Arrested Development
Dear themailers:
Few messages to themail have received as much comment as John
Richardson's. Everyone seems to have had or to have known of a similar experience. A
neighbor in my block was arrested and booked last month because the temporary tags on his
new car had expired, even though he had and showed the policemen all the paperwork to show
that he had paid for permanent tags and the dealer had applied for them on the day the
temporary tags had been issued; the Department of Motor Vehicles had simply failed to send
them despite repeated calls. Walking downtown, Dorothy and I saw a policeman stop a car
that had run a red light. The driver certainly deserved a traffic ticket, but before
writing the ticket the policeman screamed at the driver at full volume for at least five
minutes, “Are you stupid? What's the matter with you? Are you stupid?” We
stopped to watch to make sure that the policeman didn't get any further out of control,
but didn't approach him out of fear that he would turn his wrath on us. (Beth Solomon must
be braver than I am.)
The question is what we should do about the problem of the abuse of police
power, and we are far from agreed on the answer to that question. Many, perhaps most,
black residents of DC would agree with Mr. Richardson, and attribute the problem to racial
profiling. That would suggest that the solution to the abuse of police power is increased
racial sensitivity and anti-prejudice education. But in a city where the majority of
police officers and police officials are black, the police chief and the mayor are black,
and the overwhelming majority of the bureaucracy are black, finding powerful racist whites
to blame for what are alleged to be anti-black police policies and procedures is a
difficult task. Many, though perhaps not most, white residents of DC would attribute
abuses of police power to inevitable inequalities between the police who are both
“the arm of the law” and armed and citizens who are relatively powerless in any
encounter with the police. If that inequality is what is creating the problem, then the
only solution is rigorous retraining in respect and restraint — but the Metropolitan
Police Department is not going to undertake that training until the problem becomes so
widespread and universally recognized that it is inevitable and inescapable.
Until that day arrives, as Thomas Hardman suggests below, don't alter your
license plates.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Mr. Richardson’s Experience
Rick Otis, rdotis@yahoo.com
While I'm sure the DC police department works hard to protect the citizens
of DC, my experience has taught me they are not always our friends. Mr. Richardson's
experience seems to be one of those cases. One of the most frustrating aspects of dealing
with DC government employees and the mistakes they make is our inability to hold anyone
accountable. Senior officials like the head of Parks and Recreation resign, but the
day-to-day employees who make inexcusable errors that cost us money, harm our families,
waste our time, and damage our neighborhoods never seem to be identified and held
accountable. They should be publicly identified and required to take some action to
correct the adverse side effects of their actions.
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John Richardson’s DWB
Gregory Diaz, Zaidmot@aol.com
John Richardson's account of his “apprehension” by D.C.'s finest
moves me to write of an incident I saw on 19th Street between L and M last week. You might
call this infraction “Insufficient Deference While Ethnic.” A white male of
perhaps Mediterranean extraction had parked on the sidewalk next to the alley, which
admittedly is an annoying and naughty no-no. An officer of the law wrote a ticket (as well
he should). However, when the subject simply took the ticket off his windshield and
proceeded toward his business (a nearby grill), the MPD officer went berserk (Nordic term,
I believe, for person wholly without restraint?). Following closely on the citizen's
heels, he was shouting in a loud and abusive manner. The citizen was trying to calm the
officer down (an ironic twist), and eventually returned to his vehicle, with the officer
literally screaming in his face. Well, within minutes the officer had called backup
(amazing how quickly they put down their donuts and come out of the woodwork for really
serious crimes like this). Cars came screaming down 19th (rush hour) and the citizen was
cuffed and carried off. I can vouch for the fact that at least a dozen people around me
who witnessed this incident felt nothing but anger and contempt for the cops. Not because
the person did not deserve a ticket — he clearly did and in fact should have had his
vehicle towed off. But because the officers were out of control, arrogant, and bullying in
a situation that was trivial, at best.
The deeper point in all of this is not unique to DC. It is a national
phenomenon. Look around you: even as violent crime is actually declining, police more and
more wear military combat uniforms, arm themselves with military weapons, including
assault rifles and armored vehicles (military “surplus” courtesy of the U.S.
Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs — check out the web site), and strut
about like an occupying force. What the heck, if things get out of control, you can always
call in the SWAT sniper.
###############
What an incredible story by John Richardson. Contrast this with what
happened to me. Two summers ago, I was also pulled over in DC for an expired tag. I had
been on a long vacation, and I admit I had no clue it was expired. I schmoozed, begged,
cajoled for a few minutes and the cop waved me off; I don't even remember him calling the
plate number in. What happened to this gentleman was humiliating, stupid, and unjust, but
somehow not surprising. Profiling, or the usual bungling? Welcome to the District of
Columbia, Officer Richardson! As many new residents of the District soon find out, the
relationship between “state” and “society,” to use political science
terms, is different here than in many other parts of America. You will find that you have
to fight here just for normal treatment and basic things that people in other cities take
for granted, your rights to your property and dignity being foremost among them. Sue!
###############
[To John Richardson] Sir, with all due respect, sorry to hear your tale of
getting locked up for driving with clearly bogus tags. You altered your tags in a clear
effort to evade and elude; you yourself state that you yourself told the officer that you
misapplied the date stickers so as to not get stopped. DC cops are supposed to be trained,
and evidently these ones were, to detect incongruity, furtiveness, and especially anything
that indicates that someone is trying to spoof the system. The last thing DC needs is more
“operators.” If they ran your plates, and ran your ID, then this is what they
saw:
Someone with ID indicating they work close to intelligence and spoofing
their tags like they're trying to be “spooky” but clearly not legit —
otherwise you'd have “all the right stuff” and they'd never have stopped you for
clearly bogus tags because you would not have had them — basically you raised every
Red Flag there is and if they hadn't dragged you in, I'd demand to know why my tax dollars
are being wasted. The sort of stuff you pulled totally fits the profile of the Aldritch
Ames crew and a few other major defectors. You went to jail while someone determined that
you were simply clueless and trying to get over, rather than being some self-styled modern
James Bond wannabee. You got out because you were clueless. Either that or the folks that
swarmed everything about you you while you were busy getting bail don't know their jobs.
Now we're all damned sorry you're offended, but now that you've had this
explained to you: If you're remotely associated with intelligence or classified services,
don't fool around with the system because these days the system is set to bite you in the
buttocks if you fool around with it. Mister, if you're working remotely in intel, the
system is there to not just protect you, but all of the rest of us, by which I mean the
USA. Don't try to get tricky with it. Don't even try to bitch if you diddle the system and
it diddles you right back. This isn't New York City, this isn't Atlanta, this isn't
Seattle, okay? This is Washington, DC, and if you actually matter — as in, could you
really endanger a lot of people (like the whole country) if you screw up — you had
better toe the line and not fool around with your license plates so that you look like
either an inept spy or a semi-competent car thief. Now why don't you just pretend that
you're a real intelligence officer and ask yourself what would you think if you saw
someone in your position playing at a lame caper like this. And once again, sorry to hear
about your misfortune, but basically, you made someone do their job. Deal.
###############
Mr. Richardson, what happened to you is a travesty. I hope you sue and
win. Your improper arrest shows us all that it is not just young black males who are
targeted by the police but also every other black human being. No longer can law
enforcement claim that their arrest or stop was due to suspicious activity. It is high
time these issues are resolved. I suspect that it isn't just driving while black, but
walking while black, and even living while black.
###############
DWB on Friday the 13th
Mandy Katz, mmkatz@erols.com
John Richardson's experience of being hauled away in handcuffs for an
apparently expired DMV registration sounds horrible. It may give some — if scant
— comfort to know that our neighbor, who is white, suffered the same in Ward 3. His
papers actually HAD expired, but it still seemed excessive to haul him off to jail. He
also was arrested a block from his house. His one-year-old son was strapped in his car
seat next to him. Fortunately, another neighbor saw what was going on and took charge of
the little boy while the officers took Daddy — a law-abiding contractor on his way to
a meeting — off to the station house. Not sure about handcuffs.
###############
Worried about Racial Profiling
Beth Solomon, beth@planetvox.com
John Richardson's account of being wrongly arrested by the police reminds
me of a disturbing incident I saw recently. Driving by the MCI Center on my way home at
about 10 on a Saturday night, I saw two black men in a small car, dressed in suits, with
their hands above their heads, surrounded by three MPD cars and a van, lights flashing.
One of the officers was waving a very large automatic rifle which was strapped over his
shoulders. It was the largest gun I have ever seen in DC. It reminded me of news footage
from Somalia. I was so surprised I stopped my car and watched for a while. I realized it
was a traffic citation. The two men in the car looked very frightened. I could see the
driver's cufflinked sleeve. I got out of my car and asked the two (white) officers if it
was necessary to use those big guns in the middle of a busy sidewalk with lots of people
around. I suggested that, in the context of public concern about racial profiling, the
image of those officers using automatic weapons for a traffic citation against the two men
in the car could draw negative attention to MPD. The officer not holding the rifle
threatened to arrest me. Was it racial profiling? I don't know, but the use of weapons
appeared disproportionate and the accompanying attitude was aggressive, rude and
threatening.
###############
Overzealous Police Officers
Sheila Galagan, royg@idsonline.com
I read John Richardson's post with interest and sympathy, as something
very similar happened to me about a year ago. The tags on my car had expired a day or two
before this incident and I had not planned to drive the car until the tags were renewed.
However, I had an episode of atrial fibrillation, a heart ailment I suffer from, and
needed to make a fast visit to my cardiologist's office, which is about 10 blocks from my
NE Washington home. Driving seemed like the quickest way to get there and speed was of the
essence. I made it to the doctor's office fine, but as I was returning home, I stopped at
the local drugstore to have my prescription filled. An overzealous police officer noticed
my tags and threatened me repeatedly with arrest. I managed to avoid arrest only by
showing the officer the receipt from my doctor, which said what I had been treated for,
and my prescription. She allowed me to go into the drug store to have the prescription
filled while she thought it over and luckily for me she decided against arrest and allowed
me to complete my journey. Had I been arrested and detained without access to the
medication, something quite serious could have happened. For the record, I am a
middle-aged, middle class white woman. While racial profiling is sometimes difficult to
determine, overzealous police work is par for the course in the District.
###############
John Richardson, who was arrested for Driving While Black in D.C., should
contact the producers and actors of the new TV show “The District” and ask them
to sign a protest letter to the DCMPD on Richardson's behalf. If the producers want to
gain points with D.C.'s Black community, they could do it by calling attention to
Richardson's plight and supporting him in his fight for justice. The treatment Richardson
received was appalling and reprehensible, and those officers should be fired.
###############
Unmoving Target in Georgetown
Richard Levine, rilevine@cpcug.org
My house was just run into. On a Saturday night in Georgetown, about
twenty minutes to eight, I heard a large crash on the Q Street side of my house near
Wisconsin Avenue. When I went to look there were four 30-something people on the street,
one of them talking into a cell phone, and a whole section of my garden fence was taken
out along with a lot of shrubbery. I went outside to speak with them, and they told me
that they had witnessed an SUV with PA tags driven by two or three young white males cross
the street and run into my house and then take off down Q Street driving very erratically.
Now for the fun part with city services. One of the witnesses had a cell
phone and was trying to call in the crime to DCMPD, and they wouldn't take the call. Then
we flagged down two motorcycle cops who refused to identify themselves and said that they
would pursue and they went off down Q Street. A cruiser went by and the officer stopped
and refused to take a report or identify himself. Finally, after about thirty minutes, two
cruisers showed up and made a report and gave me a report number. The two police who made
the report also told us that there was no record of the motorcycle cops pursuing anyone
and they had gone back to patrolling. Why they didn't pursue a dangerous vehicle is
anyone's guess. None of the cops seemed to be at all concerned that a car was on the road
that would crash into a home. I'm also concerned about DC Police that won't identify
themselves when they are on duty.
###############
Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth to the discussion about the upcoming
election for the DC School Board. I have a child in a DC public elementary school, thus my
comments are as a parent and are without prejudice or malice. I agree 100% with Susan
Gushu's recent assessment regarding candidates for Board President. I particularly agree
with her comments regarding the past performance of Mr. Childs. There have been two School
Board candidates forums in Ward 7. Mr. Childs was a no-show at the first one (Gray and
Cafritz were on time) and Mr. Childs and Ms. Cafritz were 1 hour and 45 minutes late for
the second one. Mr. Gray arrived on time. Mr. Gray, at both forums, was the only
Presidential candidate that clearly articulated his knowledge and understanding of the
role of the Board President, and of the issues affecting the 45 District IV schools (Wards
7 & 8). He gets two votes from the Rhett household.
As for the District IV candidates, William Lockridge has stood head and
shoulders above the other candidates in articulating his understanding of the role of
School Board members, as well as his ability to clearly articulate an understanding of the
system's challenges vs. the electorate's expectations. He gets two votes from the Rhett
household.
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Comments from a District 1 School Board Candidate
Thomas Smith, smith1965@hotmail.com
This is a reply to Anthony Watts' critique of my short term and long term
plan for our schools. First of all the increased spending is a absolute necessity at this
stage. Why? Because that is the only thing that will get us some immediate results that
will restore some confidence in our parents. Parents are sick and tired and mad because
their children simply do not have the the equipment of education, the buildings and
facilities are broken and the classes are too large. We all agree that waste and
inefficiency has to be stopped, and this should perhaps be worked on by an I.G. (inspector
general ) type team immediately. But “my” child is in school now and I want to
see some immediate physical improvements NOW is what I hear in the community. That is the
reason I am running MR.WATTS, I am not a “general” with lots of reorganization
plans and complex fancy structuring ideas. Like most of the other candidates for this
position, I am a grunt, a combat soldier. I expect to be battered and bruised but I know
what the people want and need and I intend on getting it done come hell or high water or
snide comments.
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A Rare Opportunity Lies Immediately Ahead
Len Sullivan, lsnarpac@bellatlantic.net
The short-term future of DC lies in the ability of the current DC
Government to get its management act together and make demonstrable progress in reducing
the still evident dysfunctionality of its bureaucracy. But the long-term future of DC lies
in the hands of Congress. As a result of the Supreme Court ruling, we now know that only
Congress can improve DC's voting representation in Congress. Only Congress can take the
overdue steps to revamp its oversight processes and stop treating DC like its whipping
boy. And only Congress can take the steps needed to eliminate the conflicts of interest
that deny a level playing field between our core city and the rest of the metro area.
There is as yet no single recognized solution to these three interrelated issues, though
several partial fixes are being proffered.
In the short period between Election Day and Inauguration Day, the
Congress often takes the major steps needed to change its modus operandi for the next four
years. DC's Mayor, the DC Council, the DC Control Board, the DC Delegate, and sympathetic
members of the “dregs” DC subcommittees should all make it unmistakably clear
that some changes in Congress's relations with the District are essential. At the very
least, the Congress should empower a Commission to redefine Congressional relations with
the District. At the most, they should immediately (by caucus) restore Delegate Norton's
voting rights, and replace the four outdated oversight subcommittees with some other
mechanism for overseeing the major problems that afflict DC and other US metro areas. As
those who visit NARPAC's web site know, we prefer a Joint House/Senate Committee, but
there are doubtless other approaches as well. It's high time to sort them out and upgrade
the citizens of America's Capital City to first class.
###############
Let’s Stick It in Angelos’ Ear
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
Since Peter Angelos, the owner of the Baltimore Orioles, will never allow
a major league franchise to come to Washington, D.C., then it is time to hit him where it
hurts, in the pocketbook. Major League baseball is dying a slow death. The game has
changed so much that it is only fun when two fight-to-the-death rivals like the Mets and
Yankees meet. Players are overpaid and under-perform. There is no team loyalty. Games that
are televised drag on for an average of more than three hours. There are so many teams
that even the U.S. large population cannot fill all the playing positions with quality
players. Journeyman infielders command multimillion dollar salaries for just showing up
every day. The cost to take a young family to a single ball game requires a visit to the
loan officer. Teams have obscene payrolls, and baseball demands outrageous monies from the
networks to televise to a dwindling audience.
Baseball is still a great national pastime, it's just better at a
different level. The answer to getting a crowd drawing team in Washington, where people
can afford to take their kids to a good game with players who are playing because they
love the game, is to bring in a minor league team. That team should not be a team that is
a farm team of one of the major league teams; it should be an independent team in a league
of independent teams. That league exists on the East Coast right now. In fact, none other
than Cal Ripken is a principal owner of just such a team in Maryland. It's clear that that
team will draw many fans away from the Orioles Park at Camden Yards. We should have an
independent team here in Washington and can move them into a ready-made ball park at RFK
Stadium. Let's see if we can hire Cal Ripken and set up an independent team for us
baseball fans here in Washington.
###############
Signs of Visible Progress
Mark Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com
Some time back I commented about how some of the schools like Francis
Junior High looked abandoned, with broken windows — but they were in use. Here's some
good news: there is visible progress at Francis. It looks like they're replacing all the
windows (many had broken glass) with complete new ones. The school actually looks like it
is fit for students. I'm also noticing improvements in playground equipment at many
schools I walk or bike by. Looked up a bit of history about Francis, wondered when it was
built and how it got the name. Found that Junior High Schools were started experimentally
in D.C. in 1919 and led the way nationally away from the “8-4” plan (8 years of
elementary and 4 years of high school) to the “6-3-3ö plan. According to Harry Oram
Hine, Secretary of the Board of Education in 1928, Junior High Schools were an "all
American" idea. They received Congressional sanction in the Salary Act of 1924, which
also gave teachers reasonable salaries with annual increases. In 1925, the Five-Year
Building Program Act gave Congressional sanction to building enough schoolhouses (no more
than 40 pupils per class). Many buildings were “portables” and rented, and due
to overcrowding there were part-time classes. The project lasted from 1926-1930, and was
to cost $4 million per year, but after the first year appropriations were reduced 40
percent. Out of this project, four new Junior High Schools, including Francis, were built
(Washington Past and Present, A History, John Clagett Proctor, Editor-in-Chief,
1930, p. 441-442).
In my library, I didn't find how Francis got its name. I don't know if
this is related, but I see there was a Dr. John R. Francis, a leading African-American
physician who established the Colored Social Settlement in December 1913. This
organization raised support for African-American social services. Dr. Francis was a force
in encouraging teaching African-American students about their heritage to foster pride.
The Oldest Inhabitants Association (African-American) also took up this objective (Washington:
Capital City 1879-1950, by Constance Green, 1962 p. 230).
###############
Timothy Cooper is right that, except in the context of DC statehood,
Congress by simple majority can't give DC full congressional representation. But the House
could restore our delegate's right to vote in the Committee of the Whole, which would
amount to a vote on the floor in nearly all situations. What makes no sense is what Cooper
urges: another futile attempt at a constitutional amendment. We tried that in 1978 (with a
Democratic Congress in a more progressive era) and it failed miserably (only six states
ratified it). Cooper provides no evidence to suggest it would have a better chance this
time, with Republicans controlling a majority of state governments, the U.S. Senate, and
possibly (after January) still the U.S. House. True, the current proposal is more poorly
worded than the 1978 amendment, which was simple and clear. But that doesn't suggest a
different outcome. Nothing in the Supreme Court's recent decision limits Congress's power,
by simple majority vote, to grant us statehood, retrocession, or a vote on the floor (in
the Committee of the Whole). By contrast, a constitutional amendment requires 2/3 of both
houses of Congress and 3/4 of the states. Instead of something that requires a simple
majority vote, why should we try for something that has already failed once and that
requires much more support from many more people?
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Constitutional Quicksand by Timothy Cooper
George S. LaRoche, LaRoche@us.net
Mr. Cooper's summary of the law suits and his analysis of the present
alternatives are excellent. In passing, it might be noted that the court only provided
reasoning or analysis of the claims in one of those cases, Alexander v. Daley, and the
plaintiffs in the other case, Adams v. Clinton (also known as the “20 D.C. Citizens'
case”). AGREE with the court's analysis of the claims made in Alexander. It's not
that we think representation in Congress isn't a good and desirable thing, but that the
Constitution only provides for representation of (elected by) citizens of States. If
you're not a citizen of a State, you cannot participate in elections of representatives.
Mr. Cooper is also correct in his astute summary of the alternatives under the
Constitution, as they would be framed in light of the theories presented in Adams. But we
learned an interesting lesson in the course of litigating Adams v. Clinton, and this
lesson should be remembered when considering the suggestion of amending the Constitution.
Note that the entire gist of Adams (as was the case in the much more famous equal
protection cases from our history and on which Adams was modeled) was merely to end the
status quo. We were not asking the court to award representation in Congress, much less to
issue and opinion whether the District should or should not be a state. We argued and
showed that the status quo — exclusion of District residents from apportionments of
congressional districts — violates District residents' rights to be treated in the
same substantial manner as all other people who ARE NOW or ever were under precisely the
same powers of Congress under the Constitution. Thus, the status quo must end. Period.
To fight our claim that the status quo violates the Constitution, so must
end, the Department of Justice and counsel for other defendants launched a startling
argument: that the District “cannot” be anything other than what it is; that the
District is permanently locked outside the system of states in which everyone else in the
United States exercises their rights. One of the key points in the defendants' argument
was the Twenty-third Amendment, the amendment which grants District residents a role in
election of the President. According to the Department of Justice, the Twenty-third
Amendment “proves” that the District, permanently, CANNOT be a State or part of
a State. The Twenty-third Amendment, in other words, is held up as a BAR to full
citizenship on the same terms and with the same scope as the citizenship enjoyed by
citizens of the States.
This doesn't mean that the constitutional amendment approach is a bad
idea. To the contrary, I agree with Mr. Cooper that this alternative deserves more
discussion and closer analysis than it has received, and it's unfortunate that it hasn't
received the respect it deserves. But the lesson to be taken from the existence of the
Twenty-third Amendment is sobering: further amendment of the Constitution to accommodate
the citizens of the District of Columbia will make it harder, if not impossible, for the
District ever to join the rest of the United States. The Constitution is like a blueprint
for a magnificent mansion. It shows how everyone in the States sits around one great table
to legislate for the nation and sits around another great table to administer the country.
The Twenty-third Amendment is like a little room, added on the side of the mansion. From
this room, District residents can add their voice to selection of the President, but they
are not “inside” the mansion for any other purposes and they do not enjoy any of
the other benefits of the mansion (note that the Department of Justice went so far as to
suggest to the Supreme Court that the District residents don't enjoy the right to equal
protection of the laws under the Constitution, a position they've taken throughout the
District's history as to other rights in the Constitution). Mr. Cooper is absolutely
right. We should discuss whether to build another room on the side of the mansion, to
accommodate the people of the District of Columbia, but use of that room comes with a
cost: perhaps permanent exclusion from the mansion itself.
###############
I suggested here about a year or more ago that DC residents forego the
push for voting rights and promote the idea of no federal taxation foremost. Ed Barron
recently mentioned the same effort. And why not? Let's be realistic. DC is not a state. It
is on a quasi-par with Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, none of whose residents
have voting representation in Congress. However, those territories' residents also pay no
federal income taxes. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that DC residents are not
entitled to voting representation, why should we still be treated differently than the
good residents of the aforementioned territories? But we are treated differently. We pay
federal income tax. Talk about a slap in the pocketbook. We are lower than lowly citizens,
and yet this is the nation's capitol! Elimination of our federal income tax payments
stands a far quicker chance of congressional approval than procuring voting
representation. And it will be supported by a much larger segment of the city's working
population. The guy who makes $20,000/year (gross) could understand the argument for
keeping approximately $2,800 in his pocket, which is about what he now pays in federal
income tax, depending on deductions. Plus, it's a logical start toward the ultimate goal
of voting representation. Go ahead, keep pushing for voting representation, but let's put
that new license plate slogan on the front burner. No vote, no tax. Now. Wouldn't our
forefathers see it this way?
On another side of the same subject, it gets a little tiring reading and
hearing how we'll never get voting representation with a Republican controlled congress.
Simply, in the history of this country we've had Democrats and Republicans controlling
congress, but has anything changed for the District other than a few crumbs now and then
to placate the citizens? Look at the recently passed legislation confirming the in-state
tuition rate for DC-resident college students attending any state institution, as an
example. This is surely a boon to many, but a mere crumb compared to what the residents
want and merit. Both parties have had ample opportunity to do this city's citizens right
and both have failed miserably. For those who blame the current congress for our plight,
let me remind you of our current Chief Executive's blustering poppycock while reviewing
Georgia Avenue when he arrived in DC in '92. Then let us not forget that he expressed a
desire to become more pro-active concerning DC affairs when reelected. Pure political
posturing, dear reader. (Disclosure — I voted for WJC in '92.)
###############
Aside from statehood and retrocession, there is a third way to give DC
residents voting rights and full citizenship. The Organic Act of 1801 can be amended to,
for representation purposes only, consider the District and enclave of Maryland. Such an
act would also need a method to divide up the 8 Maryland congressional districts which the
combined areas would receive in the next census which would include ratification by the
Council of the District of Columbia and the Maryland Legislature and the Congress (which
ratifies all interstate compacts — though they may consider themselves the DC state
legislature and may therefore bypass the Council). This raises a question to you
Marylanders on this list: how would you feel if Congress had a more direct say in your
apportionment? This is how the District feels about all congressional interference.
The administrative structures of DC would not have to be changed, although
they should be as they are violative of our constitutional right to a state constitution
— which is guaranteed under the 5th Amendment as supported by Bolling v. Sharpe. I
would urge those legal minded individuals to test this right by seeking an injunction
blocking the next attempt by the Federal government to amend the Home Rule Act (which was
ratified by a vote of DC residents) if it fails to include ratification by DC voters.
On the subject of our constitution, most probably do not know that there
is an amendment to the New Columbia Constitution on the table which the Board of Elections
has never put up for a vote. They should either do so or withdraw it — affirming the
Constitution of 1982. I would go further and state that, Article by Article, the Home Rule
Act should be amended by referendum to conform to the New Columbia Constitution —
which includes a Governor, a 40-member House of Delegates, constitutional amendment by
citizen initiative, and electoral removal of judges. Aside from a few left-wing
platitudes, which are not really out of line, it is a very well written plan of government
and far superior to the current system — or the Council's 1987 Constitution which is
modeled after the Home Fool Act. The 87 proposed constitution does at least have a
governor and a 25-member legislature (and is also preferable to the current form of
government).
What about it, Councilmembers and candidates — where do you stand on
these issues?
###############
About the Briggs Case
Kurt Vorndran, Kvorn@nteu.org
Three observations on the Briggs case: 1. It is an outrage that DC
teachers are included in the Federal Hatch Act. 2. I am unimpressed that Mr. Briggs was
apparently unaware of that until it was brought to his attention by others. 3. In the back
of my memory, I seem to recall at one time the DC Statehood Party got a ruling declaring
it was not a “political party” as defined by the Hatch Act because they did not
run electors for President. It seems to be their merger with Nader's Greens that is the
source of their woes now.
###############
Raising Talent Within DC Parks & Rec
Robert Andrew, RDAndrew@erols.com
Following up on Helen Hagerty's exhortation to look internally within DC
Parks and Rec for the next director, let me also throw into the ring the name of Art
Dockery, who has been consistently civil on all of his dealings with our local
“Friends of Hardy” group. He's also been helpful on policy matters on
implementing permitted use of fields and playgrounds by private schools, to constrain
their hours of use, and where they can use our neighborhood park in a manner to reduce
impact of boisterous schoolkids on toddlers in the Tot Lot.
The new (or without delay the Acting) Director should also look into
DCPR's termination of Jane Huntington — for more on that sorry saga see http://www.foxhall.org/letters/delays.htm.
###############
The Potemkin Village at www.dpr.dc.gov
Nick Keenan, nbk@gsionline.com, Shaw
The DC Parks and Recreation Department has a web site (www.dpr.dc.gov), and if you were to use it for your
source of information you'd wonder what all the fuss is about. According to it, the city
has 77 rec centers, and each one of them is open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 10 pm, weekends
7 am to 7 pm. All of them have a swimming pool, basketball court, volleyball court,
baseball field, weight room, pool table, and ping-pong table. All of them feature a Water
Aerobics and Deep Water Exercise program as their featured activity. In fact, all of them
look exactly the same — because they all have the same photograph. In reality, the
site has 77 copies of the same page, one for each facility. Each page describes a glowing
facility that exists only on the web site, far from the reality of understaffed,
mismanaged centers. To make matters worse, the text of each page is actually copied from
the Fairfax County Park Authority web site at
http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/parks/gwrec.htm.
Here in Shaw, there are only two Recreation Department facilities —
Kennedy Playground and the Shaw Jr. High field. For more than 17,000 DC residents, these
two facilities are the nearest recreational opportunity. Kennedy is surrounded by a
ten-foot chain-link fence, which is locked when the park is not staffed. The nominal
operating hours are 9 to 5, Monday through Saturday, but there is only one full-time
employee so these hours are not always observed. The park is always closed on Sunday. The
fence has several holes, so when the park is closed it is used only by scofflaws, which
creates an atmosphere of lawlessness. To my understanding it is the only park in the city
that is locked up when it is not staffed. The park has three major facilities — a
baseball diamond, basketball courts, and horseshoe pits. The baseball diamond (one of two
regulation Little League fields in the city) is off-limits to the public and reserved for
league play, even though there are no leagues that actually play there. Two of the six
basketball goals are missing hoops, and the basketball courts are set below ground level
and do not have working drains, so they flood when it rains. All of the horseshoe pits are
missing stakes and are unusable. There is no regular maintenance of the park, and it is
littered with trash and broken glass.
The Shaw Jr. High field is one of the many school facilities that are
maintained by the Rec Department. It was in the news last spring when a body that had been
there for at least two weeks was discovered by children, which is a pretty good assessment
of the general level of care. It has tennis and basketball courts that are usable and are
popular. It also has grass fields that are essentially unusable, as they have become
potholed and barren from neglect.
###############
So, We’ll Go Some More a Roving
Charlie Wellander, ah52j2e3@mailshell.com
...with apologies to Byron and to any Roving Leaders out there. Who names
these programs? One definition of “roving,” when combined with leader, brings to
mind our erstwhile mayor-for-life — “inclined to wander or stray, e.g., a roving
eye.” Hasn't the District had enough problems with roving leaders (away to the Virgin
Islands, Phoenix, various Superbowls, even other continents, etc., etc.) in the past few
years? Quick peeks at a couple of dictionaries finds “roving” most often defined
as “wandering about at random; roaming; moving aimlessly” and “going from
place to place with no particular course or destination.” Hmm, maybe it is an
appropriate name for a DC government program.
###############
October 30 Hearing on Drug Dealer Liability Act of
2000
Jim McLeod, Foggy Bottom, jmcleod@attglobal.net
On October 30, at 3:00 p.m., there will be a public hearing held by the DC
Council Judiciary Committee (First Floor, 441 4th Street, NW). One of the two bills to be
discussed is the “Drug Dealer Liability Act of 2000,” Bill 13-863. Its stated
purpose: “To establish a private cause of action for injuries proximately occurring
as a result of the distribution of unlawful narcotics.” Call 724-8174, if you would
like to testify. The bill was introduced October 3rd by Councilmembers Brazil and Orange.
If I read the bill correctly, one need only show harm from someone's use of illegal drugs
to seek damages against those participating in illegal drug markets. Under the bill, those
who purchase illegal drugs for personal use are not considered to have participated in the
illegal drug market. But sharing with others constitutes distribution.
I hope the ACLU or other liberty watchdogs will comment on this apparently
hastily prepared bill — the copy available from Legislative Service has handwritten
corrections and additions and it apparently makes doctors offices “illegal drug
markets,” since doctors distribute illegal drugs. (The criminal code more properly
calls them controlled substances.) I am somewhat concerned that the bill will give users
another reason (concern over civil liability) to deny their use. Acknowledging drug use is
frequently cited as the first step to recovery. Here we may ask the question whose
recovery is more important, the addicts or the plaintiffs, and if some provision to
exclude drug program confessions would be appropriate? PS. It's interesting that Mr.
Brazil finds time to hold a hearing on this bill 27 days after its introduction, but
hasn't found time for the Misdemeanor Jury Trial Act of 2000 introduced nine months ago. I
give him credit, however — at least defendants under his new bill will get a jury
since money is involved (including fees for plaintiff attorneys) and not merely 180 days
of a person's liberty.
###############
Announcing H-DC: H-NET List on the History of the
District of Columbia
Matthew Gilmore, dchist@hotmail.com
H-DC, a refereed, multi- and inter-disciplinary discussion list, provides
a means of communication and interaction for those who research, write, read, teach,
collect, curate, and preserve Washington, DC, history and culture and for those who work
in cultural institutions located within DC, regardless of discipline. H-DC serves as a
forum for serious discussion; a bulletin board for news of newly opened collections,
upcoming conferences, exhibits, public programs, etc.; and as a cabinet for the storage
and retrieval of materials (syllabi, reading lists, helpful hints) useful in classroom
teaching at every level. It will be a means for sharing serious reference inquiries
relating to location of sources and materials — collaborative for suggesting possible
institutions and sources — to provide an on-line community which authors,
researchers, and others interested in these topics can turn to when seeking guidance on
available resources on specific topics.
H-DC will post reviews of books, exhibits, audio-visual materials, and
electronic presentations; notices of the publication of new books, and citations to
appropriate articles in current newspapers, magazines, and journals. H-DC invites the
participation of everyone — whether professional, para-professional, or volunteer
— who cares deeply about the legacy of Washington, DC's, past. This list includes
(without being limited to) academics, librarians, curators, folklorists, independent
scholars, preservationists, archivists, museum docents, public historians, writers,
consultants, and students. H-DC is a moderated internet discussion forum. The editors are
Matthew Gilmore, Washingtoniana Division, D.C. Public Library, dchist@hotmail.com, and
Gail Redmann, Historical Society of Washington, D.C., hswlibrary@attglobal.net. It is advised by a
board of field experts. Logs and more information can also be found at the H-Net Web Site,
located at http://h-net.msu.edu/.
To join H-DC, please send a message from the account where you wish to
receive mail, to listserv@h-net.msu.edu, (with
no signatures or styled text, word wrap off f or long lines) and only this text: sub h-dc
firstname lastname, institution. Example: sub h-dc John Smith, State U. Follow the
instructions you receive by return mail. If you have questions or experience difficulties
in attempting to subscribe, please send a message to help@h-net.msu.edu.
H-Net is an international network of scholars in the humanities and social sciences that
creates and coordinates electronic networks, using a variety of media, and with a common
objective of advancing humanities and social science teaching and research. H-Net was
created to provide a positive, supportive, equalitarian environment for the friendly
exchange of ideas and scholarly resources, and is hosted by Michigan State University. For
more information about H-Net, write to H-Net@H-net.msu.edu,
or point your web browser to http://www.h-net.msu.edu.
We look forward to hearing from you!
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS AND CLASSES
Cleveland Park Citizens Association is proud to announce that the D.C.
Federation of Civic Associations, Inc. has selected CPCA to receive the award for
Outstanding Active Adult Civic Association. In addition, CPCA's nominee for Outstanding
Father of the Year — Bob Brandon — has been selected by the Federation as
city-wide Father of the Year. The DC Federation of Civic Associations 70th Annual Awards
Celebration and Luncheon will be held on Saturday, November 4, at the Hyatt Regency of
Washington on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW, at 12:00 Noon. CPCA's other awards
nominees include Nancy MacWood as Mother of the Year, and Frank Stovicek as Grass Roots
Nominee. For further information please contact Isabel Furlong, President, Cleveland Park
Citizens Association, isabelf@msn.com.
###############
Readers of themail should mark their calendars: November 5th at 1:00 p.m.,
Ralph Nader will appear at a SuperRally at MCI Center in Washington, D.C. Make your vote
count! Rally to get out the vote. Support D.C. statehood! If Ralph Nader gets five percent
(5%) of the presidential vote, the Green Party (DC Statehood-Green Party here in DC) will
qualify for federal financing in future election cycles. The Washington, D.C. SuperRally
includes performances by Patti Smith and others, special appearances by Randall Robinson,
Cornel West, Barbara Ehrenreich, Michael Moore, and Phil Donahue, and others. Tickets are
on sale now for suggested donation of twelve dollars ($12.00). Call 265-1160 to buy
tickets with a credit card, or purchase tickets on the Nader 2000 secure web site at http://www.votenader.org/superrallies.html
with a credit card. Tickets you purchase by credit card will be available at “Will
Call” at MCI Center on November 5, 2000. MCI doors open at 11:30 a.m. Sunday morning,
November 5th. Streaming video feeds of most of the previous Super Rallies can be found at
this link: http://www.votenader.org/superrallyanthology.html.
###############
The Power of Positive Thinking
Nancy Montagna, LifeWorks at Washington Ethical Society, WES@EthicalSociety.org
By practicing the specific skills taught in this workshop, anyone can
untie the “nots” of negative thinking and enjoy greater vitality and
satisfaction. Thoughts either support or sabotage our efforts to reach our goals. Learning
to replace in your mind the worries, criticisms, and fears releases you from a destructive
investment of your creative imagination. Unleash that negative energy so it can be used to
make you a more happy and successful person. Dates: Wednesdays, November 1-December 6 (no
class 11/15), 7:30-9:30 p.m. Fee: 5 sessions - $100 ($80 WES members). Sponsored by
LifeWorks Adult Education at the Washington Ethical Society, 7750 16th Street, NW. To
register call LifeWorks at 882-6650 x21 or E-mail WES@EthicalSociety.org.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE
Help raise funds for the John Eaton Elementary School Afterschool Program.
Now on sale 2/5 bushel boxes of Florida fruit — $15/ box of grapefruits, oranges, or
tangelos; $12/ box of mixed fruit. A great holiday gift idea! For more information, and to
order, call 363-5847.
###############
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