on the brink of adolescence. Footlights meets every month to discuss modern drama. In later months we’ll be discussing such plays as "Marat/Sade" & "A Thousand Clowns." Our December 16th meeting takes place at the North China Restaurant, 7814 Old Georgetown Rd. (MD-187) at Cordell Ave., 4 blocks from the Bethesda metro. For reservations or further information call (202) 484-8303, send e-mail to dsobelso@capaccess.org, or visit our website at www.jskay-consulting.com/footlights/ . David Sobelsohn dsobelso@capaccess.org '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' dc.market Two job opportunities with the North American Development Bank, San Antonio, Texas, a U.S./Mexican-funded development bank that finances environmental infrastructure on U.S/Mexican border. (1) Senior Procurement Officer, requires knowledge of public bidding procedures/policies and ability to review/write bid documentation for water, wastewater and municipal solid waste infrastructure and associated consultancy services; (2) Program Manager, requires experience in managing publicly funded water and wastewater infrastructure projects, including budget review, implementation and supervision. Both positions require re-location to San Antonio; bilingual English/Spanish; U.S. or Mexican resident. For more information, contact Suzanne Gallagher, suzanneg@nadbank.org, tel. (210) 231-8000. Suzanne Gallagher suzanneg@nadbank.org **** Massage: Holiday Special! BodyWise BodyWorks has the perfect solution for office, friend, sweetheart: Gift Certificates for a full hour Spoiler Massage. Buy Two, Get A Third For Half Price! Call Jenn: 202-966-6113. Jenn Weed jennwren@erols.com **** For sale: Tall dresser, heavy wood (oak?), great shape. Big. $75 or BO. Wide dresser, heavy, great shape. Big. $50 or BO. Metal bedframe $50 or BO. Microwave. Not a monstrosity, not state of the art. Mid-range, medium size. $50 or BO. Vera Zlida v.zlidar@tfgi.com 202/546-7034 (box #3) '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Also free! dc.movie. Free movie passes, short movie reviews, and movie discussion. Send an email message to story@intr.net to subscribe. -^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^ dc.story is a discussion group. The opinions stated are the sole responsibility of the authors. dc.story does not verify information provided by readers. Kibitzing by Jeffrey Itell. Copyright © 1997 All rights reserved. |
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