Disruption
Dear Disruptors:
Alfred Hitchcock was a great admirer of the power of bad behavior in
formal situations. In Saboteur, Robert Cummings nearly escapes from a
nest of Nazi sympathizers and saboteurs at a society lady’s formal
benefit by stepping up to the bandstand and announcing that the hostess
is auctioning one of her famous gems for the charity. In Notorious, Cary
Grant does escape Claude Rains’ group of South American Nazis,
carrying Rains’ poisoned wife Ingrid Bergman in his arms, simply by
leaving the mansion when Rains would embarrass himself in front of his
colleagues if he protested. Grant escapes the clutches of James Mason’s
gang at an auction in North by Northwest simply by making a spectacle of
himself, bidding lower and lower rather than higher. Time after time in
Hitchcock’s films, in lecture halls, churches, embassies, theaters,
wherever groups of people behave well according to formal rules and
expectations, the person who behaves badly, who defies embarrassment and
breaks conventions gains charge of the situation. Of course, Hitchcock
was the most conventional of people himself. He would never misbehave in
public. But his heroes did, and they always profited from it.
Washington is a very polite city; no doubt it is too polite. We don’t
challenge our politicians directly in public. We don’t ask them
questions that are too hard or point out when they evade a question or
lie in answering it. The mayor and councilmembers are surrounded by yes
men who tell them how right they are, and encourage them in their
mistakes. It’s our responsibility to call them on those mistakes,
since their staffs and contributors won’t. For example, Marc Borbely
points out Mayor Fenty’s temper tantrum over the Board of Elections’
decision approving a voter’s referendum on his school takeover bill as
a proper subject for a referendum. The Board of Elections and Ethics is
independent, and supposed to be insulated from political pressure and
influence. Fenty apparently thought so highly of Charles Lowery that he
not only appointed him chairman of the board, but appointed him
retroactively back to January, and also sent the city council a
resolution appointing him for another three-year term. But then last
week, as Lowery’s first official act as chair, the Board of Elections
approved of the referendum, and Fenty threatened Lowery with retaliation
— either withdrawing his nomination or taking the chairmanship away
from him — not for making a legally wrong decision, but for making a
decision against Fenty’s political interests and preference.
A city that was a little less polite, a little more willing to
disrupt our formal occasions, wouldn’t let occasions like this pass
without making a fuss.
Gary Imhoff
gary@dcwatch.com
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Mayor Threatens Tenure of Elections Board
Chair
Marc Borbely, borbely@FixOurSchools.net
On Tuesday, May 22, the Board of Elections and Ethics determined that
the public schools takeover is a proper subject for a referendum. This
means that DCPS grandmother and DC ACORN vice president Mary Spencer,
who is urging all supporters to sign up at http://LetMeVOTE.org,
will have a week, starting June 6 [unless there is a court challenge],
to collect the twenty thousand valid signatures needed to put the
takeover on the ballot in August.
On Wednesday, the Post reported that Mayor Fenty considered
the decision to be “wrong” [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/22/AR2007052201479.html].
On Thursday, the DC Examiner reported: “His legal advisers say
he has two options: reach out to members to have them overturn their own
decision, or file an action in Superior Court. Both are likely” [PDF
version at http://dcpaper.examiner.com/dc/?haspdf=1,
select May 24, page 12]. On Friday, on the radio, Mayor Fenty did indeed
“reach out” to one of the two sitting members of the Board of
Elections and Ethics. On the Kojo Nnamdi show on WAMU (listen online at http://wamu.org/audio/kn/07/05/k1070525-15849.asx,
starting at minute 32), Jonetta Rose Barras asked Fenty if he intended
to replace Board Chairman Charles Lowery as a result of his decision on
the schools takeover referendum. (“This is your person, who you just
named as the Chairman of the DC Board of Elections and Ethics, who
essentially threw the monkey-wrench in your plan. Do you have some
concern about Mr. Lowery’s tenure on the Board of Elections and
Ethics?”) “Fire him retroactively!” Kojo suggested.
Lowery does have reason for concern. Here is Fenty’s response in
full: “I think Mr. Lowery’s term is up in the middle of this year.
When I came in, we had to appoint someone as the chair, and I think it’s
usual in this case to appoint someone who’s already on there, but I
think permanently we’re going to look to make sure that we’ve got a
chair who’s best for the city, and we still have one other position
that we have to name as well, so we’ll be doing both of those things
expeditiously.” Lowery’s term is up this summer, but Fenty
apparently forgot that just ten days earlier, on May 15, he had formally
renominated Lowery for a second full, three-year term (see PR17-0257). A
change in course at this point would require an actual withdrawal of the
nomination, or asking the council not to approve his own nominee. The
mayor has made clear the price to be paid for independence on the
supposedly independent Board of Elections and Ethics.
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Council Should Vote Against Creating a
Red-Light District at City’s Gateway
Kathryn Pearson, kap8082@aol.com
Does the DC Council have sex on the mind, or is it too beholding to
somebody or special interests to be able make better decisions on the
nudie bar industry? Citizens must encourage the DC council to be strong
and defeat or withdraw Bill 17-0109, “The One-Time Relocation of
Licensees Displaced by the Ballpark Amendment Act of 2007.” The DC
council is making a Herculean effort to ensure that the strip/sex/nude
bars displaced from the baseball stadium area are kept in the nation’s
capital. They are changing the law by relaxing the zoning and ABC laws
to allow them to concentrate in commercial/light industry areas. These
zones are not limited to Ward 5, but the legislation was created after
the displaced owners identified property in Ward 5 to relocate and after
the election. "Whew!" was surely the response by council
members when the clubs bypassed their wards. Ward 6 must be pleased to
get them out of their backyard and it took a baseball stadium to get rid
of them. Wards 7 and 8 have a united front now to prevent them from
being dumped on anymore, so there was Ward 5, a sitting target with a
brand new councilmember still building relationships, piling up chips on
the council and in the city. Too bad the council can’t put as much
effort into opening the inspection station on West Virginia Avenue or
creating job and housing opportunities and stopping crime in the
neighborhood. Too bad the council does take as much interest in foster
care programs or other resources for children that are lost or hurt.
These would be goals the larger community could appreciate, but our
council wants to be exceptionally fair and allow the sex industry to
proliferate in Ward 5. Give us a break. Let the businesses survive or
die on their own! Be fair to other businesses. Let the businesses come
up with a different marketing plan that takes into account the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the marketplace.
The Washington City Paper City Desk blog (Ward 5 Sex Club Up
and Running, But No Booze, May, 24, 2007, http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/)
reported that one club is already established on West Virginia Avenue,
sans liquor license. Reading the article, it sounds like a place to be
raided, but my limited appreciation of bathhouses may make me a little
on the puritanical, prudish side. It appears that the city council is
ready to concentrate these businesses at the gateway of the city’s
doors near New York Avenue instead of letting some of them languish in
the still of the night without the protection of the council. The
council doesn’t seem to have a problem pushing the sex-oriented club
industry into areas that are up and coming, but somewhat down on their
luck in some aspects right now. The council finds no shame in allowing
these businesses to flourish in an area just a short walk on New York
Avenue from churches, residences, and a school. The public is learning
that there are up to eight sex/nudie bars trying to relocate to the Ivy
City, Trinidad (and possibly the Arboretum) communities.
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Cell Phone Motorists and Taxi Ire
Le Eckles, e929@peoplepc.com
There has to be some exquisite irony in Mr. Scott’s annoyance at
cell phoning drivers and taxis [themail, May 23]. I don’t go downtown
very often anymore, but the one thing that always scared the hell out of
me was the darn bicyclists, in and out of traffic, through stop signs,
passing on the right, on sidewalks, etc., with their headsets feeding
dispatchers’ directions. Now that couriers are a little outmoded,
things are better, but I still don’t see many cyclists who think
traffic laws apply to them. At least taxis are usually marked, you can
hear them coming, and they (usually) stay off sidewalks.
I don’t think we’ll see much police enforcement activity on the
cell phoning drivers issue, as police officers are some of the biggest
offenders. Same with the law against dark-tinted, almost opaque auto
glass — cops and VIPs gotta have it, dontcha know.
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Notes from the Special
Election for DC Council in Ward 7
Samuel Jordan, samunomas@msn.com
Recent elections for DC Council in Wards 4 and 7 have confirmed the
decades-long national trend toward increasingly expensive political
contests at every level. When electoral campaign media coverage focuses
attention on money raised and the number of yard signs instead of on
critical issues, the decision is taken out of the hands of the voters.
Ninety-seven percent of the people of the United States have never and
may never contribute a thin dime to a political campaign. That means
that 3 percent of the people buy all the legislation, under “normal”
circumstances. The election results in the Ward 7 Special Election on
May 1 demonstrated a direct relationship between the amount of money
spent and number of votes won. Every candidate ranked one through eight
by total votes won ran a campaign that spent from $50,000 to more than
$185,000. There is not one $25,000 to $35,000 campaign among them.
When money dominates, donor/sponsors are not concerned with
“their” candidates’ issue competence. Positions on issues are of
secondary importance. The votes that the winner will cast in the council
are the prize. Campaign forum appearances can be “spun” to minimize
the impact of poor responses by candidates. Besides, too few voters
attend forums. Average forum attendance was less than fifty voters.
Where money plays such an important role, financially modest efforts
will not be taken seriously. Consequently, there was no low budget, high
profile “peoples’ movement” campaign in either Ward 4 or 7. The
media was not along for a low budget, peoples’ ride.
Without money and media, no one learned of my campaign’s victory at
Sizzling Express. We succeeded in pressuring a racially discriminating
employer to alter hiring practices. However, the crisis of
discriminatory employment policies by which many employers bar the
hiring of African Americans throughout the city remains largely
unexamined. Few voters again were aware that I maintained a regular
schedule of HIV prevention education activities, including providing
certification training for staff at the Family and Medical Counseling
agency and the Howard University School of Social Work. There was little
news about our circulation of a petition to demand a general referendum
for the Mayor’s school takeover plan passed without representation
from Wards 4 and 7. Lacking media attention, little publicity could be
generated to gain support for our “Save the Anacostia” license tag
project which included a “Community Canoe Experience” and a “Save
the Anacostia B-Ball Classic,” both of which events emphasized the
role of the community in the restoration of the river’s ecological
health. The B-Ball Classic had the added purpose of underscoring the
deficiencies in youth sports and recreational programs in the ward.
Failing to raise money and media support, we could not impress upon
the general public that we were actively conducting a public health
project in Benning Terrace that promoted the benefits of preventive and
primary health care. The work of the Ward 7 Development Advisory
Committee (DAC) was also not communicated through the corporate dailies.
DAC seeks to displace residents’ fear of economic development with an
informed confidence that we can influence the path of development in the
ward. These and other issue-related initiatives were the principal
elements of our concept of a “value added” campaign — a campaign
that produces tangible and intangible assets which survive the political
contest. No good deed went unreported.
Related to the focus on money raised, Special Election Day in Ward 7
had only one major strategic challenge: who can beat the well-funded
“interloper?” My own poll workers reported early in the day that
support we had gained among Democrats could not be maintained. The
message circulated at the polling stations among the majority Democrats
was that only one candidate could defeat a perceived “carpetbagger,”
and that a vote cast for any other candidate amounted to senseless
betrayal — a wasted vote. While no candidate may need to expend
$185,000, for a ward race at least $70,000 cash or in-kind contributions
must be paid for a “minimal election package.” The 14 percent voter
turnout at the polls in Ward 7 on May 1 means that campaign finance and
other election reforms are yet far over the horizon and the voter may
remain the “odd man out” for a number of years to come.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
DC Public Library Events, May 30, June 1
Randi Blank, randi.blank@dc.gov
Wednesday, May 30, 1:00 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial
Library, 901 G Street, NW, Rooms A-5, A-9, A-10, and 315. Senior health.
This program features speakers on hearing and sight, search techniques
on Medline’s Senior Health database, free health screenings, and other
materials. For more information, call 727-1182.
Friday, June 1, 10:30 a.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial
Library, 901 G Street, NW, Great Hall. Join us as we kick off Summer
Quest 2007, the DC Public Library summer program for children from
infants to age 14. Invited to this event are Jali-D, a percussionist and
performance poet; a local TV personality, who will be the guest reader
of Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis; students from the DC
Public Schools; and the Junior League of Washington. For more
information, call 727-1268.
Fridays, June 1-August 31, 12:00 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, G Street Overhang. Music al Fresco.
Join us for weekly outdoor concerts in a variety of music styles
presented by members of the American Federation of Musicians Local
161-170. If it is raining, concerts will take place in the Great Hall.
For more information, call 727-1245.
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National Building Museum Events, May 31, June
1
Lauren Searl, lsearl@nbm.org
Thursday, May 31, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Spotlight on Design: David Adjaye.
Architect David Adjaye combines material inventiveness with a conceptual
approach to the fundamental elements of architecture. Born in Tanzania,
the London-based architect’s influences range from African art and
architecture to contemporary art and music that inform a wide range of
architectural forms. Principal of Adjaye/Associates, he will discuss his
studio’s growing list of internationally recognized projects including
the Dirty House in London, the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, and the
Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, Colorado — his first major
project in the US. Following the program, he will sign copies of his
books. $12 Museum members and students; $20 nonmembers. Prepaid
registration required. Walk-in registration based on availability.
Friday, June 1, 6:00-8:00 p.m., CityVision final presentation: young
designers envision future DC museums. The Museum’s CityVision program
teaches participants how to use the processes and products of design to
initiate and promote change in their community. During the spring 2007
semester of CityVision, seventh and eighth graders from Stuart-Hobson
Middle School and Thurgood Marshall Educational Center envisioned new
museums for sites identified by the National Capital Planning
Commission. On June 1, students will present their museum designs for
Banneker Overlook, the New York Avenue/Florida Avenue site, and the RFK
stadium site. Free. Refreshments will be served. For more information,
please contact Sarah Smith at 272-2448, ext. 3413, or E-mail ssmith@nbm.org.
Both events at the National Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW, Judiciary
Square stop, Metro Red Line. Register for events at http://www.nbm.org.
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Know Your Tenant Rights, June 2
Delores Anderson, delores.anderson@dc.gov
The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Office of the
Tenant Advocate, will present “Know Your Tenant Rights” in Ward 2 on
Saturday, June 2, 10:00 a.m-1:00 p.m, at the Francis Junior High School,
2425 N Street, NW. The program will consist of four workshops focusing
on the 2006 Amendments to the Housing Act of 1985 (rent control), tenant’s
right of first refusal and condo conversions, how to file a tenant
petition, and the ins and outs of residential housing inspections.
In addition, there will be a legal clinic that will allow tenants to
meet one on one with an attorney for fifteen minutes to discuss their
housing problems. Participation is not limited to tenants in Ward 2. All
tenants are encouraged to attend as well as housing providers, property
managers, and advocates providing advice on housing issues. For
additional information, accommodation for special needs, or to request
translation services, contact Delores Anderson at 442-8359 or Delores.Anderson@dc.gov.
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CLASSIFIEDS — SERVICES
We only need our cleaning person, Beatrice, during the school year.
She will be available for work after May. She is extremely intelligent
and hardworking, although her English is only fair. Feel free to call me
at 364-4263 or E-mail me if you have any questions.
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