Celebrity
Dear Celebrities in Your Own Right:
Dorothy and I had dinner with a distinguished member of Congress and
his wife tonight. Well, to be exact, we had our hamburgers at the table
next to theirs at Five Guys. Part of the fun of living in Washington is
celebrity watching, if your definition of celebrity is flexible enough
to include politicians, lawyers, and lobbyists. It’s something like
living in Los Angeles, where you can enjoy recognizing your real estate
agent as the guy who played the second henchman in a favorite episode of
a twenty-year-old cop show, or realizing that the drunk being thrown out
of the nightclub is the younger brother of that thirty-year-old actor
who’s still playing a teenager in a series on the CW Channel. My
favorite overheard line, when Dorothy and I visited Los Angeles as few
years ago, was, “I can’t believe she gave him a four million dollar
contract, and he’s only a writer.” Tonight, the distinguished member
and his wife didn’t say anything worth passing on, and of course
Dorothy and I are much too discreet to repeat anything that we may have
heard.
Even though politics is the business of this company town, our gossip
columns rarely cover our local celebrities with the relish with which
they cover temporary visitors from Hollywood. Have you had any brushes
with celebrity or notoriety in this town, and overhead anything amusing
enough to overcome your natural tendency toward discretion? If so, would
you share?
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Made the Top Ten
Ed T Barron, edtb1@macdotcom
Washington, DC, made the list of the top ten speed trap cities in the
US [http://www.motorists.org/pressreleases/home/top-speed-traps-usa-may-2007/].
The list is based on an analysis by the National Motorists Association
of postings to the association’s web site. We’re only number eight
at this writing. With a little effort, a few more cameras, and a few
more postings, we might get into the top five.
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A couple of inquiries have been posted here about the city’s
rationale in appealing the recent court ruling that overturned the 1976
DC Gun Control Act. As someone who tried to get this law overturned when
it was first passed, I can only comment somewhat anecdotally that I
doubt that the city’s rationale now is much different from its
logically flawed rationale back then. You might call it the radioactive
uranium argument: an otherwise law-biding citizen automatically becomes
a potential menace to society simply by coming in contact with a
handgun, much as you or I automatically become less healthy after too
much exposure to, well, uranium or some other ionizing radioactive
substance. That has always had to be the logic underlying this law and
similar gun restrictions elsewhere, because enforcing this kind of
universal ban means otherwise law-biding citizens have no way to purge
themselves of this presumption of either criminality or criminally
negligent behavior just by owning a handgun. In other words, my
possessing a handgun in DC makes me, or someone who can get hold of a
handgun I possess, an inherent greater danger to civil, law-biding
society here.
Now. Going into the debates on the 1976 law, those of us who opposed
this law, almost all of whom were and are black, by the way) kept asking
the obvious question. How many legally purchased, registered, and owned
handguns in DC had been involved in crimes or accidents that resulted in
harm, or loss of life or property? It turned out that, in the period
from 1959 through 1974, the answer was one, and that handgun had been
stolen during a home invasion and burglary. Our argument then, as now,
therefore was, why would an entire city of law biding citizens be
permanently disabled where the option of legally keeping a handgun in
the city was concerned? And this, to us anyway, was the most pressing
rebuttal of this law, irrespective of how you feel about the second
amendment.
Going by what I keep hearing from the mayor and the DC attorney
general, the reply to this appears now, as then, to be that handguns are
inherently dangerous enough that citizens should be protected from them.
Much as radioactive substances are inherently dangerous enough that the
state (DC government in this case) is constitutionally entitled to
restrict or forbid the average citizen from possessing or having them. I
am no lawyer but I understand this is called an irrebuttable or
irrefutable presumption since the subject of such a presumption can do
nothing (legal) to remove the presumption. There are, in other words, no
remedies to this presumption. No waiting period before being allowed to
legally own a handgun. No intensive background checks or certifications
that one is not mentally unstable or otherwise a danger to himself,
herself, or society in general. Not even a clean bill of civil health
from the police after they have observed you and concluded that you are
not, or would not be, a greater danger to society with a handgun than
you would be without one. (That last procedure is used in a handful of
European and one or two Latin American countries.) You are stuck with
the prohibition because of what you want to own, not who or what you
are, period. And it is that irrebuttable presumption that is the heart
of this law — and not the more tenuous back-and-forth we keep hearing
about the Second Amendment. And the city government’s failure to
prove, on past evidence, that owning a handgun in and of itself
justifies such a sweeping and severe restriction that, to me anyway,
always made this law unconstitutional.
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As a parent with children in DC Public Schools, I am very concerned
with the faulty and/or untested premises that seem to be the basis for
the current reform priorities being initiated by Chancellor Rhee and
Mayor Fenty. As we are aware, faulty premises generally lead to faulty
conclusions and faulty actions along the way, something our children
cannot afford. So, instead of wasting time relearning the lessons of
Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Emperors New Suit” (http://hca.gilead.org.il/emperor.html),
let’s take a look at a few of these faulty and untested premises
before too much energy is spent in areas that will not likely yield the
results that we need in a timely manner. While these premises may have a
grain of truth, they are not worthy of being key elements of reform and
require refinement.
Premise 1. The purpose and priority for reorganized schools
governance structure is school system reform. This is clearly faulty, or
we have been misled. The purpose and priority of the governance change
should be to accelerate improving the academic performance and
citizen-building experience of our students, especially for those
students who are currently underperforming in these areas. I’m not
sure how under Rhee/Fenty we got on the track of reform for reform’s
sake. The current focus seems to prioritize reforming the central
administration over improving student performance and experience.
Premise 2. The DC Public School System has failed all its students
academically. If we use standardized test scores as a key measure of
success and failure, the reality is that DCPS is failing black, brown,
low- and moderate-income students; white students in DCPS actually have
some of the highest test scores in the nation. This gets at my concern
with the performance of the Chancellor and mayor to this point. To date
they have not addressed this contradiction openly and clearly, which may
lead to reforms that entrench rather than address this issue. The
purpose of reform must be focusing energy immediately into strategies
that directly improve the academic and citizen-building experiences of
black and brown children. One reform we know that works with this
particular population is an extended school day. However, Rhee/Fenty
have spent the summer taking anecdotal pot shots at the central
administration, pursuing good press, and securing political support from
those least interested in taking on this contradiction. This leads us to
faulty premise 3.
Premise 3. An improved and reformed central administration will lead
to significantly better outcomes. The question that must be asked is
whether reforming central administrations been shown to have significant
and immediate positive impacts on the performance of low- and
moderate-income black and brown students. In New York City, which is the
model for Rhee/Fenty, an initial Google search yields little hard data,
but descriptions indicate that after some years NYC has begun to yield
moderate success among the black and brown demographic most relevant to
DC. A review of test scores from DC Charter Schools as a whole reveals
little difference for these subgroups between Charter Schools and
regular DC Public Schools. DC Charter Schools have no central
administration, union contracts, etc., which are the current priorities
of the reform effort. Clearly, these priorities have questionable
efficacy on student performance. “Reform” has taken on a life of its
own, and has become more important than the students and families whom
reform is supposed to support.
I still believe that the mayor and Chancellor are sincere and willing
to initiate worthy reform priorities; however, having little experience,
they have lost sight of the purposes of and logic behind reform. For the
sake of our young people, it’s best to speak up now and find ways to
help get efforts refocused, before parading down the street naked. If
reform becomes more important than students we may end as in the Hans
Christian Andersen story. We must set aside our other agendas and help
Rhee and Fenty help us to succeed.
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DC Schools from 2500 Miles Away
Star Lawrence, jkellaw@aol.com
Eleven years ago, I moved my going-on-junior high kid from DC to the
Phoenix area, in part because I could not afford more parochial school
at the upper levels. She went to Eaton until fifth grade, where she
worked from mimeographed sheets and they did not teach the
multiplication tables. When she transferred to Catholic school, she
started smoking at age twelve, I learned later. This is part her, part
the schools, obviously. Arizona was not the greatest alternative. A lot
of the youngsters run afoul of the system here. Maybe even more than in
DC — it’s commonplace. She did get interested in interior design in
her senior year and worked briefly under a school program for a local
designer. Then this sort of petered out. The kids are not inspired, and
it’s darned annoying! Yes, it’s partly their own fault, as I said.
But I write for Edutopia, the magazine put out by the George
Lucas Foundation. They constantly have interesting articles on
innovative things schools are doing. I also like the PEN Report — you
can get it via E-mail, visit http://www.publiceducation.org/subscribe.asp.
Can’t we do something? These kids deserve better than angry, crying
parents without a scrap of hope!
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How Many Times Must We Say . . .
Samuel Jordan, samunomas@msn.com
Wake Up! Wake Up! The house is on fire?" In emergency
situations, we want to have to shout those words only once. During my
campaign for member of DC council for Ward 7, I shared with the ward and
city residents within reach of my elaborate communications apparatus a
serialized tale of the growing marginalization of African-American
communities in Washington, DC, particularly the African-American labor
force. African-American communities are facing a higher rate of
displacement as a consequence of economic development, compared to
others. To wit: the Gateway Project on East Capitol Street near Southern
Avenue. However, the African-American worker stands almost helpless as
the bottom falls out of the entry-level, low-wage, nonprofessional, and
service employment sectors. For illustration, I used the example of the
Sizzling Express restaurant network. (Representatives of the five
establishments bearing that name insist they are independently owned.) I
related how the Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals
(CHAMPS) turned a deaf ear to my pleas when I urged them to examine the
hiring practices of Sizzling Express at 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, and
at 4th and M Streets, SE (Navy Yard). Other Sizzlings are located at
15th and K Streets, NW, Connecticut and M, and on Virginia Avenue in
Foggy Bottom. Not one African-American employee among them.
Well, I can report the following update: a) none of the Sizzling
Express restaurants employs an African-American, although a team of
volunteer witnesses, trained to report their findings, found that
African-Americans account for thirty to seventy percent of the
restaurants’ customer base at various hours during the business week.
b) Mariam, the Tanzanian, who was hired in April at the Capitol Hill
location, after the third week of picket and protest by my campaign
team, has gone again to resume her studies. She was the first person of
African descent hired in two years after being hired for the first time
following our initial protest in 2003. That’s right; twice we
protested, twice they hired a continental African instead of a member of
the African-American communities that pay their bills. c) Not one
business, civic or political leader in Washington, DC, has taken up the
overarching issue at the base of my complaints: Not only are
African-American workers facing increased marginalization, but an untold
number of city employers have enacted a policy of deliberately refusing
to hire African-Americans. Two young African-Americans on our team, who
sought employment at the Navy Yard restaurant, were not even given
employment applications. (See http://www.JordanWard7.org/action.php.)
The policy instituted by these discriminating employers underscores
another potentially explosive problem: the employer-manipulated tension
between the African-American and immigrant communities in competition
for jobs, housing, schools, and public services. When African-American
job-seekers from Wards 7 and 8, cross the Anacostia River, our own Rio
Grande, in the often-humiliating hunt for work, they are not aware that
they have encountered employers who as a matter of policy don’t hire
black people. No political, business, or community leadership has
responded to my warning. So, like a responsible citizen, I’ll try once
more, “Wake Up! Wake Up! The house is on fire!”
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The Real Unemployment Figure in DC
Jonathan R. Rees, jrrees2006@verizon.net
The real unemployment figure in DC is 9 percent, not what the DC
Dept. of Employment Services would have you believe. The official
unemployment figure only counts people who are currently receiving
unemployment compensation from the DC Department of Employment Services;
it does not count: 1) people looking for work for the first time; 2)
people who did not qualify for unemployment compensation after losing
their last job; 3) people whose unemployment compensation benefits
expired; or 4) people locked into an under employed position. I have
argued this deliberate misrepresentation made by DC DOES with its
general counsel Eugene Irvin, who does not deny my allegations; but,
then again, he isn’t admitting to them either.
The stark reality about the DC employment picture is that it takes
people, on average, between nine to twelve months to find a job that
fits their skills — or they can flip hamburgers until that distant
ship sails in. While DC boasts about being the new Mecca for college
graduates, these college graduates who are flocking to DC are not
finding jobs in their intended area of study or skills, as there are too
many college graduates and not enough jobs to accommodate them. Sadly,
DC DOES has a very poor track record of luring jobs into DC, its job
database often is months out of date, and it has been reduced to nothing
more than an agency that keeps employment statistics and administers
everything employment-wise, except for finding real jobs for people.
During the first six months of the Fenty administration, the job
market has gotten worse for college graduates and skilled tradesmen.
This is because the Fenty administration’s goals do not include luring
new jobs into DC or helping newly arrived residents with talents to find
work. If the trend continues, the real unemployment and underemployment
in the District will rise.
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Billboards
Si Kailian, Mount Vernon Square, niello8@yahoo.com
I don’t have a major problem with billboards in general. Some of
the ads I do find interesting and attractive. What bothers me is when a
billboard is mounted on a vacant property or lot and the owner then gets
to profit from the revenue while letting the land or building rot. For
example, the grand old mansion on the corner of 11th and K Streets, has
a giant billboard bolted to the crumbling structure which has sat vacant
and overrun by trash and vagrants for years. All the while earning
thousands of dollars per week with no incentive at all to maintain or
renovate the property. This particular site is owned by Jemal, who just
bought the now closed AVs Restaurant. Which also has a billboard.
Here is the list [of the thirty-two “special sign” permits] with
old photos: http://dcra.dc.gov/dcra/cwp/view,a,1342,q,599840,dcraNav_GID,1691,dcraNav,|33420|.asp.
There is a law that prohibits advertising on vacant property, but for
some reason these billboards are excepted. Why?
[Please note that if a billboard in DC does not have one of the
thirty-two special sign permits, and is not on this list, it is illegal,
and should be reported to DCRA. — Gary Imhoff]
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Re: Gina Arlotto, “Charters and the Public Schools,” themail,
September 5] And every last one of these charter schools’ students are
there by choice, either the student’s or that of their parents. And
every last one of these schools’ students had a guaranteed admission
to their local school, which they rejected.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
National Building Museum Events, September 10
Lauren Searl, lsearl@nbm.org
Monday, September 10, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Designing the Nation’s
Capital: the 1901 Plan for Washington, DC. The US Commission of Fine
Arts has recently published Designing the Nation’s Capital: The
1901 Plan for Washington, DC, a collection of essays related to what
is commonly known as the “McMillan Plan.” The seven essays by
leading scholars provide valuable historical context and examine the
lesser-known features of this wide-ranging plan that has guided
Washington’s development for the past century. Coeditor Pamela Scott,
a local architectural historian, will join several of the contributing
authors for a discussion of their discoveries and insights concerning
this important part of Washington’s planning history. Free.
Registration not required. At the National Building Museum, 401 F
Street, NW, Judiciary Square stop, Metro Red Line.
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Wednesday, September 12, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Historian and author Marc
Leepson will speak about his new book, Desperate Engagement: How A
Little-Known Civil War Battle Saved Washington, DC, And Changed American
History. The book chronicles the Battle of Monocacy and Confederate
General Jubal A. Early’s subsequent attack on Ft. Stevens in 1864, in
which President Lincoln came under fire. Leepson shows that the prospect
of Early’s attack on Washington, DC, led General Grant to move
thousands of Union troops to the area and caused Union leaders to
scramble to coordinate a force of local volunteers. The event is free
and open to the public. Reservations are requested to RSVP@historydc.org
(subject line: “Early”).
The Historical Society of Washington, DC, http://www.historydc.org,
is at the Carnegie Library, located at 801 K Street, NW, and can be
accessed by the Mount Vernon Square/Convention Center Metro Station.
Phone 383-1800.
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DC Public Library Events, September 12-13
Randi Blank, randi.blank@dc.gov
Wednesday, September 12, 12:00 p.m., Juanita E. Thornton/Shepherd
Park Neighborhood Library, 7420 Georgia Avenue, NW. Join the Shepherd
Park Wednesday Afternoon Book Club for a PowerPoint presentation and
book discussion of Legacy: Treasures of Black History. The
discussion and presentation will led by the editors, Dr. Thomas Battle
and Donna Wells. A book signing will follow. 541-6100.
Thursday, September 13, 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.
Thursday, September 13, 6:30 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial
Library, 901 G Street, NW, Great Hall. Help adults get their GED or
learn to read! The Adult Literacy Resource Center of the DC Public
Library presents a volunteer fair to learn about tutoring and teaching
opportunities with adult literacy providers. This event is cosponsored
by DC Learns. Be sure to register by September 10. To register, call the
Adult Literacy Resource Center at (202) 727-2431 or the Read Out Loud
Hotline at 1-866-READ-OUT.
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Cleveland Park Meeting, September 15
George Idelson, g.idelson@verizon.net
Is there an answer to one-size-fits-all zoning? As DC enters an era
of rezoning stemming from the new Comprehensive Plan, residents want to
know: “Can a Neighborhood Control its Own Destiny?” DC’s recently
appointed Office of Planning Director, Harriet Tregoning, will be the
featured speaker at the Saturday, September 15, meeting of the Cleveland
Park Citizens Association: A panel of prominent zoning advocates,
including Nancy MacWood, Barbara Zartman, and Thorn McGrath will lead
the question period. The meeting takes place at the Cleveland Park
Library starting at 10:15 a.m. All welcome.
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CLASSIFIEDS — SERVICES
If you’ve been using TV trays since you moved in because you can’t
find the table and you hyperventilate when friends hint about visiting;
if your file folders are bulging with bills, letters, and manuscripts
and you can’t decide what to keep and what to junk, don’t despair. I
will bring order to your chaos. No mess too embarrassing! Reasonable
fees by the hour ($25 an hour; four-hour minimum) or job. Paperwork a
specialty. Call ShipShape at 240-606-4400 for a free telephone
consultation. Our service is private and confidential.
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