Admitting Error
Dear Admitters:
Why is it so hard for our local politicians to admit error,
especially when they make so many of them? Mayor Fenty wanted to run
roughshod over the Tenley neighborhood and impose a development project
on it that not a single community organization supported. He held the
neighborhood’s library and elementary school hostage, delaying the
construction of the library and the improvement of the school to try to
force the neighborhood to accept his plan as the only option. Finally,
on Monday, when the mayor’s project fell apart on its own, Fenty held
a neighborhood meeting at extremely short notice and agreed to what the
neighborhood wanted in the first place. He could have graciously
admitted that he should have followed the wishes of his constituents,
and he could have apologized for the delay, and he would have had a
happy audience and neighborhood. Instead, he left the impression that
the community’s victory was only temporary — that he would allow the
construction of the Tenley Library and improvements to Janney School for
now, but that he would continue to press for his favored project in the
future. Instead of giving a simple admission of error that would have
gained him support and gratitude, Fenty chose to continue the fight even
after he lost it.
In the matter of his trips to China and Dubai, trips that were family
vacations or work trips, trips that Fenty paid for personally, or that
were paid for privately, or that were paid for by those foreign
governments either as gifts to Fenty personally or to city of
Washington, trips that were fully reported or will be reported; Fenty
has the same inability to appreciate the power of a simple admission of
error and apology. Even the editorial board of the Washington Post,
normally slavishly supportive and uncritical of Fenty, issued a stinging
rebuke: “The mayor showed a troubling lack of judgment in taking the
donations and in trying to keep them secret” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/16/AR2009031602614.html).
But in response the mayor has simply doubled down on his arrogance and
defiance, as WTOP’s Mark Segraves reported today: “Fenty says he did
nothing wrong and has no regrets. The mayor says while he does have more
out-of-town trips planned, he will not release any details of those
trips until after he returns — and only if required by law to do so.
‘I’m not going to tell you,’ Fenty tells WTOP.”
That’s why I want to give credit to Councilmember Jim Graham for
his rare admission of error this week. Graham, you may remember, has a
number of entries in the Stupidest Legislation of 2009 contest; one of
the worst was an anti-loitering bill that gave wide latitude to the
police to define anyone in the “wrong” neighborhood as a loiterer.
On Monday, Graham sent a message to neighborhood listservs announcing
that he was withdrawing that bill, and I want to quote his message in
full, because it shows how a politician can admit error without the
slightest hint of modesty or humility, but with the highest degree of
self admiration and self-praise: “Throughout my career I have tried
— working with others — to solve problems. I have worked hard to
listen to my constituents. People know also that I am a determined crime
fighter who is equally determined to address the root causes of crime.
“Children should be able to play outside safely. Neighbors should
not be afraid to sit on their front stoops, or walk to the local
convenience shop. Our young people should not live in fear while they
wait for the bus. People ought to be able to walk freely into their
homes and the lobbies of their apartment buildings. Those concerns led
me to try to draft a constitutionally sound piece of legislation. The
purpose was to give residents and neighbors some much-needed relief from
criminal congregants while also reaffirming the right to assemble. So
the draft bill was narrowly focused by requiring a limit of 240 hours, a
designated area, and other restrictions.
“I care deeply about civil liberties. I am also concerned about
giving government power that can be abused, through unfairly targeting
people on the basis of race or background. After a lot of effort, there
are still critical ambiguities (e.g. the definition of what constitutes
‘loitering’). Thus, the opportunity for abuse is too great. Very
recent events have reinforced that conclusion. Thus I have withdrawn the
bill.”
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
###############
Archdiocese Maximizing Cash Flows at Expense
of Infants
James T. Engelhardt, james_engelhardt@yahoo.com
As if shifting to government the cost of educating children in their
parochial schools isn’t enough, now the Archdiocese of Washington is
trying to maximize its real estate profits at the expense of low-income
infants and toddlers in Trinidad. Last fall, the archdiocese discovered
that getting out of the business of educating kids in DC can be very
profitable; http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/09/nyregion/09charter.html.
As landlords to these seven campuses, it must be nice to suddenly sit
back and receive great rents from the now-flush-with-cash Center Cities
Public Charter Schools that operate in the buildings. Well, it is so
nice they would like more. The Archdiocese and Catholic Charities are
ending the Model Cities Center on June 30, stating it is not in line
with their mission. Model Cities Center is a mixed-income infant and
toddler development center that has been operating in that location for
over forty years. It is one of only three Child Development Associate
training sites in the District, and the only one in Northeast. It
provides caring infant care for a mix of full payers and subsidized
payers in the community for seventy children. Twenty caring staff will
be out of a job on July 1. Why? Because Center Cities Public Charter
School next door wants to get in on the pre-K cash explosion! Out with
the labor-intensive (pun-intended) infants and toddlers, and in with the
profitable three-, four-, and five-year olds!
Center Cities can expand their pre-K into any of the many newly
vacant school buildings in Ward 5. But the Archdiocese of Washington,
the building’s owner, would like them to expand into this building
because the pre-K cash translates into huge rent payments, to the tune
of $20,000 per month, I’ve been told. Model Cities currently pays
$900; an admittedly low amount that they have offered to increase.
Quality care for infants is more scarce than almost anything in this
city. Why cannibalize a great program for a good program in this real
estate crisis? Center Cities PCS: Go expand for pre-K somewhere else!
Archdiocese, please allow Model Cities Center to continue doing the good
it has been doing for over forty years!
###############
Last Sunday the Washington Post had a front-page headline
story, “HIV/AIDS Rate in DC hits 3%: Considered a ‘Severe’
Epidemic, Every Mode of Transmission Is Increasing, City Study Finds,”
http://tinyurl.com/bvtcup. The Post
story was based on two reports that would be released to the public and
the rest of the press the next day at a press conference held by Mayor
Fenty and the DC Department of Health, the District of Columbia HIV/AIDS
Epidemology Update 2008 (http://www.dcwatch.com/issues/health090316.pdf)
and Heterosexual Relationships and HIV in Washington, DC (http://www.dcwatch.com/issues/health090316b.pdf).
The epidemology report concludes that the, “UN AIDS and CDC define
high prevalence epidemics as those where the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is
greater than 1 percent. As of December 31, 2007, there were 15,120
residents of the District of Columbia living with HIV/ADS, 3 percent of
the population over the age of 12 years (adults and adolescents). This
is a 22 percent increase from 12,428 cases reported at the end of 2006.
Residents who currently fall in the 40-59 age bracket are
disproportionately impacted, with 7.2 percent of 40-49 year olds and 5.2
percent of 50-59 year olds living with HIV/AIDS. Rates by race/ethnicity
show that 4/3 percent of blacks, 1.9 percent of Hispanics, and 1.4
percent of whites are living with HIV/AIDS. The highest burden of
disease is among black males with 6.5 percent of all black males in the
District living with HIV/AIDS.” In the Post article, Dr.
Shannon L. Hader, director of the District’s HIV/ADS Administration,
acknowledged that “our rates are higher than West Africa.”
The finds of the two reports were so startling that they were
reported by press outlets around the country and the world — the New
York Times, the BBC, the Voice of America, Al Jazeera, the Ghanian
Chronicle, the Korea Times, etc. It was against this backdrop
that citizens and the media attended the very crowded press conference
at the Unity Health Clinic in Northeast on Monday to hear how Mayor
Fenty and his administration would respond to what one reporter called,
“this Katrina-like emergency.” However, rather than a sense of alarm
and the announcement of a plan of action, Fenty and Dr. Hader indicated
that “the steps the District is taking” included: couples counseling
and testing, HIV screening at all District birthing centers, free condom
distribution, and expanded HIV/AIDS testing. When pressed by reporters
to say whether the District government viewed this epidemic with a sense
of urgency, Fenty responded by noting the four press conferences
regarding HIV/AIDS he has held since becoming mayor, and Dr. Hader
argued that, “declaring a state of emergency would be setting the bar
too low.”
###############
The Mayor’s Tenley Library Announcement
Robin Diener, Library Renaissance Project, rdiener@savedclibraries.org
Monday, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty announced that construction of the long
delayed Tenley Library would begin “soon,” and modernization of the
Janney School would begin before the end of 2009. The community welcomed
the mayor’s announcement, but wariness remains over future
development. Fenty made his announcement at Janney in a hastily called
press conference timed to catch parents picking up their children after
school. “We want to make sure the residents in this community get the
amenities they have been calling for as soon as possible,” said Fenty
in a surprise move that appeared to take everyone unawares. Neither Ward
3 Councilmember Mary Cheh nor the council’s Library Committee chair
Harry Thomas were on hand.
Nor was there any mention of LCOR, the developer selected by Fenty in
July to build housing as part of a public/private partnership (PPP)
using library air space and a portion of school grounds – a proposal
to which the community is largely opposed. Fenty said, “We are going
to keep working with our development partners to determine the best path
forward. . . . It will take careful planning in these tough economic
times,” leading many to attribute the death of the PPP to the
financial downturn. The question of mixed-use development on school and
library property has roiled the Tenley community for more than six
years. Most who heard the mayor’s sudden announcement admitted they
were perplexed and planned to stay vigilant.
Last Friday, on WAMU radio’s Politics Hour, Deputy Mayor Neil
Albert responded to a question me about the Tenley Library by saying
that he and Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper had found a way to ensure the
library foundation can be structurally engineered to bear future
expansion. Cooper was not able to attend the press event because a
performance oversight hearing for the library ran longer than expected.
###############
Mayor Fenty finally threw in the towel on his silly plan to build a
mixed-use project as part of a new Tenleytown library and modernization
of the overcrowded Janney Elementary school. For two years, Fenty
ignored residents who opposed the choice of LCOR developers of Bethesda
and regularly pummeled Deputy Mayor Neil Albert. Albert, who is a
proponent of a pro-development at-any-cost view, continued to press for
the ill-devised public-private partnership, with housing built on top of
the library, regardless of the ANC’s opposition. Finally, on Monday
with forty-five minutes’ notice to the Janney school community and no
one else, he hastily called a press conference at the school to say he
was dropping his plans and beginning construction immediately to rebuild
the library, instead of in 2012. The young mayor does not know how to
admit when he is wrong and lacks the character of President Obama, who
at least has said, “I screwed up.” I think the citizens of Ward 3
deserve an apology for the time that was wasted planning for something
that was a lousy idea. I have never heard “I am sorry” from his lips
for any of his screw-ups. As an early supporter of Fenty, I am saddened
to see a young mayor who, with a little humility, could become a great
mayor rather than a mediocre elected official. Fenty will continue to
turn a blind eye to voters who oppose him or his ideas until he has a
challenger with a brain and a few dollars.
###############
The mayor cannot have it both ways. He cannot call his trip to the
UAE a private family vacation and then say it was for official purposes.
Even if part of it did involve official business (and I think it would
be his responsibility to prove that it did) then some of it still
remains as personal vacation. And he certainly cannot claim that his
family’s expenses are official. Therefore, what I want to know is
this: shouldn’t some of that $25,000 (and perhaps some of the China
trip money as well) be personally taxable for the mayor? Will the DC
government now issue the mayor a 1099 detailing the amount he should owe
taxes on from the money the city received for the trips?
###############
Is It Taxable?
Ed T. Barron, edtb1@macdotcom
Mayor Fenty has taken two major trips abroad with his family that
were paid for by foreign governments. That raises an important question
that should be answered now before Fenty makes his move to a place in
the federal government. That question is, has he paid or will he pay
income taxes on the gifts he has received? One might make a stretch of a
case that his attendance at the Olympics and at a tennis match were for
city “Business.” It seems like too much of a stretch that attendance
by Fenty’s wife, Michelle, and their children was for official
business. I think he’d better pay up his tax liability now rather than
have it haunt him when he decides to move up in the political food
chain.
###############
Some Food for Thought Regarding Gardasil
Peter Tucker, pete10506@yahoo.com
On Friday, The National Research Center for Women and Families held a
luncheon entitled, “HPV Vaccine: The Facts behind the Hype. We thought
it would save lives. But now we’re not so sure.” The two keynote
speakers were Dr. Susan Wood, a professor at George Washington
University and the former Director of the FDA’s Office for Women’s
Health; and Dr. Diana Zuckerman, President of the National Research
Center for Women and Families.
The talk and the question and answer session that followed raised one
major concern after another regarding Merck’s Gardasil. Yet here in
DC, thanks to Councilmember David Catania, this dangerously undertested
HPV vaccine is required for sixth grade girls for the upcoming school
year. Interestingly, Catania refers to those who oppose his push as “conspiracy
theorists.” This luncheon, hosted and attended by some of the more
reputable folks in the medical field, gives lie to Catania’s
accusation.
Catania will be further undermined if there are a good number of us,
from all walks of life, publicly expressing concern for his actions by
testifying at the Thursday, April 9 Department of Health budget hearing.
At the last hearing we attended, we rattled Catania with just five of us
testifying (it should have been six, but Catania has, without
explanation, banned me from testifying). What will happen on April 9
when we number not five, but ten, or maybe even twenty? Let’s not look
back years from now and say, “Should’ve, could’ve, would’ve.”
On April 9, let’s stand up for our children and stand up to Catania.
It’s time for him to stop working for Merck and to start working for
us.
###############
An Inconsistent Response
Patricia Howard-Chittams, RN, BSN, mintrish@gmail.com
Let me state for the record that I am not a supporter of the Gen X
Tuskegee Experiment regarding Gardasil. Let me also for the record state
that I have two daughters who would be required to take this FDA
approved experimental drug under Catania’s soon to be implemented
immunization requirements. Let me be very clear, my daughters will not
be the Thalidomide mom’s of this century. While Gardasil may have the
potential of preventing four of the multitude of known HPV viruses, it
cannot guarantee that my daughters, or anyone else’s daughter, will
not become infected with HPV; nor will immunization completely prevent
cervical cancer. Regular Pap screenings are a proven cancer success. Don’t
believe the hype.
A recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine states
that bioethicists have expressed some wariness about or opposition to
mandating HPV vaccination. They argue that because HPV is not casually
transmissible, there is a less compelling rationale for requiring
protection against it than against measles or pertussis. The article
goes even further by saying “in the absence of potential harm to a
third party, such laws may be considered unacceptably paternalistic.”
Another article in The Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics argues
“that the HPV vaccine does not represent a public health necessity of
the type that has justified previous vaccine mandates, Gardasil is
relatively new and long-term safety and effectiveness in the general
population is unknown. Outcomes of those voluntarily vaccinated should
be followed for several years before mandates are imposed.”
Since receiving injections of Gardasil, many individuals have
attributed side effects to the receipt of the drug. In August of 2008,
Judicial Watch reported more than nine thousand adverse effects
attributed to Gardasil. There have been 78 severe outbreaks of genital
warts, six cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, and at least ten
miscarriages and eleven deaths reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event
Reporting System (VAERS), among thousands of other minor events, after
the administration of Gardasil. Although adverse event reports to VAERS
do not prove causation, they can provide an early warning sign that a
new vaccine may be causing health problems that could be important.
One also has to take into consideration that the targeted age group
during pre-approval testing for 9- to 15-year-old girls was small —
only 1,184 individuals. And since no participants have been followed for
more than five years, long-term effects remain unknown. The Journal
of the American Medical Association wrote in a 2002 study that “The
safety of new agents cannot be known with certainty until a drug has
been on the market for years,” When I hear Catania ranting and raving
about the wrongs mothers like myself are doing to their daughters when
we refuse to immunize against HPV I wonder what the catch is. Why is he
so out of control on this issue? Why prevent dissenters from testifying?
And the more I pondered this situation, the more uncomfortable I became.
Then I discovered that at $360 for three Gardasil injections, Merck, the
manufacturer of Gardasil, can generate annual sales of $3.2 billion by
2010. That’s billion with a B, folks. Now I have to wonder, who is
getting paid?
I recently attended a CE Course with the DC Black Nurses Association
and heard some startling information about HIV/AIDS in Washington, DC.
And I began to wonder why Catania in his capacity as Chairperson of the
Committee on Health isn’t shouting from the rafters about the rampant
HIV infection rate in Washington, DC? This is a real public health
issue, not a make believe one. Is it that the company that produces
Gardasil (Merck) has deep pockets? Is it because there are those who
benefit from the requirement of this immunization and can line the
political treasury of some of our council members? Is it because when an
immunization is required by law it indemnifies the manufacturer against
potential suit? But who is there to speak for those living lives of
quiet desperation who are HIV positive? Or is it simply easier to force
minority women into experimentation than to form an effective policy
which can combat the spread of HIV to everyone?
Here are some startling facts. One in twenty residents in Washington,
DC is HIV positive. African Americans account for 57 percent of the
total population of DC, but account for 81 percent of the total amount
of new HIV infections. African American Women are 58 percent of the
total female population but account for 90 percent of the total new HIV
cases. This isn’t about how one gets the disease; it’s about a real
disease with very real consequences. It is not about potential fatality
should one possibly develop a disease at some future date, it is about
actual fatality should the virus be contracted and not treated. What is
wrong with the picture? Where is the outrage, Mr. Catania? Where is the
angst? What are you doing to get the word out? Or is this genocide more
palatable? Where are your anger filled rants and demonstrations in
council hearings? The silence is deafening.
A recent study from the DC Department of Health stated, in part, what
we already know, that DC is a hotbed for the spread of HIV. And no one
is doing a darn thing about it.
###############
First Cigars, Then Cigarettes?
Ralph J. Chittams, Sr., rjchittamssr@gmail.com
In the February 8 edition of themail, I nominated Councilmember
Alexander’s bill styled the “Single Sale of Cigar Products
Prohibition Amendment Act of 2009” for the dumb legislation of the
year award. I pointed out that the clear language of the bill had the
potential to outlaw the sale of all tobacco products in the District of
Columbia. “1) ‘Single cigar product’ means an individual cigar,
cigar leaf wrapper, flavored or non-flavored cigar that is referred to
as a blunt, blunt wrap, or any other tobacco product that may be used in
the ingesting, inhaling, or introduction of marijuana to the human body.”
In the March 17 edition of the Washington Post, staff writer
Keith L. Alexander authored a piece entitled “’Scary Drug’ Makes
Comeback.” His article stated, in part, “During its peak, PCP users
dipped marijuana cigarettes into a tiny bottle of PCP. Today, PCP users
are dipping store-bought cigarettes into a bottle of PCP, or ‘making
them wet,’ for $25 a dip, says Inspector Brian Bray, who heads the DC
police narcotics unit.” I guess Councilmember Alexander must now work
to ban the sale of cigarettes as well. After all, PCP is exponentially
more dangerous that marijuana. Watch that slippery slope; the first step
is a killer.
###############
Regarding the postings over Jack McKay’s removal of a tree [themail,
March 11 and 14], I am not clear on the facts. His posting said that it
was at the orders of the city that he was removed a diseased tree. Can
he explain? I’ve never heard of the city ordering someone to take down
a street tree, and indeed, the mayor’s service center web site has a
special category to request the city itself to trim or remove a tree.
Perhaps this tree was not in a tree box (between the sidewalk and the
street) but rather on the land between the sidewalk and the house
facade? Depending on exactly what block you live on, that area is either
privately owned by the homeowner or is public owned. If publicly owned,
the homeowner is responsible for maintenance. Which city agency ordered
the tree removed, and did the order specify that the tree had Dutch elm
disease? Did the order specify any permitting procedures that needed to
be followed to remove the tree? Why did the police station not provide
the signs? Was it because they don’t provide signs for any purpose
now, or because it involved tree removal?
###############
Statehood and Recalls
Michael Bindner, mikeybdc at yahoo dot com
William Haskett alleges that statehood activists are mistaken about
claims that DC should be treated as a state for voting purposes. Mr.
Haskett is himself mistaken. Voting rights advocates make this claim.
Statehood activists actually agree with Mr. Haskett that statehood is
necessary to achieve voting rights as well, leaving a small area to
fulfill the requirement for a seat of government. In 1993, legal
opinions were obtained by Citizens for New Columbia showing that a
constitutional amendment was not required for statehood, largely because
of the residual area left for the seat of government. Some may object
that Maryland must be given a shot at the territory (although there are
several judicial decisions that find that the permanent cession has
already taken place, from Albaugh v. Tawes to Howard v.
Maryland — rulings that were used to deny voting rights through
Maryland). Statehood remains the only option.
As to the conduct of the mayor regarding his Chinese and Arabian
trips and the conduct of this School Chancellor, please allow me to
remind all readers that through the rest of the calendar year, the mayor
can be recalled (although before you do that, I would suggest filing
suit to force the Board of Elections and Ethics to properly purge the
roles of anyone who hasn’t voted in the last two federal elections).
The voting rolls have not been purged regularly, largely to thwart the
referendum, initiative, and recall provisions of the Charter. For any
reform candidates out there, cleaning the rolls to enhance direct
democracy, as well as amending the charter to allow amendment by
initiative, may become issues that set you apart (assuming you can get
your message out there with few contributions from members of the
Federal City Council).
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Department of Parks and Recreation Events,
March 20-21
John Stokes, john.astokes@dc.gov
Friday, March 20, 3:45 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Friendship Recreation Center,
4500 Van Ness Street, NW. Turtle Time for ages two to six. Participants
will have the opportunity to see, touch, and learn about small animals.
For more information, call Enrique Leiva, 282-2198.
Friday, March 20, 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., Ultra Zone, 3447 Carlin
Springs Road, Falls Church, VA 22033. Laser Tag. Teens will visit Ultra
Zone for a night of games and fun. For more information, call Kyanna
Blackwell, Site Manager, 724-4876.
Saturday, March 21, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Riggs La Salle Community
Center, 501 Riggs Road, NE. The Winter Indoor Citywide Soccer/Futsal
Championships is a citywide soccer meet hosted at the end of every
season. This tournament brings together teams from all over the DC area
to play in a one day tournament. Ages 13-15 (boys and girls), 16-18
(boys and girls), 19 and up (men only). The first and second place
winners are awarded trophies and T-shirts. For more information, call
Abdullah Tunis at 673-7692.
Saturday, March 21, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Benning Stoddert Recreation
Center, 4300 Anacostia Avenue, NE. Football open house. The Staff of
Benning Stoddert will host a preregistration open house for all youth
who wish to participate in the DC Pop Warner Football league in the
fall. For more information, call Sharon Marshall, 698-1873.
Saturday, March 21, 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Fort Davis Recreation
Center, 1400 41st Street, SE. Kite making workshop for ages six to ten.
The Staff of Fort Davis will teach youth how to make a kite. Following
the production of a kite, they will go outdoors and learn kite flying
techniques. For more information, call Mark Chisholm, 645-9212.
###############
Merry Bruns on Looking Professional on the
Web, March 21
Barbara Conn, bconn@cpcug.org
Most businesses can benefit from a good Web site, but there’s more
to looking good on the ’Net than jazzy graphics. Your business Web
site needs appropriate content as well. Ineffective Web site content can
mean prospective clients pass over your site, moving to the next site
and business. Renowned local Web content strategist Merry Bruns will
provide new practical tips on making your content live up to your site
graphics and on maximizing your content for your customers and potential
customers.
Gather your colleagues (whether Web site developers, programmers,
consultants, small business owners, entrepreneurs, soon-to-be small
business owners, writers, freelancers, or free agents), and your
questions, and bring them to this Saturday, March 21, 1:00 p.m.,
gathering of the Capital PC User Group (CPCUG) Entrepreneurs and
Consultants Special Interest Group (E&C SIG). These monthly events
are free and open to all. This month’s event is at the Cleveland Park
Branch Library (first floor large meeting room) at 3310 Connecticut
Avenue, NW (between Macomb and Newark Streets), just over a block south
of the Cleveland Park Metrorail Station on the Red Line. For more
information about the seminar, the speaker, and CPCUG (a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit educational organization), visit http://entrepreneur.cpcug.org/309meet.html.
To RSVP, send E-mail to bconn@cpcug.org.
###############
National Building Museum Events, March 23
Jazmine Zick, jzick@nbm.org
Monday, March 23, 6:30-8:00 p.m., For the Greener Good: Healthy
Hospitals. What are the costs, consequences, and opportunities of
healing our population and our planet? At the National Building Museum,
401 F Street, NW, Judiciary Square stop, Metro Red Line. Register for
events at http://www.nbm.org.
###############
DC Summer Jobs Program, March 24
Anne Renshaw, milrddc@aol.com
The Federation of Citizens Associations Assembly will have a program
on the Summer Jobs Program: Revamped for success or replicating last
year’s flop?, on Tuesday, March 24, 6:45 p.m.-9:00 p.m., at Charles
Sumner School, 1201 Seventeenth Street, NW (at M Street). The program
will examine the District’s historically problematic Mayor’s Summer
Youth Employment Program on Tuesday, March 24, 6:45 PM, at The Charles
Sumner School, 1201 Seventeenth Street, NW (at M Street).
The Assembly speaker, DC Auditor Deborah K. Nichols, will review last
year’s failed summer jobs program for 21,000 youth which was mired in
chaos, confusion, mismanagement, and lack of planning and oversight
which led to a $31 million budget overrun and a myriad of payroll
glitches that rewarded absentee and/or ineligible students, deceitful
contractors and 203 non-DC residents. Other Assembly invitees are DOES
Director Joseph P. Walsh, Board of Trade President/CEO James Dinegar
(and/or his representative) and Margaret Singleton of the DC Chamber of
Commerce.
With DC’s unemployment rate nearing 10 percent and, given the
current economic climate, more furloughs and layoffs on the horizon, the
Citizens Federation asks whether there should be a summer jobs program
for upwards of 21,000 DC youths. If students are not going to have a
meaningful work experience, could the summer jobs funding be more wisely
spent? Or will federal stimulus money be used to pay summer jobs costs?
Most importantly, what changes to the 2009 program will avoid a repeat
of last year’s summer jobs debacle? The Citizens Federation questions
if the Fenty Administration has learned from last year’s costly
blunders in trying to provide summer jobs for an unlimited number of
District youths. On March 24, though, the Citizens Federation
anticipates a preview of (what could be) a totally revamped and reliable
summer jobs program that will ensure significant work experience for the
city’s youth.
###############
themail@dcwatch is an E-mail discussion forum that is published every
Wednesday and Sunday. To change the E-mail address for your subscription
to themail, use the Update Profile/Email address link below in the
E-mail edition. To unsubscribe, use the Safe Unsubscribe link in the
E-mail edition. An archive of all past issues is available at http://www.dcwatch.com/themail.
All postings should 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.
