Not About AnthraxDear Healthy People: No, I'm not going to write a word about the anthrax scare or about members of the House of Representatives fleeing town in panic while leaving expendable local residents behind. You know me; I never have a bad word to say about anybody. How's your confidence, and your neighbors'? Gary Imhoff ############### Us Sitting Ducks in DC
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Last week, I opened my E-mail and, much to my surprise, found the attached picture. It had been sent to my neighbors and me to inform us of this mural that is being developed to paint on the background of the playground across from my house on Westminster Street, NW. (Note that the playground is very small: I guess it is approximately 60 ft x 70 ft.) The E-mail came with a request for comments. Mine were: “The proposed mural is very colorful, but extremely 'busy' for such a small space. I can't imagine looking out of my front window or walking out of my front door and spotting it each time.” It appears from the photo that the mural will extend the full height of this three stories, above ground, house. I went on to say that something more classy, soothing, and subtle is more desirable. It is my sincere belief that it will take away from the relaxing atmosphere of the playground and neighborhood that we presently enjoy. Fewer than three days later, I received a response to the effect that this is a done deal.
I feel similar to that of the respondents on the Mayor's Summit: “it was all process and no substance.” There was absolutely no intention of getting constructive comments. Since this is something that affects a large number of people in the Shaw community and that we will have to live with for a long time, there should be a means of getting a better consensus before approval. I called the D C Commission on the Arts and Humanities today for information, but was unable to get a response. There have been extensive discussions on the approval of murals in the city; I would appreciate feedback on what can be done now.
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[The distinction between process and substance (http://www.dcwatch.com/themail/2001/01-10-14.htm) is] one of the categories of points which distinguished the “20 D.C. Citizens' Suit” (a.k.a. Adams v. Clinton-now-Bush) from the Alexander v. Daley suit, which the Mayor supported so strongly. The sole focus of Alexander was the ability to cast a vote for someone who would sit as a representative in Congress. But Alexander's focus on voting ignores the larger portion of the election process, not to mention the democratic process. Alexander has nothing to do with picking the candidate, shaping the candidate's platform, networking lower level activists into a political action program, and working with or against an elected official to shape or change legislative action.
For instance, one of the ways Alexander suggested this could be done is for D.C. residents to be allowed to vote in Maryland's congressional elections. Even if Alexander had persuaded the Court to issue an order to Congress to do this (and even if such an order would have been constitutional, and even if it would have been constitutional for Congress to draft such legislation), how much effort do you think a Maryland politician would make to appeal to D.C. voters? How much input or influence would they have? And what would happen to D.C. as a “polity,” a discrete political entity with unique needs and tastes? How could D.C. possibly meld with a county in Maryland and produce someone reasonably called a “representative” of the disparate interests of two such divergent political cultures? To the theoreticians behind Alexander, none of that matters, since a vote will have been cast, leaving the elected elite to dictate governmental policy back to the voters and “spin control” democratic pluralism into a Hollywood scriptwriter's sense of “unity” among the “stake holders.”
In other words, as a lot of (for want of a better term I'll call them) “progressives” (and I include such people as Lani Guinier) have argued that simply casting a vote is the illusion of democracy. The vote cast is only one small part of democracy, but those who profit from and run our massive two-party, winner-take-all system, dominated by money concerns are successfully relegating the common citizen's role to one and only one thing, to flip a lever to two indistinguishable candidates every so many years. Thus, Adams was focused not on “representation” alone, but on self-government through the two categorical structures of government we have in a federal republic: the national and the state structures. This focus starts with the observation that the people are sovereign — not the governments — and places the ultimate responsibility for governing on the people, not the few representatives who are elected to write the legislation or enforce the laws. No wonder Williams opposed Adams. Self-government is anathema to the Harvard M.B.A. “managerial” mindset of this administration. To them, democracy is not the process of governing but the product of successful manipulation of images and “messages.”
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It's the same for all those citizen advisory committees. The participants have the illusion but that's all it is.
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In his recent post regarding Citizen Summit II Mr. Imhoff writes of democracy and how the residents of DC practice it. He declaims its virtues and describes the bad things that happen outside of democracies. Well, smell the coffee. It's rancid. There's is no democracy here in District of Columbia. It is forbidden, and we can't fake it.
So, I'm not surprised when local leaders show us the same disdain as do our lords in congress. They learned it from the master. While we certainly should strive to act democratically and work for full democracy in DC, we shouldn't write or speak as if it already exists, for it does not, rhetorically or otherwise.
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One comment on Neighborhood Action: I like the concept and support any such outreach efforts -- this approach is better than most of the alternatives. Perhaps someone can offer solutions for improving the effort. The more citizens can see how their involvement relates to the outcome the better, but it is not always possible. This is also true with hearings and town hall meetings. The Mayor’s office has put emergency information on the Internet and is making published copies of “A Family Preparedness Guide” (http://www.washingtondc.gov/citizen/preparedness/index.shtm) available from the DC Emergency Management Agency on the 8th floor of the Reeves Building, 14th and U, NW, 727-6161. Other emergency information, including the locations of emergency shelters, is here: http://www.washingtondc.gov/emergencies/index.htm. From what I have read, in case of a chemical, biological, or radiological release, it is best to stay or take shelter, seal ones' windows to block outside air, and tune to a radio.
The Senate Appropriations Committee passed DC's bill: http://www.senate.gov/~appropriations/releases/record.cfm?id=179193 It did not add back riders dropped by the House, and it dropped a few more — including DC's restriction on lobbying Congress and state legislatures! Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) of Louisiana (224-5824) took a principled approach and stood her ground — three cheers for respecting DC more than many others in Congress. Senator Trent Lott (R-MS, 224-6253) didn’t like the bill because of the change from “no DC or federal funds” to “no federal funds” may be spent implementing DC’s domestic partnership law and for AIDS prevention/drug treatment via needle exchange programs. When the bill goes to the floor, Senator Lott (and perhaps even Senator Feinstein) are expected to fight to put some restrictions back into the bill. The Senate Full Appropriations Committee Chair is Robert Byrd (D-WVA) at 224-3471.
The Council held hearings this week on its “Sense of the Council Regarding the Establishment of an Attorney General for the District of Columbia Resolution of 2001, PR14-34” and “Local Selection of Judges Charter Amendment Act of 2001, Bill 14-22.” You can find copies of the legislation at http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/ (under legislation — search text) [and at http://www.dcwatch.com/council14/14-34b.htm and http://www.dcwatch.com/council14/14-22]. The full Council supports both bills to amend the DC Home Rule Charter. Councilmember Catania said that having an elected Attorney General would increase the chance that Home Rule will succeed in the new period. Senator Strauss suggested putting the issue to voters in referendum. There may be some advantages to showing Congress the level of local support and doing it via that method. The Mayor supports both bills, but has some operational and financial concerns that could be ironed out. Has anyone developed 1-pagers with talking points listing the key advantages and FAQ for each proposal? The bills will be somewhat controversial, particularly the Superior Court judges' ones (there are status and salary issues), so it will be important to get the talking points in order and make them accessible to a wide audience.
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This is to advise that the October 2001 on-line edition has been uploaded and may be accessed at http://www.intowner.com. Included are the community news stories, crime reports, editorials (including prior months' archived), restaurant reviews (prior months' also archived), and the text from the ever-popular “Scenes from the Past” feature. Also included are all current classified ads. The complete issue (along with prior issues back to January 2001) also is available in .pdf file format by direct access from our home page at no charge, simply by clicking the link provided. The next issue will publish on November 9, and the website will be updated shortly thereafter.
To read the lead stories, simply click the link on the home page to the following headlines: (1) “Illegal ID Sales Have Wider Potential Impact Following Terrorist Acts”; (2) “Adams Morgan Business Owners React — Many Came to U.S. to Escape Terror, Now Join With Us as One in Coping”; (3) “Barney House Use as Latvian Embassy Soon to be Decided”; (4) “Black Cat Club Acquires New Building, Bringing Back Food for Thought Café.”
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As co-chair of the program committee for the 28th Annual Conference on Washington, DC, Historical Studies, I would like to invite readers of themail to attend this year's conference, which will be held October 18-20 at George Washington University. This year's conference has a much greater emphasis on the African-American experience in Washington than ever before, and will include sessions on DC Music, early women lawyers in DC, endangered African-American landmarks, a workshop on researching neighborhood history, and a tour of historic Foggy Bottom. You can see the entire conference program at http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~dclist/ConfProgram2001.pdf (you will need Adobe Acrobat software to view the document). If you prefer, you can send me a message at PadroANC2C@aol.com and I'd be glad to E-mail you the text of the six-page program. The conference is free of charge, and no reservations are necessary to attend any or all of the programs. For general information on the conference, call the Historical Society of Washington, DC at 785-2068 x107.
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The 32nd Annual John Eaton School Block Party will be held on Saturday, October 20, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the John Eaton playground. Enjoy an afternoon of rides, games, crafts, music, food, and lots of fun on the John Eaton Playground. So, bring the kids, their friends and neighbors — free admission! In case of rain, the Block Party will be held in John Eaton School, 34th and Macomb Streets, NW.
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Women's, men's and children's clothes. Also boutique and vintage clothing. Many lovely and affordable items. Saturday, October 20, 9-3. Ingleside at Rock Creek, a Presbyterian Retirement Community, 3050 Military Road, NW. For more information, telephone 363-8966.
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“Celebrating Youth” is the theme of the Greater Washington Urban League's 6th Annual Parent Expo on Saturday, October 27, from noon to 5:00 p.m. at the D.C. Armory. Exhibitors include the U.S. Department of Education, D.C. Public Library, D.C. Public Schools, and the Red Cross. At the expo, children and parents will find information on child safety, health, education, parenting, voter registration, and much, much more! Activities include a children's play center, face painting, clowns, and door prizes. For more information, call Ms. Merryweather or Ms. Wilson at the GWUL, 265-8200.
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The Northwest Boundary Civic Association (NBCA) will meet Monday, October 22, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m., at Peoples Congregational Church, 4704 13th Street, NW (Near Decatur Street, parking available in lot). The speaker will be Assistant Chief of Police Ronald Monroe. Discussion items: ROC Police Headquarters at the old Petworth School, Police PSAs and community relations, 4th District Management.
Additionally, NBCA will present the idea of serving the lower half of Ward 4 (below Missouri Avenue) as a coordinator among civic activities. One idea is to hold quarterly, jointly sponsored meetings that include block clubs and other civic associations that have popular speakers to present to us and receive citizen input at large coordinated meetings, instead of DPW, police, schools, etc., being discussed numerous times every month at several different organizations. The point is to coordinate and organize among ourselves. Please attend and inform others.
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My company has the following equipment that we are trying to get rid of: Xerox 5052 copier; this is a full-sized copier, 50 copies per minute, two sided. It works, but has 820,000 copies on it and weighs a lot. Desks — we have 21. Each is beige metal with a wood-grain top, 60"x30", 7 drawers. Office chairs — we have four. They are black, swivel, with arms. All of the stuff is “well used” but in working order.
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History buffs and genealogists will be interested in two new books, published by the Fairfax County Public Library, that describe votes that took place leading up to and following the Civil War. The books are available for $14 each, or as a set for $25, from the Fairfax County Publications and Gift Center (MasterCard and Visa orders can be placed at 703-324-2974). The first book, Fractured Land, includes transcriptions of pre-Civil War newspaper articles, as well as the names of Fairfax County residents who voted for and against secession. The second book, Return to Union, presents reconstruction-era newspaper articles, and lists the names of both white and African American voters. For more information, go to http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/library.
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As a result of renovations, I have a sink: Kohler white enamel single-bowl sink in good to excellent condition that is 25 inches wide by 22 inches front to back by 9 inches deep with 4 holes (typical 9 inch widespread faucet holes with 4th hole for spray hose) for $25, or best offer. I also have a very nice white painted wood and metal radiator cover that is approximately 30 inches high, 11 inches deep, and 50 inches wide (those are the cover's dimensions -- the radiator will have to be smaller to fit — around 28 inches high, 9 inches deep, 48 inches wide) for $20 or best offer. Please let anyone who might be interested know about these items. I hate to throw things away. Feel free to contact me at nehopkins@hotmail.com or nhopkins@hazmed.com.
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Need sturdy bunk beds for two young teenagers. RKaufmann@JacksCamp.com
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Are you dedicated to placing human needs first? Then the Fair Budget Coalition is for you! We are currently seeking members (individuals and organizations) who are concerned that poor and vulnerable residents in the District of Columbia are being left behind and who want to make sure that the needs of vulnerable people are met. Applications are available by fax, mail, or E-mail (PDF) by contacting Susie Cambria at DC ACT, 234-9404, scambria@dckids.org.
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I have a need for part-time elder care. There was a submission in themail a while ago about an employment referral web site in Bethesda that referred high school and college aged persons for part time work. I can’t remember the name; can anybody help me?
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Santos D. Flores, (301) 422-2848, does fantastic work inside or out. Has done inside work twice (whole house) and outside once. Outside hadn't been painted in quite a while. Santos went to great pains with me to find the exact colors I was seeking, even meeting with me at another house to talk with owners about their paint selections. His folks were on time, left no mess, and did a very handsome job. His prices were excellent, and there were no "unexpected surprises." I could not recommend him more highly. I have recommended him to other friends and all are exceptionally pleased with his work.
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