Government Expenses
Dear Paymasters:
What Dorothy says. Read the chart well.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Fully Loaded City Council
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com
In the past week, press attention has focused on the high salaries
being paid to political appointees in the Gray administration. However,
the budget and salaries of the city council should also be of interest
and concern to DC residents. Councilmember Cheh wants to control what
city employees eat, and put them on a diet, restricting their access to
tasty snacks in DC government buildings in her “Government Workplace
Wellness Act of 2011,” but councilmembers don’t show the same
interest in putting themselves and their staffs on a fiscal diet. The
FY2011 budget for the council is $19,184 million, up from $18,824
million in FY2008. This budget funds 198 FTE (full-time equivalent)
staff positions, up from 169.9 FTE’s in FY2008. Moreover, the salary
of councilmembers, whose positions are considered part-time, have risen
from $92,530 in 2006 to $125,583 today, while the council chair’s
salary increased from $142,000 to $190,000 over the same time period. In
addition, councilmembers receive $420,00 to staff their council officers
and an additional $4,000 to fund their committee staffs.
I have posted the list of council staffers and their salaries as of
February 28, 2011, http://www.dcwatch.com/council19/110228.htm
It indicates that: 1) the highest-paid employee, at a salary of
$155,000, is Christopher Warren, the council’s newly appointed chief
information officer. 2) The salaries of several council employees exceed
the $125,000 salary of their council bosses. For example, Schanette
Grant, chief of staff to Jack Evans, makes $132,000; Neil Rodgers,
committee director of Harry Thomas’ Economic Development Committee, is
paid $129,000; Jordan Hutchinson, committee director of David Catania’s
Health Committee, receives $127,000, while Catania’s chief of staff,
Benjamin Young, is paid $129,000.
In February, the Pew Charitable Trust’s Philadelphia Research
Initiative issued “City Councils in Philadelphia and Other Major
Cities: Who Holds Office, How Long They Serve, and How Much It All
Costs,” http://tinyurl.com/4q3vuca
The report indicates that DC councilmembers are the second-highest paid
legislators among the nation’s fifteen largest cities, second only to
Los Angeles. Ranked in relation to the number of residents, Washington’s
city council is the costliest by a wide margin — $32.41 per resident
— and has the biggest staff.
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DCPS Keeps Secret How Teachers Are Evaluated
Pat Taylor, ptaylor.dc@verizon.net
Any day now the funding shortfall for the DC Public Schools is likely
to bring teacher layoffs. The comedy and tragedy in these layoffs lies
in DCPS’ use of the IMPACT teacher evaluation system in deciding which
teachers will be laid off. Under the teachers’ new labor contract,
IMPACT scores count for 50 percent in teacher evaluations. And about
half of a teacher’s IMPACT score is her or his “Individual
Value-Added (IVA)” score. How is this important IVA score arrived at?
The DCPS Guidebook to IMPACT says only that this score is derived using
“a sophisticated statistical model,” http://tinyurl.com/47y8j85,
p. 8. Quite reasonably, some DCPS teachers want to study this
statistical model that will importantly determine their future in DCPS.
Just what is this statistical model, this algorithm? DCPS isn’t
saying. Why not? What lies behind the DCPS refusal to reveal the
algorithm used to score teachers? Is it simply that senior DCPS
administrator Jason Kamras, in charge of scoring teachers, actually
doesn’t have possession of the scoring algorithm? Or is his refusal to
share it in writing deliberate obfuscation — to conceal from teachers
a scoring algorithm that is flawed, unfair, or otherwise harmful to
teachers? Are Mayor Gray or his new Deputy Mayor for Education De’Shawn
Wright aware of Kamras’ stonewalling? Sarah Bax, eighth grade
mathematics teacher at Hardy School, reports that despite repeated
requests to the DCPS teacher evaluation section, she has been unable to
obtain the statistical model, http://tinyurl.com/4koe8ex
Is this a joke? No, this is seriously inappropriate behavior by DCPS
employees. DCPS is going to use this statistical model in deciding which
teachers to lay off and it is keeping the scoring algorithm secret! (DCPS
principals recently had a refresher course on how to “excess”
teachers, including use of the IMPACT scores (Turque, http://tinyurl.com/4ngoqrs)
Bax’s unsuccessful five-month E-mail effort to get the scoring
algorithm from senior DCPS administrator Jason Kamras or his staff makes
a depressing read, http://tinyurl.com/4koe8ex
Between September 13, 2010, and February 10, 2011, Bax exchanged
numerous E-mails with Director of Human Capital Strategy for Teachers
Jason Kamras and members of his staff. Bax repeatedly asked for an
actual explanation in writing of how the value-added scores are
calculated, “the specifics of the equation.” E-mail responses from
Kamras and his staff are a classic illustration of bureaucratic
stonewalling. Kamras, et al., never directly refused to send Bax
the scoring equation in writing. Rather they kept offering to “explain
the algorithm over the phone” or to “meet with Ms. Bax to explain
it.” But they never put the algorithm in writing, as Bax kept
requesting. Why not? This is strange. A sophisticated statistical
algorithm cannot be accurately communicated orally. Rather it must be
provided in writing in order for Bax and other teachers to be able to
study it and understand its full implications. Finally, on February 10,
after five months of E-mail exchanges, Director Kamras wrote to Bax: “Ugh.
So sorry, Sarah. The only thing we have in writing is the technical
report, which is being finalized. It should be available on our web site
this spring. Of course, let me know if you’d like to meet before then.
Best, Jason” What is one to understand by this response? Nothing good.
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Residential Street Sweeping Began March 1
Linda Grant, linda.grant@dc.gov
Yesterday, March 1, was the first day of the new, expanded
residential street sweeping program. In neighborhoods where signs advise
motorists of parking restrictions during sweeping hours, parking
enforcement will go into effect Monday, March 21. This will allow
residents and others to become accustomed to moving their cars again.
The program is expanding to encompass all residential neighborhoods;
however, if there are no signs indicating parking restrictions for
street sweeping, motorists do not have to move their cars. In these
neighborhoods, sweeping will move from every four to six weeks to
twice-a-month.
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If I recall correctly, Mayor Gray and Chairman Brown both testified
before Congress regarding school vouchers, taking opposite positions. It
reflects badly on this city when DC’s two top government officials
cannot agree on an important issue like this and present an united front
when testifying before Congress.
I am not surprised, however. The newly elected DC council chair, in
his acceptance speech during the swearing-in ceremony, seemed to me to
“throw down the gauntlet” to the newly elected DC mayor. It was
evident from Mr. Brown’s speech that he did not share Mr. Gray’s
vision of “One City.” In addition, I viewed Mr. Brown’s speech as
giving notice to Mr. Gray that Mr. Brown has visions of becoming DC’s
next Mayor even if it means challenging Mr. Gray’s reelection. Stay
tuned.
If Mr. Gray chooses not to run for reelection, my early pick is
Councilwoman Mary Cheh. She appears to sincerely care about this city
and appreciate its diversity — ethnic, racial, and economic. She also
appears to have a profound respect for the Constitution of the United
States, including its Bill of Rights (I understand that she is a lawyer
who specializes in Constitutional law). I believe as the assault on the
Constitution and the protections that it affords the citizens of this
country by right-wing extremists, voters will increasingly elect people
who defend the Constitution and the protections that it provides us all.
Founding Father and Father of the Bill of Rights, George Mason, would
not be displeased were Ms. Cheh to one day become the mayor of
Washington DC.
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What a Waste of Municipal Energy
Harold Foster, Petworth, Ward Four, cartagenensenuevo@gmail.com
This is another of those “What? ME stupid?” non-issues. The
District is something like 98.9 percent urbanized, if you set aside Rock
Creek Park for the moment. The policy ought to be (and should always
have been) simple: no SUVs, period, are to be purchased with city funds.
Only a small number of SUVs should be leased for the six-odd months,
October through April, when there is a remote possibility that the
Office of Emergency Preparedness and some senior District government
officials, Police Chief Lanier and Fire Chief Rubin come to mind, might
need to get around in the snow. For the life of me, I can’t think of a
viable justification for more than a dozen-odd SUVs for the entire DC
government “fleet,” particularly in these tough fiscal times.
All other purchased SUVs should be sold off as soon as possible to
the highest bidders at auction, and all leased SUVs should be evaluated
for their usefulness at times of weather emergencies in the city. Those
that cannot be used when there are Category One snowstorms (the class we
had in the 2009-2010 winter) should have their leases renegotiated or
terminated. And before you ask: even if — big “if” — the
terminations involve an early-out penalty fee, the savings from avoiding
ongoing maintenance costs — never mind gasoline purchases for these
ten to twelve mile-a-gallon elephants — should compensate for all or
most of the penalties we would have to pay. And the penalties would be a
one-time hit: continuing to keep these monsters around will be an
ongoing drain on the city budget.
Oh. And one more thing. From now on, the mayor and council chairman
should get gasoline cards for their own private vehicles, and that’s
it, at least until the city budget is balanced. All other senior
appointed District government staff go to the motor pool and check out
whatever is sitting in the back of the municipal garage, like all the
other mere mortals in city government. Perhaps those elected officials
using a private vehicle that is more than, oh, seven years old could
qualify for some kind of monthly maintenance and upkeep allowance but,
if they do, it should be capped at around $500 a month for each vehicle.
Hey: if it worked for Colin Powell at the Pentagon. Now, next problem.
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“What government is the best? That which teaches us to govern
ourselves.”
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DC Vote Warns Senate: Don’t Tread On DC
Leah Ramsey, lramsey@dcvote.org
The advocacy group DC Vote led over two-dozen local activists to the
Capitol Hill office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) today to
demand that he support the District of Columbia’s Home Rule authority
in upcoming tough negotiations with House Republican leaders over the
federal budget. The House has passed a budget that includes restrictions
on how the District can spend local funds, overriding locally-elected
authority. The activists lined up single-file outside of Reid’s office
in the Hart Senate Office Building carrying signs reading “Don’t
Tread on DC,” an allusion to the revolutionary, and now modern, tea
party slogan “Don’t Tread on Me.” DC residents pay the highest
per-capita federal income taxes in the country but have never had voting
representation in the House or Senate.
The House and Senate are still negotiating a funding bill for the
remainder of 2011. The House’s version includes provisions that would
ban DC from using local, not federal, funds for AIDS prevention programs
and safe reproductive health services for low-income women. The District
of Columbia has the nation’s highest HIV rate, which skyrocketed after
previous congressional bans on local syringe access programs.
Today’s action was the third in a series organized by DC Vote to
step up pressure on Congress to respect Home Rule and end taxation
without representation in the District of Columbia.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS AND CLASSES
National Building Museum Events, March 3, 6, 9
Stacy Adamson, sadamson@nbm.org
March 3, 6:30-8:00 p.m., The Building Toy: Playing with Structure,
Form, and Content. Architectural toys, like Erector Sets, Lincoln Logs,
LEGO bricks, and blocks, create a bridge between the physical world and
imagined ones for both children and adults. Karen Hewitt, president and
toy designer of Learning Materials Workshop, discusses the history of
architectural toys and the significance of play in developing creativity
and lifelong learning skills. This program is presented in conjunction
with the exhibition LEGO Architecture: Towering Ambition. The exhibition
will be open, free of charge, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The Museum’s Shop
will also be open, featuring an assortment of building blocks and toys.
$12 members, free students, $20 nonmembers. Register at http://go.nbm.org/site/Calendar/894244884?view=Detail&id=110401
March 6, 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Flying in the Great Hall. Free drop-in
demonstration program. All ages. Watch as the DC Maxecuters fly their
model airplanes in and across the Great Hall!
March 9, 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., Green Schools of Today and Tomorrow.
Free prepaid registration required. Walk-in registration based on
availability. Sandra Leibowitz Earley, managing principal of Sustainable
Design Consulting, LLC, describes key strategies of completed K–12
school projects in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia in terms of
emerging technologies, initiatives, and government mandates projecting
future green school standards.
March 9, 6:30-8:00 p.m., The Architecture of Harry Weese. American
architect Harry Weese (1915–1998) combined a modernist’s aesthetic
with a humanist’s sensitivity in small- and large-scale building
projects. Robert Bruegmann, historian and author of The Architecture
of Harry Weese (Norton), and Roger Lewis, The Washington Post’s
“Shaping the City” columnist, explore the life of Weese, focusing on
his local work that includes the Washington, DC, Metro system, Arena
Stage, and his role in selecting Maya Lin’s winning design for the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial. A book-signing follows. This lecture
complements the exhibition Washington: Symbol and City, which is open
prior to the lecture. Register at http://go.nbm.org/site/Calendar/894244884?view=Detail&id=110405
All events at the National Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW, Judiciary
Square Metro station. Register for events at http://www.nbm.org.
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David C. Acheson Luncheon, March 8
Tonya Butler-Truesdale, gotonyago@gmail.com
David C. Acheson comes to the Woman’s National Democratic Club to
talk about Affection and Trust, a book he has edited that
contains the fascinating correspondence between his father, Secretary of
State Dean Acheson, and President Truman. Subtitled “The Personal
Correspondence of Harry S. Truman and Dean Acheson, 1953 to 1971,”
this collection of letters reveals the deep friendship and shared values
of the two men, despite their dissimilar backgrounds. Charming,
touching, candid, revealing, and sometimes hilarious, the letters cover
foreign policy and domestic politics, including blunt comments about
their successors, as well as the two men’s private lives. Especially
interesting is Mr. Acheson’s frank critique of the draft of the former
President’s memoirs. Event cosponsored by Yale Club of Washington, DC.
At the Woman’s National Democratic Club, 1526 New Hampshire Avenue,
NW. Bar opens at 11:30 a.m., lunch 12:15 p.m. Members $25, nonmembers
$30, lecture only (no lunch) $10. Register at https://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5880/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=21437
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What’s In Store For FY2012?, March 9
Tina Marshall, marshall@cbpp.org
A forum on the latest information and perspectives on the DC budget
outlook, sponsored by The Arc of DC, The DC Fiscal Policy Institute, The
Fair Budget Coalition, and Think Twice Before You Slice. Wednesday,
March 9; registration at 9:00 a.m., program at 9:30-11:00 a.m., at the
Goethe Institute, 812 Seventh Street, NW (near Gallery Place Metro
Station). No food or drinks allowed. Featured speakers include Jennifer
Budoff, Budget Director, Council of the District of Columbia; Eric
Goulet, Mayors Budget Director; Fitzroy Lee, Chief Economist, Office of
the Chief Financial Officer; and Jenny Reed, Policy Analyst, DC Fiscal
Policy Institute. RSVP to Tina Marshall at marshall@cbpp.org or
375-8786.
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Author Talk on Evolution Debate, March 9
John Umana, jumanabeth@aol.com
John Umana will discuss his book, Creation: Towards a Theory of
All Things, concerning biological evolution, astrobiology, and the
debate between Darwinism and intelligent design theory. He argues that
Wallace and Darwin were correct to conclude that all species descend
from common ancestors — biological evolution is real. But the
hypothesis that natural selection and random mutations account for the
origin of species remains unsubstantiated and is refuted by modern
microbiology. What accounts for the emergence of life and origin of
species on earth? Has life emerged on Mars or other worlds? How do NASA’s
latest findings on Big Bang cosmology impact on these questions? John
Umana is a lawyer in Washington, DC. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy
and law degree from the University of Michigan, and was a National
Science Foundation scholar in his youth. Free lecture. Wednesday, March
9, 7:00 p.m., at the Capitol View Neighborhood Library, 5001 Central
Avenue, SE.
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Sewing Classes at garmentDISTRICT Temporium
Alexander Padro, padroanc2c@aol.com
The garmentDISTRICT Temporium, a temporary fashion and art
installation at 1005 7th Street, NW, is offering over sixty classes on
sewing, knitting, crocheting, and related topics, including digital
textile design and fabric painting. Class listings, including
descriptions of items to be made during the classes (jackets, skirts,
bags, pillows), materials lists, and registration information, can be
found at http://www.dcgarmentdistrict.com.
Classes are presented by SiNGA, a fashion training nonprofit, through
March 20, when the Temporium will close after its month-long run.
The garmentDISTRICT retail shop is open Wednesday-Friday, 5:00 p.m.
to 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 12:00 p.m.
to 6:00 p.m., and features the work of twenty DC metro area fashion and
accessory designers and twenty visual artists. The garmentDISTRICT is a
program of Shaw Main Streets, Inc. and SiNGA, Inc., providing a unique
space for local designers and artists to display and sell their work.
Funding in part provided by the DC Office of Planning, with the generous
support of Douglas Development Corporation.
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CLASSIFIEDS — COMPETITION
Larry Neal Writers’ Award
Moshe Adams, moshe.adams@dc.gov
Larry Neal Writers’ Award is now accepting applications. See the
FY2011 competition guidelines at http://dcarts.dc.gov/DC/DCARTS/Publication%20Files/FY2011LNPGuidelines.pdf
and the competition application at http://dcarts.dc.gov/DC/DCARTS/Publication%20Files/FY2011LarryNealApplicationForm.pdf
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CLASSIFIEDS — HOUSING
Capitol Hill Apartment Wanted
Ted Knutson, dcreporter1@yahoo.com
Fifty-eight-year-old professional seeks one bedroom apartment on
Capitol Hill. Quiet, nonsmoking, with two adorable well behaved cocker
spaniels. Great Hill references. Mid-April-May 1 start of occupancy
needed. Expecting to be long-term tenant. Call my cell at 579-7226 or
E-mail.
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