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December 17, 2003

Voting Rights

Dear Voters:

Alan Heymann, below, demands that I make his cause my cause, his priority my priority, and moreover that I devise a better, more winning strategy for the DC voting rights cause than it has been able to do for itself. Of course, I am always happy to help, although I doubt that my advice will be welcome. Here are five things that I would do to promote voting rights for DC citizens, listed in the order that I suggest they be addressed. First, I would have everyone concentrate on my cause and priority, which is running a good, clean, efficient, and effective DC city government. Voting rights advocates tend to denigrate the importance of good government, saying that the right to vote is inherent and shouldn't have to be earned by good behavior. Yeah, right. Now get over it. A teenager asking his parents for the keys to the family car can't demand them as his right as a member of the family. He has to show he's responsible and ready to drive. We have to show we're ready to govern, just as all the states that were admitted to the union after the first thirteen had to show that they were ready for statehood. Second, we have to build a strong and competitive Republican party. As long as the District remains as lopsidedly Democratic as it is, neither party has any reason to do anything for us. The Democrats aren't going to lose our votes, and the Republicans aren't going to win them, no matter what they do to us or for us. So why should either party bother with us?

Third, voting rights advocates have to agree on what they want, on what their aim really is. As things stand now, the voting rights movement ranges from those who would accept nothing less than full statehood, through those who think we can evade the Constitutional creation of the District of Columbia by Congress' granting us Senators and a voting House representative without statehood, through those who would gain voting rights by having most of the District become a Congressional district of Maryland, down to those who would accept merely a floor vote for Eleanor Holmes Norton as a first step. This allows the voting rights movement to count more people as supporters, but it doesn't allow the movement to develop a coherent political strategy. Any politician who extends a hand in friendship by proposing a voting rights measure that is short of full statehood will get no thanks; instead, he will get his hand bitten by statehood purists. Why should a politician devote time and energy to advancing voting rights for the District when it will gain him nothing in his home state or Congressional district, and when the most vocal DC activists will help kill his proposal with their scorn? Fourth, voting rights advocates have to convince DC residents themselves that this is a major priority. Right now, there are twenty different voting rights groups, which means each one of the twenty voting rights activists in the city heads a different organization and belongs to nineteen others. On a nice, warm, sunny summer day, at a major rally, these twenty people will be joined by a couple hundred more supporters. When citizens don't have to spend all their civic time and energy fighting city government trying to get their trash picked up and convincing the police to do street patrols and getting their cars through DMV, maybe more people will be free to put voting rights at the top of their list of political causes.

Fifth, when District residents are united in sufficient numbers behind a reasonably unified strategy and cause, we can run a political campaign the way successful and powerful people run campaigns, or the ways in which other states ran their statehood campaigns. We won't need demonstrations and stunts, which are the tactics of the powerless. We shall organize alliances; we shall gather influence and trade on it; we shall raise significant amounts of campaign funds to promote our purposes. The mayor alone raised well over two million dollars for his last political campaign, and he's still raising more money to pay off his campaign debts. How much money have all the politicians in the city combined raised for voting rights? When the members of the Greater Washington Board of Trade and the law firms and the developers who fund local politics in this town give their money to the voting rights cause, it may stand some chance.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com 

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Gary’s Doing Nothing Again in themail
Alan Heymann, alanheymann at alanheymann dot com

Gary, when I read your first disparaging remarks about the DC flag proposal about a year ago, I wrote to you with a challenge you never answered. So, here goes again. Perhaps I can be more clear this time. What ideas do you, Gary Imhoff, have for improving awareness of our lack of voting rights and home rule? If you were mayor or on the City Council, how would you educate the rest of the nation about these 200-year-old injustices if not by changing the flag?

My suspicion in posing these questions, yet again, is that you have no positive ideas about how to improve the quality of life for DC citizens. Instead, you're content to criticize the ideas of others and whine about the poor quality of life. Or, is it the case that you're simply content for us to live under the congressional thumb for another 200 years?

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The Year in Review
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com 

At today’s weekly press conference, Mayor Williams released a report detailing the accomplishments of his administration in 2003 (http://www.dcwatch.com/mayor/031217.htm). Mayor Williams gives himself very high marks for accomplishments in public safety, education, housing, economic development, and health care. How would you assess the Williams administration’s work in 2003?

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Invite the DC EITC Campaign to Your Meeting
Susie Cambria, scambria@dckids.org 

You may know that the federal and local earned income tax credits bring millions of dollars into the District and that 10,000 who claim the federal don't claim the local credit. It is critical that we get the word out so that low- and moderate-income working residents who qualify for the credits claim them. I am writing today to urge you to invite the DC EITC Campaign to make a presentation to your community group, nonprofit, ANC — whatever and wherever folks are who can benefit from the information. Already on the schedule are the Columbia Heights/Shaw Collaborative, the Consortium of Legal Services Providers, the Collaborative Council's citywide training/meeting, and Jubilee Housing.

Get on the schedule! Contact Idara Nickelson at DCFPI, umoh-nickelson@dcfpi.org. A range of information is available on the DCFPI web site, including fliers, newsletter stories, outreach ideas, and key facts about the EITC. Go to http://www.dcfpi.org/eic2003/

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DCPS Cutting Teachers
Toby Doloboff, toby1414@aol.com 

Last week only one poster commented (and quite effectively) about the upcoming layoffs of tons of DCPS teachers in the middle of a school year to close a deficit. Could it be that most of the readers do not have children attending DCPS? Or do people just not care? Though this cut will be made on the backs of teachers, it may affect us all. Larger class size will result as teachers are fired and classes combined. Certain elective and special subject classes will certainly take hits. DCPS students routinely score low on SAT 9 compared to their counterparts in other states. If our kids are low now, what will happen when teachers are fired, classes get packed with more students and electives eliminated? What kind of graduates will we be turning out? These young people won't be ready for the work world or college. Thankfully, the current interim superintendent had the sensitivity or honesty not to put the ridiculous motto “Children First” on one of her communiqués informing us of the RIFs to come. And the worse thing of all is Williams has the money, and certainly no teachers' vote if he dares run again.

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Closed Libraries
Sue Hemberger, Friendship Heights, smithhemb@aol.com

In response to Bryce Suderow's query as to whether any of themail's readers had encountered library closings related to boiler failures, I'd like to add the Palisades branch to his list. It was closed one Monday in November (before Thanksgiving) when I stopped by. The sign in the window said something like, “Closed due to lack of heat.”

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Snow Plows
David Hunter, hunterontravel at hotmail.com

I actually was stunned to see a new, large dump truck type plow with the DC logo on the doors go down my side residential street off of Utah Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. They were not only plowing but salting too. I think it is the first time in four years I have ever seen a plow in the neighborhood, and the first time for sure on my small street. Was silently stunned and amazed.

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Petarded
Erik Gaull, esq25@columbia.edu

[Re "Hoist by Their Own Petard," Ed Barron, December 14:] A petard was an old-fashioned bomb. The phrase "hoisted by one's own petard" means to be caught in one's own trap (as in when the bomb went off early and launched the bomber in the air). It is not clear whether the actual phrase is "hoisted" or "foisted" as both are commonly seen in usage (although "foist" has a somewhat different meaning).

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Freecycling, a Good Idea
Clare Feinson, cfeinson at erols dot com

I think this sounds like a wonderful idea [themail, December 14], and I wanted to share my favorite freecycling idea. The DC Animal Shelter, 1201 New York Avenue, NE, uses old newspapers to help keep the animals warm and dry. Newsprint sections only, no magazines, advertising, or other glossy or color inserts. Best time to take the papers there is 11-3 Saturday and Sunday, which is when they have volunteers there to help bring the papers inside. If you need to talk to the shelter, you can reach them at 576-6664.

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Chamique a Wizard
Sid Booth, sidbooth1@aol.com

In response to the December 7 post by D. Truhart, who advised us that Chamique Holdsclaw is with the Washington Wizards — we wish! Her strong stats — 20.5 points and WNBA-leading 10.9 rebounds a game average for the Washington Mystics would be a welcome addition if she were to move to the Woeful Wizards.

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Anacostia House Tour, December 21
Yavocka D. Young, darsellmarket1@cs.com

You are invited to attend the Anacostia Holiday Tour of Historic Homes on next Sunday, December 21, 1 to 5 p.m. This event is a self-guided walking tour of nine historic homes in the Anacostia Historic District. You will tour the main living level of each home and be greeted with light refreshments and entertainment. Each home will be tastefully outfitted for the holidays. You may begin your tour anytime between 1 and 4 p.m. A reception will follow at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site at 5 p.m. The tour begins at St. Phillip's Episcopal Church, 2001 14th Street, SE, between U and V Streets, where you will purchase tickets (adults, $15; children 14-17, $7.50; children 13 and younger, free) and receive your program booklet.

This is Main Street Anacostia's first fundraiser and will be a holiday treat for friends and family alike. We hope you can make it!

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Museum Family Fun Day at Ohr Kodesh Congregation, December 25
Diana Altman, museum@bnaibrith.org

The B'nai B'rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum, in cooperation with Tifereth Israel Congregation and Ohr Kodesh Congregation, is presenting its annual family fun day on Wednesday, December 25, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at Ohr Kodesh Congregation, 8300 Meadowbrook Lane, Chevy Chase, Maryland, 20815. The event is wheelchair-accessible. Lot and street parking are available. Admission for the general public is $14 for adults, $12 for children twelve and under; for members of the Klutznick Museum, Tifereth Israel, or Ohr Kodesh, $10 for adults, $8 for children twelve and under. Reservations are recommended. Call 857-6583 or E-mail museum@bnaibrith.org.

The event features storytelling by Jennifer Rudick Zunikoff, singing led by Andrea Foster, crafts and games, charity program, and full dairy lunch. The B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history, culture, and art of the Jewish people. Its collections comprise art, ethnographic, and archeological holdings from the Biblical period through the 20th century. The Museum is located at 2020 K Street, NW. Gallery admission is by advance reservation only. For more information about the museum call 857-6583, visit http://www.BBInet.org, or E-mail museum@bnaibrith.org.

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CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED

Handyman (or Handywoman) Needed
Pat Yates, PatEdCats@aol.com

For Mount Pleasant home, experienced person with good references to do such things as replace window panes, make minor plumbing repairs, clean gutters, do small carpentry jobs, and the like. The more diverse the skills, the better.

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