Let’s Make a Deal
Dear Dealmakers:
On Monday, Republican candidate for mayor Carol Schwartz held an
embarrassing hearing on Democratic candidate for mayor Tony Williams's
sweetheart giveaway deal to pay developer Douglas Jemal $12.5 million
for a property in Prince George's County that Jemal bought four years
ago for $1.5 million. The District is currently leasing about a third of
this property from Jemal for $1 million a year to use as an impoundment
lot to replace the Brentwood lot that it sold to another favored
developer in another sweetheart deal for just $3 million. In the primary
election, Jemal used his trucks and workers to put up “Write-In”
posters for Williams, and Jemal also displayed Williams posters in all
the buildings that he owns downtown.
Since his first day in office, Williams has been a skilled
practitioner of the District's own version of socialism: from each
according to his ability, to each according to his political
connections. The $12.5 million giveaway to Jemal will be dwarfed by the
taxpayer squeeze Williams proposes to build a baseball stadium as a gift
for the millionaires who comprise the Washington Baseball Club. In
addition to exposing the Jemal giveaway, Schwartz has come out against
making the public pay for the welfare for millionaires giveaway to the
Baseball Club team owners. But I'll make you a bet. In the general
election, the Washington Post will endorse, and DC's voters will
vote for the candidate who promises more scams at their own expense and
against the candidate who exposes and opposes the sweetheart deals. We
would rather be cheated by a Democrat than be well served by a
Republican.
And political crimes won't be prosecuted by the US Attorney. Two weeks
ago, US Attorney Roscoe Howard announced that he would not prosecute any
crimes in the mayor's fundraising scandal, in which phony nonprofit
organizations were set up and existing nonprofit organizations were
exploited to create illegitimate tax deductions for donations to the
mayor's political causes. Howard, who publicly announced his close
friendship with Williams during mayor's petition scandal, said that
there was nothing illegal in this. (If you buy that, try it yourself and
see how loudly the prosecutors laugh when you claim that you did nothing
illegal.) Similarly, the US Attorney's office isn't conducting any
investigation of the mayor's election fraud through forged nominating
petitions. Given the US Attorney's past practice of winking at election
fraud in DC, it's highly unlikely that anyone will be prosecuted for it
and that, if the US Attorney acts at all, it will be to prosecute only
Scott Bishop, Sr., and not anyone else involved, or anyone who
supervised and directed him. Williams isn't alone in the favor he
receives from the US Attorney's Office. Eric Holder, during his entire
three-and-a-half-year term as US Attorney during the last Barry
administration, couldn't find a single case of high-level governmental
corruption to prosecute — which cynics like me think was his greatest
qualification for being named as Deputy US Attorney General in the
Clinton Administration.
Advocates of Advisory Referendum A, which calls for a local elected
District Attorney, are basing their argument entirely on local pride and
home rule. I'd think a better argument would be that there may be a slim
chance that a locally elected DA would be independent from, or even a
rival of, the mayor, and may feel free to prosecute governmental
corruption. No guarantee, but a chance. If we the voters won't punish
official corruption ourselves, maybe we can get a prosecutor who will.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Is There a Local Daily Paper in Washington?
John Whiteside, johnwhiteside at earthlink dot net
To read the paper that claims to be the leading daily of our city,
you wouldn't realize that we're just weeks away from an election in
which we'll pick a mayor, city councilmembers, ANC representatives, and
vote on two significant ballot initiatives. The Post's local
coverage has been atrocious since I moved to DC six years ago, but this
year the Metro staff seems to have given up even the illusion of trying
to cover DC. I've stopped buying the daily edition and am about to
cancel my Sunday subscription. I browse the web site to see if there's
anything there, but I've found that the sniper story is being covered
better in the New York Times. Is anyone from the Post
reading? What's going on with local coverage? When is the paper's name
changing to the “Greater Fairfax County Post?”
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This evening a man approached my 85-year-old mother to do a roofing
job for a ridiculously low price while he was in the neighborhood
working on another house. They have pickup trucks and ladders but I didn’t
see any work going on. They told me that they were working for one of my
neighbors, but when I called her and she told me in no uncertain tones
that she wouldn’t let them work on her home. The head man gave me a
card. The firm is called Family Roofing, but there is no listing in the
DC phone book for a Family Roofing, there is no address on the card, and
a reverse phone search on the phone number comes up negative. I called
the check and fraud division of the MPD but I don’t hold much hope
there. This was in Georgetown but I’ll bet they’ll visit your
neighborhood soon. Don’t fall for a roofing fraud.
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Disclaimer: none of this concerns bicycle messengers. This is about
commuter bicyclists. That said, the commuter or recreational bikers in
this area have been quick, and rightfully so, to remind us of their road
rights. And, by and large, I don't think they're getting a fair shake on
our roads. I often see motorized vehicle drivers press on with little
regard for their two-wheel road mates. They don't give them room when
passing, they ignore their rights at intersections, and they speed past
bikers with total disregard for the effects of their "draft"
behind them. But I have observed recent incidents that make me question
whether many bikers are serious about sharing the road. Twice in recent
weeks I have been stopped on M Street, waiting for pedestrians to clear
the crosswalk before turning right onto 20th. The pedestrians clear and,
as I start to turn right, I've had a bicyclist speed past me on the
right. Having the right of way or not, I wouldn't feel good about
sending some 10-20 mph speed merchant to a skidding stop on the asphalt
because of his failure to follow the rules of the road. Also, last week
I was commuting down Connecticut Avenue in rush hour where it's four
lanes inbound. Lo, to my surprise, on two different days, I passed two
different bicyclists who were commuting to downtown in the fourth lane
from the curb. One even had the audacity to bull his way through a red
light at Nebraska, forcing turning traffic to stop for him. A few blocks
later I looked in my rear view mirror and was shocked (is that possible
in this city?) to watch him move into a lane of outbound (oncoming)
traffic so the cars behind him could pass. This is responsible biking?
I'll continue to share the road with push-bikers, but attitudes and
actions like those just described will not, I'm sure, gain them any
allies from the drivers who don't, frankly, give a damn about them right
now. You have to earn the respect you want by following the same rules
that apply to all vehicles, motorized or not.
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Mixed Emotions
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aoldotcom
With the general election less than a week away I find myself a
little undecided about who to vote for as our next mayor. I would
unhesitatingly vote for Carol Schwartz but for one thing. Carol might
throw out some of the really good people in Tony Williams'
administration. Yes, Tony has actually brought aboard some good folks in
addition to a whole gaggle of real losers (Ronnie Few and Charles Ramsey
come first to my mind). Among those who are a genuine assets are the
CFO, Deputy Mayor Koskinen, and a few others whose names I don't
remember.
The problem with electing a new mayor, of course, is that the new
broom will come in and sweep all the good folks out, replacing them with
a whole new crop of close friends. Carol is a very capable administrator
and certainly a much more savvy politician than Tony Williams. She is
certainly less naive and would likely not make the too many errors that
Williams has made in the first four years. Maybe he has wised up (though
the sweetheart deal he wants to make with Doug Jemal looks pretty
sleazy) and his admin will be really successful in the next four years.
But Williams has also not made any real dent in the crop of
nonfunctioning departments and high-paid administrators in the bloated
bureaucracy. And so, I remain undecided and will make up my mind before
Sunday. Stay tuned
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Wouldn't it be good for the city if all our elected officials faced
strong electable opponents? That won't happen until the stakes are
bigger and there are Congressional seats to aspire for, but in the
meantime there are some good solid hardworking citizens challenging smug
incumbents. We can vote for them and send a message to the Mayor and
those council members who worry too little about the poor in our city
and too much about the tax burdens of the rich. Some of my favorites:
Debbie Hanrahan (Statehood/Green Party), great community asset and
longtime political activist, is running against Linda Cropp for Council
Chair. Mrs. Cropp pretends to be neutral on the issues, but she never
met a developer she didn't like nor voted against a tax break or subsidy
for us wealthy folks. You won't read much about her because she operates
behind the scenes, as in the recent $323 million budget cutting where
she held four days of secret meetings with the Council and Mayor and
negotiated the cuts — most of which came out of human services,
education and housing -- before she presided over a public hearing
ostensibly to hear the citizens' views. Debbie, by contrast, knows the
issues and is absolutely open and honest about her views.
For the two Council-member-at-large seats there are genuine choices
to be made. Incumbent Phil Mendelson deserves another term. And either
Michelle Tingling-Clemons (Statehood/Green) or Eugene Kinlow
(independent) would be refreshing in the other seat. The incumbent,
David Catania, needs to feel a sharp slap of disapproval for slipping
into the last budget a provision exempting office buildings from WASA
groundwater discharge fees — bad for the environment and bad for the
water and sewage bills that the rest of us have to pay to make up for
this typical Catania generosity to big corporations. Steve Donkin
(Statehood/Green) is my choice for mayor. Bright, thoughtful,
hardworking, caring. (He, like Debbie, was one of the “Democracy
Seven” who stood up for our voting rights.) On every election
questionnaire you've seen, his responses are the most carefully thought
out. Or you can vote for Tricia Kinch (Independent), a wonderful feisty
ally in our struggle for affordable housing. She, working by herself at
community meetings and on street corners, managed to get the correct
number of valid signatures on her nominating petitions!
Vote yes, please, on the question of an elected attorney general.
It's another small step toward democracy for the District. (And I have
to give David Catania for credit for promoting this effort.) Don't stay
home on Tuesday just because you think it's all a foregone conclusion.
Please vote and get your neighbors and friends to do so, too. When in
doubt, vote Statehood/Green. Even when I don't agree with something one
of them might say, I have confidence that they are all great young
people and absolutely committed to making DC a better, more democratic
place to be.
###############
I heartily endorse Mark David Richards' support for an elected
District Attorney. It would improve law enforcement immensely and in
tune with community standards. First an elected District Attorney, then
elected DC judges.
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Keep the Pressure on the City Council for Tax
Free Bonds
Zinnia, cmszinnia@cs.com
There is definitely a movement to repeal the proposed tax on tax-free
municipal bonds, but it needs seven votes. That means we must continue
writing. Kathy Patterson seems to have understood. You needn't write to
her, but the other members of the council should all receive letters.
Besides pointing out your personal hardship from this proposed tax,
point out that it will be expensive to implement the new tax. Currently
tax free bonds do not leave a paper trail. Then suggest they raise some
existing tax. The ones Kathy Patterson has mentioned are hotel room tax,
parking tax, and cigarette tax. Write, write, write. You can also E-mail
your letters.
[E-mail addresses for city councilmembers are available at http://www.dcwatch.com/council/addresses.htm.
— Gary Imhoff]
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I had no idea that DC residents were staying away in droves from
public places, until I read the message in themail re empty restaurants,
etc. My friends and I are in our 70s and 80s — we're still shopping,
going to the theater, movies, eating out, and doing the ordinary,
everyday things we've always done. Maybe because of our age death is not
as frightening. Or maybe it's because we've learned over the years to
live our lives as we always have, in spite of loss of loved ones, loss
of health, the Great Depression, polio/flu epidemics, race riots, and
wars -- all beyond our control. Fear is paralyzing -- life is short.
###############
Gary; love the reference about outdoor dining and the chances of
being struck by lightning, but as one who has been struck twice, I don't
buy the saying anymore! It's hogwash! Everyone has a very good chance of
being struck, even in the middle of a city walking down the street! I
learned the hard way that a bolt can travel 14 miles from any given
storm cloud. And you don't need to hear lightning or thunder to be
afraid; it had to start sometime, and that first bolt can get ya! At
least the media circus that entailed reintroduced me to long lost
friends and former college roommates.
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Residential Parking
Michael Johnson, mj1@starpower.net
If I remember correctly, in many cities virtually all on-street
parking is metered. But, if you live in the neighborhood, you can buy a
residential parking sticker that allows you to park anytime, all day.
Not a bad solution, maybe.
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Therefore, Whatsoever Kindness. . .
George Ripley, grassrootsunity@juno.com
How “sensible” Mr. Berry is. It doesn't disturb his logic that,
were it not for the actions of protesters, the cuddly kick back system
of corruption that the World Bank has winked at all these years while it
has profited from the enslavement of nations, would have gone on and on.
But that is just the kind of system that Mr. Berry must like. His barely
concealed anger is a puzzle to me, although a quote comes to mind,
“Buried in the mind of the cynic is a frustrated idealist.” I hope
the more noble Mr. Berry can someday be reborn.
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Countries Aren’t People
John Whiteside, johnwhiteside at earthlink dot net
Tom Berry makes the common mistake in his comments on the World Bank
protests of assuming that countries are like people, and make decisions
in their own self interest. Sadly, countries are often run by small
groups of people who control the government and do not act in the
country's best interest, but rather their own. So these undemocratic and
unrepresentative governments make a deal with the World Bank for a
project that's mostly useless, but lines the leader's pockets, complete
with onerous payment terms that make it impossible for any government in
that country to spend its money addressing domestic needs. Even if the
country's citizens are fortunate enough to get a more democratic
government that wants to do the right thing, they're now stuck with the
World Bank repayment terms for their useless project that helps no one.
The debt forgiveness issue is a bit more complex than he realizes.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Sylvia Jukes Morris, author of Rage for Fame: The Ascent of Clare
Boothe Luce, will speak Wednesday, November 6 on Clare Boothe Luce
and her play “The Women” at the monthly meeting of Footlights, the
DC area's only modern-drama discussion group. “The Women” portrays a
clique of wealthy New Yorkers motivated almost wholly by their relations
with men. “Bracing” (San Francisco Chronicle),
“brilliant” (Christian Science Monitor), and “bitchily
clever” (New York), “The Women” “rings hilariously
true” (New Yorker). Our meeting takes place at Luna Books, 1633
P Street, NW, three blocks east of Dupont Circle. Dinner starts at 6:30
p.m.; our discussion takes place 7:30-9:30. Make reservations by calling
898-4825 any time, day or night, or E-mailing gruenberg@footlightsdc.org.
You can find copies of “The Women” at Backstage Books, 545 8th
Street, SE; for a special Footlights discount at Politics and Prose,
5015 Connecticut Ave., NW; and in the collection Plays By and About
Women, also for a discount, at Olsson's Books and Records, 1307 19th
Street, NW, and 7647 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda. For further
information go to http://www.footlightsdc.org.
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TasteDC.com’s Tour De Fromage and Dinner
Update
Charlie Adler, wine@tastedc.com
1) Tour de Fromage: black tie cheese and wine festival. Saturday,
October 26. Embassy of France, 4101 Reservoir Road, NW, parking
available in area as well as street parking, 7:00-9:30 p.m. Tour of
cheeses, cheese fondues and wine tasting with full country buffet,
9:30-11:30 p.m. Desserts and dancing with D.J., attire is black tie
suggested, $80 inclusive. 2) November 4, Monday, Bangkok Bistro wine
dinner, 3251 Prospect Street, NW. 7-9:30 p.m. seated wine dinner, $55,
tax and tip inclusive. Dinner includes acorn squash soup, shrimp papaya
salad, satay, kamon jeeb, mee krob, larb toast, pad Thai pak, curried
Cornish game hen, salmon pik khing, pumpkin custard. Anton Bauer Wines
are included with each dish! 3) November 9th, Saturday, New
England-style clam feast, Annapolis Grill, 1160 20th Street, NW,
noon-2:30 p.m., seated lunch, $55, tax and tip inclusive. Lunch includes
choice of New England, Santa Fe, or Manhattan style clam chowder cup;
Mediterranean Clam Salad; fresh shucked topnecks mignonette; baked
topneck clams four ways (casino, oreganata, deviled and Rockefeller);
clam potato pie; pale ale oven roasted Manila clams; steamers in Stella
Artois; fried clams with spinach tartar sauce, fried Rhode Island clam
cakes; Cajun fried potatoes; corn on the cob; choice of homemade key
lime pie, luscious lemon layer cake or tiramisu torte. Wine and beer is
included in the price of the meal! 4) November 12, Tuesday, eight-course
South African wine dinner at YanYu Restaurant, 7-10:00 p.m., $95, tax
and tip inclusive, $4 valet parking available, 3433 Connecticut Avenue,
NW, intersection with Newark Street, across the street from the Uptown
Theater (Cleveland Park Red Line Metro stop). Join us as world-renowned
executive chef Jessie Yan introduces TasteDCer's to dishes from her new
international menu all paired with wines directly imported from one of
South Africa's great boutique wineries, Ken Forrester! 5) November 19,
Tuesday, La Chaumiere four-course traditional French wine dinner, 2813 M
Street, NW, 7-9:30 p.m. seated wine dinner, $72, tax and tip inclusive.
Dinner includes canapes: gougere (puff pastry balls stuffed with
cheese), rillette de saumon, mousse de lapin (rabbit); first course:
bisque de maise (corn bisque); second course: cotriade de cabillaud
frais (fresh fillet of cod with leek and garlic sauce); third course:
pate chaud forestiere en brioche, sauce au porto (brioche stuffed with a
mixed pate of pork, beef and sweetbreads with mushrooms in a port wine
sauce); dessert course: tarte bourdaloue (pear tart with almond). Each
course is paired with a different French wine. Tickets can be purchased
on our secure form at https://secure.tasteusa.com/cgi-bin/order/order.cgi?X_DC
or call 333-5588 ($5 Surcharge).
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CLASSIFIEDS — AUCTION
Redskins Tickets Auction for DCBaseball
Scott Burr, DCBaseball.org, techpainting@erols.com
We have two tickets to this Sunday's Redskins game against the Colts.
The tickets are in Section 405 and include parking. Contributions are
tax deductible. Please E-mail or call your bid in to Mary at techpainting@erols.com
or 703-684-7702. Tickets will be awarded Friday morning at 9:00 a.m.
Minimum bid is $250. DCBaseball really needs your help. Buy them for a
client, friend, or relative, and if you can, forward this E-mail to
others you think might be interested.
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CLASSIFIEDS — WEB RESOURCE
While vacationing in San Francisco earlier this year I heard about a
very popular web resource called Craigslist, which has job notices,
housing notices, for-sale classifieds and all sorts of other useful
info. “Sure wish we had something like that in the DC-area,” I
thought to myself. Wishes come true! A friend of mine in San Francisco
alerted me to http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/.
Nonprofit organizations and schools can even post wish-list items for
free on this site. The DC Craigslist site is not as busy as the original
one in San Francisco, but if we all start using it, it could be. If you
have an ounce of curiosity, check out the original Craigslist web site
to see how amazing it is http://www.craigslist.org.
The icing on the cake? Absolutely no advertising on these web sites.
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