Not Under Oath

Dear Truth Tellers:

I hope you had a chance tonight to see Bruce DePuyt's News Talk show on Channel 8. If you didn't, I hope DePuyt repeats it, with plenty of advance notice so that you can schedule a viewing. Here's the back story to tonight's program. As you know, the City Council has been holding a series of hearings investigating a group of interlocking scandals involving the Office of Property Management; building leases and property purchases by the government with favored developers, particularly Douglas Jemal; the misuse of government issued credit cards; and now quid pro quo favors given by Jemal to Mayor Williams's last campaign. The scandals have implicated several offices in the administration, and the eagerness with which these offices cooperated to engage in sweetheart deals with a favored developer points to coordination from, as is delicately stated, the highest levels of the administration. Mayor Williams has resisted testifying under oath before the Council about the scandals, and he agreed to appear on DePuyt's program jointly with Councilmember Jim Graham as a compromise to avoid being called to testify.

You'll have to judge for yourself, but I'll tell you what I saw. A mayor who was evasive, avoiding the hard questions with double-talk, downplaying the seriousness of the situation by trying to blame the whole scandal on “one bad apple” (Michael Lorusso, conveniently out of town and unavailable to testify), bad-tempered and trying to discourage hard questions by surliness and irascibility. A mayor who denied the obvious, that some developers are favored by this administration and get special treatment, special deals, special favors. A mayor who denied the obvious, that these developers return the favors. A mayor who made a very wise decision when he refused to testify under oath. I won't say that the mayor watered down the pure truth, but Henry David Thoreau was right when he wrote that, “Some circumstantial evidence is very strong, as when you find a trout in the milk,” and the mayor's milk smells awfully fishy.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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DC Property Tax Resolution
Ann Loikow, johnl@erols.com

Problems with the property assessment process and appeals process, escalating property tax burdens on residential property, and the need to increase the homestead exemption and senior citizen property tax provisions are a major concern of DC citizens across the city. The Federation of Citizens Associations of the District of Columbia approved the following resolution regarding the property tax legislation currently before the DC Council. As first Vice President of the Federation, I testified for the Federation on these issues at the Committee on Finance and Revenue's hearing on July 10.

“Whereas the Federation of Citizens Associations of the District of Columbia (Federation) and its 42 member associations from all across the city have been concerned about escalating property assessments and the resulting property tax burden on District homeowners; and whereas the Federation also has previously expressed concerns about the fairness of assessment process and how inflation has devalued the homestead exemption and the reduced tax rate for senior citizens over age 65; and whereas the Council of the District is considering several bills on this issue, in particular, Bill 15-188, the 'Homestead Exemption Amendment Act of 2003,' Bill 15-210, the 'Equity in Real Property Tax Assessment Act of 2003,' and Bill 15-303, the 'Owner-Occupant Residential Tax Credit Act of 2003'; and whereas the Federation has reviewed the notice of the hearing on these bills, but not the actual text of the bills, at its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on June 24, 2003:

“Now, therefore, let it be resolved that the Federation supports increasing the homestead exemption from $30,000 to $100,000, requiring that any real property tax assessment that is revised by the Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals shall be the basis for subsequent assessments of a property, and replacing the current 25 percent cap on rising property tax bills with a cap of 10 percent; and be it further resolved that the Federation urges the Council to amend section 863 of title 47 of the DC Code (Reduced tax liability for property owners over age 65) to increase the $100,000 limit on household adjusted gross income to reflect inflation since 1991.”

[The Cleveland Park Citizens Association also passed a similar resolution that Ms. Loikow submitted for the record. — Gary Imhoff]

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Going, Going, Gone Update
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com

In themail on July 9 and 13, I wrote about the likely imminent departures of several senior members of the Williams administration. Over the past few weeks, Joy Arnold, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor for Community Affairs; S. Kathryn Allen, Superintendent, Department of Banking and Financial Institutions; and Darryl Anderson, Executive Director, Office of Cable Television and Telecommunications, have left; and City Administrator John Koskinen has announced that September 12 will be his last day on the job.

There are also numerous vacancies on several important boards and commissions. In many instances, the vacancies have existed for months and, on occasion, for years. The current situation is severely hampering the work of many boards because of the difficulty of securing a quorum or the absence of a chairman. The terms of all three members of the Board of Elections and Ethics have expired, although their terms were originally staggered. (Stephen Callas' term expired in July 2001, Jonda McFarlane's in July 2002; and Benjamin Wilson's in July 2003.) Under District law, BOEE members, unlike the members of most boards and commissions, can serve until their replacements are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Council. Mayor Williams, seeking revenge on the BOEE for upholding the law in his petition scandal, will not renominate any of the sitting members, but he is having trouble finding any reputable nominees who will serve under these conditions. The eleven-member Sports and Entertainment Commission has lost three key members, as it faces a crucial decision of whether to renew the contract of its executive director, Bobby Goldwater, and enters a critical period in its attempt to bring a major league baseball team to DC. Commission Chair John Richardson resigned this spring in the face of growing criticism, and the terms of Bill Lucy and Joseph Gilderhorn have expired. The future of the Sports Commission is being reviewed by a Blue Ribbon panel appointed by Mayor Williams and chaired by John Hill, former executive director of the Control Board.

Since March, the seven-member Alcoholic Beverage Control Board has seemed to disintegrate. On March 10, Roderic Woodson, the Board's chair, resigned as of May 1. On May 7, the terms of four board members -- Charles Berger, Vera Abbott, Laurie Collins, and Audrey Thompson -- expired, though they can continue to serve for 180 days after expiration, or until November 7. Two weeks ago, Ellen Oppen-Weiner submitted her resignation, effective August 8. In short, six of the seven seats on the ABC are vacant. On June 30, Vincent Cohen, Sr., stepped down as chairman of the Washington Convention Center Authority Board of Directors because he had moved to the Virgin Islands. Rumors are circulating in the business community that Charlene Drew Jarvis, former chair of the City Council's Economic Development Committee, may be appointed to replace Cohen. The WCCA is also seeking a new general manager to replace Lewis Dawley. On July 17, Laura Gardner, the last of Mayor Williams's original appointees to the DC Board of Education, resigned, effective as of August 2003.

J. Roderick Heller's term as chairman of the National Capital Revitalization Corporation ended on July 14. Williams has indicated that he wants to reappoint Heller, but he didn't bother to send the reappointment to the City Council until July 11, when the Council's last legislative session before fall was on July 14. Reasonably, the Council refused to act on an emergency basis, since the expiration date of the term had been known years in advance. Last fall, Libby Kavoulakis, the chair of the Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals, which reviews property tax assessment appeals, resigned. Mayor Williams has not named a replacement, but the Board's vice chair, Paul Strauss, has assumed most of the duties of the chair. There are currently three vacancies on the Board, and in one week, on July 31, an additional five terms will also expire. On July 31, therefore, eight out of eighteen seats on the board will be vacant. The chairman of the Taxicab Commission, Lee Williams, has been on extended leave since May, and appears to have returned to his home in New Jersey. Lee Williams has been the subject of harsh criticism, both from administration officials and the taxicab industry, and his future status is in doubt. In addition, there are three vacancies on the DC Historic Preservation Review Board; all three positions on the Rental Housing Commission, which the Williams administration unsuccessfully tried to kill off, become vacant this month; and the fifteen-member Board of Trustees of the University of the District of Columbia has five vacancies.

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Alert for Local School Resource Teams
George Parker, Washington Teachers Union Mobilization Committee, gp4786@aol.com

Principals have been provided the local school budgets. Local School Resource Teams (LSRTs) should meet with their principals immediately to review, discuss, and make appropriate budget allocations. It is my understanding that all completed budgets are to be submitted to central administration by Monday, July 28. Remember, WSF budget allocations are to be done via consensus of the LSRT, not unilaterally and in isolation by the Principal. Do not wait for your principal to call you. Call your principal and LSRT members to ensure that the budget process is done correctly at your school, in spite of the short time period allowed for submission. Please contact other Building Reps and LSRT members and share this information.

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VA and MD Sales Tax on Kitchen Items
Ann Carper, jackson73@earthlink.net

I haven't checked the state web sites yet, but does anyone know the rules on stores in VA and MD charging sales tax for items delivered to DC? In the past, Mastercraft Interiors didn't charge us sales tax for furniture they delivered because they don't have a store in DC. However, recently our Virginia cabinet store and appliance dealer (neither of which has a store in DC) have. We've just paid the deposits so far, but I'd like to be prepared to challenge it when the balance is due.

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DMV Gets It Right Two Weeks Running
Paul Michael Brown, pmb@his.com

While washing my car three weeks ago I noticed that I'd been driving around with expired tags for the past year. I've got no excuse. I just had a major brain fade last summer. On July 11 I journeyed to the DMV office on C Street to make amends, certain that an ordeal of major proportions lay in store. I wasn't in line thirty seconds before a polite security guard asked me if I was there to renew my registration. Yes, I replied, but it's been expired for nearly a year. Instead of wrestling me to the ground and giving me the oak shampoo, the guard inquired if I could pay with a credit card. I could, so he directed me to a room down the hall. I took a number, but before I could even take a seat it was my turn to visit with a cheerful clerk who brought everything up to date. Total time inside the building: ten minutes!

On July 18 I headed for the DMV's inspection station on Half Street, SW. Expecting a lengthy wait, I brought along several newspapers and Robert Caro's magnum opus on Lyndon Johnson's service in the Senate. When I arrived at 12:30 p.m. there were exactly zero cars in line. Another polite DMV person said he didn't need to see any of my paperwork. Instead he used a hand held computer device to scan the VIN on the door jamb of my car. One minute later they started the inspection and fifteen minutes after that I was back on the road. I've been horsing around with the District's DMV since 1981, and these encounters were by far the most efficacious and efficient. Well done!

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First Primary Blog
Sam Farmer, Dupont Circle, sam@letsfreedc.org

Come and read the First Primary Blog -- that's right, it's about the DC Primary -- for "news, views, rumors, humor, and analysis ahead of the nation's first primary." Recently we have been the first to report on two candidates' campaign visits in DC and the latest spat between the DNC and DC DSC. Come read and leave comments. http://blog.letsfreedc.org.

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People Don’t Like Paying Taxes
Ed Dixon, Georgetown Reservoir, jedxn@erols.com

Len Sullivan's “Finding Funding For DC Public Schools By Biting Bullet” focuses on facilities issues at DCPS primarily because NARPAC would like to see these properties pay taxes to the city coffers and in turn help the city avoid “getting hooked on federal subsidies.” Two problems. DC is already heavily hooked on federal subsidies, perhaps more so than every other jurisdiction in the country. Politicians nationwide are happy to have someone else pay the bill. Secondly, there is no guarantee that these properties will bring in the revenue required to further reduce the structural imbalance. Sullivan's assumption is that the school property would not go to a tax-exempt entity (e.g., school, university, embassy, association, or other nonprofit organization). Or that its property, sales, and income taxes won't get locked up in a corporate TIF bond. Or the city makes some other revenue reducing deal. Look at the current scandal at Property Management.

The bottom line is many people don't like paying taxes. The Founding Fathers ignited a revolution over unwanted tax burdens and that battle continues nationwide today against many rural and urban public school districts. Some of the people who pay a lot of taxes see it as a burden and will do what they can to undermine any social benefits of redistributing what they perceive as their wealth. Of course, it's all well and good to blame DCPS for whatever amount is being spent on whatever project. But we only need to look at how many of our residents take out second mortgages to send their kids to private schools. That's expensive. Anyone out there, who received a post secondary degree (rocket scientists included) in the past, can compare how much tuition has gone up since graduating. That's expensive. Education is expensive. Why shouldn't we make the investment?

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Water Cost
W. Taylor, wink12@juno.com

With the WASA 2.5 percent increase looming, the children here in southeast DC have taken it upon themselves to open the fire hydrants to cool down. With no swimming pool within a mile in any direction, they jump in and out of the spouting water hidden from view of on coming traffic. The water runs free down the gutters for up to five and six hours at a time. Calls to WASA and the Fire Department are answered with, “it's the MPD's responsibility to keep the hydrants closed.” MPD's response is, “it's the Fire Department's responsibility to keep the hydrants closed.” The Mayor's Command Center and Councilwoman Cropp's office doesn't know who is responsible for keeping the hydrants closed. Does anyone in DC know how we can keep the cost of water down?

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What’s Wrong with Renting?
Dennis A. Dinkel, d.dinkel@verizon.net

Ted Gest in his message [themail, July 20] criticizes Mayor Williams for renting an apartment in the District. While I agree there are many things for which to criticize Mayor Williams, I have a question: what's wrong with renting? I was a long-term homeowner in the District of Columbia until, three years ago, I sold my house and rented an apartment. What a joy to no longer be responsible for everything that goes wrong with my property. Now, if something is amiss, I simply call my landlord. Buying into the “American dream” fable of home ownership foisted on us by the real estate industry and mortgage bankers of America is a highly overrated state of affairs, to my way of thinking.

On another one of Mr. Gest's comments: Though I have been a longtime resident of the District, I have to admit having seen the disastrous behavior of the scandalous DC public schools, if I had children to educate, I'd move out of the District also. I guess it's just a commentary on the fact that every issue has many sides. I respect Mr. Gest's viewpoints; but I have to admit, I have differing opinions.

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DC Realism
Edward Cowan, edcowan1114@yahoo.com

The contributor, Ted Gest, who complained about the US Attorney who lives in Fairfax because he doesn't want his children to attend DC public schools, is off-base. Mr. Gest's child and our children went to DC public schools, but neither he nor I is a prosecutor or judge. Some judges don't list their home addresses or phone number in the telephone directory, for good reason. That fact that Mr. Gest's child had no classmates who, to his knowledge, had family or household connections to an accused criminal, is irrelevant. It happens, even in so-called better neighborhood schools like Alice Deal JHS and Wilson High School. Beyond that, DC schools are weaker than many suburban schools. Finally, there is no reason to believe that the US Attorney would do a better job if he lived in the District.

Ditto the Mayor, if he owned property in the District. Both of these complaints are symptomatic of the carping that permeates DC Watch.

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Owning a Home
Tolu Tolu, tolu2books@aol.com

How can Mayor Williams, the Mayor of the capitol of the world, not be able to figure out purchasing a home? Yet people with little resources are buying and maintaining a home. And this is the person you want to head your city?

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You Bet They Don’t Listen
John Whiteside, loganjohn at mac dot com

I had to chuckle at the into the last issue (the “they don't listen” riff). It's so true. Over a month ago I wrote a detailed letter to Chief Ramsey about my concerns about traffic enforcement downtown. I had some very simple (I thought) and straightforward questions about who in the department was responsible for it, what the plans are when an event such as an accident or fire disrupts rush hour traffic, and so on. I cc'ed the Mayor.

No response. This tells me two things: the Chief was apparently too busy lobbying for his pay raise to even assign a staffer for it, and there probably are no answers to my questions (no one is responsible, there are no plans or policies, etc.). Who do these guys thing they work for? Oh, right — Congress.

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July 2003 InTowner
Peter Wolff, intowner@intowner.com

This is to advise that the July 2003 on-line edition has been uploaded and may be accessed at http://www.intowner.com. Included are the lead stories, community news items and crime reports, editorials (including prior months' archived), restaurant reviews (prior months' also archived), and the text from the ever-popular “Scenes from the Past” feature. Also included are all current classified ads. The complete issue (along with prior issues back to February 2002) also is available in PDF file format by direct access from our home page at no charge simply by clicking the link provided. Here you will be able to view the entire issue as it looks in print, including the new ABC Board actions report, all photos and advertisements. The next issue will publish on August 8. The complete PDF version will be posted by early that Friday morning, following which the text of the lead stories, community news, and selected features will be uploaded shortly thereafter.

To read this month's lead stories, simply click the link on the home page to the following headlines: 1) “New Police District Boundaries Better — Or Will It Be 'Shell Game?,' Residents Wonder”; 2) “14th and U to Logan Retail Taking Off; New Merchants Emphasizing the Home, Seen Catering to Influx of New Residents”; 3) “Rehab Work in LeDroit Park Alarms Neighbors.”

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Emergency Assistance in DC, July 25
Parisa B. Norouzi, parisa@wishdc.org

All Souls Church, Unitarian, and the Fair Budget Coalition invite you to a discussion about emergency assistance and community aid in DC, where we’ve been and where we’re going as a community of providers and advocates. Friday, July 25, 12-2 p.m. Lunch provided with registration. At All Souls Church, 1500 Harvard Street, NW. Limited street parking. All Souls is three blocks from the Columbia Heights station. When you exit, walk south two blocks on 14th and make a right on Harvard Street. The Church will be on your left at 15th and Harvard. For more information and to register contact Darwin Fishman at All Souls, 332-5266, ext. 18, darbfish7@hotmail.com.

Who should attend? Providers of emergency assistance and community aid, individuals who refer people to organizations that provide this aid, and advocates and community members who are concerned about the future of financial assistance programs in DC. Every day, many of us encounter families and individuals who are trying desperately to avoid crisis. Sometimes we are able to cobble together resources to help them prevent an eviction, pay a security deposit so they can move out of shelter, or avoid a utility cutoff. More often than not, we are left with nothing to say but “sorry, we have no emergency assistance funds left” or “we can put you on the waiting list for community aid.” Since the District government eliminated its publicly-funded Emergency Assistance program in 1996, a heavy burden was placed on community organizations, churches and other service providers to meet the needs of people living in crisis.

It is remarkable what groups have been able to do, but the demand for assistance far outweighs the resources that are available, and we need to come together to creatively think about how we can most effectively respond to people in need. We invite you to join us in a conversation about what emergency resources presently are available, what needs are not being met (both by volume and type) and how we can use our collective energy to best respond to those needs.

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George Garland on United Nations at WNDC, July 29
Jessica Baden, jbaden@democraticwoman.org

George A. Garland, Executive Director of the United Nations Association, will speak on “The Emerging Role of the United Nations,” at the Woman's National Democratic Club, 1526 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, on Tuesday, July 29, at 12:30 p.m.

Dr. Garland will have the latest information on how the US is (or is not) working with other countries to strengthen international cooperation through the United Nations. To RSVP, call 232-7363, ext. 3003, or E-mail pfitzgerald@democraticwoman.org.

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5th Annual Georgia Ave. Community Cookout, July 29
Phil Shapiro, Mt. Pleasant, pshapiro@his.com

The Georgia Avenue/Rock Creek East Family Support Collaborative will be holding its fifth annual cookout on Tuesday, July 29, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the 1100 block of Allison Street, NW (just west of the intersection of Allison Street and Georgia Avenue NW). Food, music, games, moonbounce, clown, community fellowship, and “Mama and Baby Bus.” The Mama and Baby Bus provides health counseling, insurance information, referrals and various other health services. For more information, call 722-1815, ext. 259. Allison Street will be closed for a block for this celebration.

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CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED

Murch Elementary School
Brenda Shaw, murchxday@starpower.net

Office assistant, 15-20 hours per week, Monday-Friday afternoons, $13/hour, near Metro. If you are friendly, with strong communication skills, can manage administrative details galore, are computer literate and will work in a busy, but cheerful environment during the school year, fax resume to 537-1642.

Teachers for after school enrichment, one hour, 1-5 days per week. Murch Elementary, near Metro. We need fun, creative classes on a variety of topics. Good pay. 537-9676.

Teachers/assistants for Murch Elementary after school. Responsible, reliable, radiant people needed to run a variety of fun activities Monday-Friday, 3-6 p.m., competitive compensation, near Metro. 537-9676.

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CLASSIFIEDS — VOLUNTEERS

Literacy Volunteers Needed
Brian Pelowski, brianpelowski@starpower.net

The Washington Literacy Council needs tutors to provide one-on-one help in reading and spelling to adults in DC. New tutors are trained in monthly sessions throughout the year. Tutors commit to a year of service and meet for one hour each week with their students at the library or the Washington Literacy Council office in Adams Morgan. No prior teaching/tutoring experience is needed. Find the latest training dates at our web site, http://www.washingtonliteracycouncil.org.

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James Forman Papers Project
Karen Szulgit, kaszulgit@ilsr.org

Internship and volunteer opportunities available for people interested in civil, domestic and international human rights! This is an opportunity to help organize the historic papers of James Forman, a former Executive Secretary and International Affairs Director of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which was in the forefront of the struggle that led to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Law, and helped to end apartheid in South Africa and colonialism throughout Southern Africa. Community organizers, fundraisers, researchers, and all those interested in African-American studies, archives, history, international affairs, library science, political science, and public relations are welcome!

This is an opportunity to view firsthand and organize historic documents for posterity and to further efforts to educate voters throughout the United States! Please apply to Mr. James Forman, Unemployment and Poverty Action Committee (UPAC), 1311 L Street NW, Suite 205, Washington, DC 20005, or leave a voice mail message at 301-369-6282.

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CLASSIFIEDS — FOR SALE

Dining Chairs
Rob Pegoraro, robp at speakeasy.net

Four Crate & Barrel dining chairs, with pine ladderback frames and wicker seats, in great condition. The set cost me $400 new, but it's yours for $200. 703-217-0493 or robp at speakeasy.net.

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CLASSIFIEDS — FREE

Appliances
Ann Carper, jackson73@earthlink.net

Upright, refrigerator-size Kenmore Frostless freezer (beige) and GE gas stove (beige with black front) free to anyone who'll haul them away. Both work fine. Freezer is thirteen years old; stove came with house, so don't know vintage.

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