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August 18, 2002

Washington, Baby, DC

Dear Babes:

A long issue earns a short intro. Instead of writing myself, I'll refer you to Eleanor Clift's web-only article on the Mayoral race at the Newsweek site: http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/newsweek.msnbc;kw=front;sz=200x105;ord=37486717604?. Clift writes: “In Washington, how you handle an embarrassing incident sometimes has more impact than the event itself. Williams’s high-and-mighty reaction enraged voters more than his initial blunder. Some of my neighbors who supported him four years ago are threatening to stay home and not vote on Election Day. I, for one, have been toying with writing in the mayor of my dreams — maybe Kofi Annan or Bruce Springsteen.” And, “I’m afraid there is an ugly race ahead. Race and poverty are so intertwined that to pull them apart is impossible. A neighbor of mine said she hoped Williams concentrates on the wards in the city 'where people can spell.' The whiter, wealthier wards will support Williams; the downtrodden and poorer neighborhoods will back Wilson, who is former mayor Barry’s minister.”

Sam Smith has added to his web site the full article comparing Marion Barry and Tony Williams from which I quoted in the last issue of themail. It is available at http://prorev.com/freedcx10.htm and http://prorev.com/barryx.htm

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com 

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Spending on DC General Hospital
Carolyn Curtis, cabcurtis@aol.com 

I would like to remind the community about the costs of privatizing DC General Hospital. Base cost: $86,000. Capitol improvement loan to Doctors Community Hospital: $11.8 million to build a trauma center and to improve the neighborhood health centers. Twenty percent is forgiven each year that the contract is in place, so that in five years the city will have given away $11.8 million to Doctors Community. By the way, August 31 will be the one-year anniversary of the date when the trauma center was to have been completed. It still has not been done. Trauma subsidy: $1.3 million each year to arrange for trauma services. Emergency room subsidy: an additional $50 each time a patient is seen at DC General Hospital emergency room and Greater Southeast emergency room. Based on figures of ER visits at DC General Hospital alone, this is approximately $5 million/year. Cost to Doctors Healthcare for rent of the property, building, and equipment: $10/year.

Quality of care has taken a severe nosedive. If you visit the web site for JCAHO, you will find that the accreditation visit done in February gives Greater Southeast a conditional acceptance without any rating attached. This requires additional surveillance and is down from the 84 rating that GSECH had before. By the way, the 84 rating was the lowest for any hospital in DC.

Ability to obtain health care for anyone who needs it is no longer possible. Eligibility for the Health Care Alliance is equivalent to eligibility for Medicaid. In other words, if you are a family of four making $35,000, you are not eligible for health care through the Health Care Alliance.

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Signs, Signs, Everywhere!
Pete Ross, peteross@prodigy.net 

It is illegal to have more than three campaign posters per block and it is illegal to have more than one poster on a light or traffic post. Candidates can have posters “back to back” but posters by the same candidate on top of each other (thus denying space to other candidates) are not legal. As a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Shadow Senator, I was required to sign a pledge to adhere to the DC Municipal Regulations (24 DCMR 108) governing campaign posters. I was glad to sign this pledge to obey these regulations. These poster regulations can be viewed on the Clean city web site, http://www.cleancity.gov

Leslie Hotaling (Director of Public Works) and Vincent Spaulding (Clean City Coordinator) sent a letter to all political candidates on August 5 requesting “that you remove your posters not in compliance by August 19, 2002.” The fine is $35.00 per poster for each infraction. Let us hope that Ms. Hotaling, leslie.hotaling@dc.gov, and Mr. Spaulding, vincent.spaulding@dc.gov, (671-1403) rigorously enforce these regulations starting on August 19, 2002. We can help by sending E-mails to them and the scofflaw candidates listing locations and names of candidates who are not adhering to the regulations. All candidates promised to adhere to the campaign poster laws when registering to run for office.

Candidates who violate the regulations should not be given an advantage in our election process by not adhering to our campaign laws. Ms. Hotaling and Mr. Spaulding must immediately start enforcement of their letter that was sent to all candidates on August 5. This can be done by immediately fining candidates $35.00 per sign who are in violation of the campaign poster regulations.

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No Signs in the Hood
Dawn Dickerson, ddd668@aol.com 

Rock Creek Park may be littered with campaign signs, but yet again residents living in perceived low income neighborhoods have been written off by local politicians. I live in the 200 block of Q Street, NW, (Ward 5) which I affectionately refer to as “the hood” and the only campaign sign in my neighborhood is a sign for Eleanor Holmes Norton that is sitting in the yard of a house in the 400 block of Q Street, NW.

I'm happy not being bombarded with all the campaign literature, but just wanted to point out the divisiveness in the politics of the city. It always seems that the opinions (votes) of folks living in upper northwest always take precedence over the opinions of folks living in perceived lower income neighborhoods. Guess what . . . I vote too! I'd hate to see some of you lose the election because you didn't do enough to include all potential voters in your reelection plans (Barry did get that part right if nothing else).

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Campaign Signs
David Hunter, Hunterontravel@hotmail.com 

As for the campaign signs on Military Road with three on each pole, I wrote about these the day after they were put up back on June 28. I called the citywide telephone number and got a claim number. It has now been almost two months. Blatant violations of campaign sign law, they're still there. By the way, the light poles on North Capitol Street are covered with them also; I called about them also, nothing done. Guess we'll have to wait till after the election to see if they actually take them down within the stated time frame.

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Clean City, My ***
John Whiteside, johnwhiteside at earthlink dot net

According to DC's Clean City Initiative, my street is “moderately clean.” (You can check yours on the city web site.) I thought of that today when I came home to discover that once again, recycling was not picked up, the boxes that have been sitting in front of my house for two weeks (broken down according to city regulations) are still there, and I've got a purple bin full of crap that people have been tossing all day to contend with. My solution? The whole bin is going in a big plastic bag to be picked up next trash day (I hope) — if the city can't pick up recycling, I'm not participating anymore.

As always, my street is covered with litter. No surprise — the city won't bother to enforce truck restrictions (I suspect because it would inconvenience those building the Convention Center to actually enforce laws), traffic enforcement is a joke, walk signs are out all over the neighborhood. Why would I expect to live on a street that's not covered with trash? And this is in Logan Circle, one of the more affluent parts of town; I shudder to think what must go on in poorer neighborhoods.

My question to those running for mayor is this: what will you change about the delivery of these basic services, and why will it work better? I won't vote for anyone who can't answer that question, and so far, not a single candidate is even talking about it.

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Strauss for the Humdrum Job of Being a DC Shadow Senator
Mark David Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com 

Perhaps it was the uneventful election season. I paid no attention to a topic I followed like a bloodhound last year: Congressional appropriations of DC's budget. This is the annual event you can count on to witness exclusive legislative authority in action. DC's Senator Paul Strauss is part of the DC shadow delegation that has the humdrum job of leading DC down the yellow brick road to statehood. (He has a small three lawyer shop that represents labor unions and tenant associations, the Law Offices of Paul Strauss and Associates.) He filled me in. This year, Strauss reports that the Senate version of DC's appropriations bill “contains more federal dollars for DC and fewer home-rule intrusions than in previous years.” Youthful Senator Many Landrieu, in a tight race in Louisiana, proved to be DC's home rule friend for a second year — with little to gain personally. As the daughter of a former mayor of New Orleans, she is savvy and knowledgeable about complex urban issues. Strauss reports that Democrats were united with Senator Landrieu. Former Chair Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) tried to impose a spending restriction on attorney's fees related to the DCPS budget. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) took a pro-DC home rule opinion (thank you Ohio — I'll be delighted to tell my friends in Cincinnati), as did Senator Byrd (D-WV — kudos to the King of Appropriations who last year took the opposite position). Thanks to principled Republicans and Democrats, DC's budget emerged from the full Senate Appropriations Committee on July 25 in better shape than in recent years. Specifically, Strauss reported, there were no restrictions on the Corporation Counsel's ability to use DC money in voting rights lawsuits, no AIDS prevention/drug treatment/needle exchange restrictions, no Boystown zoning intrusion, and no domestic partners restrictions. There is more federal money for Charter schools, the DC Court, public interest lawyers paid by DC Court who represent neglected children in the welfare system, and for clean up of the Anacostia Waterfront.

In fact, one of the most prominent events for voteless DC in Congress is the DC Appropriations bill. This is where most DC autonomy issues are fought, using rhetorical and logical skills. Strauss communicates regularly with Senators, mainly by meeting with staff and committee staff. When he communicates formally, he gives written testimony which is printed in the Congressional Record. He also provides information to Members informally in the hearing rooms and hallways. The goal is to — at minimum — protect the DC budget as approved by the mayor and council, and attempt to get the federal government to contribute a fair share of the cost DC pays to host it. Strauss praised Democratic Senators Wellstone, Feingold, Lieberman, Durbin, Schumer, Landreiu, and Republican Senators Thompson, DeWine, Specter, and Brownback for their support.

Tactics needed in the DC Congressional shadow delegation involve interpreting federal law, strategy and relationship-building, protest, and sometimes civil disobedience. Strauss is a well-known figure at the grassroots. He regularly attends events of DC's democracy advocates and listens to them to find out what they care about. For example, he filed an amicus curiae in the Adams v. Clinton case, and he supported the DC Democracy Seven. His volunteer office, famous for the many interns who gain experience while tracking legislative issues, pressed staffers and members on the issues in team with the shadow delegation and DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. She will soon lead the House effort to improve on the Senate version and delineate the concept of DC home rule. Strauss said that for his first term, he had to spend the better part of it fighting with other DC officials and residents to restore what home rule DC had before 1997. In the next term, Strauss wants to continue to press for expanded rights. He is hopeful that the national elections will result in a favorable climate. Senator Strauss said he is now consumed with seeking reelection. He is hoping he doesn't have to spend much in the campaign so he has more funds to finance the office of the shadow senator. I would like to see the shadow offices funded by the DC government, with public discussion of priorities and coordination. However, there is a Congressional rider that is blocking funding that would need to be removed in the House, and there is little support for funding the shadow offices among DC's elected officials. They apparently believe there is little support among the DC electorate. In any case, Paul Strauss will get my vote to continue his work in the Senate for another term.

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Do the Figures Lie?
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com 

The lively discussions about the merits (or otherwise) of red light cameras is an ongoing debate. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released study data that seems to confirm that there are far fewer accidents in cities that employ red light cameras. Ah, but are the liars figuring? The study by the IIHS includes accidents only in the space between the cross walks. That ignores accidents, like rear ending, which occur before the cross walks and in the spaces before the intersection. Further analysis of data when these pre-intersection approaches are included now show a marked increase in rear ending collisions in cities with red light cameras that offset the benefits of the cameras. So much for statistics. It seems the benefits of the cameras do not flow to drivers but only to the companies that get a share of the loot collected from the fines and the community collecting the fines.

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311
Ann Eisenberg, ARBCochran@cs.com 

As for Joan Eisenstodt's remembering the 311 number, it's not necessarily a big help anyway. Last Sunday night my husband was taking out our trash and recycling in preparation for our neighborhood's early Monday morning pick up when he discovered a smashed cash register with money in it (just lots of change, no bills) at the bottom of our bin. We immediately called 311 to tell the police about it and to alert them that the bin contents would be picked up early the next morning. A very sullen woman responded to my husband's phone call and kept asking him, “What do you want me to do about it?” Exasperated, my husband finally explained that the register might be an indication that a crime was committed and that it could be evidence that the police might need. No go. So I then called our local police station. The officer I spoke to thanked me for my call but said that he was not authorized to dispatch a car to our house. He asked me to call 311 again and insist that I speak to a supervisor and ask for a car to be dispatched. On the second call to 311, I spoke to someone more helpful who volunteered that she would have a crew dispatched to our house immediately. And she did; they arrived within 10 minutes. However, the three phone calls took over twenty minutes and left my husband and I supremely unimpressed with the 311 system.

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Ward 9 Service
Jackie Boden, JBoden@activatormail.com 

Why is it that even a simple thing such as sending the Election Guide and I suppose checking on the validly of the list be fouled up? The Board of Elections and Ethics sent a Guide that arrived on August 13 — one day after the voter registration and change of address deadline of August 12.

I wonder how many city employees live in PG country? That seems to be part of the problem. Those that do live in PG County appear to look down on city residents. I understand Congress won't allow a rule to make people working in the city live here. (Another four years of Williams will mean they could not afford to live in the city.) But why can't Williams and friends tell us how many city employees live outside the city along with a complete profile/census of city employees. What do they have to hide? There is no reason why this can not be done! It should be done!

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This Business About the Mayor
Alan Heymann, alan@alanheymann.com 

I've been reading themail since I moved to the District a couple of years ago, and I rarely speak up amid the anger, negativity and pettiness that seem to pop up in your E-newsletter. Hell, if one were to read only themail, one might wonder why people who live in what's obviously the worst city in America spend so much time writing and complaining about it, instead of packing their homes up and moving to Montgomery County or Atlanta.

But this time I have to ask a question. You spend so much time talking about what's wrong with the city, while very seldom proposing a solution. Now you've succeeded in helping to get Mayor Williams thrown off the ballot. I won't defend the actions of his staff or his petition-gatherers, but I have to wonder: did you consider what the next steps would be, if the mayor didn't make it on the ballot, or didn't get elected?

Gary, who should be mayor, if not the man you spend so many E-mails complaining about? Are you suggesting that you could do a better job yourself, or that anyone could do a better job? If so, who is it? Or, are you again just concerned with proving a point and being right, regardless of the availability of a solution?

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For Better and For Worse
John Whiteside, john at earthlink dot net

Sam Smith rattles off a list of things that have gotten worse under Williams. How is he measuring these things? He includes DMV, which in my experience, has gotten so much better than it is miraculous, though it's far from perfect; and the public schools, which are a mess, but at the same time, haven't we seen test scores go up at a number of schools? Those saying “things are better” or “things are worse” need to tell us how they are measuring them. If it's just by their gut feelings, chances are the determination is based more on whether you like Tony Williams or not rather than any actual changes.

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A Bureaucracy Incapable of Improvement at the DMV
Pete Ross, peteross@prodigy.net 

As a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Shadow Senator, I continue to campaign at the DMV inspection station on Half Street in Southwest Washington. After my two letters to themail, Ms. Hobbs Newman (Director of the DMV), Ms. Anjell Jacobs (Deputy Director of the DMV), Mr. Fred Loney (Senior Manager at the Inspection Station), Mr. King (Senior Supervisor at the Inspection Station), and several other individuals agreed to meet with me at the DMV Inspection Station on August 15. I made several recommendations, all of which were rejected as being impossible to implement. For example, I suggested that there be a telephone number that residents can call to find out how long is the wait at the DMV Inspection station. They stated that this was not possible. They then explained to me how residents can get scheduled appointments to have their cars inspected at the DMV Inspection Station without having to wait in line. I challenged someone from their upper management to come with me to ask residents waiting in line to verify if this procedure were being implemented. Suddenly, when I made this request, nobody from the DMV management was willing to come out and take a spontaneous survey with residents waiting in line to verify if the procedures that they outlined to me were being implemented. They all had urgent appointments.

Having campaigned at the DMV inspection station daily for several weeks, I have learned that there are many good employees among the line workers, but the complete upper management needs to replaced, starting with Ms. Newman. For example, Ms. Newman never responded to a letter from Councilmember Mendelson requesting clarification concerning procedures for exchanging zone parking stickers. Government employees who do not respond to letters from DC Councilmembers are out of touch with the people that they serve and need to be replaced. Ms. Newman responded to me in an E-mail that the reason that the inspection station on West Virginia will not reopen for another year is because "specialized equipment that we need cannot be built and delivered quickly". Car dealers (there are a lot of them in the United States) and all fifty of the other states have inspection and testing stations that use similar equipment. I have spoken to several incumbent candidates and asked them why don't they campaign at the inspection station. They stated that they would be afraid of being blamed for the problems at the inspection station. The long lines at the inspection station should be a major campaign issue. This affects residents of all wards. It is criminal that we do not have representation in Congress, but it is just a criminal that we citizens of Washington are subjected to three-hour waits (in 95 degree weather) at the DMV inspection station, all because of poor planning and a DMV bureaucracy that is incapable of making improvements.

I am organizing three rallies at the DMV Inspection Station. They will be at 9:00 a.m. on August 21, 28, and September 4. I hope that I will not be there by myself. It is time to make this a campaign issue. How can we expect the Federal Government to respect us citizens of DC if our local government treats us with such contempt at our own DMV Inspection Station in the shadow of the United States Capitol Building?

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Open Air Drug Markets
Bille J. Tyler, tyler857@earthlink.net 

I agree [with Ed T. Barron], it is near to impossible for a citizen to obtain methadone treatment in this city, however, I don't agree with your suggestion "Forming a raid squad" as a start. The open air drug markets are the end of the line, and these pawns will be immediately replaced by the original source. Let's ask the police to locate and attack the source!

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Illiteracy in the District: the Core Problem
Len Sullivan, lsnarpac@bellatlantic.net 

Bill Haskett's concern for literacy in DC (themail, 8/14) based on Courtland Milloy's recent article in the Washington Post, is a valid one which we have addressed several different ways on our NARPAC web site. The five levels of “functional literacy” were established by the federal government in 1988, and the results of the first national survey (1992) were published by the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL). (visit http://www.narpac.org/PEI.HTM#literacy). The gauges are more than just reading. For instance, at the lowest level (Level 1), a person can “locate the expiration date info on his driver's license,” but “can't locate two pieces of information in a sports article.” Thirty-seven percent of DC residents were judged to be at Level 1 and another 24 percent at Level 2. Only the state of Mississippi was worse with 30/34. This has clear implications for DC's electorate and workforce. Nationwide, Level 1 included 43 percent of all below the poverty line and 70 percent of all prisoners, while 75 percent of all food stamp recipients were at Level 1 or 2. The 2002 survey is ongoing.

But we believe Haskett is right to say this can't be blamed just on poverty: after all, the poor do not pay for their kids' education. NARPAC concludes that poverty and illiteracy are both effects and that the cause of both is the lack of education of the parent(s). There is near perfect correlation between total household education level and total household income across the US (with no distinctions for race), and there is a high correlation between kids' performance in school and poverty (i.e., lack of education) at home (visit http://www.narpac.org/PEPI.HTM). Tragically, this is frequently a self-perpetuating cycle (not always, of course). It has led to very high school dropout rates, high crime rates, very high teen pregnancies (and more school dropouts), and a staggering number (near 70 percent) of out-of-wedlock births . This often results in several DC kids being raised by a single, functionally illiterate mom, and they go on to repeat the cycle. (visit http://www.narpac.org/PERENTS.HTM). 

While one can properly cluck about the lack of any adult education program in the DC school system for many years, (i.e., no attempts to “recall its defective products”), there is no way to hold the school system responsible for the kids' home environment. Often the schools are trying to produce a successful kid from “faulty input materials” (excuse my crude parallels). The Williams administration clearly understands this and is trying to improve schools and neighborhood environment together. The real question is, where are the local leaders that could better influence community sociological development, and why are they trying to blame local government for their own neighborhood failures?

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Another DC Song
Robert Payne, rdp_ivy@yahoo.com 

I grew up in DCPS, and while in elementary school at Ben W. Murch I was the member of a singing group called the “Special City Singers.” We only sang one song and it went a little something like this:

A special city needs special city, people like you and me
Who live together and work together in Washington, DC.

There were many other verses that I can't recollect. The song was written by Ms. Cerline Rose and was performed at the District Building for Mayor Barry (he didn't show up). Our performance included a big finish where the twenty or so third graders proudly waved DC flags they had hidden up their sleeves.

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The City Song
Adam Marshall, ajbm2@hermes.cam.ac.uk 

A bit of levity, perhaps, to take all our minds off of the endless controversies of DC politics (I've had

enough already). I've been following the thread about our city song and can't help but be reminded of a very kitsch indy rock song about our fair city. Appropriately enough, it's entitled “Washington DC,” begins with a cheerleader-like spell-out, and is performed by a group called the Magnetic Fields:

WASHINGTON, baby, DC!
WASHINGTON, baby, DC!
Washington, DC, it's paradise to me.
It's not because it is the grand old seat
of precious freedom and democracy, no no no.
It's not the greenery turning gold in fall,
the scenery circling the Mall.
It's just that's where my baby lives, that's all.

Washington, DC, it's the greatest place to be.
It's not the cherries everywhere in bloom.
It's not the way they put folks on the Moon, no no no.
It's not the spectacles and pageantry,
the thousand things you've got to see.
It's just that's where my baby waits for me.

WASHINGTON, baby, DC!
WASHINGTON, baby, DC!
Washington, DC, it fits me to a T.
It's not the people doing something real.
It's not the way the springtime makes you feel, no no no.
It ain't no famous name on a golden plaque
that makes me ride that railroad track.
It's my baby's kiss that keeps me coming back.
It's my baby's kiss that keeps me coming back.

No paeans to the monumental city here. And, despite nearly three years in the UK, I still, and always will, come back.

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DC and Detroit Have Augustus Brevoort Woodward in Common
Mark David Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com 

According to an article by Vivian Baulch in The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/history/woodward/woodward.htm, Chief Justice Augustus Brevoort Woodward, the first Chief Justice of the territory of Michigan (and known in DC under the pen name of Epaminondas) was described as “A wild theorist fit only to extract sunbeams from cucumbers.” Woodward was a Virginian who moved to Washington City. He was a friend of Thomas Jefferson. In DC, he argued against Congress assuming exclusive legislative authority over DC and his description of why (below) indicates that he was a man of foresight. He arrived from DC to Detroit after a fire that destroyed the small settlement of about 2,000 in a territory of 8,000. Woodward had a small copy of the Peter L'Enfant plan, which he used as a reference in rebuilding downtown Detroit. Today, Woodward Avenue commemorates and testifies to his influence. According to an article from the University of Michigan law school, http://www.law.umich.edu/JournalsandOrgs/rg/111401/name.html, his influence was greatest in the legal field. He is also credited as “the man most responsible for the roots” of UM, which he called “Catholepistemiad,” meaning “universal science.” Ironically, Congress gave Woodward exclusive legislative authority in the territory ruled by an appointed Governor and three appointed judges. Like in DC today, laws in the Michigan territory were subject to Congressional veto. In one ruling, Woodward declared that, because there was no treaty between the US and Great Britain regarding the return of escaped slaves, any slave who escaped across the river gained freedom in the US under the Northwest Ordinance. Detroit became an important terminus of the Underground Railroad. Woodward would likely be pleased to see the former territory a state. I can only wonder what he would say about DC. Maybe he would ungracious enough to say, “I warned you that your freedom was more important than those tax breaks you keep hoping for!” I am not aware of any tributes to Augustus Woodward in DC — but he should be commemorated as part of DC's local history. Can anyone tell more about Mr. Woodward and his time in DC?

Here is what he wrote under pen name in “Enquiries into the Necessity or Expediency of Assuming Exclusive Legislation over The District of Columbia” (1800): “The effect of an assumption then, is to reduce us [DC] to that political situation, which Americans deprecate; we are to be governed by laws, in the making of which, we have no participation; we have no share in the state governments, of which we have no reason to complain, for we are separated from them; but we have no share in electing the members of congress, who are exclusively to legislate for us. We are reduced to the mortifying situation, of being subject to laws, made, or to be made, by we know not whom; by agents, not of our choice, in no degree responsible to us, who from their situation, and the circumstance of having other constituents to serve, are not likely to be very tender of our rights, or very much alive to our interests. We resort in vain to the constitution, for the means of relief; from that instrument, we cannot hope to have our situation ameliorated.”

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Ward One and At-Large Council Candidates Forum
Elizabeth McIntire, elizabeth@innercity.org 

ANC 1A Invites you to attend Ward One and At-Large Council Candidates Forum on Wednesday, August 21, at 7:00 p.m. at Columbia Heights Village Community Room, 2900 14th Street, NW, (at Harvard). Bring your questions and concerns . Moderated by Jerry Phillips, Public Affairs Director of Clear Channel Radio, the first hour features Ward One Candidates Jim Graham, Dee Hunter, Tony DePass, Hector Rodriguez, and Shelore Williams, the second At Large Candidates Phil Mendelson, Al-Malik Farrakhan, Mahdi M. Shabazz, Dwight Singleton, and Beverly Wilbourn. For further information, call 588-7278 (ANC 1A voice mail).

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Ward 6 Candidate Forum
Grier Mendel, GMendel@aarp.org 

On Wednesday, August 21, at 11:00 a.m., AARP DC is offering one of the few opportunities to compare the candidates in Ward 6, one of DC's most competitive council races. Sharon Ambrose (D), Keith A. Perry (D), and Jenefer Ellingston (Statehood-Green) will join the AARP DC Candidate Forum at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I Street, SW. They will be questioned by a panel of four AARP members about key concerns of DC’s older voters: prescription drugs, predatory lending and nursing home quality. Audience members also can ask questions as time permits.

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Meet and Greet Eugene Kinlow, At-Large DC Council Candidate
Tonya Jackson, tonyajacksondc@hotmail.com 

Please come out to a meet and greet for At-Large Council Independent Candidate Eugene Kinlow at Mt. Pleasant’s Bella Roma Restaurant and Bar (downstairs) on Tuesday, August 20, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Eugene Kinlow, Independent DC Council Candidate, currently serves as a trustee to the University of the District of Columbia and is a former trustee of the Committee of 100 on the Federal City. He was appointed by Mayor Anthony Williams to the DC Commission for National and Community Service, the Mayor’s Transit Oriented Development Taskforce, and is currently a member of the Mayor’s Environmental Council.

Sponsored by the Coalition to Repair and Reopen Klingle Road, and Friends of Cleveland Park, Mt. Pleasant, Crestwood, and Shepherd Park. Questions? Contact Jeanne Ingram, 986-5710.

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Takoma Policing Meeting
Dodie Butler, dodie_b@yahoo.com 

Violent crime on the streets radiating out from Takoma Metro does not just hurt those of us who live in Takoma, DC. People from Lamond-Riggs, Shepherd Park, Brightwood, Manor Park, and other DC neighborhoods either walk home from the Metro, take buses from there or walk to cars parked around Takoma, DC. Takoma Park, Maryland, residents are just as likely to be hurt walking home as we are — in fact much of the crime in the area has been moving back and cross the line constantly, as we all know.

A government-problem-solving meeting will be held on Monday night, 7 p.m., Takoma Baptist Church, Piney Branch and Aspen Streets NW. Councilmember Adrian Fenty has taken the lead. DC Mayor Williams; Takoma Park, MD, Mayor Kathy Porter; Fourth District Commander McCoy; Takoma, MD., Police Chief Creamer; and other officials from Metro, DC government and Maryland government will be there.

Katie Hill's family is setting up a fund to raise money to buy safety equipment and lighting for all District of Columbia school yards, starting with Takoma Elementary. If you can't come, but would like to make a donation, make a check out to the Katie Lynn Hill Memorial Fund, and send it c/o Plan Takoma, PO Box 60159, Washington, DC, 20039.

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September 11 Events
Juliet Bruce, juliet@arts-for-life.org 

Observe the anniversary of September 11 and the anthrax attacks with an arts-based event for your school, community group, organization, or business. Institute for Transformation Through the Arts is a consortium of storytellers, visual artists, dancers, actors, musicians, writers, and creative arts therapists who are trained to use the arts for healing. We are pleased to offer creative arts healing events and ceremonies for our community as we remember the events of September 11. You can find suggestions for ways to observe this anniversary on our web site: http://www.arts-for-life.org. Click on “Arts for Life September 11 Events” on our home page. To apply for an event for your group, call 667-3766 now or E-mail Dr. Juliet Bruce at juliet@arts-for-life.org

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BikeDC
Eric Gilliland, gill@waba.org 

On September 14th, join thousands of cyclists on a 14- or 36-mile car-free bike tour of the monumental spaces, river fronts, and neighborhoods of Washington, DC. Giant Food BikeDC is a fully supported, family-friendly event open to riders of all abilities. Register by August 23rd and receive a free Giant Food BikeDC T-shirt! The first 10,000 registration will be eligible to win a new bike from Specialized! The sites you’ll see, 100 percent car-free! Potomac River front, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Georgetown; White House; America’s Main Street, Pennsylvania Avenue; US Capitol; Anacostia Park and River front; National Mall; thousands of happy cyclists!

Proceeds from the tour go to support the advocacy efforts of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) and the National Capital Area Food Bank. The nation's oldest and largest local advocacy group, WABA has been working hard to make the Washington region a safer place to ride since 1972. The National Capital Food Bank has been providing critical services to individuals and families since 1982. For more information and registration, or to volunteer for BikeDC, please visit http://www.waba.org

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CLASSIFIEDS — HOUSING

Winter House Swap, DC for Ireland
Cheryl Donahue, cdonahue@iol.ie 

Looking to swap my house on the west coast of Ireland for house in DC (prefer Capitol Hill) from late October 2002 through January 2003. My house: warm, bright, modern, 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, open fireplace, and spectacular view looking back toward Dingle town over Dingle harbor, with the mountains beyond. Completely separate office space with high-speed Internet connection. Your house: comparable, high-speed Internet connection a must, on Capitol Hill (preferred). Will consider other neighborhoods such as Cleveland Park and Woodley (near Metro). Perfect for writer or other mobile worker who wants to get away from it all for awhile. Contact me at: cdonahue@iol.ie for discussion.

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CLASSIFIEDS — VOLUNTEERS

Chess for Children
Faith Williams, faithmw@yahoo.com 

The Southeast Branch Library would like volunteer(s) to teach chess to school age children after school. Call me at the library, 698-3374, or at home, 362-0189.

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