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June 15, 2011

Ethical Problems and Solutions

Dear Ethicians:

In the last issue of themail, I approvingly quoted a passage about the DC government’s current ethical problems from a Washington Post editorial on June 10, http://tinyurl.com/3tteyku What I didn’t quote from that editorial was the problematic passage that followed directly after the sentences I used: “The office of attorney general, which already has an ethics officer, seems the appropriate place to vest more authority — particularly since it will become an elected office in 2014. It’s to the lasting shame of the council that, in a fit of pique with then-Attorney General Peter Nickles, it stripped the office of most of its subpoena powers. Another problem is the attorney general’s inability to bring criminal cases against those who commit offenses against the city.”

The Post’s partisan bias led it to misstate the problem with Nickles that the council rightly addressed. Nickles was a biased and politicized Attorney General. He used his office to whitewash and excuse the corruption of the Fenty administration and to attack Fenty’s critics on the city council. Partisanship is usually a good thing in politics. Two or more competing political parties point out each others’ flaws, and focus attention on each others’ ethical lapses. But a prosecutor, an Attorney General, must maintain impartiality; he cannot decide whether or not to prosecute ethical crimes based on partisan or personal loyalty. Luckily, Irvin Nathan, who Mayor Vincent Gray appointed as Attorney General, has displayed admirable fairness and independence. But will his successor, who will be the first elected Attorney General in DC, exhibit the same fairness and independence? So far, the only person who has indicated any interest in running for the position, and who is doing extensive planning to run, Councilmember David Catania, has exhibited the same kind of partisanship as Nickles. Having made excuses for and invented legal defenses for Fenty’s administration for the past four years, he has pursued the Gray administration with a fierce passion, as though he were already eager to prosecute Gray and his appointees, and were just hunting for an excuse to do so.

Strengthening the Attorney General’s office, restoring the AG’s full subpoena powers and giving it the ability to pursue criminal prosecution in the kind of political corruption cases that face us now, is undoubtedly part of the systemic solution that we need to pursue. But we also need to be aware of the danger that an empowered and partisan AG can pose. That throws the problem back to the citizens. Just as we have to elect politicians wisely, we shall soon have to elect an Attorney General wisely.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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The Fraudulent Council
Richard Urban, rurban@rufordc.com

A Washington Times article on Monday, http://tinyurl.com/6ej32ku listed five DC councilmembers plus Mayor Gray involved or alleged to be involved in corrupt behavior: Mayor Gray, Kwame Brown, Yvette Alexander, Jim Graham, Marion Barry, and Michael A. Brown. Additionally Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr., has had a civil suit filed against him for using charitable contributions to his non-registered nonprofit for personal use. I will add David Catania and Jack Evans to that list, for accepting large payments, in Catania’s case, $10,000 per month for supposed consulting work for OpenBand LLC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of MC Dean, a company that has done more than $130 million worth of business in the District. I cite Jack Evans for making $240,000 per year working for Patton Boggs, a law firm that represents the Marriott Corporation, which received $272 million is public subsidies to build a hotel next to the convention center. How can these practices be legal? And the Times reported Tuesday and previously on thousands of dollars of unreported donations to Harry Thomas’ nonprofit that were never revealed. as well as nondisclosure on Councilmember Thomas’ disclosure form. In fact, conflicts of interest have become so rife that they are now the norm. DC law must be strengthened to prohibit any income form any firm doing business before the district. So what if it is disclosed (if it is)? It is still a conflict of interest. Furthermore, donations made to charities founded or directly related to lawmakers should be required by law to be disclosed.

I have an interesting story to share. I was campaigning last fall at precinct 66 in Northeast. A woman there was wildly shouting out for “the incomparable Harry Thomas.” That woman was Gloria Hightower, the President of Friends of Carter Barron foundation, an organization that managed to receive $125,000 in earmarks when there supposedly were no earmarks, http://tinyurl.com/yabjq79. It’s not hard to see why Ms. Hightower was so enthusiastic about Councilmember Thomas.

If councilmembers are serious about restoring public confidence, they will introduce legislation as outlined above. With nine of the thirteen councilmembers mentioned above, plus the mayor, is it any wonder that the council is unable to make a dent in serious problems like the skyrocketing HIV/AIDs infection rate, while at the same time insisting on increasing fees and taxes while reducing public services. The DC council and the mayoral office are in serious need of reform, and a strong ethics law will be a good place to start.

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Do We Really Need More Police?
Jack McKay, jack.mckay@verizon.net

Councilmember Jim Graham wrote on June 15 that, “I was one of four council members who voted to make hiring more MPD officers with some $11 million the TOP budget priority for any additional revenues in the new budget year. . . Obviously, public safety in the neighborhoods — having the right number of police on duty — is the top priority. I also supported other votes that would have made the police the top funding priority.”

Well, what is “the right number of police on duty”? The US average count of full-time police employees per 100,000 residents is 367, according to which average the District should have 2200 police employees. In fact, the MPD has 4800, more than twice than number. Furthermore, MPD patrols are supplemented by Secret Service, Park Police, Capitol Police, and other law enforcement organizations. At the barricade situation this week on Irving Street in Mount Pleasant, there was even a Howard University officer at work. Police on the street we’ve got, in numbers far greater than other US cities have. This high level of police staffing is reflected in what we pay for policing. The MPD costs District residents $840 per year, more than three times the national annual policing cost average of $260 per resident.

No doubt the District has more than its fair share of crime problems, and maybe it’s not unreasonable to have twice as many MPD employees, and to pay three times as much in policing costs per resident, than other US cities. Still, is it really cost-effective to hurl even more money in that direction? The essential question is, does an additional police officer, costing $95,000 per year, provide an incremental benefit in public safety that justifies that expenditure? If the answer is “yes,” then fine, go for it. But if it’s not, then perhaps we should decide that we’re already spending enough for police protection, and then ask if we’re getting appropriate value for the police staffing we’ve got.

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The Council for Court Excellence Wants Your Advice
Patrick McGlone and Dwight Murray, info@courtexcellence.com

What are the important justice-system issues facing our courts and community that you would like to see resolved? We want your advice about major issues you believe the Council for Court Excellence should pursue over the next five years. Please go to http://tinyurl.com/3cpyaud to take our survey, which will take no more than three to four minutes, unless you choose to devote more time to it.

The Council’s Long-Range Planning Committee is planning a retreat on Monday, September 26, to report on the survey results, explore possible CCE initiatives, and select those projects that should become the Council’s top priorities for 2012 to 2016. Your ideas about the Council’s work — past, present, and future — will help us shape our agenda for the planning retreat. We will invite everyone who completes our survey to participate in the retreat.

As you may know, after a similar planning effort in 2006 the Council for Court Excellence Board adopted the program priorities we have pursued during the past five years. The survey lists some of our achievements and asks for your feedback on them as well. We take pride in the Council’s record of substantive accomplishment. The Council must now build upon our past work and target our efforts on selected themes that will improve the administration of justice over the next several years. To do so, we seek your suggestions and counsel on the survey.

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Army Drilling Fifteen Wells to Pinpoint Perchlorate Source Near Kreeger Building
Allen Hengst, ahengst@rcn.com

At the Restoration Advisory Board Meeting on May 10, Todd Beckwith of the US Army Corps of Engineers said: “Perchlorate source area characterization and deep well installation will tentatively begin in June 2011. The fifteen new temporary wells on AU’s campus will be installed between the location where the highest perchlorate levels in Spring Valley were detected, and an existing up gradient well with low perchlorate levels. . . . The groundwater sampling results taken from the new temporary wells and the geophysical survey results from the area around Kreeger Hall will be evaluated to identify potential perchlorate source areas.

“Prior to installing temporary wells, each borehole location will be cleared to a depth of ten feet using an air spade to ensure that utilities are not impacted by drilling activities. . . . Split-spoon samples (extending the length of the temporary well) will be collected and analyzed, along with one groundwater sample and one soil sample, approximately ten to fifteen feet below ground surface, from the borehole locations. . . . The perchlorate source area investigation is a separate effort where temporary wells will be drilled, installed, sampled, and abandoned in the same day.

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Time to Go
Jacqueline R. Mitchell, jacquelinerm@msn.com

Wow, Deborah [Bradford, themail, June 12], you are so on target. The corruption is this city is very frightening and most people seem to be too afraid to take the challenge to help clean it up. Once upon a time my motto was, “I am not leaving DC until the White House leaves.” Well, with the ongoing corruption (that did not start with the Gray administration), I am seriously thinking about leaving the White House here in DC. We had a white neighbor who was the age of our children and a white police sergeant who was also the age of our children to lie about us and have us locked up. The officer was promoted and the neighbor was awarded a 4.1 million dollar DC contract. By the way, the neighbor followed me one day and called me a G.D. slave. I was petrified; I called the DC Metropolitan Police, who said that it was freedom of speech. I cannot believe the other parts of this county are experiencing the same kind of corruption. We are in pretty bad shape and it does not appear that it will get better anytime soon

One wonderful lady who has labored very hard in this city and had her own radio show said, “Jackie, God is the only one who will change this mess.” Well we need to all call on God 24/7, because DC, the nations capitol, that is looked at by many people as the world’s capitol, seems to be in big trouble, and some of us wonder how long can it stand continuing in this direction.

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

2011 DC Africa Festival, June 16
Ngozi Nmezi, ngozi.nmezi@dc.gov, dccahevents@gmail.com

The DC Mayor’s Office on African Affairs presents the second annual DC Africa Festival, showcasing Africa’s cultural and economic contributions to the District of Columbia. June 16, 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m., at Takoma Recreation Center, 300 Van Buren Street, NW. The event will feature art vendors, a bloggers exhibition, a drum jam session, embassy showings, entertainment, a fashion presentation, face/flag painting, food vendors, and much more. For information, please contact oaa.general@dc.gov or 727-5634.

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18th Annual Hillcrest Garden Tour, June 18
Michelle Phipps-Evans, mbpevans@yahoo.com

The eighteenth annual garden tour of the Hillcrest Community Civic Association will be this Saturday, June 18. The guided walking tour leaves promptly at 11:00 a.m. from 31st Street and W Place, SE. Refreshments will be served at the end of the tour and bottled water will be available along the tour route. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 on the day of the tour. Tickets are available by credit card via PayPal at http://www.hillcrestdc.com/paygardentour.htm or in person on the day of the tour for a $15 donation. To reserve tickets and for more information, please contact Maurice Perry at mlperry45@gmail.com, gardentour@hillcrestdc.com, or 581-4022.

Directions from Capitol Hill: 1) take Pennsylvania Avenue toward Maryland, 2) turn right onto 28th Street, SE, 3) take a slight left onto Hillcrest Drive, 4) turn immediately left onto Park Drive, SE, 5) take the second right onto 31st Street, SE, and 6) follow 31st Street, SE, until you see the garden tour starting point (31st Street and W Place, SE). Directions from Maryland: 1) take Branch Avenue toward Washington, 2) turn left on W Street, SE, after you cross Alabama Avenue, SE, and 3) turn right on 31st Street, SE, until you see the garden tour starting point at 31st Street and W Place, SE.

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Real Men Get Checked — Free Health Clinic, June 18
Mary Ann Floto, mafloto@verizon.net

On Saturday, June 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the United Way of the National Capital Area and Kaiser Permanente are sponsoring a free health fair, “Real Men Get Checked” outside the DC Armory at 2001 E. Capitol Street, SE. Kaiser Permanente doctors and medical professionals will provide free screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, ear, nose and throat, and nutritional counseling. Other activities include a Live DJ, free barber services, moon bounce and a children’s fitness program.

“Real Men Get Checked” is open to everyone. It focuses on encouraging men to take a proactive approach to their health and well-being. For more information, go to http://www.UnitedWayNCA.org/RealMenGetChecked.

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The Annual Fashuluxe Benefit Event, June 25
Jasmine Taylor, bluejcontact@gmail.com

Fashion, hair, art and music will collide in a revolutionary fashion extravaganza that could only be hosted by Blue Lotus Magazine. Featuring award-winning educator/stylist Kevin Kirk from the documentary “Good Hair” starring Chris Rock, celebrity hi-def makeup artist Tanya Lewis, special performance by NineSeven and other entertainers, Fashuluxe will showcase a series of the latest sexiest style swimwear, summer fashion, beautiful couture, elegant dresses, and stunning new collections for talented fashion designers. The high-energy show will benefit Community College Alliance, a nonprofit organization committed to providing support and resources to disadvantaged students and students with learning challenges.

Fashuluxe is a unique opportunity for fashion designers to showcase their work and attract participation of some of the most creative makeup artists and hair stylists to be a part of the show, with trend setting hairstyles for the 21st century. Come taste the excitement that will not only spotlight DC’s most talented fashion industry stars, but it will allow you the opportunity to make a difference in a student’s life by participating in this Red Carpet/Black Affair event. The event will be held June 25, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. at the elegant Prince George’s Ballroom, 2411 Pinebrook Avenue, Landover, Maryland 20785. To purchase tickets, visit http://fashuluxeregistration.eventbrite.com or contact Nyla Beckman at info@bluelotusmagazine.com

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National Building Museum Events, June 29
Stacy Adamson, sadamson@nbm.org

June 29, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Building in the 21st Century: The Risks Associated with Energy Conservation and Home Weatherization. Free, registration required. Walk-in registration based on availability. Joseph Lstiburek, Ph.d, P.Eng, ASHRAE Fellow, discusses the safety concerns brought about by home weatherization techniques, as well as the measures needed to ensure air quality and environmental safety for those who live and work in today’s most energy-efficient structures. 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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