Report Fraud to the FBI
Dear Enlighteners:
I'm not sure, but I suspect — it is possible — that I may have
criticized something in DC government recently. hbardon@aol.com,
who didn't sign his or her message, asked, “My goodness! Is there any
public policy you like? I like the forum you provide, but your
unrelenting anger and hostility is a big downer. Lighten up, for
goodness sake, you are not the last enlightened citizen in DC.”
In my own defense, I don't for a minute believe that I'm the last
enlightened citizen in DC — thousands of us read themail, and we can't
help but be enlightened by what we learn from our correspondents. I'm
also not unrelentingly angry. I'm usually angry only when I have to
interact with the DC government. Living in the city of DC can be, and
is, full of pleasures, but the government of this city is almost
relentlessly hostile to its residents, and it deserves some of its own
back. If this forum were about music, art, literature, or film, I would
gladly write about things that I enjoyed, and ignore the songs,
paintings, books, and movies that I disliked. But congratulating the
Mayor, Council, and bureaucracy for what they have done well and
efficiently takes so little time and space that, if that were all we
were to do, most issues of themail would be blank. How many times and in
how many ways can we say, “The lines at the DMV are shorter than they
used to be,” and what more is there to say after that has been said?
The addresses for E-mail discussion and announcement lists
recommended in the last few issues of themail have been collected at http://www.dcwatch.com/links.htm.
Please send any additions or corrections.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
###############
Transfer of Funds from Africa
Clare Feinson, cfeinson@erols.com
I received an E-mail message that I think is clearly fraudulent. I
suspect the individual got my E-mail address by reading postings for one
of two E-groups I belong to, either themail or the Mount Pleasant Forum,
rf@juno.com. (I do not think the
E-groups are involved in the fraud, just think that that's where he got
my address, and that other members of the E-groups may have also
received this message.)
I sent an abuse report to Yahoo, but I thought I had better report it
to the police as well, or some other appropriate agency. Is it
appropriate to forward this to the Metropolitan Police Department, or is
there some other agency that handles these types of complaints? There
isn't any equivalent of 911 for the computer. Please let me know if
there is anything else I should do.
[A few years ago, one of the most common mail frauds was a letter
from an “African prince” or “former government official” begging
assistance in transferring massive amounts of money from his country —
usually Nigeria. In return for sending him your bank account
information, you would get a good percentage of these millions of
dollars. What you actually got, if you responded, was your bank account
cleared out. These appeals are now rampant on the Internet — one day
last week, I received three E-mails in a row that were different
versions of this scam. The version that Clare got was one of these. The
place to report fraud on the net is the Internet Fraud Complaint Center,
http://www.ifccfbi.gov, run by the
FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. There's a prominent link
on their home page to send them a complaint. Be sure to keep the
original E-mail so that you can send them a copy of it, including the
complete address block. — Gary Imhoff]
###############
On-line Resources
Mark Davis Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com
Gary has kindly posted some papers I wrote at http://www.dcwatch.com/richards,
including: Touring Hidden Washington: Living in the Shadow of Congress;
Ten Myths about the District of Columbia; Ten Things You Can Do to Help
Bring Democracy to DC; Voting Rights for District of Columbia Citizens;
Comparison of Approaches that Congress and/or States Could Take to Grant
Washington, D.C., Citizens Greater or Equal Political Rights. Comments
and critique are always very welcome.
###############
The USPS — Doomed to Failure
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
Anyone who thinks that the D.C. Government is inefficient and
ineffective should use the USPS for one of their many high cost
“guaranteed” non-services. Take their “Express Mail — Guaranteed
Next Day Delivery,” for example. A letter addressed to a major
organization, two blocks from the main Post Office, in Brooklyn, NY,
took two-and-a-half days to get there (the Pony Express was faster).
Then came the real fun on Thursday, when I asked for (as entitled) my
money ($12.25) refunded. I had to fill out some forms and then the clerk
had to call the 800 number to track that the package. No one answered
the 800 number so the clerk had to try tracking the package via an
Internet address. That confirmed that the package had not arrived on the
appointed day. But, since the package had not yet arrived at the final
destination, the Postal folks could not process my refund. That seemed
pretty stupid and I said so. What, I asked, would happen if the letter
never got there? Would that mean that I was not entitled to a refund? I
was asked to come back after the letter finally arrived (which it did
the next day). My refund was then processed by issuing me a no-cost
Money Order. It took four tries and three voided Money Orders before I
got mine, and I then had to have that cashed. Total time invested was
over two hours.
Clearly the US Postal Service is not the way to send something
quickly. Their people are ill-trained and not very competent. They are
pleasant, but ineffective. Next time I'll call Federal Express. I look
forward to the day when the mail system is privatized.
###############
U.S. Representative Ray Browne Challenges DC
Vote, Mayor on Retrocession
Patrick Pellerin, ppellerin50@hotmail.com
Left out of the Washington Post's coverage of the DC Council
on Wednesday was the fact that U.S. Representative (Shadow) Ray Browne,
an elected official in this city, called on the DC Council and Mayor
Anthony Williams to reject the position taken by DC Vote that one way to
gain a vote in Congress for DC residents is allowing these residents to
vote in Maryland. “I am not willing to accept any form of
retrocession,” Browne told a special roundtable discussion chaired by
Phil Mendelson. “I can't understand why the mayor would lend his
support to any organization, including DC Vote, that would consider
retrocession as an alternative.”
###############
Hope, But No Progress
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
The renovation of the former Sutton Place Gourmet (corner of 49th
Street and Massachusetts Avenue) into a new Bagel City is proceeding at
a glacier-like pace. At the current rate of progress this anxiously
awaited source of fresh baked bagels and bread might be ready sometime
late next year. I hold out hope that the owners will have a growth spurt
and be ready for the incoming freshman class at the AU Law School in
September.
###############
District Cablevision Replies
Mitchell Schmale, mschmale@nevinspr.com
In response to a previous posting in themail, District Cablevision
unveiled a newly reorganized programming lineup on June 16 in order to
provide improved picture quality of the most watched-channels (broadcast
stations) in parts of the District, as well as moving some stations to
their actual over-the-air channel location, such as WDCA-20, WETA-26 and
WHUT-32. The relocation of roughly fifteen channels on the lineup will
improve picture quality for many customers in DC who have had problems
with "ingress" or distortion on their broadcast channels for
years.
In addition, all customers in the District were notified of the
changes weeks ahead of time via ads in The Washington Post and
other newspapers, informational pieces mailed to all customers, color
advertising inserts in newspapers, on-screen crawls on selected channels
in the days leading up to the channel changes, on-hold telephone
messages at District Cablevision's offices, commercials on television in
the District, and a 5-minute interview on CNN Headline News.
District Cablevision hopes customers will find the changes to be both
an improvement and an added convenience. This is the first of many
future improvements to be delivered by District Cablevision now that it
is a Comcast Company.
###############
Cable Arrogance
Malcolm Wiseman, Washington FreeDC, eman@us.net
No arrogance here. The cable company, like any other service, needs
to be able to implement tweaks in their delivery without first asking
for outside input. I received advanced notice about when to expect the
changes and the reason they were necessary (that is, for clear reception
the network channels had to move up in the band). They mailed out a
schedule showing the new and easy to remember channel assignments. This
corrected a severe and long-lasting ghosting problem. Now, if they would
just fix the unsteady feed of channel 21 (Encore)!
###############
This is in response to the comments regarding DC Cable's switch to
Comcast and their ensuing switch of channel numbers. The question was
posed what we could do to “cause them some trouble.” I'm not sure if
this is true for everyone, but my brother noticed that when this switch
took place there was a “change of service” fee of $10. Now I know
that $10 is not always very much money, but my brother raised the point
that this is an illegal thing to do (I believe the legal term is
“slamming”). It would certainly “cause them some trouble” if we
all complained about this switch from a legal basis. I'm just looking to
see if other people out there were charged this fee and if anyone knows
whether this move is in fact illegal.
###############
Comcast/DC Cable
Mark David Richards, mark@bisconti.com
Comcast mailed a brochure showing the old channel organization and
the new channel organization — of course, I promptly lost it in my
pile of mail, but found it recently. I put it near the TV and find it
useful because it is a bit challenging (annoying…) to find things
after having adjusted to the previous arrangement. Maybe they have
something on a web site or could mail or fax a copy to you for
reference.
###############
This week's self-righteous award goes to Susan Doran, who complains
about property owners who charge market rents that cover their mortgages
(the nerve!). Yes, Ms. Doran, some people are making a lot of money on
today's housing market. Yes, the rise in housing costs can have some
serious negative consequences for DC. But having put an enormous chunk
my life savings on the line to buy a home in DC, I have a problem with
someone who tells me that I should not benefit from the upside of that
investment as well as assume the risks. You don't know if that person
charging a high rent is using the money to take fabulous vacations and
buy a Mercedes — or perhaps helping them with expenses for their
children's educations, to get through a period of unemployment (rather
common right now), or to start a business.
It's hard to come up with fair solutions for the dislocations caused
by increasing housing prices. It's easier to be morally superior. But in
the spirit of that moral superiority, which asks that individual
property owners subsidize individual tenants, can I assume that if the
economy tanks and I lose my job and can't sell my house for enough to
cover my mortgage, you'll have a spare room waiting for me? Oh, wait,
it's different when it's one's own money under discussion, isn't it?
###############
I'm a renter. I hate the high prices. And, I hate myself for selling
my condo about three minutes before the market went insane. But, blaming
homeowners with rental units is not fair. Many homeowners buy places
with rental units and depend upon the rental unit to help pay their
mortgage. As a matter of fact, the rental unit and potential rent are
considered by the bank in the calculation to afford the loan. And, to
say the homeowner has some sort of obligation to offer reduced rent for
the betterment of the neighborhood is ridiculous. My landlord, who
happens to be one of my closest friends, bought a house in Mt. Pleasant
that was in horrible shape and has made it beautiful, inside and out.
That costs money. If he let me pay what I'd like to pay (or what I would
have paid three years ago), he wouldn't be able to buy and fix the
house.
I'd make the argument that we should be angry at the apartment
building owners who have gouged rents on properties that have been
around for years and have not had substantial cost increases in their
operations. Those building owners are getting pure profit for rents that
have probably doubled in the last five years. If building owners didn't
gouge rents, they would compete with homeowners who would have no choice
but to lower their rent, possibly stabilizing the ridiculous housing
market.
###############
’01 Ward 2 Dems Convention?
John Vaught LaBeaume, Dupont Circle, jvlab@yahoo.com
Does anyone have any info regarding this year's Ward 2 Democrats'
Convention? I seem to remember it took place around this time of year. I
could not find any contact info -- no E-mail address, etc. — from http://www.ward2dems.org,
and the DC Dem State Committee's site just directs back to the Ward 2
Dems' site. Would Chairman Budd Lane or another ward party officer
please post info on this year's convention in themail?
###############
As Chesterton Also Said
Frank Method, fmethod@erols.com
I think it was Chesterton, who wrote a long letter to a friend, and
apologized for it as he had not had time to write a short one. Perhaps
Churchill recycled the thought.
###############
As Montaigne or Montequieu Also Said
John Olinger, North Lincoln Park, jolinger@dmggroup.com
It was either Montaigne or Montesquieu who is the source of the
quotation. It was in a letter to a friend where he apologized for the
length of the letter because he did not have the leisure to make it
shorter. I used to have the exact quote taped to my typewriter. Then I
transferred it to the top of my monitor. Somewhere in a job move in
1993, I lost it, and the result has been too many wasted pixels. I am
confused about whether it was Montaigne or Montesquieu because once upon
a time I mixed up the two in an essay question and I have never been
able to keep them straight since. The second reader on my thesis first
gave me the citation, and added “the problem with history graduate
students is that they are satisfied after three revisions.”
###############
As Wilson, Pascal, and Thoreau Also Said
David Sobelsohn, dsobelso@capaccess.org
“It was Sir Winston, wasn't it . . .” Gary, you really should get
a copy of Bartlett's. Woodrow Wilson: “If I am to speak for ten
minutes, I need a week for preparation; if fifteen minutes, three days;
if half an hour, two days; if an hour, I am ready now.” Blaise Pascal:
“I have made this letter longer than usual, because I lack the time to
make it short.” Henry David Thoreau: “Not that the story need be
long, but it will take a long while to make it short.” [from a letter]
Bartlett's has no references to Winston Churchill's expression of
similar sentiments. But as with all great speakers, Churchill often
quoted others, so perhaps at some point he quoted Woodrow Wilson.
Actually, since these aren't supposed to be speeches, and the name of
this list is themail, perhaps the Pascal or Thoreau quotes would be more
appropriate.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS AND MEETINGS
Columbia Heights Community Marketplace
Elizabeth McIntire, elizabeth@innercity.org
The Columbia Heights Community Marketplace has been open every
Saturday morning since June 2nd at 14th & Irving Streets, NW, next
to the Metro station (west side). It operates rain or shine, 8 a.m. to 1
p.m. There are nine farmers/farmer co-ops including the “Hot
Peppers” Youth Gardening Club from Columbia Heights Village, local
craftspeople, community organizations, and local flea market vendors.
This weekend, CHANGE, Inc., will be having information on health issues.
Come to the marketplace and bring your friends. Come out and support
your local farmers and vendors.
###############
Shaw Neighborhood Picnic, June 23
Peter Easley, Friends of Kennedy Playground, PeterEasley@aol.com
Please join the Shaw Community for our first annual Shaw Neighborhood
Picnic on Saturday, June 23, from 12 noon until 3:00 p.m. at Kennedy
Playground, 7th and P Streets, NW. The event is cosponsored by Friends
of Kennedy Playground, Hope for the Future, Manna, 3rd District
Metropolitan Police, US Secret Service, UPO and Glory Tabernacle. There
will be organized events for all ages! In addition, the design for the
new $3.9 million recreation center will be on display.
################
Cocktail Charities Benefits CHIME on June 28
at the Staccato
Dorothy Marschak, dmarschak@chime-dc.org
Cocktail Charities has selected CHIME as its beneficiary on June 28
at the Staccato (2001 18th Street, NW, just north of Florida Avenue).
They have recruited volunteer bartenders who will donate all their tips
that evening to CHIME. We will be providing entertainment by the CHIME
Gold Stars (some of our talented volunteer music teachers) up until 10
p.m., after which there will be a house band. There will also be a
chance for others to perform as the spirit moves. Please come and bring
your friends, anytime from 6:30 p.m. on. It is a painless way to give
(there are food and nonalcoholic beverages as well) and it should be a
lot of fun.
CHIME depends on donations to support its many all-volunteer
programs: music instruction in and outside of school; instrument
collection and distribution; family programs at public libraries in the
series "Music Around the World; a new Music Buddies program; and
our advocacy campaign to put music in the required DCPS elementary
school curriculum. For more information about the Staccato benefit or
CHIME, visit our website, www.erols.com/chime-dc,
E-mail us at info@chime-dc.org,
or call 232-2731 after June 21.
###############
District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
Public Notice
Libby Lawson, Libby_Lawson@dcwasa.com
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) announces
upcoming community meetings and a formal public hearing this summer and
fall to discuss proposed rate changes. We encourage your participation
and the Board of Directors needs your input as part of the rate making
process.
The meetings will cover the following topics: rationale for proposed
increases, the Board of Directors’ rate making process, customer
service improvements, customer assistance programs, Capital Improvement
Program, and drinking water quality initiatives, We will also have on
hand departmental managers who will assist you if you have a specific
matter to discuss. The first community meeting will be held June 28, at
the Greater Southeast Community Hospital, 1310 Southern Avenue, SE —
Auditorium, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Additional meetings will be scheduled for July and August. A formal
public hearing will be held in September with a comment period of 30
days after the hearing. This information will be publicized in the near
future and on WASA’s website — http://www.dcwasa.com.
If you have questions, please call WASA’s Public Affairs Office at
787-2200, or E-mail us at llawson@dcwasa.com.
We encourage your participation and thank you for your continued
interest. We look forward to you joining us to discuss WASA’s
initiatives and answer any questions you may have.
###############
On Tuesday, June 26, 7:15 p.m., the DC Independent Media Center will
host “Breaking the Bank,” a documentary about the protests against
International Monetary Fund and World Bank that occurred in DC during
April 2000. Enjoy a discussion with activists and media makers about the
events that occurred during April 16th, the subsequent lawsuits against
the District for police excesses, and the planning for this fall's
actions against the IMF/WB. The showing will be held at Visions Cinema,
1927 Florida Avenue, NW. Tickets are available at the box office now.
Contact Visions for more information at 667-0090, or at their web site, http://visionsdc.com.
After the Seattle victory that stopped the World Trade Organization
in its fast track, tens of thousands converged to challenge the
International Monetary Fund and World Bank at their April 2000 meeting
in Washington, D.C. Once again, video makers from the Independent Media
Center were on the spot to provide the non-corporate coverage you just
won't find anywhere else. “Breaking the Bank” provides informative
background segments on the history and impact of the IMF and World Bank.
The program features extensive coverage of the events in Washington, the
street blockade tactics, the police repression, the rallies and the
celebration of so many people coming together united in a common cause.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED
ZPG Grassroots Coordinator
Tim Cline, Timandann@aol.com
Zero Population Growth, a national organization concerned with
impacts of population growth and issues of reproductive health, is
seeking an individual to coordinate a national grassroots network. The
Legislative Action Coordinator will be responsible for recruiting and
maintaining a network of volunteer activists in each congressional
district, for providing these activists with monthly updates of policy
activities in Washington and in state legislatures, and for suggesting
specific tasks for the activists to undertake each month.
Grassroots and/or political organizing experience preferred. Salary:
upper 20's to low 30's, plus benefits. Send cover letter, resume, and
short writing sample to: Legislative Action Coordinator, ZPG, 1400 16th
Street, N.W., Suite 320, 20036, or fax 332-2302. E-mail info@zpg.org.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE
Computer Console
E James Lieberman, ejl@gwu.edu
Computer console on wheels, sliding door can be locked with CPU,
monitor, keyboard, printer all inside. Two sliding shelves. $75 or best
offer. 362-3963.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — HOUSING
Apartment for Rent
Judith Rosenfeld, jsr2@earthlink.net
Sparkling one bedroom garden apartment off MacArthur Boulevard on
premier street in Kent for rent to nonsmoking mature employed
professional. Ten minutes by bus from Tenley Metro. State-of-the-art
tenant-controlled heat and air, all amenities, private driveway and
brick patio. Sorry, no pets. $950 includes utilities. Available July
1st. Phone 362-1977.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS
Handy Person Wanted
Edna Small, Erklein@aol.com
Handy person needed. Would love up-to-date recommendations. Many
small jobs — some involve trouble shooting, some involve ladders.
337-4906.
###############
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