Rampant Hypocrisy
Dear Waders:
Strap your hip boots on, it's getting deep around here. 1) Mayor Williams
said he accepted the ethics order from the Office of Campaign Finance, but now he has
appealed it, claiming that he has a First Amendment right to use taxpayer money and
government employees in his election campaigns (http://www.dcwatch.com/election2000/charter28.htm).
2) In order to keep the vote down, the advocates of the School Governance Charter
Amendment deliberately scheduled a special election, in the middle of summer between two
primary elections. They calculated (apparently correctly) that they could win the election
by keeping most voters away from the polls. Now they are bemoaning the low turnout, and
blaming the voters for their apathy. 3) Mayor Williams ran a racially divisive campaign,
concentrating on getting out the white vote in Wards 2 and 3, on a racially divisive
issue. Now he is talking about how he wants to unify the unfortunately divided citizens of
the city. This used to be Marion Barry's favorite hypocrisy — to do something
particularly divisive and then pose as a unifier. 4) Councilmembers complain about Mayor
Williams' appointments, but they continue to confirm them even when they know they will
fail. Need I mention Vanessa Dale Burns, Valerie Holt? The next example will be Fire Chief
nominee Ronnie Few — Councilmembers will find any excuse to hold their noses and
confirm him, and in a year or eighteen months we'll be paying through the nose to get rid
of him. 5) The Mayor and the Control Board are continuing to reward these failed city
employees with outrageous severance packages — and now, starting with Arlene
Ackerman, they're giving hundreds of thousands of dollars in going-away bonuses to
“public servants” who quit voluntarily. 6) All the City's politicians are
complaining about the Public Benefits Corporation's waste, fraud, mismanagement, and
cronyism, when they know perfectly well that waste, fraud, mismanagement, and cronyism are
exactly what they created it for. The PBC is just like the Sports Commission, the
Convention Center Authority, and the new National Capital Revitalization Corporation
— a semi-public corporation set up to give tax money to political favorites away from
public scrutiny. Why complain now, just because they've been caught at it? 7) Speaking of
throwing around taxpayer money, Councilmember Charlene Drew Jarvis’s major
re-election vulnerability in Ward 4 is that in her umpteen years on the Council, with her
major emphasis being on economic development, she hasn't brought any economic development
to the major commercial strip in her ward, Georgia Avenue. So last week Mayor Williams
announced a $111 million, five-year project to re-elect Charlene — excuse me, to
redevelop Georgia Avenue (http://www.dcwatch.com/mayor/000628.htm).
8) In the past three years, the District Government spent $300 million to fund management
reform initiatives, by which it has saved a grand total of $1.5 million. At that rate, the
government's management reform will bankrupt us before its inefficiency will (http://www.dcwatch.com/issues/manage000630a.htm).
I'm just getting started, but I'm not going to monopolize this whole
issue. Have a happy Fourth.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
###############
One of the great things about living downtown is being able to walk to,
and from, the mall for the fireworks. I've been doing that for several years now and love
it! Although every year I try to find somebody who's got a great roof view to whom I can
suck up and get an invitation, I'm just not savvy enough to make that work. Never you
mind, democracy's holiday is a great time to rub elbows with the hoi polloi.
###############
One thing that DC subjects should do is read Frederick Douglass's 4th of
July speech and rededicate themselves to the struggle for freedom and statehood!
[The speech is available on-line at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2927t.html.
— Gary Imhoff]
###############
Palisades for the Fourth
Penny Pagano, Palisades Citizens Association, ppagano@ids2.idsonline.com
Why not come to the 34th annual Palisades July 4 parade, Tuesday, July 4
at 11 am? Parade starts at MacArthur Blvd and Whitehaven Parkway — between the
Safeway and the fire station and goes along MacArthur Boulevard to the Palisades Rec
Center, where there are free hot dogs, watermelon and drinks for all. Rep Eleanor Holmes
Norton, Mayor Anthony Williams, most of the DC City Council, and lots of schools,
churches, and community groups make this one of the best July 4th parades around. Anyone
who wants to participate can join the parade in the lineup at 10:15 am at MacArthur Blvd.
and Whitehaven Parkway.
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The Mall Is Awesome!
Dan Turner, dan@tcg-inc.com
Hey, I've been going to the Mall every July 4th for my entire adult life.
I can only think of a few I've missed in my lifetime. We used to go sit next to the
Capitol and listen to the NSO. I remember some years when the lightning storm was much
better than the fireworks display, but usually it was a great place to sit. As I grew up,
the trees got too tall, and we had to move to see the fireworks. For a few years we raced
down into the mall, towards the Monument, as soon as the 1812 Overture started playing.
That got tiresome as we added more and more people to our picnic — getting 30 people
to move, and finding a new place for us all to sit, is a pain. It ended permanently when
we started the tradition of adopting a random family of tourists from the midwest every
year as we walked to the Mall. Now we sit between the pond and the Vietnam Memorial, just
out of sound range of either the pot-fest or the NSO (NPR takes care of that problem, of
course). It's often sparsely populated until almost nightfall. In the meantime, we get to
watch the marijuana smokers near the Lincoln Memorial — the police always arrest
someone for drinking alcohol, but say nary a word about the pot. And people say DC is
conservative. Ha!
Anyway, I wouldn't miss it. Yes, it's crowded. Yes, we usually end up
walking home instead of trying to cram into the Metro. But I always feel so patriotic
surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people, all watching the bombs bursting in the air
around the Monument. Wow.
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Getting While the Getting Is Good
Nick Keenan, Shaw, nbk@gsionline.com
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Erik Christian announced this
week that he is leaving his job. Smart move. While Mayor Williams has given all of his
managers firm objectives for this year, and promised that they will be held accountable
for their success or failure, Christian was not given the resources to do the job.
Specifically, Christian was expected to “Board up 1500 units of nuisance
properties.” Yet, while it costs the city about $1500 to board up one property, the
fund for doing so has less than $26,000 in it — enough to board up 17 properties, or
about 1 percent of the amount needed. (For some reason Christian seemed surprised when Jim
Graham pointed this out at a council hearing on nuisance properties on June 14. As usual,
Graham and Ambrose were on the ball and relentless, and Jack Evans didn't even send a
staffer.)
Of course, even if the money were available, having the city pay to board
up these properties is hardly a wise use of taxpayer money. It's a temporary solution, and
it's a giveaway to those who deserve it least. There is virtually no real estate in the
city that is truly abandoned — those eyesores you see are predominately owned by
investors who are waiting for the market to pick up (although it's hard to see what they
are waiting for these days). Vigorous enforcement of the law would solve the problem at
minimal cost to the taxpayers. Yet the Williams administration has chosen to follow the
policies of the Barry administration, and go easy on the speculators and slumlords. After
eighteen months, there is still no process for forcing owners to secure their buildings,
there is no process for collecting from them when the city pays to do it, and there is no
prospect that any of that is going to change.
###############
Prediction: Stay Tuned for Another Bought Election
Madelyn Lane, madelynlane@hotmail.com
Now that the Referendum has been bought successfully with a pricey
campaign designed to motivate the more affluent voters (translation — white) to throw
out the status quo school board (translation — black), an outcome that could not have
otherwise been accomplished, you can expect to see the final step of this “power
grab.” I predict that a Williams slate of candidates will be run for the elected
seats (or at minimum, the President) backed by the real power behind the scenes (see The
Common Denominator, Vol. 2, No. 15). Yes, the Washington Post will lead the
charge with a barrage of editorials and publicity for the favored candidates, who will be
backed with a campaign similar to the one run by the soft money campaign that backed the
Referendum. This will complete the political takeover of the School Board. I see it
coming! Let us hope that the politicians do a better job than those of the past (Council
and Mayors) who ignored the whole issue of our failing public school system and
conveniently shifted the blame to our less than stellar school board. With full funding,
there should be no more excuses.
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Sadness and Anger Over the School Board Vote
Aaron Lloyd, wayama@bellatlantic.net
I am sad and I am angry about the campaign and the result of the Charter
Amendment “Special Election.” As part of a grass-roots campaign, but mostly just
as an individual, I fought to keep a fully elected school board. Facing me on the other
side of the issue were my own tax dollars and my own “public” officials, used
against my interests. As I hung “Just Vote No” posters around my Dupont Circle
Neighborhood, I knew I could never match the paid workers from
“SpeaktoWashington.com,” who had blanketed my neighborhood streets with
“Vote Yes” posters. They had tens of thousands of dollars donated by Virginia
businessmen to spend, where as I just had my free time, and no one to pay me for my
efforts.
As I handed out “Vote No” flyers at Dupont Circle alone, I faced
three “Vote Yes” campaigners, including one of whom I recognized as my own
“public” official, Mayoral Assistant Gregory McCarthy, Director of Policy and
Evaluation. When I came home, I found a letter from Mayor Williams and Council Chair Linda
Cropp, urging me to give up my democratic rights. It was the fourth piece of “Vote
Yes” literature I had received that week. As I voted, I realized that the language of
the ballot in front of me gave no indication even to the careful reader that by voting for
this initiative, a voter would actually be approving a law that would allow the city
council to turn the board into a fully appointed board in four years. It appears my city
government has no interest in creating informed voters, only a rubber-stamp population.
Clearly Williams is comfortable with using the machinery of his city
government to crush opposition to his agenda, and is willing to enlist any and all
corporate support to fight his own constituents. I say “his” city government
because it is clearly no longer mine. These tactics will keep citizens from getting
involved in their public institutions, such as the school system, depress voter turnout,
and diminish our already illusory “democracy” here in the District.
###############
Voter Participation and East River/Center Bowl/West
Park Perspectives
Mark David Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com
Cortland Milloy (Post, 6-30) pointed out that considering the 88%
of D.C. citizens who refrained from voting in the School Board election, one could
conclude “that blacks and whites in the city have an awful lot in common: Neither
group really gives a hoot.” I agree that East River, Center Bowl (trying to think of
a term for my area in the middle), and West Park have a lot in common . . . more than they
frequently recognize. The election was scheduled, perhaps for other more important
reasons, at a time when it was understood that few would participate, so low turnout is no
surprise, though some feign it well. Most, even those who don't vote, care about the
schools and simply don't know enough to have an opinion about what would help. They
probably hope somebody has some ideas, and wish they'd mention them! Neither side of the
school board debate provided serious analysis or a credible explanation for how they will
make the schools better. They didn't provide a plan of action. Who knows what is going to
happen next? In the end, for the “yes” people, the decision probably came down
to “I trust Williams,” “something has to be done, let's make a change and
try it,” while the “no” people thought “let's keep our hard earned
elected school board and try to make it work,” “let's do something else,”
or “thinking of the future, I'm afraid to give the Executive more power.” There
is no ignoring the black/white divide that was so starkly represented by the BoEE map.
This same divide exists on support for the Control Board and support for D.C. statehood.
Do a higher proportion of D.C. African-Americans guard hard earned rights and seek
equality and democracy more than Caucasians? Or are more African-Americans guarding the
bottom line: the number of African-American elected officials (which is declining). Do
Caucasians wish to exert more control over the majoritarian African-American District
government? Do they feel they can best achieve this goal through appointments rather than
elections (a la “Boss”)? I suppose group motivations are subliminal. I don't
know, but I wonder.
In fact, D.C. voters are not unlike voters in other areas when it comes to
school board issues. There is frequently a low turnout. Low voter turnout has been a
concern for some political scientists for a long time, because in a representative
democracy the legitimacy of decisions relies on the vote (why do you think Congressional
leaders squirm when we remind them we've excluded from the national legislature? From a
political science point of view, not one of their decisions has been legitimate for D.C.
for 200 years). Others feel those who vote are most qualified to make good decisions, and
the rest are probably satisfied enough or they would get involved (hey, they have the vote
-- it's their decision about whether to use it). Voter research shows that college grads,
older adults, people with a “stake” in the system (government employees), those
informed, and Caucasians are more likely to vote than others. Most people only follow
three to five issues at best: on most subjects, people are uninformed — even if
they're interested and have opinions. Those who follow an issue closely (notice
information on a subject which others don't) have been called "attentives" (Jon
Miller). Attentives drive the debate. They follow the issue, feel informed enough to
express an opinion, and some feel very strongly. Usually, only about 10 percent are
attentives — 4 to 5 percent on each side of an issue. (On any given issue, one can
use polling methods to measure the proportions.) Others are at least somewhat interested,
maybe even think they should know about the issue, but feel uninformed. If they can be
persuaded to participate in town hall meetings, forums, and discussions, etc., they'll
tend to listen to various arguments carefully, ask good questions, and look for practical
solutions to solve the problem. They are a good group to involve, especially in
controversial discussions that can become polarized, because they act as a moderating
force (Neighborhood Action would be a way facilitate such involvement). They may be
between 30 and 40 percent. Colbert King (Post, 7-1) wrote, “All we have to
do for the November general election is overcome the apathy and lack of interest of our
nonvoting residents, instill in them a sense of potency and get them to the polls —
while at the same time exposing and healing the latent but carefully suppressed racial
animus that is creating so much resentment and distrust in our city. In some ways,
tackling Jim Crow was easier!” I think the solution is clear: citizen involvement
creates informed citizens, and informed citizens tend to vote. But leaders must be willing
to hear citizen goals, objectives, and concerns; provide forums where people can have
their questions answered; create clever “devices” to get average people who
don't feel so smart (but who are) to take the time to participate; and help lay out the
issues and various methods so people can feel they're making informed decisions.
Newspapers can also perform an important function by practicing “civic
journalism” rather than taking forceful positions and using their “reach”
to try to get their own way. Sometimes, the most effective approaches combine highly
publicized televised events with other methods. Involving people is not easy and may
inspire elite fear. But it doesn't help to blame citizens when they don't think their
voice matters.
###############
World Democracy at Home
Timothy Cooper, Democracy First, worldright@aol.com
Having just returned from attending the “World Forum on
Democracy” conference in Warsaw, Poland, I was greeted with Colbert King's rather
sobering Washington Post op-ed piece, (“All for the Vote,” 7/1/00), in
which he compares Ward 8's apathetic voting performance during last week's school board
referendum with, shall we say, a more robust performance by the voters of Ward 3, and
noting with an unintended irony, and almost as an aside, that Mayor Williams “stopped
by this week to say he hopes to join with Ward 3 council member Kathy Patterson, Ward 7's
Kevin Chavous and others in putting together a special slate of candidates to run for the
five elected school board seats approved on Tuesday.” Of course, in revealing the
mayor's election plan, Mr. King raises a timely question, in my mind at least: why didn't
it occur to Mayor Williams, as well as to Delegate Norton, Councilmembers Patterson and
Chavous, et al., that such a “special slate” would have been the appropriate
proportional first response to remedying the crisis in the District's public school
system? In a city already embarrassingly deficient in local democratic rights, the
diminishment of city-wide representation on the school board only confirms the twisted
notion that democracy on a par to everyone else is simply not desirable in Washington,
D.C., for reasons never openly articulated by the powers that be, but which come down to
this demoralizing premise: Washingtonians are simply incapable of running a truly
democratic government, certainly not one commensurate with all other American citizens.
Only now that the revamped school board seems to have won the day by the
slimmest of margins, at the punishing cost of polarizing the city once again along fragile
racial lines, does the Mayor seize on the staggeringly good idea of actually running his
own slate of viable candidates. Of course, in any other city, in any other part of the
country, this would have been the response of first choice of local leaders dealing with a
crisis of confidence in their own dysfunctional school systems. But in DC we do things
differently. Here our leaders cut democracy first, and answer questions second.
The majority of Washingtonians may think it's just fine to live in a kind
of twilight democracy, the murkiest of odd places where patronizing authoritarianism and
its sputtering democratic counter-part unnaturally co-exist. But I'll tell you one thing I
learned from my recent experiences in Poland: the people of those newly emerging
democracies in eastern Europe, many of whom risked their lives and spent years in jail to
obtain true democracies and civil liberties, wouldn't put up with this strange half-life
for a Soviet second. My only remaining question is: why do we?
###############
Wishful Thinking
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
Those who opposed the “Hybrid” School Board Referendum are
engaging in wishful thinking if they are hoping that the counting of the 1500 absentee
ballots will change the results of last Tuesday's voting. I contend that the margin of
victory will actually increase with the counting of those ballots. It is unfortunate that
the vote is just another example of polarization of the races in D.C. It is also an
indictment of the city as a whole that a vote of such importance to us all only drew out
11 percent of the eligible voters in the District.
###############
I was in a car with a friend driving south on Wisconsin Avenue last night,
and saw a big “for lease” sign in the window of The Animal Hut. From the car, it
looked like the store was completely empty. Anyone know why it closed, or if the owners
have reopened in a new location? Barring that, anyone have recommendations on where a
public-transit dependent gal can find healthy fresh-water fish and a small aquarium?
###############
I log several dozen miles each week in my commute to work, GW, the grocery
store, and back home in north Dupont Circle that I created a new category for pedestrian
commuters like myself — “peduter.” With my ten years of accumulated DC
pedestrian experience, few things are more frustrating to me than having to navigate my
way around cars that block the pedestrian crossing lane during the walk signal.
Particularly at noon, after work rush hour, and when it's raining, drivers in DC ignore
traffic lights and create gridlock despite the well intentioned but utterly useless
gridlock-buster signs.
My question is, is there anything pedestrian commuters can do to put a
stop to gridlock, such as issue citizen-initiated vehicular warnings or tickets? Pounding
on car windows, which I've resorted to on several occasions, is not a safe, long-term
answer.
###############
Who is Pete Ross and why is he littering my neighborhood? I'm getting
signs erected for Pete Ross, Democrat Ward 2. They them put on stoplights and it looks
like litter to me. What is the law regarding campaign posters? This candidate is trashing
up my neighborhood and has lost my vote. This is not a way to get me to vote for someone.
Does anyone know the law on campaign posters and how to get it enforced? The trash is bad
enough in Georgetown without campaign trash.
###############
Two years ago, during a mayoral debate at Friendship-Tenley Library, I
asked Jack Evans (who was touting his leadership of the Metro Board as management
experience) about the underfunding of maintenance over the past several years (which I had
learned about at a DPW transportation planning conference earlier that year). He said
there was no such shortfall. He lied, and now we are bearing the brunt. If you don't like
what's happening with Metro now and you live in Ward 2, I hope you aren't supporting Evans
or giving him money this year. Such behavior (mismanagement and lying) should not be
rewarded.
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Mass. Ave. Bus Changes
Ed T. Barron, etdb@aol.com
At long last the WMATA has put a sensible bus routing that serves the NW
part of D.C. from Friendship Heights to downtown. The new bus routes and timetables went
into effect on the 26th of June. The N-2 Southbound bus now runs down Wisconsin from
Friendship Heights to Nebraska, then goes across Nebraska past AU and down New Mexico
coming out at the intersection of Wisconsin and Massachusetts Avenue. Then it resumes the
Mass. Ave. southbound route to Farragut Square. The N-4 buses Run straight through down
Mass. Ave. No more loop de loop with two passes through Ward Circle. Six N-3 Buses have
been added to the route down Mass. Ave. in the early AM, but these buses go down 23rd St.
to "C" Street and across constitution to Federal Triangle instead of Farragut
Square. The same is true for the afternoons Westbound up Mass. Ave. N-6 Buses are the only
buses that run on the weekends and holidays and will make the loop de loop via Idaho and
New Mexico Aves. The time schedules for all the Mass. Avenue buses have changed but can be
accessed at http://www.wmata.com.
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What Are We Teaching Them, Anyway?
Ellen Cole, lymegarden@aol.com
How sadly appropriate that a themail issue on “teaching your children
well” would have a request for the ten scariest spots in DC: certainly the DC public
schools should top the list. And as an aside (not sure if it is indicative of the state of
our school system or merely a themail typo), Washington DC is “our nation's
capitAl,” not “our nation's capitOl,” as was written. Although it is
possible that Mr. Myers is giving tours of the top crime scenes and drug markets in the
Capitol building (probably an extensive tour at that), I would venture a guess that he was
referring to the entire city.
###############
In Response to T. Jr. Hardman
Al Hattal, Hattal@aol.com
If an ex-pat might comment — and I don't know if my comment will make
you feel better or worse about this situation — Washington compares favorably with
cities of equal and larger size, IMHO. I've lived and worked in DC (home in Maryland), New
York, and Los Angeles, and I must say I miss the Washington area. Conditions in NY and LA
are not much better or worse. We have the same kind of callousness and corruption on about
the same level. We also have many instances of demonstrated personal concern and caring.
I'm not a sentimental softie; quite the opposite. But I've seen and been involved in
enough in all three cities to believe that each probably has about the same proportion of
good and bad.
###############
Thanks, Mark David Richards — yes, people all over the country
understand why statehood is important as soon as they're confronted with the facts. At the
Green National Convention, one delegate from Arizona was giving Thomas Smith and me a hard
time about it on Friday and by Saturday he was speaking forcefully in favor of the
statehood plank. And statehood got lots of applause every time it was mentioned on the
Convention floor — half a dozen times, usually not by D.C. delegates. (When Greg
Gerritt of Rhode Island called the roll of delegations present, he paused after
“District of Columbia” to say, “Now folks, of course the District of
Columbia isn't actually a state — yet — but we're working on it.” The
comment got 30 seconds of cheering.) Stay tuned, sometime next month we'll have screenings
of Convention and Freedom Ride highlights, probably a short one at a public venue and a
longer one at someone's house.
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Living in Exile in the Land of Promise
Graffiti by Mark David Richards (1997), Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com
They all wore crowns in the land of promise —
Crowns of glistening shades and emerging shapes.
They all wore crowns in the land of promise —
The land where they hoped they could be set free.
Free from the pain of the fearing souls
Free from the souls of their painful memories
Free from the guilt of their freedoms
Free from the memory of their self-doubt
They sought the light
By sorting the shades and shapes of their crowns.
They sought their freedom
In their nightmares.
Exiled in the land of promise,
Children of the stars.
Exiled on the soil
Of the ashes of their mingling ancestors.
One day they may drink the nectar of the moon god, Soma!
Share the chalice of friendship, immortality, and forgiveness.
Partake of the communion
In honor of their exile
In the land of promise.
One day they will declare their freedom.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — HOUSING
Roommate and Housing
Jason Ziedenberg, jzdc@cjcj.org
Evil landlord who is jacking up the rent past my income level is forcing
me to move for September 1. Looking for 1-bedroom in Columbia Heights/Adams Morgan, $700
to $800, or, alternatively, a cheaper place to share in semi-private two bedroom. Please
help, it is brutal out there. E-mail Jason at jzdc@aol.com,
or call 332-7980.
###############
I am moving to DC in August to go to grad school. I am looking for a place
to live in NW. I am: non-smoker, 26, female, responsible, friendly, no pets (I do like
them, though). Looking for minimum one-year lease, near Metro, either a room in an
apartment, an efficiency, or a one-bedroom. Please E-mail francesca_long@hotmail.com.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS
Renting a Convertible
Austin Kelly, Austin99@usa.net
A few years ago Thrifty had great deals on convertibles in the summertime,
and you could pick them up at locations all over DC. Last year Budget offered a great deal
at National, but my actual experience was awful. This year I've searched every car rental
agency web site, and most don't even offer convertibles. Hertz does, but only at Dulles
and even those were sold out a month in advance. Any suggestions for a cheap palliative to
mid-life crisis? Anyone have any experience, or advice on getting a good deal (or any deal
at all)? Of course, if Metro continues on its current course, I might just buy something
with internal combustion.
###############
ISO Outstanding Interior Painter
Stephen E. Levy, slevy@kalorama.com
I am seeking a interior painter of outstanding quality who can repair
water damage in the walls and ceiling of a room and then repaint that room.
Recommendations would be appreciated.
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Vet Recommendation Desired
David LaPoint, Foggy Bottom, oxymoron at radix.net
I'm looking for a new vet for my two cats. I would like to hear of any
recommendations or experiences people have had with vets convenient to Foggy Bottom. I'm
most interested in a feline knowledgeable vet with a cat friendly practice. I've tried a
couple of vets so far and they tend to be prone to have long waits in busy/disruptive
waiting rooms.
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