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April 18, 2007

Marching

Marching in themail, April 18, 2007

Dear Washingtonians:

If a march falls flat in the middle of the city, but no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? There are a couple good excuses for the failure of Monday’s march from Freedom Plaza to the Capitol. The weather was chilly and windy, keeping the number of participants down, and the mass murder at Virginia Polytechnic Institute monopolized the news, crowding the march out of television and radio coverage. The march, which was in support of a full congressional vote for Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, was organized by DC Vote and Mayor Adrian Fenty. Norton, Fenty, city councilmembers, and DC Vote promoted it for several weeks in advance. But the final turnout, the number of DC citizens who came out in support of the march, was unimpressive.

The Washington City Paper estimated the crowd at about one thousand five hundred (http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/index.php/2007/04/17/march-for-voting-rights-in-review/). The Washington Post said “thousands,” which probably means two thousand (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/16/AR2007041600867.html). The Washington Examiner said "several thousand" (http://www.examiner.com/a-677963~Thousands_march_for_D_C__voting_rights.html), and DC Vote topped that by bragging about five thousand. The Washingtonian said “more like half that” (http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/mediapolitics/capitalcomment/3925.html), and the Washington Times agreed that it was “a crowd half that size” (http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20070416-103355-7483r.htm).

There are several possible explanations for why the march didn’t attract more supporters. The simplest, as I mentioned above, is the bad weather. Another explanation was advanced by a group of statehood protesters at the march, who argued that a Congressional vote for Delegate Norton is too limited and narrow a goal, one that does little or nothing to promote democracy for the District’s citizens. On the other hand, supporters of the Norton vote argue that full statehood for the District, with two Senators and a voting Representative in the House, is too ambitious, unlikely, and impractical a goal. It could be that most residents of DC just don’t care about either Norton’s vote or statehood, and are satisfied with the governmental structure we have. Or it could be, as was argued by yet another group of protesters at the march (members of the Democracy Begins at Home group who were bullied and roughed up by some Roving Leaders who were employed by the Department of Parks and Recreation), that many residents of the city didn’t trust the promoters of the march, and saw them as hypocritical about DC democracy. On Thursday, the city council will take the second and final vote on the schools takeover bill, asking Congress to act as this city’s local legislature and impose a change in our local constitutional founding document, the Home Rule Bill. The mayor and councilmembers scorn us as citizens, and don’t believe that we should have the final say on either the structure of our government or the content of our city’s constitution. Delegate Norton is happy to accommodate them, and DC Vote has no objection to their actions. Why should we trust them to promote our interests or promote democracy?

What was your reason for marching or for staying away?

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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DMV Service Center
Janis D. Hazel, janis.hazel@dc.gov

The District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles Service Center operations located at 301 C Street, NW (driver services, dealer services, temporary tags, driver license application/duplicates, learner permit application, identification card application, driver record, medical review, disability placards and tags, vehicle titles/registration and tags) will move to the new Southwest Service Center located at 95 M Street, SW, effective April 30. The Southwest Service Center is located around the corner from the Southwest Vehicle Inspection Station.

Adjudication Services (walk-in and scheduled hearings, ticket payments, boot and tow payments) and Driver Improvement Office (driver license reinstatements and certified driver records) will remain at 301 C Street, NW.

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New Cabinet Appointments
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com

At a press conference today at the new Department of Motor Vehicles facility, 95 M Street, SW, Mayor Fenty announced four cabinet appointments. Fenty named Lucinda Babers as Director of DMV. She lives in Ward 6, one block from the new facility. Her salary will be $123,000. Eric E. Richardson, another Ward 6 resident, was named director of the Office of Cable Television at a salary of $108,000. Erik A Moses was named Director of the Department of Small and Local Business Development; he is a resident of Crestwood in Ward 4, and his salary is $120,750. George S. Hawkins was named director of the Department of the Environment. Hawkins currently lives in New Jersey, though he previously lived in Dupont Circle; his salary will be $139,500. Fenty’s record of appointing no residents of Ward 7 or 8 to a high-level position remains intact.

During the press conference, Babers indicated that most of DMV’s operations at the Municipal Center, 301 C Street, NW, will move to DMV’s new Southwest Service Center. While the new facility will have a parking lot, it is several blocks from the nearest Metro stations at Waterfront and the Navy Yard. The new facility is very small when compared to the current space at C Street. The waiting room at C Street is often crowded now, but the new waiting room is about a fifth as large. At the new facility, there are twelve service counters in one large room, and in a smaller room there are three service counters, twelve cubicles for taking license examinations, and another counter with a license photo setup. At C Street, DMV is currently operating out of four separate rooms. The large main room contains a large waiting room with ample seating, twelve service counters, and an information kiosk. One side room contains eighteen test machines, two service counters, and space for several supervisors’ desks. Another side room with seven service counters is used for titles and registrations and for photos. Finally, at C Street, there is another room down the hall from the main waiting room for cashiers.

During the question and answer period Babers was asked about the recently announced decision not to reopen the northeast vehicle inspection facility on West Virginia Avenue, despite repeated promises by the Williams administration to reopen it after it had been closed for several years for renovation. When pressed, Babers indicated that the District has already spent $13 million to renovate the facility and to sue the original contractor, though she later lowered that amount to $8 million. She claimed that she alone made the decision not to complete the renovation of the northeast inspection facility; that the mayor, the City Administrator, and the Office of Property Management were not involved in the decision, and that there had been no formal study or analysis to decide whether to complete the renovation or close it permanently. It will be interesting to see which developer wants that property, or whether that site is involved in whatever city deal is being worked out with the developers of the proposed New Town project at the Florida Avenue Market.

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Graffiti
Ralph Blessing, rblessin88@hotmail.com

I am appalled by the amount of graffiti I see in the city. I am especially disturbed by the overwhelming amount on the overpass supports throughout Rock Creek Park. About six weeks ago, I contacted Eleanor Holmes Norton’s office to request their support in getting Rock Creek cleaned up, inasmuch as the National Park Service’s web site conveniently avoids listing any options for contacting them about such matters. Within a day or two, I had a response from someone in Norton’s office promising to report the matter to NPS. When, more than a month later, I noticed that nothing had been done to clean up the mess in the park, I followed up with the person from her office. It was obvious from his response this time that he had not even attempted to contact NPS; his only suggestion was to call 727-1000, even though I reminded him that the mayor’s call center doesn’t handle matters on federal property. He then sent me a phone number for the graffiti cleanup person at DPW. I called and left a message at that number last week but still haven’t heard back. Does anyone know how to address this problem? It seems clear that our elected officials can’t be bothered.

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USPS
Bryce A. Suderow, streetstories@juno.com

I stood in line for one hour and 45 minutes today at the US post office, Eastern Market Branch. I know of two causes for the long wait. First, two of their four cash registers were broken and have been broken for two weeks. Obviously the postal system knew there would be long lines because taxes were coming due, but the post office did not repair the machines. Second, recently the post office has taken on the job of issuing passports. This requires that a branch that is already short of people has to assign one employee to this job.

Did anyone else have similar experiences? The manager and the employees at this branch take the heat for the screw ups of their superiors, but everyone ought to protest the incompetence of the postal system.

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New Digs for Chief Lanier
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com

At the city council budget hearing for the Office of Property Management this afternoon, Lars Etzkorn, director of OPM, made a surprising announcement, two sentences buried in his written testimony, that one of his current projects was leasing 225 Virginia Avenue, SE (the former Washington Post printing plant), a building of over 400,000 sq. ft., which the owner is currently building-out for the District. “It will consolidate the Chief of Police’s office, the Special Operations Division, the First District Station Headquarters, and other MPD functions into one location.”

People who should have known more about this project either denied that they had any additional information about it or were very vague about what they knew. However, buried in the proposed FY2008 budget Capital Appendices is Project FRI02, “A Move to Virginia Avenue, SE.” This notes that OPM gave notice to move forward with the build-out of the building on February 15. That was before the budget was submitted to the council, and was done without any prior notice to or approval by the city council. The budget project description indicates that MPD Central Headquarters will also be moving out of the Municipal Center into the leased facility. The District owns the current First District MPD headquarters and the Municipal Center in Judiciary Square. The question would be why they would move out of District-owned buildings into leased space, and why the project would be described in the budget as reducing the Department’s rental occupancy, utility, and security fixed costs.

There seems to have been no discussions with the city council about the move prior to today’s announcement. Councilmember Phil Mendelson, whose Judiciary Committee oversees the MPD, commented only that he “was not surprised”; Bill Rice, spokesman for the Office of Property Management, said that any additional information would have to come from the MPD because the idea for the move did not originate in OPM.

Since most of DMV’s functions and all of MPD are moving out of the Municipal Center, what is the city government’s plan for the building? Extensive funds have been spent in recent years to upgrade and improve the building. Several years ago, when the District was in deep debt and financial difficulty, there were active discussions with developers who wanted to acquire the site for redevelopment. Is this plan being revived? And when there are crying needs for major capital expenditures in public safety (such as for the forensics laboratory-medical examiner’s office), how does an expensive move like this get approved and funded without public discussions or even approval by the city council?

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Historic District Designation
Jack McKay, jack.mckay@verizon.net

In Massachusetts, a state with lots of history, the designation of a new historic district requires approval by a two-thirds majority on the city council. Not so in the District, where only approval by the appointed Historic Preservation Review Board is required. Since that board is dominated by preservation advocates, this is hardly an obstacle. Any historic preservation organization, however tiny, can petition for a neighborhood to be designated historic, and if the Board approves, that’s that.

Historic district designation brings with it a hefty volume of onerous regulations covering what homeowners may and may not do with their own houses, so one would think that they would be allowed to say whether their neighborhood should be designated historic or not. In fact, there’s no provision for a vote by the affected property owners, and no requirement for the Board to respect such a vote, should one be held. I am told that at least two of the District’s thirty-odd historic districts were established over the opposition of a majority of the affected property owners.

Historic district designation is spreading throughout the District, from Anacostia to Takoma Park. (For a map of the currently designated historic districts, see “DC’s Historic Districts and the Architecture of Gentrification,” http://goodspeedupdate.com/?p=2067.) Right now two areas in DC, Lanier Heights and Chevy Chase, are considering adding to the list. I wonder if historic district designation would spread so easily here if our elected councilmembers had to approve, as in Massachusetts, with a two-thirds majority.

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The Constitution and the District
William Haskett, williamhaskett@hotmail.com

I am underimpressed by the call for “democracy” in the District, and will continue to be so until someone explains to me how it can be brought into alignment with the 17th provision of Section 8 of the Constitution, giving Congress power “To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings. . . .”

I did not write the Constitution, of course, but it is nonetheless the case that some Americans did, and meant something by it, which has maintained the distinction among states, territories, and the District. Parts, at least, can be returned to the states, as Arlington was returned to Virginia in 1847, but not all of it. The issue of representation could be resolved, as has frequently been suggested, by the creation of a smaller seat of the federal government, and a return of the rest of it (probably the larger part) to Maryland, although this has apparently always been a doubtful gift in the politics and demography of that state.

I had not previously considered that Utah and the present District had very much in common, but the proposal to grant an extra vote to the Mormon state as a probably Republican balance to offset a vote in the House for the overwhelmingly Democratic District, seems to be grotesque way of dealing with a purely Constitutional difficulty. It is true that “Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members,” but the requirements for the right to vote in elections is left to the government of each state, with the additional provision of the Twenty-third Amendment (1961) that “the District constituting the seat of government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct a number of electors . . . equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous state; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the states, but they shall be considered, for the(se) purposes to be electors appointed by a state; and . . . perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment” (1804). This last deals with the procedures to be followed by the elected members of the Electoral College.

From all of this, the following seem to be the consequences. the District is neither a state nor a territory. Without an amendment to the Federal Constitution it cannot be given voting representation in either House of Congress as a District. Such an amendment would have to include representation in both House and Senate. It would also require a serious editing of the clauses in the present Constitution creating such a District. It could be held to imply an absence of right in the Federal Government to collect Federal tax in such an entity, under the slogan of ‘no taxation without representation’ (which has, after all, a respectable history), and serious modification of the Congressional power over it “in all Cases whatsoever.” I do not pretend that I am a politician, and that I know how to wriggle out of all of these implications, but simply that I have laid out the already-known pieces of the puzzle as they occur to me.

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Taxation Versus Representation
Bill Coe, bceedeec@aol.com

This is a comment on items posted in themail by Mr. McClarty and council candidate Jordan [themail, April 15]. Let’s hope for a big turnout of marchers on Emancipation Day, despite the foul weather. Let’s also ask ourselves why interest in DC’s enfranchisement has not been stronger among our own citizens, much less in the nation at large. In my opinion, one explanation is that the issue always ends up being hijacked by those pushing for full statehood.

As I’ve stated before in this forum, no one alive today (or ten years from now) will ever see DC become a state. It’s simply not going to happen and so, when the argument is turned in this direction, a lot of people tune out.

In order to generate effective widespread support for DC’s emancipation, proponents will have to come up with more creative ideas and tactics. I’m not sure what this means, frankly -- maybe retrocession to Maryland, maybe the lifting of our obligation to pay federal taxes. This much seems evident to me: Until we advance proposals which either put more money in the hands of our people or at least enjoy a ghostly chance of being enacted, the cause for DC’s enfranchisement will not have much muscle.

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DCICC Spam
Michael K. Wilkinson, mkw2windsorconsulting-dc@com

I agree that the E-mails from DCICC are spam. I started getting them at the same time as Eckenwiler, unsolicited and unwanted. I delete them. They would do much better with their E-mail list if they started over and built it on an opt-in basis, rather than spamming. Please consider it, DCICC. Send a simple E-mail out, stating:

"Thank you for your consideration over the past six months. If you wish to continue receiving news from our organization, please reply. Otherwise, you will be removed from our mailing list."

Certainly, you will develop a more appreciative and helpful E-mail subscriber base.

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Change and New Ideas Still a Challenge for Some in DC
Ruel Lanier, easternmarketeer@hotmail.com

I’m old enough to remember when many District residents made excuses and phony arguments against the social changes and economic improvements we needed during the 1960s and 70s. Usually their rhetoric was wrapped in false complaints, baseless arguments, or simply their own social insecurities. What a difference a few decades have not made.

If I have to read one more lame letter to the regarding the DCICC (District of Columbia Independents for Citizen Control), then I’ll know for sure there is at least two other DC residents who can’t or won’t think beyond the porch. Mark Eckenwiler’s whining April 15 E-mail (Spam from DC Independents) only shows he doesn’t know how to work his E-mail box. He says, “It’s possible they’ve latched onto one of the various forwarding addresses I use.” Most competent users know you can automatically block direct or forwarded spam E-mails. Welcome to the Internet, Mark! Addressing your E-mail incompetence doesn’t require editorial spam to the rest of us who want to read themail for real insight.

In the same edition on another note, Kenan Jarboe’s (RFK Site) comment regarding the DCICC’s idea of building Ellington Center to replace RFK stadium ignored the details of the proposal. In the April 11 DCICC commentary that I read here, recreation and green space was clearly included among the many other benefits of the project. In fact, after viewing their draft diagram of Ellington Center, their idea creates more space and funding for affordable housing, public spaces, and neighborhood retail development for communities beyond RFK Stadium. If I expect my kids to stay in DC, our so-called public servants (and their narrow-minded supporters) had better start creating more projects designed to retain more families and taxpayer revenue in the District. Mr. Jarboe should have read the DCICC’s commentary again before writing, “What we do need is recreation space and open green space.”

As I said in a previous letter here on April 11, "I’ve learned to keep an open mind to what’s different and unconventional." Different and unconventional is not synonymous with a bad idea. Hopefully, Mr. Eckenwiler and Mr. Jarboe will give a closer read of the DCICC’s web site (http://www.DCIndependents.org) so that they can speak with informed reference and insight rather than venom, insecurity, and ignorance. Then again, perhaps they won’t look beyond the porch in order to justify venting more excrement here on themail.

Lastly, I want to thank and support Scott McLarty for his April 15 E-mail hitting the nail straight on its head about Mayor Fenty’s political hypocrisy. As a longtime DC Democrat (and educator) who believes in actual democracy, I am highly offended by Fenty’s call and rally for us to have voting rights in Congress while sneaking up to Capitol Hill to delete our local citizen rights on public education and other services our taxes fund. As Mr. McLarty stated. “Will Mr. Fenty have the nerve, during the rally, to mention his plan to have Congress override local law and force the council’s takeover of school board powers down our throats? Will the crowd suddenly understand the disconnect between the rhetoric about democracy and the actual agenda of the mayor, council, Federal City Council, et al.?”

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

DC Public Library Events, April 23
Randi Blank, randi.blank@dc.gov

Monday, April 23, 6:30 p.m., Northeast Neighborhood Library, 330 7th Street, NE. Book discussion. For more information, call 698-3320.

Monday, April 23, 7:00 p.m., Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library, 3660 Alabama Avenue, SE. Book discussion. For more information, call 645-4297.

Monday, April 23, 7:00 p.m., Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd Park Neighborhood Library, 7420 Georgia Avenue, NW. Book discussion. We will discuss the biblical allusions found in Their Eyes Were Watching God. For more information, call 541-3966.

Monday, April 23, 7:00 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Room 221. All the World’s a Stage Book Club. We will discuss Fatal Purity: Robespierre and the French Revolution by Ruth Scurr. For more information, call 727-1161.

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Cultural Institute of Mexico Events, April 27-28
Alfonso Nieto, icm@instituteofmexicodc.org

Friday, April 27, 7:00 p.m., grand opening of Directions: DC Contemporary Latino Art in the context of ArtDC. Feature presentation: Bola Suriana, playing music from Michoacán. Latin American artists that live in the DC area show their artwork. The exhibition invites to visually explore how their cultural baggage and background has influenced their artistic expression. Participating artists: Roxana Bravo, Irene Clouthier, Coronado, Edgar Endress, Muriel Hasbun, Gabriel Martinez, Tomás Rivas, José Ruiz, Catalina Torres Ricardo Zapata. From Photography, to digital media, Installation, video, Interventions, by artists from 7 different countries. Co-curators: Irene Clouthier and Laura Roulet. Closing date: June 15, 2007. Gallery hours, Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. At the Cultural Institute of Mexico, 2829 16th Street NW. Free admission; limited space available. RSVP 728-1675.

Saturday, April 28, 7:00 p.m., Bola Suriana, playing music from the hot lands of Michoacán. Contagious and enthusiastic musical rhythms, popular and folk music from the State of Michoacán, rescuing genders of Indo-American folklore. In the context of the art fair ArtDC. At the Cultural Institute of Mexico, 2829 16th Street NW. Free admission; limited space available. RSVP 728-1675

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CLASSIFIEDS — DONATIONS

Wish List
Lea Adams, workinprogress247@mac.com

I have recently begun a (third, maybe fourth, hopefully last) career as a full-time classroom teacher of young adults at a training center in Anacostia: G.E.D. prep and adult basic education for men and women — all parents, by the way — who weren’t prepared by DCPS with basic language and math literacy skills . My students were dealt the worst hands imaginable, if they were ever included at the table, but they’re all committed to make the future better for themselves and their children. It’s challenging work, but I’ve never felt as needed or appreciated! Unfortunately, the nonprofit I work for has no budget for some of the teaching tools that would help me do a better job, and I have purchased as much as I can afford personally. Still needed are science related posters (e.g., food chain, scientific method, solar system), a huge wall map of the world, pocket dictionaries (twenty), a small desk lamp and games — Scrabble, Monopoly, Jeopardy, Risk — that will teach spelling, numeracy, and analytical thinking. I could also use a goldfish bowl (not a big tank, just something big enough for one fish) and a plant light. Contact me by phone, 484-7474, or E-mail, ladams@archdc.org, if you’re in a position to donate any of these things.

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CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS

Very Affordable Lodging for Visitors
Tim Siegel, tsiegal, hiusa.org

The Hostelling International USA hostel in downtown DC near 11th and L Streets, NW, offers very affordable lodging for individuals or groups coming to attend conferences or other events in DC. Want to attract more registrants to your events? Use the hostel for young or budget travelers. Read more at http://www.hiwashingtondc.org.

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