News Coverage
Dear News Hounds:
It has been a few months since I last wrote about the sorry state of
local news coverage in DC. Dorothy’s message, below, prompts me to
bring up the subject again. Since I last wrote, The Washington Times has
announced that it will largely drop its local news, which it had already
cut back dramatically. The Voice of the Hill has been absorbed
into the Current family of newspapers, which leaves the Current group
challenged only by The InTowner and the Fagon publications
(the Hill Rag, DC North, and East of the River) in
providing serious coverage of neighborhood news. The Examiner continues
to do an admirable job of covering local politics, even though its
exposes of scandals in city politics are often ignored by The
Washington Post, and thus by the television and radio news
operations that take their cues from the Post.
Online news coverage has taken some halting steps. For the past
several months The Washington City Paper’s Loose Lips, Mike
DeBonis, has written an opinionated news aggregation column every
weekday: Loose Lips Daily, at http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk.
It’s useful — and could use competition. Dave Stroup, who inherited
the site whyihatedc.com, started the promising districtdaily.com, with
the following mission statement: “District Daily is a new DC-oriented
web publication. The goal of this site is to provide thoughtful and
original analysis and reporting about the District of Columbia. District
Daily will also serve as a springboard for further development of
citizen journalism in the Washington, DC, area.” It’s most recent
posting was on December 8. The Washington Post’s DC Wire (http://blog/washingtonpost.com/)
is doing better; it’s last posting was only four days ago, on December
23. Unfortunately, most neighborhood and personal blogs continue to be
written by and for twenty-somethings whose main interests are clubs and
bars. I can recommend Richard Layman’s urban planning blog, http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com,
and Richard is a frequent contributor to themail, including in this
issue. What sites about DC do you read regularly and can recommend to
fellow readers of themail? How can these sites be connected and
collected to keep citizens informed?
#####
The Washington Post published an obituary of Peter Craig on
December 21, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/20/AR2009122002242_pf.html.
Over the past few years, Craig kept themail’s readers informed about
his court suit to attempt to force DC to institute a more equitable
property tax assessment system; the obituary covers his involvement with
local issues over the past several decades.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
###############
Like many residents of the DC metropolitan area, in recent years I
have had frequent, almost daily, conversations with friends and
neighbors about the Washington Post. To a large extent, the
conversation centers around questions such as, “Why isn’t the Post
writing about _____?,“ “What has happened to the high quality of
investigative reporting the newspaper had been known for?,” “Where
are the veteran reporters who knew the issues and had fat Rolodexes?,
“Why did the Post editorial board lose all objectivity and
become the mouthpiece of the Fenty administration?”
There was a time when the Washington Post hit the floor of our
front porch early in the morning and I would arouse myself, stumble
downstairs, and read the newspaper cover to cover before Gary even woke
up. Now, there are many times when the paper stays around the house for
days, unopened and unread, and finally opened only to retrieve the
grocery ads. Too often, worthy news is edged out by fluff. For three
successive days, beginning December 21, the front page of the Style
section was dominated by long stories and large photographs of Michaele
and Tareq Salahi, the White House gate crashers. On December 11, the
front page of the first section had a long story and big photo about a
vice president of the Washington Nationals, Gregory McCarthy, who was
training to run the Antarctic Marathon to complete his quest to run a
marathon on each continent, worth being a human interest story inside
the Sports section. Regarding both stories, I wondered why an editor at
the Post thought these stories deserved such prominent placement
and coverage, especially when there are real issues that truly have an
impact on the lives of city residents that the Post isn’t
covering.
I like an occasional feature piece about life in DC, but feature
articles are not a substitute for news. When and why did the Post
decide to become People Magazine, instead of covering issues such
as: 1) the very limited amount of time, in any given week, that Mayor
Fenty spends discharging his official duties; 2) how the Fenty
reelection committee is using threats and intimidation to solicit
contributions; 3) why the city council hasn’t released its special
investigative reports regarding the conduct of District elections in
2008 and the efforts of the Fenty administration to send a surplus
firetruck to the Dominican Republic; 4) the status of Robert Bennett’s
investigation into ethics at the DC council; 5) the poor quality of
Fenty’s nominations to boards and commissions; 6) the role and
influence of Fenty’s fraternity brothers, law school classmates, and
cycling/marathon teammates in his administration; 7) the shallow
legislative record of most councilmembers; and 8) how certain
councilmembers micromanage the departments, agencies, boards, and
commissions over which their council committees have oversight.
###############
The Peebles Phenomenon May Energize 2010
Mayoral Race
Kathryn Pearson-West, wkpw3@aol.com
Native son, millionaire, and mega/uber-developer and
businessman/entrepreneur Don Peebles may be just what the District of
Columbia needs to stop the coronation of the current mayor next year.
Clearly, I am ABF — Anybody but Fenty — and intrigued by the
possibility that there might be a new mayor to run the nation’s
capital, my native hometown. However, despite that dream, I was
reluctant to attend a recent meet and greet with the potential candidate
just before the holidays. I met Peebles years ago and know that he is no
stranger to DC. A fellow activist reminded me of his long standing in DC
when she sent pictures of him and his wife standing by former president
Clinton and former Mayor Sharon Pratt. I am waiting to see if there are
any pictures with President Obama.
My first thoughts about Don Peebles were that voters might be
concerned about his grand success as a developer both here and
elsewhere, his interracial marriage, and the time he spent with his
family living away from the District of Columbia. But he’s no
carpetbagger. Talking to friends and colleagues, I heard people say that
they didn’t care what race or color his wife is, as long as she is no
“bimbo” or just a trophy wife with no substance. Actually she seems
to complement him. Someone sent me his wife’s bio, which is impressive
and shows that she has been an asset in helping to grow his business
enterprise. For the record, I didn’t think much of then potential
First Lady of America Michelle Obama, but now, after watching her
awhile, I think she is a marvelous first lady. I say that the potential
first lady of DC deserves a chance based on who she is and how she
relates to citizens and issues as a political wife, not as if she were
the politician. The race issue was put to rest for me by the other “ABFers”
who just want a qualified, talented leader with potential, integrity,
and intelligence at the helm that listens to the will of the people to
help guide him in government. They say that who one falls in love with
is their business and often is the result of the circles one travels or
places one visits — not a deal-breaker.
At the meet and greet, I learned a lot about the potential mayoral
candidate and shared that information with others. They let me know that
they are pleased with the native son’s accomplishments and buy into
the “unbossed and unbought” mantra and are proud of his success in
America. Additionally, they don’t equate him with other big time
affluent mayors like Bloomberg of New York or think about the new
affluent businessman and mayor of Detroit, Dave Bing, formerly of the
Bullets/Wizards. Apparently, Peebles won’t be judged by or associated
with the good or bad that these two examples of wealthy businessman
mayors bring to their mayoral seats. Also, I didn’t ask whether
Peebles was for or against a vote on the definition of marriage via a
ballot measure in 2010, but I hope that he has the good sense and
political savvy to keep his opinion or feelings on the subject to
himself while the issue and process play out in court and before
Congress, where both sides (local and national advocates) on the issue
seem to be lobbying hard.
The Peebles phenomenon is spreading, creating momentum, gaining
traction. The Peebles factor promises to be an integral force in shaping
the direction of the Washington, DC, whether he runs or not. He will
raise issues and say the things that need to be said to make the
District of Columbia a better place to live, work, play, worship, and
enjoy. Some citizens are already saying that Peebles as mayor and
Vincent Gray as chair of the council would be a formidable force for the
District. We’ll see. Leo Alexander, an announced mayoral candidate and
business executive, also may be able to bring some key issues to the
table, perhaps though without the campaign bankroll of an incumbent
Fenty or millionaire businessman Peebles. There is more to learn about
Peebles before he should be encouraged further to run or before some
citizens like me make a commitment if he does announce his intentions to
run. I would like to know what church he attends. Will his children
attend the DC public schools (though that is not a deal-breaker for me)?
What are his views on education? Is he open to new leadership for the
public schools, if after sitting down with the chancellor after he wins
(if the chancellor hasn’t left for California to marry) he decides
there is someone else who might be a better fit for the District? How
will he improve public safety and increase economic opportunities for
citizens residing here? Will he respect the will of the people, the
voters, and longtime residents that have weathered the storm in DC? Will
he be positive role model for young people and help them guide them to a
fulfilling destiny? How will he treat senior citizens and those that
have crossed over into middle age? What can he do to make DC affordable
for young adults that were born here or resided here for a long time and
want to continue to live in this expensive, promising world-class
metropolis and globally competitive economic market? As the Peebles team
takes the show on the road with a listening tour filled with meet and
greets in all eight wards, citizens will have an opportunity to find out
more personally about Don Peebles and his potential to be the mayor of
Washington, DC. But for now, he seems like a worthy candidate capable of
dethroning Mayor Fenty. Let the campaigning begin. It just might be a
Happy New Year in 2010 after all.
###############
Thank you for writing in regards to the recent snowball incident
involving a member of the Metropolitan Police Department which occurred
on December 19, 2009.
I apologize for any frustration or concern that may have resulted
from this unfortunate confrontation and can assure you that my
Administration takes all accusations of this nature very seriously. The
Metropolitan Police Department is conducting a full investigation to
determine the exact circumstances surrounding this incident and will
take appropriate action.
Again, thank you for bringing your concerns to my attention.
[I didn’t write to the mayor or the MPD about what’s been called
“bringing a gun to a snowball fight,” so I don’t know why this was
sent to themail, but I’m publishing it because I think the response
would be interesting to readers. — Gary Imhoff]
###############
[Re: “Snowbound, Unless You’re in Georgetown,” themail,
December 23] My street, Tuckerman, NW, between upper Georgia Avenue and
5th, also received no attention until Tuesday when the city snow plow
came through and pushed mounds of snow back onto and around cars that
had been dug out. As for salt dispersal, it was minimal amounts of sand
that made a dirty mess.
The disparity toward residents in this city is not displayed by one
agency or department, but across the board.
###############
The Rich, the Poor, and Snow Removal in Manor
Park (vs. Georgetown or Mt. Pleasant)
Richard Layman, rlaymandc@yahoo.com
It’s never a good idea to generalize to the whole city from one or
two experiences. While I don’t doubt that Denise Wiktor [themail,
December 23] found plowed and treated roads in Georgetown, while snow
removal in her neighborhood languished, it’s dangerous and bad logic
to extend these experiences to broad statements about how things are
done everywhere in the city, class divides, etc. (For example, I always
have found H Street, NE, since it is a commuting route, to be one of the
best plowed streets over the past twenty years, and you’d hardly
consider that neighborhood to be one of the richest in the city.) While
I thought that they could have done a better job at intersections, roads
in the Manor Park neighborhood (upper NW, between Brightwood and Takoma)
were plowed on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We’re in the upper NW,
and our houses are not as expensive as the houses in Georgetown sure,
but at the same time they’re significantly less expensive than houses
in Mt. Pleasant and Columbia Heights. In short, “we’re poorer than
you.”
Better to do a systematic analysis of the snow clearing plan, layered
with information about road width, turning radii at intersections,
topography, number of cars parked on the street, etc., in order to make
generalizations about differences in snow clearing between
neighborhoods, and more importantly, to generate the knowledge to do a
better job the next time. In the 1970s, a classic analysis of snow
removal practices in NYC discovered that because Manhattan generated the
most trash, it had the most garbage trucks, and such trucks were fitted
with snow removal equipment and comprised the majority of the snow
removal equipment inventory in the city, meaning the other boroughs had
far less equipment, so long as they continued to rely on sanitation
trucks as the primary vehicles for snow removal.
Note that I think that patting themselves on the back for snow
plowing isn’t in order after the most recent snowstorm, not because
they did a bad job, but because in a city where many people walk, ride
transit, and bicycle, there are inadequate plans to cover snow removal
from crosswalks, sidewalks, bus stops, and bicycle lanes. It’s
basically not done, and DC government properties such as parks and
schools are notorious for not having sidewalks cleared either. I
happened to blog about this issue in three entries that people might
want to read (see http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com).
###############
After the last snowstorm, Faith Tabernacle Church of Prayer for all
Peoples, at 2465 Alabama Avenue, SE, removed snow from their parking lot
and pushed in on the sidewalk at Alabama Avenue and Gainesville Street,
SE. The resulting snow bank was up to five feet high and kept the
neighbors, mostly low-income residents-with children and without cars,
from crossing the street. I have owned an eight-unit apartment building
located at 2809 Gainesville Street, SE, next to the parking lot, for
twenty-five years, and the 7th District Metropolitan Police Headquarters
is only a block away. This church and its pastor, Judy Talbert, showed
disrespect and disregard for our community.
###############
Ah, the snowstorm story! Indeed, a lovely one from a gifted
raconteur. Snowbound can be a wonderful situation!
Merry Christmas to both of you, and best wishes for a healthy, happy,
and prosperous New Year. Let’s all count our blessings.
###############
[Re: themail, December 23] Do they still have tanks of live carp
scattered around town? When we lived there if it was freezing in
December. They were a real hazard — the overflow water freezing, often
in a mixture of blood from the carp that customers wanted the dealers to
kill. Purists would take the carp home alive and keep it in the bathtub
until Xmas eve.
[You’ve described it exactly. The Christmas markets appear early in
December, but the carp tanks don’t begin to appear until a little over
a week before Christmas, because the fish are a traditional dish for
Christmas Day. It’s a good thing we’re not Czech; how long do you
think it would take the city council and DCRA to close down carp sellers
on DC streets? — Gary Imhoff]
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Environmental Health Group (EHG) Events,
December 30
Allen Hengst, ahengst@rcn.com
World War I munitions, bottles filled with chemical warfare agents,
and contaminated soil have been found in and around the Spring Valley
neighborhood of northwest DC. The Environmental Health Group (EHG) seeks
to raise awareness of the issues and encourage a thorough investigation
and cleanup. Every Saturday at 1:00 p.m., please join EHG for an
informal discussion about Spring Valley issues. In the cafe at the
Tenleytown Whole Foods Market, 4530 40th Street, NW (one block north of
Tenley Circle). For more information, visit the EHG on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Washington-DC/Environmental-Health-Group/67807900019.
Wednesday, December 30: The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is in
the process of investigating and cleaning up contamination in Spring
Valley resulting from operations during the World War I era. As a result
of recent investigation efforts, a number of munitions were discovered.
These include recovered chemical warfare materiel as well as
conventional munitions that contain explosives. On November 30, USACE
released a forty-one page report on cleanup options for destroying the
weapons stored on federal land behind Sibley Hospital. The public has
thirty days (until Wednesday) to comment on the report at http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/projects/WashingtonDC/springvalley.htm
###############
Passport to the World New Year’s Eve Gala at
the Washington Hilton, December 31
Michael Karlan, dc@prosinthecity.com
On December 31, join Professionals in the City at its Passport to the
World New Year’s Eve Gala at the Washington Hilton in Dupont Circle.
This gala includes an open bar, nine themed party areas each
representing a different city, live entertainment and more. The current
block of tickets are just $109, but prices will increase soon. For more
information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.newyearseveindc.com,
E-mail dc@prosinthecity.com, or call 686-5990.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — DONATIONS
At the end of the year, many of us are putting in a pitch for our
favorite causes or programs, and here’s mine. Byte Back, Inc. (http://www.byteback.org)
teaches a broad range of computer and office skills to underserved youth
and adults. The goal is to promote successful futures, one student at a
time. I was moved by the following letter this week from its executive
director, Kelley Ellsworth. Maybe you will be, too.
“I have to be honest with you. This recession is grim. Unemployment
in Washington is high (11.9 percent) and the pain has not been shared
evenly in our city. For example, this October the unemployment rate in
Ward Three was 3 percent, but in Ward Eight it was 28 percent.
Meanwhile, two of the three foundations that have historically been Byte
Back’s largest funders have changed their guidelines and we are no
longer eligible to even apply for funding. Late this summer we lost a
$100,000 grant from the DC government during the last round of budget
cuts.
“Nonetheless, we have increased our programming this year. We had
to. The need for job training in our city is enormous. There were almost
40,000 unemployed Washingtonians this fall, many eager to retrain as
they wait for the job market to improve. Byte Back provides training for
jobs in growth industries which pay a living wage with opportunities for
advancement. It was our individual donors who literally kept our doors
open this fall. Thanks to the kindness of people like you, we were able
to raise almost $40,000 in two months. Thank you! Despite a dramatic
decline in overall revenue, Byte Back had the following accomplishments
the first half of our fiscal year: obtained our licensure as a
post-secondary educational institution; tripled our Microsoft Office job
training program; taught computer literacy skills to over two hundred
students; held classes at four sites: our Headquarters in Brookland,
Catholic Charities in Chinatown, Academy of Hope in Edgewood Terrace,
and First Time Computers in Brookland; initiated new programs preparing
students for two computer certifications: A+ (computer hardware) and
Microsoft Office Specialist (computer software); partnered with Booz
Allen Hamilton and Trinity University, which provide highly qualified
volunteers to help teach Byte Back courses.
“Will you help us expand our efforts to meet the needs of our
community? Starting in January 2010, with your help, Byte Back hopes to
add three additional computer training sites: the Perry School (Ward 6),
and the Woodridge and Francis Gregory Libraries (Wards 5 and 7); launch
a program with the DC Public Library to teach computer literacy skills
to four hundred senior citizens during a six-month period (graduates
will receive a free refurbished computer thanks to First Time Computers
and two years of free Internet service thanks to One Economy; begin
training programs for six additional certifications. Students in these
programs must complete an independent project providing IT services to
nonprofit organizations. Students gain valuable hands-on experience
before taking their certification exams, and Byte Back is able to fill
the technology needs of nonprofits all over the city.
“We are all learning to do more with less in this economy. A
donation from you this month will go a very long way towards improving
the lives of your unemployed neighbors. Since all our instructors are
volunteers and we have only five full-time staff members, Byte Back is
very cost effective. We are thrilled to say that an anonymous donor had
given us a two-to-one Challenge Grant. Any new or increased donations
will be tripled ($100 becomes $300). Will you consider making a donation
today?”
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