Predatory Government

Dear Prey:

Several of you responded to the message that Dorothy and I wrote in the last issue of themail about our home's having been declared vacant and abandoned by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. We received an offer to locate an aggressive lawyer to fight our case, and an offer to testify that we do live in our house. Thanks, but we don't need it. We happen to know city government; we know enough of the law not to be frightened by a bogus legal threat; and we're not easily intimidated. We're not the ones who are most vulnerable to this scam, just as we're not likely to be the victims of predatory lenders. Elderly, uneducated, and poor people who are unfamiliar with the law and frightened by legal procedures are the ones most likely either to be forced out of their homes by predatory developers who pressure them to sell their homes or to lose them to the DCRA's threat of government seizure. We've also heard from readers who know of additional cases of specious listings, and we're going to follow up on those reports.

The Williams administration designs its initiatives across the board — with regard to parking tickets, car registrations, tax bills, applying for special education, health care, or unemployment assistance — so that the mistakes of bureaucrats become the problems of DC's citizens, not of the government. It's up to the citizens to try to correct mistaken tickets, double billings, incorrect registrations, improper denials of service, and so on, and the systems are designed to make it so difficult, time-consuming, and expensive for citizens to prevail that is easier for us just to give in to the bureaucracy's errors. The promise of Tony Williams's candidacy was that government would work better for citizens — not just for large businesses and institutions, but for average citizens. That promise, if it were ever meant seriously, remains unfulfilled.

Paul J. Kerr, pjk@dcemail.com, asked the quite reasonable questions, “How do we know if our house has been put on the list? Is there any way to check?” DCRA does not seem to be informing homeowners so, if you suspect your house may be on the list, start at the top. Call the office of the Director of DCRA, Dave Clark, at 442-8947 or E-mail him at davida.clark@dc.gov. Clark is the only one who is in the position to take individual houses off of the list and to change the process by which houses are added to the list, so he needs to know if there is public concern. And another writer asked the eminently reasonable question, “Why not sell the [abandoned] properties to individuals who could quality to restore buildings rather than continuing to make developers wealthy?” Ah, but if politically connected developers didn't profit, what would be the government's incentive to run the program in the first place?

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com 

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Huh?
Shaun Snyder, shaunsnyder@starpower.net 

Ward 5 Councilmember Vincent Orange's campaign poster slogan: “New Leadership Continues.” Can someone please explain that to me?

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Shaking the Money Tree
Jonetta Rose Barras, rosebook1@aol.com 

The District government received $156 million from the federal government for anti-terrorist security. It has already spent nearly half of that amount and yet citizens are unaware of any solid emergency defense plan. In fact, if you ask District officials what they have received for the more than $74 million that, according to the city's Office of the Chief Financial Officer, had been spent or “committed” as of June 6, 2002, they are hard-pressed to provide an answer. And the one that was provided by Office of Contracting and Procurement spokesperson Janis Bolt is hardly comforting. The document provided by the OCP anti-terrorism contracts does not reflect spending for a citywide evacuation plan, for which many were crying after Sept. 11, when hundreds of thousands of workers converged on city streets and Metropolitan Police Department officers weren’t sure how to get then out of town. Nor are there obvious expenditures for a citizen emergency preparedness manual that includes more updated information on what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. The list, which reflects only a fraction of the spending noted by the CFO, does include a few interesting expenditures; for example, nearly $104,000 for Ford Crown Victoria automobiles. What do Crown Victorias have to do with domestic safety? Perhaps there is a concern that if the mayor is running from terrorists he should at least ride in luxury. The number of computers purchased might cause residents to wonder if there is still a minor Y2K operation in the bowels of some government building. And how does a senior contract specialist further the cause of enhanced security in the District?

Meanwhile, the city’s Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR), and the newly created Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) have their own problems. It seems that when ABRA sent over the names of about 160 businesses that as of June 6 still had not renewed their “C” and “D” class licenses, OTR was to determine if the companies had any outstanding tax bills. But the agency made a more interesting find: “Half of them appeared not to be registered with us or they are out of business,” explained OTR head Herbert Huff. What do you think this means: a) ABRA’s files are wrong; b) OTR’s files are wrong; c) a whole bunch of companies have been collecting sales taxes from patrons and not turning them over to the District government each month as they are by law required to do; or d) all of the above? Taxpayers should be asking tons of questions about the so-called municipal reforms promised by Mayor Anthony A. Williams and his independent Chief Financial Officer, Natwar Gandhi. Read the details of both these stories at http://www.jrbarras.com. 

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Seniors and Vehicle Inspection
Ed Kane, ERMK@aol.com 

Does anyone know what days/hours the DC Vehicle Inspection unit in SE gives priority to senior citizens?

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The Grass Police
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com 

Perhaps I should have become suspicious after reading Mayor Williams's FY 2003 budget for the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs in March. There, on page B57, the Department indicates that it has adopted a “strategic result goal” to “develop, implement and improve agency fines and collection strategies.”

In recent weeks, DCRA has begun an aggressive initiative to cite homeowners whose yards harbor grass or weeks over four inches in height. This, of course, includes nearly everyone at some point during a rainy spring or near the end of a two- or three-week vacation. Failure to comply with the “notice of violation” may result in the District's abating the property (cutting the grass) and imposing hefty fines, penalties, and fees. Homeowners beware: the overeager and ruler-equipped grass police at DCRA mean business, and they're out to achieve their strategic result goal.

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From DMV, a Sad, True Tale with a Semi-Happy Ending
Tom Berry, tom@berrybest.com 

The other morning found the son and I in a line at the Georgetown Park Satellite DMV office. The young man in front of us was there to see if his recently registered car was truly registered in DC. Seems that the day before he'd returned to his car to find a copper writing him a ticket for an unregistered vehicle. The young feller showed the copper his freshly applied windshield registration sticker. Copper said he'd check the “system” one more time. Nah, not in the system. Copper said he could arrest the lad for driving an unregistered vehicle. To cover his arse, not to mention saving possible future jail time, the young man was taking time off work to verify his registration. When he got to the counter he asked to verify that his car was, in fact, registered. The clerk asked if he had a registration card. He produced same. Ah, she proclaimed, he's in their system. There's no way he could have that card without having his car registered and be in their system. So, logically, he asked why the copper couldn't find his registration. The response was quite simple and the reason was very disturbing: “The police are not on our system.” Such a pleasant thought: The police have the ability to arrest innocents because they (police) are relying on inaccurate information, although the correct information is readily available.

Which brings me to Gary and Dorothy's DC government dilemma. If you kids lose your home because of a bureaucratic snafu, you may live in my roomy shed rent-free. I'll even remove the lawnmower so you'll have more room. Electricity is included. Bathing can be done in an adjacent pond (use biodegradable soap, please) and the patio lounges are great for air-drying. Sorry, you'll have to dig your own outhouse.

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Not All Community Development Corporations Are Corrupt
Peter Easley, Shaw, Peasley@worldbank.org 

In your posting of June 6th, you refer to those “corrupt Community Development Corporations” and the “corrupt Community Development Corporation system.” As a board member of North Capitol Neighborhood Development Corporation, I take exception to your assertion that all CDC's are corrupt — I can assure you that NCND is not corrupt and is meeting, and in most cases, exceeding the programmatic and fiduciary requirements laid out by the Department of Housing and Community Development. Manna, Inc. is another CDC that has an excellent reputation for delivering low income housing. CDC's have played an important role in developing low and moderate income housing in the District of Columbia. I am all for holding CDC's and other organizations that are recipient of public funds fully accountable and am concerned about the recent allegations of corruption and misuse of funds by some of the CDC's. However, it is not fair to assert that all CDC's are corrupt or that the CDC system is corrupt just because of a few bad apples.

[I would welcome any sign, even the smallest, that a CDC that sees itself as honest condemns the actions of CDCs that are ineffective, wasteful, and corrupt. That hasn't happened. Instead, CDCs have maintained a united front, denying all evidence of bad CDCs and condemning all criticism of them. That solidarity with corruption is what makes the entire system corrupt. — Gary Imhoff]

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Economic Development
Sol Shalit, sss.sol@gte.net 

[Gary Imhoff and Dorothy Brizill wrote in themail on June 5:] “Speaking of corrupt neighborhood development, the Williams Administration's preferred use of development money is still to waste it on corrupt Community Development Corporations.” They are quite right, but only because it is so obvious. What go unnoticed, however, are the more sophisticated — and far more costly — giveaways of our scarce resources. A good example is the relentless real estate expansion of The George Washington University, which has been systematically destroying the prized residential neighborhood of Foggy Bottom, while eroding the District’s tax base. All this under the guise of “economic development” and with full blessing of the District, which even gave this private, tax-exempt corporation $380 million Industrial Revenue Bond financing. By comparison, Imhoff and Brizill's tiff is small peanuts.

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Mendelson Should Be Leading Effort to Repair Klingle Road
Paul McKenzie, Dropeh2o@att.net 

It's hard to swallow At-Large Councilmember Phil Mendelson's claim that he truly represents the interests of our entire city. His most recent “flip-flop” decision on Klingle Road is case in point and only serves to fuel a “nimbyism” attitude in some locations west of the park. This is one of the reasons we see division in this city. Recent press reports indicate a substantial number of people in Washington feel the city is headed in the wrong direction. We suffer from a lack of citywide leadership in this case.

Mendelson's flip-flops on the issue of repairing Klingle Road are a case in point. His suggestion to repair Klingle Road so it could support emergency equipment, if needed, but not allow DC residents to drive on this public road is blatantly wrong. Small groups of people benefit, while the rest of us are forced to pay for the road repair, wait longer to cycle through stoplights, and sit in idling cars that create more pollution. Is this fair? Is it sensible? If the city has to build a road for utility and emergency vehicles, in order to not lose the right of way, it must be engineered to accommodate heavy equipment vehicles, utility repair vehicles, and fire and emergency vehicles. Without doubt, an average car would be able to use the road as well. There is no logical reason to deny access to the driving public. And to top it all off, this heavy utility/emergency vehicle option would not cost less!

So, along comes a single interest group that wants to close a public road. It advocates for essentially one small residential area, taking a narrow position solely in its own interest, to the detriment of the rest of the city. What is most distressing about their communications is how they play fast and loose with the facts on this road closing, i.e., traffic issues, pollution, home land security and safety in the park. As always, we need forthrightness from our politicians, complete airing and understanding of the facts, and honest discussion, not fiction, for the greater good of all Washington's citizens. Our elected representatives should not cater to a few in this case who complain about “trucks lumbering” down their street. Oh, wouldn't we all, at times, like to close the public street in front of our house? But we can't because a road closing in one place only serves to move traffic to another place. Our representatives should look at the big picture. A well-planned street grid serves to distribute vehicle traffic across all roads. The roads belong to everyone, resident or visitor. We all share the responsibility for making this city work for bikers, drivers, bus riders, pedestrians and all types of emergency vehicles. Klingle Road is an integral part of Washington's historic street grid and must be restored. Klingle Road needs to be repaired.

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Klingle Valley Few?
Victor Chudowsky, vchudows@yahoo.com 

In response to the post about the “Klingle Valley Few”: please don't belittle the efforts of what is quite a large number of people who want to create a park in Klingle Valley. The "few" includes large numbers of residents on both sides of the park, the Sierra Club, DC Statehood/Green Party, and the city government. Every road-related event I have been to has shown a large number of Valley supporters. To call us the “few” is to suggest that Valley supporters are somehow elitists. One house on Woodley Road had a sign in front of it last year that referred to Valley supporters as “racist plutocrats.” How sad. I don't believe that this reflects the opinion of the majority of road supporters, but it does reflect an impulse to belittle Valley supporters in a way which deflects attention from the good arguments the Mayor has for putting a park in the Valley. We want more people to enjoy the Valley, just not in their cars.

In addition, the lead abatement project has absolutely nothing to do with the Valley, but is more a reflection of the poor record of the city in maintaining our roads and bridges. When the road was open it was an expensive maintenance nightmare; that's why it was closed. As for the question of use, the writer obviously has not spent time in the Valley on a weekend, when it is well-used by joggers, dog-walkers, kids, and bicyclists. You'll see quite a few people on weekday mornings and evenings as well. If the valley were to appear on maps as a part of Rock Creek Park, were to be repaired, and signs marked its entrance, it would be very well-used. The western end of the valley tends to be more active than the eastern end because of the extreme damage done to the pavement there by the elements. The extent of this damage over the course of eleven years is yet more evidence that drainage problems make this a poor location for a road.

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Porter Street
David Hunter, Hunterontravel@hotmail.com 

Speaking of reopening roads like Klingle, when is Porter going to reopen to two-way traffic. The sign says May 2002. It's now June. Haven't noticed a lot of work going on lately to try and meet a deadline here.

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More on the Child Care Freeze
Susie Cambria, scambria@dckids.org 

Sasha Clayton pretty accurately described the crisis in child care in DC in the last edition of themail. And it is a crisis. 31,500 children and youth in the city are eligible for subsidized child care and the city has, as recently as the beginning of the year, served 76 percent of these kids (keep in mind the national average is 12 percent). But now, as a result of the child care system's success, the remaining funding for FY 2002 only will pay for kids already in the system (save for some exceptions). But what was not mentioned was the opportunity that the public has on Monday, June 10, at 10:00 a.m. to testify about the problems associated with a freeze on entry into the subsidy system. The Committee on Human Services, chaired by Sandy Allen (Ward 8), is holding this public roundtable to learn more about the challenge facing the Office of Early Childhood Development for the rest of the fiscal year. If you can't attend the roundtable, you can watch it on TV or via computer (http://octt.dc.gov/services/channel13/menu.shtm). 

And while this roundtable and public exposure is important, it should not surprise anyone that there is a crisis in child care. There has never been enough money for child care, especially when, as was the case in the FY 2003 budget process, the system was given less money. While the goal was to serve fewer children in FY 2003, the fact is that if kids are in the system, they would remain in the system. All of this is to say that even if we successfully solve the crisis now, there will be a crisis next year. And unless the community speaks up and turns out to support child care in FY 2004 (the process for this budget year begins this summer), there will be a crisis then, too. I firmly believe that the government has a responsibility to meet the needs of low-income children, youth, and families. But wearing my advocate hat, I guess the question is, what is the community going to do? If we learned anything from the recent Housing Production Trust Fund win, we should have learned that we can influence change.

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The Amendment
Stew Reuter, Rtlreuter@aol.com 

I read through the suggested amendment to the Constitution and the rationale presentation, looking for how the proposal would solve the problem of adding a representative and two senators. It was unaddressed! Are heads in the sand? Why would the Republican party go along with a scheme that would almost automatically grant the Democrats in the Senate two more votes? If the DC political scene was even close to balanced, this might be supportable, but as stated (avoided), it's a nonstarter. What's next? New York City wanting to be a state? Chicago seceding from Illinois? Wyoming wanting to be two states, east W and west W?

Recession to Maryland of all but a small Federal District (generally nonresidential) is the only realistic solution. DC's pride and Maryland's reluctance to take on DC's problems are the holdups.

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Answering Timothy Cooper’s Questions in themail
Michael Bindner, mbindnerdc at aol

[Responding to questions at the end of a paper by Timothy Cooper, Charles Wesley Harris, and Mark David Richards, http://www.dcwatch.com/issues/voting06.htm] 1) What is your plan(s) for the development of a sustainable state economy to pay for the District's state functions under statehood and to serve as a viable hedge against periodic economic downturns and regional/national recessions?

The inability to meet our “state functions” comes from the maltreatment of the District by Congress, who use the District as the funder of last resort. Recall that the fiscal 1999 budget was balanced because Bill Clinton sold the pension assets accumulated by DC taxpayers to fund the pensions of firefighters, teachers and police officers. Additionally, while the federal government does provide some payment through impact aid and a PILT for use of District services, the District government has never adequately billed the National Capital Planning Commission (who is the current administrator of the National Capital Service Area) for services rendered. There is a huge back debt, both for services for which the District has never billed and for a pension liability which should never have been levied on District residents without the requisite transfer off assets. There are other examples, such as taxing Fannie Mae, which come to mind. The District, as a colony, cannot demand fair treatment from the President on these issues. As a state, it would be in a better bargaining position.

There are two state functions, and only two, the federal performance of which is a problem — funding of the DC Courts (which are now presidentially appointed, so should be presidentially funded) and the incarceration and supervision of felons. The change to the Medicaid funding formula need not be changed, as the prior formula was abusive on its face, while the responsibility to pay the pensions of firefighters, police and teachers should have been federalized because these individuals paid into the federal system originally. I will address the questions of the Courts and felons below. 

2) How long would the implementation of any such proposals be likely to take and when could new revenues generated by this economy be expected to flow into the city’s coffers?

The effect of taxing Fannie Mae and a host of others would be immediate. The compromise I will propose below will also be immediate.

3) When do you envision the District's state functions being returned? Will it take 5, 10, 15, 20 or more years? How will they be paid for if and when they are returned and what guarantee can you give that the District will be able to pay for them in perpetuity?

The State functions that need to be paid for by the District are the incarceration of felons, offender supervision and the funding of the Courts. Offender supervision should be part of a redesign of the mental health care and addiction treatment system, since for all practical purposes much of crime involved has to do with the drug trade. District felons, many of whom are nonviolent do not need incarceration, they need treatment. There is a huge treatment infrastructure in the metropolitan area, the problem is access. When middle class individuals with insurance need drug treatment, they get it on demand — there are no waiting lists. Many in the statehood movement also favor single-payer health insurance. Enacting such insurance, which can be done without congressional action, would make treatment available to those who need it and would cost less than incarceration, much less. Making it easier to commit addicts and alcoholics to treatment against their will, which the legislature can do, would allow their treatment before they lapse into criminal behavior. As to the remaining prison population — many are currently housed in excess prison space in Virginia. If DC felons were transferred from the federal system to the Virginia and Maryland systems, with the District paying some cost and the surrounding states paying a larger portion in lieu of a 1% nonresident income tax, the housing of DC felons would be eminently affordable. As to the Courts, a small increase in sales taxes could fund these with little difficulty. As to timing, these changes could happen fairly quickly, as DC felons will soon be moving into the federal system from Virginia's excess capacity. It is likely that Virginia will be willing to deal before this happens, as the Commonwealth cannot afford to maintain all that empty prison space for long.

4) What will be your strategy for achieving statehood if the District cannot reclaim its state functions during this time and has not yet produced a vigorous state economy sufficient to fund the new state?

The state economy is as vigorous as any economy in the region. The question you should be asking is, what is our strategy for statehood, period. I propose all the various forces work together -- those favoring retrocession or voting through Maryland (which you dismiss too quickly), those favoring your amendment and those supporting statehood. We should work for three things: a referendum on statehood v. reunion with Maryland, a bill in the Maryland General Assembly setting up an interstate compact on voting rights for District residents (with substitute amendments for statehood and retrocession), and a congressional bill for voting rights with substitute amendments for statehood, reunion with Maryland and your amendment (which would need a 2/3 majority to win). If your amendment does win, interim voting rights through Maryland should still be in place in the interim. My question for you is, would you support this compromise -- and if not, for heaven's sakes, why not? DC and suburban Maryland are much more alike than different (especially when compared to the Eastern Shore and western Maryland), so I do not see why a temporary extension of voting rights through them would be a problem. I know that you and Mark think this would be stealth retrocession. It would only be so if it worked too well. If your position is correct that the two jurisdictions are wildly different than the best way to achieve quick statehood is a vote through Maryland, as Maryland Republicans would likely by a strong force in the GOP caucus to support DC statehood.

5) When and how do you expect to win approval for a fairer federal payment and reciprocal taxing authority?

In the past three years, the estimate of a 2% reciprocal income tax has gone from over a $1 billion to less than $500 million. I expect that the funding scheme for our felons, and possibly an additional 1% regional income tax for education might be enacted as soon as proposed by either Warner, Williams or Townsend. Virginia and Maryland schools are in trouble. A regional 1% income surtax for education would alleviate that, and would allow for school choice provisions so that Prince Georges parents could continue to use District schools without subterfuge while Ward 3 parents could use Montgomery county schools without moving. The funding crisis in Fairfax, PG and Montgomery schools will come sooner than later, and an additional 1% income tax applied to fund a regional authority would foot the bill rather nicely.

6) Why isn’t the Equality Amendment an acceptable vehicle for righting the District’s inequities in light of the District’s current systemic circumstances and in view of the fact that it provides equal rights for equal responsibilities to DC residents and is virtually constitutionally unassailable?

Your amendment is too detailed to pass muster as is. Further, unless it is part of the common strategy I outlined above, most District statehood activists will simply ignore it. The economic crisis you hang your hat on in proposing this is not the bar to statehood which you think, and I have demonstrated how it might be ameliorated. Further, aside from voting rights, your amendment really does not provide what is needed. Now, if you use the words “local self-government” I might have a more optimistic view on the chances of the amendment making things better.

The right to a republican form of government is a political question, not a litigatable right. It actually demands that Congress correct any state government that does not provide one. Its main function has been to give congress the right to reject states which are less than republican. Actually, when the Congress rejected and continues to ignore statehood, it does so in service to the rights of District residents to such a government. The New Columbia Constitution passed in 1982 is perceived as a radical form of government, with its provisions on economic policy and its “self-enforcing” right to a job. The proposed alternative (which has never been voted on) is a colonial form of government, as it is based on the Home Fool charter. Until the perceived flaws in the 1982 Constitution are corrected by referendum of DC voters, the Congress has an affirmative duty to reject statehood for New Columbia under the republican form of government clause. The colonial government is in no hurry to fix these flaws, especially with Councilmember salaries upwards of $100K a year for part-time work.

As for equal protection, we have that under Bolling v. Sharpe already. If there is an instance where District residents are denied equal protection, it should be litigate directly and specifically — rather than generally as George tried to do.

The only really egregious denial of equal protection, aside from the lack of voting rights, is the lack of a District Constitution which Congress cannot amend (as the District's state legislature) without the consent of the people. Simply putting a provision in the Home Rule Act requiring that all amendments to the Act be voted on would correct this flaw —and would be constitutional and as permanent as statehood. Some think of statehood as permanent. Remember, Virginia and the rest of the confederacy required readmission to the Union. Statehood is not as permanent as you would like to believe. Any state can be expelled by a simple majority vote in both houses and the signature of the President. However, if District residents won the right to vote on changes to its charter, any propose to change this right would also have to be voted upon by District residents. If you really wish to pursue equal constitutional rights, concentrate your efforts there. It will take away Congress' fun so fast, New Columbia will be a state before you know it.

7) Why must the people of the District wait to launch a campaign for equal rights, contingent on the successful reacquisition of state functions, when that process could take a generation?

First, the District has “equal constitutional rights” under Bolling v. Sharpe. What the District lacks is an explicit right to self-government, which your amendment does not provide. If you put in that language, you may get more support from statehood advocates, although you would likely lose congressional support, as local self government and congressional representation is statehood.

Second, as part of a concerted effort, the District does not have to wait. Perfect your amendment and come to the table. A perfect full-representation/full local self-government amendment would be a welcome part of a concerted strategy for voting rights/statehood/reunion.

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Capitalism Can Assure Our Capital City Pays Its Way
Len Sullivan, lsnarpac@bellatlantic.net 

Democracy and its squeaky wheels may be able to keep the bogey man out of your back yard, but revenue from capitalism is the American way for governments to pay for what people want and need. Why is DC begging for more federal handouts instead of asking Congress to help make DC more self-sufficient? There is plenty of opportunity to make District and Federal property more revenue-productive, and increasing evidence that DC and the Feds can work together. What's cooking at the Kennedy Center and Reservation 13? What do UDC students visualize could be done to wring revenues out of Rte 395's concrete wasteland? NARPAC's answers can be found in the June update of its web site at http://www.narpac.org/INTHOM.HTM. Stop complaining. Be part of the solution. Get positively involved.

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Gourmet Burrito Joint Helps Save The Avalon
Jennifer Kaplan, jenikaP@bellatlantic.net 

As a pre-opening event for the new Chipotle Mexican Grill at 4471 Willard Avenue in Chevy Chase on Wednesday, June 12, from 5:00 p.m. until 9 p.m.., Chipotle will host a special fundraiser to benefit Chevy Chase's historic Avalon Theater. Free burritos, tacos, and soft drinks will be served and the entire $5 admission contribution goes to help fund the renovation and revitalization of the Avalon as a vibrant and viable community movie house. For more information, contact Bob Zich, 966-4816, info@theavalon.org or http://www.theavalon.org.

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Ten Product Development Pitfalls of Emerging Companies
Barbara Conn, bconn@cpcug.org 

Cynthia Gilmer, of Opus Plus, Inc., leads a seminar on reducing risk, avoiding cost overruns, and meeting deadlines when bringing technology to market. Gather your questions and colleagues and bring them to the Saturday, June 15, 1:00 p.m. (check-in, 12:30 p.m.), meeting of the Capital PC User Group (CPCUG) Entrepreneurs and Consultants Special Interest Group (SIG).

Meetings are FREE and are held each month, usually on the third Saturday, at the Cleveland Park Library (Second Floor Large Meeting Room) at 3310 Connecticut Avenue, NW, just a block south of the Cleveland Park Metrorail station and half a block south of the Cineplex Odeon Uptown movie theater. For more information about the seminar, the speaker, and CPCUG, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, and to register for the meeting, visit http://www.cpcug.org/user/entrepreneur/602meet.html. 

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CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED

Teaching Positions at Oneness — Family School
Pam Holland, pammydale@rcn.com 

The Oneness-Family School is a progressive Montessori School with two campuses. The Chevy Chase campus (at 6701 Wisconsin Avenue) serves children ages 3 - 8th grade, while the DC preschool (7750 16th Street near the DC/Silver Spring line), serves children ages 3 - 6. The Oneness-Family School has a thirteen-year history of teaching peace, diversity, tolerance, and world religions as an integral part of our strong academic program. Learn more about our program at http://www.onenessfamily.org. 

We have the following position openings for the 2002-2003 school year: full-time assistant school teacher for grades 4-8, approximately 40 hours per week , MD campus; assistant preschool teacher, approximately 30 hours per week, DC campus; assistant preschool teacher, approximately 30 hours per week, MD campus; assistant preschool teacher, approximately 40 hours per week, MD campus; Spanish teacher, approximately 8-15 hours per week - MD campus; Yoga, Tai Chi, and or creative movement teacher, approximately 6-10 hours per week, MD and DC campuses. Substitute opportunities are available as well. Experience with children is required and Montessori experience is a plus. If interested, please fax your resume with a cover letter stating the position(s) you would like to be considered for to 301-718-6214.

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CLASSIFIEDS — VOLUNTEERS

PhoneFriend Volunteers Needed
Nora Lovato, pcamw@juno.com  

Help children who are lonely, scared, or just need to talk. Prevent Child Abuse of Metropolitan Washington is looking for new volunteer listeners to staff the PhoneFriend support line for latchkey children. Training provided. This opportunity provides skills for future employment, an opportunity to meet others, and a chance to make a difference. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old and speak English fluently. Please call 223-0020 for more information. Training begins July 16th. PhoneFriend training dates: Tuesday, July 16, 6:30-9 p.m.; Thursday, July 18, 6:30-9 p.m.; Tuesday, July 23, 6:30-9 p.m.; Thursday, July 25, 6:30-9 p.m.

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