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August 29, 2012

Accident Report

Dear Accidents Waiting to Happen:

Allstate America’s Best Drivers Report, http://tinyurl.com/8n3aytv; in the table with the complete statistics, Washington is ranked 195th out of 195 cities, with drivers going just 4.7 years between accidents, and having a 112.1 percent likelihood of an accident, relative to the national average, http://tinyurl.com/9tmdq24.

Examiner reporter Liz Essley wrote on Tuesday that Councilmembers Tommy Wells and Mary Cheh, who are normally the members of the city council who are the most opposed to the interests of drivers and car owners, are considering lowering the size of traffic camera fines, at the same time as the Metropolitan Police Department is going to increase the number of traffic cameras, http://tinyurl.com/8j4xl5w. Wells says the right thing: "We need to have a rationale behind [fines], otherwise there's a presumption that the size of the fine is depending on how much the District needs for their general fund." And Cheh told Essley that “she wanted the MPD to find out whether some cameras, such as the cameras on Interstate 295 and Porter Street Northwest, qualify as ‘speed traps.’”

However, Essley ends her article with the bad news. “But both lawmakers seemed convinced the cameras were working to make DC streets safer — DC had 32 traffic fatalities in 2011, down from 72 in 2001, police data show.” That’s one statistic, but the Allstate report gives another statistic that suggests that traffic cameras aren’t really making streets of DC safer. If they were, perhaps we could crawl out of dead last place in the likelihood of having a traffic accident. If traffic cameras worked as the city council and MPD promised, wouldn’t the accident rate fall? And if the real purpose of traffic cameras were to improve safety instead of to increase revenues, would the government double down on a strategy that was profitable, but had no positive effect on the accident rate?

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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Stealth Speeding Tickets
Jack McKay, jack.mckay@verizon.net

In the April 29 issue I noted the evidence that the growing network of MPD speed cameras is aimed not at public safety, but at maximum proceeds to balance the District's budget. Last week one of my ANC constituents told me that the infamous Porter Street speed trap camera had inflicted three $125 tickets on her. Of course, she had no inkling that there was a problem until the first ticket arrived in the mail, by which time the second and third were already on their way. She has what amounts to a $375 fine for exceeding an absurdly low posted speed limit, spotted by a camera positioned not where there are crosswalks and cross traffic and residences, but a block further on, where there are none.

Queried for the rationale behind that 30 mph posted limit, DDOT replies simply that that's what it is, that's what it's always been, and nobody today knows why. Somebody thought it was a good guess, decades ago, and now that posted limit lives on, never questioned. The MPD doesn't confirm that a posted speed limit to be enforced with a speed camera is reasonable, but naively assumes that DDOT knew what it was doing when it set a limit.

The MPD argues that these speed cameras are only for safety, not revenue, and never mind that thirty million dollar hole in the DC budget that automated enforcement cameras are expected to fill. But a truly dangerous driver, high on drugs or blind drunk, won't be stopped by a speed camera, which will allow any such driver to continue on his lethal way. Only responsible drivers, such as my unhappy constituent, will have their behavior changed by these speed cameras. And what difference will that make to our accident rate? Virtually none, because only 5 percent of collisions in the District involve speed violations, and only 3 percent list speed as a "primary crash contributing factor" (2009 data).

In short, speed cameras will surely help balance the District's budget, especially with stealth tickets adding up before the violator even learns that there's a problem, but will do little to enhance public safety.

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Petition Calls for Schools Oversight
Virginia Spatz, TakeBackDCGovt@gmail.com

I wrote the following petition in response to the process by which private foundations are transforming our public schools into charter schools without our elected bodies having to approve the process.

“To be delivered to Vincent Gray, Mayor of the District of Columbia, and Phil Mendelson, Chair, City Council. Exercise oversight, investigate conflicts of interest, and stop government by venture philanthropy. Reject the Walton-funded ‘IFF Report’ and organize independent study, planning and evaluation of DC's traditional public and public charter schools.

“Decision-making on the future of public education in my town is being handed over to outside interests who view charter schools as a lucrative ‘industry.’ A Walton-funded plan, developed by a Walton-funded real estate venture, calls for closing or ‘turnaround’ of dozens of DC public schools and using their property ‘as incentives’ for outside charter operators, many funded by the Waltons. Public input has been relegated to a few neighborhood-based, summertime ‘Conversations,’ organized by a Walton partner. We call on the Mayor and the DC Council to exercise oversight responsibilities, investigate obvious conflicts of interest, and reject government by outside interests.

“Signing is not a vote for/against charter schools, for/against unions, or a statement about any particular reform agenda. It's a request that DC officials exercise responsible oversight before making drastic changes that will affect our entire city, not just school children and their families.”

Petition comments add to the power of this document. Non-residents of DC, particularly, are encouraged to comment with their signatures, so District officials will know why their actions matter beyond our borders. The petition is at http://signon.org/sign/reject-venture-controlled. For more information, see http://alecindc.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/call-to-reject-venture-controlled-public-education/ and http://wp.me/p2zkS4-P.

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RNC Platform
Lars H. Hydle, Larshhydle@aol.com

The DC Republican Committee platform for the 2012 convention and election can be found at http://www.dcgop.com/issues.

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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS

Community Organizing 101, August 30
Parisa Norouzi, parisa@empowerdc.org

Empower DC and DC Jobs with Justice present a grassroots leadership education program. Interested in community organizing but don’t know where to start? Attend Community Organizing 101 with special guest facilitator, longtime DC community organizer Roger Newell. Thursday, August 30, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Dorothy Height-Benning Road Library, 3935 Benning Road, NE (Minnesota Avenue Metro). Parking available, wheelchair accessible. RSVP to Sequnely at 234-9119 x103, childcare@EmpowerDC.org (limited child care available, please RSVP), with support from the DC Childcare Collective.

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Future of the MLK Library, September 19
George Williams, george.williams2@dc.gov

Forty years after the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library opened its doors, the DC Public Library explores what’s possible for the historic building and what makes a spectacular central library. District residents are encouraged to join in the discussion at the September 19 meeting of the Board of Library Trustees at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, 6:00 p.m. Nationally recognized architects and library experts will present ideas to board members and residents.

In the meantime, improvements continue on the forty-year-old building. The Business, Science, and Technology room on the first floor closed this week to make way for a revamp of the first floor that includes a new Digital Commons technology space that will house seventy public computers. Improvements to the Great Hall that will make it an even better place for performances and programs. Work on the first floor is scheduled to be completed in 2013. “Over the years, we have done a lot to improve the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library from improved lighting, to a new teen space, and a renovated assistive services space,” added Cooper. “All of this work, including the first floor work that we’re doing now, is to improve the library experience for District residents.”

To further discussion on the future of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library building, the DC Public Library commissioned the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to study possibilities for the building last November. The ULI report issued last spring suggested adding additional floors to the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library building and sharing space with another civic, cultural or commercial entity. Any scenario including continuing the status quo, the report stated, requires a significant financial commitment by the District to improve the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library building. Based on that report, the Library charged The Freelon Group -- the Martin Luther King, Jr., Library building’s architect of record since 2010 -- and library consultants June Garcia and Susan Kent with developing ideas for renovating and reviving the historically protected Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library building. Their work will be presented at the September Library board meeting. In the days following the Library board meeting, the District of Columbia City Council’s Committee on Libraries, Parks, and Recreation will hold a public roundtable. The roundtable hearing will be held on 11:00 a.m., Septmber 27, on the fifth floor of the John A. Wilson Building.

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