themail.gif (3487 bytes)

February 15, 2012

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

###############

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?

###############

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.

###############

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.

###############

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.

###############

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

###############

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.

###############

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.

###############

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.

 


Send mail with questions or comments to webmaster@dcwatch.com
Web site copyright ©DCWatch (ISSN 1546-4296)