Things Fall Apart
Dear Poets:
A heated exchange took place between David Catania and Marion Barry
at yesterday’s city council retreat. It included Catania’s cursing
at Barry, which made it newsworthy. It was well publicized, but it was
not an isolated incident. Two weeks ago at a city council breakfast,
Catania had a similar verbal battle with Michael Brown. These two public
fights epitomize the current state of affairs at the Wilson Building.
Those personal hostilities are an outgrowth of investigations by the
US Attorney and the FBI of Harry Thomas, Jr., Kwame Brown, Mayor Vincent
Gray, and possibly others. Everyone’s nerves are frayed. Relationships
among councilmembers, that were never friendships, have deteriorated
into enmities. The tension and anxiety manifest themselves not only in
the outbursts by councilmembers. The city government is rudderless. The
mayor and city council chairman are unable to lead. Councilmembers are
unable to cooperate because they are unable to trust each other.
People in the Wilson Building are trying to divert attention from
their own scandals by pointing fingers at others. Michael Brown and Jim
Graham, involved in gambling promotion and taxicab regulation scandals
of their own, are calling attention to scandals in the grants and loans
given by the Department of Housing and Community Development. Everyone
is defensive. The spat between Catania and Barry was ignited when Barry
asked routine questions about finances at United Medical Center, and
Catania couldn’t stand being questioned.
People are walking around the Wilson Building whispering, literally
whispering. They are refusing to have meetings in their offices for fear
that those offices may be bugged, refusing to use city-issued cell
phones and official E-mail accounts, and using burn phones and private
E-mail accounts instead. Prior to pleading guilty to embezzlement and
resigning from the council, Harry Thomas had become so obsessed with
secrecy that he wouldn’t turn the lights on in his office when he was
holding some meetings. The ongoing investigations into corruption and
mismanagement, and the fear of what additional scandals and evidence of
them may be revealed, are eating away at the government.
Yeats described it accurately in “The Second Coming”: “Things
fall apart; the centre cannot hold;/Mere anarchy is loosed upon the
world,/The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere/The ceremony of
innocence is drowned;/The best lack all conviction, while the worst/Are
full of passionate intensity.”
Gary Imhoff and Dorothy Brizill
themail@dcwatch.com and dorothy@dcwatch.com
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Free Betty Noel
Jim McGrath, DC Tenants Advocacy Coalition, tenacdc@yahoo.com
The DC council seems to be setting a world’s record deliberating on
one of the finest candidates ever nominated for a high executive branch
position by any mayor of this city: Mayor Vincent Gray’s nomination of
Elizabeth Noel for a seat on the DC Public Service Commission.
One might think from this delay that Ms. Noel was unknown, or that
the council has amnesia. Have they forgotten that Ms. Noel served
brilliantly as District People’s Counsel for over twenty-five years?
That her superbly gifted legal talent was used for the betterment of all
the citizens of this city? That she kept giant utilities like Pepco
honest, kept utility rates under control, and made residential
affordability possible through painstaking, fair rate-setting. That she
tamed the rapacity of giant corporations whose lust for profit is in
league with Big Bank USA and Wall Street, whose greed has generated
protest in every corner in this land, not least in Freedom Plaza within
earshot and in full view of the council itself? Can the council turn a
blind-eye and a deaf ear to those who would turn this entire city into
an instant Georgetown, or a Boca Raton, Palm Springs, East Hampton, or
Martha’s Vineyard? Elizabeth Noel understands the need to keep this
city affordable, and the key role utility rates play in achieving that
goal. So do we the people and that is why the vast majority of us — DC
tenants, labor, and homeowners favor her appointment.
Still the council dithers, toying with red-herring charges of “conflict
of interest” and “recusal” difficulties, never mind that a
blue-ribbon panel and the attorney general find no such conflict or
impediment to her service. Let us bluntly face this issue and let the
chips fall where they may. Ms. Noel is opposed by Pepco because they
fear her impartiality and threat to their unbridled greed, and their
windfall profits of almost a billion dollars over the last couple of
years. Her Board of Trade opponents believe that “market rate”
should be the “prevailing rate” at all times, never mind that the
market has become a casino and the marketers are breaking the Bank at
Monte Carlo. Entrenched interests fear that Ms. Noel’s vigor and
talent will revitalize a moribund agency like the PSC and threaten their
preferred status quo. Still others bow to opposition by the Washington
Post, a great but diminished newspaper, whose “father knows best”
stentorian tone in political endorsements has the faint offensive whiff
of the plantation, which is probably why almost all of their political
endorsements lost in the last election, and most of those endorsed by
tenants, labor, and others won. We say the council needs to free Betty
Noel now and favorably vote for her confirmation. What do you say?
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The Status of DC as a Human Rights City, Three
Years Later
David Schwartzman, co-editor of the Human Rights City
Report, dschwartzman@gmail.com
On February 9, copies of “State of Human Rights in the District of
Columbia as a Human Rights City” Report were delivered to the offices
of all the councilmembers and the mayor by a delegation representing the
DC Human Rights Peoplexx’s Movement. This delegation was led by
Jean-Louis Peta Ikambana, Area Director, DC Peace and Economic Justice
Program, Middle Atlantic Region, American Friends Service Committee, and
included several activists in the DC community. This report represents
an assessment of how well the District government has fulfilled its
status as a Human Rights City, the first in the United States to join
this UN Program since its self-declaration on December 10, 2008. On that
date, the “DC Human Rights Day Recognition Resolution” affirmed that
“Washington, DC, will be joining other human rights cities around the
world in working to provide leadership and advocacy to secure, protect,
and promote human rights for all people.” The DC Human Rights People’s
Movement is the continuations group created after the District
government became the first Human Rights City in the United States. It
has now been joined by four others, with Pittsburgh being the most
recent addition.
The Report Card featured in this Report highlights the critical
aspects of political, social, and economic human rights as defined in UN
treaties and documents, starting with the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. Quoting from the Report: “the District has a long way to go
toward achieving the promise of its declaration as a Human Rights City.
In developing this report, we strive not to simply catalogue the
failures of our limited government, but to illustrate for our fellow DC
residents what we should be striving to achieve. In this way, we hope to
mobilize DC residents to effectively demand and secure their human
rights and to hold our elected officials accountable for falling so far
short of that goal.”
The report card gives the White House and Congress an F for their
lack of action on our long-standing demand for DC statehood, as well as
continued federal underfunding of programs meeting basic human needs.
The grades for the District government itself and its elected officials
ranged from A to F, including A and A minus for its handling of
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and for immigrants’
rights respectively, but F’s for their failure to address the welfare
of children, reduce poverty, or adequately address the District’s
record income inequality, as well as the failure to more effectively
make available affordable housing and end homelessness. The full report
describes how the grades were determined and provides detailed
recommendations for improvement. The lowest grades were assigned because
of the negligence of the District government under the constraints of
Home Rule to better tap into available resources to meet the needs of
the low-income community under the extra stress of economic recession.
These resources included the taxable income of the wealthiest families
resident in the District, who now pay similar overall tax rates as the
poorest families, as well as our tax revenue, with it continued
diversion to unjustified corporate tax abatements and subsidies. D’s
were assigned to Public Education, DC Criminal Enforcement System, and
Discrimination on the basis of race and gender.
The implications of this Report point to the need for a much stronger
commitment to realizing social and economic rights by our local elected
government if we have any hopes of achieving “One City,” the stated
goal coming from our mayor and the theme of the summit held on February
11 at the Convention Center. The Report and a 45-page Appendix with
extensive documentation can be downloaded at http://afsc.org/story/dc-human-rights-peoples-movement-human-rights-city,
also accessible online at http://www.facebook.com/pages/DC-Human-Rights-Status-Report/197879263637334.
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The State of the District
Dan Gamber, daniel@gamber.net
To mention the street car as an achievement [in Mayor Gray’s State
of the District address] is rather ridiculous. Nearly eight years after
groundbreaking, we still don’t have a final route for Anacostia, and H
Street remains in the air.
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The 2010 Mayor's Arts Awards
Marquis Perkins, marquis.perkins@dc.gov
Mayor Vincent C. Gray and the DC Commission on the Arts and
Humanities have announced a call for nominations for the 27th Annual
Mayor’s Arts Awards and Mayor’s Awards for Arts Teaching. The awards
are the most prestigious honors conferred by the city on individual
artists, teachers, nonprofit organizations, and patrons of the arts. The
deadline for submissions is Friday, March 16. The Mayor’s Arts Award
recognizes artists and organizations in five categories: Excellence in
an Artistic Discipline, Outstanding Emerging Artist, Excellence in
Service to the Arts, Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education, and
Innovation in the Arts. The awards are limited to individuals and
nonprofit (501c3) organizations that reside in the District of Columbia.
The Mayor’s Awards for Arts Teaching are limited to full-time arts
teachers who are employed by a DC elementary, middle, or high school.
The three categories for arts teaching are Excellence in Teaching
Performing Arts, Excellence in Teaching Visual Arts, and Excellence in
Teaching Language Arts. Teachers in all artistic disciplines (visual
arts, music, theater, dance or humanities-based) are eligible for
nomination.
A ceremony to honor nominees, finalists and winners will take place
this spring at the Lincoln Theater. To submit a nomination, please visit
http://www.dcarts.dc.gov.
The deadline for submissions is March 16. For more information regarding
the Mayor’s Arts Awards and Mayor’s Awards for Arts Teaching, please
contact Steven Mazzola at steven.mazzola@dc.gov
or 724-5613.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Woman’s National Democratic Club Luncheons, February 21, 23
Patricia Bitondo, pbitondo@aol.com
Tuesday, February 21, Dr. David Rabin, Can We Have Good Health Care
at Lower Cost? While the ACA (the Affordable Health Care Act) is
landmark health legislation and should be maintained and fully
implemented, it does not contain health care costs. These costs
compromise the economic well being of the nation. Less fully appreciated
is that US heath status and care delivery have worsened over time
relative to comparable nations. Current and proposed policies increasing
fiscal barriers to health care will exacerbate these trends by deferring
needed care. They will not contain system costs, that are the costly
avoidable complications of chronic disease accounting for most health
care expenditures, and that will persist, and if anything increase. The
effective cost containing strategies of other developed nations
producing better outcomes at half our costs should be emulated and
implemented to assure sustainable and effective health care in the US.
David Rabin, MD, MPH. graduated from Washington University School of
Medicine and trained in Internal Medicine at University of Chicago and
Cornell University residency programs. He received an MPH. from Harvard
University School of Public Health where he became Assistant Medical
Director of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. Subsequently he became
Coordinator of the World Health Organization International Collaborative
Study of Medical Care Use while faculty at the Johns Hopkins School of
Public Health and Hygiene. At Georgetown he was Professor, Director of
the Division of Health Care Studies and Associate Chair. Since retiring
from full time in the Department he has pursued his interests in
universal health care by working with Congressional members and staff
and promoting an Institute for Universal Health Care and student
interest in health care reform. He is Vice chair of the Institute for
Universal Health Care and active in health care advocacy, teaching
Congressional legislative staff and working with Congressional members
on health care reform. Bar opens at 11:30 a.m.; lunch 12:15 p.m.;
lecture, presentation, Q&A: 1:00-2:00 p.m. Members $25, nonmembers
$30; lecture only $10. Register at http://tinyurl.com/7xrh3lh
Thursday, February 23, Elizabeth Dowling Taylor, A Slave in the
White House: Paul Jennings and the Madisons, Author Taylor recounts
the story of Paul Jennings, a slave who was born on James Madison’s
Virginia plantation and served his family in the White House during
Madison’s presidency. After Madison’s death, Jennings was freed by
Senator Daniel Webster of New Hampshire, a staunch abolitionist.
Jennings went on to write a memoir — the first memoir to be written by
a White House resident — and to purchase the freedom of his wife and
children.
Elizabeth Dowling Taylor has spent over two decades working in
historical research and museum education. She has served as the Director
of Interpretation at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, as Director of
Education at James Madison’s Montpelier, and as a Fellow at the
Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. The book will be available for
purchase and signing. Bar opens at 11:30 a.m.; lunch 12:15 p.m.;
lecture, presentation, Q&A: 1:00-2:00 p.m. Members $25, nonmembers
$30; lecture only $10. Register at http://tinyurl.com/7m7p5qw
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Federation of Citizens Associations on Zoning
Code, February 28
Anne Renshaw, nukrddc@aol.com
In response to DC residents’ anxiety about dramatic changes to
neighborhoods from a substantially revised residential zoning code, the
Federation of Citizens Associations of the District of Columbia will
hold a citywide zoning rewrite briefing on Tuesday, February 28,
6:45-9:00 p.m., at All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church, 2300 Cathedral
Avenue, NW (entrance off church parking lot on Woodley Place, NW;
closest Metro stop, Woodley Park-Red Line).
Guest speakers, Jennifer Steingasser, Deputy Director for Development
Review and Historic Preservation, DC Office of Planning (OP), and Arlova
Y. Jackson, AICP, Zoning Update Manager, will explain the intricacies of
proposed changes to residential zoning. The draft text of OP’s
proposed zoning code changes can be reviewed at http://www.dczoningupdate.org/default.asp.
OP will also hear from concerned residents on the impact of new
residential zoning regulations. The Citizens Federation questions how
community criticisms and recommendations will be incorporated into the
residential zoning rewrite.
For the past year, a Zoning Rewrite Task Force, comprised of over two
dozen community, industry, political and legal representatives, has met
with OP to discuss changes to, and simplification of, DC’s complex
zoning code. George R. Clark, Esq., former president and current Board
member, represents the Citizens Federation on the Zoning Rewrite Task
Force. He, Nancy Macwood, and Alma Gates, also Task Force members, will
provide a counterpoint to the presentation.
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At-Large Candidates Forum, February 23
Shelly Tomkin, shelltomk@aol.com
The Ward 3 Democratic Committee is proud to announce a forum for
candidates for the at-large DC council seat. Moderated by Mark Plotkin
with panelist Dorothy Brizill. Candidates: Sekou Biddle, E. Gail Holness,
Vincent Orange, and Peter Shapiro. St. Columba’s Episcopal Church,
4201 Albemarle Street, NW, February 23, 7:00 p.m., delegate caucuses to
fill precinct vacancies; 7:15 p.m., business meeting, including election
to fill one at-large committee delegate vacancy; 8:00 p.m., at-large
council candidate forum.
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