themail.gif (3487 bytes)

August 5, 2007

Distribution

Dear Distributors:

DC Public Schools needs help with its textbook distribution. I can help in that area, since I have great expertise in it. I spent two weeks working in the field as a summer job during high school. I’ll give Chancellor Rhee free advice by describing how my public school district did the job. At the end of the school year, each classroom teacher filled out, by hand, a form listing all books that would be needed for the next year. For books that would used again next year, the teacher would order five or so copies to replace lost, damaged, and worn-out books. For new texts or new editions, thirty or so copies would be ordered. (This was in a time and place when a classroom of thirty children was considered normal, and could be handled without lion tamer equipment.) The school principal or assistant principal would approve the request and send it to a secretary at the elementary school that had been chosen as the central depository for book orders. That secretary would add up the totals for each title, order the books from the regional warehouses for textbook publishers and distributors, and the books would be delivered to that elementary school after school was out for the year.

The book cartons were stacked along the cafeteria walls. That’s when I came in. Four high school students, along with a teacher supervisor, were hired for a month each summer. (I remember only one of my coworkers -- she was both a cheerleader and the lead cellist for the school orchestra, and I admired her for her answer to the student newspaper’s survey question, “What would you do to improve the world?” Everybody else gave a sanctimonious answer worthy of a Miss America contest; she said, “I’d make each day twenty-five hours, so I could watch two episodes of Maverick.”) We were given the classroom order lists, and we sorted the books for each classroom on the cafeteria tables. When the books were sorted and cartons along the walls were empty, we repacked the cartons with the books for each classroom and taped the lists to the top. As I said, we were hired for a month, but the summer I did the job we finished in about two weeks; the penalty for our efficiency was that we were paid for only those two weeks. After we finished, whoever worked for the individual schools over the summer months — management, staff, and teachers alike — and had pick-up trucks or station wagons (you remember station wagons; they were the evolutionary ancestors of SUVs) picked up the cartons and delivered them.

By contrast, here’s my prediction of how DC will fix its distribution system. It will hire a new head of textbooks, at $150,000 a year; renovate a textbook distribution warehouse center, at $500,000; buy two textbook distribution vehicles, at $50,000 each; buy a new textbook distribution computer system, at $1,000,000; commission specialized textbook distribution software, at $250,000 (no commercial spreadsheet program would do); and hire two full-time drivers and four full-time textbook warehouse workers, all at $50,000 and up a year. Each step along the way will be accompanied by a press release extolling the great progress the system is making and, whatever the result at the beginning of the 2008 school year, it will be described as a complete success. Maybe it will be.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

###############

The Textbook Hoax
Valencia Mohammed, vmohammed16@aol.com

I truly believe that Rhee was either set up or Fenty is playing a game to make himself look like a savior. From the Washington Afro-American’s research, we remembered that the Superintendent sent notification in May that all the textbooks had been received, and offered the press the opportunity to come and see. they were distributed before the end of the school year. Maybe Fenty or Reinoso did not realize it, so they started this campaign. I went to the textbook warehouse. Mr. Winstead was quite surprised when his wife called him at work and told him about it.

DCPS adopted a bar code system last year, something we were trying to get in the 1990’s but finally was instituted last year. The system is able to track each and every book when scanned. There were no elementary books at Eastern. The business manager at Eastern said after a thorough walk-through that they were not able to locate the books in question. Rhee refused to divulge her source. She could not answer questions about where the book was in the school; what the name of the book or its bar code info was.

MM Washington was sent French books because they were listed on the master list for the school. But don’t forget the books have been issued since May. Why are we talking about these books in August? Because schools were told, don’t make a move without Fenty’s approval. I think Fenty wants to paint himself as a savior, when the fiasco was never there. In other words, Fenty set Rhee up to lie! At least one paper stood up to the mayor, while others repeated the rhetoric like a parrot without investigation. Read the Afro’s front-page article, http://www.afro.com/content/templates/?a=7714&z=12. Don’t fall for the hype.

###############

Textbook Scandal
Kerry Stowell, kerrystowell@mac.com

After seeing the photos of all those textbooks that might not get to the children’s schools, I think the time has come for everyone who has a car or truck to volunteer for a specific day, decided upon by Chancellor Rhee and the mayor, to appear at the text book location in Northeast to fill and deliver. Let’s do it. It can be done and I would be glad to help.

###############

Getting Norton-Davis Enacted
Jeffrey Norman, jeffrey.norman@att.net

I am a supporter of the DC Voting Rights Act of 2007 (also known as the “Norton-Davis bill”), which will give DC residents voting representation in the US House of Representatives. It has already passed the House; and the news reports that I’ve read or heard say that we are still a few votes short in the Senate. (The number needed to get controversial bills passed in the Senate is 60, more than a simple majority, in order to avoid or defeat a filibuster.) Some of the opponents of this bill claim that it is unconstitutional. I think that we could win over a few more Senators by adding a provision to the bill calling for expedited handling of this legislation by the US Supreme Court. I believe that such provisions have occasionally been added to bills in the past.

Even if the bill passes without such a provision, it is a near certainty that someone will challenge it in the federal courts, and that it will eventually reach the Supreme Court anyway. By setting up a procedure to test the legislation, we may get the support of enough additional Senators voting to pass it. I’m hoping that such a provision will also prevent a possible veto by President Bush. The President has another option if he still does not like the bill, but is not totally against it. The US Constitution provides that a bill passed by Congress automatically becomes law if the President neither signs nor vetoes it within ten days after it is sent to him provided that Congress is still in session. I’m hoping that President Bush will consider that option; maybe some of the pro-Norton-Davis Republicans, including the bill’s co-author, Cong. Tom Davis (R-VA), can persuade him to let it become law without his signature, if necessary.

When it gets to the Supreme Court, we should have a pretty good chance of not having it declared unconstitutional. Former Chief Justice Rehnquist said in a footnote to one of his opinions that he thought it would be Constitutional for the Congress to use some creative means to give District residents Congressional voting rights. Rehnquist was an icon for the conservative community and greatly admired by the current Chief Justice Roberts, who may well deem this legislation to be just the kind of creative solution that Rehnquist was talking about. Justice Alito often votes with Roberts. If Roberts and Alito vote with the five liberal and moderate members of the Court, that would be enough to uphold the law.

###############

Loitering at Thomas Circle
Raven McKlintock, mamccredz@yahoo.com

There is a group of people (at this moment ten) who are camped out the Luther Place Church at Thomas Circle. They have even brought their lawn chairs and block the sidewalk so that pedestrians have a hard time. They have blocked the parking meters with their grocery carts.

I have not personally seen drug or alcohol use. Is setting up a lawn chair camp on the sidewalk blocking pedestrians and/or blocking parking meters against the law?

###############

A Conflict of Interest
Jonathan R. Rees, jrrees2006@verizon.net

A law should exist that prohibits the spouse of any DC government official to be allowed to work directly or indirectly with any business to obtain contracts, funding or other matters that involve tax payer dollars or properties bought with tax payer dollars.

DC Attorney General Linda Singer's husband Joe Sternlieb should, as a case in point, be barred from representing EastBanc in any deals with the government of the District of Columbia or on behalf of any business seeking to obtain a contract, grant, et cetera.

###############

DCPS
Judy Johnson, jg5595@cox.net

I think it unfair to criticize the current school administration for the problems associated with the opening of school. Look at the date. They were just hired in June/July! Be fair and be supportive. A year from now your critique will be fair game.

###############

Turnabout on Wheeler
Cecilio Morales, cecilio.morales@gmail.com

Responses to John Wheeler’s comment concerning the infamous Jonathan Rees [themail, August 1] amount to quibbles. Wheeler did not name a specific person surnamed Stewart as the owner of the E-mail moniker stewart2007, he merely connected the nickname to Rees. Moreover, while ListServ is a software trademark, who hasn’t "Xeroxed" something sometime?

The important point Wheeler made remains fundamentally correct: Rees is not a credible writer. Even with my own very passing acquaintance with Mary Cheh’s life as a private citizen, I was easily able to spot indisputable falsehood in Rees’ farrago of spam.

[The information referred to by Wheeler, that he said was available by Googling “Rees” and “Stewart,” does indeed link the E-mail address to Roy Stewart. The more important point, however, is that the charges made in Rees’ complaint about Cheh’s campaign are not of the “he said, she said,” variety that can only be decided by determining who is the more credible witness. They are factual charges that can and should be determined by examining the factual evidence, not by making innuendoes about either party’s character. I think we’re just replowing the same ground in this discussion, so I’m going to call a temporary halt on this subject until and unless there are new developments. — Gary Imhoff]

###############

CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

DC Public Library Events, August 7, 9, and following
Randi Blank, randi.blank@dc.gov

Tuesday, August 7, 1:00 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Enhanced Business Information Center (e-BIC), 1st Floor. Get Licensed and Legal. If you are starting a business or want to take your existing business to the next level, speak to the experts from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and the Office of Tax and Revenue during special office hours. For more information, call 727-2241.

Tuesdays, August 7-28, 6:00 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Room A-5. Hot Movie Hits! August 7, Daddy’s Little Girls, 2007, Rated PG-13; August 14, Shooter, 2007, Rated R; August 21, Black Snake Moan, 2006, Rated R; August 28, Pride, 2007, Rated PG.

Thursdays, August 9 and August 23, 11:00 a.m., Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Room 215. Talking Book Club. Members of the DC Regional Library adult book club will discuss a talking book. For more information, call Adaptive Services at 727-2142.

###############

Shiloh Church Homecoming, August 18-19
Hazel B. Thomas, thomashazelb@aol.com

Plans are underway for the members of Shiloh and the community to come together in Unity under the theme Our Village, The Church and Community Connected. All members of Shiloh, family members, friends, and the community are invited out on Saturday, August 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for fun, food, games, and live entertainment. The WiFi (Internet) Cafe will be open all day and there will be tours of the Shiloh facility at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Homecoming weekend will culminate on Sunday, August 19, with our guest preacher, the Rev. Dr. William Epps, Senior Minister, from Second Baptist Church, Los Angeles, California, who will be preaching at both the 7:45 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. services. We look forward to seeing new and familiar faces on homecoming weekend. Remember everyone is welcome as the church and community come together in unity! Shiloh Baptist Church, 1500 9th Street, NW. No cost.

###############

themail@dcwatch is an E-mail discussion forum that is published every Wednesday and Sunday. To subscribe or to change E-mail addresses, use the subscription form at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail/subscribe.htm. To unsubscribe, send an E-mail message to themail@dcwatch.com with “unsubscribe” in the subject line. Archives of past messages are available at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail.

All postings should also be submitted to themail@dcwatch.com, and should be about life, government, or politics in the District of Columbia in one way or another. All postings must be signed in order to be printed, and messages should be reasonably short — one or two brief paragraphs would be ideal — so that as many messages as possible can be put into each mailing.


Send mail with questions or comments to webmaster@dcwatch.com
Web site copyright ©DCWatch (ISSN 1546-4296)