As Good as It Gets

Dear Citizens:

I have a last word on snow before, I hope, that subject melts away for the rest of the winter. The worst thing about the city's reaction to the snow storm was Vanessa Dale Burns's testimony to the City Council on the evening of February 2. Ms. Burns is the director of the Department of Public Works. At the Council's hearing, she listened to hours of testimony from citizens who were very unhappy with the job DPW had done, and was given long lists of streets that hadn't been touched by a plow days after the snowstorm ended. And then she testified that DPW had met or exceeded all of its standards for snow clearance, and that the job before her was not to raise DPW's standards but to “educate” us citizens to, in effect, lower our expectations to meet DPW's standards. When citizen after citizen said that the suburbs had done a better job in clearing the snow and cleaning the streets, she said that that was “comparing apples to oranges,” and that people in DC shouldn't expect the kind of service that people in the suburbs get, because conditions are different there. So, if you were expecting things to improve, forget it. They're as good as they're going to get, and as good as we have any right to expect.

One other subject that I have forcibly put to rest, even though there were additional postings submitted about it this week, is whether Elian Gonzalez should be sent to Cuba or kept in the US. Messages in themail should really be about life in DC; other subjects can sneak through and get a short run, but we're about the District of Columbia, and not national issues. I apologize to those who wanted to get in on this subject, and didn't, but this just isn't the right forum.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

###############

Business in DC
John Whiteside, johnwhiteside@mindspring.com

Here's a topic I don't think gets enough serious discussion: attracting business, specifically high tech business, to DC. The reality of the metro area in 2000 is that we are a hotbed of economic activity, with dot coms popping up all over and turning northern Virginia into the Silicon Valley of the East. Back in DC, there's little going on. I have heard the mayor pay some lip service to getting in on the high tech boom that's made job switching a recreational activity in 703 land, but I'm troubled by the lack of specifics.

1. Virginia's big crisis is a lack of people with the skills to fill those open jobs. Sounds like an opportunity for DC — but it takes education and training. 2. Is the strategy “cash in on the boom by filling Virginia jobs with DC residents” or is it “get those businesses to locate in DC” (a better long-term approach in my book)? 3. If you want DC residents to get those high tech jobs, how are they going to get there with NoVA's lousy transportation infrastructure? Can DC help improve public transit to the burbs? 4. What's the selling point of DC? The sentiment I hear is that Reston is the place to be — even Tysons is kind of old and tired. All the suburban techies love DC, because it's a fun place to have events and go play, but put their businesses there? It's not even on the table in most cases. There's no cachet to a DC address in tech circles, and it's hard enough to keep people without telling someone who lives in Oakton or Leesburg that they will have to commute downtown.

Do I sound pessimistic? I guess I am, but I really want to proven wrong. What can DC do to benefit from all the high tech money flying around the suburbs? Or should DC be aiming for something else altogether?

###############

Our New, Improved Police Force at Play
John Olinger, North Lincoln Park, john.olinger@worldnet.att.net

Sunday afternoon, I was lucky enough to find a policeman when I needed him. There is a car parked on the block with two gentleman who, to the average observer, appear to be selling drugs. The car they are sitting in has either fake or stolen temporary tags. This is ascertained by looking at the tags and seeing they are for an 87 Oldsmobile. The car is a Honda. Fortunately, I thought, there was a police car around the corner. I interrupted the policeman, who was playing solitaire on his official DC police laptop computer, and reported the car and its fake/stolen tags. The officer said he would look into it. I went on my merry way. I returned twenty-five minutes later to discover the officer gone and the car, with occupants and tags, still there. Now, I know that there is a good explanation: the standard one for police passing up crime is that the car in question is en route to a more serious crime or previous engagement. Since this officer was parked, playing solitaire, that can't be the case. I am open to suggestions. Meanwhile, our Honda entrepreneurs are beginning their second hour of service to the community.

###############

Snow Jobs
Mark Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com

The Washington Post (2/1 editorial: “A Compromised School System”), framed the proposal between the mayor and the council for a member majority elected school board (5 elected and 4 appointed by the mayor — an option mentioned in D.C. Appleseed Center report) as a dirty “political deal” in which elected officials “punted.” The Post said the all elected school board option was favored by “residents who place a higher premium on political contests than student achievement,” and “The wavering mayor ought to return to his original goal.” Later that day, the Council received a letter from the mayor saying he wouldn't support the proposal and accusing them of addressing “political interests, rather than real results for our children.” This anti-political rhetoric seems awfully . . . political. With this good start, we're in for one heck of a “debate” over the next 10 months. You'd think DC's school board issue was national in scope by the way The Post publishes letters to the editor from people in places where the decision won't affect their children. Is there any other place where this happens? Take Ralph Sheaffer of Rockville (2/1) — he wrote that we should go back to an updated version of our pre-1968 approach in which school board members were appointed by U.S. District Court judges. Ralph got me thinking outside the box. Maybe we should use the customer service model and let our high school students pick the board. Or, how about only letting parents who have children in the schools vote. Or how about 5 picked by parents and 4 by children. The possibilities are endless.

Snow clearing — I don't know if it's better than before or worse. Everyone I ask seems to think it's about the same or worse, except for the main roads. Whatever it is, it's tough going for people on foot. Most condo and apartment buildings did a good job of clearing the sidewalks, but many others didn't. And the bridges ... what a mess. I feel sorry for the people with parked cars who must need a pick to hammer out an opening through the frozen snow banks shoved up against their cars. Another reason not to have a car. I can't believe bikers are riding on this stuff — hopefully they have good insurance.

###############

Democracy Doesn’t Exist in DC, and That's Not Normal
Aaron Lloyd, wayama@bellatlantic.net

Len Sullivan's unproved assertion that democracy exists in DC is clearly ridiculous. Your twisted logic would do any state propaganda agency proud. First, Len, you seem to assert that democracy is a good thing, and that its being “alive” is a positive. Then, without explanation, you shift into totalitarian mode, as the mistakes made by DCPS create a situation “justifying suspension of democracy's normal cumbersome, all-inclusive process.” But a “democracy” that is cast aside the moment someone decides that suspending it is “justified” is not democracy. Later on you describe elected governance as “democratic luxuries.” I am deeply disturbed by how casually you link those two words, as if democracy is a fun game that we all play when we have the time, but if real work is to be done we need a benevolent ruler so we can “march to the same drummer.” NARPAC's suggestion that “normal control” be restored when we have achieved the national average is also logically flawed. If we remain 5% under the national average for the next decade, should we remain enslaved to your “overseers,” who by some divine providence will be wiser than those persons the electorate chooses? And if this system of non-elected leaders is better, why stop at the national average? Why not continue it ad infinitum? Why limit your scheme to the District when clearly 50% percent of the nation is below average, and should have their democratic processes suspended by you or other clearly wiser observers?

Just maybe, if you would please try to grasp this fantastic concept, what we need in DC is not less democracy but more? DC is and has been under Congressional direction ultimately and finally, according to the Constitution, and under a series of control boards for several years. They have not improved the system in any significant way, and in Congress's case the problems go back decades, if not centuries (see Mark Richards' fine mini-history of school governance in DC). That is far longer than “four straight years.” I am not sure you would know democracy if it bit you, but we don't have it in DC and we would like it back, please. We do not need to prove or justify ourselves. You and all the other closet authoritarians who have controlled DC in a non-democratic manner for 200 years had that long to prove you could deliver and you failed.

###############

Appointed Board? Been There, Done That
Sheila Galagan, royg@idsonline.com

I find the current discussion about an appointed board vs. an elected board somewhat puzzling. The subtext of the discussion is the slow (perhaps even nonexistent) pace of reform at DCPS. What puzzles me is the attempt by the advocates of an appointed board to blame said slow pace of reform on the current elected board who have been out of power for the last three years. Guess what? We already have an appointed board — the Emergency Transitional Board of Trustees — and they have done nothing. Let's take a look at their track record: inappropriate and poorly executed school closings in the spring of 1997, a 3 week delay in the start of the '97-98 school year, a $62 million budget shortfall in 1997, flat-lined test scores in academic year '98-99 and repeated special ed transportation scandals and crises. In addition, they have failed to enact, or even consider, a long-range facilities plan to improve the dismal state of our school buildings. They are secretive and non-responsive to any community concerns. How is any of this helping our children get a good education? Carol Schwartz had it exactly right when she said that the push for an appointed board comes largely from the powerful moneyed interests in this city: the Federal City Council and their minions at DC Agenda, the Washington Post, the Chamber of Commerce, and so on. Yes, democracy is messy and imperfect, but it ultimately serves the best interests of the citizens.

###############

The Control Board’s Control of the Schools
Vic Miller, millervic@hotmail.com

Note that the primary purpose of the Control Board was to straighten out finances. Note further that the D.C. Public School System is halfway through its term and still doesn't know what its budget is. Success! You can't overspend if you don't know what overspending is. We ask Mesdames Rivlin and Cooper for their comment.

###############

Democracy, Politics, Anarchy, and Public Schools
Len Sullivan, lsnarpac@bellatlantic.net

The notions that an appointed school board can be politicized, but elected local officials can't be (Solomon, Barron); or that an electorate dumb enough to elect a “bad” mayor will be smart enough to elect 5, 7, 9, or 13 “good” school board members; or that the truly best qualified board candidates will either run or be elected, seem to me quadruple non-sequiturs. Why do we envy parochial schools? Assuming an appointed board can be readily corrupted is an oversimplification. A new Council law shifting to an appointed board can surely require that a) the elected mayor pick his 'x' appointees from a slate of (2-3)'x' impartial nominees prepared by some above reproach group knowledgeable of all the expertise needed to produce quality young adults; and b) the elected Council approve the appointees.

The idea that “real” American democracy at city/county levels is without oversight or “overseers” (Wiseman), or other checks and balances, is uninformed. It smacks of anarchy, particularly with so many strident single-purpose activists around. Democracy in DC at the LOCAL level is as complete as most places, from mayor and Council members, to school board and ANC members. Without state-level oversight, the intervention by a Congressionally appointed Control Board demonstrated the occasional need for unpopular checks and balances. Other examples include the Clinton impeachment; Md's State Board of Ed intervention in Baltimore's PSS, and the lack of local taxing authority under Virginia's Dillon Rule.

Finally, the implicit notion that a typical local electorate is wise or involved enough to directly elect expertise (brain surgeons, airline pilots, or physics teachers) or make really tough decisions (re tax rates, blight removal, or social promotions) is unrealistic. The Big Trick is to elect generalists wise enough to make informed appointments for decisions beyond their individual ken. To those of you who successfully survived DCPS (Hadden), admire your teachers, and pleased your parent(s), Godspeed. Forty years ago, DCPS provided the schools of choice for virtually ALL Washingtonians and lost very few kids along the way. Hope you'll help restore that pride in America's capital schools.

###############

It’s a Setup
Rhoma Battle, holsall@erols.com

There is no doubt in my mind that a November ballot referendum on school governance is actually a setup for a referendum on Councilmember Chavous as the next mayor for the District of Columbia. Buoyed by his 35% city-wide showing in the 1998 mayoral election, Chavous has now dragged his City Council colleagues into a high-stakes game of political chicken with the mayor. Given the many other needs of our school system (not the least of which is a budget process that puts money in the classroom when and where it is needed), Chavous has instead chosen to politicize a wedge issue that threatens to divide the city along racial and class lines. If Councilmember Catania is correct in saying that a majority of D.C. residents do not have kids in the D.C. public schools, a referendum between an elected or appointed school board will result in a majority of the school governance vote being made by residents that have no direct investment in the school system. I contend that the school governance issue is a set up for a rematch between Councilmember Chavous and the mayor in the 2002 mayoral election.

What most people don't know, however, is — while Chavous won Ward 7 in the last mayoral election, his support among Ward 7 voters has been on the decline since he was first elected in 1992. According to Board of Election reports, the number of precincts that Chavous can rely on to deliver high numbers of votes and high percentages of the precinct vote has declined from five precincts in 1992 to one precinct in 1998. While Councilmember Chavous has taken center stage on the school governance issue, he has forgotten how to be a Ward 7 Councilmember — who serves at the pleasure of citizens in Ward 7.

###############

Snow Removal
Vicky Lipps, Vlipps@cs.com

It is the third of February and my street, the 200 block of Whittier Street, NW, and trash have not been touched by work crews since the first snow. What I find most distressing though, is the lack of shoveling of the sidewalks by the community in general in Takoma. Business and churches hire trucks to plow their parking lots and driveways but don't touch their sidewalks. My neighbors did a fairly decent job after the first snow but gave up by the second. Well, kids still have to walk to school, and some of us walk to the Metro and some drivers don't slow down when they pass us on the icy streets that we must walk on because the sidewalks aren't cleared yet.

###############

Snow Plowing Efforts
Leila Afzal, Leila.Afzal@noaa.gov

I would like to weigh in on the discussion of the city's efforts in clearing snow from the streets of DC. I have to give the city an A for effort, but a C in execution. My street was plowed three times and salted during the last storms. However, I use the term plowed loosely. The quality of the plowing left much to be desired. Not once did the plows get to pavement. We just ended up with less deep snow/ice on the one lane plowed than on the rest of the road. Plowing on dead-end or short streets were not even attempted, even though on one occasion I saw a plow use a dead-end street to turn around with plow raised. It seems that garbage truck drivers need to having training on how to most effectively and efficiently plow a street. I am sure there is some sort of preferred methodology, not just turn on engine, lower plow, and go.

My trash is picked up from an alley. My trash can is completely snow bound. What I don't understand is that if garbage trucks double as plows, why can't they get up my alley to take my trash? I have not had trash picked up since the M. L. King holiday. It will be four weeks since my last trash pick up, if and only if trash gets picked up next Wednesday. This is a disgrace.

###############

Snow Job
John Whiteside, johnwhiteside@mindspring.com

For all those complaining about snow removal in DC — well, across the river, it's not so pretty either. My small residential street in Arlington is a big mess. After the big snow, it didn't get plowed at all; the following day, I called the County's “Snow Emergency” number and told them that they'd missed us. They came late that night. Then after the weekend's freezing rain mess, it got worse; they came by about a day later and sanded, but that's it. Let's just say it's slippery around here. (And don't even get me started on the Tysons Corner side street that leads to the parking garage at my office. Let's just say turning onto the ramp into the garage has been exciting this week!)

Remember — just because you drove along Rockville Pike or Wilson Boulevard and things looked good doesn't mean that the jurisdictions outside DC are doing so wonderfully. Connecticut Avenue looks pretty good, too.

###############

Speaking of Shoveling
Kirsten Sherk, ksherk@yahoo.com

I was shocked, then, to be visiting a friend in Georgetown, and find many blocks with completely unshoveled! Not even a little footpath! Growing up in the city, I had a very different understanding of what our neighborly responsibilities were. Furthermore, as the snow melts and freezes. It's very dangerous. Can't homeowners be fined for not shoveling their walks?

###############

Snow Me the Way
Peter Luger, lugerpj@gunet.georgetown.edu

I'm going to take the opportunity to complain about many of my neighbors, your neighbors and business owners in DC instead of bashing the government. So many people have not bothered to shovel the sidewalks in front of their houses. There is no excuse, unless you genuinely are too old or sick to do it safely. I made it a point to shovel my walk and my neighbors on both sides, just to give the mailman and paperboy a fighting chance. In Georgetown, many businesses seem to have shoveled a small area in front of their entrance, but did not bother to shovel the entire perimeter of their stores. The Post Office in Georgetown only shoveled in front and cleared the stairs. However, there is a side entrance to the Post Office that was not cleared at all and the steps were a sheet of ice. Apartment buildings in Dupont Circle don't bother to shovel around the side of the building. I assume that it is the law that we all shovel the entire walkway surrounding our property. This is one thing I'd love to see people and businesses get ticketed for. I felt very sorry for my mailman yesterday (Thursday) as I saw him trying to navigate the sidewalk. We have no right to complain about not getting our mail. (Kudos to my paper delivery people who have not been later than 6:30 am EVER!)

###############

Covering Susan Ferrechio
David Carr, dcarr@mail.washcp.com

I read [Bryce Suderow's] annotation of my three year old article which suggested that I was a hypocrite. I saw it on themail and I also published it prominently in City Paper. We don't respond to letters in print ... I don't want writers eating up precious space with their responses, but seeing as there are no limits in cyberspace, I thought I might just send along the original so people could judge for themselves whether I suggest that it was unimportant and unworthy of coverage. Suderow's critique of my story on Susan Ferrechio says I'm praising her now but more or less coddled the violent, lawless subjects of her reporting back when she was in danger. I could stop here to discuss Bryce's ever slipping grip on objective reality or point out that he's simply wrong in saying that I “lauded the Washington Post for its initial decision not to cover the story” or “said the story should be not covered or covered only briefly — in the interest of maintaining what you or Mark Plotkin or Tom Sherwood called 'racial harmony.'” But why bother? Here's the text, Bryce. Judge for yourself.

[David Carr is the editor of The Washington City Paper. The text of the article that he refers to is posted at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail/2000/00-02-06b.htm. — Gary Imhoff]

###############

Metropolitan Moving and Parking
Paul K. Williams, Cardozo Shaw, pkelseyw@aol.com

I read with interest those that have changed their minds about Metropolitan being a good neighbor to a feeling of “good riddance.” As a homeowner that can see the church from my yard (and the cars illegally parked ALL over, even into intersections), I agree. Perhaps the most dangerous situation is when most parishioners make their way out Sunday afternoon, leaving a few cars literally parked in the middle of the street. And before they actually move, it sure would be a nice gesture if they unloaded the three vacant and boarded up properties and three additional vacant lots they own at the corner of R and Vermont.

###############

Whining in themail
Alan Abrams, awabrams@erols.com

A utility subcontractor has recently installed a large green metal cabinet on the utility pole outside my house on Aspen Street, NW. It seems to be associated with the various communication lines (as opposed to the electric power supply). This box emits a a loud oscillating noise (as if there's not enough whining in this town already), loud enough to be heard in the house with the windows and storm windows closed. I can't wait 'til spring, when we like to sleep with the windows open.

###############

Metro Platform Congestion — An Open Letter to Jim Graham
Wilson Dizard, III, wdizard3@aol.com

Dear Jim: I am writing to you because I saw your brief note on themail regarding Metrobus service which invited comments about the transit system. I believe I have a constructive comment. As a Metro director, you are doubtless aware that the lower level of the Metro Center station sometimes becomes very crowded. As the system has grown, that critical platform has stayed the same size, of course, but it handles more foot traffic. During transit crises, it becomes a jammed, uncomfortable, somewhat frightening and even dangerous bottleneck for the hundreds of people who stand on the lower level platform. Occasional subway delays appear unavoidable, and if the system continues to grow, as with the proposed extension to Largo, the lower level of the Metro Center station will bear even more foot traffic. That foot traffic will be even more problematic during train delays.

My suggestion is simple: remove the trash cans, telephones, and stone benches in the very center of the Metro Center lower level platform. While these items of platform furniture perform some useful functions, their usefulness is outweighed by the problems they cause during rush hour and during other bottleneck periods. They impede foot traffic and needlessly take up space that could be used by standing or walking passengers. Removing the phones alone would create space for several more people to stand or walk. There is some risk that trash would accumulate or elderly passengers would be inconvenienced by removal of the trash cans and the bench, but these problems would be much smaller than those caused now by the lack of space at this choke point in the system.

###############

District Cablevision Alive and Kickin’
Fitzroy Francis, Customer Operations, DC Cablevision, Francis.Fitzroy@tci.com

In response to Jon Desenberg, jondes@hotmail.com, posting 2/2/2000: We did have a two system emergencies on Monday morning, January 31st, that did impact portions of NW and SE. The NW system emergency impacted “portions,” not all of 9 zip codes. I know this because I recorded the message for this particular system emergency. When we experience a system emergency, we want to inform the customers of the impact in their particular area of town. Zip codes are the most specific way we can provide that information to you. We do have the ability to reduce the system emergency to individual nodes or power supplies but that would be like speaking Greek to our customers. Please rest assure, we are alive and well. We have been managing through very high call volumes since the holidays and are making provisions to better handle every call within 30 seconds or less, as we did in 1999. Regarding credit. If you E-mail or fax your request, I will forward your request to our customer relations department to resolve your credit/service issue. As for Jon — your request has already been forwarded. Always nice talking to all of you.

###############

Starpower Question
Nancy Sullivan, sullivan@ncqa.org

Starpower is moving into my apartment building. I'm considering getting cable tv and am wondering what people's experience has been with Starpower. Any thoughts, insights are very welcome.

###############

CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Forecast: “Quietly Stirring”
David Sobelsohn, dsobelso@capaccess.org

Footlights — DC's only drama discussion group — meets monthly to discuss plays from the modern theater. Participation is free. At our meeting Tuesday, February 15, we will discuss “Three Days of Rain,” by Richard Greenberg. In Act One the children of a famous architect puzzle over a cryptic entry in their late father's diary. Act Two shows what really happened. The New York Times called “Rain” “subtle and absorbing,” and the Washington Post called it “quietly stirring,” a play that will “unsettle you in precisely the way good art should.” Our discussion takes place 7:30-9:30 p.m. (dinner at 6:30) at Delray Vietnamese Garden, 4918 Del Ray Ave., a few blocks north of Bethesda metro. Our guest speaker: “Rain” director Jerry Whiddon, artistic director of the Round House Theater, where “Three Days of Rain” just opened to rave reviews. To make reservations for our discussion e-mail hboothgo@aol.com. For discount tickets to the Saturday, February 19 matinee, e-mail larkinr@erols.com. For more information visit the Footlights web site at www.footlightsdc.org.

###############

Another DCPL Black History Month Event
Bryce A. Suderow, streetstories@juno.com

The Literary Friends of the Martin Luther King Library are sponsoring a talk on black soldiers in the Civil War by local author Noah Trudeau. Black reenactors in Civil War uniforms will be part of the program. The event will be held at noon on Tuesday, February 15, at MLK Library, 9th and H Streets, NW.

###############

CLASSIFIEDS — SERVICES

My Excellent Housekeeper Has an Extra Day
Judith Turner, judith@turner.net

My long-time housekeeper, Maria Rondon, is looking for another day's work in the DC area. She works hard, has a car, speaks English, dusts ceilings and polishes door knockers (as well as more routine work), and is a self starter. She is pleasant and honest. Call her at 301-946-8212 and see for yourself.

###############

themail@dcwatch is an E-mail discussion forum that is published every Wednesday and Sunday. To subscribe, to change E-mail addresses, or to switch between HTML and plain text versions of themail, use the subscription form at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail/subscribe.htm. To unsubscribe, send an E-mail message to themail@dcwatch.com with “unsubscribe” in the subject line. Archives of past messages are available at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail.