Uncommon Sense

Dear Uncommon Readers:

DC is basically a one newspaper town. The Washington Times has some excellent coverage of local news, but not enough people read it. It is therefore notable when the Post, the only other daily, prints a few articles that treat governmental and business affairs with uncommon common sense, instead of with the usual uncritical boosterism. Stephen Pearlstein's invaluable articles throwing cold water on the Convention Center's hype and bunkum are keepers. Clip them or download and save them now, in order to savor them in future years as their predictions come true: “The Convention Center's Smoke and Mirrors,” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29216-2003Mar25.html, and “DC Not Built to Be a Typical Convention Town,” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39215-2003Mar27.html. Both ask the same question: why should the government subsidize the convention industry so heavily and rely on the industry's wildly inflated projections of economic benefits? Pearlstein asks, “It remains a mystery why the convention business is considered so deserving that we should try to use public funds and risk-taking to induce more of it. By the same logic, why not use subsidies to attract more high-income businesses like law, software development or heart surgery?” Or, come to think of it, it would be fun to head a movie production company. Why shouldn't the city tax existing business in order to build a movie studio for me to run, the same way it's willing to subsidize a convention hotel or build a baseball stadium for the billionaire boys baseball club? Of course, I've never produced a movie before, but the billionaire boys have never run a baseball team before, either. And I can make the same phony projections about the economic benefits of having a movie production studio in DC that the promoters of the convention center or baseball stadium can. Come on, DC, subsidize me.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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Size of St. Coletta Land Grab Mysteriously Grows
Jim Myers, Hilleast@aol.com

The size of the parcel of former DC General Hospital land that is about to be donated by the District to St. Coletta of Greater Washington to build a Michael Graves-designed private school building seems to be quietly, stealthily, growing. The parcel at 19th and Independence SE was described as four acres throughout last year's Reservation 13 controversies, and was so listed March 2002 Draft Master Plan for Reservation 13. At the time, some DC activists asked why St. Coletta's, a private contractor, was being given the prime site on Reservation 13 — that is, the land closest to the Stadium-Armory Metro stop.

Others objected that the giveaway was a bad overall development strategy that minimizes returns to a cash-strapped city. Why, for example, talk about raising DC income tax while giving away valuable land in buckram deals in the name of Lord knows what? Now, in announcing that pending legislation to approve the lease of the land to St. Coletta's at $1 a year for 99 years has been referred to the City Council's “Human Rights, Latino Affairs and Property Management Subcommittee,” the council described the parcel as “305,998.57 square feet.” How slow-minded does City Council think District residents are? Let's see -- an acre is 43,560 square feet, so dividing 305,99.57 by 43,560 produces — holy cow! — 7.02 acres. How did this happen? Calls to City Council offices have so far failed to produce any explanation for the leap from 4 to 7 acres, leaving Hill East residents to wonder if City Council even knows what is going on. So who is orchestrating these buckram manipulations? Or were our councilmembers hoping no one would notice?

Text of the announcement from our City Council: PR 15-114, “Lease of a Parcel of District Property Held Under a Letter Transfer at US Reservation 13 to St. Coletta of Greater Washington, Inc. Approval Resolution of 2003.” To review and approve the disposition by a lease for a period of greater than twenty (20) years to St. Coletta of Greater Washington, Inc. of a parcel of District property on US Reservation 13 at the corner of Independence Avenue, S.E. and 19th Street, S.E. containing approximately 305,998.57 square feet held by the District under a Letter Transfer. Chairman Cropp at the request of the Mayor, to the Subcommittee on Human Rights, Latino Affairs and Property Management.

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Self-Government and School Management
Mark David Richards, Dupont East, mark@bisconti.com

Side-by-side in The Washington Post on Saturday you could read two perspectives on DC schools. The Post editorialized in "Bureaucracy Beyond Belief" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45076-2003Mar28.html) that “It doesn't seem to matter what would-be reformers of the DC public school system try to do. The bureaucracy's stranglehold on the schools is nothing short of amazing-bordering-on-criminal. . . . Unless cuts are made — and there's no way to avoid doing so — the school system will blow its personnel budget by $31.5 million this fiscal year. That comes on top of a $33.3 million shortfall in other areas.”

In an op-ed, “Making the Most of Vouchers” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44924-2003Mar28.html), School Board President Peggy Cooper Cafritz didn't touch the school administration's overspending problem but addressed the school voucher issue. She writes, “If you think about it in terms of the life of a child, true home rule is nowhere on the horizon. . . . School voucher legislation introduced in the House and Senate would make millions of dollars in 'scholarship' money available to DC parents and could enable them to send their children to private or parochial schools in Maryland, Virginia or the District. Some version of this legislation is certain to pass. . . . We should join the US Department of Education in forging a system that includes vouchers, charter schools and public schools — one that would afford children in the District the best possible education.” Cafritz offers some ideas to accomplish her suggested goal. She concludes, “One of three children in the District lives in poverty. One of three adults in this city is functionally illiterate. Each was once a child whom we failed to educate, a child we delivered to a life of dependency and an overburdened social service system, a child we excluded from the workforce -- a child that we excluded from democracy.”

I would hope that the folks who run the schools could figure out how to work with the self-government and population we have in DC. OK, our situation isn't easy. But if the school administration cannot control its budget, it is failing at a most basic element of self-government and basic management. Federally funded vouchers to help some students escape the public schools can't solve a flagrant overspending problem of the school administration. And Congress cannot be blamed for this tiring and cyclical story. Maybe there is more than meets the eyes, but to hear of overspending year after year is tiring. Change has to come from within DC, and a lot of people hope to see an editorial and article some time soon which reports that at last DC schools can manage themselves respectably — at least most of the time!

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Rock Creek Park Draft General Management Plan Discussion Forum
Laurie Collins, lauriec@lcsystems.com

The National Park Service (NPS) has prepared a draft General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement that analyzes three action alternatives and a no-action alternative for general management of Rock Creek for the next 15-20 years. A brief description of the plan is posted here: http://planning.nps.gov/parkweb/default.cfm?RecordID=135. NPS’s preferred alternative would close three segments of Beach Drive in the northern portion of the park to motorized vehicles for a six-hour period, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays. These would be the same segments that currently are closed on weekends. A second alternative would improve visitor safety, better control traffic volumes and speeds through the park by implementing HOV restrictions on Beach Drive during rush hour periods in the primary travel direction of the traffic. The third alternative would permanently close selected segments of Beach Drive north of Broad Branch Road to cars and would promote non-motorized recreation in this area. The no-action alternative would continue current management practices.

In May, NPS will hold public meetings to elicit comments. We have set up a discussion forum to collect comments. To subscribe, send an E-mail to openparkways-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. To post a message, send to openparkways@yahoogroups.com.

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Is There a Message Here?
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com

On March 13 (two weeks ago) I sent in my appeal of the proposed assessment for my house to the Property Tax Office. I sent it in via certified mail, return receipt requested, to assure that the documentation would be noted to have arrived before the April 1 deadline. To date, I have not received any confirmation (that little green post card) that the documents have been received. I'm beginning to wonder if the Property Tax Office is just shoveling those appeals into big piles for feeding to the shredder.

Just in the event that the infallible(?) US Postal Service has managed to mangle or lose my appeal, I refiled the appeal with another certified letter yesterday.

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Colby King’s March 22 Column
Lyla Winter, mrscalabash@att.net 

I'm surprised there have been no postings re Mr. King's March 22nd column. If and when the war in Iraq is over, and there is actual progress toward democracy, the people of Iraq are more likely to have full citizenship, and be able to vote for their senators and congressmen, then we who live in the District of Columbia. Maybe we should take our discontent with being non-citizens to the UN.

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A New Approach to Protesting Taxation Without Representation
Scott Vicary, svicary@globalenvironmentfund.com

Many DC residents have advocated for years that we protest our lack of democratic rights by refusing to pay our federal taxes or by paying them into escrow accounts. Unfortunately, these efforts have not gained much momentum for a pretty good reason — namely that the IRS has the authority to seize your money plus penalties with little difficulty. It is hard to rally people to an effort that could end up raising their tax burden by up to 25 percent.

DC RABBLE recently launched a new form of protest against taxation without representation that may prove more accessible to many DC residents (see http://www.dcrabble.org). The idea is to pay part of your taxes on oversized checks that cannot be processed by machine, therefore costing the IRS more time and money to take your taxes. You can make the checks as large as you want and emblazon them with slogans for statehood, democratic rights, or whatever you choose. This form of protest is not new, having been used in the poll tax protest in the United Kingdom during the late ‘80s and sporadically in the US by groups such as war protesters. Such oversized checks are technically legal, though there is still a risk of penalties. DC RABBLE is organizing a group of such over-sized-check bearers to join a rally on April 15 to sign and submit these payments. If you are interested, please see the tax obstruction section on http://www.dcrabble.org.

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

WPFW Show on Programs for People with Disabilities, March 31
Erica Nash, erica@help-your-self.com

Please tune in to WPFW, 89.3FM, on Monday, March 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. I will be interviewed about programs that would help people with disabilities in the District. I will be talking about new programs, current programs, and recent budget cuts. Most importantly, I’ll be talking about the Medicaid Buy-in for Workers with Disabilities and how you can help make it happen. This is easy folks, all you have to do is listen! Please tell your friends and anyone you know with a disability or who works with people with disabilities to listen. During the program you will have an opportunity to call in with questions and you can also talk about how the Medicaid Buy-in might affect you. If you wish to call, the studio number is 588-0893. Again, I will be on the air this Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on WPFW 89.3FM.

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Fixing Metro’s Budget Woes: Can We Avoid a Fare Hike?, April 2
Cheryl Cort, ccort@washingtonregion.net

A Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities forum with Jim Graham, Metro Chairman and DC Council member; Chris Zimmerman, Metro Board member and Arlington County Board; Sen. Decatur Trotter, Metro Board member, Maryland; and Cheryl Cort, Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities. Wednesday, April 2, 6:30 p.m. refreshments, 7 p.m. presentations/discussion. At the University of the District of Columbia, 4200 Connecticut Avenue, Building 44, A-03 (Van Ness/UDC Metro Station — from UDC Metro exit: turn left then right on Van Ness Street, second building on the right).

Metro is proposing to raise fares for bus and rail to meet half of a $48 million operating budget shortfall. Extended hours for Metrorail were also recently proposed. Join us for presentations and discussion about how to best address Metro’s funding problems and improve service. WRN’s Executive Director Cheryl Cort will present its proposal to meet the budget deficit without raising fares. Metro board members from Virginia, DC, and Maryland will discuss their views on fare hikes, service changes and opportunities for improved performance of the transit system. RSVP (attendance only): WRN, 667–5445, or E–mail staff@washingtonregion.net. This event is free of charge. Find out more about WRN at: http://www.washingtonregion.net.

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Strategizing on the FY 2004 Budget, April 3
Susie Cambria, scambria@dckids.org

Strategy meeting: Developing a Common Message Around the Medicaid Reserve Fund, Tobacco Funds and Government Agency Efficiency and Accountability. The meeting is being held on Thursday, April 3, 9:30-11:00 a.m. in the 7th floor conference room at 1616 P Street, NW. In the development of the FY 2003 budget, the Mayor, CFO, City Administrator, and others decided it was important to recognize that agency Medicaid claiming practices were not meeting annual projections. Consequently, with the freed-up "tobacco settlement" funds, the city created a two-year time-limited account, the Medicaid Reserve. Funds from this reserve were to be available to specific agencies — CFSA, DMH, DCPS, DHS — in the event that the agencies did not achieve their Medicaid claim goals. A number of high ranking city officials, including the city administrator, worked with agencies to improve their claiming practices.

While DC Public Schools has reportedly achieved some success in improving their ability to bill for Medicaid eligible services, other agencies have not. And, there is great concern amongst budget analysts, OCFO staffers, Council members and staff, and community members that agencies have already spent these reserve funds for current operations. Obviously, this is not how the funds were intended to be used. DC Action for Children and other advocates believe it is critically important that the community weigh in on this issue. The purpose of the meeting is to develop common language and an immediate strategy to communicate our views to the elected leaders and other decision-makers in the city. The message will be delivered to Mayor Williams and all members of the City Council during the week of April 7. All those interested in taking action on this issue are encouraged to attend this meeting! RSVP to DC Action for Children, 234-9404 phone, 234-9108 fax, or dcaction@dckids.org by April 2.

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TasteDC.com’s April Calendar of Wine and Food Events
Charlie Adler, wine@tastedc.com

1) April 2, Wednesday, 7-Course Authentic Malaysian Meal at Malaysia Kopitiam, Malaysia Kopitiam, 1827 M Street, NW. Fee valet parking, limited street parking, Metros: Farragut North or Dupont Circle (Red Line), 7-10 p.m., $58/person, wine, tax and tip inclusive. Join us for an authentic Malaysian meal at Malaysia Kopitiam a top 100 two-star restaurant according to Washingtonian Magazine! This meal is all inclusive of wine, tax and tip, please see the complete menu below. Menu (wines are included with the meal): appetizers: curry puff, crispy pastry stuffed with minced chicken and potatoes with curry spices; chicken satay, grilled marinated chicken on bamboo skewers with satay peanut sauce. Entrees: second course, Hainanese chicken rice, steamed boneless chicken with flavored rice; third course, char kuih teow, stir-fried flat rice noodles with shrimp, eggs, chives, bean sprout and U-choy; fourth course, curry lamb simmered in thick curry gravy with coconut milk; fifth course, Assam sambal shrimp stir-fried with onions, tomatoes, and red pepper in spicy tamarind paste; sixth course, Belachan okra stir-fried in spicy shrimp paste. Dessert course, fresh mango with sweet sticky rice in coconut milk. This is a seated event and wine is included with the meal. 2) April 8, Tuesday, The Great Wines of Tuscany, Italy, Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 2121 P Street, NW. Valet parking, Metro Dupont Circle (Red Line) is less than two blocks away, 7-7:30 p.m. reception, 7:30-9 p.m. tasting, $60 per person. Tuscan wines are some of the world's best: from Chianti Classicos produced primarily from the Sangiovese grape to world-class Brunello di Montalcinos and Super-Tuscans. We'll be primarily tasting DOC and DOCG wines of this area which is the highest quality designation in Italy. Steve Brown, one of the most knowledgeable and experienced wine educators in the DC area will taste with you and discuss nine of these Italian beauties from recent vintages that have been very good to excellent! He'll also discuss acquiring and proper aging of these wines which often take many years to develop. This is a seated event, bread and cheese to cleanse your palate will also be served. 3) April 9, Wednesday, Great Wines of Spain and Portugal, Radisson Barcelo Hotel. 7-7:30 p.m. reception, 7:30-9 p.m. tasting, $40 per person. Join Steve Brown, one of the most knowledgeable and experienced wine educators in the DC area, as we taste through the major wine regions of Spain (Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Penedés, and Priorat) and discuss the quality variations of primarily the Tempranillo grape (Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva quality levels), as well as Portugal’s up-and-coming wines. Since Spanish and Portuguese wines are so affordable (Wine Spectator scored many high 80’s to wines under $15 in the December 15, 2002 issue), you will get phenomenal bang for your buck from learning about these wines! 4) April 16, Wednesday, Hot, Hot, Hot! 7-Course Chile Pepper Wine Dinner at Heritage India, 2400 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Glover Park. 7-10:00 p.m. seated wine dinner, $58 per person, tax, wine, and tip inclusive, valet parking for an extra charge, limited street parking available. TasteDC.com presents The Chileheads of the DC area with the highest rated local Indian restaurant — a Top 100 3-Star Winner in Washingtonian Magazine! Last time we did this event we sold out, so sign up early! Each dish will be at least as hot as the Indian version, but we guarantee that every dish will get hotter until the Lamb Vindaloo has your mouth blistering hot! If you don’t like very hot food, then please don't sign up; you have to enjoy intense capsaicin heat to really enjoy Hot, Hot, Hot events. We’re including Anton Bauer’s Austrian wines which go great with spicier foods, and rice will be served with each course to cool you down. This is a seated event. Complete menu at http://www.tastedc.com/cgi-bin/events.cgi?location=X_DC. 5) April 22, Tuesday, Wine Basics 101 — DC's most popular wine class! Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 7-7:30 p.m. reception, 7:30-9 p.m. tasting, $40 per person. Over 6,000 people have attended this event in our six-year history! 6) April 23, Wednesday, France vs. California vs. the World Wine Tasting Showdown, Radisson Barcelo Hotel, 7-7:30 p.m. reception, 7:30-9:30 p.m. tasting, $60 per person. So who makes the best wine in the world, is it France, California, or another famous wine growing region? In this event, you choose the winners! Join TasteDC.com and Steve Brown, wine consultant, wine writer and culinary professional, as we taste twelve different wines in four tasting categories. You won't be able to cheat because all bottles will be covered and you vote for your favorites! 7) April 29, Tuesday, Live Italian Opera in Four Courses at Tuscana West, 1350 I Street, NW. Fee valet parking, limited street parking, McPherson Square Metro (Orange/Blue Lines) one block away, 7-10 p.m., $67 per person, opera, wine, tax and tip inclusive. Awaken your senses with an exciting evening filled with the thrill of opera and classic Italian food and wine! Let yourself be swept away by the talents of our opera singers as they are accompanied by piano as they perform opera arias and duets by Mozart, Verdi, Donizetti, Bellini, Rossini, Puccini, and more. We will enjoy a four-course Italian meal served with the lovely wines of Delicato Vineyards and enjoy beautiful music between the courses. We guarantee this to be a beautiful marriage of wine, food, and music. Complete menu at http://www.tastedc.com/cgi-bin/events.cgi?location=X_DC. Reservations: secure web form, click on https://secure.tasteusa.com/cgi-bin/order/order.cgi?X_DC. Phone 333-5588 ($5 surcharge/person).

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Looking for Artists/Crafters for Glover Park Day XIV, June 7
Judie Guy, gpgazed@aol.com

Don't miss the 14th Annual Glover Park Day, Saturday, June 7, from 11 to 5 on the grounds of Guy Mason Rec Center at Wisconsin and Calvert, NW. There will be live music all day from the stage, great food from Glover Park's award-winning restaurants, prize drawings, children's activities, and arts/crafts. We guarantee good weather (fourteen years and only partially rained out once!) and a great time for the whole family. We have a number of terrific local artists/crafters who return every year, but we also like to add new ones and offer variety. If you're a local artist/craftperson who's interested in selling your work at GP Day, please contact me. We're interested in almost everything — over the years we've hosted potters, jewelers, basket makers, glass blowers, weavers, painters, and print makers, just to name a few.

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CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE

Mirror
John Whiteside, johnwhiteside at earthlink dot net

It's a plain piece of mirror glass — 2 feet by 4 feet and a quarter of an inch thick. Yours for $20.

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CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS

Cleaning Services
David Pansegrouw, ruben96@aol.com

I want to recommend Zulay Andrade for cleaning services. She is a great help to my family -- two adults, two kids, two cats. She is looking for more work. She can do weekly or biweekly cleaning. She is easy to work with and has references besides me! She can be reached by phone at cell 240-305-8310 or 301-869-7788 or E-mail ZulayAndrade@yahoo.com.

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Air Conditioning Contractor
Ryan Edelstein, ryanedelstein@irrc.com

Anyone have A/C and ductwork installed in an older row house? Looking for contractor recommendations. RyanEdelstein@IRRC.com.

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