Curmudgeonry
Dear Fellow Grumblers:
I've been in a bad mood the past few days. Perhaps it's my bad back, but
the items in the news haven't helped to restore my normally sunny and upbeat outlook on
life in DC.
Ms. Persiflage's speculation in the last issue of themail that the
reduction in street signs is a deliberate plan to increase customer traffic in small
businesses is a better economic development idea than any that has come out of the city's
Economic Development cluster (a baseball stadium, Olympics facilities, more big toys
downtown for suburban millionaires to play with).
Dan Tagherliini's “Close to Home” article in today's Washington
Post trumpeted the news that there have been tremendous improvements in the condition
of the city's streets — it's news because nobody who drives on the city's streets
would have noticed any improvement if Tagherlini hadn't mentioned it.
Ernestine Jones, the chief of the Child and Family Services Agency,
announced that she was above local law and free to defy Superior Court Judges because she
was appointed as a receiver by a federal judge. Carolyn Graham, the Deputy Mayor for Child
and Family Services, issued a report on how badly Child and Family Services were being
administered under Jones, when Jones had been appointed because of how badly these
programs had been administered by the city government.
The school system announced plans to pay parents of special education
children up to $7,500 per child per school year to transport their own children to school
— Ed Barron comments on that below, but does it even need comment? Doesn't just
reading it drive you to sing the Dragnet theme: “Dumb, de dumb dumb.” Oh, my
aching back.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Well, the parking enforcement people have done it again -- my car was
ticketed for having both an expired and a current residential parking sticker on it —
I plan to write a letter of protest, but wonder if anyone has had this problem, or knows
what the rationale is for limiting the number of stickers. By the way, I only have the
two, and they are tucked into a corner of the windshield.
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Re the 8/13 bit on How to Get Basic Services from John Whiteside. If you
find a way, please put it in themail. I am disgusted with the complete range of city
services. I have been trying to get the alley cleaned and all of the trash picked up. If
you put two bags of yard waste out, they only pick up one. Folks need to look around our
city, and see that it looks terrible. The new administration planted trees in the center
of 16th street, surrounded with brick pavers. The grass has grown up through the pavers
and all around the bases of the trees. Why didn't they just plant a ground cover? Has
anyone seen a street cleaner since Anthony has been in office? Something must be done. We
are beginning to look like any old dirty city, and we don't deserve that because this is
really a beautiful city when it is kept clean. How do you get directly to the Mayor?
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Hard to Believe
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
Is it possible that the DCPS will actually be asking parents of disabled
and special Ed students to convey their own children to and from schools? This is
potentially the most chaotic solution (?) to the transportation problem. It is doubtful
that most parents have the means or the time available to provide these transportation
services. Yes, they will be paid to do that (up to $7500) for each student, but that
simply won't work in most cases. Perhaps this will spawn a new entrepreneurial transport
effort to help get these children to their assigned schools. The real solution is to find
a better way to educate these students in the DCPS.
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Pre-Primary, Neutral Polls
Jim McLeod, Foggy Bottom, jmcleod@attglobal.net
I think the best answer to Dennis Jaffe’s question (which Council
incumbents are considered to be vulnerable and might not be reelected this election year?)
is an empirical one based on a neutral poll. But I do not know of any statistically valid,
pre-primary polls done of D.C. voters for councilmember seats. Lacking such polls,
political commentators talk about how much money the candidates have raised without
getting into much detail about the source of that money.
In 1997, in response to a report about a low (7%) voter turnout, I wrote a
letter to the editor of The Current, which is distributed in most of Wards 2 and 3. I
said, “I believe your paper should take some credit for the above average turnout in
the Wards 2 and 3. Once again, you provided voters in areas of those wards covered by your
paper with detailed information about the candidates and their stand on issues. This is a
great help to residents in deciding that their vote might make a difference. The thing I
still see lacking, however, is voter surveys. Why don't news organizations sponsor polls
of District voters? It would help get the word out that an election is coming up, cause
residents to ask themselves why they favor a particular candidate, and even give your
paper and others a means of gauging the effectiveness of their endorsements.”
Of all the papers and news stations in town, why doesn't one or more
sponsor a poll to provide an objective answer to Mr. Jaffe’s question and maybe in
the process get residents asking questions about who is running, why, and what they stand
for. Instead, after the primary, the same commentators who say it will be a surprise if
the incumbents aren't reelected, will scold voters for not coming out to the polls.
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I was shocked to see that Constantine Stavropoulos, owner of the popular
Tryst cafe on 18th Street in Adams-Morgan, is circulating a petition and trying other
legal maneuvers to delay the long planned construction of the condominium / retail /
parking garage between 18th and Champlain. I am one of many people who has worked for many
years to get this attractive, multi-functional development underway. Now, just weeks
before construction, Mr. Stavropoulos wants to instead re-design it as a monster lot for
almost six hundred cars. The thought of a huge ugly monstrosity spitting hundreds of cars
onto already jammed streets is truly frightening.
Mr. Stavropoulos' establishment seem to be doing very well already, but if
he wants additional patrons perhaps he can encourage them to take public transportation,
instead of creating a dangerous, ugly, and polluting structure in our neighborhood.
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Should be a Beautiful Spring
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
Judging from the incredibly extensive re-landscaping of the entire
landscapable area around the A.U. Law School Building at 48th Street and Massachusetts
Avenue, it should be a dynamite spring next year. The new construction is complete save
for the large fountain at the front entrance. That should be completed in a couple of
weeks.
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According to CBS's web site, http://www.cbs.com/network/tvshows/mini/upfront/index.shtml:
“Jack Mannion (Craig T. Nelson) is the new police commissioner of Washington, D.C.,
brought in to overhaul an antiquated system ill-equipped to deal with the problems of a
sprawling, crime-ridden city. As much a friend to ordinary citizens as to high-ranking
politicians, Mannion has quite a task ahead of him. He immediately selects the most
promising officers around him to become his circle of aides. Mannion and this group of
modern-day Untouchables set out to bring order to the District and to clamp down on the
crime in America's capital.”
Rumor has it that “The District” not only depicts a corrupt
black mayor, a caricature of our own “Mayor for Life,” but that the crusading
new, white commissioner is brought in to replace an incompetent, black predecessor. If
matters were not bad enough, the chief's main partner-in-crime (or perhaps
partner-against-crime) is an idealistic young white officer. Notwithstanding the rumors,
CBS's own description of the show suggests, at a minimum, a level of subversive racism
that can not be tolerated in this day and age. Despite its many problems, the District
— the “real” District — is on the rise. The last thing either it or
its residents need is a perpetuation of tired, outdated stereotypes.
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Here is just a little bit of information (courtesy of an editorial by Nat
Hentoff of the Washington Post) about Khallid Muhammad. (He and Malik Zulu Shabazz have
plenty to say about gay people and Catholics as well.)
From the stage (of the Million Youth March), Khallid Muhammad shouted to
the crowd that if “'they (the police) attack you, take their nightsticks away —
the way they did to Abner Louima — and run it up their behinds ... and beat the hell
out of them. Take their guns away and use their guns in self-defense.”' Reacting to
what Norman Siegel called “a smashing First Amendment victory,”' (when the
courts ruled the Million Youth March should proceed) Khallid Muhammad said, on leaving the
courtroom, that the United States Constitution “'is not worth the paper it was
printed on.”' As for the Jewish civil libertarian and the Jewish judge who affirmed
his First Amendment rights, Muhammad continued to speak, at the march, of all Jews as
“bloodsuckers.”' For weeks, Khallid Muhammad's Million Youth March — held
Sept. 5 in Harlem — was preceded by fierce clashes between Muhammad and Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani. Muhammad, a former high official of the Nation of Islam, had been expelled by
Louis Farrakhan because Muhammad's bigotry exceeded even that of his former leader.
Malik Zulu Shabazz in his own words:
“Are you going to deny that the Jewish people have been substantially
and significantly involved in the African holocaust? They have and you can't deny
that.”
“He is a scribe, a Jewish writer. The number one enemies of Christ were scribes. If
they were responsible for killing Christ, what chance does little ol' me have?”
“What make the European Jewish people so arrogant that what they have done to our
people they don't have to apologize for?”
Shabazz: “Who is it that caught and killed Nat Turner?”
Audience: “Jews!”
Shabazz: “Who is that controls the Federal Reserve?”
Audience: “Jews!” (faintly)
Shabazz: “What? You're not scared, are you?”
Audience: “Jews! Jews!”
Shabazz: “Who is it that controls the media and Hollywood?”
Audience: “Jews! Jews!”
Shabazz: “Who is it that has our entertainers and our athletes in a vise grip?”
Audience: “Jews!”
Shabazz: “Who is spying on Black leaders and Martin Luther King and set up his
death?”
Audience: “Jews!”
Shabazz: “I say to all Jewish people and all white people, 'stop pushing your
Holocaust down my throat, when the black holocaust is the worst holocaust humanity has
ever seen.”
“We will never bow down to the white, Jewish, Zionist onslaught.”
“The Caucasians and the Government are arrogant, telling us how to suffer. America
should be glad that every black man is not on a killing spree for all the suffering they
have done.”
“We want to bring on the former national spokesman for the Honorable Minister Louis
Farrakhan. We want to bring on a man who gives the white man nightmares. We want to bring
on a man who makes the Jews pee in their pants at night. My big brother, Dr. Khalid
Muhammad!”
As the organizer of the “Black Holocaust Nationhood Conference” in Washington,
DC, in October 1995
Khalid Abdul Muhammad in his own words:
“This will be a direct confrontation with the Jews of that area who have misused and
abused our people in Brooklyn and Crown Heights for so long.”
“Well, I can't be an anti-Semite, in the sense that they say, because they're not the
Semites. But let's leave that to the side, whatever the hell they say they are, I'm
anti-[sic]. If you say you're a Semite — even though I know goddamn well you're not a
Semite, if you just say you're one — I'm against you. If you say you're white,
goddammit I'm against you. If you're a Jew, I'm against you. Whatever the hell you want to
call yourself, I'm against you. Whatever the hell you want to call yourself.”
“Notice the crackers here at Cal Poly pretending to be righteous. Look at them as
they walk around San Luis Obispo, arrogant peckerwoods. Stop going on college campuses and
developing alliances with the white Zionists, and dicing your own people.”
“The so-called Jew claims that there were six million in Nazi Germany. I am here
today to tell you that there is absolutely no evidence, no proof. There is absolutely no
evidence to substantiate, to prove that six million so-called Jews lost their lives in
Nazi Germany.”
“Don't let no hooked-nose, bagel-eating, lox-eating, perpetrating-a-fraud so-called
Jew who just crawled out of the ghettoes of Europe just a few days ago. . . .”
“The practice of those freakish Rabbis [circumcision] is that they place their lips
on the penis of these young boys and after they have cut the foreskin back, suck the blood
from the head of the penis of their own young boys. . . .”
“The Federal Reserve is privately owned and a so-called Jew controls the Federal
Reserve . . . Talking about the National Debt, the Federal Debt, someone should ask, well
who the hell do we owe. . . . And who in the world has that much money that we would get
in debt with them. . . . Who are the rich power brokers behind the scenes? Why is the
Federal Reserve controlled by the so-called Jew.”
“The Jew-nited Nations in Jew York City. . . .”
“They are stealing our oil money, stealing our diamonds, and our gold, they have
robbed us of our natural resources, our material resources and robbed us of our human
resources.”
“Our entertainers, our basketball players, our football players, our track stars, our
baseball players, our entertainers and athletes are in the palm of the white Zionist Jew's
hand. . . .”
“The white man is not only practicing racism and Zionism and with the prostitution
ring, the so-called Jew man with the Jew woman all over the world to make a few dollars.
He is also practicing sexism. He's a racist, he's a Zionist, a sexist, and imperialist.
He's a no good bastard. He's not a devil, the white man is the Devil.”
“. . . [T]he World Bank. Who's pimping the world? The hairy hidden hands of the
Zionist in the world. . . . Let Greenspan, so-called Jew, just hint that he's going to
raise the interest rate, nations of the earth run all over the globe. What kind of power
is this?”
“. . . Stealberg, they call him Stealberg. When it's Swindler's list, they call it
Schindler's list. They said that they would move into the Government, manipulate from
behind the scenes, manipulate the Congress, manipulate the White House, manipulate the
Political process, manipulate affirmative action, welfare reform, all of the things that
you thought would save you.”
“The nerve of them to get angry with him [O.J. Simpson attorney Johnny Cochran]
because he paralleled Mark Fuhrman with Adolf Hitler. Look at it, so-called Jew. Look at
it, impostor Jew. Somebody must call you what you are. Somebody must look you in your cold
lying blue eyes and pull the cover off of you today. I don't give a damn about you and I
will give you hell from the cradle to the grave.”
On the weekend proceeding the October 16, 1995 Million Man March, Muhammad was the keynote
speaker at the “Black Holocaust Nationhood Conference.” [not sponsored by NOI].
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New Black Panthers and Reparations
Mike Livingston, mlivingston@greens.org
Interesting news from Bryce Suderow. I don't know when the New Black
Panthers emerged, but I do know they didn't start and don't lead the reparations movement.
The national campaign for reparations for labor extracted without compensation from slaves
of U.S. citizens, pursuant to the legal precedent set by reparations to Japanese-Americans
incarcerated and enslaved during World War II, was launched by a book by Randall Robinson,
co-chair of Ralph Nader's presidential campaign committee. The Green Party national
platform, http://www.gp.org, supports such reparations.
Malik Shabazz, affiliated with the Umoja Party last time I checked, is one
of the “20 Citizens” pressing the claim in Adams v. Clinton that all citizens of
the United States are entitled to be citizens of a state — a legal argument which
would, unlike the argument in the D.C. Vote case, open the door to D.C. statehood (for
which “voting rights” are no substitute). Sorry to digress; Shabazz is legit,
but the Greens were into reparations before it was chic.
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Ward 2 Candidates Forum
Susie Cambria, scambria@dckids.org
The Columbia Heights/Shaw Family Support Collaborative and DC Action for
Children are sponsoring a Ward 2 candidates forum on Tuesday, September 5, from 6:30 -
8:00 pm at the Martin Luther King Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW. Everyone is encouraged
to attend, especially young people. Direct questions to Susie Cambria, 234-9404 or scambria@dckids.org. Hope to see you there!
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Exhibit Opening: Investigating Where We Live
Mike Hill, MHILL@nbm.org
“Investigating Where We Live” will open on Tuesday, August 22,
6-8 p.m., at the National Building Museum, 401 F St., NW, Metro Red Line, Judiciary Square
Station. Investigating Where We Live is a five-week summer program in which middle-
through high-school students from the metropolitan Washington area use cameras to examine
ethnically and culturally diverse District neighborhoods, beyond the monuments. In this
year's exhibition, students explore the neighborhoods of Brookland and Shaw. Refreshments
will be served. RSVP to Mike Hill at 272-2448, ext. 3301, or E-mail mhill@nbm.org.
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The Roanoke Rapids Police Club Mountain-Bike
Challenge
Kenny and Melody Luter, aceracing@coastalnet.com
The Roanoke Rapids Police Club and Countryside Bicycle presents the third
annual Law Enforcement Mountain-Bike Challenge on September 23, 2000. The Law Enforcement
Mountain Bike Challenge is open to all LEO and CJ active duty personnel. Enjoy an
opportunity to meet other officers from across the state and challenge yourself to a
six-hour tag-team mountain bike race.
Rules: Tag-Team Event: each rider must ride one lap at a time and tag off
with another team member. (No back to back laps) All participants must be active duty law
enforcement or criminal justice personnel. Teams must be comprised of four members. (Teams
do not have to be made up from the same department.) Course: The “Ace Track” is
a challenging 4.5 miles mountain bike track consisting of rolling terrain. A mountain bike
with front suspension is recommended. For directions visit the ace track web site at http://www.aceracing.com. Registration: $40 if
received before September 20, 2000. Race is NORBA sanctioned and requires each rider to
have a NORBA license for insurance purposes. Non-NORBA riders may purchase a one-day
license for $5 on the day of the event. Contact Kenny Luter, 252-537-5794, E-mail, aceracing@coastalnet.com, or Officer Scott
Hall, home 252-535-4827, work 252-583-1991. The Roanoke Rapids Police Club will provide a
post race chicken plate dinner for all riders.
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CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED
Innovative Job Opportunity
Ondine Wilhelm, Ondine@ShawDC.com
Program director of the Youth EcoDesign Corps, Washington, DC. The Youth
EcoDesign Corps, a program of the Shaw EcoVillage Project, is a comprehensive
certification program that trains high school students in sustainable community
development, urban design and professional skill development through hands-on work within
the Shaw neighborhood. The Program Director will develop the EcoDesign Corps into a model
program for expansion to other Washington, DC, neighborhoods. Responsibilities include
program planning and management, curriculum development, staff management and recruitment
of students and volunteers.
Qualifications include: bachelors in urban planning, community
development, environmental studies or related field; experience in curriculum development
and working with youth; excellent communication and organizational skills; expertise in
design charrette process and in ArcView (GIS mapping software). Salary commensurate with
experience. Position open until filled. Send resume, cover letter and writing sample to ShawEcoVillage@ShawDC.com or call 265-8899 for
more information.
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CLASSIFIEDS — SCHOOLS
Beth Chai Sunday School Has Places Available
Peggy Robin, probin@adlerbooks.com
Beth Chai is a small congregation affiliated with the Jewish Humanist
movement (for more information about this branch of Judaism, see the organization's web
site: http:// www.shj.org), which runs an educational program for children ages 5 and up,
leading to bar/bat mitzvah after 7th grade. The school meets about 3 Sundays a month
throughout the school year, in North Bethesda. There are openings at all grade levels
(although a new student entering at 6th or 7th grade may have to complete additional study
before becoming a bar/bat mitzvah). What distinguishes the school from those of other area
synagogues is its great willingness to work with each student and family's own individual
approach to Jewish studies; a student may follow a largely traditional path to bar/bat
mitzvah, or may craft his or her own unique path, based on choices made in consultation
with the Rabbi (Art Blecher). Beth Chai is not merely accepting of students from families
of mixed religious traditions, but actively welcomes them into the school. For more
information, please contact Rain Zohav, Director, Beth Chai Family School at 301-933-8308
or visit the Beth Chai web site at http://www.bethchai.org.
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CLASSIFIEDS — RECOMMENDATIONS
I'm in the process of replacing my old oil furnace for a gas-fired one,
and I'm stuck with about 200 gallons of high-priced fuel oil that my supplier was wily
enough to deliver right at the end of last spring's heating season. Does anyone know of a
firm that will buy unused fuel oil — or, at the very least, will not charge me to
pump it out? Also, in a related vein, can anyone recommend a reasonable and reliable
chimney cleaning service?
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Desperately Seeking Help Around the House
Willie Schatz, willie@his.com
I need an electrician who won't break my bank and will light up my mostly
dark basement now. I also need a handy-person for some minor repairs ASAP (a little later
than NOW, but not much).
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Any suggestions regarding classes in web site design and development that
are offered for free or cheap in DC?
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