Keeping Tabs: Presidents and Pitches

**For the third time since baseball's return to Washington, a sitting President will throw out the first pitch. Last year, President Obama declined the open invitation and instead threw out the first pitch for the All Star Game wearing the colors of his hometown Chicago White Sox. Former President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch for the Nationals in 2005 at RFK stadium. And I was there on the chilly Sunday night in 2008 when President Bush again threw out the first pitch at the just finished Nationals Park, opening the MLB season. If you are going to Monday's opening day game get there early. Gates open at 10:00am, game starts at 1:05. The game is sold out except for game-day $5 grandstand tickets. They go on sale Monday at the ticket booth beginning at 10:00am.

**Another type of pitch will be made this Thursday at a public forum near Mount Pleasant. All Souls Unitarian Church at 1500 Harvard St NW will host one of several Metro open house forums. They're trying to figure out what we think should be done to close the nearly $200 million budget gap for next fiscal year. Reduce services? Eliminate bus routes? Increase fares? I covered some of the worse case scenarios a few weeks ago. Hopefully, none of those will come to pass. But expect changes though. Uncomfortable ones. The hearing will begin at 7:00pm after a half hour open house. Can't make it? At the very least, complete Metro's online survey.

**Usually don't talk politics on the blog, but it looks like there may be serious contenders for two formerly comfortable incumbents. Yes, they are Mayor Adrian Fenty and our Ward One Council member, Jim Graham. Fenty may face the toughest challenge from Council Chair Vincent Gray who has opposed Fenty on some key issues in both substance and style. And Jim Graham may have to face off against Jeff Smith, recently of the DC School Board. They say "all politics is local." And in DC, that's all we really have! Since we're taxed without proper Congressional representation. All the more reason to look at the candidates and make a choice come this fall. Stay off the sidelines people! Democracy is a contact sport.

What Could Keep Gay Marriage Bill From Becoming Law

Taking an idea all the way from just a thought in someone's mind to codified law has always been tough in this country. Was meant to be that way since 1789 and will continue to be that way in the future. Part of the checks and balances system encourages due diligence be done and seeks to limit compulsive or abusive law making. The system does this by slowing down the process of turning an idea into a law.

But in DC its extra tough and extra slow. Not only do we have to conduct the regular steps of legislation; shepherd through council committees, subcommittees and then vote as a whole Council, then vote again two weeks later as a whole Council, then get a signature by the mayor.

But then there's Congress. If you ever want to be reminded that we are --at times-- treated like a ward of the state, here you go. Our laws have to be presented to special subcommittees in the House and Senate of the United States. And by proxy they are subject to review by the entire U.S. Congress. At this point, if a review occurs and no action is taken by Congress after 30 days, the bill becomes a law. No vote is needed.

However, the House and Senate can pass a Joint Resolution striking the bill down. A Joint Resolution is voted on like a bill, it has to pass with a simple majority in each chamber. Then, the President has to sign off on the Joint Resolution. At that point, the DC bill, which was almost a law, would be no more. It would have to go through the same process again and be resubmitted to Congress.

Even the threat of Congressional veto means that some ideas won't ever be put to paper as bills. For example, many local urban planner-thinkers like to suggest scraping our building height limit in certain parts of the city. I also think that's a great idea. And they're right, its a city municipal code and can be changed by the DC Council. Why not. Let's build skyscrapers in Tenleytown. Not likely, but let's say it happened next month; DC Council passes a bill eliminating height restrictions and Fenty signs off on it. There's no way, just none, that Congress would leave this bill alone. It would be killed immediately after review. So, the idea never gets pass the pie-in-the-sky phase. We know its a lost cause idea. Cool to talk about, but not possible right now.

But the gay marriage bill is different. We wouldn't be the first to allow marriage. We'd follow Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts, Iowa and New Hampshire. And Congress had already set this up as a state and local issue with the somewhat ridiculous Defense of Marriage Act passed in 1996. So, here we are with a local decision. Passed twice by our local council and then signed by the local mayor. And we're talking about a basic right to participate in a simple, but important institution. A right available to about 90% of adults in this country. But not to everyone in every state.

To Congress, I say we decided yes, so let us be. To DC, I say let the rice throwing begin.

To An Illiterate, Smoke Free Society

Two news notes.

1. A big announcement came down two days ago concerning the Old Convention Center site. We all knew that the mega-parcel north of Penn Quarter was slated for commercial and retail development. But many of us had hoped for a coup of sorts, in the form of a brand new main public library on that site. How nice that would have been. A jewel of a new facility in a central location without all of the baggage of the current MLK Library at 9th and G. We could have had a fresh start, something residents, including the young ones, could get excited about.

Alas, a dream deferred. Mayor Adrian Fenty announced that the last piece of the site would be devoted to a luxury hotel and major retail. Some of the names floated around as the "major retail": Target and Crate and Barrel. Uhm, check please? So much for literacy. I understand. Why miss the chance to tax the hotel or whatever ended up in that space. A library would have cost money to build AND would yield no taxes. Maybe we could have sold the naming rights. What about The FedEx Reading Center at the DC Public Library. We'd all refer to it by that name... for a small fee of course. Maybe my wish about Carnegie becoming the new main library wasn't so silly after all. If you will it, it is no dream, right...? And hold the hate mail: I know that DC is still one of the most literate cities in the country.

2. Smokers, haha. Just keeps getting worse. The DC Council plans to double the tax you pay on a pack of cigs. That's a jump from $1 of tax to $2. May not seem like much to a non-smoker, but think about instantly paying another dollar for that latte you get daily. Of course the latte won't kill you. Not by lung cancer anyway. Just give up smokers. Soon you won't be able to smoke on sidewalks, in your car, or in your home. Good luck with that. Last year was the first full year of DC's smoking ban, eliminating smoking in restaurants, clubs and virtually any public indoor space.

Open Letter to Taxi Drivers

Listen, we don't want the zones. We want meters. If we JUST got rid of the zones, I think most DC residents would be happy. But we also realize that there is a strong need for a fair and equitable way to charge passengers for a service and compensate drivers for effort and time. We don't need to reinvent the wheel. Most other major cities use the time/distance meter. Its not rocket science! Cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago all have millions of residents who are OK with metered taxis. We can just copy off of their papers. Cheating is allowed in managing municipal agencies. Its called best practices.

Forget the pleas of some taxi drivers about how much money they'll lose because of meters. When the debate began last year, many drivers complained that customers would pay MORE under meters. So we'd pay more and they'd make less? Come on taxi drivers.

Mayor Fenty originally set the date of April 6, 2008 for all taxis in the District to have operating time/distance meters. Recently, he pushed that date back to May 1st to give drivers a chance to install equipment; and apparently to try and derail the process through multiple day long strikes and an on-line petition. I support workers all over the city, especially those in the service industry. However, unfortunately for taxi drivers, its a regulated business. There are reasons why some industries are regulated and the reasons behind regulating cabs, taxis and limos are obvious. We were just long overdue in revising some of our regulations. Its up to the Mayor to make sure we stick to the decision made last fall; banish the zone system, bring on the meters.

The zone system was old, open to fraud and just plain unfair, even if applied lawfully. Remember when Metro got rid of cashiers at parking decks? It was an unpopular idea to lay off workers, but ended up saving Metro and all of its customers millions of dollars because SmarTrip card readers don't steal. The city is making a similar correction. Some short term pain is a necessity in order to fix this crucial transportation option for the long run. Get on board drivers, get on board.

Drop Rates and School Closings

Two quick news notes:

Number One: Kudos to Mayor Fenty and the Taxicab Commission. The Washington Post reports on some changes related to metered taxis, due to arrive this spring. They listened to citizen feedback and decided to lower the drop rate for the new taxi meters. The drop rate is the amount at which the meter starts at the beginning of a fare. Basically, the minimum charge. The initial drop rate was $4, making it unlikely that riders would realize any rate benefit from the old zone system. The new $3 drop rate is a little more reasonable. It makes short, 6 or 7 block trips possible. Fenty also stuck down the right of a cabbie to pick up additional fares on a ride, eliminated the rush hour surcharge, and reduced the snow emergency fee. I agree with all the decisions, although cab drivers may institute some strike days before the end.

Number Two: Tonight (Thursday), the city will host multiple hearings across the District on the school closing and reorganization plan. Parents an other residents can address the plan floated by Mayor Fenty and Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. No schools in Mt Pleasant will be affected, but feel free to attend one of the meetings if you at all interested. Tubman Elementary (3101 13th St NW) is the closest hearing location to Mt Pleasant. The full list of meeting spaces is here. Should be an interesting night of discussions.

Better and Brighter

Here are the top five Better and Brighter wishes for DC's 2008:

5. Michelle Rhee and Mayor Fenty's plan for DC schools turns out to be the right one. Their style is unique and a little grating for some. Rhee and Fenty make the big decisions behind closed doors, then announce the ideas/changes and that's that. If there is fallout, they are more than able to deal with any backlash until the next issue takes center stage. That strategy can work for a while, but eventually the citizenry tire if results aren't achieved. I think most parents and other citizens are in a wait-and-see mode as Rhee's "giving and receiving schools" plan works itself out. Many parents of the "giving" (i.e. closing) schools are a little more anxious to see how the plan will come together. I wish the administration the best of luck and stand behind the changes. For now...

4. Metro's member communities get on the bus and create a dedicated, sustainable and realistic revenue stream for the embattled agency. Metro deserves this at the very least. The feds should kick in some money, too. While the system has some major structural flaws (no express track, "spoke" configuration) its still one of the best systems in the country, moving over one million passengers per day (including MetroBus). I've previously raked General Manager John Catoe over the coals, but I realize that he's handcuffed by budget issues. Surely, the system's human resources can be improved and invested in a little more, but WMATA really needs sustainable funding. The counties of Fairfax, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Arlington, Loudon, and the cities of Alexandria, and Falls Church should work with their state governments and really invest in the system. With the apparent end of sprawl, especially in the Washington region, transporting residents from suburb to suburb and place to place within each municipality will become increasingly important. Making sure Metro doesn't have to turn to fare increases and service reductions is key to keeping the system at its best.

3. DC housing market defies the Manhattan effect. To play in Manhattan is doable. To live there is becoming almost impossible. Many regular folks have been plain priced out of the city. and have been replaced by the rich and super rich. It makes for a nice place for tourists, art gallery and museum buffs, shoppers and paparazzi, but as for everyday New Yorkers, they're most likely to live in one of the other Burroughs. Do all of your New York friends live in Brooklyn? There's a reason for that. Sadly, "the market" will determine a lot of this story, but the District should remain an economically diverse living space. No more $1500 basement studios in Columbia Heights, or $1.1 million condos on 18th St in Adams Morgan. When practically any neighborhood can be deemed up and coming or the next big thing, those designations lose their value. How can Columbia Heights, Petworth, Near Southeast, Anacostia, NoMa, and all of Northeast be considered DC's new "it" neighborhood? They can't all be. The working class (most of us!) have to be able to afford and own a home somewhere, and with all due respect, that shouldn't mean Howard or Stafford Counties.

2. Mayors Williams and Fenty's development plans pay off for DC. Mayors Anthony Williams and Adrian Fenty will have overseen, literally, billions of dollars of residential, office, sports, retail and public works development by the end of Fenty's tenure. Some of the major projects that came on line, or were completed, or are being started during this time are: new Nationals stadium, the rest of Near Southeast, Verizon Center and 7th Street, Poplar Point, McMillan Reservoir, Old Convention Center project, New Walter E. Washington Convention Center, DC USA, and many others. All the promises of workforce/affordable housing, jobs for DC residents, and tax benefits for the city HAVE to be realized. The Tax Increment Financing, and swaps and other concessions given to business need to be backed up with a substantial payoff from these projects. New stadiums and shopping choices are great for resident morale and visitor impression, but they need to make sense for the city's financial health, too.

1. Amid the changing city, some things should remain just as they are. I challenge you to find better neighborhoods than those along the 42 bus line. Mt. Pleasant, Adams Morgan, Reed-Cooke, Kalorama, Dupont, Farragut, Downtown, Chinatown and Penn Quarter offer so much to be so close in proximity to each other. Is there another bus that can take you from the New England village-like community of Mt. Pleasant, to the fun and friends of Adams Morgan, to shopping in Dupont, an afternoon stroll at the White House and dinner and a movie or world class sports in Penn Quater? No other city can boast of such amenities for its residents. For all we demand and desire for our little slice of the pie here, be thankful for how great we have it already. Happy New Year.

Mt Pleasant Residents Show Support for Businesses

On a chilly night with temperatures in the mid-40s, nearly 200 Mt Pleasant residents gathered in Lamont Park to show their support for the immigrant-owned businesses that line our main street. The apple cider was being consumed by the cupful (I had two, don't tell) and many business owners like Haydee of, well, Haydee's, were standing with a good cross section of our neighborhoods other residents. The group gathered in Lamont Park and made a powerfully silent march over to the Mount Peasant Branch Library.

A little background may be in order here. The demonstration was organized for this night because the Mayor of the District of Columbia, Adrian Fenty, was meeting with the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Alliance. The meeting was taking place at the Mount Pleasant Branch Library. The MPNA is one of several groups and organizations that operate as a voice for some residents in the neighborhood. There are others, like the ANC and Hear Mt Pleasant. That's by no means an exhaustive list. They are essentially interest groups that exist to project the voice of the people to a place where it can be heard by the decision-makers: in this case, the mayor and the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

At issue is whether or not the MPNA should act as the official voice of the neighborhood for city-legislated and regulated issues with binding implications for businesses and residents. On the official MPNA flier for tonight's meeting, there is a call for contributions "to our legal fees to help fight those who want to terminate our Voluntary Agreements." That's in reference to the Voluntary Agreement, a quasi-legal agreement between a business and some form of resident group (or individual residents) that determines whether or not the resident group will protest or support the business' Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration standing. In short, the decision of the neighborhood group to oppose or endorse a business' ABRA licensure is essentially a decision to make or break the business. The businesses agree to certain terms, like operating hours, conditions of operation, and so on and the resident group agrees to support the business at its ABRA hearing.

One of the conditions for all taverns, bars and restaurants on Mt Pleasant Street is that there be allowed no live music in the establishments. Some even interpret this to mean no karaoke as well. To understand Mt Pleasant is to understand that it is a neighborhood with a rich, long, and nuacned history weaving together cultures form all over the U.S. and all over the world. It is very diverse. The Latino community is one of the many that make up the backbone of the neighborhood, literally populating our main street with service and financial institutions, shops, restaurants and salons. Years ago, mariachi bands roamed the streets and haunted the establishments filling the air with an ambiance of Mexico City or San Salvador. That's now illegal under the Voluntary Agreements in place at most of our establishments. Some groups are using the Voluntary Agreements, ABRA licensure, and other regulatory matters to intimidate and harass businesses into certain behaviors.

The demonstration tonight was help to reiterate, through turnout, dialogue and petition, that the MPNA does not necessarily speak for each and every one in Mt Peasant. If there are do-or-die decisions to be made which will affect businesses and livelihoods of people living and working in this neighborhood, ALL voices need to be considered, especially those of the residents with the most on the line. Ward One Council Member Jim Graham made an appaearce at the demonstration, and later at the Library. Mayor Fenty stopped on the way into the Library and talked individualy to some of the residents and addressed the group several times as well. After about 10 minutes he dissapeared into the Library to meet with MPNA. Too be continued...

Lamont Street Halloween Party

Yes, get ready for that once-yearly chance to give away vastly overpriced pieces of candy and other Halloween accoutrement to (possibly) costumed youngsters. Its the Lamont Street Halloween Party! Organized by a few local individuals who live on the block, the party draws hundreds of kids from all over DC each Halloween. Most of the homes on the block (1700 block) oblige and have at least some candy for the taking. Last year we joined a group effort at a friend's place and gave away over 1,500 pieces of candy. No kidding. I counted.

Most of the kids make several circuits, and before you know it somehow you're out of $25 worth of Jolly Ranchers and kind of sad because, at least for tonight, you've contributed to the childhood obesity epidemic. In the end though, its all fun and games. Pretty princesses and burly ballplayers bump around with kids who've improvised costumes using trash bags and a sense of humor. The parents never trail far behind, and many carry their own bags and trick-or-treat with the really young ones in tow. We don't mind the kids coming from other parts of the city either, its their party too! Nice to have a safe space for this kind of thing in this day and age. Spoiler alert!!! Word on the street is that a famous son of Mt Pleasant who's now a very important government official in DC will be making an appearance at the festival. You heard it here first! Unless he doesn't come, then, well, hmm. Yeah. Never believe the rumors on the internets.

The block is closed for traffic beginning at 4:00PM, so have those cars moved. The costume contest starts at 8:00PM near the top of the block. If you are local please stick around and help the clean up process.

For those partying elsewhere, please don't drink and drive. Use SoberRide. They can be reached at 1-800-200-TAXI, and the service is FREE.

San Diego Show Down

So, you’ve probably heard. DC is one of ugliest cities in the country. Not architecturally, or even politically. I’m talking about us, the people. You and me. Ugly. We’ve been voted one of the least attractive cities in the country by the readers of Travel and Leisure Magazine. Over 60,000 people participated in the survey. Its official. Only lowly Philadelphia is rated worse. Who tops the list? No surprise, Miami, followed by the consistently forgotten and underrated city of San Diego. Oddly Charleston, SC took 3rd. I've been to Charleston. That's suspect. I can't say more.

Wait, I’m not ready for this. I will not concede. I’m not demanding a recount, but I am demanding a reevaluation. Let’s stack up the candidates; let’s compare apples to oranges. I’m not so sure we are one of America’s ugliest cities. Since we’re second worse, I’m targeting the so-called-second-best, San Diego. Who's more attractive, FOR REAL. Forget polls and surveys, let's look at the facts, er..., I mean faces.

Round One:
DC's Mayor Adrian Fenty VS San Diego's Mayor Jerry Sanders

With all due respect, there's no contest here. And Fenty is a marathon runner. Plus he personally returns email. DC 1, SD none.

Round Two:
DC's NBC Sports Reporter Lindsay Czarniak VS San Diego's NBC Sports Reporter Derek Togerson

Call in a sick day Togerson. DC 2, SD zero.

Round Three:
DC's Hometown Celebrity Dave Chappelle VS San Diego's Hometown Celebrity Ted Danson

Paging Doctor Becker. Becker? Doctor Becker. More like Dr. Washed Up. If the time period was 1986ish, this may have been a fair fight, but its 2007. DC 3, SD nada.

Round Four:
DC's Ward 4 Member Muriel Bowser VS San Diego's District 4 Member Tony Young

Oh Muriel. She's done such a good job replacing the mayor in Ward 4 and responding to neighborhood wants and needs. Mr. Young; not sure about his record. But, as far as being easy on the eyes, I have to go with Ms. Bowser on this one. DC 4, SD zero.

Well, I could go on here, but just imagine. We'd have to invoke the 10 run rule. The game would get ugly, we'd brushback one of their guys, they'd charge the mound. Umps would break up the fight. The game would resume, with DC still up 22-0. That would be ugly.

Who’s walking who now San Diego!? So sad. Obviously Travel and Leisure Magazine was a little off. Either that or the readers haven't REALLY people watched in either of these cities. And hold your head up Philly. You may well be the fattest, but I'm pretty sure you're not the ugliest. And neither are we.