The Economics of Cronyism
Dear Cronies:
DC is running its traffic laws like an old-fashioned speed trap in
the rural South because it has to squeeze money from tourists,
commuters, and residents, mostly from residents, alike. Property tax
assessments are hiked to an extortionate level to fleece homeowners and
— since the tax is simply passed along to renters — also from
renters. And the mayor is promoting a new tax on business, the expense
of which will be passed through to residents, to finance a multi-hundred
million dollar giveaway to his friends in the billionaire boys baseball
club. (The embezzlers in the Washington Teachers Union were pikers; they
dreamed small by comparison.) Certainly, the national economy is not
what it was in the go-go years of the 1990's, but why is the city
government so intent on emptying our wallets?
The answer, my friends, is the economics of cronyism. It's expensive
to give multimillion dollar contracts to inefficient political
supporters, to overpay suppliers who are generous with their political
contributions. It's expensive to run public health care into the ground
to benefit bankrupt pals. It costs when you do your real estate
contracts with developers whom you know can't deliver unless massive
subsidies are added in later renegotiations of their deals. And you
can't cut the cost of government much at all if you won't cut the waste
and the fat, because the waste and the fat are your highest priorities.
Then all you can cut are the services.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Reservation 13: So What Did We Get?
Jim Myers, hilleast@aol.com
Residents of eastern Capitol Hill are puzzled now that they've seen
the federal document allegedly “transferring” Reservation 13, the
land surrounding DC General, to the District of Columbia. On October 25,
2002, GSA and Mayor Williams signed an agreement whereby GSA
“transferred” to DC “sole custody and accountability” for the 67
acres around the former hospital and DC. Jail. But what does this
“transfer” mean? The US government still owns the land as it did
before the “transfer.” Contrary to the impressions given by District
officials, the District will not own the property and will only be
allowed to use the property in restricted ways: 1) DC may not sell the
land or enter into a lease of more than 15 years without GSA approval.
2) DC must recognize the existing lease of Karrick Hall to the Court
Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), currently undergoing a
$13 million renovation. 3) A special exception apparently will allow for
the lease of land for the St. Coletta school project. In a draft lease,
St. Coletta's would be allowed to use the prime four acres of the land
for 99 years at a $1 a year.
Where does this leave the citizens of the District of Columbia and
residents of the Capitol Hill? Contrary to claims during the much-touted
"planning" process for Reservation 13, the District did not
gain title to the land, and it is questionable whether the District
gained that much more control of the land. So what were all those
“planning” sessions about that were supposed to elicit citizens'
views? What good did the $100,000 consultants do? For residents of the
nearby community, this alleged "transfer," signed by GSA and
the mayor, largely leaves the Reservation 13 property much as it was
before all the fuss, a potential dumping ground for government
facilities that other neighborhoods don't want. It appears a hospital
would be allowed, if D. C ever got the money to build one. Officials
repeatedly suggested housing would be another “positive” option for
parts of Reservation 13. But the “transfer” agreement would appear
to limit this to public housing or so-called CBRFs (community-based
residential facilities) and halfway houses. Public officials who touted
this “transfer” as a great boon for the future of the District and
nearby neighborhoods now have some explaining to do.
[The transfer letter is available at http://www.dcwatch.com/issues/res13-021025.htm.
— Gary Imhoff]
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They Haven’t Figured It Out
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aoldotcom
The folks running the Metro system have decided that, since they are
losing money, they will raise the fares. They don't get it. It's a zero
sum game they are in. Raise fares and ridership drops. There are no
incentives for paying higher fares. Rush hour trains will be no less
crowded. There are no new routes to increase ridership. Unless DC. sets
up toll booths at all the entry points into the city, more people will
drive or car pool and there will be no increased income as a result of
raising fares.
The answer lies in streamlining the operation of the Metro system and
making major reductions in costs. This is not simple, but it is the
answer. To begin with, Metro must equip the system with cars that will
be cost effective over the long haul. That means buying new cars that
are not necessarily those with the cheapest initial cost, but those that
will pay back via increased life and low maintenance. All the current
escalators need to be replaced with ones that will run forever without
breaking down every other week. The maintenance costs alone in keeping
the escalators running for three years would pay for the replacement of
the current duds. And, the Metro folks must look at how things are being
done in all the departments of the system. There are too many people
watching (they call it managing) and too few doing in most
organizations, and I'm sure that considerable trimming could be done at
Metro without affecting service.
Instead of the taxpayers of DC. subsidizing a new baseball stadium
the District should use that money to provide better transportation
services to its citizens — newer, more easily maintainable cars and
escalators.
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DC Convention Center Funding Terrorism?
Michelle Medeiros, michellemed@yahoo.com
It was recently reported in the Washington Post that 42,000
square feet of African Makore wood has been used in the construction of
the new DC Convention Center for paneling in the lobby and ballroom, at
the price of $50 per square foot. My math calculates that to be $2.1
million. Makore is a hardwood that originates in West Africa. It is
exported from at least five countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon,
and Liberia. One of those countries, Liberia, is currently under
investigation for illegal logging and arms trafficking. Senator Russ
Feingold (D-Wisconsin), has called Liberian President Charles Taylor a
war criminal and is currently working to formally bring the Liberian
leader to justice at one of the internationally recognized war crime
tribunals.
In the December 29th edition of the Washington Post it was
reported that President Taylor has been cooperating with the Al-Qaeda
Network through the sale of “blood” diamonds. It was reported that
he received the equivalent of one million US dollars to hide two of Al-Qaeda’s
key operatives from the tragic September 11th terrorist attacks on the
United States. Following this trail of money, it is quite likely that
the purchase of Makore wood for our new convention center has actively
funded terrorism. Not only is this wood potentially conflict timber,
which finances Charles Taylor’s weapons, armies, and war in Sierra
Leone, it is listed as endangered on the International Union for the
Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Redlist. The World Conservation
Monitoring Centre database lists Makore as: “An important timber
species found mainly in wet evergreen rainforest.” It states that,
“Overexploitation in some countries is leading to serious population
declines, notably in Ghana and in Liberia, where there is a possibility
of the species becoming extinct. Regeneration may also be limited in
parts of its range because of the reduction in elephant numbers and
other seed dispersers. There are only two species in the genus.” It is
critically important that we as individuals and a country perform better
due diligence on the chain-of-custody of the products we purchase in the
world market. We need to ask ourselves if our purchase will fund the
destruction of endangered species, or heaven forbid, fund terrorism.
Each American, as part of the global community, has a responsibility to
ask these questions. More importantly, our government has an obligation
to procure goods that are sustainable and terrorist free. As we teeter
on the brink of a war with Iraq, it would appear that our nations
capital is using taxpayer money to fund the international terrorism we’re
trying so hard to eradicate.
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DC First Freedom Primary Advances
Mark David Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com
On Tuesday, March 4, the DC Council unanimously approved “The
Presidential Primary Election Act of 2003.” Council members Evans,
Orange, Fenty, Mendelson, Schwartz, Cropp, and Chavous spoke eloquently
in support of the bill. When Mayor Williams signs the bill, DC's primary
will be held the first Tuesday of January (the 13th in 2004). In the
short time since the idea gained steam on January 13, over 750 DC
residents signed an on-line petition of support at http://www.letsfreedc.org;
over twenty groups testified in support before the Council, including
most DC democracy groups and the DC League of Women Voters. The
Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington and the DC NAACP have
also endorsed the idea. NH Secretary of State Bill Gardner reported that
he will not move NH's primary before DC's because DC is not a state and
thus is not breaking NH's law. Mr. Gardner drew a parallel with Puerto
Rico, which was allowed to hold its primary before NH in 1980. The NH
Democratic Party said it supports DC voting rights and does not intend
to ask candidates to boycott DC's primary. Most candidates are following
the issue and have not decided if they will participate in the nation's
only majority African American jurisdiction.
Opposition is mainly from the national and local political parties,
which say that if DC holds a binding primary DC would be breaking party
rules and would lose delegate seats at the national conventions.
However, DNC General Counsel Joe Sandler and other DNC attorneys stated
at a February DSC meeting that if DC holds a “beauty contest
primary,” followed by a binding caucus, DC would not be breaking party
rules. The Washington Post (March 7) editorialized that the idea,
“while generating much local excitement, may fall short of its
goal.” The Post warned that candidates might not show and DC
could end up with long-shot candidates, such as Rev. Al Sharpton. “Now
that would certainly put the District on the political map,” the Post
chided (March 7, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54194-2003Mar6.html).
Sam Smith derided the idea, writing that "lack of control over the
budget, justice system, and legislation are tertiary matters in the eyes
of the local colons, who will take a good symbol over real power any
day" (http://emporium.turnpike.net/P/ProRev/freedc.htm).
The Washington Afro-American saluted the Council's support and
called for a massive “Tea Party” on the Potomac. “For centuries,
Washingtonians have tolerated colonial status. We have lived under
segregationists in Congress with onerous hammers regarding District
affairs. The best we ever got was a constitutional amendment giving
limited voting rights in presidential elections. And that was more than
40 years ago. . . . Let the Democrats carry through their threat to
block seating our delegates at the 2004 convention. That would be one of
the hottest political stories at next year's convention and, frankly, we
could use the attention. What better exposure after 200 years as
America's last colony?” (March 1, http://www.afro.com/content/anmviewer.asp?a=218&z=3).
Meanwhile, the proposal generated a flurry of informal discussions, such
as this one on http://www.plastic.com.
Mark Shields became the first nationally syndicated columnist to take up
the issue in a March 8 article, “How About Liberating DC.?” He
wrote, “Let's hear it for the city council and the mayor of Washington
for demanding that attention be paid to their hometown injustice. While
the president and the official Washington he leads prepare to 'export'
democracy to Iraq, the city council has made clear that, like charity,
democracy must begin at home.”
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[Response to Neil Richardson, themail, March 5]: Your message to
themail sickens me. You obviously have no idea that your mayor and his
staff lack any credibility when it comes to community involvement. Most
of the readers of themail I know go to your ridiculous neighborhood
summits, have wasted time with focus groups, have tried to work for
process in neighborhood projects like the Turkey Thicket Recreation
Center. We help at our schools, our churches, and in our neighborhood
gardens; we vote. We also all pay taxes and find it ridiculous that
Kleenex and toilet paper and copy paper for schools are something we
donate. It is criminal that maintaining the schools and caring for the
grounds is not in the budget, and yet we will be building a baseball
stadium. Policemen can be found west of the park directing traffic for
neighborhoods that have to suffer the scourge of small private schools
but are nowhere to be seen at 3:15 at 14th and Irving Street, NW — a
busy, dangerous intersection with schools all around. How dare you --
probably writing on my taxpayer time — preach to any of us.
On the list of things we should be doing: how many do you do on your
own time? Many of us worked to retain the elected board on our time with
our own money. Not something I can say about all the people who worked
to change the school board. for the mayor. Remind me again, where did
that money come from? How was it solicited? About those active citizens:
how are they treated when they disagree with the mayor? Mr. Lawrence and
Mr. Wilkins, outstanding members of our hybrid board, could not even get
a meeting with the mayor to discuss their reappointment to the school
board. They dared to believe the schools really do need more money.
They've decided there are better uses of their time.
But now I know I'm worthless because I didn't shovel snow. I had no
idea that was what Pericles meant. It's clear that when the mayor says
he wants active citizens he wants manual labor.
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I believe the real objection to assisting the public schools with
shoveling snows rests on the fact that citizens were asked to perform
the work that paid staff did not do. There is a line between acting
together as a community for the greater good and demanding
responsibility and accountability of public servants.
We have a mayor and senior government officials who formerly blamed
all problems on Marion Barry and now place the blame on citizens or god.
That is not acceptable. Citizens should have, at least, minimal
expectations on the duties and responsibilities of government. These
basic, minimal expectations are not being meet. That is why objecting to
the call to shovel school walks a day after maintenance staff were given
a “snow day” is not objectionable.
Further, what is really troubling about the Bullock quote in the Washington
Post's “Reliable Source” is not what he said but the attitude
that must be behind what he said, and the fact that his master let this
dog lose. It really tells us what the Mayor and those that surround him
think of those whom they serve. Any one up for a recall movement? It
takes a lot to make Barry look good, but Tony Williams and the dogs that
surround him are more than up to the task.
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My first and final word about the snow plowing: I want to thank Neil
Richardson for his comments. He asked an essential question that I
believe got lost among a lot of people who were frustrated by the amount
of snow accumulation and its removal. We look to the “other” to do
for us. Just because one pays taxes, it doesn't let you off the hook;
civic responsibility goes beyond this. At some point, where do you stand
in terms of building community among your neighbors and other citizens
in this city? What are we as individuals prepared to do in order to make
this a better place to live for all?
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District on McLaughlin
Mark David Richard, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com
The Washington Afro-American published my letter to the editor
in its March 8-March 14 issue: “District on McLaughlin This
Weekend.” The fact that John McLaughlin can ask a national television
audience if it is time to eliminate or suspend DC. home rule because he
is unhappy with snow removal should be a clear reminder to DC. residents
that DC. does not have a secure form of local self-government. The fact
that McLaughlin did not focus on how to improve DC. local governmental
operations, but rather threatened DC. with removal of its limited home
rule is reason for moving full speed ahead with the Washington
Afro-American's excellent proposal for a massive “Tea Party” on
the Potomac. How about April 15? And yes, let’s also move full speed
ahead with building a good functional government, too. Full local
self-government and good government are not mutually exclusive — we
need both.
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Mayor Williams's adolescent demands on those who still have
low-number license plates does not give one a feeling of security. His
response during a terrorist attack will probably be foot stamping and a
demand of a loyalty oath from the attackers.
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What an unpleasant way to come back from a great week of skiing in
Colorado — to find a letter from the DC. Office of Tax and Revenue,
claiming that the proposed assessment on my small two bedroom home has
increased more than 61 percent, to over $700K. Sure, it's a nice brick,
two story home in AU Park. But it is only 2200 square feet (including a
modest-sized office in the unheated basement) on about a quarter acre of
land. That kind of increase is not only outrageous, it is nutty.
This house is located right on one of the busiest main arteries into
and out of the District (Massachusetts Avenue), which makes it noisy,
unsafe (ten major accidents on the corner, of 48th and Mass. Ave., NW,
fifty-eight feet from my property line, in the last year). This house is
totally unmarketable to anyone with small children in the family. I'll
accept this increase if DC. will rezone the property as commercial, and
I can sell it to American University so they can build a four-story dorm
here. Otherwise, I'm going to the mattresses on this one.
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It's about time we organize ourselves for a class action against the
property tax assessment. It’s wrong, with no solid bases and most off
all in our neighbor we do no get services in exchange for our money. We
must do something together and do it fast.
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Property Taxes and the Penthouse
Rae Kelley, rkelley@asprs.com
This city is a joke. I, like everyone else, was shocked when I opened
my real property assessment notice. Mine has gone up $18,000. Which is
twice what it went up last year. I ask, what are they basing their
numbers on? Especially when there are four houses on my street that are
boarded up. One of these, the one directly across the street, was for
sale, but when no one bought it, the owner boarded it up. The junkies
and drug dealers set another of these unwanted properties on fire. There
is a convenience store at the end of our street that is a haven for the
neighborhood juvenile delinquents, addicts, and dope dealers.
The residents don't take this laying down. We have an active PSA
group, as well as many community organizations. But the icing on the
cake was when the neighborhood strip bar had another murder in front of
it. All of us, especially our council member, knew this would be enough
to finally get the place closed. The Alcohol Beverage Control Board
actually closed the establishment. Our council member gathered all of
the information he had on this place. Every murder, police call,
complaint . . . everything. And presented it to the ABC Board. Here is
what their response was: “Yesterday the ABC Board held its hearing on
whether to lift the suspension. The Government argued that the license
should remain suspended and that a revocation hearing be held. I
attended the hearing and summarized MPD information on the five-year or
more history of violent crimes and numerous police calls to their
establishment. It's amazing the number of incidents that have reportedly
brought the police to this address since 1997. (All of that will be
directly relevant to the renewal of the license process.) Unfortunately
the Board disagreed. The Penthouse is once again back in business. It
remains under the 'suspension' technically until June, which means if
there is another 'incident' the Board can act. Various conditions have
been attached including signs advising against touching the dancers,
increased security outside and inside the club, no standing room only, a
system for keeping track of the number of attendees and the number of
police calls to the club.”
So I ask again, what are they basing these numbers on? Besides the
fact that they want to bleed the residents dry without helping us make
this a better city to live in.
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Anticipating harsh reaction from those opposed to reopening Klingle,
I want to chime in with support for the pro-Klingle Road comments by
Peter McGee and Marie Nelson in the last issue of themail. Mr. McGee's
comprehensive history of the efforts to repair Klingle (and efforts to
prevent repairing it) since 1991 rang true and succeeded in setting off
my “dagnabit” meter. Dagnabit! This road should be open!
Mother nature suddenly closed the road over a decade ago, and the
lucky neighbors adjoining the road have benefited from this parkland
windfall ever since. Instead of these folks having to make the case to
close a working road, the rest of us have been put in the position of
having to make the case to reopen the road. The ongoing stalemate
preserved the status quo, while the road bed deteriorated further and
further, such that even the hardiest mountain biker couldn't make use of
it.
With this in mind, I would suggest embracing efforts to make the road
usable again, even if initially provided as “emergency vehicle
access.” While the road should be open to everyone, we must be careful
not to discourage forward progress. A continued stalemate will only
preserve the status quo.
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Mayor Williams proposes to spend $4M in federal funds converting a
short section of Klingle Road into a bike trail. Does this make any
sense? The American Society of Civil Engineers and others agree that
good bike trails require careful planning. Things to know include who
will use the trail, where will it go, and why. Most bike riders are
school age children. Will they use Klingle Road? What for? Is it safe?
If commuters bike on Klingle Road, where are they going? DC has none of
the necessary planning data.
Moreover, the road’s short distance and steep inclines limit its
accessibility and usefulness to bike riders. The trail is so short that
at 10 mph, an average cyclist will finish the ride in three minutes. The
trail also would be unacceptably steep. General guidelines for bike path
geometry limit maximum grades to three percent, five to seven percent
grades being used only over short distances, less than 100 feet, when
necessary. Most of Klingle Road exceeds 8 percent in grade. One!
section, over 100 feet long, has a 10 percent grade. Only a few short
portions of the road have grades less than the recommended 3 percent
maximum. Consequently, the population of cyclists able to bike on
Klingle is limited.
We have limited funds to invest in bicycle infrastructure. Is Klingle
Road a good place to invest $4M on a bike trail? Given that bike paths
preferably are flat, certainly we could spend the money on a location
that is more accessible to a lot more people. With some sensible
planning, $4M would go a long way toward a significant bicycle path that
would avoid grades, and connect between popular destinations.
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Peter McGee and Marie Nelson's postings were refreshing. While the
Klingle Road issue has been an important transportation issue to those
who live east and west of the park, let's look at who will really
benefit from this if the Mayor's plan is adopted. If the road is closed,
only those who live on nearby Woodley Road will continue to experience
little traffic through their neighborhood and be provided their very own
steep dog walk. Special interest groups will win over those groups who
shouldn't have to be fighting to keep a public road open in the first
place. ANCs and civic groups will lose all credibility, standing, and
great weight. Our road standards will change for other roads.
After hearing that Mayor Press Secretary, Tony Bullock (no relation
to Barbara Bullock), who lives a block away from Klingle, has been
soliciting Council members for support to close this road, the picture
becomes clearer. Or does it become more cloudy? How do ANCs and
community groups penetrate this inner circle? We can only hope that the
Council will put this to bed once and for all and veto proof the vote to
open Klingle Road. Besides, whose radar screen is this really on? It
can't possibly be the Mayor's. Doesn't he have enough to worry about?
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Don’t Be Fooled By the
Klingle Pavers
Jason Broehm, Adams Morgan, jason_broehm@hotmail.com
As a local Sierra Club leader, I would like to respond to recent
postings that have derisively referred to the Sierra Club as a
“special interest.” We have more than 3100 members in the District,
and we in the DC Chapter fight for a livable city with a healthy
environment, the vision that draws so many like-minded people to our
organization. We make no apologies for fighting long and hard to save
Klingle Valley. This is a precious resource — a beautiful and
sensitive stream valley that is an arm of Rock Creek Park, a rare urban
national park and a special place that is worth protecting. The Sierra
Club is also working hard to address many other pressing environmental
issues facing the District: halting untreated sewage dumping into the
Anacostia River; forcing the region to clean up its horribly polluted
air; improving recycling; and working with the River Terrace community
east of the Anacostia to address long-standing environmental health
problems, to name just a few. From my perspective the special interests
in this issue are those drivers who have spent years trying to persuade
the city to fork over nearly $6 million for the misguided Klingle road
project.
Road advocates speak out of both sides of their mouths on the
environment. They express concern about the environment only when it
serves their purposes, but they have shown themselves to be
anti-environmentalists by vocally opposing any study whatsoever of the
environmental impacts associated with rebuilding a road in a sensitive
stream valley. Further, rather than fighting for improved cross-town
public transportation, they insist on fighting for a road so that they
can save a few minutes as they drive their BMWs and gas guzzling SUVs
across the park to get their kids to private school or go shopping in
Georgetown. They argue that they wouldn't pollute our air as much if
only they could speed across the park rather than having to stop even a
minute at a stoplight. In the hopes of making their point, they funded
their own traffic study, which purported to show how much cleaner the
air would be if only they could drive on Klingle Road again. Based on
this study, they bamboozled the American Lung Association of DC to write
a letter of support on their behalf. The problem is that the study was
based on flawed data, making the whole study meaningless. Shortly after
this came to light, the American Lung Association withdrew its support.
The pro-road folks have leveled vicious attacks at the National Park
Service, which manages Rock Creek Park, for its opposition to rebuilding
Klingle Road. The Park Service is charged with protecting this resource
for future generations, and because rebuilding the road would harm Rock
Creek and trees in the national park, they oppose it. But road advocates
would have you believe that the agency's opposition to the road is
really just part of a huge conspiracy. They also seem to believe in the
"single bullet" theory: if you rebuild Klingle Road for
automobiles, all of DC's traffic problems will magically disappear.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Though the environmental harm
associated with rebuilding the road may be reason enough to stop such a
project, there are other reasons that are just as compelling. First, the
District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has conducted a thorough
study, including a traffic analysis of the area, which concluded that
rebuilding Klingle Road would produce “negligible long-term beneficial
impacts to traffic congestion or safety at surrounding intersections.”
Reopening Klingle Road would only shift traffic problems to other
intersections like Woodley Road and 34th Street.
Second, it is fundamentally unfair to spend a disproportionate amount
of money on a 0.7-mile stretch of Klingle Road at the expense of other
parts of the District. DDOT has estimated that rebuilding this road
segment would cost $5.7 million. The DC Green Scissors Campaign, a
coalition of environmental and taxpayer groups, recently released its DC
Green Scissors 2003 report, which singled out Klingle road as a
boondoggle. Not only would the road cost $4.25 million more than the
planned hiker/biker trail, it would be very expensive to maintain
because Klingle Road is located in a flood plain and would face ongoing
erosion problems. DDOT Director Dan Tangherlini has stated that the more
than $4.25 million saved by not rebuilding the road could be used on
important transportation projects in other parts of the city.
Particularly at a time when the District faces a $128 million deficit,
Klingle road is an extravagance we cannot afford.
Third, DC Fire and EMS has said repeatedly that it doesn't need the
road to adequately serve the public. In fact, in a recent letter the
acting fire chief reaffirmed that Klingle road would be of little use to
fire trucks and ambulances because the road is steep, narrow, windy and
poorly lit, anything but the preferred conditions for speeding emergency
vehicles.
For all of these reasons, Mayor Williams has put forward a common
sense plan to replace the road with a hiker/biker trail that would also
permit occasional access by emergency and utility vehicles. The Sierra
Club supports the mayor's “green” vision for Klingle Valley, and we
are not alone. The Committee of 100 on the Federal City, the District's
oldest and most distinguished citizens planning and advocacy
organization, recently voted to endorse the mayor’s plan. They join
the many other supporters, including Washington Area Bicyclist
Association, Friends of the Earth, National Parks Conservation
Association, DC Audubon Society, and a variety of neighborhood groups on
both sides of Rock Creek Park. The National Park Service and National
Capital Planning Commission also support an alternative to the road.
Five DC Council members are on record in support the mayor's visionary
plan, and we are confident that more will join them once all the facts
are laid out on the table beginning with Thursday’s Council hearing.
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Why Is “A Good Drop in the Right Bucket”
Faint Praise?
Len Sullivan, lsnarpac@bellatlantic.net
How much will the currently planned Columbia Heights redevelopment
projects help improve the “net productivity” of Neighborhood Cluster
2, and what constrains how beneficial they will be? Is there a high-tech
solution to the major missing link in Metro's programs to encourage the
use of public transit and make DC much “greener”? Why would any
group want to assume the role of DC's Ward 10? NARPAC's answers can be
found in the March update of its web site at http://www.narpac.org/INTHOM.HTM.
Try a new approach to making DC better. Get positively involved. Take
your mind off the senseless impending American evangelical war.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
The World of a Multimedia and Internet
Development Company, March 15
Barbara Conn, bconn@cpcug.org
The dynamic John Redmon will share his experiences in starting the
Redmon Group on a shoestring and a prayer, and in developing the company
into a recognized force in the multimedia industry. He will also share
his views on starting and growing a company in today's challenging
economy. In addition, John will tell us of his experiences in developing
multimedia and Web projects, share interactive technology development
strategies, and demo samples from the creative portfolio of the Redmon
Group. Gather your questions, friends, and colleagues and bring them to
the Saturday, March 15, 1:00 p.m. (check-in 12:50 p.m.), meeting of the
Capital PC User Group (CPCUG) Entrepreneurs and Consultants Special
Interest Group (SIG).
Meetings are free and are held each month, usually on the third
Saturday, at the Cleveland Park Library (Second Floor Large Meeting
Room) at 3310 Connecticut Avenue, NW, a block and a half south of the
Cleveland Park Metrorail station, half a block south of the Cineplex
Odeon Uptown movie theater. For more information about the seminar, the
speaker, and CPCUG, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, and
to register for the meeting, visit http://www.cpcug.org/user/entrepreneur/303meet.html.
###############
Upcoming CHIME Programs, March 15 and Later
Dorothy Marschak, chime-de@erols.com
Upcoming free programs in March in CHIME’s “Music Around the
World” series: March 15, Scottish fiddling with John Ward, Lamond-Riggs
Library, 2 p.m.; March 22, French music for winds, Cleveland Park
Library, 2 p.m.; March 29, sax appeal: the saxophone through the ages,
with Rhonda Buckley, Mt. Pleasant Library, 2 p.m. For a complete
schedule and description of the remaining programs in our series this
Spring, or for information about CHIME, visit http://www.chime-dc.org.
Correction: the next orientation for prospective music mentors is
March 19, not March 29, as erroneously reported in a previous message.
Information about the program is on the website, or contact CHIME at info@chime-dc.org.
###############
Regional Conference on Day Labor, March 20-22
John Kern, jkern@cfncr.org
On March 20-22, leaders from across the Washington metropolitan
region will participate in a landmark conference, “Building a
Community Strategy: Day Labor in the Washington DC Region.”
Cosponsored by the Washington Area Partnership for Immigrants and
Grantmakers Concerned for Immigrants and Refugees, the conference will
convene over one hundred community representatives, business
representatives, public officials, philanthropists, and day laborers to
increase participants' knowledge of the opportunities and challenges
that the day labor phenomenon presents for immigrant workers and local
communities. Moreover, the conference will create an opportunity for
participants to create strategies that build on the resources of the
region.
Primarily hoping to spawn dialogue, the conference will be comprised
of two large-group plenary sessions followed by a series of small-group
workshops. Participants will hear from Eliseo Medina, Executive Vice
President, Service Employees International Union, Western Region; day
laborers from across the region; local elected officials from Northern
Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia; community advocates
including CASA de Maryland, the Virginia Justice Center, and the DC
Employment Justice Center; national and local philanthropists; and
embassy officials. In addition to educational workshops and
presentations by community stakeholders, conference participants will
also have the opportunity to visit one of four day labor sites
throughout the region.
To register for the conference, access the link under What's New at http://www.cfncr.org
or use this link: http://www.cfncr.org/press_release2248/press_release_show.htm?attrib_id=1880&doc_id=151257.
Print out the attached PDF registration form and fax to 955-8084. Space
at the conference is limited, and participants are encouraged to
register as soon as possible. For more information, please contact John
Kern, Program Associate, at jkern@cfncr.org
or 263-4767.
###############
The Peace Party Party, March 23
Jenefer Ellingston, jellingston@erols.com
Friends of DC Watch, please put this on your calendar and come to the
party (even if the preemptive strike has struck). Growing Green, The
Peace Party. Greens, well-wishers, supporters, neophytes, and all forms
of peace activists. Come ti Mimi's Restaurant for the Bacchanalia. 2120
P Street, NW, Sunday, March 23, from 3-5 p.m. Celebrate with French wine
and German beer. Spring, vernal equinox, prima vera, life renewal! The
Green alternative to war. Yes, it is a fundraiser — $5.00 donation
requested. For more information, call 546-0940 or E-mail jellingston@erols.com.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — PETS
Nice home needed for male neutered cat. A friend of mine is allergic
to her cat, a seven-year-old tan and white male neutered cat with
up-to-date shots. Please call 301-212-9510 and leave a message.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE
Nordic Track Pro Available
D.K. Black, kilgour at excite dot etc.
I've seen these selling list price for $800, and on sale for $600.
Buy one hardly used for $300. To see a review of the type of product I'm
talking about, see: http://www.epinions.com/content_1920508036.
To see one on sale for $600 see http://www.iconfitness.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/CategoryDisplay?cgmenbr=11052&cgrfnbr=11301.
To get one for $300, call 703-947-1153.
###############
The desk is from Crate and Barrel, is in excellent condition, and the
dimensions are 4' w x 2' d x 2.5' h. Specs: maple veneer, sliding
keyboard tray, adjustable shelves located underneath, on wheels. Color
JPG available. $100 or best offer.
The microwave is in great condition — a few stains and smudges, but
works perfectly. Specs: 1-cubic foot, revolving plate, 14"d x
14"h x 20" wide, brown exterior, one-touch options, clock. $40
or best offer.
###############
Computer Equipment and Pet Supplies
Wanda Avila, wavila@synpub.com
Macintosh Performa system (with PageMaker 6 installed); modem: $100;
PC 17" Color Monitor: $25; PC keyboard and mouse: $10.
Pet supplies: cat bed (with washable cover): $10; large pet carrier;
$10. Call 966-1799.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS
Please stop and shop at Brookville Market! Mr. Sherazi, owner of
Brookville Market in Cleveland Park, has been a supporter for opening
Klingle Road for a few years now. He told me that two of his customers
who live in Cleveland Park said they would get all their neighbors to
boycott his store if he didn't support their side. Mr. Sherazi was
shaken, at best. I knew these people plastered "PAVE IT" signs
on the Klingle Road yard signs in Cleveland Park and in Mt. Pleasant,
but this is inexcusable and over the line. I say support Mr. Sherazi's
grocery store! He's a good gentlemen trying to make a living. He only
wanted Klingle Road open because it would reduce traffic in Cleveland
Park on Connecticut Avenue, thereby allowing more customers to shop at
his store. Shame on those selfish individuals.
###############
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