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September 18, 2002

Pseudonymous

Dear Named Co-Conspirators:

Nora Bawa, below, asks what themail's or my policy is toward pseudonymous contributions. The simple answer is that I'm against them, but then again nothing's that simple. All contributions to themail must be signed with a name and an E-mail address; when you sign a message to themail, you're essentially taking responsibility for what you write and vouching for it. Then again, the United States has a long and honorable history of anonymous and pseudonymous political pamphleteering, dating back to when it really was dangerous to people's health and wealth to speak out against the crown. But times have changed, and there's much less danger in speaking out than there used to be. If you just want to express an opinion or relate an experience, use your own name. Why should other readers of themail believe what you say if you lie about your own identity? On the other hand, if you're a government employee who would be fired, demoted, or punished in your job if you told the truth about how that contract was awarded, then don't hesitate to contribute a message under an assumed name. I don't blame you if you don't trust the whistleblower law to protect you. On the third hand, if you want to write an E-mail recommending your own candidacy or businesses or services, use your own name; don't try to pretend you're somebody else. And on the fourth hand. . . .

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com 

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Preserve the Interim Disability Assistance Program
T.J. Sutcliffe, So Others Might Eat, tjsutcliffe@some.org 

For low-income DC residents who are unable to work due to a disability, the city's new Interim Disability Assistance (IDA) program has been an significant resource to reduce homelessness, further illness, and hardship. Readers of themail will recall that IDA was passed and funded unanimously by the DC Council last year, with support from over 115 community-based organizations from across the city. IDA supporters have just learned that IDA is the main program being put on the chopping block as the Department of Human Services' contribution to help address the city's $325 million budget shortfall. The proposal is to eliminate all funding for IDA in FY 2003.

Eliminating IDA would be poor public policy given the estimated 5,000 residents in need and the significant work that has gone into implementing IDA just this year. It also would make little sense from a fiscal standpoint, since the program is eligible for 30 to 40 percent federal funding. Since IDA started in February, 2002 over 1,500 DC residents have come forward to access IDA and over $40,000 in federal funds have come back to the District via the reimbursement mechanism. A budget deal between the Council and the Mayor may be cut as early as Wednesday, September 18th. City Administrator John Koskinen is the point person on the Mayor's side for the budget negotiations. Council Chairperson Linda Cropp is the key negotiator on the council's side.

IDA supporters are asking concerned residents to E-mail John Koskinen at john.koskinen@dc.gov and Linda Cropp at lcropp@dccouncil.washington.dc.us. People without E-mail can contact them at 727-6053 (Koskinen) and 724-8032 (Cropp). Ask them to preserve core services for residents with disabilities, and maintain the $7.3 million for Interim Disability Assistance (IDA) in 2003. Individuals may also wish to contact Councilmember Allen (724-8045), who has been IDA's main champion over the years, and let her know she has support in fighting to preserve the program.

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CareFirst, Yeah Right!
Ron Eberhardt, rge1022@aol.com 

Tuesday's revelation that about ten already fat cats at the District's supposed nonprofit CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield are slated to reap nearly $50 million in its proposed sell off to for-profit Wellpoint Health Networks, Inc., should be no surprise to anyone. BlueCross BlueShield and its novel marketing slogan, CareFirst, have screwed DC residents for decades, though never so much as currently. As a self-employed consultant, my pitiful coverage with dwindling benefits and higher co-payments for everything, has risen to more then $500 monthly. And, adding insult to injury, BCBS recently announced the expectation of another huge increase of 15 percent starting in 2003 that would make my policy rise to $600-650 per month. Likewise, persons who are covered through their employers in group plans are finding companies reducing benefits to lower the premiums they pay on behalf of employees, and employees paying more and more for less and less. Folks, you have to make a lot of money to afford more than $7,000 annually for lacking health insurance.

Mayor Williams' touted insurance plan for insuring the so-called low income has one small caveat: the income eligibility ceiling for a single person in DC is $17,000 per year! That is not low income, people, that is no income in this area. What about all of the working middle class people? I have personally lobbied members of the DC Council and Mayor Williams to create a group of uninsured and self employed persons to comprise their own group to obtain health benefits with the same options as those insured under employer provided group plans. Not a single move forward as been made in more then one year. Why? Because this same lobby of powerful, rich, and self-protecting insurance groups do not want that. They want to gouge the hell out of all of us and be able to collect so-called windfalls of nearly $50 million.

Enough already. It's time for the Mayor and DC Council to get off their butts, pay attention to citizen needs as much as they do political donations, and represent the people they are elected and paid to serve. It is disgustingly outrageous what passes for representative government in this City, while those same people sling around their stupid, crybaby "Taxation without Representation" slogans that have more to do with putting one more Democratic voting member of Congress in power then with representation!

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Closing the Budget Gap
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com 

In his campaign literature, Mayor Williams claims personal credit for turning the city's deficit into a $400 million accumulated surplus. That must mean that he now accepts personal blame for plunging the city back into a $325 million deficit. Despite the pending budget crisis and the Congressional requirement to close the budget gap by October 1, Williams is spending this week vacationing in Greece, consulting with government officials by telephone, although in response to criticism he will cut his trip short -- by one day -- and return to DC on Saturday.

I accept my responsibility to make useful suggestions to help city officials cut the budget, and other readers of themail may also want to assist with their own suggestions. Here are some ideas, in no particular order. 1) Dismiss and abolish the positions of all those government employees who spent the last six weeks "volunteering" in the Williams campaign. If they can take six weeks off without being missed, their services aren't really needed, and their jobs are dispensable. 2) Eliminate the chauffeurs and drivers assigned to senior administration officials. If senators and congressmen can drive themselves around the city in their own cars, then we can certainly take the city cars and drivers away from department directors. Give them city maps and let them learn the city for themselves. And make them pay their own red-light tickets. 3) Cut the number of employees in the Executive Office of the Mayor and its Office of the City Administrator by two thirds. In FY 2003, these offices will have three times the employees that they had in FY 2000; this is outrageous empire building and make-work job padding. 4) Slash the unwarranted high salaries being paid to senior staffers throughout the Administration. In this administration, front-line employees go on salary diets while top administrators grow fatter and fatter. 5) While salaries are being cut, the City Council should rescind the salary hike it gave itself. It's unseemly for Councilmembers to make lower level employees suffer and not share the pain themselves. 6) Reengineer DC Public Schools. DCPS's current staff isn't going to revamp and improve special education; their intent is simply to cut costs by denying services. Instead, save money by cleaning out DCPS's special education administrators. 7) Eliminate nearly all press and public relations officers spread throughout virtually every department and agency. They're already forbidden to release any information without the approval of the mayor's office, and there's no need to pay anyone whose only job is to say no. 8) Abolish the duplication of "neighborhood" offices: Office of Community Outreach in the EOM, Office of Neighborhood Planning in the Office of Planning, Office of Neighborhood Stabilization in DCRA, Office of Neighborhood Services in the City Administrator's Office, and Office for Neighborhood Action in the EOM. 9) Turn off the lights at night in the Wilson Building and One Judiciary Square. Remember what your parents said about wasting electricity. 10) Cut back the mayor's security detail. Williams criticized Barry for the size of his security detail, but now Williams's dwarfs what Barry had. 11) Cut the salaries in the Office of the Chief Technology Officer; there's a job shortage for technogeeks, and we don't have to pay sky-high salaries for talented programmers anymore. Then cut the size of the OCTO; what on earth are all those people doing? 12) Cut the size of the Inspector General's Office; the Auditor's Office does more and better audits with a tenth of the staff. 13) Stop throwing money at sports promoters, and put any profits made by the Sports Commission, after carefully monitored expenses are paid, into the general fund. 14) When developers are given city land and buildings for their own profit-making ventures, stop giving them additional financial incentives to accept our assets. 15) Independently audit and allow a public evaluation of DC's Healthcare Alliance under the direction of Greater Southeast Hospital; we need an honest picture of where the health care money is going and what we're getting for it.

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Predatory Government
Ken Jarboe, Chair ANC 6B, kpjarboe@erols.com 

I understand the frustration evident in Gary's turnaround of Kennedy speech — ending with the call that we should focus on “what they damn well better do for us.” I also found it very disturbing and (although he probably didn't mean it that way) symptomatic of some of our problems. I've spent a lot of my time as an ANC Commissioner dealing with the lack of city services and the disfunctionality of city agencies (for the latest see the report of our last ANC meeting at http://www.voiceofthehill.com/anc6b-Sep02.htm). But I've also spent time with DC resident's who think everything is some one else's responsibility. It is like that piece of litter on the street: we would rather complain about the lack of street sweepers than pick it up and put it in the near by trash can. Rather than wait for the city to do it, there are many things we can and should do ourselves. So kudos to the hundreds (if not thousands) of DC residents who are not waiting for the city to “do for us” but are actively making the city a better place. I like to think of the Kennedy speech as a call for citizen involvement America's people power. The follow-on call is “lead, follow or get out of the way.” And right now, there is too much of the city government and too many city residents who refuses to either lead or follow, but simply stand in the way.

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Predatory Government 2
Tolu Tolu, tolu2books@aol.com 

My senseless, cruel, and very very expensive experiences with these DC government fools have been sooooo-oooo wasteful and disrespectful that I have included many of them in my upcoming book — Oops! Then You're Dead. I happen to be one of the very few native Washingtonians who have not run out to PG or some place else. The price I have paid to stay in DC is too high.

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Predatory Government 3
Dominic Sale, dominicsale@yahoo.com 

Last week, in a rush to make a meeting downtown, I parked my car on the 1300 block of L Street, NW. My hope to beat the rush hour restriction was dashed when the meeting ran much longer than expected. Much to my chagrin, two tickets of $100 each, written within four minutes of one another, were waiting under my wiper upon arrival at my car. One was for parking in a rush hour zone and the other for expired tags (I had no idea they were expired and, unlike in other jurisdictions, I never received a notice for renewal in the mail or by E-mail). Needless to say I'm outraged at the hefty fines on each account. Fortunately for me, $200 is affordable, although quite painful.

It seems to me that if the objective of the government is to keep people compliant, there are other means that are far less confrontational, albeit less lucrative for a wasteful government hungry for more revenues. My proposal to DMV Director Hobbs Newman and Mayor Williams is this: 1) clearly identify fine amounts on all signposts. One hundred dollars is a very large amount of money for most, and people should realize the great risks these violations bring with them. 2) Send out the renewal notices as your policy requires. I can't believe I even have to mention this, but given my experience with the voter registration lists at DCBOEE, I can't say I'm surprised. 3) In addition, to demonstrate your commitment to citizen-centered service and to increase the transparency of our government, create a web site that posts and categorizes every complaint (and compliment) filed by citizens, by service area, and track those as monthly performance measures. Make these measures part of the Mayor's Scorecard for the coming administration. The Internet makes this type of investment much more economically feasible than in the past, and would allow this administration to put its money where its mouth is. 4) Finally, offer an alternative to paying a fine, such as community service, or a donation to a charitable organization. The city sets a dangerous precedent when it become dependent on these fines as a source of revenue and at the same time seek to minimize those behaviors that lead to them.

One last point: be aware that there is a great influx of new residents into DC who are not accustomed to nor accepting of the inconsistent and customer-unfriendly services that DC has so brazenly offered its citizens in the past. Mr. Williams has been given a “get out of jail free card” (no reference to former mayors intended) in his past term while he concentrated on stabilizing the District's financial situation. We won't be so patient over the next four years, and we'll be watching and we will most certainly be voting. That's the one thing the District will definitely be able to count on.

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Predatory Government 4
Okonkwo Auten, waso2001@msn.com 

Now that the primary is concluded, the Mayor, and DC City Council will continue to enjoy their increased salaries, free parking, and diverted public funds for personal benefit. Yes, it is interesting that DC Del. Norton was shot down in the Congressional Rules Committee hearing. I read this when it was first published in the press. Unfortunately, the Republican Congressman is correct.

Many forget that when Norton's Congressional floor vote was removed almost every DC agency was so severely mismanaged that receivers had to be installed to save taxpayers' investment in those agencies. Also, deficits were caused by the DC government's mismanagement, by theft, as well as by multiple violations of municipal and federal regulations. Interestingly, since the Control Board's authority expired, and, after Mr. Williams passed the write-in Democratic primary, we the taxpayers find out through the press that DC Government is again over $300,000,000 in deficit! The DC Democratic Party, through race bating and fraudulent activities, has substantially destroyed the credibility of the DC Government, and citizens have unerringly continued supporting the same scoundrels. Republican Congressman Porter Goss hit the nail on the head: felons (Mr. Williams' primary petitions), and children (Mr. Williams' fundraising scams with Norton's support).

Where was Ms. Norton before and after these criminal acts? Ms. Norton has publicly violated the "Hatch Act, " supported DC school employees campaigning for her reelection while receiving pay through the DC Schools, and failed to disclose these clearly illegal and improper political activities. Congress has many problems, and Ms. Norton is ours. Recommendation: in November elect new representation.

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Extreme Government Bashing in themail
Jonathan Tannenwald, jtannenw@sas.upenn.edu 

Enough already. I realize that our city isn't perfect and there are others I would rather see be mayor than Tony Williams but I dare anyone on themail's list to tell me that Barry or Kelly did a better overall job than he did in terms of city agency performance, move-in/move-out rate of citizens, and perception of the city outside of the beltway. I am sorry if I sound more angry and vindictive than I should but I am sick of people doing nothing but bashing every government agency in sight in themail. If our own citizens can't be happy about our city then there is no way that, say, David Letterman or George Bush will ever say anything nice about us.

I am a registered Democrat and lifelong DC resident who is now battling to the death for DC voting rights on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. I have been the subject of more DC jokes than ever here, and I've only been here two weeks. Tourists I've given directions to on the Metro over the last few years say that they are astonished by the friendly nature of DC residents and how happy they are to help people. I wonder about that now. I ask themail's readers this: In a perfect world, who should be Mayor of the District of Columbia?

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Any Which Way You Can
Charlie Wellander, Charlietm@CJ.mailshell.com 

The decrease in privacy of our "secret" ballots in the primary was largely due to deficiencies in the training of the people involved, not the new machinery. I won't criticize the people much, because I am not willing to be interviewed, orientated, trained, and work more than eighteen hours total on two days for a C-note.

When I voted at precinct 27, the poll worker standing by the Optech III-P Eagle scanner was taking ballots from voters and feeding them in faceup. I had read (see http://www.dcboee.org/htmldocs/optech.htm) that the scanner would read the ballot properly when the voter inserted it regardless of orientation (faceup, facedown, top or bottom first). So, as I was saying to the poll worker, “I'd like to try this facedown, if that's OK,” I went ahead and fed it in myself before he could respond. It worked as advertised. I doubt this changed his modus operandi, however. So, in November, do it yourself.

About spoiled ballots: “Ballots which have been over voted, mistakenly marked or mutilated are automatically returned [facedown if inserted that way] to the voter for review. The system automatically generates a tape printout explaining why the ballot was returned to the voter and what to do with the returned ballot.” Thus, only the voter needs to see the spoiled ballot, then go to the election captain to exchange the spoiled ballot for a fresh one to try again. The spoiled optical ballot could reveal information to various election officials, but this was also true of any spoiled punch cards turned in under the previous DC system.

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Secret Ballots?
Ginny Spevak, gspevak@earthlink.net 

I wonder if Gabriel Fineman voted at the same precinct I did (32). His posting reminded me that I had not called the Board of Elections and Ethics to express both the same kudos expressed in themail and the same concern. A Ms. Jackson there told me the poll workers should be telling the voters what to do (tear the receipt slip off the bottom, remove the ballot from the secrecy envelope and feed it into the machine) rather than doing it for them. Since the ballot is face up, I'm still not sure it wouldn't be visible as it was sucked in. She took my precinct number and said they will stress proper procedure in the training before the next Election.

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Missing Mail
David Hunter, Hunterontravel@hotmail.com 

I am now missing three letters I know of that were mailed to me in the 20015 zip code at the end of August, probably around the same time as the tax bills that I also have not received. I asked that two of the other letters be re-mailed to me last Tuesday from Fairfax, VA, and downtown DC. I was assured this morning, Wednesday, that they were indeed mailed to me again last Wednesday. I still have not seen these other bills. Maybe there is some magic box at the post office these letters seem to be going into. Anyone else missing any mail? This is on top of a bunch of mail I received in July dated February 22. What is going on?

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What About that Gloom of Night Thing?
Star Lawrence, jkellaw@aol.com 

Someone's mail carrier does not come when it drizzles? Are you serious? I would be screaming to the main office at Elephant Plaza. Screaming, babies! When I lived in DC, I wrote starchy letters about my mail service to the Postmaster General, and one time he sent two giant-sized postal inspectors to sit on my tiny futon and listen to my tale of woe. You need to SQUEAK!

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New E-Mail List
Charles Stevenson, anjinsan@his.com 

“Neighbor Net,” a grassroots empowerment E-mail discussion group, is now available. This group welcomes interested people from throughout the DC metro area regardless of opinions, views, home culture, or geographical location, from “Activist” to “Zoo FONZ.” We take a special interest in three areas: in honoring excellence and leadership in our young people, in intercultural understanding, and in social and economic justice. We are “moderated but not censored” for civility, language, and topical relevance. An open files library and message archive is under development.

To learn more, visit this URL: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Neighbor-Net/files

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Pseudonyms in themail
Nora Bawa, bawanora@hotmail.com 

I gather from a few contributions to the last themail that Phil Mendelson's campaign manager wrote under an assumed name. What is the policy of themail in regard to this, in particular in the case of public figures? Thank you, the folks who recognized the author of this contribution. I guess I'll be voting for David Catania in November.

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Charles King and I
Chuck Thies, chuckthies@aol.com 

Neither Marie Nelson nor Paul McKenzie made any effort to contact me directly before asserting their ill-founded allegation. I welcome them to private discussions. This will be my one and only post on the matter. Throughout the course of my employ as campaign manager to Phil Mendelson, “Charles King” advised me on political matters of potential consequence and controversy in DC. King agreed to offer his insight in exchange for guaranteed anonymity.

The fact most likely leading to the Nelson/McKenzie assumption regarding King and I: the E-mail account through which King communicated to themail is one of many I own. In an effort to protect King's anonymity, months ago I provided it for his use (a simple search of themail archives should detail other King posts).

King's remarks in no way reflect the Councilmember's views or those of the campaign. Furthermore, the Mendelson campaign is no longer under my direction; other professional duties will soon deliver me to distant shores. And, for those who are also speculating about my arrival and role in DC politics: King was responsible for my initial outreach to the Mendelson campaign. In early 2002 the potential for a successful Barry comeback prompted King's concern, and at the time an active Mendelson campaign had yet to coalesce. After Barry's departure, Beverly Wilbourn and the cast of characters supporting her kept King's interest in the race alive. In short, I was a hired gun. The sunset awaits.

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Charles King, Klingle Road, and Phil Mendelson
Phil Mendelson, Phmendel@aol.com 

Clearly I should be a more regular reader of themail, since it took a week before I saw the Charles King posting (“Klingle Roadies Quieted”) and the replies it generated. I regret the situation. There was no need or reason for jabbing at any side in the Klingle Road issue. The King posting came from Chuck Thies' e-mail account. He denies that he wrote the posting. Nonetheless, it came from his account, and was inappropriate. Chuck left the campaign payroll last Wednesday (9/11) for another commitment.

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September 2002 InTowner
Peter Wolff, intowner@intowner.com 

This is to advise that the September 2002 on-line edition has been uploaded and may be accessed at http://www.intowner.com. Included are the lead stories, community news items and 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 July 2001) also is available in PDF file format by direct access from our home page at no charge simply by clicking the link provided. Here you will be able to view the entire issue as it looks in print, including the new ABC Board actions report, all photos and advertisements. The next issue will publish on October 11. The complete PDF version will be posted by early that Friday morning, following which the text of the lead stories, community news, and selected features will be uploaded shortly thereafter.

To read this month's lead stories, simply click the link on the home page to the following headlines: 1) “Newseum Display Panels Mysteriously Appear on Historic Pennsylvania Avenue Sidewalk”; 2) “Historic Link to Jazz Era Razed — DC Officials Ignore Law Allowing for Delay”; 3) “KCA Members Vote 'No' on Tryst Coffeehouse ABC License Issue — Claims Jazz Trio Too Loud.”

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Community Day
Patricia Chittams, pchittams@yahoo.com 

Alexander Memorial Baptist Church formally invites you to their Community Day on Saturday, September 21, from noon until 2:00 p.m. Balloons for the children, refreshments, pets welcome.

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Yard Sale and Fair at Temple Micah
Sid Booth, SidBooth1@aol.com 

Temple Micah's third annual Sukkot Fair and Yard Sale, a community event that combines a bargain-stocked yard sale with the festive atmosphere of the Jewish observance of Sukkot, will be held at Temple Micah, 2829 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, on Sunday, September 22 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

The fair is strictly for family fun and will be staged inside the Temple building. Magic, games, balloon art, music, and food will be featured. The yard sale, offering used but still usable goods at bargain prices, has become a popular community attraction. It is held in the temple parking lot and is expected to offer a wide selection of household goods, books, recordings, child and adult clothing, furniture, toys, bikes, computer or stereo equipment, exercise equipment, and small appliances. Questions? E-mail sukkotfair@templemicah.org

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Free Three-hour Seminar — Selling to the Federal Government
Barbara Conn, bconn@cpcug.org 

Want to grow your business? Are you getting your share of the huge federal government market? If not, come to this special three-hour seminar cosponsored by the Washington, DC, Chapter of SCORE, and learn what you need to know and do to launch or expand the government component of your business. This seminar covers in detail the procurement programs of the federal government as they relate to small businesses. This is a seminar that speaker Larry Lavely, business consultant and SCORE counselor, presents several times a year for fee-paying clients.

Gather your questions, friends, and colleagues, and bring them to the Saturday, September 21, 1:00 p.m., half a block south of the Cineplex Odeon Uptown movie theater.

Meetings of the CPCUG Entrepreneurs and Consultants SIG are free and are held each month. For more information about this presentation, the speaker, CPCUG [a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization], and its E&C SIG, and to register for this and/or future SIG meetings, visit http://www.cpcug.org/user/entrepreneur/902meet.html

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Nonviolence Group Dinner Meeting
Karen Szulgit, kaszulgit@ilsr.org, forwarded from info@dcwtr.org 

The DC Nonviolence group is for those interested in Gandhian ideas of nonviolence and satyagrahi. After a year of being a study group, members will discuss what they might to do in the future: more study groups on new topics, like practical nonviolence and spirituality and nonviolence; creating and promoting a study group format; starting a group to train ourselves as nonviolence/satyagrahi trainers; forming affinity groups to get involved in local organizing, like against the Iraq War or for civil liberties. The dinner meeting will be on September 23, 6:30 p.m., dinner ala carte, 7:30 p.m., discussion, at Chop Sticks Chinese Restaurant, back room, 717 H Street, NW, one block from Gallery Place Metro, Green and Red lines.

Depending on enthusiasm, we may take some initial organizing steps as well. To get more involved, join our announcements and discussion list, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nonviolencedc/

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Public Resource Center Talk
Nadine Bloch, nbloch@gaeafoundation.org 

On Saturday, October 12, at 7-9 p.m., the Public Resource Center of Activism and Arts presents the first talk of the fall series at St. Aloysius Church, North Capitol and I Street, NW, near Union Station: "Do The Right Thing: Taking A Stand For Peace and Getting Stronger," featuring Angel Kyodo Williams, author of Being Black: Zen and the Art of Living with Fearlessness and Grace, and founder of Urban Peace Project. Open to the community; donations appreciated. For more information, visit www.gaeafoundation.org or call 232-0304.

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CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE

Building Materials Ready for Sale; We Deliver
Karen A. Szulgit, kaszulgit@ilsr.org 

Contractors, businesses, and homeowners, you are invited to the Stanton Dwellings deconstruction job site in Southeast Washington to view and purchase all available building materials on display, Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Safety Officers: Thousands of lineal feet of #1 select (used) 2x4s and 2x6s (thoroughly de-nailed) priced at one-half of random lengths. Very suitable for handrails and toe boards and concrete form work.

Products include oak flooring, tongue and groove ($1/square foot); oak stair treads ($8/each, $16/pair); dimensional lumber (2x4=$0.50, 2x6=$1, 2x8=$1); windows ($25-$45/each); doors ($10-25); bathtubs ($10-20); stainless steel sinks ($20); and toilets, hot water heaters, cultured marble sinks ($25/each). For more items, see complete merchandise price list at www.ilsr.org/recycling/decon/stanton/stanton.html

For directions call Jonathan Burnworth at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, 232-4108.

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CLASSIFIEDS — HOUSING

Campaign Office Space
Alec Evans, reelectphil@hotmail.com 

Phil Mendelson's campaign is looking to rent an office for the next two months. We need a space (one or two rooms) that will come relatively cheap and provide us with access to a number of phone lines. Our preference is that the space be centrally located and near a Metro. Although we currently have a few leads, we would appreciate it if people would keep their eyes peeled. Please contact me through E-mail or by phone if anything arises. Alec Evans, Campaign Manager, Mendelson For Council 2002, 255-9751.

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CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED

Substitute Spanish Teacher
Michael Cushman, michael.cushman2@verizon.net 

Stuart-Hobson Middle School's 8th grade Spanish teacher will be on maternity leave very soon. The school needs a substitute Spanish teacher to fill in for six weeks. The position requires a college degree, substitute teacher certification from DCPS, and the ability and desire to teach Spanish to adolescents in a classroom setting. Pay is not commensurate with ability -- DCPS standard substitute pay scale is used. Please call the school office, 698-4700, if you are able, willing and available. (Posted by a parent of an 8th grader.)

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CLASSIFIEDS — VOLUNTEERS

Volunteer Opportunity, Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care
Sarah Barnett, sarahbarnett1@starpower.net 

If you have a few hours free on Saturday, September 21, Pediatric AIDS/HIV Care, Inc., an after school facility serving children from DC, MD, and VA, needs your help. Please join us from noon on to work on computers, paint, file, grant research and writing, office assistance, clean/sort out the class room, plus.

Several groups (interns, junior/high school students) need to put in hours of volunteer time. Pediatric Care (a 501(c)(3) organization) is a wonderful place to do this on the volunteer work days. We welcome new faces. The Executive Director, Gerri Graves, delights in showing newcomers around, explaining what the staff is accomplishing. Pediatric Care is located two blocks south of the new convention center. For more information, please telephone Gerri Graves at 347-5366.

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CLASSIFIEDS —RECOMMENDATIONS

Ice Skating Lessons
Steve Levy, slevy@kalorama.com 

My wife would like to learn how to ice skate. Does anyone know of the availability of private lessons in the District or Maryland? Thanks.

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