The List

Dear Listers:

In the last issue of themail, Dorothy wrote about the unusually large percentage of the mayor's non-governmental nominations to the Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force who live outside the District. The nomination resolutions, PR15-756 through PR15-785, are available now in PDF format on the city council's web site at http://dccouncil.us, and they'll be posted in HTML at http://www.dcwatch.com/council15 by late Thursday. In the meantime, here's the list of nominees, in answer to the numerous E-mails asking who they are.

Representatives of financial services institutions: Christopher B. Lo Piano, 312 Highview Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20901; Ernest McDonald Skinner, 229 Rock Creek Church Road, NW, Washington, DC 20011. Representatives of the for-profit housing production community: Marilyn Melkonian, 2915 Dumbarton Street, NW, Washington, DC 20007; Robert David Youngentob, 10020 Counselman Road, Potomac, Maryland 20854. Representatives of the nonprofit housing production community: Loretta Tate, 220 54th Street, SE, Washington, DC 20019; Leslie A. Steen, 3001 Veazey Terrace, NW, Washington, DC 20008. Representative of the academic or nonprofit community: John K. McIlwain, 1737 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20009. Representative of the philanthropic community:

Oramenta F. Newsome, 9308 Spring Water Path, Jessup, Maryland 20794. Representative of an employer-assisted housing provider: Beverly J. Wilbourn, 1615 Myrtle Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012-1129. Representatives of the multifamily property owner community: Stanley W. Sloter, 9112 Vendome Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20817; William Christopher Smith, Jr., 1312 Beachview Road, Annapolis, Maryland 21403. Representative of the real estate profession: Adrian Glenn Washington, 1925 Shepherd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011. Representative of an affordable housing advocate organization: Robert H. Pohlman, 1815 Monroe Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010. Representative of low-income tenants: Yvonne Clary, 1361 Half Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024. Citizen representatives: Robert L.E. Egger, 1822 Park Road, NW, Washington, DC 20010; Jeffrey H. Gelman, 1916 Westchester Drive, Silver Spring, Maryland 20902-3561; Walter David Watts, 1629 Webster Street, NW, 20011; Alice M. Rivlin, 2838 Chesterfield Place, NW, Washington, DC 20008; John H. McKoy 1306 Holly Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012; Bessie Estelle Swann, 18300 Charity Lane, Accokeek, Maryland 20607; Leslie Powell Evans, 4247 Colorado Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20011; Gilberto Cardenas, 4849 Connecticut Avenue, NW, #424, Washington, DC 20008; Nan P. Roman, 3817 Legation Street, NW, Washington, DC 20015. Representative of a supportive housing services organization: Patrick M. Costigan, 622 Constitution Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002. Government agency representatives: Lori E. Parker, 2647 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009-4603; Ellen M. McCarthy, 3905 Morrison Street, NW, Washington, DC 20015-2944; Michael P. Kelly, 427 Whittier Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012; Stanley Jackson, 52 Brandywine Street, SW, Washington, DC 20032; Theodore N. Carter, 510 N Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024-4503; Milton J. Bailey, 5808 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20011.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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Our Secret Government
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com

In recent weeks, the Washington Post, both in editorials and in Colby King's column, the Common Denominator, and themail have written about the city's penchant for secret, closed-door meetings that are held in every sector of the District's government, despite the provisions of the sunshine law requiring open meetings. These secret meetings and deliberations are occurring now in the city council on the budget, in the Interagency Task Force on Lead, and in the school board on the search for a new school superintendent.

The problem of our secretive DC government goes beyond excluding the public from closed-door meetings. The government routinely uses the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act to deny the release of information -- most notoriously recently when it denied a FOIA request by members of the Foxhall community for documents on the Casey Mayoral Mansion project, falsely claiming that the two-year effort by the Office of Planning and other government offices had produced no documents. The government is supposed to require a FOIA request only when there is some reason to believe that information should perhaps not be released; instead, departments and agencies require requests for routine information, and then they routinely deny the requests. That then requires appeals to the Secretary of DC, the mayor's agent for FOIA requests; and when the mayor's agent denies the appeal, the only further appeal is to the Superior Court. Government "public information" officers frequently meet requests for information with, "Why do you need it?" and often with, "What do you intend to do with it?" The strategy is to stall the release of information and to make it difficult to obtain, so that the requester forgets, loses interest, or gives up, or so that the information is no longer timely or relevant. Some government bodies have even tried to claim that they are exempt from FOIA requirements. The worst offender was the National Capital Revitalization Corporation under former executive director Elinor Bacon and former board chair Rod Heller, but the DC Housing Authority, the Sports Commission, and the DC Water and Sewer Authority have also at various times argued that they are not covered by the District's FOIA laws.

Perhaps the greatest secrecy surrounds the mayor's schedule. The schedule released to the press and public only includes narrowly defined "public events" to which the public is invited. It doesn't reveal his private meetings and gatherings with numerous lobbyists, developers, lawyers, and businessmen that are held in his government office on matters of government business, and it is also usually silent regarding the mayor's frequent out-of-town trips. For example, two weeks ago, at the height of the lead crisis, Mayor Williams traveled to Puerto Rico for a few days, and the mayor's press secretary claimed that he “didn't know where the mayor was.” In the past, some of the mayor's trips that were originally presented to the public as private vacations were later revealed to have been taken with groups of developers or members of the mayor's kitchen cabinet, and it is always a struggle to get information on the true purpose of these trips and on who pays for them. The mayor's office has still not clarified whether the Puerto Rico trip was a private vacation or not.

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Where the Sun Don’t Shine
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aoldotcom

Decisions, personnel selections, and all important matters affecting the District's residents seem to be made in the nether regions, completely out of sight and hearing of the public. That's the modus operandi at all levels of governing bodies in this city. It should not be that way.

When I lived in Florida for a ten year span in the late 1960s, there was a mandate from the state government that governing bodies at all levels would conduct their business in the sunshine, open to the public. Only matters affecting specific personnel were allowed to be conducted where the sun don't shine. Guess what? Decision making became much more rational and to the benefit of the public being served. In fact, it seemed that better qualified people were being elected to critical posts in local and state government. I had dealings and hearings with local government and state officials in that period and found them very open and efficient (that word does not appear in the dictionaries of DC government agencies).

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Klingle Running Trail
Larry Lesser, LBLesser@aol.com

I know I'm a little behind in my reading of themail, but I have an unusual excuse. I was in Russia as an international observer for the presidential election there. It took place on March 14, Putin won as expected, and I returned to Washington better prepared to vote responsibly in our own election later this year.

Now back home, I went running (it looks like jogging when I do it, but running is a state of mind) on one of my favorite courses, and discovered that since the last time a chain link fence has gone up to bar the way -- almost. It's at the bottom of Klingle Road, approaching Rock Creek. I know all about the controversy over whether or not to restore the road or convert it to a park trail, but I can't figure out where a chain link fence comes in to that debate. What did I miss?

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This Customer Treatment Thing Is Contagious
Paul Penniman, paul@mathteachingtoday.com

Today while accessing our beloved war-favoring Washington Post on-line to get the “very latest” about the lead in our water, I was asked a bunch of nosy questions before I was allowed to read any articles. I was assured that it was “free and required.” To make matters worse, I repeatedly answered every question (and honestly) and the site kept looping back, erasing my answers and asking me all over again. Perhaps WASA's PR people are now working for washingtonpost.com?

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More Ridiculous Parking Regulations
Angela Powell, angela_powell23@juno.com

I'm having a problem with residential parking permits and need a seasoned Washingtonian to advise me. The street in front of my apartment building is considered public parking. Unfortunately, there are 187 units and nearly as many cars, making it impossible for everyone to park out front. All surrounding streets for a three-block radius are for Zone 1 parking permit holders only between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8:30 p.m.

After being ticketed for not following this rule, I made a trip to the DMV, only to find out that I was not eligible for a Residential Parking Permit (RPP) because the street in front of my building does not require RPPs and the computer system would not allow an override. I was told that I would have to find a way somehow to park in front of my building. Don't you think I would prefer that to walking a block and a half? The only thing I can do is petition the DMV to change the zoning areas. This is logical, if instead of trying to remove the RPPs from neighboring streets, I request having my street become an RPP zone, too, so the spaces in front of my building are reserved for residents only, just like those on neighboring streets. However, trying to get the DMV to change anything will probably be as productive as banging my head against a brick wall.

I plan to send a letter to the DMV and copy it to my ward representative (Ward 1) and the mayor, but I'm not holding my breath. Has anyone else experienced living on a non-RPP street that is surrounded by RPP-required streets? How do they determine which streets need RPPs? How often are the zones enforced (I have only gotten one ticket)? And what are my chances of getting someone to rectify this situation? Those $30 tickets can add up.

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Filtering the Water Information
Paul Penniman, paul@mathteachingtoday.com

To sum up so far: you probably don't have a lead service line in your house. But even if you don't, the chances of having elevated lead levels is high, although only one-half as likely as those who do (30 percent versus 60 percent). So either way, you need to get your water tested. Now, the city is only sending water filters to those they think have lead service lines, although filters don't work for water with lead in the hundreds of parts per billion rate as some houses have shown. However, the city will send anyone via UPS a water testing kit which you could then send via UPS somewhere else for the results. Any questions?

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Notes from the Internet Commons Congress
Phil Shapiro, pshapiro@his.com

For those who might be interested, I've posted notes from the Internet Commons Congress that brought Internet activists from around the nation to the DC area this past week. I've attended many conferences in my day and this was one of the best of them. http://www.his.com/~pshapiro/firstdaynotesicc.html.

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DC Fiscal Policy Institute Study Story
Ed Lazere, lazere@dcfpi.org

The recent DCFPI report entitled “The Untold Story of the DC Budget: Spending Trends Since 1990” was highlighted yesterday in the Metropolitan section of the Washington Times newspaper. The article is entitled “DC's poor got short end of city budgets, study finds,” and can be found at http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20040322-123906-5321r.htm.

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Ward Three Fire Station
Penny Pagano, ppagano@dccouncil.us

Councilmember Kathy Patterson would like residents to know that Ward 3 is in line for a new fire station as well as a new contractor for Engine 20 in Tenleytown. DC Fire Chief Adrian Thompson made the commitment to Patterson to seek funding in the capital 2006 budget for an additional Fire/EMS facility in the upper Wisconsin Avenue corridor closer to the Maryland line. In addition, the Fire Department and top city officials have started the process to select a new contractor for Engine 20 in Tenleytown with plans for bids to go out in April and construction expected to begin this summer. Patterson is also considering legislation to change the process so that public safety concerns are addressed at the beginning of the process of any proposal to designate a fire station as “historic.” Engine 29 in the Palisades is the next Ward 3 fire station scheduled for a hearing in April before the Historic Preservation Review Board for an addition to house an EMS unit. To see Patterson's press release, her letter to Mayor Anthony Williams and her letter to the Tenleytown-Friendship Citizens Association, go to http://www.kathy.patterson.org and click on the What's New item for the fire stations.

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Live-Wire dc.gov Employee
Gabe Goldberg, gabe@gabegold.com

A while ago I submitted a suggestion to the DC government regarding improving DC traffic meters: displaying the parking time limit on meters' street-side so drivers needn't park, get out of the car, and walk around the meter in order to see what the time limit is. I recently had a call from Tom Gownley, Communication Specialist, District Department of Transportation Traffic Services Division, Curbside Management Administration, who said the District will do just what I suggested! And they'll even color code the street-side labels so drivers can see at a glance what the parking limit is. Tom didn't know whether the action -- to be completed by end of summer -- is due to my suggestion. But they did relate what they're doing to the suggestion, so he followed up by phone to let me know. I've since chatted and E-mailed with him, and he's about as energetic as you could want someone to be. He can't solve all the problems and he doesn't know all the answers, but he's action-oriented and wants to help make things better. He said that his name/phone/E-mail are posted on the DC web site so it's OK for me to post them here too: 671-1370, thomas.gownley@dc.gov.

I forwarded Tom a couple notes commenting on the central 727-1000 city phone number. He responded: “The experiences are varied, but the ones who remain dissatisfied need to have their concerns addressed by the powers that be. One person is saying the 727 number for trash pick up is no good, while another is excited about the service received. To manage this, I would recommend anyone dissatisfied with the 727 service work with the department responsible until satisfaction is made. Please note, I suggest working with the department. If demands are made, the caller may assure themselves nothing will be done no matter how high you report the matter, or how important the person believes themselves to be. I'm hoping Mr. Wolff has had his problem resolved. If not, he needs to escalate the problem. If nothing else, I would suggest he phone to speak with a supervisor. They are still available. If they aren't, ask to speak to the Director.”

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Music of the Heart at Cleveland Park Public Library, March 25
Dorothy Marshak, dmarshak@chime-dc.org

This film (for which Meryl Streep received an Academy Award nomination) follows “Mr. Holland’s Opus” (shown March 9) in a celebration of Music in Schools Month by the Cleveland Park Library in partnership with CHIME (Community Help In Music Education). It is a fictionalized version of the real story of a dedicated violinist whose violin classes in an East Harlem elementary school have inspired and turned around generations of her students, and brought a group of them to fame at Carnegie Hall. Music education could have the same benefits for our inner-city DC public school students, but unfortunately all too few of them have access to it. More than 30 percent of our elementary schools have no music at all, and 85 percent have no instrumental instruction. Those schools that have instrumental ensembles lack sufficient instruments. To give pause to those who believe music education is an expendable frill, DCPS claims that schools with music teachers did 11 percent better on 2003 test scores than schools without them. Come and enjoy the movie. Then if you have an instrument to donate to a school, or would like to help with your time or a donation to bring music education back to DC schools, contact CHIME at 232-2731, info@chime-dc.org, or visit our web site at http://www.chime-dc.org.

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DC Public Library Events
Debra Truhart, debra.truhart@dc.gov

Saturday, March 27, Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Main Lobby. Celebrate Women’s History Month with Yasmin Shiraz, author of The Blueprint for My Girls: How to Build A Life Full of Courage and Self-love. The Young Adult Services Division of the D.C. Public Library is presenting this program so that young women have an opportunity to hear from an author who has written about issues that may affect their own lives and to help them set goals. Shiraz is the chief executive officer of College Entertainment and publisher of nationally and internationally circulated Mad Rhythms magazine. When Shiraz launched Mad Rhythms magazine she visited youth organizations and colleges across the country to teach young people how to effectively pursue their dreams. She developed The Blueprint for My Girls to help young women discover who they are, develop a sense of self and stay positive. Shiraz graduated from Hampton University with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and received her master’s degree in Sociology from Morehead State University. Public contact: 727-5535.

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Liberia Briefing, Reception, Film
Joe Libertelli, jlibertelli@udc.edu

The UDC David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC-DCSL) and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights are pleased to present a briefing on Liberia by a panel of experts, a reception, and the film, Liberia: the United States’ Stepchild. Please feel free to invite friends and colleagues and forward this E-mail as you deem appropriate. There is no charge for this program. Thursday, April 1, briefing on Liberia, 4:00-5:30 p.m.; reception, 5:45 p.m.; and film, 6:00 p.m., at the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law, Building 38, 2nd Floor, 4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW (Metro Red Line UDC/Van Ness Station).

UDC David A. Clarke School of Law Dean Shelley Broderick will open the panel, and UDC-DCSL Professor William Robinson will moderate. The panel will include Congressman Donald Payne (invited); Lester Hyman, Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman, LLP, former attorney for the government of Liberia; Dave Peterson, Director of the Africa Program, National Endowment for Democracy; Vernice Guthrie, Director of the Africa Program, American Bar Association; Father Thomas Delaney, Archdiocese of Monrovia; Ambassador Richard Minor, Republic of Liberia; Todd Howland, Director of the Center for Human Rights, RFK Memorial Foundation; Human Rights Watch representative; Amnesty International representative; Catholic Relief Services representative; Friends of Liberia representative; SMA Fathers representative; and Global Rights representative. At 6 p.m., participants will watch the PBS documentary: Liberia, the United States’ Stepchild, on what the country went through and why all should work to ensure that the peace process is successful so the country will never experience the horror, civil war, and social unrest it experienced for the last fourteen years. For more information please call or E-mail the RFK Center for Human Rights, Abdelilah Kadili, Senior Program Officer, 463-7575, ext. 270, akadili@rfkmemorial.org; or the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law, Dena R. Bauman, Director Career Services, 274-5722, dbauman@udc.edu.

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Kids Budget Forum Rescheduled, April 5
Susie Cambria, scambria@dckids.org

What’s in the FY 2005 budget for kids? A forum sponsored by DC Action for Children on Monday, April 5, 10:00 a.m.-noon, 1616 P Street, NW, 7th floor conference room. Note: date and location changes. Limited on-street and garage parking available. This forum will feature representatives from the various District government agencies that affect children, youth and their families (including the Department of Human Services; Child and Family Services Agency; Department of Mental Health; Department of Health; and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, Families, and Elders. Speakers have not confirmed as of March 22. Materials will including parts of the budget, budget advocacy materials, advocacy tools, etc., and there will be panel presentations and a question and answer period.

Register by sending your name, organization, address, phone, fax, E-mail address, and other important information to DC Action for Children, 1616 P Street, NW, Suite 420, 20036. There is a $10 per person fee for materials, and payment must accompany the completed registration form. The registration deadline is April 1.

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CLASSIFIEDS — WANTED

Violin
Alverda Ann Muhammad, alverdaa@msn.com

Looking for violin, size 1/2, in good shape, reasonably priced, for my granddaughter who is studying at the DC Youth Orchestra. 722-9872 or alverdaa@msn.com.

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Answering Machine
arribacenter@juno.com

The ARRIBA Center provides residents with disabilities living in the District with employment skills training. One of our clients is in need of a donated answering machine. Besides it being able to work, it is very important that it be relatively easy to use as it will be for a senior citizen with a disability. Old fashioned model in good working order would be great. If you or anyone you know has a machine that you are willing to donate, please contact the ARRIBA Center at: 667-3990 or E-mail us, arribacenter@juno.com. Will pick up.

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CLASSIFIEDS — SERVICES

Jarmaine’s Cleaning Service
Jarmaine Hunter, Jarmaine_the_cleaning_lady@hotmail.com

I do kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, vacuum carpets, clean windows, and take out the trash. For a small job I charge $10 per hour and for a large job I charge $20 per hour. I'm available Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Contact me at Jarmaine_the_cleaning_lady@hotmail.com.

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