Public Information
Dear Celebrants:
As we celebrate Independence Day and our freedom and democracy, both
Dorothy and Ed Barron, below, raise questions about how well we exercise
the degree of democracy that we have in the District. The essential
element of self-rule is open information. Over the past several
administrations, information has been harder and harder to get from the
District government. The Freedom of Information Act has been an
important tool in making information less accessible. Simple information
used to be freely available over the counter; then departments and
agencies started demanding FOI requests to get it. Then they started
routinely denying FOI requests, requiring appeals, and discouraging most
people from pursuing their requests.
Last year, Councilmember Kathy Patterson shepherded legislation
through the City Council that in theory should have resolved this
problem, and after that bill was passed Mayor Williams announced a
program that was supposed to eliminate the need for most FOI requests.
It hasn't worked -- the first (and often the final) impulse of most
government workers is still to keep the public in the dark.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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If copies of the 45 rpm single of Aretha Franklin's classic
“Respect” were still available, I would send one to each and every
senior manager in the Williams administration and to every Council
office. With increasing frequency, District government officials are
treating citizens with contempt and a total lack of respect when it
comes to the basic democratic process. The executive branch has always
made it hard to get copies of public documents, and the City Council has
always done what it could to make meaningful citizen participation in
its hearings difficult — but lately they both have been more
obstructive than ever. Judge for yourselves.
Tomorrow, Thursday, Harold Brazil's Committee on Economic Development
is scheduled to hold a public hearing on a reorganization plan for the
National Capital Revitalization Corporation, as well as on a draft
request for proposals for some RLA parcels. But the NCRC won't make its
reorganization plan public. In fact, as of Tuesday, both the NCRC and
the Council claimed not to have any copies of the reorganization plan,
and the NCRC said that even if it had the plan it couldn't release it to
any member of the public without the prior approval of the Corporation
Counsel. Next Tuesday, Vincent Orange's Committee on Government
Operations is scheduled to hold a public hearing on important proposed
legislative initiatives for the Office of the Inspector General. The
broad outline of some of these initiatives has been announced — giving
the Inspector General an even larger staff, greatly increased funding,
the power to make arrests, etc. -- but the initiatives themselves are
being kept secret. The IG's office claims that they are a matter of
“internal correspondence between him and the Council” and cannot be
shown to the public “since the document is not a matter of public
record.”
These are not isolated incidents. Public hearings — and democracy
itself — are meaningless if the government won't provide an
opportunity for informed public comment, if it keeps information secret
from its citizens. And if the City Council won't insist that the
administration give information even to it well in advance of a public
hearing, then it has failed to fulfill its oversight mandate.
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So Much for Voters’ Rights
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
How come the D.C. City Council can override the wishes of the
majority of D.C. voters who voted for term limits of D.C. Council
persons? Is that indicative that this city really is ready for
“Voters' Rights”? The City Council won't even honor the wishes of
the city residents in a legitimate referendum vote to have term limits
on Council Members. So much for voters' rights for D.C. citizens.
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Timothy Cooper's indignant caterwaul at Ed Barron (show me another
country that “denies” citizens in its federal enclave the vote)
demands an answer. Number one, who cares? Most other countries in the
world are political cesspools of plutocratic corruption and unbridled
privilege. Not only are votes meaningless, but raising one's head above
the mass is a good way to get it chopped off. Yes, most. Real
democracies are few. So spare us the international gold standard.
Second, what does distinguish the United States is that, by and
large, we are a nation ruled by law and our prime law is the
Constitution. The Constitution provides for a voteless federal enclave.
Fine, if you want to change it, but stop the self-righteous whining. I
personally favor retrocession to Maryland (shazam, everyone gets two
Senators and a Representative overnight, and possibly a bit less
corruption and incompetence). But if the vote is really that precious,
just move a few miles into Maryland or Virginia, where votes abound. How
many countries can you name where “voteless” masses can remedy their
problem by moving ten minutes away?
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Great work, Ms. Brown. Could you tell us where to get our own
Taxation Without Representation T-Shirts? Sure would be nice for folks
to sport them on the Mall during July 4 celebrations.
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T-Shirts for Democracy
Thelma Brown, Tbrowndc@aol.com
I have received many responses asking where to purchase Taxation
Without Representation T-shirts. I got mine from Fleet Feet in Adams
Morgan on Columbia Road. They will also be available at the DC Vote
office at 15th and U. Get them, wear them and give them out to friends
and family!
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DMV Closing and Code Red and Code Orange Days
Lindsley Williams, LWilliams@his.com
My understanding is that the queue of waiting cars is a queue of
idling cars, and that that adds too much pollution to the bad air on a
code red or code orange day.
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An Open Letter to DC WASA
David Culp, Capitol Hill, davidculp@yahoo.com
Thank you for posting the notice on the Long Term Control Plan
meeting (6 p.m., July 24, 777 N. Capitol St., N.E., First Floor) in
themail. However, It would have been helpful if you had told readers
that the plan is available on your web site at http://www.dcwasa.com/css/publicinformation.html.
Also, why doesn't your web site http://www.dcwasa.com/css/publicinvolvement.html
have the information about the meeting? The last meeting notice is for
October 26, 2000.
And last, several months ago I E-mailed WASA at the address provided
(Mohsin_Siddique@dcwasa.com)
and asked to receive meeting notices. I also signed up at the
Stakeholder Advisory Panel meeting in March and asked to receive meeting
notices. Yet I've received no notice for July 24 meeting. I look forward
to your response.
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I think of my neighborhood as being Mount Vernon West (also called
Old City on my condo deed). Neither name is on your list. I live at 1101
L Street, NW, which is at the juncture (at least on one map I've seen)
of Shaw to the Northeast, Downtown to the South, Logan Circle to the
North, and Franklin Park to the Southeast. When the historic district
was contentiously named, “Shaw” was approved by the Historic
Preservation Review Board for the local designation and “Mount Vernon
West” was approved by the National Register of Historic Places.
Whatever my neighborhood is named, I love living there!
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Another Missing Neighborhood
John Kelley, Dupont, johnjim@bellatlantic.net
Reed-Cooke Neighborhood (same name as the school on 17th Street, NW)
lies in the NW section of DC, roughly between 16th and 18th streets and
between Columbia Road and U Street (or Florida Avenue, depending on who
you ask). This diverse and resilient neighborhood is also notably absent
from the list of “recognized” DC neighborhoods. The absence is
particularly strange considering the community has an active
neighborhood association (not surprisingly called the Reed-Cooke
Neighborhood Association) that holds normal monthly meetings which city
council members and other district officials occasionally attend.
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Landlord Math
Kurt Vorndran, Kvorn@nteu.org
In defense of my math, I have no disagreement with Taylor Simmons
that landlords will charge whatever rent they can get away with. To Ms.
Kahn, certainly factors exist that cause costs to landlords to increase.
However, if she thinks landlords seek simply a constant rate of return,
I would refer her back to Taylor Simmons' observation. If they can
gouge, they will gouge. If you want to make gouging tenants into a
virtue, state your case. But that doesn't prove gouging is physically
impossible.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
The Washington Symphony Orchestra will present a Mid-Year Concert on
Sunday, July 8 at 1:00 p.m. at Sixth Presbyterian Church, 16th and
Kennedy Streets, NW (directly across from Carter Barron). The concert is
free. All are welcome.
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Eve Jaffe Walk for Literacy
Wayne Turner, actupdc@aol.com
Last year, a young woman of tremendous caring and conviction, Eve
Jaffe, died tragically during the DC AIDS Ride. On July 8, Eve's 33rd
birthday, her family and friends are honoring her memory by raising
funds for a cause she cared deeply about — literacy. We are meeting on
Sunday, July 8, at Fort Reno Park: Chesapeake St., NW, between Reno Road
and 39th Streets NW (across from Wilson High School) at 9:30 a.m.. We
are taking reservations so that we can limit the number (according to
police we must), but please have anyone feel free to contact Debbie
Lunsted at Travel Books & Language Center — 237-1322 or travelbks@aol.com.
Anyone wishing to donate can make out a check payable to either The
Washington Literacy Council or the National Capital Area Chapter of
Literacy Volunteers of America. You may send the donation to Travel
Books & Language Center, 4437 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
20016. 100% of the proceeds will be given to the above literacy
organizations.
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CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE
Stacking Washer/Dryer
Dan Nathan, dkbdan@aol.com
This White-Westinghouse set is in very good condition (it came with
the house; I've never used it), and a very efficient space-saver. I'm
asking $250 — I'm sure it's worth multiples of that. You haul
(although I know someone with a truck you might pay to help). Call Dan
at 726-7177, leave message.
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CLASSIFIEDS — PETS
Kittens Needing Good Homes
Susan Flinn, susan@oxygenate.com
My neighbors and I are rescuing our local alley kittens and placing
them into good homes. We're looking for people who will take 6-8 week
old kittens — the only requirement is that the cats be spayed or
neutered when they're older. The kittens are typically black and white
— they range from all black or white to mottled, spotted mixtures.
They are very very cute. We are looking for homes for three kittens now,
and will need homes for several more when the most recent litter is
weaned. Please E-mail susan@oxygenate.com
if you are interested. (We're also taking donations towards getting the
older cats spayed/neutered.)
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CLASSIFIEDS — CAUSES
Love Rock Creek Park? Save Klingle Valley!
Beth Daley, beth_daley@yahoo.com
If you love Rock Creek Park, then call the Mayor's hotline now
(727-1000) and tell him “Save, Don't Pave, Klingle Valley!” Klingle
Valley Park is a wooded stream valley next to Rock Creek Park and the
National Zoo. A narrow road that used to carry cars through Klingle
eroded into the stream in 1990, forcing its closure, and is now open to
joggers and cyclists as a car-free access route to Rock Creek Park. Road
advocates now want to waste millions of tax dollars to completely
reconstruct the road, even though a recent traffic study concluded that
this small road is “incapable of relieving traffic” on surrounding
roads. In fact, a 1990 traffic study showed that Klingle Road carried
less than 2% of the traffic across Rock Creek Park — the same as the
little-used road through the National Zoo.
The Superintendent of Rock Creek Park, Adrienne Coleman, has publicly
pleaded not to rebuild Klingle Road because contaminated storm water
from the road would worsen pollution in Rock Creek. Councilmembers Jack
Evans, Kathy Patterson, and Sharon Ambrose also oppose rebuilding
Klingle Road, and have sent the Mayor letters urging him to save Klingle
Valley Park.. Join them and the over 3,500 citizens who have signed
petitions against rebuilding Klingle Road. Call the Mayor and tell him:
“Save It, Don't Pave It!”
To get the facts about Klingle Valley, go to the newly revamped
“Save Klingle Valley” web site, http://www.klinglevalley.org.
You can read for yourself the recent Berger traffic study. There's also
information about how to contact uncommitted Councilmembers. Help us
protect this special parkland from destruction.
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CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS
Has anyone taken quickstep or fox-trot dance lessons recently? Can
you suggest a studio or instructor? We'd like to get really good at one
of them, now that the Jersey Bounce is no longer in our repertoire. In-
town preferred.
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CLASSIFIEDS — CITY PAPER PREVIEW
Dave Nuttycombe, webmeister@washcp.com
PERMANENT RESIDENT: District residents who had been counting the days
to the completion of Charles Ramsey's contract and praying for the
arrival of a new, more engaged Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)
chief sank into a funk two weeks ago. That was when the city's top
law-enforcement officer, appearing at the Ward 5 Crime Summit, announced
that he will be moving his wife and son from Chicago to the nation's
capital.
The public announcement of the familial move appears to be part of a
larger Ramsey strategy to gain support for his efforts to have his
contract renewed. Judiciary Square sources say that Ramsey already has
broached the topic with Mayor Anthony A. Williams but has yet to receive
a favorable response.
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: Young Frankenstein screens at dusk, at the District of
Columbia Jewish Community Center's Parking Lot, Q between 15th and 16th
Streets NW. $4 (suggested donation)
TUESDAY: Actor Jerry Orbach speaks at 6:30 p.m. at National Museum of
Natural History's Baird Auditorium, 10th and Constitution Avenue NW.
$20.
More details and more critics' picks are available online at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/pix/pix.html
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