Year in Review
Dear Reviewers:
We were going to do a review of the year’s events in our city, but
luckily we came upon something that made that unnecessary. Mayor
Williams has already done it for us (http://www.dcwatch.com/mayor/041215.htm),
and has pointed out, both to our pleasure and amazement, that this past
year has been one long series of advances and triumphs for the District
of Columbia, all of them initiated by or attributable to him.
If you have anything to add or a different story to tell about 2004,
we would be glad to hear it. Please send it to themail for the next
issue or two.
In the meantime, I’ll quote from an E-mail from Sally MacDonald,
and pass the sentiment on to you: “The Scots do not say Happy New Year
until the stroke of midnight on the 31st, so I cannot say it (David, my
husband, is from Scotland). But I would if I could, and will, when the
time comes!”
Gary Imhoff and Dorothy Brizill
themail@dcwatch.com and dorothy@dcwatch.com
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All of our little squabbles in Washington, DC pale in comparison to
what happened last Sunday on the other side of the globe. Take a deep
breath — and visit http://www.networkforgood.org/topics/international/earthquake/tsunami122604.aspx
and choose an international relief fund to offer your help — no matter
how much or little you can make it.
[Another option, the easiest way to donate online, is to make a
one-click donation to the American Red Cross. This link is featured on
the home pages of Amazon.com, IMDB.com, and some other popular sites.
— Gary Imhoff]
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The history of the legal monopoly of Major League Baseball is long
and tangled. The 1922 Supreme Court decision did rule that professional
baseball was not interstate and not commerce, and thus not subject to
federal antitrust law. But later Supreme Court decisions about
professional football and basketball came to the opposite conclusion for
those sports. In 1972 (Flood v. Kuhn, 407 U.S. 258), the Supreme
Court said, “Professional baseball is a business and it is engaged in
interstate commerce,” and also referred to its unique status as an
“exception,” “anomaly,” and “aberration.” That 1972 opinion
runs almost 12,000 words, but seems to say we made a mistake in 1922,
also the situation has changed greatly since then, but stare decisis
and all that, besides Congress can write a law anytime they want to, so
it’s up to them. Quoting again, “Under these circumstances, there is
merit in consistency even though some might claim that beneath that
consistency is a layer of inconsistency.”
In 1998, Congress ended baseball’s antitrust exemption in regard to
baseball players, but included “. . . a provision that makes it clear
that the passage of this Act does not change the application of the
antitrust laws in any other context or with respect to any other person
or entity.” [Public Law 105-297; “Curt Flood Act of 1998”]
Too bad we can’t pay for the stadium with “Monopoly money.”
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The item on baseball and antitrust [Mark Eckenwiler, themail,
December 26] attributes a 1992 SCOTUS opinion to Oliver Wendell Holmes,
Jr. Did the writer make a typo in the date? 1922? 1932?
[1922 — Gary Imhoff]
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The “Temporary” Ten Percent Sales Tax on
Meals in DC
Henry Thomas, hbthomas@comcast.net
In my earlier post on this subject, I suggested that this temporary
tax was perhaps to pay for the MCI Center. Mr. William Mazer’s post in
the December 26 edition reminds me that it was probably to pay for the
old Convention Center, the one that was imploded last week. I wonder
when we might expect this tax to be rolled back.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
DC Public Library HIV/AIDS Awareness Panel,
January 8
Debra Truhart, debra.truhart@dc.gov
Saturday, January 8, 10:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Main Lobby. Just In Time, a youth
mentoring program, presents an HIV/AIDS awareness panel discussion.
Special keynote speaker is Precious R. Thomas, youth advocate. Members
of the mentoring program will model spring fashions. The Young Adults
Services Division of the D.C. Public Library sponsors this program.
Public contact: 727-5535.
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National Building Museum Events, January 8-9
Brie Hensold, bhenhold@nbm.org
Both events at the National Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW,
Judiciary Square stop, Metro Red Line.
Saturday, January 8, 1:00-3:00 p.m. Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision.
Winner of the 1995 Academy Award for Best Documentary, this film
examines the provocative architecture and sculpture of architect Maya
Lin. Free. Registration not required.
Sunday, January 9, 11:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Japanese New Year
Celebration. Oshogatsu, Japanese New Year, is celebrated on January 1st.
Enjoy the spirit of this holiday with a day filled with traditional
Japanese games and activities plus special demonstrations and musical
performances. The first 500 children will receive otoshidama, a Japanese
New Year’s gift. Presented in conjunction with Five Friends from
Japan: Children in Japan Today. Free; $5 donation suggested. Drop-in
program. Appropriate for all ages.
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Washington Storytellers Theater presents Kala Jojo, There Is A River:
Stories of Hope and Inspiration, at the City Museum of Washington, DC,
801 K Street, NW, Saturday, January 22, 8:00 p.m. Ticket price: $15
(student, senior, group rates available); purchase at the door or in
advance by calling 301-891-1129 or on-line at www.washingtonstorytellers.org.
Street or garage parking nearby (check web site for details); Metro: Red
(Chinatown), Green/Yellow (Mt. Vernon or Chinatown), Blue/Orange (Metro
Center). Wheelchair ramp and elevator access from Mt. Vernon Place side.
Washington Storytellers Theater is proud to introduce the adult
storytelling audiences of Greater Washington, DC, to one of the most
exciting and brightest young lights in storytelling, Kala Jojo. He is a
nationally renowned Jeli (“storyteller”), vocalist, and
multi-instrumentalist whose repertoire evokes the oral traditions of
Africa, African-American, and the Caribbean. As a singer and masterful
folk song-storyteller Kala Jojo will touch your heart with this program
of enlightening narratives and thought provoking songs about love,
triumph, healing, family and the challenges faced by New Afrikan peoples
born in North America.
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