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November 4, 2007

Consideration

Dear Careful Considerators:

Nikita Stewart wrote a good background article on the shaky deal that the city council approved for the government to underwrite the sale of Greater Southeast Community Hospital to Specialty Hospitals of America, “Some on Council Now Doubt Wisdom of Hospital Deal: Members Say Faith in City Officials Was Shaken by 11th Hour Notice of Financial Risks in $79 Million Plan.” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/01/AR2007110102872.html?sub=AR). The unusually lengthy headline tells the gist of the story. Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi’s serious reservations about the financial soundness of the deal (http://www.dcwatch.com/govern/cfo071023.htm) were kept from most councilmembers, and General Counsel Peter Nickles didn’t even show Gandhi’s letter to Mayor Fenty. Nickles gave Stewart a deeply cynical, in-your-face response when asked why he didn’t let councilmembers know about the financial problems with the deal and about Gandhi’s warnings: “‘It came to me in a sealed envelope. It was marked confidential,’ he said. ‘Well, I’m an honorable person. . . . I honor confidentiality, even to the point that the mayor was surprised’ that the letter existed.”

The city council voted for the deal as a result of being denied vital information about it, and as a result of its own propensity, which it shares with the mayor, of acting rashly and precipitously without giving itself enough time to read the bills before them, research them, consult widely with experts and the public, and deliberate fully and completely. As a result, councilmembers are now reduced to merely hoping that their mistake won’t prove to be as disastrous as it is likely to be: “‘We’re all keeping our fingers crossed. We’re not entirely sure that it’s going to work,’ said council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), echoing the sentiments of a majority of council members.”

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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Construction Versus Pedestrians
Norman Metzger, normanmetzger@verizon.net

We all regularly encounter — and are annoyed if not frustrated by — those “go-away” signs and barriers at construction sites that force us off the sidewalk. It doesn’t have to be that way, and indeed it isn’t: New York City requires well protected walkways on the sidewalk at construction sites. For slide shows comparing what happens in DC and what NYC does, please see my web site, http://walkdc.googlepages.com/home. DC Department of Transportation officials told me some time ago that they are “working on new regulations.” Very good news indeed, albeit tempered a bit by their silence when asked about the timing and nature of those new regulations, and their enforcement plans. Why is it taking so long to fix a problem that seems to be getting worse, uglifies our streets, and forces risks on walkers, including the disabled?

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GAO on DC School Vouchers
Paul Basken, paul@basken.com

For your information, the Government Accountability Office has released a report on the DC school voucher program, http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-9. The Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences released another critical report in June, http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20074009/ [full report at http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pdf/20074009.pdf].

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Crocodile Tears
Ed T. Barron, edtb1@mac.com

Those protesting cab drivers claiming they will lose money with meters as opposed to zone fares are crying crocodile tears. Cab drivers will actually fare much better with the generous proposal of the Mayor on how the meters will charge fares. A flag drop of four dollars is 60 percent higher than fares in New York and most other US cities. With additional charges for slow moving and heavy traffic or time waiting, the cab drivers in DC will find that they are far better off. And don’t forget the rush hour surcharge of an additional buck during rush hours (6 a.m. until 9 p.m.?). Passengers, on the other hand, will likely find they are paying more for their cab rides. Also, drivers here don’t have to pay for a cab medallion as they for in New York. Last time I remember a medallion being sold in NY it was about seventy thousand dollars. That’s about forty times the cost of a new meter.

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Band-Aiding the Symptoms
Ed T. Barron, edtb1@macdotcom

Another all hands on deck for the police in DC to make a lot of arrests in crime-ridden neighborhoods. Nice, but not the real solution to crime in DC.

Why do we have crime ridden neighborhoods? The answer is that these neighborhoods are starved for the elements that make neighborhoods good neighborhoods. Yes, I’m talking about money and investments. Studies have shown that kids coming from very good families but growing up in bad neighborhoods will likely become bad kids. Conversely, a kid coming from a very dysfunctional family, maybe even a bad kid, but growing up in a good neighborhood, will likely become a good kid. So, we are treating the symptoms, crime, when we should be treating the disease, poor neighborhoods. If we want to lower crime we have to bite the bullet and start making some serious investments in turning poor neighborhoods into functioning middle class neighborhoods. Let’s see what kind of plan can be put together by the current administration, perhaps a pilot program with one neighborhood, to make that neighborhood a functional one.

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Deletion Date
Robert Evans, robertevans20024@yahoo.com

Though it may be obvious to others, I have a question regarding Dorothy’s “Sounding the Alarm” [themail, October 31] about the Fenty order to erase DC government E-mails after six months. Does the January 5, 2008, starting date begin the clock ticking toward the first six-month elimination date or on January 5 will all government E-mails older than sometime in early July 2007 be automatically (or manually?) Deleted?

[According to Mayor’s Order 2007-07 (http://www.dcwatch.com/govern/octo070921.htm), the government can, and probably will, begin erasing E-mails on January 5, 2008. — Gary Imhoff]

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

First-Wednesdays Money-Saving Seminar, November 7
Michelle Phipps-Evans, michelle.phipps-evans@dc.gov

This is the first time the District of Columbia has declared November as Health Insurance Awareness Month, which had been spearheaded by the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB). To mark this month, which coincides with the Open Enrollment season, the upcoming First Wednesdays Money-Saving Seminars will focus on the topic of health insurance; and DISB’s Senior Insurance Operations Specialist Carolyn King will give the presentation. Wednesday, November 7, from noon to 1 p.m., at DISB’s office at 810 First Street, NE, #701.

Be prepared to ask as many questions as you may have while you decide on your health insurance needs based on your life stage. We look forward to seeing you at the next-to-last installment of the First Wednesdays Money-Saving Seminars for 2007. Don’t forget to bring your lunch. Thanks so much for coming out and supporting the programs of DISB. Should you have any questions, please call Michelle Phipps-Evans at 442-7822.

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Free Flu Shots, November 8
Clifton Roberson, clifton.roberson@dc.gov

The DC Department of Health will be conducting a mass vaccination clinic to test the District’s capability to respond to a pandemic or other public health emergencies. Free flu shots and pneumococcal vaccinations will be provided to District residents aged nine and up on Thursday, November 8, at the Kennedy Recreation Center, 1401 7th Street, NW, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and at the DC Armory, 2001 E. Capitol Street, SE, from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Anyone under the age of eighteen must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, please contact the DOH Call Center, 671-5000.

[This is being reprinted from the last issue of themail to correct the telephone number for the DOH Call Center. — Gary Imhoff]

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Home Energy Efficiency Expo, November 10
Hazel Thomas, thomashazelb@aol.com

The Office of the People’s Counsel will hold a home energy efficiency expo at the Washington Convention Center, 801 Mt. Vernon Place, NW, in Rooms 101, 102A, and 102B, on Saturday, November 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It will feature hands-on demonstrations, energy audit information, “green” loan programs, energy upgrade success stories, green builders, insulation providers, solar energy providers, and information on getting started, getting licenses and permits. For more information, call 727-3071.

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New Communities Initiatives Forum, November 13
Angie Rodgers, rodgers@dcfpi.org

Please join the DC Affordable Housing Alliance for a neighborhood forum on DC’s New Communities Initiatives. The focus of the evening will be on information sharing so that all members of the community are updated about the current status of New Communities. The forum will be held on Tuesday, November 13, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the St. Aloysius Church, 900 North Capitol Street, NW, between I and K Streets. Panelists include Buwa Binitie, New Communities; Dorothea Ferrell, Barry Farms; Patricia Malloy and Brenda Williams, Lincoln Heights/Richardson Dwellings; Northwest 1 Council, Northwest One; and Marie Whitfield, Park Morton.

The New Communities Initiative was designed to improve the physical landscape and social opportunities for residents of areas in the District with high concentrations of violent crime, poverty, distressed housing, and strong development pressures in the neighborhood. The initiative seeks to be a comprehensive approach to revitalization — integrating housing, business, and community asset development with human services programming. Four communities are slated for redevelopment. The forum sponsor, the DC Affordable Housing Alliance (AHA), is a broad community coalition of more than seventy organizations and senior citizens, developers, housing advocates, tenants, citizens with disabilities, and homeless families working together for affordable housing in the District of Columbia, especially for low-income residents. For more information, contact Angie Rodgers, rodgers@dcfpi.org.

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