To Insure Prompt Service
Dear Big Tippers:
In the last issue, Jean Lawrence wrote about the recycling worker's unsubtle demand for
a holiday gratuity that, Isn't it almost like extortion. . . ? You
should report it. We've had different opinions expressed since then, and I'd like to
weigh in, as though I were Miss Manners or the Times Magazine Ethicist. Don't tip
government workers. Ever. Period. Don't give the trash collector ten dollars so that he
won't scatter the trash on your lawn. Don't give the postman ten dollars so that he won't
lose your mail. Don't give the building inspector twenty dollars so that he won't look too
closely at the code violations. Don't give the Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner fifty
dollars so that he won't object to your store's application to sell beer. Don't give your
Councilmember five hundred or a thousand dollars so that he won't put up roadblocks to
your project. Don't give ten thousand dollars to your Mayor's nonprofit organization so
that he won't look askance at renewing your company's contracts with the city. These
aren't tips, they're bribes; even the small ten dollar contributions are wrong.
Maybe in the old days, in the small towns, things weren't quite as clear. When you knew
your mail carrier and chatted with him a couple times a week, the Christmas envelope may
have seemed more like a gift to a friend than a bribe to a public employee. Today in DC,
it's hard to make that mistake.
Today, the Control Board approved a contract with Greater Southeast Community Hospital.
Both the Control Board and the Mayor are keeping the contract secret and have refused to
release it. Apparently, they have no confidence that the terms of the contract will
withstand public scrutiny.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
###############
It's against the law (a federal offense) to tip a mail carrier or for a mail carrier to
accept a tip.
###############
When I was young, my dad would put a bottle of bourbon out every Christmas for the
trash and garbage men (separate collections with separate cans in the 50's and early to
mid 60's. This gesture ensured the continued structural integrity of his galvanized steel
trash and garbage cans. I distinctly remember the guys coming up the alley shouting out
Trashman coming! Trashman coming! on the last collection day before Christmas,
just in case anyone forgot their annual tip/gift. Anyway, my dad thought that these guys
had a pretty tough job and a small tip or gift was not too much to ask for.
###############
I am interested in local response to the problem of West Nile Virus, as brought up in
the last issue by Marika Torok. While it is certainly a good idea to reduce mosquito
breeding areas and keep an eye on the progression of this virus, I wonder, more from a
philosophical/moral/ethical perspective, at the sudden interest in mosquito-borne
diseases. In 1999, seven New Yorkers died from West Nile. That same year, over two million
people, definitely not New Yorkers, died from malaria, a mosquito borne illness that has
ravaged the world for centuries. The number of those who simply get horribly sick and
permanently disabled is practically uncountable, but WHO estimates roughly half a billion.
But malaria, once a significant problem here, has now been virtually eradicated from the
United States. So how many of us were concerned with mosquitos before West Nile?
From 1975 to 1997, multinational pharmaceutical companies brought 1,223 medications to
market. Of these, only 13 were designed specifically to treat diseases "unique"
to the developing world. It is simply a question of profit. Americans choose to spend more
money to develop Viagra and anti-anxiety drugs for pet dogs than they do on malaria drugs
for the third world. So let's put West Nile Virus in perspective and give some thought to
the rest of the world.
###############
Frontiers in History
Mark Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com
Today (April 11, 2001) was National History Day. The program in D.C. involved 9th-12th
grade students from DC Schools, Public and Charter, presenting research projects-they
wrote papers, gave performances, made video documentaries, and created exhibits related to
the theme Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas. There was a 100 percent
increase in entries in three categories this year. Students presented works about the
Black Panther Party, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, end of apartheid in South Africa,
women leaders in world democracies, technology, the impact of DNA on solving crime and
reducing unfairness in the judicial system, the history of disco, military history, the
democracy movement in DC (with photos of statehood, Stand Up, and DC vote events), and
many other topics. Students came to the competition today and talked for 15 minutes to the
judges about their projects. They had interesting stories! Those judged to be among the
best will go on to the national competitions.
Mychalene Giampaoli, Education Director and History Day Coordinator from the Historical
Society of Washington, D.C., said that DC does quite well in the nationals, scoring among
the highest of 48 participating states. This could make a nice feature story
students pursued their interests and learned something new, presented their findings, have
stories to tell, and are doing great things. Three cheers, nice job all participants! For
more information, contact: mgiampaoli@hswdc.org.
###############
I have been known to criticize some aspects of our city's administration. But this time
I really must praise the staff of the DMV at its H St. NE location. My wife and I arrived
there inexcusably late last Wednesday evening (less than 15 minutes before closing time)
to change driver's license addresses and get a new residential parking permit. The staff
pitched in without grousing or complaining to get the job done and get us out of there
with new licenses and residential permit in hand, even though the computer
kept crashing, had to be rebooted several times, and kept the entire crew late.
###############
Time to Change
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
Now that the tuition plan for college bound students from D.C. (the plan which allows
students to attend any out-of-state University or college at in-state tuition rates) seems
secure it is timely to reconfigure UDC. UDC, with its present curriculums and course
offerings is relatively useless for most of those students coming out of the D.C. public
schools. A degree from UDC has no credibility in the real world. What is needed is a
school that helps students prepare for a real job and a real career.
UDC should reconfigure itself into two parts. The first part should be a remedial
school on a Junior College level to prepare students to enter genuine four year
universities outside of D.C. The other part of UDC should offer specialized courses in
programs (e.g. Health Care, Computer Science) that will lead to viable, good paying jobs.
We should stop pouring wasted money into an institution which is not helping the graduates
of a failed public school system to move on to the next phase of their lives.
###############
Piling on Verizon. I started DSL service with them last fall at $39.95/month (a special
promotion). They double billed me for three months and when confronted said they had
accidentally registered me twice in their system and would credit me for the three months
of double billing (which I had already paid) but that it might take two months for the
credit to show on my statement. It has now been three months, and not only have they
continued to double bill me, but I have yet to see the credit. It would be one thing if
they were providing top notch service, but they aren't.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS EVENTS
Meet Washington Post editor and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Dirda and 20 other local
and nationally-known authors at the Fairfax County Public Library's BookFest April 24 at
7:30 p.m. at the Kings Park branch in Burke. To sign up for this free program, call
703-978-5600. Following Dirda's remarks, you will have the opportunity to meet visiting
authors. For more information, go here: http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/library/cntrbook/events.htm.
###############
Blood Wedding (1933) is one of the true masterpieces of the 20th century,
an explosive, rarely performed tragedy of forbidden love written by Spanish playwright
Federico Garcia Lorca and translated by American poet and playwright Langston Hughes. On
Sunday, May 6, at 2 p.m., Footlights DC's only modern drama discussion group
will attend Blood Wedding at the Washington Shakespeare Co., 601 S. Clark St.,
Arlington (Pentagon City Metro). Discount tickets are $14 and include a post-show
discussion. Mail your check to Robin Larkin, 5403 Nibud Court, Rockville, MD 20852. Call
301-897-9314, E-mail rlarkin@footlightsdc.org,
or visit http://www.footlightsdc.org for
directions and more information.
###############
The Office of Planning is sponsoring a Neighborhood Workshop for the Mount Pleasant,
Columbia Heights, Pleasant Plains, and Park View neighborhoods on April 28th. This
workshop is part of the city's Neighborhood Initiative and will help direct funding
priorities in the 2003 budget. Join your neighbors to identify specific projects for the
District's 2003 budget at this Neighborhood Planning Workshop, Saturday, April 28, 9:30
a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Tubman Elementary School, 3101 13th Street, NW (the corner of 13th and
Kenyon Streets). To RSVP or get additional information, contact Vincent Valdes, Ward 1
Neighborhood Planning Coordinator at 442-7600.
###############
As Tom Berry points out, there has been little discussion in themail of the proposed
legislation to relieve DC residents of the federal tax burden. However, it should be noted
that DC Vote is sponsoring a Tax Day Protest on April 16 in Upper Senate Park
(Constitution Avenue across the street from the Capitol) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. DC
residents are encouraged to take copies of their 1040's to burn in protest of our
continued taxation without representation.
###############
Higher Achievement
Allison Foster, Higher Achievement, aafoster@aol.com
Higher Achievement, or HAP, provides an after-school academic enrichment program for
middle schoolers from underserved areas in and around DC. Students attend the Learning
Centers three evenings a week, where they study core curricula in Math, Science, and
Technology. Students also choose an elective studio, of which the choices include theater,
martial arts, and print making. We have two Centers. The Hines Center is located on
Capitol Hill across from Eastern Market. The Chavez Center is located at the Caesar Chavez
School, on Florida Avenue, NW, between 13th and 14th Streets. A third Center will open in
the Fall.
HAP is now accepting applications for the Summer Academy Program, and for Fall 2001. If
your children are in the 5th through 8th grade, and you want to strengthen their study
skills and improve their academic performance, call us at 842-5116. If you want to
volunteer to mentor a student, please call us to get involved. We are now accepting
student and mentor applications for Summer Academy and Fall 2001 Enrollment. Visit our web
site at http://www.higherachievement.org.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS -- BUSINESS
DC Neighborhood and Home-Based Businesses May Bid on District
Contracts
Arthur H. Jackson Jr., ahjgroup@earthlink.net
There is a perception that only Big Business can provide contracted goods and services
to our city's government. However your small mom and pop business may be eligible to
become certified as a Small or Local Business to bid on government contracts. And more
than $1 billion per year is awarded to small Washington area business by governments. The
AHJ Group is an organization that is seeking to increase District-based small business
participation in the awarding of Government Contracts. Contracts are awarded to food
stores, hair salons, e-commerce retailers, T-shirt printers, couriers, printers, real
estate agencies, contractors, and a host of other small business.
In May, the AHJ Group will host a series of workshops on how your small business can
bid on government contracts. For registration and reservations, call 508-1059, 5 p.m.-8
p.m., Monday-Saturday.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS VOLUNTEERS
Several Volunteers Needed
Cristobal Covelli, ccovelli1615@juno.com
The ARRIBA Center, a nonprofit organization helping people with physical disabilities
in the District of Columbia, seeks volunteers starting right away to perform some light
office tasks and assist director, who is blind, for two hours per week. Familiarity with
Word, Word Perfect, and Excel would be very helpful. Contact Dr. Cristobal Covelli,
Executive Director, 667-3990 or by E-mail, ccovelli1615@juno.com.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS RECOMMENDATIONS
Seeking Restaurant for Private Business Meeting
Jon Katz, jon@markskatz.com
Please give me your recommendations for a restaurant in Silver Spring, Wheaton,
Bethesda, or Rockville that is conducive to a quiet business dinner meeting for 20-30
people. I prefer either a private room or private area. I don't want the prices to be much
more than scale of a place like Clyde's.
###############
Wanted, a Good Landlord-Tenant Lawyer
Phil Greene, pgreene@doc.gov
Does anyone have a recommendation for a good landlord-tenant attorney in DC?
###############
General Contractor?
Andrea Carlson, BintaGay@aol.com
We need someone (a general contractor?) to do drywall, paint, and maybe some wiring
work in our attic. Any suggestions for someone reliable, tidy, and reasonable?
###############
CLASSIFIEDS -- CITY PAPER PREVIEW
Dave Nuttycombe, webmeister@washcp.com
From washingtoncitypaper.com's LOOSE LIPS column, appearing this Friday:
SHELL GAME: District residents must be feeling bamboozled. First the D.C. Council gives
them a tax cut. Then it snatches it right back by moving from triennial to annual property
assessments (Loose Lips, 3/2). A few councilmembers think the scam stinks.
Led by Ward 4's Adrian Fenty, the lawmakers are trying to set things right by repealing
the Tax Parity Act. Passed in 1999, that measure reduced personal income taxes, property
taxes, and franchise taxes, and eliminated the arena fee for businesses with
less than $2 million in annual income. Fenty and his allies -- who include At-Large
Councilmember Phil Mendelson have been working the halls on the seventh floor at
One Judiciary Square. But their proposal has been met with closed doors and pissed-off
attitudes.
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:
FRIDAY: The Satellite Sky, Robert Stone's 1990 film about the space race and
the Cold War, at noon at the National Archives, 700 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Room 105. Free.
SUNDAY: Columbia University art history professor Hillary Ballon discusses Frank
Lloyd Wright in Washington at 2 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art's East Building
Auditorium, 4th and Constitution Ave. NW. Free.
More details and more critics' picks are available online at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/pix/pix.html
###############
themail@dcwatch is an E-mail discussion forum that is published every Wednesday and
Sunday. To subscribe, to change E-mail addresses, or to switch between HTML and plain text
versions of themail, use the subscription form at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail/subscribe.htm.
To unsubscribe, send an E-mail message to themail@dcwatch.com
with unsubscribe in the subject line. Archives of past messages are available
at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail.
All postings should also be submitted to themail@dcwatch.com,
and should be about life, government, or politics in the District of Columbia in one way
or another. All postings must be signed in order to be printed, and messages should be
reasonably short one or two brief paragraphs would be ideal so that as many
messages as possible can be put into each mailing.