: t"The Washington
Area Bicyclist Association has raised $11,000 so far for a new program
aimed at convincing more women to become frequent bikers. . . . Shane
Farthing, executive director of the bike association, said that’s why
cycling has to reach out to women more. ‘We have to make sure we’re not
leaving folks behind,’ he said. ‘Sometimes it does take a little more
targeted evangelism to certain groups.’"
The article identifies safety as the largest concern that women have
about bicycling; I’m waiting for the comments from women who say that
the low number of women bikers just shows that women have more common
sense than men.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
###############
Conflicts of Interest
Dorothy Brizill,
dorothy@dcwatch.com
On December 18, at the council’s last legislative session for Council
Period 20, Bill 19-1105, the District of Columbia Democratic State
Committee Elections Emergency Amendment Act of 2012, was unanimously
adopted. The seemingly innocuous bill was introduced by At-Large
Councilmember Vincent Orange. It would require the DC Board of Elections
(BOE) to "schedule the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee
elections . . . during the April 23 special election to fill the
at-large seat." In short, the legislation seeks to have District
taxpayers foot the bill for the Democratic State Committee’s election to
fill forty-eight committee seats (two men and two women from each of the
eight wards, six men and six women as at-large members of the DSC, and a
Democratic national committeeman and committee woman.)
Meanwhile, questions have been raised regarding the cost of holding
the party’s election and how it would be funded. The council’s Budget
Director, Jennifer Budoff, in a fiscal impact statement prepared for
Council Chairman Mendelson and circulated to councilmembers before the
December 18 vote on the bill, noted that "funds are not sufficient in
the proposed FY2013 through FY2016 budget and financial plan to
implement this legislation." The DC Board of Elections has prepared a
budget for the April 23 special elections, and estimates that the party
elections would raise the cost of the special election by as much as
$411,000 (or $8,562 for each person elected to the DSC). There are
rumors in the Wilson Building and among Democratic party members that in
the coming weeks that Mayor Gray will submit a budget reprogramming bill
to the council to fund the party election as well as the special
election on April 23.
In addition to the issue raised by the legislation’s requiring public
funding for the election of party officials for a political party, there
is also concern that two councilmembers, Vincent Orange and Anita Bonds,
had a conflict of interest but did not recuse themselves during the vote
on the bill. Councilmember Vincent Orange, who wrote and submitted the
bill, currently serves as a member and officer of the DSC. His chief of
staff in his council office, Estelle Lloyd, is the District’s National
Committeewoman and also a member and officer of the DSC. Councilmember
Anita Bonds currently serves as the chairman of the DC Democratic State
Committee. Section 202, Code of Official Conduct, under the Council
Rules of Organization and Procedure, states that "Councilmembers and
staff shall maintain a high level of ethical conduct in connection with
the performance of their official duties and shall refrain from taking,
order, or participating in any official action that would adversely
affect the confidence of the public in the integrity of District
government. Councilmembers and staff shall strive to act solely in the
public interest and not for any personal gain or take an official action
on a matter as to which they have a conflict of interest created by a
personal, family, client, or business interest, avoiding both actual and
perceived conflicts of interest and preferential treatment." Neither Mr.
Orange nor Ms. Bonds responded to repeated attempts for comment on
whether they saw any conflict of interest between their roles as DSC
committee members and their votes to require public funding of a
partisan political election.
###############
Comments on the Proposed Changes in DC’s
Graduation Requirements, Part II
Erich Martel, ehmartel at starpower dot net
In the January 2 issue of themail, I commented on the State Board of
Education’s proposed changes to the Social Studies requirements,
specifically reducing US Government from a required to an elective
subject.
The significance of graduation requirements is that they describe the
minimum high school courses or subjects a student should complete in
order to receive a high school diploma, which is expected to signify
that the student has achieved the minimum mastery to take freshman
college courses or to enter the job market or a career training program.
At present, DC has one set of college prep graduation requirements with
"career add-ons" that purport to prepare students for both "college and
careers" [i.e., trades]. Thus, a student wishing to pursue a
trade, e.g. plumbing, must meet the same standards as a student
planning to attend college. Although there is considerable community
support for an optional career or trade requirements or diploma, that is
not being considered.
One reason is the fear of being accused of bias or racial tracking
and not having "high expectations" for students; another is a lack of
familiarity with relevant research; an almost naïve belief that whatever
they enact, principals and teachers can make happen. The fact that large
numbers of students can only meet the present requirements by an
extensive use of standards-bypassing loopholes like after-school credit
recovery, summer school, and questionable on-line courses is not
considered.
On the OSSE/SBOE web site, background information is limited to vague
generalities: "The SBOE and OSSE held 9 public meetings to hear feedback
from school administrators, parents, students and advocacy groups on the
current graduation requirements by subjects and topics." Comment: that’s
fine, but why can’t the public know what that feedback was? "OSSE and
the SBOE researched best practices in other states and considered areas
unique to DC students." Comment: again, fine, why can’t the public know
what those "best practices" are and exactly what areas it considered
"unique to DC students"? In the next issue of themail: the illusion of
"competency credits" and the so-called "creative knowledge economy."
###############
Tunnel Vision
Gabe Goldberg, gabe at gabegold dot com
Regarding "tunnel tickets" (themail, January 6) — another ridiculous
aspect of speed enforcement (besides overly sensitive traffic cameras)
is absurdly low speed limits. For example, The entrance to westbound E
Street tunnel is posted for 30 mph. It’s not a city street: it’s a
submerged highway. There are no pedestrians, no houses, no stores, no
schools, no entrances or exits from one end to the other, no traffic
weaving sections, and no safety hazards.
The next speed limit sign after the two 30 mph signs at the tunnel
entrance is at the far (Virginia) side of the bridge, 40 mph. The bridge
is a four-lane divided highway — surely it’s not meant for 30 mph. Years
ago I was cited for speeding in the tunnel — likely doing 45 or so,
keeping up with traffic. Traveling 30 mph would be dangerous and lead to
being rear-ended or at least road rage from other drivers.
I showed up in court prepared to argue against the unreasonable speed
limit. I assume the officer agreed with me since he didn’t show up and
the ticket was dismissed. But unreasonable limits like that engender
disrespect for traffic rules and make stretches like that "tunnels of
revenue" — how many people simply paid tickets issued by that officer
that day?
themail@dcwatch is an E-mail discussion forum that is published
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