History
Dear History Fans:
Confucius says (he really does): “Study the past, if you would divine the
future.” This is another way of saying not only that “those who don't remember
history are doomed to repeat it,” but also so are those who do remember history, only
at least they'll have some idea of what's coming. I haven't publicly thanked Mark Richards
for the DC history lessons he continues to contribute to themail, and I'd like to do so
now. Thanks also to Tim Cooper for the series of historical anecdotes he has supplied for
the past several issues. Please don't hesitate to teach us the lessons you have learned
from the District's history; we need the guidance.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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On the Trail of the Lonesome Beer: More Thoughts on Single Sales
Mark Eckenwiler, zarf@eckenwiler.org
Like Kenan Jarboe, my Capitol Hill neighbor to the south, I support a citywide ban on
single sales (and not just because I'm constantly picking single-sale detritus out of the
tree box in front of my house). Thus, it was with some disappointment that I read of the
Council's 9-4 vote on 1/23 against the ban — Fenty (sponsor), Graham, Chavous and
Catania were the lone supporters — and I left a belated message with Sharon Ambrose's
office deploring her “no” vote.
Interestingly, I got a call back from Jeff Coudriet, the Ambrose staffer handling these
issues. He claimed 1) that Ambrose voted against the ban on prodecural grounds (basically,
the special session was supposed to be limited to discussion of the “nude
dancing” license issue), and 2) that Ambrose was supportive of having the
single-sales ban introduced as a freestanding bill. He also pointed to a provision that
did make it into the enrolled bill: a new subsection allowing the ABC to “declare a
moratorium in any locality, section, or portion of the District to limit the sale of
products by licensees under off-premises retailer classes A and B.” What this means
is that anyone with standing (including an informal neighborhood group) can seek a local
single-sale moratorium. FYI, this would be Title 25, sec. 25-351(a)(3) of the DC Code if
signed by the Mayor.
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The One-Can Ban
Kathy Chamberlain, ANC 7B, kechamber@erols.com
Ken Jarboe of ANC 6B was right on target with his arguments in favor of the ban on the
sale of single containers of beer. ANC 7B long ago went on record as supporting the ban.
Too bad that only 4 councilmembers had the courage to vote in favor of making the ban part
of the ABC bill. Thank you, councilmembers Catania, Graham, Chavous, and Fenty, for voting
in the best interest of the city as a whole. And thank you, Mayor Williams, for refusing
to sign the bill until the council considered including the ban. The five of you have
proven that you understand and want to solve the problems our neighborhoods are facing.
The rest of you threw this problem back to neighborhoods to solve. Thanks for your help.
The arguments of "it's an enforcement issue" and "it's economic
discrimination" are lame. These arguments exemplify the inertia of our city council
when it comes to doing anything really positive for ailing neighborhoods. As for
enforcement, we don't have enough law enforcement officials and our laws have no teeth.
Incidentally, there's no law against being drunk in public, only drinking in public. So if
the police actually catch someone in the act of urinating or drinking in public, they can
take action-- if they have nothing more important to do, which is rare. We all know that
there is no real penalty for littering in DC, but don't get me started on that. The real
corker is the argument that (to paraphrase) the ban would cause a hardship on poor people
because they would be forced to buy a whole 6-pack when they can really only afford one
(very large!) beer. Sorry but it's hard to muster up a lot of sympathy. To the
Councilmembers who voted for the status quo: you had a chance to make a difference in the
amount of panhandling, public urination, littering and loitering in our neighborhoods.
When you try to convince us that you support neighborhoods, remember how you voted. We
will.
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Members of the Shepherd Park Citizens Association, as well as our ANC 4-A
representative, sent letters like Kenan Jarboe's (January 24 themail) to various DC
councilmembers imploring them to support a ban on single-container beer and malt liquor
sales. Unfortunately, most councilmembers either chose to keep their collective heads in
the sand or were too busy cozying up to the liquor industry to be bothered by our pleas.
Jack Evans argues (according to a January 23 article in the Post) that a ban is
not necessary because single-container sales are not a citywide problem. Does that mean he
would be in favor of allowing the possession of firearms in neighborhoods that don't have
a serious violent crime problem? Like guns and drugs, alcohol-related problems don't
respect jurisdictional boundaries. The police or restrictive covenants can force them from
one area, but — guess what? — they resurface elsewhere. And one of these days
that "elsewhere" will be the communities represented by Mr. Evans and his
cohorts.
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The DMV sent my renewed registration, they sent my tags, but they didn't send my
(paid-for) parking sticker. Has anything changed at the DMV?
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The Common Denominator on Microfilm
Kathy Sinzinger, Common Denominator, editorcd@aol.com
Volumes 1 and 2 of The Common Denominator, D.C.'s hometown newspaper, are now
available on microfilm in the D.C. Public Library's Washingtoniana Collection, Room 307 of
the Martin Luther King Memorial Library at 901 G Street NW. These volumes include all
issues of the newspaper published from June 15, 1998, through May 22, 2000.
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The Functions of “Feather Duster” Incidents
Mark Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com
Those “lower class populists” who think George W. stole the election just
couldn't leave town without a going away party, could they? Rumors that begrudged staffers
from the West Wing of the former White House (“his” side), allegedly took a few
souvenirs with them (such a “W” keys from computers) have drawn the attention of
those eager to prove Democrats are sore losers. While many want to talk about the alleged
naughty actions of a few former Clinton staffers, nobody wants to defend them or document
or dig too far into the story. It is just too ugly, and just too believable. Democrats and
their sympathizers seem to either deny the scale of the event or explain that it must be
the actions of the tasteless lower class branch of the Party. “Names and Faces”
of Post Style (1/27) further narrowed the culprits to men — the first
ladies' transition was gracious, it reported. “If only women ruled the world!,”
Ms. Bush's press secretary allegedly said.
Stories of such naughty incidents seem to have multiple functions in the political
world. Rewind to 1874, back in the good ole days when the national Parties in DC moved the
post-Civil War feud from one of disloyalty to the Union to one of “dishonesty and
self-seeking.” At the time, DC's outgoing popularly elected and biracial House of
Delegates earned themselves the label “Feather Duster legislature” for similar
alleged naughty actions. Just before Congress abolished the 3-year old Territorial
government-with its Presidentially appointed Governor and Upper House and elected Lower
House, DC was under investigation by Congress for alarming behavior. The Governor
appointed by President Grant had been spending more than was in the treasury to fix the
post-Civil War infrastructure, and was allegedly using cronies to do the work. Constance
McLaughlin Green wrote that “nobody” expected the Territorial government to
last. So, it must have come as no surprise when Congress, with the stroke of a pen,
replaced that government with a temporary one composed of three Presidentially appointed
commissioners. The Georgetown Courier expressed support for what they expected would be a
temporary break from the “curse of Negro suffrage.” Those who were disappointed
with the loss self-government were shamed and silenced by an indefensible “Feather
Duster” incident. Apparently, when a few elected members of DC's Lower House heard
Congress had abolished their positions, they rushed to the legislative chamber and took
inkwells and other “small objects.” One man was caught with a red feather duster
peeking from his pant leg. Green wrote, “Ridicule killed it more thoroughly than
congressional law.” Any discussion of “colored suffrage” thereafter was met
with a reminder of “the Feather Dusters” and “the Murder Bay
politicians.” (Murder Bay was an area of shanties where impoverished freed slaves
lived, current site of Commerce and Labor Dept.) When the issue of establishing a more
permanent government arose in 1877, the “Feather Dusters” provided a convenient
reminder and a reason for making the three commissioners DC's permanent overlords. But the
real reason many upper class locals supported extending the three-commissioner government
and giving up their limited local franchise was economic. They believed that Congress
would not share municipal expenses unless it had direct control over the District. Indeed,
local elites negotiated the Fifty-fifty Agreement for payment of municipal costs in
exchange for not having a local vote. The financial part of the deal lasted until new
members of Congress arrived who had not crafted the agreement. About fifty years after
that, DC won back limited Home Rule.
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The Price of Discrimination
Gloria Mobley, glomo_53@yahoo.com
Am I detecting white backlash in the remarks to “Rational Economists?” I
don't believe that we are returning to the days of “Irish Need Not Apply.” What
I do believe is that the Mayor is looking for those who have a sensitivity to the diverse
citizenry in the District. When I look at the Mayor's cabinet, I see diversity. Like many
other municipalities, I also see the Administration struggling with being even more
inclusive since the District's diverse population includes a growing Latino and
Asian/Asian Pacific Islander population. There is also a shortage of African American,
Latino and Asian/Asian Pacific Islander municipal managers, making competition difficult,
at best.
There's a certain irony in all of this, one that puts Mayor and his Administration in a
Catch-22 situation. In the past, Mayor Williams has been criticized for bringing too many
whites to fill top positions by the African Americans. Now he's being criticized for his
efforts to bring in African Americans into his administration by whites. What a no-win
situation for everyone. With respect to attracting African Americans to the District of
Columbia municipal government, unfortunately it is difficult for the reasons cited in the
Washington Post. With our complex government structure that denies the District full
control over its affairs, people are less reluctant to come to DC. The many levels of
bureaucracy, and the complexity of the bureaucracy wear out even the most talented
municipal managers.
Ultimately, I hope that whoever fills these top positions can withstand the competing
forces of the bureaucracy, motivate and inspire the agency's front-line employees, and
help transform the agency into an effective one that serves all the citizens of the
District of Columbia. I could care less about their race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual
orientation. We need to come together to get the District back on track, and not let these
issues take us from this goal.
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I agree wholeheartedly with our fearless editor that the Mayor's frequently-stated goal
of restoring and running a first-class city with mostly minority managers is ill-advised.
Despite the fact that a relatively large number of African-Americans have chosen
government administration as their profession, there is still a much smaller total pool of
proven managers to draw from, and as Gary points out, demand for them has made hiring
difficult if not impossible. I am very disappointed that the mayor seems to feel that his
mandate is to make DC only as good as it can become when using any small subset of
available American talent. When a member of my family required delicate eye surgery, I
surely did not insist that the operation be delayed until a team of mostly Irish
leprechauns could be assembled.
Perhaps more ironic will be the counterproductive result of dragging out the
improvement of essential DC services (schools, police, welfare, et al) over a longer than
necessary time period, and with less than the best possible results. It could well
accelerate the shift in DC's demography towards groups that do not require those public
services and who care little for local politics or national image.
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In Praise of Discrimination
Marquais Smith, marquais@hotmail.com
Sigh, another racist diatribe from the pathetic Gary Jagoff. But oh, maybe he's right.
Shame on Mayor Williams' preference for seeking out top qualified blacks to lead city
agencies in a majority black city, where a majority of said blacks feel marginalized and
ignored, and have traditionally been far from the corridors of power. Doesn't de uppity
mayor know that there are droves of super qualified white boy executives, just aching to
give up their stock options and McMansion mortgage payments and bring their talents to the
DC government and those hapless Negroes who just don't have the skills to manage all the
complexities of running a city? Doesn't he know that he's not really in charge, he's just
a tool for Ward 3 white folks? Yep, it's the white man's burden. Please come rescue us,
after all, it's only white men who can really run things.
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Children’s Stories Being Transcribed into Braille
Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com
So often we hear in the press the negative side of the Internet. Just wanted to share a
counterbalancing story, one of human beings connecting with one another across continents.
Out of the blue last week I received an E-mail telling me that children's stories of mine,
posted on my web site, are being transcribed into Braille in India for children and adults
to read. I stared at the words of the E-mail before they sunk in. A richly rewarding
experience for an author. Never would I have imagined that the stories would travel so
far. http://www.his.com/pshapiro/stories.menu.html.
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Statehood without State Functions: Utah (Last in the Series)
Timothy Cooper, Worldright@aol.com
On the continuing subject of DC statehood without state functions, Mr. Sobelsohn
claimed that such pioneer states as Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, and Alaska were perhaps
“far” from being able to financially support themselves at the time of admission
into the Union, stating that the "supposed requirement of economically sufficiency is
just another political hurdle" to be readily bound by the District in its historic
quest for statehood. As established previously, this certainly was not the case for Idaho,
Wyoming, and Nevada, as well as with the territories of Washington, Montana, and the
Dakotas.
Neither was it the case with Utah, which also came into the Union on an equal footing
with all the other states. In fact, Governor Well’s in his “Message to the First
State Legislature” of Utah on January 8, 1896, he makes specific reference to state
functions: “The extra burdens to be borne by the State will be for the salaries of
State officers, support of the State Prison, the Courts, the Legislature, etc., previously
supported, wholly, or in part, by the United States; and until the taxes of 1896 become
available, there will be no means to conduct the State Government. It is apparent….
that provision must be made to pay off this floating debt and meet the running expenses
for the next nine months. It may be set down as an indispensable necessity, therefore, and
as the most prudent and economical method of placing the State Treasury upon a cash basis
. . . that an issue of bonds be made. . . .”
He further went on to explain that “[i]n view of the extra burdens aforesaid, and
our inability to realize additional revenues from interest on sale of lands during the
present year, it will, no doubt, devolve upon you to increase the tax rate, though to what
extent cannot be estimated at present. The revenues will be materially increased from the
assessment of patented mines and coal lands and net proceeds of mines, and it is possible
the assessed valuation for 1896, may be increased over that of last year by the exercise
of greater diligence on the part of assessors. . . .” Quite clearly, the Governor and
the Utah legislature were grappling with the financial realities of statehood and as well
as the economic burdens of supporting newly acquired state institutions such as the courts
and prisons, which is what the District will also face with a grant of statehood. These
issues are not so much political hurdles to be overcome as Mr. Sobelsohn suggests, but
hard economics realities that must first be met in the quest for statehood.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS AND CLASSES
Cleveland Park Citizens Association Membership Meeting
Isabel Furlong, isabel@E-mail.msn.com
The Cleveland Park Citizens Association will meeting on Saturday, February 3, at 10:15
am, in the Cleveland Park Library Community Room. The main topic will be historic
preservation, with a DC overview from Jerry Maronek , Preservation League of Washington,
and a focus on Cleveland Park from Toni Cherry, Historic Preservation Review Board
enforcement officer. Plus, Felix Patterson of Washington Gas will talk about the current
spike in natural gas prices, PSA 204 report and alerts by Second District Officers on
local crime, and committee reports and updates on land use and zoning activities, NCS
Construction-Period Liaison Committee, DC Federation of Civic Associations, and Cleveland
Park News and Activities. Please join us and bring a friend. CPCA is your forum for
discussion of community interests and for alerting friends and neighbors about current and
potential problems.
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Learn the Legalities of Lobbying for Nonprofits
Susie Cambria, scambria@dckids.org
The Everyone’s an Advocate training “The legalities of lobbying” is
being held on Wednesday, February 14, from 11:30 am - 1:30 p.m. at the Downtown DC BID,
1250 H St. NW, #850. (It is recommended people use Metro -- exit at Metro Center’s
13th St. exit. Walk to 13th and H Sts. The BID is at 1250 H Street.) The fee (which
includes materials, dessert and beverages) is $12 and should be sent with name,
organization, address, phone, fax, e-mail to: DC Action for Children, 1616 P St. NW, Suite
420 WDC 20036. As space is limited, reserve your space early! Direct questions to: Susie
Cambria, 234-9404, scambria@dckids.org. This training is being sponsored by the Fair
Budget Coalition's Advocacy Initiative to Meet Human Needs.
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CLASSIFIEDS — HOUSING
For rent, charming furnished one-bedroom condo in Adams Morgan (near Adams Mill Rd and
Calvert
Street). Rate: $1300 a month; move-in date negotiable (available 03/01/01). Includes
all utilities, voicemail, local phone service, cable TV and VCR. Pet-friendly 1910
rehabbed deco building in a tree-lined neighborhood. Great location, close to restaurants,
10 minutes walk to red line metro stop (Adams Morgan/Zoo/Woodley Park metro).
The unit has high ceilings, a balcony off the bedroom, sunny exposure, track and mood
lighting, central air conditioning and ceiling fan, washer/dryer, great customized closet
space, bike and other storage in basement, ice maker, microwave, stereo and mounted
speakers. If this is sounds like a good fit, for more information contact Lynne
Mersfelder-Lewis or Don Lewis by E-mail or before 10:30 p.m. at 362-9494.
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CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE (AND FREE)
Furniture and Antique Stove
Heather Scott, scoth@cof.org
I recently bought a home on Capitol Hill and have some items to donate and an item for
sale. I have a green sofa, dark wood hutch, and a portable basketball hoop I would like to
donate to someone in the community. I have tried AmVets, Salvation Army, etc. but they are
unable to pick up the items until March or April. I would like to donate these items as
soon as possible. Please contact me at scoth@cof.org or rochescott@aol.com if you have ideas or are
interested in the items.
Secondly, I am selling my antique O'Keefe & Merritt white gas stove. It has six
burners on top with double ovens. Excellent working condition; only needs minor touchups
to porcelain. Perfect for someone refurbishing a row house who wants an vintage look in
their kitchen. If interested, please contact me at scoth@cof.org
or rochescott@aol.com.
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File Folders, Hanging Folders, Hanging Binders
Joan Eisenstodt, jeisen@aol.com
It's a time of early spring office cleaning and we have two boxes of empty hanging
folders, hanging binders and some file folders to give away, preferably to a nonprofit but
glad to give to anyone who wants to pick them up. E-mail me directly w/ the request and we
can set it up.
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