How Things Don’t Work
Dear Health Care Specialists:
The Control Board has postponed, but not repudiated, the health care mistake that it is
determined to make. The Board has now recognized that the network of health care clinics
promised by the Mayor's plan to replace DC General Hospital never existed, and that it
will take months to create it. But the Board — unlike any professional medical
association — still believes that dismantling DC General is the solution to the
city's health care problems. The Board should read an authoritative paper by Alan Sager,
Professor of Public Health at Boston University (“Saving DC General: Why and
How,” http://www.dcwatch.com/issues/pbc011005.htm).
Sager makes a convincing case not only that the Mayor's plan won't work, but also that it
can't work.
We've made the same exact mistake before, time and again over the past three decades,
in other areas — in mental health, mental retardation, drug and alcohol abuse, and
prisons. In all these fields, we've determined that the city can't manage one or two large
institutions efficiently and effectively, and we've closed or severely reduced the size of
those institutions. And in each area we've replaced one or two large problem institutions
with dozens or hundreds of small problem institutions dispersed throughout our
neighborhoods. It is ridiculous to believe that a city that can't manage a centralized
social care institution well will be competent to oversee and manage many small scattered
institutions. If you want to know the future of this city's health care without DC
General, think of the treatment of the mentally retarded in homes supervised by the Mental
Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Administration.
Note: if the link to the Sager article doesn't work, try again in a day or two. I've
had trouble publishing to the DCWatch site, and my web host is working on it. I apologize
for any inconvenience.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Removing a Tree
Harold Goldstein, dcbiker@goldray.com
Just another example of an area of big talk, no action on the part of this putrid
government. Sure, some things improve but as far as the services I receive, I sense no
improvement whatsoever and no commitment on the part of anyone to affect improvement. I
started calling last year at this time for the removal of a dead tree with half its
insides rotting away in front of my house. In May it was marked by a big red dot and I
received a card indicating its impending demise. Ninety days, I figured.
Come fall I started calling again and filling out the request form in the web site.
With incredible speed and alacrity the red dot was made bigger and, better, in January of
this year and I received another card promising removal in thirty days. My math is a bit
rusty, but I have asked some friends to double-check and I think the thirty days were up
thirty days ago. Continued repeated calls go unanswered. This tree is a danger to life and
property, as was driven home by the recent spate of trees being dropped by high winds.
That this city, that I once loved, so little cares about its residents that it can't
remove a dead and dangerous tree after A YEAR speaks volumes of its real commitment. My
tax dollars are out of here. I guess I lucked out in that my property taxes won't sky for
another year or two and by then I will be paying them to another jurisdiction.
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Once again it has happened that a law enforcement officer has been put close to death
by fellow men dressed in blue. Officer Boyd was following a stolen van while off duty in
his personal vehicle, Officer Boyd then gets beaten almost to the point of death. Long and
short, it has to stop. D.C. has some unbelievably nasty areas that require a tough,
aggressive policing technique. However, the laws are written to protect every citizen from
unnecessary brutality and abuse, even if the citizen is a criminal. Personal feelings have
to be put aside, as hard as it may be. It is going to take decades for some citizens in
this city to ever trust the police again after years and years of demeaning, abusive
treatment. This just proves that some of the things that people have been saying for years
is true: There are some officers who feel that they are above the law. The administration
of the department has to let the rank and file know that there are severe consequences for
using excessive force, in addition, the administration needs to reward officers who do
their jobs day in and day out without complaint, trying to help their fellow man.
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Bikes on Rail
Eric Gilliland, Washington Area Bicyclist Association, ericgilliland@earthlink.net
After years of lobbying by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (http://www.waba.org), the Board of the Washington Metro
Area Transit Authority has finally decided to expand access for bicyclists on Metrorail.
The changes will open up morning access for bicyclists from 5:30 a.m. until 7:00 a.m.,
expand midday hours from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and allow bicyclist to board on any
crowded train, not just the last car. WABA had previously fought to allow bikes on Metro,
and eventually eliminated the pass requirement.
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I have to confess that I have nothing but contentment to report with my DSL carrier,
Telocity. (I now live out of state, but according to a quick check of their Web site, they
do serve my old Logan Circle address.) They mailed me a promotion, I filled out a Web
form, two weeks went by (during which I was out of town anyway). When I got home, a DSL
modem was waiting for me. I followed the instructions, plugged everything in, and it
worked -- total setup time roughly 15 minutes. And since then (almost a year ago) I have
only had two or three very brief outages (on the order of an hour or two) that I have been
aware of. The local company providing the last mile here is BellSouth, which I think has
been a relative leader with regard to adopting new technologies.) I pay $49.95 a month
(not the cheapest), but setup cost me only about $25 and the modem was free.
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I have had two DSL services. I had Verizon for a couple of years. I have had
Earthlink/Mindspring since January. Making the switch was a hassle. I had a problem with
getting Verizon to release the line, whatever that means. There was a problem with
communications between Verizon and Mindspring and I ended up being a kind of mediator. It
took two months to make the switch. The prices are comparable. I was paying $39.95/mo. for
Verizon and Earthlink/Mindspring is $49.95/mo. I am currently paying $39.95/mo. for
Mindspring because I took advantage of a limited time offer.
Although Mindspring is more expensive, there was two big advantages for me. Mindspring
includes a regular dial-up account with twenty free hours a month. That is very helpful if
your DSL service is temporarily down or if you want to connect to the Internet from
another location with your portable computer. Also Verizon is limited to 640K/sec.
download while Mindspring is up to 1.5mb/sec. if your line will support it. Whether it
does or not depends mostly on how close you are to your telephone exchange. My line
supports that speed and, although the actual speed depends on a lot of things, I can get
the highest speed late night and early morning.
The big difference is service. Verizon's service stinks from my experience. Technical
problems are inevitable with any service. But when you contact Verizon's technical help
you don't speak with a technician maintaining the service. You speak with an intermediary
whose job is to gather the information and pass it on to the tech people. That help is
contracted out by Verizon and their expertise was very spotty from my experience.
Sometimes they were not very polite with me and didn't seem to have a clue. All they were
doing was following a procedure from which they refused to deviate. In all cases the
customer ends up not knowing what is wrong or when it will be corrected. Mindspring's
technical help is by and large very polite and helpful. You speak with actual technicians
who maintain the system. They don't seem to be under time restraints for individual calls,
and they take their time in helping you. They give you a much better idea of the nature of
the problem and when it will be fixed. Help is provided on a 24/7 basis.
It is not perfect, of course. Individuals vary by skill levels so all are not equally
helpful. There seems to be a problem in keeping accurate records of service requests if
you have to call more than once. And if you have a line problem they have to contact
Verizon for service, and that can cause a problem with delays and confusion about what is
happening. Earthlink/Mindspring is the largest ISP in the country and although it is far
from perfect, I am very glad I made the switch. A very good web site for information about
DSL providers is www.dslreports.com
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In November I received a letter from Verizon saying they would give me a free modem if
I would sign up for their DSL service before December 31.2000. I called. They agreed to
turn on my service in Mid-January because I was going to be away and I was not sure the
house sitter wanted to install the modem, etc. I returned and there was a message on my
E-mail saying that installation had been delayed till February 23. I called then and they
said, “Mid-March.” The person I talked to said they were overwhelmed with demand
and were serving business customers first. According to him, I was still on the waiting
list for service. I will call again to find out when it will be installed.
Meanwhile they have sent me the adapters, the modem, and the Ethernet card.
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DSL Special
E. James Lieberman, ejl@gwu.edu
I've been happy with Earthlink, and asked for their DSL “special.” It's not
available yet in this area, so we're on a waiting list, and waiting patiently.
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Washington Times Enforced Subscriptions?
Gene Hoffman, eugene_hoffman@yahoo.com
When I was a boy, I had a kid-type job with the Washington Star. One of their
circulation/delivery types would round up a crew of kids to deliver free copies of the Star
to non-subscribers for a week. This could be a real adventure in an apartment house where,
of course, soliciting was not permitted. Then, we would go back around and hit people up
for a subscription. It sounds like the Times is doing the same thing.
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Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metro Stop
Ralph Blessing, rblessin@pd.state.gov
Thank goodness we've got Rep. Bob Barr looking out for our interests. Making sure that
our Metro stops have the (politically) correct designation certainly is a matter of
national importance. I know where National Airport is, but I've always had trouble
remembering where to get off Metro for soccer games at RFK. Now, thanks to Barr's efforts,
the Stadium/Armory stop will be labeled the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium/D.C. Sports
Commission Armory stop.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Friday Morning Music Club Free Concert
E. James Lieberman, ejl@gwu.edu
The Friday Morning Music Club is the oldest musical organization in Washington. The
orchestra gives four or five free concerts in the area each year. The April 1 concert is
in Virginia, in a beautiful but little known auditorium. (I'm a cellist in the orchestra
and have heard the violinist in rehearsal. He's great!). The FMMC Orchestra, conducted by
Sylvia Alimena, presents its third concert of the season this Sunday, April 1, at 3:00
p.m. at Bishop Ireton High School, 201 Cambridge Road, Arlington, VA. There is ample free
parking. The program will feature National Symphony violinist Ricardo Cyncynates in the
Sibelius Violin Concerto, Bizet's L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2, and Bacchanale from Samson and
Delilah by Saint Saens.
Directions to the high school: from Rt. 395 (Shirley Highway): get off at the exit
marked Seminary Road East. Follow Seminary Rd. past Alexandria Hospital and go through the
light at Quaker Lane. (Note: At Quaker Lane, Seminary Rd. becomes Janney's Lane.) On
Janney's Lane, you will go through one traffic light (just past MacArthur School.) One
Block past the traffic light turn right onto Cambridge Road. Pass two stop signs. Bishop
Ireton is on the left. From Rt. 495/95 (Washington Beltway): Take Exit 176B (Telegraph Rd.
North). Follow overhead signs to Duke Street West (Rt. 236 West). At the second traffic
light, take a right onto Cambridge Rd. which takes a immediate turn to the left. Follow
Cambridge Rd. up the hill to Bishop Ireton, which will be on the right. From King Street
Metro Station: Bishop Ireton is about 1.5 miles from the King Street Metro Station. Take
any Metro Bus or Dash bus that goes out Route 236 West. (Metro Bus #s 29, K, M, or N
follow this route.) Get off at the Cambridge Road stop which is at the 7/11 Food Store.
Walk up the hill to Bishop Ireton on the right.
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Worlds from Words: Literary Maps
Patricia Pasqual, changedc@yahoo.com
Have you ever wondered what well-known authors have lived in Georgetown or other parts
of Washington, D.C.? Attend this slide-illustrated lecture and find out about the
fascinating genre of literary maps, maps that record geographical places and authors and
their works associated with the area. The lecturer will show examples of literary maps and
explain how the D.C. map was created.
A Literary Map of Metropolitan Washington, DC was produced and developed by
the Washington Chapter of the Women’s National Book Association (WNBA) in partnership
with the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. The map features 44 authors who
have lived or worked in the area, authors who are buried here, and key literary
establishments and landmarks. It’s intended for lovers of literature, area residents,
students – and millions who visit the city.
Lecture and slides by Martha Hopkins, author of the new A Literary Map of
Washington, DC and Language of the Land: The Library of Congress Book of Literary
Maps, is an Exhibit Director, Library of Congress. Wednesday, April 4, 7:00 p.m.,
Georgetown Library, Wisconsin & R Streets, NW. For more information, call 727-2313.
Program sponsored by D.C. Center for the Book and Georgetown Library.
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This Saturday, March 31, Hyde Elementary School, Georgetown's only public elementary
school, is holding its annual spring auction. 6 - 9 p.m. at Fannie Mae, 3900 Wisconsin
Avenue, NW. Auction items include lunch with the Mayor, Jack Evans, dinners at many great
restaurants, sports tickets, hotels, etc. Complimentary food provided by Capitol
Restaurant Concepts, Clyde, Dean & Deluca and Cafe LaRuche. Tickets $15 in advance /
$25 at the door. Please call Liz at 338-1547 or E-mail dcnurse@hotmail.com.
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Artists/Crafters Sought for Glover Park Day
Judie Guy, gpgazed@aol.com
Saturday, June 2 is the 12th Annual Glover Park Day. The festival will be held on the
grounds of Guy Mason Rec Center at Wisconsin and Calvert. As always, there will be several
bands, food from neighborhood restaurants, prize drawings, Glover Park T-shirts, kids
entertainment, flea market, exhibits from community service groups, and sale of local
arts/crafts. We have space for about 30 artists/crafters. Though we have a core of great
artists who return each year, we are always looking to showcase others offering quality
work. Reply to gpgazed@aol.com if you're interested.
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DC Commission for Women Scholarship Awards Luncheon
Patricia Bitondo, pbitondo@aol.com
Save this date: Saturday, March 31, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Hyatt Regency Hotel, 400 New
Jersey Avenue, NW, $50.00. Sponsored by the “Friends of the D.C. Commission for
Women.” For additional information, call 635-5668. Participate in Women's History
Month and support the “Friends of the DC Commission for Women.”
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Immigrants’ Rights in Housing
Monica Gutierrez, monicl@bellatlantic.net
Come to the DC Coalition for Housing Justice meeting, 7 p.m., Thursday, March 29, at
the Marie Reed School! The Marie Reed School is located at 2200 Champaign Street, NW; the
front entrance is on 18th Street. This Thursday's bilingual meeting will include a
presentation by Samuel G. McTyre, an attorney who specializes in immigration law. Mr.
McTyre's presentation will focus on immigrants' rights in housing and recent changes in
the immigration law. Please bring people you know who will be directly affected by the
changes in the law and are interested in learning more about housing rights. For
information contact Monica Gutierrez, 703-218-2966 or monicl@bellatlantic.net.
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CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED
Computer Consultant
Tim Cline, tim@zpg.org
Computer consultant need for small job at progressive nonprofit. We need the help of an
SAS experienced programmer/user who has access to the software to read and analyze some
files for us. We are looking for a consultant who we will be happy to pay for the work.
Contact Tim Cline at 745-3155 or Radhika Sarin 745-3172 at Zero Population Growth.
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CLASSIFIEDS — HOUSING
Short-Term Rental
Cheryl Donahue, cdonahue@iol.ie
Looking to rent space in DC — either a small apartment or a room — between
April 20 and May 11. Prefer Capitol Hill but open to other areas. Will need access to
phone line for biz purposes. E-mail with any suggestions at cdonahue@iol.ie.
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CLASSIFIEDS — CITY PAPER PREVIEW
Dave Nuttycombe, webmeister@washcp.com
From washingtoncitypaper.com's LOOSE LIPS column, appearing this Friday:
GIRLS CLUB: In her winter newsletter, D.C. Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton
announced her “Election Reform Town Meeting,” to be held on April 10. The
participants will include Penelope Bonsall, director of the Office of Election
Administration at the Federal Election Commission; Alice Miller, executive director of the
D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics; and Donna Brazile, who is called an “election
expert.”
Norton is kidding, right? Miller and Bonsall can be labeled elections experts. But tagging
Brazile with such a title is like calling Jimmy Carter a house-builder.
Read the entire Loose Lips column here: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/lips/lips.html
From washingtoncitypaper.com's CITY LIGHTS page, here are a few early warnings for
upcoming events:
SATURDAY: D.C. Public Charter School Parents' Fair, at 10 a.m. at Washington Convention
Center, 900 9th St. NW. Free.
MONDAY: Dana Gioia reads from his poetry collection Interrogations at Noon at 7
p.m. at Chapters, 1512 K St. NW. Free.
More details and more critics' picks are available online at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/pix/pix.html
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