Dear Wealthy Washingtonians:
Michael Neibauer has written a provocative article in the
Washington Business Journal, “DC Far Outpaces Nation in Personal
Earnings,”
http://tinyurl.com/jvpwvgg, which is currently the most popular
article on the Washington Business Journal’s site. Neibauer
quotes income figures from the November economic and revenue trends
report of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. “The District’s
total personal income in 2012 was $47.28 billion, or $74,733 for each of
its 632,323 residents. . . . The US average per capita personal income
was $43,725. The highest of the 50 states, Connecticut, fell 25 percent
short of DC. Personal income is a combination of work and non-work
related components — wages and salaries, employee health and other
benefits, proprietor’s income, property income and transfer payments
(such as Social Security). In terms of pure wages, DC, on a per capita
basis, was 79 percent higher than the national average in 2012 — $36,974
to $20,656.”
What do these high numbers mean to DC residents? Neibauer’s takeaway
is that “The numbers suggest DC residents are living the high life. Some
are, but, of course, it’s not that simple. Poverty is entrenched in many
DC neighborhoods, especially east of the Anacostia River, where earnings
are virtually nonexistent and the need for social services is dire. But
as long as the District is booming on a per capita basis, the money
should be available to help.” Is that how you interpret them? More
importantly, is that how you experience them?
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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How is it that the DC Government can authorize overhead power lines
within the city of Washington when there is a federal law that forbids
the erecting of overhead power lines? H Street, NE, is within the
Federal City of Washington and therefore meets the requirements of the
law. Only Congress can grant an exception to the law, thus the DC
government is in violation of the federal law. The Territory of the
District of Columbia is the only place overhead power lines can be
erected.
Further, the path of travel for the streetcars was ill conceived and
ill planned. Early on, DC Transit had the foresight to place the
streetcars in the center of the street in every area of the city with a
third rail or overhead power lines to avoid having streetcars blocked by
delivery trucks and cars that were trying to park and load groceries
plus other items. Most businesses do not have rear loading docks and
extra wide alleys for the large delivery trucks. Can you imagine the
amount of blocked traffic on the side streets caused by the large
delivery trucks? This is another case of the DC government’s not
thinking things through.
Officials of the government and specialized committees like the
National Capital Planning Committee have all buried their heads in the
sand and will not respond to the legality of power lines being erected
overhead within the Federal City. Also, do they know the dangers
associated with DC voltage and how it can cause problems with radio and
TV reception. Check and find out how many DC Transit workers died from
electrocution by DC voltage when changing streetcars from overhead wires
to under ground third rail and visa versa. Are we trying to look like
some European Cities where streetcar’s path of travel is in a pedestrian
type mall devoid of cars and trucks? Why must we continue to be a day
late and a dollar short?
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Beverly Wheeler, who is running for Jim Graham’s seat in Ward 1,
would bring considerable talent, experience, and good judgment to the DC
city council. She has served as Executive Director of the DC State Board
of Education and in the Executive Office of four DC mayors in a variety
of positions including education, civic engagement, economic development
and policy. She has given much to the city through her longtime
engagement with Save the Tivoli, the Development Corporation of Columbia
Heights, the Committee of 100 on the Federal City, and Washington Parks
and People. Beverly is progressive and informed on the issues. She sees
beyond rhetoric and understands complex issues. Beverly Wheeler will
serve not only her constituents, but all parts of this city as well.
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Thinking about Council Elections
Marchant Wentworth,
marchant_wentworth@msn.com
I am excited by Kenyan McDuffie’s decision to seek reelection for
Ward 5 councilmember because of his tireless work on behalf the whole
ward. I am confused about Carolyn Steptoe’s candidacy for the same job,
as many in the ward perceive her as a divisive figure. I am buoyed by
Chairman Mendelson’s decision to seek well-deserved reelection for the
DC council chair because of his considered approach to the job and his
ability to herd the egos on the council to get things done. Ms. Bowser’s
positions remain somewhat of a cipher, however, as chair of WMATA’s real
estate committee, she has the opportunity to weigh in to define what
sensible development around Metro stations might look like. In the case
of preserving some open space in back of Brooks Mansion adjacent to the
Brookland metro stop (the Brookland Green), I do not believe she taken a
position yet. Preserving this space is strongly supported by Mr.
McDuffie, all the citizens associations in the area, as well as the
neighbors and residents in the area.
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Comment on Tony Norman and Jeff Miller in
Washington City Paper
Daniel Wolkoff,
amglassart@yahoo.com
[Comment on December 11 Housing Complex article in Washington City
Paper,
http://tinyurl.com/mo5c6no, “Advice and Dissent: Whatever Happened
to ANC’s’ ‘Great Weight’?”] We need to pursue is how to increase
democratic participation and popular enfranchisement. Put your thinking
caps on, kiddies. I know it’s scary to become more responsible for your
own lives, and clinging to Daddy’s pant leg has a kinda warm fuzzy
feeling. Jeff Miller, the District government’s director of real estate,
is a former employee of Trammel Crow. He should not be assigning
multimillion dollar development deals with our money and our land even
in this oligarchy at the Wilson Building.
Whether the ANCs become a paid Assembly Neighborhood Congress, with
real voting power over the city government, or we create any other
process for greater enfranchisement, we need to do it right now. Whether
we are ruled by the hacks in the Deputy Mayors Office or the hacks on
the city council, the system is structurally corrupt. Corrupt for money
and corrupt for dictatorial decisions like in this article controlling
the future of our city. Free yourself from the corrupt process, clique
government, and the Jeff Millers!
Stop the mayor’s surplussing of McMillan. It’s our Park, a Glen Echo
style Eco-City Campus for the benefit of our families and young people,
with big open space (what a concept). Come on kiddies, don’t let the
hacks control your mind and the whole process. Those responses in this
article by the Deputy Mayor were as arrogant as one can stand. It is
your city, not the developers city, or Jeff Miller’s and (unindicted)
Mayor Gray’s.
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InTowner
December Issue Content Now Online
P.L. Wolff,
intowner@intowner.com
The December issue content can be viewed at
http://www.intowner.com,
including the issue PDF in which will be found the primary news stories
and museum exhibition reviews — plus all photos and other images. Not
included in the PDF but linked directly from the home page is Stephen A.
Hansen’s “What Once Was” feature — this month all about the Cutts-Madison
and Benjamin Ogle Tayloe houses on Lafayette Square and the families
that built and occupied them.
This month’s lead stories include the following: 1) “Adams Morgan ANC
Seeks to Further Extend Liquor Moratorium by 5 Years”; 2) a revisiting
of our November issue reporting on gentrification of the Bloomingdale
neighborhood, this time focusing on how longtime, lower income residents
are being impacted; and 3) a report on the recent tree lighting at the
prominent La Tomate patio at Connecticut and R. Also to be found on the
web site pages is the recent real estate sales feature along with the
“Reservations Recommended” and “Food in the ‘Hood” columns.
Our editorial this month discusses DC Delegate Norton’s revelations
on how extreme are congressional attempts to strip the District of any
and all curbs on unfettered carrying and ownership of guns within the
city. Your thoughts are welcome and can be sent by clicking the comment
link at the bottom of the web page or by E-mail to letters [at]
intowner.com. The next issue PDF will publish early in the morning of
January 10 (the second Friday of the month, as usual). For more
information, either send an E-mail to newsroom [at] intowner.com or call
234-1717.
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