Above It All
Dear Colleagues:
All right, so I begged for your comments on candidates in the primary
election, and instead got comments on urinals. I shall refrain from drawing any moral from
that lesson.
As one smart aleck know-it-all critic, I know that there's nothing more
satisfying than to see a smart aleck know-it-all critic get his comeuppance. In this
week's City Paper, at the end of another column devoted to his usual disdain and
contempt for citizen activists and neighborhood advocates, Loose Lips added a short item
in which he let loose with a real howler. Loosey intended to put down Peggy Cooper
Cafritz, Mayor Williams's handpicked candidate to chair the School Board. (She is his
handpicked candidate, even though she denies it, and that's starting her campaign with a
lie. Williams double-crossed Bill Lightfoot, who had been assured that he would get the
Mayor's support in exchange for acting as treasurer of the campaign to pass the Charter
Amendment, in order to anoint Cafritz.)
But in the item on Cafritz, Loose Lips built up to this punch line:
“Perhaps the mayor has shaken off his racial insecurities and simply decided that a
white woman is the best choice to run an almost entirely minority school system.” Hoo
boy. Cafritz is one of the best-known and most visible socialites and arts activists in
town. Not only didn't Loose realize that Cafritz was black; his editors didn't know any
better, either. According to people at the City Paper, on Thursday Cafritz showed
up at their offices, in the mood that is best described as madder than a wet hen, and
asked, “Do I look white to you?”
I can't wait to read the retraction. Let me suggest one approach: “At
the City Paper, we are entirely above race and oblivious to it. Although we were
very familiar with Ms. Cafritz, her race simply never occurred to us.” Yeah, that'll
work.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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On Saturday the Los Angeles Times ran a story on the “. . .
disappointing response to the federally subsidized electronic transfer accounts (ETA's)
— for which the government pays U.S. banks $12.60 apiece — is due largely to the
fact that banks, fearing risky business, have gotten cold feet. The accounts were supposed
to move roughly 6 million low-income Americans into the financial mainstream but have so
far been offered by just one major U.S. bank, Wells Fargo. A consumer advocate at the U.S.
Public Interest Research Group observes that "the idea of paying banks a $12.60 bribe
to open affordable accounts clearly isn't working.” The LAT waits until deep
in the report to offer a more convincing reason for banks' reluctance: many are themselves
entering the check cashing business and aren't inclined to support future competition.
(Slate's Today's Papers, Aug 26, 2000).
This article indicates that no banks in the District are offering the
ETA's. Check cashing is expensive. Banks have a civic duty. Where is the City Council on
this?
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In December 1998, my car's license plates were stolen while it was parked
in front of my house on Capitol Hill. A year and a half later, I am still fighting parking
tickets issued to cars using those stolen plates. I have an inch thick file of
correspondence with the Bureau of Adjudication. I have sent them at least four separate
copies of the police report. Numerous phone calls to the Bureau were met at best with
apathy, and often with outright hostility. The latest outrage is that I received a letter
from Adjudication saying that a police report on stolen tags is insufficient evidence to
dismiss a ticket, and explaining that a valid inspection sticker is needed together with
plates! Apparently, had the thieves smashed my windshield and stolen the inspection
sticker as well as the plates, I would be better off. Is it at all odd that DC parking
enforcement staff were able to find and repeatedly ticket the cars using these plates, yet
DC police never investigated? Once tags are reported stolen, why doesn't parking
enforcement flag that tag number in their computers?
I have now moved from DC to London, Ontario, a place where potholes are
filled, trash is collected, traffic signals work, and rush hour means an extra two minutes
on the drive home. Amazingly, no one considers this unusual — in fact, it is
expected.
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Actual Human Being Sighted at DPW/Street Repair
Mark Eckenwiler, eck@panix.com
I too was annoyed by Dan Tangherlini's op-ed in the 8/20 Post
concerning the pace of street repairs. So annoyed, in fact, that I sent the Post a letter
(via E-mail) with a copy to Tangherlini, the acting District Director Division for
Transportation. Lo and behold, I got a response. From Dan. Promptly (within a few hours).
And instead of getting in my E-face about the letter, he asked for specific repair
requests. He also pointed me to http://www.publicworks.ci.washington.dc.us/cgi-local/streetrehab.html,
which has an actual list of planned street repairs with dates. Mind you, hard experience
teaches one to wait for real results, but I'm encouraged by Tangherlini's responsiveness,
and am inclined to give him credit if tangible results ensue.
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Question about tax rate proposal by Statehood Green Party: in a recent
post Scott McLarty said some stuff about the upcoming elections, including enough to get
me interested in the Statehood Green Party candidate for the at-large council seat. One of
the things he said is that the Party is for higher taxes on abandoned/vacant property.
I'm not trying to be critical, but looking at the property tax rate
schedule information on the DC Chief Financial Officer's government web site (www.dccfo.com) it says that the tax rate on
abandoned/vacant real property is $2.05/$100 of assessed value vs. $0.96/$100 a.v. for
owner occupied residential real property. Plus, homestead exemptions wouldn't be available
either I would presume, which makes a big difference in the tax amount payable. What does
this mean to the proposal? Does the Statehood Green Party mean that the current
differential isn't enough? Or what? This particular proposal didn't seem to be covered in
the campaign literature for Mr. Griffiths on the DC Watch web site.
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Bad: The streets! It's infuriating to hear that the situation is improving
when there's no sign of progress. Each evening as I cross 14th Street, NW, at Q and nearly
lose a filling, I wonder when we are going to see progress. Good: a call to Jack Evans'
office, and my trash pickup problems have vanished. The staff there certainly got to the
right person to fix it. Also good — the inspection station at Half St., SW. I've been
twice this month (to get a truck and a motorcycle inspected) and been out within 15
minutes both times (mid-day Saturday in both cases). Much, much easier than getting my
inspections in Virginia ever was.
And a question: does anyone know what happened to the Logan Circle
Community Association's site, http://www.logancircle.org?
It seems to have vanished.
[Please let me know about the Logan Circle site too, so that I can update
the link on the DCWatch site. — Gary Imhoff]
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Apparently Ramsey's plan to deploy 250 extra cops on the streets has run
into a snag, at least here on part of Capitol Hill. The cops of PSA 108 say there aren't
enough scout cars for the additional cops. Has anyone else heard about this problem?
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Save the Urinals
Kerry “what a topic” Richards, kjr1@yahoo.com
I just had to respond to Ed Barron's Urinals message. Anybody who wants to
remove urinals from men's bathrooms isn't a feminist, they're just SILLY. But when Mr.
Barron considers the chaos let loose by long lines to the men's room, remember that
women's lines are always long (women take something like 40 extra seconds to use the
bathroom than men), and that our bottoms are often offended by the poor aim of
semi-squatting ladies. It's a sad state. Those “feminists” should be campaigning
for additional women's bathrooms to alleviate the lines and for public service
announcements to convince women not to sprinkle when they tinkle.
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In his “Save the Urinals” comments, Ed T. Barron makes some
interesting comments. However, perhaps there is another solution. I frequently find myself
in back country America, pursuing my outdoor passions (hiking, snowboarding, scuba diving,
mountain biking), and during these travels, I have recently begun to see a device
specifically designed for women, which enables them to relieve themselves in an
"upright" position. It is called the FUD, or Feminine Urinary Director. It is
sold by REI (http://www.rei.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=726&prmenbr=8000).
Once suitably “equipped” with the proper “tool”
perhaps women's rest rooms could just have the same types of urinals found in mens rooms.
Or, perhaps we could just open rest rooms up to all sexes, as in Ally McBeal. Imagine
standing next to a woman, who, with the aid of her FUD, is able to write her name on the
wall as well as any man.
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Urinating on the Blues
Russell Cramer, Ruslcramer@aol.com
I've been in a few countries where I have witnessed women alongside
country roads do a pretty good job of urinating standing up. I guess it's just a case of
making use of certain muscles. But what's this sour grapes rationale: “If we can't do
it, then they ought not to be allowed to either”? And I always had the impression
that European women had better things to do with their time. Silly me.
A smokeless Blues club? Is the Blues played there really authentic stuff?
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The Unfinished Business of Civil Rights
Mark Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com
The older generations of the Civil Rights era met once again on the Mall
this weekend to “Redeem the Dream,” 37 years after citizens, they, and Martin
Luther King, Jr., rallied against white supremacy. Yesterday, the elders of the Civil
Rights generation passed the torch to the younger generation. They focused mainly on
racial profiling (Driving while Black) and police brutality, and many urged citizens to
vote. The rally drew a racially integrated audience. A young man early in the day
introduced D.C.'s mayor as “Mayor Marion Barry,” a faux pas that
brought snickers from the audience. Mayor Williams paused before he spoke, introduced
himself as Anthony Williams, and reassured the audience that he was indeed the mayor of
Washington. He said he was there because the legacy of previous generations had made it
possible for him to be mayor. He said, right here in D.C., not far out of sight of the
monuments, some children still don't have access to education and some citizens can't
drive down the road in peace, serenity and security. He didn't mention D.C.'s lack of
political equality as part of the unfinished civil rights business, a point that would
have been warmly received by this audience.
Events held on “Democracy's stage” never cease to be inspiring.
Yesterday, a hundred thousand people assembled on the open landscape of the Mall along the
sides of the reflecting pool to draw inspiration from the imagery and oratory. The
speakers and musicians seemed dwarfed in front of the temple in honor of Lincoln and
national unity. Listening to African American leaders speak about the ongoing journey of
civil rights from below the Lincoln Memorial along the reflecting pool, one could turn to
look past the Washington Monument and see the bright Capitol dome on the horizon, crowned
with Thomas Crawford's bronze “Freedom.”
From here, one can see if Congress is in session. A citizen can think
about Lincoln's second inaugural in March 1865, just after Congress passed the 13th
Amendment abolishing slavery in United States. One is small in this space, but one is part
of something much bigger — part of an early and ongoing dream of freedom and
equality, an experiment in self-rule. I hope the World War II Memorial does not block the
view of the Capitol from the reflecting pool. I'd like to see a mock up of the proposed
Memorial. Just in case, photographers might think about memorializing the view — just
in case they need to hang TV screens to simulate the pre-2000 vista.
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Can any of you activists advise on the best way to alert CBS executives
and the producers and advertisers of their new fall TV show that the denizens of D.C.
don't appreciate the denigrating depiction of D.C. administrators in “The
District”? In the last issue of themail, Ed T. Barron suggested the mayor write a
Letter to the Editor of the Washington Post protesting the new show. If this is the best
plan of action, he should probably also send it to the L.A. Times. Can anyone here help
make this happen?
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Automated Polling Elements of the TV Industry
Buck Downs, bdowns@columbiabooks.com
Please tell Ed T. Barron that he is out of his mind. Nobody in the
“TV industry” knows if you have your TV on or off unless you tell them, or they
peek in your window. And along the same lines of nobody cares: Do people in for example
NYC get all het up about the b.s. that takes place in every episode of say, “Law and
Order”? Are the good crackpots of Boston riled up that “The Practice”
distorts the public perceptions of their fair town? Maybe Ed should turn off his computer,
too.
[Remember, one of the biggest pushes behind the popularity and renovation
of parts of Miami, particularly South Beach, was 1970's television series that portrayed
the city as violent, corrupt, and drug ridden -- “Miami Vice.” Maybe we should
just put our effort into ensuring that “The District” makes DC look pretty.
— Gary Imhoff]
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Ward 7 Candidates Forum
Rhoma Battle, holsall@erols.com
“A Coalition of Ward 7 Civic, Religious and Community-based
Organizations” is sponsoring a Ward 7 Candidates Forum on Wednesday, August 30, 2000,
7:00 pm, at the Pennsylvania Avenue Baptist Church, 3000 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E., at the
corner of 30th St. & Penn. Ave., SE. The moderator will be Joe Madison, “The
Black Eagle,” WOL Radio Talk Show Host. All Ward 7 city council candidates and
at-large council candidates (Brazil, Schwartz, and Griffiths) are scheduled to attend.
After the forum, the Coalition will conduct a non-partisan, non-binding straw poll, the
results of which will be reported before adjournment of the forum. For more information,
contact Rhoma Battle at 583-3228, or E-mail at holsall@erols.com.
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Roof top gala with dancing under the stars, sponsored by the Cultural
Center For Singles. Tuesday, September 12, 6:30-10 pm (separate mingling area for
non-dancers). Personal introductions. 1/2 block from Dupont Circle Metro, garage parking
available. Business attire. Light munchies. Admission $20 cash only. In case of rain it
will be held inside their elegant ballroom. Location: The Embassy Row Hilton Hotel
rooftop, 2015 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, 966-6003.
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ANC 3C Notice
Ruthann Miller, RGM55@aol.com
ANC 3C will meet on Monday, August 28, 7:30 p.m., at the Second District
Police Station, 3220 Idaho Avenue, NW (Community Room). Agenda includes update of
Starwood's plans for construction details and finishes to the 3500 block of Connecticut
Avenue, N.W., Commission's consideration of a resolution in support of the Fairview
Heights Neighborhood Association's Appeal to the BZA regarding the Sikh Temple,
Commission's consideration of a resolution regarding Flat Top Grill's Application for a
Public Space Permit, Commission's consideration of any resolutions regarding pending ABC
Licenses for Chipotle Mexican Grill, 2600 Conn. Ave. and Sherry's Liquors, 2315 Conn.
Ave., and briefing on D.C. government plans for addressing lead paint on railings on
Klingle Bridge. For more information, call 232-2232.
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CLASSIFIEDS — SERVICES
Home Improvement Girl Friday
Karin Leuthy, KLeuthy@aol.com
Need help with a home improvement project? Need some ideas? Unless you
drool at the thought of juggling work, family, and contractors, give me a call. From
brainstorming and interior design to full-blown renovation/restoration projects, I'm your
girl Friday. Can't take time off work to wait for the plumber to show up? Want some Feng
Shui advice? Want to build an addition on your house but don't know where to start? Got a
million little things that need fixing but can't find anyone to do the work? Call me. I'll
make sure that whatever needs doing gets done. Initial consultation is free. Karin Leuthy,
986-2408 or cell: 321-4173.
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CLASSIFIEDS — VOLUNTEERS WANTED
Need 1,000 More Signatures
Rob Kampia, Rob@Kampia.org
Thanks to volunteer petitioners and campaign contributions, I now have
enough signatures to appear on the November 7 ballot to challenge Eleanor Holmes Norton as
D.C.'s Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. If you are one of the people who has
told me you are holding some of the 300 signatures that are still floating around out
there for my candidacy, please drop them off at the Libertarian Party national
headquarters before Tuesday night (Watergate Hotel, 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, Suite 100,
333-0008 ext. 237) or at my apartment on Tuesday night.
But we are teetering on the edge of failure to put Matt Mercurio on the
ballot to challenge anti-marijuana zealots Harold Brazil and Carol Schwartz on the D.C.
City Council. Would you please volunteer to get signatures for Matt and then stop by my
party on Tuesday night? We must submit all signed petitions to the D.C. city government on
Wednesday morning! As of Saturday night, we had 2,500 signatures. But we need a total of
5,000 by Tuesday night! A couple of full-time paid petitioners will get approximately
1,500 signatures by Tuesday night, bringing us to 4,000. (These couple of petitioners are
being paid with the money that has been so generously donated to our campaign thus far.)
We need you and others to volunteer to collect the remaining 1,000 signatures we need by
Tuesday night. Would you please consider helping on Monday and/or Tuesday evenings? If so,
please call me ASAP and I will make arrangements to send you Matt's petitions, and pair
you off with someone at a prime Metro stop or supermarket in D.C.
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CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS
My 14 year old son has recently decided that he made a mistake giving up
soccer when we moved here from Boston two years ago. Can someone steer me to what is
available for youngsters in terms of league(s), phone number(s) for contact, please? We
live in Montgomery County but I can't find a team with a slot closer than a 45-minute
drive on the Beltway, so I though I would try DC. He has played competitive soccer on a
travel team in the past, but hasn't played on a team for a couple of years. He's a good
player but didn't make the high school team and was advised by the JV coach that if he had
regular practice and play time, he'd have no problem making the team next year.
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Bell Clement's plea for a really good plumber causes me to think of a
famous politician's line: “Ah feel youah pain”! And, until I was referred to a
small but very responsive firm called Real Plumbers by a real estate broker I, too, felt
much pain. But ever since they have been working for me life has been wonderful on the
plumbing front (I wish I could say the same for electrical, however). These people can do
anything (including gas) that plumbers are supposed to be able to do. And — most
important — if they don't get it right they will come back without argument. In sum,
they are highly skilled, accommodating, and priced fairly and competitively. Oh, yes
— and this is a boon for us folks here in the “inner city” — they are
not freaked out about coming into our neighborhoods and they don't moan and groan about
parking, etc. Call the company owner, Dave Warner (he's NOT the same Warner who got in
trouble several years ago with the Maryland consumer protection authorities), at
301-567-2001. Tell him Peter Wolff of InTowner referred you. (And, p.s., he's not
even one of my newspaper's advertisers and I'm not serving as his shill: that's my story
and I'm sticking with it!
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