Wackos Unite

Dear Wackos:

The story about John McLaughlin's criticisms of Mayor Tony Williams's management of the city last weekend on both of his talk shows, McLaughlin Group and McLaughlin One-on-One, won't die, because Williams won't let it die. Williams, through his press secretary, Tony Bullock, put out a two-page press release blasting McLaughlin. And Bullock made the dispute personal by calling the Washington Post's “Reliable Source,” Lloyd Grove, and portraying McLaughlin's criticism as resulting from his being snowed in last week. Bullock derided McLaughlin, claiming that he called the city several times to try to get his street plowed after the President's weekend snowstorm. Actually, McLaughlin was out of town when the snowstorm hit, and he never did call to try to get his street plowed. McLaughlin's driver did call because the street was snowed in for days, and she couldn't get in or out. But the Mayor and spokesmen for his administration had told citizens to call for service. They had asked us to report it if our streets hadn't been plowed. Now we find out that if we take them seriously and call for service they are scornful of us and put us down as whiners. The principle Bullock used, which is consistent with Mayor Williams's position in the past, is that this administration decredits and discounts Washington residents who complain about bad service generally if they received bad service personally.

Here is some unsolicited professional advice for Bullock and for Williams. Grove's column quoted Bullock as calling the producer of McLaughlin One-on-One, Matthew Faraci, “McLaughlin's chief twit.” When Bullock was trying to prevent Dorothy from appearing on One-on-One and endeavoring to persuade Faraci to disinvite her, he called her, among other things, “a f***ing wacko” because of her years of civic activism. (The asterisks are to get around those corporate E-mail censorship filters; if you have trouble figuring out the word, call me and I'll tell you what it is.) Tony, Tony. As a press secretary, you should know that you can't say anything to the press that you would be embarrassed to see in print. People in the press make their living by repeating what people say to them. And Mayor Williams, a petty personal attack on a nationally prominent political commentator isn't an effective response to criticism of your administration. At the end of One-on-One, McLaughlin issued an open invitation for you to appear on the show. Take him up on it and answer the criticisms as best you can.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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Property Tax Penalties
Judith Rosenfeld, jsr2@earthlink.net

Abandon hope, all ye who thought the Real Property Tax folks had gotten their billing act together (Never mind their assessments; that's another, even more melancholy, subject).

Those of us who weren't billed on time last year, and who were notified of a month-long grace period to accommodate the delay, should pay close attention to their new bills. Mine features a $61.04 charge, $5.04 of it “Interest,” tacked onto my tax, Since this charge appears in the Tax column rather than neighboring Penalty column, it took me awhile to figure it out: Without explanation, the city is penalizing me on my bill for the first half of 2003 for late payment of the 2002 bill they couldn't get to me on time. They also tell me, on the reverse of this document, that I am required to pay the full amount and to mail any protest separately to the quaintly-named Customer Service Administration.

Come and get me, Tax Police. I'm not paying it.

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At Least I Was Seated: Property Tax Assessment
Joan Eisenstodt, jeisen@aol.com

I vaguely remember that there was a way to protest the assessment based on the condition of one's house (v. neighborhood value) . . . but can't seem to find it. If it's possible, we're gonna . . . this is nuts!

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DC Real Property Assessments
Ed Kane, ermk@aol.com

The assessment on our house was just raised by 71 percent, and the assessment on the one third of a lot where I have a garage and a driveway raised 58 percent. I am shocked by the increases, and would like to do something effective to protest them. Can anyone recommend a lawyer or law firm with experience in this field? If so, I would like to approach this firm or individual to explore what we can do, probably on a joint block basis.

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No Good Council Deed Goes Unpunished
Mark Eckenwiler, themale@ingot.org

For those of you who just got your obscenely high 2004 proposed assessments (as did I), keep in mind that the city council's emergency legislation to cap owner-occupant real property tax increases will hold down the tax, significantly in most cases. Your 2003 first-half tax bill, which also probably just arrived, shows this in the fine print. Basically, the law prevents an increase of more than 25 percent over your prior year's “taxable assessment” if you meet certain criteria (occupy the property, no recent rezoning, etc.). For a house assessed at $250,000 in TY2002, your 2003 tax can be no higher than (250K - 30K [homestead exemption]) = 220K*1.25 = 275K, even if your 2003 assessment is much higher. Somewhat confusingly, the cap is applied as a credit against the tax calculated on the 2003 assessment. For more details, see http://cfo.dc.gov/services/tax/property/cap_credit.shtm.

There's a major inequity in this law as written, however. If your pre-TY2003 assessment was less than $150K, you don't simply get a slower tax increase -- your tax goes down, unlike everyone else's. For example, consider a house assessed in 2001 (for TY 2002) at $140,000: (140K-30K)*1.25 = $137.5K for this year, and (137.5K-30K)*1.25 = $134,375 for next year. (Tax and Revenue's own example at http://cfo.dc.gov/services/tax/property/cap_credit2.shtm shows this as well.) There are plenty of yuppie-owned houses on Capitol Hill and elsewhere where such low ball, outdated assessments existed as of 2002.

I'm all for the idea of protecting owner-occupants (disclaimer: I'm one) from radical jumps in real property taxes. However, I'm also a big proponent of fairness, and I'm pretty sure someone's taxes shouldn't go down as their assessment goes up (all else being equal), when the rest of us are seeing tax increases. {Note: In the case of an elderly/poor owner, DC law provides lots of other credits/protections; see http://cfo.dc.gov/services/tax/property/credits.shtm.)

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Tax Year 2004 Assessments, Residential Properties
Peter Craig, swedecraig@aol.com

[The following letter was sent to Thomas Branham, Chief Assessor, Office of Tax and Revenue.] Dear Tom, By this request, under the Freedom of Information Act, I respectfully ask for the following so that the public will know how their properties were assessed for tax year 2004. 1) A list of the neighborhoods and subneighborhoods for which OTR used what it describes as a “market oriented cost approach” for residential properties (other than condominiums). 2) A list of the neighborhoods and subneighborhoods for which OTR used what it describes as “trending” for residential properties (other than condominiums). 3) A list of the neighborhoods and subneighborhoods for which OTR used what it describes as “multiple regression analysis” for condominiums. 4) A list of the neighborhoods and subneighborhoods for which OTR used what it describes as “trending” for condominiums. 5) A summary, for each neighborhood and subneighborhood, of the assessments for tax year 2003 and the proposed assessments for tax year 2004, the net change from 2003 to 2004, and the percentage increase for (a) residential properties other than condos and (b) condominiums. 6) A copy of the rules or orders by the Chief Financial Officer or a Deputy CFO authorizing the use of “trending,” “market oriented cost approach,” and “multiple regression analysis” for the assessment of residential properties and condominiums. 7) A reference to the date on which such rules or orders were published in the DC Register. 8) A complete description of the “trending,” “market oriented cost approach” and “multiple regression analysis” methodologies, including any tables, formulas or multipliers applied in making assessments for tax year 2004 and an explanation as to how these tables, formulas and multipliers were prepared.

In view of the short deadline you have given for appealing assessments and in view of the total lack of any notice in your assessment notices of the basis or rationale for the new assessments, it is hoped that you also supply such information in the DC Register and to local newspapers and other media so that the public may know the what and why of the new assessments. Your prompt compliance with this request is urgently needed. Please call or e-mail me if you need any clarification of my request.

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Tax Bills and Assessments: OTR Errors
Denise Wiktor, denisewiktor@yahoo.com

It is not only the assessments that are the issue but the bills. I got both of mine Saturday. My bill went up 162 percent, in violation of the law that it only go up 125 percent (there are some catches, such as if you bought the house the same year, etc., the cap does not apply). As far as I can tell the cap applies to me. My assessment went up a whopping amount. About a year ago I got a letter from OTR regarding the description of the house. They said I had a five bedroom house with nine rooms total and a bathroom with a total square footage of over 2200 square feet. I have four bedrooms, eight rooms total, and 1817 square feet. They also had the year of the house and the structure wrong. I called to make sure they received my corrections. Sure enough, today on the web I checked, and I still have a five bedroom house with nine rooms and 2500 square feet, made partially of brick.

So not only check the assessment but go into their database and check your house description, especially if you do not match your neighbors. And check that bill!

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Assessments and the Statehood Party
Thomas Smith, smith1965@hotmail.com

Dear readers, after the shock of your tax assessment here is what you do: 1) get a voter registration form. 2) Reregister in the DC Statehood Green Party. 3) Nominate Statehood party candidates for all of the offices. 4) Vote them in. 5) Enjoy your downwardly revised tax assessment.

This squeeze on citizens is directly related to the misuse of tax revenue by the Democratic Party in our city. Examples? The Grand Prix, the convention center, the Sports Authority, the sale of the old Unemployment Building at 6th and Penn, NW, etc., etc. If you want to find out more contact http://www.dcstatehoodgree.org. The only party that takes no corporate contributions of any sort (can your party say that?).

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Parking Fines for Revenue Generation
James Treworgy, jamie@trewtech.com

I recently learned that as of March 1, the fine for parking a commercial vehicle in front of a private residence has been increased from $20 to $500. Other fines have been increased by $10. This follows the trend of dramatically increased fines for parking violations that begin with the doubling of the rush-hour parking fine to $100 a couple years ago. The Fiscal Impact statement about the increased parking fines reads, in part: “This title conforms to the revenue estimate in the adopted FY 2003 Budget and Financial Plan. It is anticipated that the proposed $10.00 increase in these fines will conservatively generate $8,541,644 in revenue.”

We need to put a stop to the city's policy of using fines as a revenue stream. It is unfair and pits government against citizens. Fines should be set high enough to be a deterrent and no more. Clearly $500 is way out of line for any parking violation, and even $100 for rush-hour seems too high — I myself have received two of those, and while I was at fault, it was unintentional and I would have gotten them no matter what the fine was. These kinds of fines are on the order of those for actual criminal acts, or extreme moving violations, and are clearly unreasonable for a parking violation where there is great possibility of error or oversight on the part of both government and the citizen.

Beyond the fact that absurdly large fines don't serve as any further deterrent, I am sure everyone has had wrongfully issued tickets and discovered how hard it is to get them overturned. In the case of the commercial vehicle law, I can think of many situations where the law could be improperly applied. Private citizens may rent a truck for moving; may borrow a truck from a friend who has a business for personal use. I'm not sure what the specifics of the rule are, since the actual code isn't available online, but this could potentially make life very difficult for our contractors (and consequently us — since they won't be visiting anywhere they risk a $500 fine). This fine in particular is way out of control, and in general the policy of using parking fines for revenue generation — rather than public safety — does not serve the public good.

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Tag Games, Part 2
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com

In April 2001, in a fit of pique, Mayor Williams recalled the low number motor vehicle tags from people who had fallen out of favor with his administration, most prominently Rev. Willie Wilson. Washington Post editorial columnist Colby King wrote about “Tag Games in the District” on April 7, 2001: “Talk about misplaced priorities. In a town where the infant mortality rate is rising, thousands of adults can't read a simple story to their children and seniors still live in fear of crime, the mayor's chief of staff, Abdusalam Omer, can be found holed up in his office poring over low-number license plate applications to see who's been naughty or nice to his boss.”

Two years later, the problems and the misplaced priorities remain the same. Mayor Williams and his current chief of staff, Kelvin Robinson, are again playing petty politics with low-numbered tags. Holders of low license plate numbers have been told that they must “reapply” for their tags by writing a two-paragraph essay detailing what they have done for Mayor Williams and his administration. All supplicants must humbly send their essays to Deputy Chief of Staff for Community Affairs Joy Arnold, and they have been told that the Executive Office of the Mayor will determine whether they have provided sufficient “justification” to retain their tags. One can only wonder what the essay from Gwen and Larry Hemphill will say.

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Baseball Stadium vs. Affordable Housing?
Janet Brown, janetwbrown@igc.org

Despite snow and slush, more than a hundred DC affordable housing advocates took part in “DC Council Education Day” on February 25. There was a crowded press conference featuring Council Members Jack Evans, Jim Graham, and Adrian Fenty, who support an adequate housing budget, and visits to all Council offices, plus a spontaneous visit to Mayor Anthony Williams. The Mayor was not happy to see us, but he sent in two deputy mayors and then came in himself and listened — to a not totally respectful crowd! A lot of people are really angry about the shortage of decent low-cost housing. The object was to garner support for full funding in the FY04 budget, now under negotiations between the Mayor and Council, for the Housing Production Trust Fund, the city's chief instrument for building and rehabilitating housing for really low-income households. (“Full funding” is fifteen percent of real estate and recordation taxes, estimated at around $22 million for the coming year.)

The message carried by tenants, seniors, homeless, people with disabilities, smart growth advocates, and religious leaders was that money for the Trust Fund produces the best return on investment that any the city can make. Awards in FY03 ($20 million for 39 grants and loans) will stimulate $145 million in private funds, build 2055 homes, and create 700 new jobs. These homes, when finished, will bring in $3 million in new taxes, paying for themselves in seven years. But few officials, including the Mayor, are willing to commit themselves. They cite revenue shortfalls, competing human needs, and “tough choices” that have to be made. Housing advocates look at the Mayor's commitment of $275 million in new funds for a baseball stadium (the two stories ran side-by-side in the Post on February 28) and can't understand why $25 million for housing for working families is such a “tough choice.”

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DC Emergency Radio Network
Bill Adler, billonline@adlerbooks.com

The DC Emergency Radio Network (DCERN) uses inexpensive, license-free FRS (family radio service) radios to enable neighbors to communicate with each other in an emergency. This emergency radio network steps in when normal communications, such as telephones, the Internet, or cell phones, won't work. The DCERN communicates on FRS channel 1. If normal modes of communication go down — be it because of a terrorist attack, power outage, storm, or other problem — the DC Emergency Radio Network will offer a pre-planned, alternative means to transmit neighborhood news and information. This radio network may also be called into service for other emergencies, such as searching for a lost child or if neighbors need to evacuate their homes. Many people in the area already have FRS radios. FRS radios are those small walkie-talkie radios that family and friends use to keep in touch at parks, on ski slopes and in malls. They're sold at Circuit City, Office Depot, Staples, Radio Shack, and elsewhere, and cost between $25 and $75 a pair. FRS radios have a range of 1/4 to 1 mile.

The DC Emergency Radio Network already encompasses a number of neighborhoods, including Cleveland Park, Mt. Pleasant, Brookland, Columbia Heights, Shepherd Park, Adams Morgan, Tenleytown, and Chevy Chase. It is open to anyone in the DC Metro area. If the Internet fails, or if there's some other emergency, tune your FRS radio to the DC Emergency Radio Network on channel 1. The DC Emergency Radio Network will work a little like a relay, with a message being transmitted person by person down the line. FRS radios capture the strongest signal, so you'll only hear the person who's talking at that moment and who has the most powerful signal. The DCERN is a decentralized, grassroots network. It's based on the notion that in a true emergency, we may only have ourselves to rely on — at least at the outset.

You can visit DCERN's website, http://www.dcradio.org, for more information. I would be happy to answer any questions that you have, as well: Feel free to E-mail me at billonline@adlerbooks.com or call me at 986-9275. We plan to schedule a test of the DC Emergency Radio Network on Sunday, March 16, from 8 p.m.-8:15 p.m. During the test, turn our FRS radio on, and see whom you can talk to. The purpose of this test is to practice and become comfortable with your FRS radio. There's more information about the test at http://www.dcradio.org. The important thing is: If the Internet fails, or if there's some other emergency, tune your FRS radio to the DC Emergency Radio Network on Channel 1. The DCERN may be our pipeline to emergency information.

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Political Potpourri
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com

On Monday, Russell Smith took over the position of Executive Director of the Board of Education. He succeeds Paula Perlman. Smith's background includes stints as the District's Auditor, chief of staff for the Control Board, and most recently staff director for the House DC Subcommittee when it was chaired by Rep. Connie Morella.

Peggy Armstrong, who followed Tony Williams from the Office of the Chief Financial Officer to the Mayor's Office, who was his first press secretary, and who was Williams's last close associate from his first campaign for mayor to remain in his inner circle, has been told by the mayor's chief of staff, Kelvin Robinson, that she will be transferred from the mayor's Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs to the DC Department of Health, which is considered the Siberia of the Williams Administration. Armstrong insisted on appealing her case to the mayor, who indicated that he supported Robinson rather than her in the dispute.

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Columbia Heights Listserv
Darrell Duane, dduane@duane.com

A listserv for discussing issues and making announcements relevant to the Columbia Heights neighborhood has been created. It is run using the Mailman Listserv software, and contains no annoying advertisements that many other listservs have. This list can be joined at http://lists.columbiaheights.com/listinfo/ch-discussion. Archives are also available at this site.

[A list of neighborhood E-mail groups is on the DCWatch links page, http://www.dcwatch.com/links.htm. If you have any additions, deletions, or corrections to this list, please let me know. — Gary Imhoff]

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A Particularly Good Day Downtown
Elizabeth Wiener, elm3@starpower.net

I was inspired by your “good day” story to respond in kind. The same gorgeous Sunday you and Dorothy were tooling around downtown, I took my son Max, who just turned nine, to the Spy Museum (very high tech cool, but you can read about that elsewhere). Afterwards, we strolled over to Barnes and Noble to buy a Jimi Hendrix CD — Max has become fixated by my story of Hendrix destroying his guitar while playing the Star Spangled Banner, and we wanted to get the original Woodstock version.

While we were browsing, some guy rushed in and had to buy some music quick for the National Cheerleading Competition. That sounded intriguing, and he said it was going on right that minute at the Warner Theater, just around the corner. On we went, and a very kindly usher let us in for free and took us to great seats in the balcony. It was the tail end, but we still got to watch a demo of “hip hop” cheerleading, and all the awards for “pom” and “junior high middle jazz funk,” etc. There were teams from all over, with lots of sequins and tight pants. Whatever it was, it was cool. We walked back on Pennsylvania Avenue surrounded by cheerleaders holding humongous trophies, and stopped to circumnavigate the Navy Memorial before heading home.

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Good and Evil
David S. Harvey, dsharvey@peoplepc.com

So when “bad” chooses an agenda — destroy America, say, or virus every computer or, as is happening, loot every government coffer — it has an instant army of promoters, defenders, and proselytizers. They have, thanks to the same TV, etc., managed to make themselves coequal with and actually now defeat the defenders, promoters, and proselytizers of “good.” The problem has many little sub-issues, but a main one is that the same defense of the “bad” position has led to a lowering of an agreed to-the-good educational base. Not reading and writing, algebra, etc., necessarily. We still do OK on the technicalities. Where the failure is in encouraging, protecting, and ultimately valuing independent judgment. We actively endorse and stimulate group behavior, group norms, and group passivity as long as it's in the cause of “bad” but actively discourage it in the cause of good. And we don't tolerate the independent protester against these cultural norms. Far from it.

If you don't teach people to think for themselves, it's not difficult to get them to conform to mass standards. What drives this? I don't believe there's an evil force at work necessarily, though religious and moral fundamentalists will say there is. I believe more that rampant commercialism of the culture is the unstoppable force. I believe the “natural law” commercial — and corporate — impulse is towards greed at more or less any cost, so the first thing we've got to have is a continuous stream of people to feed that greed. They have to be people who won't reject the blandishments put before them. Because we've weaned them off character, (the will to resist, to conserve, to shun instant gratification) it's not hard to wean them on to conforming to corporate values in the workplace — work that really isn't work, lives that really aren't very meaningful, but nevertheless do represent a way to acquire enough wherewithal to respond to the irresistible commercial and consumer impulses being injected into them.

We've lost all empathy for the other person, but have gained lots of sympathy for ourselves. As a result, when a moral question comes along there is no cohesive agreement because we don't think about these things anymore. Instead we emote about them, and, emotions being passive, guess which set of behaviors get activated? The ones that led us to de-emphasize reason and thought in the first place, and go instead with things like furtiveness and deceit, the appealing things in our dark side.

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Citizenship
Neil Richardson, Executive Office of the Mayor, ananda001@aol.com

I was disturbed by Gary's comments last week that he wouldn't shovel snow, or I guess saddened by this sentiment to be most accurate. Editing themail is a valuable tool for people to vet their concerns and issues but being a part of the community means something a bit more than waiting for government to respond to a freak snow storm the likes of which we have hardly ever see. What does it mean to be a citizen? Certainly, INS has its own guidelines, and in these days of pending war the word is loaded with contexts. I’m not thinking about those contexts, however. When I think of the word “citizen,” it implies less about where one is than about how we engage and become part of our community. Do you watch from your window as your neighbors shovel snow, pick up trash, walk with an Orange Patrol? Or, do you join them? Do you vote, participate in your neighborhood school, volunteer at a local charity? Do you attend ANC meetings? How much of this do you do, if any? Each of us must ask this question for ourselves. How we answer this question connect to the quality of our public life and democracy. Our system of government is based upon people working together to solve problems. In turn, we form relationships and engage our neighbors.

I’m inspired to write this because I see the flow of things that arise in themail and other listservs, what’s talked about in bars, the bus stop, at restaurants and in front of bakeries. When I listen to my friends, neighbors and strangers, I often hear people discuss issues in our community as if they’re not part of the solution, not capable of making change. We look for government, our church, bosses, parents, the local merchant, spouse, or somebody else to do what we think needs to be done. A better approach is to ask ourselves this: what can we do as individuals? The next question should be, who needs to help me?

Our community and our city will prosper and become the city we envision when residents become active citizens. We can’t wait for our neighbor to step up to the plate. The ancient Athenian democrat Pericles, who influenced Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin said people who do not participate in public life are not to be hated or ridiculed or despised, they should be merely thought of as worthless. With more active citizens and fewer passive residents, we stand a chance to reach that place many of us aspire to. Where will you stand?

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Open Klingle Road for All
Peter McGee, Mt. Pleasant, mcgeep@dsmo.com

Klingle Road served thousands daily before 1991, when the city blocked the road temporarily pending its repair after a summer deluge. Repairs were interrupted, however, by the local Sierra Club. As a result, DC needlessly has wasted many years and hundreds of thousands of dollars on environmental and traffic studies, and travelers waste time and money every day idling in Cleveland Park traffic congestion . . . and this is only the beginning. Now Mayor Williams wants to rebuild Klingle Road, but ban the driving public, spending millions on the “Klingle Road Bicycle Facility,” a misleading name for an emergency road closed to all but bikers and hikers. Rebuilding Klingle Road so it will support emergency vehicles, and restricting it to bicycles, makes no sense, won't save money, and won't benefit most the taxpaying public who will fund a road they can't use.

Klingle Road was never officially closed, yet this administration is sidestepping its duty to keep our road available for its one official purpose — a public road. Tax dollars are being wasted to justify caving in to slick political lobbying and the “local community” — a wealthy enclave that benefits most from turning our historic parkway into a hike/bike trail. Let's stop the shell game. If the Mayor can spend public money to rebuild Klingle Road for motorized vehicles — large ones, like fire trucks and utility repair vehicles — the Mayor can let the public drive cars on it. DC had always planned to keep Klingle Road open, anyway. Starting in 1991, the Department of Public Works spent $240K on a reconstruction plan, awarded the contract to a small DC business east of the Anacostia, obtained full approval (4f) from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Department of the Interior, and had federal funds obligated.

Then, private threats by the local Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund brought the Klingle Road restoration project to a standstill. The local Sierra Club claimed that the National Park Service's Environmental Assessment was insufficient and an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was required. In fact, an EIS was not required, since Klingle Road is an existing road and predates the Environmental Protection Act. Nevertheless, FHWA gave in and unilaterally de-obligated the road repair funds. Instead of fixing the road, we've been paying for studies ever since. Significantly, no study has uncovered any reason, environmental or otherwise, to compel closure of Klingle. Ironically, due to continuing neglect, Klingle Road today is a human health hazard, and traffic in Cleveland Park only gets worse. The other proposal to ease the congestion is widen the Porter and Connecticut intersection, an unlikely option with unknown costs and consequences. Those who say “Save Klingle Valley” really want to “Close Klingle Road.” Their end game is to make Rock Creek Park a car-free zone. As a result, we've endured years of expensive studies just in the effort to close Klingle. It would cost taxpayers millions to convert this historic parkway, which served thousands every day, into a short, steep, heavy-duty bike trail that few will ever use. Moreover, closing Klingle is divisive, and makes solving the traffic problem in Cleveland Park more difficult and expensive, if not impossible. The politicized process will pave the way to close other parkways in Rock Creek Park, and further compromise our transportation system. The city's duty to repair and maintain our public roads is fundamental, and must not be undermined by demagoguery and politics. Stop wasteful spending. Repair Klingle Road for all.

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Special Interest Groups Have Bigger Agenda
Marie Nelson, marienelson206@hotmail.com

The Sierra Club's campaign to make Rock Creek Park a car-free zone looks only to a narrow portion of the environmental interests and not to what is best for DC overall. Under the guise of saving Klingle Valley, they have engaged in a high stakes fight to seize Klingle Road and even more of Beach Drive. Their publications boast about the success of now having twenty-one miles of Rock Creek Park as a car-free zone. That means miles of historic parkways, originally designed and dedicated for motor vehicle use, are inaccessible to those of us who do not choose to bike or unable to walk. This approach ignores what's in the best overall public interest of DC.

The local Sierra Club also seems to ignore the fact that the city intends to rebuild a road in Klingle valley sufficient to support motorized back hoe truck use and emergency vehicles, and insists that it will be more expensive to rebuild a road that cars could use. If Sierra Club condones the rebuilding of the access road, why then is it claiming it will be too expensive to rebuild the road for public vehicular use? If costs are the concern, why waste money adding a road called a hike/bike path? Sierra Club's tactics to close our historic parkways would have us focus narrowly on a tiny tributary in the Klingle watershed. This myopic view not only ignores the very real air quality concerns of our city, it shifts the focus away from serious environmental concerns. According to the EPA, our biggest water pollution problem is the Anacostia River (Rated #1 of 36) in northeast DC. By contrast, Klingle valley, in Ward 3 of northwest DC, is near the bottom, listed as a “low” priority. Moreover, Ward 3 is the greenest in the city, having as much green space as the rest of the city combined. Making Klingle valley a top environmental concern turns reality on its head, and ignores the true concerns of our urban environment.

Concerned citizens and activists should focus on issues of true gravity. Significant environmental concerns face our city: We have too many code red days. Sierra Club is suing DC over air pollution. EPA just downgraded our air quality rating. Sewers overflow into our streams and rivers. Our drinking water system is antiquated. At the same time, we must sustain development and economic revitalization. Over 57 organizations across the city, which include 10 ANCs from wards 1, 3, 4 and 5 who have come out in favor of restoring Klingle Road to its dedicated purpose. Next week is the hearing on both the Mayor's bill and the Council's bill. The DC Council has a choice. Be guided by the grassroots of this city and those who give “great weight,” or be guided by small special interest groups with a narrow agenda.

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Last Word on Snow Plows
Michael Bindner, mbindner at aol dot you know what

Recall a few years ago that the Post broke a story about WASA workers using District equipment to do private work on District time. I wonder how many of the “small snow plows” were plowing out commercial parking lots (instead of neighborhood streets)?

Also, when I was a lad in Mankato, Minnesota, we had alternate street plowing. On odd number days they plowed the side of the street with odd numbers. On even numbered days they plowed the even side. Everyone was required to move their cars from the curb so the plows could get through. This was for cleanup rather than initial clearing. Perhaps Mrs. Patterson could introduce some legislation (as well as launch an IG investigation on the private use of public assets).

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

International Women’s Day, March 8
Michael Schlesinger, mjschlesinger@excite.com

International Women’s Day will be celebrated on Saturday, March 8, but how many of us know its history? One of the strongest third-party movements in the United States helped give birth to the day, and even Czar Nicholas II of Russia played a role.

On Thursday, March 6, DC Metro Action will give a short history of International Women’s Day along with a listing of some of the events happening here in Washington. Log onto http://www.dcmetroaction.com to find out how you can celebrate women.

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CHIME Presents Klezmer Music by the Alexandria Kleztet, March 8
Dorothy Marschak, chime-dc@erols.com

You’ll be tapping your toes, clapping your hands, or dancing in the aisles at this program! Old-world Klezmer, the lively secular folk music of the pre-World War II Eastern European Jewish community, is a fertilization of ancient Hebrew melodies and modes with Middle-Eastern and gypsy influences. Add modern influences such as jazz, rock, and 20th century classical music, and you’ll have the music of the Alexandria Kleztet, a “double wammy” winner for Best World Music recordings in 2002 and 2000. Saturday, March 8, at Francis Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Avenue, SE, 2-3 p.m. For directions, call Francis Gregory Library, 645-4297.

Other upcoming CHIME programs in March in its “Music Around the World” series of 22 free programs in 2002-3 at 11 DC Public Libraries: March 15, Scottish Fiddle Music, with John Ward, Lamond-Riggs Library; March 22, French Music for Winds, with Betsy Reveal and friends, Cleveland Park Library; March 29, Sax Appeal: The Saxophone through the Ages, with Rhonda Buckley and students from the Sitar Center of the Arts.

Reminder: on March 29, the next orientation meeting for prospective CHIME Big Music Mentors, 6:30 p.m., at the offices of Big Brothers Big Sisters, 666 11th Street, NW. RSVP. For a complete schedule with descriptions of all our programs and information about CHIME (Community Help In Music Education) please visit our website at http://www.chime-dc.org. You can also reach us at info@chime-dc.org, or call 232-2731.

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Aida!, March 10
E. James Lieberman, ejl at gwudotedu

Aida may be sold out or too expensive, but you can get a taste via “Opera Look-In” a program for families (minimum age: 7) with a behind-the-scenes look concluding with Act III of the (wonderful) performance at DAR Constitution Hall. March 10, Monday, 12:30 p.m., fee $5 per person. Reservations required, call 448-3465.

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Eleanor Clift, March 18
Lois Kirkpatrick, lkirkp@fairfaxcounty.gov

March is Women's History Month, and the Fairfax County Public Library invites you to a free event with Eleanor Clift on Tuesday, March 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Alden Theater of the McLean Community Center. Clift is a Newsweek contributing editor and a regular panelist on the TV show The McLaughlin Group. She will appear live to discuss her new book Madam President: Women Blazing the Leadership Trail. This book will also be available for sale and signing at the event. Tickets will be available at the door the evening of the program, beginning at 6:00 p.m. (limit two tickets per person). For more information, call the Alden Theater at 703-790-0123 or check the Library's web site at http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library.

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Training on FY 2004 Budget, March 20
Susie Cambria, scambria@dckids.org

The Fair Budget Coalition's annual budget training is being held on March 20 from 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. at Beacon House (601 Edgewood Street, NE). Panelists will review what in the mayor's proposed FY 2004 budget impacts human services and lead a discussion on advocacy opportunities and strategies. The fee for members of the Fair Budget Coalition is $7 per person; the nonmember fee is $11 per person. Residents may ask for a fee waiver (it is granted immediately — all you have to do is ask). Registration information is available from DC Action for Children; contact Susie at 234-9404 or scambria@dckids.org.

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CLASSIFIEDS — PETS

Adopt a Cat
Jill Bogard, jill_bogard@ace.nche.edu

I am posting this on behalf of a friend who works with a cat rescue group. Manny and Mack are looking for a good home. Handsome tuxedo cats, brothers, about one year old need their own home. Dashing, daring, loving, but tired of being fosters want a permanent place to hang their hats. Neutered with shots. Application required. Adoption fee covers vet bills. Contact 363-4636 or infomang@aol.com.

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CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE

Items from Thailand, March 8 and 9
Robert Marvin, robert_marvin@yahoo.com

Prices have come down on all remaining items from the fall shipment from Thailand. Ustreetasiahouse.com is offering British colonial teak cabinets that would look great in your living room, an assortment of beautiful silk tapestries that would enhance any home, and an exotic wedding chest from Burma. Plus great lacquer boxes and other gift items. March 8 and 9, 12 noon until 4 p.m., 2004 11th Street, NW, call 249-0535.

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Olympus Camera
Neil Richardson, ananda001@aol.com

The best point and shoot camera on the market, Stylus Epic Zoom 170 QD. This camera is the best that Olympus has put out for regular folk. Besides its 4.5x zooms lens with 170 mm telephoto capability it has an extra low dispersion glass lens element that reduces color aberration. It's an all-weather camera, fully automatic and has a 12 second automatic timer. I have shot about 12 rolls with it and all the photos were great. Santa Claus gave me a fancy digital so this incredible camera could be yours. New it was nearly $400, I’ll take $200 or best offer. Contact: Neil, 518-9574.

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