Cut DC Taxes

DC Workers Hit Porn Sites More Frequently Than Most Citizens Breathe

2008-01-25T18:24:00.000-05:00

The great Samuel Johnson recommended the "suspension of disbelief" when viewing plays or reading fiction. One has to channel Johnson these days as a DC taxpayer. One scandal of corruption goes to the next but this one might be the best:

Nine D.C. government employees were fired Wednesday and 32 more will be disciplined for viewing pornographic Web sites thousands of times on the job last year, Mayor Adrian Fenty announced.

The worst offender, according to data provided by the Office of the Chief Technology Officer, was a single employee whose computer registered 48,002 porn site page views in 2007. That averages to about one hit every 2.5 minutes.

Even worse stats fro the Wa Post:

Each of the nine employees clicked on porn sites more than 19,000 times last year.

My back fo the envelope math means that those employees were refreshing their porn screen more than 50 times per day. I wish I had a job like that, and it also paid me a pension and protected me from getting fired.

Some DC Schools Will Have Textbooks in Sept, is This Progress?

2007-08-09T17:34:00.000-05:00

New DC schools "Chancellor" Michelle Rhee just announced that that

most of the District's public schools will start the academic year this month stocked with required textbooks, although more than half of the schools lack the requisite number

Iknow that Rhee is working hard, as much as a Colorado divorcee with young children can work.

As a DC taxpayer I say scuttle the whole system. Rhee might be brilliant, but unless she finds a way to give taxpayers relief for funding the most expensive and least productive public education system in the US I will not be a big fan.

Michelle Rhee- The Salvation of DC Schools?

2007-08-01T17:21:00.000-05:00

Mayor Fenty has annointed Michelle Rhee the "Chancellor" of DC schools. He awarded her with a $300K salary and a hired driver, an excess that no DC official should have.

I know people who know Michelle Rhee. They really like her, but I have harbored suspicions about her since I knew that she was leading her NY non-profit from Colorado as she raised her two young children with a husband she is now divorcing. Fenty acknowledged that Rhee needs to live here. And, as the Wash Post reported, Rhee was given a bonus of $25,000 to compensate for her moving the the District. I would think that the $300K salary would have been enough.

As a business person, my experience is that women with young children are distracted and should not be put in important positions. To top that, Rhee is a single mom, so her distraction and commitment to her children is even more extreme. I know this is politically incorrect, but how a single mom with two young kids has the bandwidth to justify her huge salary and reform the dysfunctional DC schools is beyond me.

The Scourge of Ping Pong on DC

2007-07-23T17:55:00.000-05:00

DC Schools Break a Record at $18k Per Student

2007-06-04T18:28:00.000-05:00

The DC public school budget is a moving target, veering hundreds of millions of dollars in many directions. That in itself is cause for concern. But what really scared me is that the Wa Post today cited a billion dollar budget to educate 55,000 students. That dollar figure is worse than taxpayers' worst nightmares and comes out to about $18,000 to poorly educate every DC K-12 student. For fuck's sake, we could send them all to Potomac School or Cathedral for not much more than that.

The city is spending $3.2 million to do an audit to learn how, exactly, the school system spends its money. While this is good thing, it is horrifying to realize that they currently have no idea how $1 billion of taxpayer money is being spent.

D.C. government officials will launch an extensive audit of the city's public schools today designed to pinpoint how the system is spending its $1 billion budget and identify areas of waste and mismanagement.

Taxpayers pay through the nose for all sorts of waste and mismanagement. When will an elected official rise to try to help us?

Want to Know what REAL Tax Reform Would Look Like?

2007-05-21T07:15:00.000-05:00

Leonardo's post on Jack Evans' proposal to cap property tax increases reminded me how low most folks put the bar for tax reform. We don't need piecemeal proposals when it comes to either federal or local tax reform - we need radical tax reform.

What to know what real tax reform would look like? Go HERE!

DC 2008 Budget 9% Higher, Kills Proposed 5% Cap on Property Taxes

2007-05-18T16:54:00.000-05:00

This week the DC Council once again asserted its desire to grow beyond the ability of its taxpayers to finance it. The Council passed a $5.6 billion 2008 budget, which is 9% higher than the 2007 budget. As a point of reference, the consumer price index increased 2.6% in the 12 month period ended April, 2007.

Even worse, the budget nixed Council hero Jack Evans' proposal to cap property tax increases at 5% per year. Evans' proposal was ambushed by the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, which sought to kill the cap by cravenly making it a racial issue, claiming that most of the cap's benefits would flow to predominantly white Wards 2 and 3. Any property tax deduction or cap would benefit most those whose properties have the highest assessments, but every tax payer would benefit proportionally. The DCFPI also left out of their press attack that diverse Ward 4 would be a big beneficiary, something that Evans deftly pointed out today on the Kojo Nnamdi show on WAMU.

The Washington Post is the house organ for the DCFPI. It had only one article on Evans' proposal and and a Schwartz proposal to reduce DC estate taxes. That article quoted generously from the lobby group before even explaining the details of either proposal to its readers. The article is so one-sided that it is worth reading the first three paragraphs:

The D.C. Council is considering substantial breaks on inheritance and real estate taxes, and the plans could cost the city almost $100 million in revenue over the next four years, officials said yesterday.

Some council members said the proposed cuts are a way to encourage homeowners to stay in the District. But a report scheduled for release today by a think tank concludes that the legislation would most benefit the city's wealthiest residents and do little for people who don't own their homes.

"This is a city that is divided by income already," said Ed Lazere, who wrote the report. Lazere is executive director of the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, which analyzes District tax and budget issues.

The Wa Post also wrote an editorial titled "Giveaway" that attacked the tax reductions and, of course, cited the conclusions of the DCFPI. How reducing the rate of tax increases from three times the inflation rate to about 1.5 times is a "giveaway," I have no idea. If the DCFPI really want DC to be affordable to seniors and low-income residents then they should endorse lower property taxes and enable those constituents to be able to keep their homes.

CNN is Reporting the Reverend Jerry Falwell is Dead

2007-05-15T13:01:00.000-05:00

CNN is reporting that the Reverend Jerry Falwell is dead at 73. In related news, the police are looking for tinky winky who they describe as a "Person of Interest" in the case.

Do Not Try This At Home Kids

2007-05-10T05:47:00.000-05:00

How freakin embarrassing for Mayor Fenty. He actually had to come out an apologize for stealing large portions of education "plan" from another school district.

From The Post:

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty characterized his administration's verbatim copying of portions of an education plan from another school district as a "serious issue" that should not have happened, while District leaders warned that the matter threatened to erode support for the mayor's takeover of the public schools.

Fenty (D) said the administration made a mistake in lifting sections of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., school system's "strategic plan" and using them without attribution in a document submitted to the D.C. Council in February.

Unless the Charlotte plan they stole from called for cracking down on the influence of teacher's unions, shuttering dilapidated and half empty schools, and chucking out as many overpaid bureaucrats as possible - I aint interested.

City Tax Reduction Dances

2007-05-03T19:47:00.000-05:00

The City Council is, reasonably, considering legislation that would reduce DC taxes. The legislation is a positive step but only relieves current DC property owners and not new ones, which is implicitly unfair.

The Wa Post coverage of this tax relief was so skewed to the left viewpoint that I am almost shocked. The subheadline on the story was Report Says the Rich Would Benefit Most From D.C. Proposals. The article then went on to quote at length in the second paragraph, before the article even outlined the tax proposal, the DC Fiscal Policy Institute's opinion of it.

Predictably, the DC Fiscal Policy Institute says that lowering property taxes benefits "the rich" and as such ought to be avoided. In reality, any tax decrease benefits all of the the people who are actually paying taxes and the fact that it benefits them should not be a means to penalize them more.

Too Many DC Agencies to Count and Pay For

2007-05-01T21:39:00.000-05:00

As you can see from my prior post, I have been spending time on the DC web site. While it is a good site for paying parking tickets, it also reveals the vastness of the DC government and what they are trying to accomplish, which far exceeds taxpayers's ability to pay for them.

This page shows all of the DC agencies. Why isn't any candidate proposing eliminating about half of them? Does DC really need an office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs? Just about every pressure group has an office and there are also vague offices like the Clean City Initiative. Go through the list and you can eliminate many agencies. Shouldn't we, as the people who fund these offices, be entitled to elected officials who care a whit about our money and close down unnecessary offices?

A Taxpayer's Lessons in Getting Basic DC Services and a Welfare Benefit Too

2007-05-01T20:48:00.000-05:00

Tired of paying a dollar figure in DC taxes that is a high multiple of the services I receive in return, I have dedicated myself to finding out how to make this socialist welfare state pay me back a little. I would prefer to reduce all taxes and services, but that is impossible. So the only thing I can do to make myself less resentful of my neighbors who somehow have me paying to support their "learning disabled" but otherwise completely normal children in a $75,000 per year school is to see if there is anything at all beyond trash collection that I can get from this government. The DC web site, I have discovered, is very helpful in this pursuit.

It has a feature that is called "Request a Service." My first service request was to get sidewalks on my street. How a street in DC has no sidewalks, even as the city politicians bemoan the state of pedestrian safety, is beyond me. My second service request was for trees to be planted in front of my house. You can actually do this, and it seems that if you don't request them, they won't plant them. They will remove them, as they did the tree in front of my house two years ago, but to get a new one you have to request a service. I am catching on. DC tree planting is so poor that the Casey Trees Endowment Fund has had to step in.

Trees and sidewalks are basic government functions and not welfare benefits. But how can a person who pays excessive taxes get a welfare benefit? I found the answer! Prominently featured on the DC web site is the DC Rx Prescription Drug Discount Card, which gives residents, regardless of income, a discount of up to 20% on prescription drugs. I have my own company and pay for my own health insurance but I don't have drug coverage, so I qualify. My card is in the mail, assuming that someone in DC government remembers to send it. The site does not say who pays for this benefit, but I assume it is DC taxpayers and that David Catania, the biggest disappointment on the Council, sponsored this law. My favorite feature of this welfare program is that it also pays for your pet's medications.

List of Excuses

2007-04-18T07:47:00.000-05:00

OK, so I could bore everyone reading this with a long list of excuses for my blogging absence - but I will spare you all. I do promise to get back in the saddle and start blogging more regularly. I went on a rant last night about the pathetic state of politics in the District after a speech I gave to a local group. It really does mystify me that after decades and decades of some of the worst mismanagement and incompetence that voters in DC continue to vote for Democrats. Is there a breaking point? Is there something the elected Democrat leadership in this city could do that was so outrageous that voters would actually demand a change? Or are voters in DC just completely resigned to totally incompetent leadership?

Jury Duty Blog

2007-04-17T17:57:00.001-05:00

Jury duty is something that DC residents have to perform much more than almost anyone on the planet, at least according to my unofficial anecdotal surveys. In ten years in the District I have served five times, just within the legal limit of how many times they can call you. Today I did my latest.

The experience is always heavy for me as it is a window into the underbelly of DC and the daily tragedies that are played out in the criminal justice system.

I arrived at the I. Carl Moultrie III courthouse on Indiana Ave at 10:30. The building itself is an assault on the senses: ribbed concrete stained by the years and on a windy, cold plaza. The building is named after the head of the DC Superior Court at that time, 1972. The exterior of the building is etched with the names of about ten other civil servants and the walls of the atrium inside are filled with the names of former judges. I cannot imagine a private sector equivalent to this sort of vanity and self-importance.

Outside, there were two long lines to pass through the metal detectors and screening machines so I joined one of them. Sadly, the eye can immediately distinguish those serving jury duty and those who are there to see a trial of friends or family members. The jury pool comprises all races and nationalities: the hip urbanista, the business woman reading the WSJ, the somewhat frail and elderly genteel black woman behind me and the doddering elderly WASP man wearing a tie and tweed jacket but looking sort of rumpled, like his wife passed away years ago and he doesn't quite know how to launder his clothing properly.

In contrast to the diversity of the jury pool, the court attendees were uniformly black and underclass. Think: The Wire in DC.

After passing through security, I went to the juror check-in. The line was unimaginably long. It took me one hour and 45 minutes to check in, a new record. The frail woman behind me was ready to pass out. We were then dismissed for lunch and a couple of hours after lunch were dismissed for good. In the line to get our $4 for serving, the man ahead of me was illiterate and couldn't understand the screen prompts. Ten minutes later after I helped him get through the transaction II thought, how could an illiterate man serve on a jury?

DC jury duty confronts you with all of the dysfunction of this city, from having so many felons that we get called every two years to having potential jurors who cannot read or write. It also confronts you with the long arm of the law, as so many cases are drug-related. It also reminds you that judges are so entitled and imperious that they get their names etched into a public building.

Mary Cheh Emulates NY In The Worst Way

2007-04-15T00:21:00.000-05:00

As the article on Joshua Bell being totally ignored by DC commuters showed that we are not New York, our council members pushed legislation to make us like New York in the worst way. Specifically, Ward 3 council member Mary Cheh has proposed legislation to ban trans-fats in the District. I would link to a Wa Post story, but there isn't one, as the Wa Post doesn't really cover District news. Sadly, I only read about this ban proposal in the Northwest Current, which is not available online. A quote:

Cheh says, "We are not getting any thinner."

Then the one-sided article goes onto quote the bane of freedom called the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Those guys would have us all living in plastic bubbles eating tofu while wearing helmets and never drinking or smoking. I totally despise them, and I don't despise many things, but they should be thrown out of our country as they have no idea what freedom means or what our country means.

Please, fellow DCists, write your council members to oppose this idiocy. Unfortunately, Cheh had four co-sponsors. We can assume sell-out Catania will also convert and our only hope is Schwarz.

PS can I tell you how disenfranchised I feel? Not only do I not have a congressional vote, but for the past four months I don't even have a ward rep. Even worse, Kathy Patterson, in some back room political move, agreed to shave off of my part of Ward 3 to annex with Ward 4, which is a mile across the park and we have no streets in common or anything else. So I am in this little sliver of nothingness in Chevy Chase annexed to a Ward with completely different issues and radical politics.

They could have done the redistricting in a much more logical/neighborhood way, taking some away from Ward 2 and moving them into 3. Wards should represent neighborhoods that are contiguous. Ugh.

Joshua Bell and Are We Really New York-Esque

2007-04-07T19:43:00.000-05:00

The Washington region is rich. In fact, the three most prosperous large counties in the United States are in the Washington suburbs, according to census figures released yesterday, which show that the region has the second-highest income and the least poverty of any major metropolitan area in the country.

But how rich are we in culture? The Wa Post did an amazing study of that by putting a man who is known as the best American classical musician in the Metro as a busker. The reporter told the head of the Ken Cen about the effort and when Slatkin heard it was Joshua Bell he said, "NO!!!"

As a woman in the study said,"It was the most astonishing thing I've ever seen in Washington," Furukawa says. "Joshua Bell was standing there playing at rush hour, and people were not stopping, and not even looking, and some were flipping quarters at him! Quarters! I wouldn't do that to anybody. I was thinking, Omigosh, what kind of a city do I live in that this could happen?"

Spring and the Arrival of Fanny Packs

2007-04-03T20:18:00.001-05:00

We DC'ers all love the Spring but cringe a bit when the tourists arrive. See my TtP post for more ranting and raving on the subject.

Police "Discretion" Leads to Police Extortion

2007-03-28T17:46:00.000-05:00

It is common knowledge among my friends that the DC police set up alcohol checkpoints on the driving routes going North from the party districts of Adams Morgan and U Street. It is also common knowledge that the MPD has Stalinist "discretion" in causing an arrest.

The arresting officer, Dennis Fair, said in an interview that “If you get behind the wheel of a car with any measurable amount of alcohol, you will be dealt with in DC. We have zero tolerance…. Anything above .01, we can arrest.” That’s not .10 but .01. And people are arrested in the nation’s capital with zero BACs. The DC’s Attorney General says that it’s legal for drivers to be arrested for DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) with “no registered BAC.” Indeed, DC police do arrest people with 0.00 BAC if they admit to having had a single drink with dinner.

This is for real, as a friend of mine who blew 0.00 on the MPD breathalyzer was tossed in the terrifying DC Jail for a night and had to pay big legal fees to get her case reversed.

So what is a citizen to do? You can take taxis, which I mostly do. You can also buy off the police, just like in Mexico. I pay $40 per year for a very valuable FOP sticker. For the uninitiated, that stands for Friends of Police and the money goes to the cops. I am religious about taking taxis when I am imbibing but had one notable and unpredicted lapse. One hot summer Sunday night last year I ended up drinking too much scotch and smoking too many cigarettes at a friend's house downtown. I got caught up in a police gauntlet on 15th street and thought, oh shit, this is where my life gets horrible. The MPD were making the driver of every car in front of me get out of the car and were searching trunks. But when they came to me, the cop pointed his flashlight at my FOP sticker and said, "You have a good night, Ma'am," as he waved me by.

I have a new car now, with no FOP sticker, but they telemarketed my tonight so I hope it comes soon. They asked me for $55, but I said I was disabled (I am, by a cold) so they gave me the old rate. Still, it is pretty much extortion and too much police "discretion."

Budget Horror Gets 67% Worse

2007-03-28T17:17:00.000-05:00

Whooaa! Just a couple of days ago I submitted my outrage on this blog about Fenty's $5.7BN 2008 budget, pointing out that it totals $10.4K per District resident, which means that working adults will have to pay multiples of that to fund it.

So I was thrown for a horrible loop when I read an article in the DC Examiner today stating that the Fenty budget is $9.2BN, or 61% higher than the horror budget.

D.C. Council Chair Vincent Gray said Monday he’s concerned that the chief financial officer’s $9.2 billion budget could create a $40 million deficit.

What is the root of the discrepancy? The Examiner is not known for writing illuminating articles, though I give them kudos to metro coverage the the Wa Post completely ignores. Perhaps this is the crux of it:

Mayor Adrian Fenty and Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi submitted a budget Friday that failed to fund two District agencies — the Office of Personnel and the Office of Contract and Procurement — and instead relies on revenues from fees the two agencies would charge other District departments.

A $92BN budget equals $16.7K per capita. But the reality is far worse. If you subtract the number of people over 65, under 18 and the unemployed, the tax base falls to 334,717, which implies a tax burden of $27.5K per taxpayer. Considering the dysfunction and poverty of much of DC, the real tax base is probably much smaller than that, and the real tax burden much higher on working adults.

Latest Outrage - The Mayor's Budget

2007-03-26T08:51:00.000-05:00

Leonardo posted on this last night, and it's really got my blood boiling. You might remember that this blog gave it's support to Adrian Fenty during the Democratic primary last year - due in large part to his pledge NOT to raise taxes. Well it has only taken the good Mayor a few months to break that pledge.

According to The Examiner, the Mayor's 2008 budget includes an "increase in the E-911 fee, a monthly tax paid on every phone line, from 76 cents to $1.55..." Outrageously the Examiner is apparently willing to buy the Mayor's spin that a duck isn't a duck. The Examiner's article on the Fenty budget includes this non-sequitur, "the plan doesn’t raise taxes." Well according to the Examiner's own freaking article it DOES raise taxes.

Breaking his no new taxes pledge isn't even the most egregious part of the Mayor's new budget - not by a long shot. Remember that $1.5 BILLION surplus (translation excess tax dollars) that the city has been sitting on? Well long ago this blog predicted that that surplus would simply be eaten up by politicians and bureaucrats here in the District. Surprise, surprise, thats exactly what's happening. The Mayor's pork-tacular budget eats up almost $600 million of the District's surplus!

That's right folks. The District collects a billion and a half in EXCESS tax payer dollars - above and beyond the services we receive - and what do they do with it? Return it to the tax payers from whom they extracted it? Nope, instead they decide to piss it away as part of a pork-laden budget. Unbelievable.

The $5.7 BN Budget Horror

2007-03-25T21:02:00.000-05:00

The Examiner had this scoop on the DC 2008 budget, which the Post missed:

District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty’s $5.7 billion fiscal year 2008 budget, unveiled Friday, ramps up funding for public charter schools and new police officers, sets the mayor’s school takeover plan into motion, raises one fee and eats up a chunk of the city’s reserves.

Based on the latest US census count of the District, that budget adds up to $10,354 per DC resident of tax burden per year. Which means that most individuals without children will pay a multiple of that.

Is that really the way to run a city? It seems incredibly expensive to me.

DC Schools: We Need More $$ Because We Have Fewer Students

2007-03-22T17:04:00.000-05:00

The DC public school system has asked the city [A.K.A. DC taxpayers] for an additional $70 million to add to the proposed $810 million 2008 budget, which was already a 4% increase over last year's budget. The reason? According to the Northwest Current (no links available online), the schools are,

Faced with budget cuts due to falling enrollment...

No rational enterprise would cite additional costs of dealing with fewer customers. But the DC schools are not rational as they cannot fire employees even if they are not needed anymore so we taxpayers are stuck paying for them and their out-of-market retirement and health plans.

It is time for DC elected officials to stop the insanity of buying votes with union endorsements.

In related news, a Wash Examiner's article on dropping DC enrollment is here. George Washington University granted nine DC students full tuition, but did not let DC charter school students apply. Finally, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation allocated $122 million to DC high schoolers', including charter students, but did some racial profiling by limiting those grants to Wards 7 and 8.

P.S. the $14.7K that DC spends per student is the highest in the country.

Protesters Stage Mock Occupation of DC

2007-03-21T06:02:00.000-05:00

Honestly, sometimes I just do not understand what in God's name people are thinking. According to The Post, a group of Iraq War protesters staged a mock occupation of DC:

They carried imaginary assault rifles, barked commands, roughly "detained" suspected hostiles with flex cuffs and hoods -- and generally shocked, frightened and delighted tourists and office workers.

"How does occupation feel, D.C.?!" shouted Geoff Millard, head of the local chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War....

How does mock occupation feel DC? Well lets see. Here is what one observer on the streets noted:

"I don't know what they're doing, but they're in everybody's way," said Janet Ruck, a career counselor in Washington.

Upon hearing an explanation, she said, "So they were intentionally getting in people's way. I don't think that people have lost touch or forgotten [about the war]. I don't think this is the way to get people to connect."

Yes, nothing draws the average person to your position like pissing off someone just trying to get to work. Of course out in the left wing blogosphere this macabre piss-poor street theater is being celebrated as "absolutely fascinating." There are plenty of words I can think of to describe this - mindless, bizarre, misguided, freakish, etc - but "absolutely fascinating" ain't a description I would pin on this.

New Metrobus Starts Service

2007-03-20T08:39:00.000-05:00

Unless its made out of marshmallow to prevent Metrobus from killing or maiming any more DC residents - I ain't interested. If you are interested, however, you can read about it here.

Metrobus: Stay Out of My Way

2007-03-19T16:48:00.000-05:00

Metrobus has new flashing orange lights on the front of the top of the bus. This is supposed to be a safety measure but in my limited driving today I was almost ploughed down by those buses twice.

To me, those flashing lights say: stay out of my way, bitch, or I will mow you down.

If You Only Read One Thing Today

2007-03-18T07:02:00.000-05:00

Read The Post's phenomenal piece on Robert Levy - the man responsible for over-turning the District's wildly unconstitutional gun ban. A Cato scholar, and a self-made man, Levy doesn't even own a gun.

Levy in his own words:

"By the way, I'm not a member of any of those pro-gun groups," he said. "I don't travel in those circles. My interest is in vindicating the Constitution."

The citizens of the District owe a hearty thank you to Robert Levy. It's nice that someone out there is interested in defending our Constitutional rights.

UPDATE (10:02 am) - Check out the comments! We got a comment from Mr. Levy himself. Again, a hearty thank you Mr. Levy.

Sidewalks Finally!

2007-03-14T19:57:00.000-05:00

It seems like a basic urban amenity, but most of my neighborhood has no sidewalks, so we walk in the street, strollers and individuals, dodging cars. WTF?

Well DC is finally putting sidewalks into my neighborhood!

As a Republican environmentalist who doesn't want my gas-guzzling sports car seized in the near future, I frequently walk the mile to Connecticut Ave to get provisions. When DC announced its pedestrian-friendly initiative I had to laugh, as most of my walk is in the road, which is not exactly safe. Guests of mine with kids were horrified, as we would all be out in the road dodging cars with strollers.

The most basic purpose of government is exactly what is happening: to pave the sidewalks and the streets. Anyway today I, who pay tens of thousands per year in District taxes, finally saw something coming back to me, in the form of sidewalks. I still have a huge pot hole in front of my house and please, Adrian Fenty, fix our road before we have to fill it ourselves with gravel, which we are plotting to do. But at least we finally got something back.

Barry Avoids [More] Jail Time [For Now]

2007-03-13T06:15:00.000-05:00

Democrat Marion B*tch Set Me Up Barry didn't wake up in the slammer this morning. Thanks to a technicality the former DC Mayor, and the city's most famous crack head, has avoided jail time - for now.

According to The Post:

A federal judge refused yesterday to put D.C. Council member Marion Barry in jail for violating his probation in a criminal tax case.

The ruling was a blow to federal prosecutors, who wanted Barry locked up for missing deadlines for filing federal and District tax returns for 2005. Sidestepping the issue on a technical point, U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson rejected the prosecutors' request to revoke Barry's probation. She said it was up to the federal probation office -- not prosecutors -- to make the request.

In typical Marion Barry fashion, he tried his best to turn this into yet another tin-foil hat conspiracy to get him. More from The Post:

In an interview yesterday, Barry said he was "delighted" about the new ruling and said he "thanks the judge for her fairness" in the tax matter. He added that he believes the handling of his case by the U.S. attorney's office was "embarrassing and humiliating" to him.

"Thousands of Americans have tax problems with the IRS, and they're not treated this way," Barry said. "It's a double standard, and the U.S. attorney ought to stop it."

Barry is "embarrassed" and "humiliated?" Give me a break. It is District taxpayers, whom Barry has made a career of fleecing, that should be embarrassed and humiliated by this.

Is AMT Really So Bad for DC Tax Payers?

2007-03-10T20:54:00.000-05:00

No one likes the Alternative Minimum Tax. The worst thing about it is that you don't know if you will have to pay it until you calculate your taxes after the close of the year in which you made tax-planning decisions. This means that the charitable donation you made or the crappy stocks you sold for a loss might end up null and void on your return if you are hit with AMT, which makes you pay a minimum rate of 26% or 28%.

I screamed foul the first time I was hit with it but am now coming to like it more. First of all, it is a flat tax. Its rate is way too high for a flat tax (and used to be 20% before Reagan, of all people, raised it). If everyone paid AMT then the tax code would be simplified into a few paragraphs instead of the mind-boggling mess that it now is.

Second, it treats local property tax deductions as tax shelters. We in high tax places like DC hate this, but why should every US taxpayer subsidize expensive local governments? By making state taxes non-deductible perhaps there would finally be pressure to ease them. Also, anyone in a high tax state or DC would benefit hugely from a flat tax, as the current progressive tax rates severely punish those who live in expensive places, where $100K does not go so far as it does in Boise and we are basically paying their bill.

Third, the AMT treats dependent deductions as tax shelters. I have always been baffled and annoyed at how people with children pay much less in taxes than do those without children. The market side of me says that they should pay more, as they use more services, but I can go socialist and agree that should pay the same. But in what strange calculus should they pay less?

Fourth, by pushing the middle class into paying taxes that more closely resemble their service consumption perhaps the populace will become more aware of the expense of government.

According to the Census Bureau, the median household had a before-tax income of $40,816 in 1999, an after-tax income of $33,676, and paid $7,140 in total taxes, for an effective tax rate of 17.5 percent...

According to the CBO, those in the top 20 percent (quintile) of the income distribution now pay 78 percent of all federal income taxes.

17.5% is low enough, but the average US family of four pays a 4% federal tax rate, lower than the median and almost completely shielding them from government decisions that increase taxes.

As a self-employed person in DC my marginal tax rate is about 60% plus I have to pay for health insurance out-of-pocket and don't get the favorable tax treatment that corporate employees do. At my rate, I welcome AMT but, unfortunately the calculation is "which is higher, ordinary tax or AMT?" and at this point I would rather pay AMT.

DC Govt's Approach to Education

2007-03-10T07:34:00.000-05:00

After reading Leonardo's post below, I think this image fairly sums up our elected officials approach to the problems in our education system here in the District.

City Council Finally Looks at the School Budget

2007-03-10T00:49:00.000-05:00

The DC Council actually showed some balls by questioning contracts to rebuild the DC schools. And the contracts equalled a cool $1 billion.

That is a start, but I question the wisdom of allocating $2.3 billion of taxpayer money to remodel schools that are half-empty. Any sane person would rationalize the schools before spending such huge sums to fix so many that will have to be closed. Utilization of DC schools hovers around 40-50%. Why are we paying to fix the entire system? Does the word "duh" mean anything to you?

PS the pot hole index is getting incredibly high. Perhaps we could take some taxpayer money to fix the roads as they are just about as bad now as they were in the Barry days, and the DC gov't has no excuse as they have more tax money than they know what to do with.

News Flash: Look Left When Turning Left!

2007-03-10T00:27:00.000-05:00

A D.C. judge has weighed in on the murderous Metrobus driver, saying

"Our laws require drivers . . . to look to their left before making a left turn,"

Well that is pretty brilliant and basic and what any preteen would learn in driver's ed.

But the Metrobus union employees are rallying for the bus driver, who killed two pedestrians crossing in the green in the crosswalk. A taxi driver witness's testimony

angered many of the 20 uniformed Metro workers who crowded the courtroom in support of Kolako. "How could a cabdriver see where [Kolako] was looking?" asked one.

After the hearing, many of the Metro workers hugged Kolako. As Kolako was leaving the courthouse, several workers held up umbrellas and jackets to shield him from the media.

Separately, Metro introduced new colored lights in place of the old ones that were white and flashed when a train is coming. I don't understand the point of this but they say it somehow enhances safety. I think it is a waste of money, as no other system outside of ours has lights at all.

A Victory for the Bill of Rights and for DC Citizens

2007-03-09T12:13:00.000-05:00

Breaking news... A divided DC Circuit Panel has ruled that DC's ridiculous gun ban violates the 2nd Amendment (surprise surprise). This is good news for the Bill of Rights and for the citizens of the District. Laughably, the best argument that proponents of this non-sense legislation could make is that it was Constitutional because the 2nd Amendment doesn't apply to DC. Gee, thanks to all our progressive "friends" trying their best to limit the applicability of the Bill of Rights.

More on the decision here: http://howappealing.law.com/030907.html#023153

More on Metrobus!!

2007-03-07T22:31:00.000-05:00

For another Metrobus observation, go to Rock Creek Rambler.

I personally see Metrobuses fly through red lights regularly and when I am on them I start to pray the rosary, as the drivers seem to place no value on human life. I would LOVE to review the personnel file of the psychopath who drives my E2 route.

The Driver Dental Tragedy: State Neglect or Parental Neglect?

2007-03-07T19:00:00.000-05:00

Deamonte Driver, a 12 year-old homeless child, died last week because an infection in his molar spread to his brain. The political response has been to call for more dental aid for the poor, despite the fact that the child's dental care was completely covered under Medicaid and this was really a case of a parent failing to be a parent.

Yesterday, U.S. Sens. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) and Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) invoked Deamonte's case as they introduced legislation designed to put more children who lack insurance or who rely on state aid into a dentist's chair.

"It is outrageous today that in America, a young boy can die because his family can't find a dentist to remove an infected tooth," Cardin said on the Senate floor Thursday. "Anytime we lose a child, it is a tragedy. But Deamonte Driver's death is particularly devastating because it was easily preventable."

Yes, it was tragic and preventable. But the fault lies mostly with Driver's mother, as dental care is fully paid for by Medicaid, which she was receiving.

The Driver case is one of parental neglect.

Fewer than one-third of children in Maryland's Medicaid program received any dental services in 2005, the latest year for which figures are available from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The figures were even lower in Virginia and the District.

But why do only one third of kids covered under Medicaid receive dental service when they are all fully covered? Charging taxpayers new costs is not the best answer when the services are there and parents do not take their children to appointments, largely due to social dysfunction.

CPAC and Other Random Tuesday Morning Ramblings

2007-03-06T07:51:00.000-05:00

Thanks to CPAC (which I attended), the number of Republicans in the District probably doubled or tripled at the end of last week.

In case anyone is wondering I didn't catch the Ann Coulter speech live - after watching her call for a new McCarthyism at CPAC in 2005 I have better sense then to sit through that.

If this tiny old blog mattered I would have signed on to this letter urging CPAC organizers not to invite Coulter in the future.

One of the great moments from CPAC was the NRA's Wayne LaPierre showing a clip of a stunned Eleanor Holmes Norton trying to quiet down a crowd of constituents whom she is clearly shocked to learn actually believe in the 2nd Amendment and who want the DC gun ban repealed. I have tried - to no avail - to find this clip on you tube. It's priceless.

Good news - There is a Republican running in the special election to fill the Council vacancy in Ward 7. Bad news - not sure there are any Republicans in Ward 7.

Congestion Pricing for DC?

2007-03-05T20:02:00.000-05:00

A little-noticed provision in the budget that Bush sent to Congress provides for $130 million to be allocated to "congestion pricing" schemes, which charge drivers a fee to drive into city centers. From the WSJ [subscription only]:

the centerpiece of the traffic plan involves an initiative that some critics say amounts to a tax, a plan depicted by administration officials as "congestion pricing." The administration will award $130 million in grants starting this spring to help cities and states build electronic toll systems that would charge drivers fees for traveling in and out of big cities during peak traffic times. The money also could go to other congestion strategies such as expanded telecommuting, but administration officials make it clear they think congestion pricing is the most powerful tool they have. The White House will seek an additional $175 million for congestion initiatives in next year's budget.

DC, of course, will gobble up this federal money and try to introduce a congestion pricing scheme of their own. The Wa Post op-ed says that the price will be $1, but the London price, which is the only actual experience of this practice, is 9 pounds per day, which equals about $18 US dollars.

Is New DC Becoming the Old DC Again?

2007-03-04T23:31:00.000-05:00

I write this post as I just got my property tax assessment which, incredibly, has increased again. I doubt that I could sell my house for what I could two years ago but the DC assessors think that I could and then more. I couple that thought with the pothole in front of my house that is growing by the day and is just dying to kill my tires. Are we going back to the bad old days in DC?

Tony Williams rescued this city from the brink of disaster by improving city services and getting the budget in balance. His efforts were rewarded by huge increases in property values, as people moved back into the city as the dysfunction eased, potholes were paved and city services improved greatly.

But instead of learning from the lessons of the past, the DC Council has acted like pigs at the trough by enacting a crazy $1.5 billion renovation of all schools despite the fact that they are half empty and refusing to fix that problem first. They also want to throw $50 million to upgrade Abe Pollin's Verizon Center.

DC is sliding back into the bad old days of ignoring citizens' concerns, fleecing them for their money at the expense of providing basic services. My measure of good DC services is the pothole index, and it is looking very bad right now. It reminds me of when I moved to DC ten years ago and the place was a mess.

More Metrobus

2007-02-25T01:21:00.000-05:00

I still don't understand how Metrobus drivers need additional training to not mow down DC citizens but like it or not we are paying for their re-education.

I think the best approach would be to go through each drivers' file and see the complaints against them, as I am sure there are many.

Nanny State Insanity - You Can't Make This Up

2007-02-23T15:29:00.000-05:00

OK, first let me say thank you to the folks at To the People who do a phenomenal job of blogging on nanny state insanity. Secondly, let me say that one of the stories To the People covers today may be the most outrageous and unbelievable nugget of nanny-state insanity that I have ever read (and my God that is saying a lot).

Apparently, not to be outdone by the Maryland or DC nanny states, a legislator in Virginia is hell bent on protecting the good people of the Commonwealth from - oversized, plastic testicles. I am not making this up. From The Washington Post (via To the People):

As the General Assembly debates global warming and the death penalty, Myers (R-Washington) has something else on his mind: the outsized plastic testicles that truckers dangle from the trailer hitches of their pickups [ellipsis] His bill would prohibit motorists from displaying anything resembling or depicting "anatomically correct" or "less than completely and opaquely covered" human or animal genitals, human buttocks or female breasts. The offense would carry a penalty.

Thank God for the Nanny State, protecting people everywhere from the dangers of oversized, plastic testicles dangling from the back of pickup trucks.

Red meat from the High Priest of the Church of the Painful Truth

2007-02-21T08:43:00.000-05:00

That's how Neal Boortz - LibertyDC's favorite radio talk show host - describes his new book that just hit the stores. Neal's new book was briefly ahead of Barack Obama's audacity of whatever book yesterday on Amazon.com, and I plan on doing my part today to help move it back into the top slot.

For those of you who don't know, Boortz is the author of the Fair Tax book - the bible for LibertyDC!

To get a copy of Neal's new book - go here!

Felon's Rights Lobby Strikes Again

2007-02-20T07:42:00.000-05:00

Once again, I feel like I am waking up in Bizarro world. Who the heck knew what a powerful lobby the felon's rights movement was? First, the DC Council outrageously proposes legislation that would prohibit employers from performing common sense background checks on prospective employees, and now Maryland wants to expand the voting rights of convicted felons.

These types of proposals are insulting enough, in and of themselves, but the language proponents of these measures use in defending their positions simply defy logic.

Check out how felons rights proponents in Maryland describe the situation:

Bishop Adam J. Richardson Jr. said it is "unconscionable" that 140,000 former offenders... are disenfranchised because of the voting laws.

....

Del. Justin D. Ross (D-Prince George's) said that current laws are "punitive and discriminatory" and that it is time for a change.

Unconscionable? Disenfranchised? Discriminatory? Give me a break. What's "unconscionable" is that legislators in Maryland and DC think that felons rights is a priority. The 140,000 felons in Maryland aren't disenfranchised because of voting laws and they aren't discriminated against, they are denied the right to vote because they commited a felony. Don't want to lose your right to vote? Don't get convicted of a felony.

Public Money Folly

2007-02-19T19:46:00.000-05:00

The DC government raised hotel and restaurant taxes to pay for the Taj Mahal of convention centers, an $850 million building that not only created a permanent traffic nightmare on New York Avenue but requires $180,000 per year just to clean the glass facade, paid for by DC tax payers. The theory was that conventioneers would pump so much money into the DC economy that the DC Taj Mahal would be an ATM machine. But it hasn't worked out so well.

The Washington DC convention center is a total disaster.

Nearly four years ago, city officials opened the $850 million Washington Convention Center with a string of superlatives. The largest publicly financed project ever built in the city, they said, would attract more than a million visitors a year, fill hotels and set off an economic boom.

Instead, DC convention attendance is dropping, the surrounding neighborhood is yet to be transformed by the promised new development, and conventioneers are filling fewer hotel rooms than expected.

Even worse, the new convention center is drawing fewer conventioneers than the old decrepit razed facility did in its peak, if you can believe that.

But DC wants to double down on its bet and build a tax payer-financed hotel. The cost would be about $550 million and would require a $135 million tax subsidy financed by District tax payers.

Metrobus Takes Another Life

2007-02-18T21:21:00.000-05:00

Metrobus took yet another victim this weekend.

A 21-year-old woman who was fatally struck by a Metro bus Saturday night has been identified as Angel C. Walters, 21, Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said today.

Walters was a passenger in a sport utility vehicle and stepped out of the rear driver's side of the SUV Saturday night around 11:10 p.m. with boxes or packages in her hand when she was struck by a W2 bus on Congress Street, in the Congress Heights section of Southeast Washington, according to Farbstein.

The driver was not charged in the incident, Farbstein said. The bus, number 3941 was headed toward Washington Overlook. Farbstein said it was not clear if the driver hit the brakes and that information would be part of the investigation.

You have got to be kidding me. Not another one after the tragedy of last week, in which two women were killed by a Metrobus as they crossed on the green in the crosswalk.

Run for Your Life It's Metrobus!

2007-02-15T18:04:00.000-05:00

Metrobus continued terrorizing DC citizens yesterday by mowing down two women who were crossing the street within the crosswalk at a green light in the Penn Quarter. The two women died, only a month after a woman was killed by a Metrobus on 16th St and six months after one died in Friendship Heights.

Never fear, Metro has a plan: to install strobe lights on buses.

Metro plans to install strobe lights on 100 buses that operate in the District to help alert pedestrians to their presence, officials said. The special warning lights, which will be affixed to the front of the buses, are scheduled to be installed in the next 60 days.

Metro also says they will need more money for driver training, though most normal citizens learn to avoid running down pedestrians as part of regular driver education, or something called common sense and decency.

I have a hunch that these killer drivers have a long list of warnings prior to the deadly incidents but that Metro was unable to fire them because of their union contracts. The bus driver in my neighborhood is a psycho who runs red lights, slams on the brakes so hard that elderly women take flight through the aisle and actually laughs when she refuses to open the door for people waiting at the bus stop and then zooms away, still laughing, while the desperate passengers try to run to the next stop. Sometimes she doesn't let them in then either. I am sure that scads of people have reported her but Metro has done nothing. Therefore I am not hopeful that additional (taxpayer-financed) driver education will be the answer to cleaning up shop at Metrobus and improving passenger and pedestrian safety.

At least this tragedy has distracted Phil Graham from the Smarta Club tragedy, which was leading him to destroy DC nightlife once and for all. I would rather have Graham busy policing Metro versus nightlife and liquor licenses.

A Way to Solve DC's "Structural Imbalance:" Start a Gay Refugee from VA Program!

2007-02-13T18:25:00.000-05:00

I have never bought the argument that DC suffers from a "structural imbalance" of tax collections due to the fact that so much of DC property is government-owned and ergo not taxable. Without the presence of the federal government DC would be, well, something resembling Baltimore, if not worse. Because of the presence of the feds, and the benefits from the expanding federal budget, DC and its suburbs rank among the highest in the US in terms of income and those suburbanites spend a ton of money in DC.

To me, the "structural imbalance" argument is an excuse passionately made by an inefficient government as to why they are so bad (see: DC schools) and a cloak for my most unfavorite organization in the world, the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, to argue for more tax money in general. Here is the latter's take on the "structural imbalance."

In 2001 Alice Rivlin produced a paper for Brookings that is unfortunately no longer viewable online, so you have to trust me on this. Her paper was the blueprint for Tony Williams' plan to attract 100,000 new DC residents. When I read the report in 2001 I was gripped by its data: the District loses about $13,000 per year net on a couple with two children and makes about $9,000 net per single resident. So, in essence, the DC government has created an expense structure that needs more single residents to support it. That is why DC residents see so many cranes in the sky building one bedroom lofts. Of course the DC Council likes to posture that they want more families in the city, but the fact is that the city cannot afford families anymore.

Fortunately for DC, Virginia has become the least friendly state in the nation to gay people, so gay VA residents, who typically have no children, are contemplating moves. Also lucky for DC, Montgomery County is just about as bad in terms of taxes and has a horrible 10% non-family inheritance tax that the District does not have. I have a gay female friend who is planning to move from VA to the District because of the heinous new VA laws. So she and her partner will generate a net gain of $18,000 for DC!

Of course the outrage, and the point of this post, is that DC spends so much money on education, while ranking dead last in national standings and first in spending, that the city can only support its wasteful habits by attracting more people without children. The next time that a Council Member postures about making DC more family-friendly, ask them how they are going to pay for it.

DC and HPV

2007-02-13T09:03:00.001-05:00

I mentioned last night that Leonardo and I are likely to agree more than disagree, however, as this entry will make clear - that's not always going to be the case.

Leonardo, posting on To The People, came out swinging on Texas Governor Rick Perry's decision to make the HPV/cervical cancer vaccine mandatory. According to Leonardo,

Immunizations were traditionally limited to diseases that were contagious through ordinary contact, such as measles, mumps or smallpox. To force immunization upon citizens for a disease that is only spread through sex is a whole 'nother view of the role of public health. Perry's view of the government is that it ought to protect us from ourselves, a view that manifests itself in drug laws, seat belt laws, trans-fat bans and helmet laws.

Leonardo also raises the specter of evil big PhRMA pulling Governor Perry's strings:

Perry's motivations might be also be Abramoff-esqe:
Merck is bankrolling efforts to pass state laws across the country mandating Gardasil for girls as young as 11 or 12. It doubled its lobbying budget in Texas and has funneled money through Women in Government, an advocacy group made up of female state legislators around the country.Perry has ties to Merck and Women in Government. One of the drug company's three lobbyists in Texas is Mike Toomey, Perry's former chief of staff. His current chief of staff's mother-in-law, Texas Republican state Rep. Dianne White Delisi, is a state director for Women in Government.

I couldn't disagree more with Leonardo on this issue. Here is the bottom line, the "mandatory" vaccinations in Texas - like those proposed here in DC - aren't "mandatory" at all. Unlike the seat belt laws, drug laws, trans fat bans, and helmet laws that Leonardo likens this too - this legislation isn't actually mandatory. Indeed the Texas provision, as well as the proposed DC provision, provide generous opt-out provisions for any parent not wanting their child to get the vaccine. The legislation proposed by DC Councilman David Catania makes it clear what a paper dragon this barking about "mandatory" really is:

Catania insists that the legislation doesn't target any particular group and the vaccination wouldn't exactly be mandatory. "What we are doing is we're forcing the conversation. Either you are going to have your child vaccinated, or you will make an informed decision to opt out," Catania says. In the District, parents would not have to provide a reason for their objection.

Would anyone argue that our draconian drug laws were actually draconian if they provided an "opt out"??? Who could complain about the nanny state if seat belt laws included an "opt out" for folks who just don't feel like wearing them???

Indeed, making this vaccine "mandatory" is really about making it available to low-income, under-insured, and uninsured families:

In order to maximise the coverage of the vaccination programme in Texas, the Governor has ordered that the vaccine will be free for girls aged 9 to 18 who are either not insured or not covered for the vaccine. And Medicaid will be required to offer it to women from 19 to 21 years old too.

The bottom line is that most of the opposition to this has nothing to do with HPV, cervical cancer, or personal freedom. Leonardo, and other libertarian minded opponents to this measure, make up only a tiny fragment of the real opposition to this legislation. The bulk of the opposition comes from the knuckle-dragging far right that is hell bent on making everything about sex. The Texas Eagle Forum - not exactly a leading light for personal freedom - has been leading the parade of puritanical zealots. Joined by a motley crew of theocons:

"We cannot overlook the moral dimension," said Scarborough, president of the Lufkin-based Vision America religious group. "The governor's action seems to signify that God's moral law regarding sex outside of marriage can be transgressed without consequence."

Ugh. These folks never stop. Never mind that 14,000 women a year get cervical cancer as a result of HPV. Never mind that 4,000 women a year die as a result of cervical cancer. At the end of the day it's all about sex.

Let's make it clear, I would not support an HPV vaccine that was actually mandatory - ie legislation without an opt out for parents. However, the legislation in Texas, and proposed here in DC, provide generous opt out provisions and as a result do nothing to limit individual liberty. Accordingly, DC should join Texas in passing this common sense legislation.

DC Council - Fighting to Defend Felons (and Not Just Marion Barry)

2007-02-13T07:47:00.000-05:00

OK, seriously, I think the DC Council has officially lost it. If its not bad enough that the DC Super Nanny inserts itself into every possible portion of our lives and fleeces us in the process, now the Council seems hell bent on passing legislation to protect FELONS! That's right, your Council at work. Apparently, the Council is just giving up on working to protect taxpayers and families, and now will turn their attention to protecting felons.

I only wish I was making this up. According to The Washington Post, the City Council is considering legislation - supported by Mayor Fenty - that would "prohibit discrimination in employment, housing and education" for convicted felons.

The Council previously passed the felon protection legislation (which I think should be called the Barry Bill), but it was vetoed by former Mayor Anthony Williams.

According to The Post, this outrageous piece of legislation would:

[B]an employers from looking into an applicant's criminal background until a job offer has been made. At that point, it would allow them to check the previous 10 years of a criminal record for offenses that have a "rational relationship" to the job. For instance, a person with a record of embezzlement legally could be rejected for a job as a cashier.

In case anyone is interested, here is the link to the DC Board of Elections website, which describes the process for recalling elected officials in the District. Honestly, any elected DC official who thinks that this piece of legislation makes sense should be sent packing by the voters.

UPDATE (8:17 AM) - I emailed my Councilman, Jack Evans, urging him to oppose this legislation. I will let you know when and if I hear back from him.

Welcome Leonardo!

2007-02-12T22:16:00.000-05:00

Cut DC Taxes is no longer a one pony operation... LibertyDC now has some company! I am thrilled to have Leonardo (who blogs regularly at one of my favorite blogs To the People) as a contributor to Cut DC Taxes. Like me, Leonardo is a long-suffering Redskins fan and a tax-hating DC resident. Leonardo's first post is the post below this one. I suspect that often Leonardo and I will agree, though not always - indeed I plan on highlighting our first disagreement in a post tomorrow morning.

Welcome Leonardo, Cut DC Taxes will be a better place with you on board!

DC Taxes Kill the American Dream

2007-02-12T19:58:00.000-05:00

The DC Council talks a lot about how housing should be affordable, yet they have made the city much less affordable over the past few years as home assessments soared and the Council did not adjust the rate down.

As Chris pointed out, the city now has a $1.4 billion surplus. Much of that is from the increase in property values.

A cornerstone of the American dream is that if you can pay off your mortgage then you are all set for retirement. But the DC Council is standing between DC residents and the American dream. If my property taxes keep going up by 10% a year and assuming I never move and get dinged even more I will be paying North of $60K per year by the time I retire.

How the heck can anyone afford that?

If I Can't Get a Rudy...

2007-02-12T09:22:00.000-05:00

Last week I asked where our Rudy was? In my post I asked:

Well this morning I am thinking maybe I set the bar too high. Maybe asking for a DC Rudy is like hoping for a Redskins owner that puts a commitment to winning above stuffing dough in his pockets. So I ask, if we can't find a Rudy - yet - where is our Ron Paul? Where is our Dr or Mr or Mrs or Ms No? Where is the conscience of our Council?

Where is the City Council member who will consistently advocate for DC taxpayers, property owners and small businesses? Dr. Paul (who is considering a long-shot run for the GOP Presidential nomination) has never voted for a tax increase, refuses to accept his Congressional pension, and has consistently opposed any expansion of the influence of the federal government.

As broken as the system is here in the District, I am realistic about how long it will take to really change things. We will never achieve real change, however, unless we start to see political leaders emerge who will fight for that change.

If I can't get a Rudy, can someone at least send me a Ron Paul?

New Blogger and More

2007-02-12T09:10:00.000-05:00

OK, so this morning blogger forced me over to the new and improved blogger. I resist change at just about every corner and then often find when I am forced to change (forced to get an email account by a college professor, forced to get a cell phone by the managing partner at my old law firm, forced to get a blackberry by a former employer) I actually like it. So here is hoping that the new and "improved" blogger will be just that.

I know last week I mentioned that I might be getting some company on this blog and this morning I got confirmation that it's going to happen. It will definitely be nice to have company :)

Where is our Rudy?

2007-02-06T08:12:00.000-05:00

How is it that the overwhelmingly Democratic city of New York can manage to elect a Republican who cuts taxes, fights crime and improves the quality of life across the city, while the best DC can manage is a Democrat dominated Mayoral process that boils down to a pathetic game of who can promise the most and deliver the least?

Rudy won in New York despite the fact that Democrats outnumber Republicans by better than 5 to 1 - indeed Rudy was re-elected with 60% of the vote. Meanwhile the District's GOP nominee for Mayor in 2006, while admittedly a nice guy - garnered an embarrassing 6%.

While Mayor of New York, Giuliani cut taxes. In fact, Rudy cut taxes more than any Mayor in NYC history by reducing or eliminating 23 taxes - for a total savings to taxpayers of more than $8 billion! The Giuliani tax cuts help spur the creation of 425,000 NYC jobs to boot. Imagine that, a Mayor who cut taxes and created jobs. What a novel concept.

Under Rudy's leadership crime fell dramatically in NYC. Murders were cut from 1,946 in 1993 (the year Rudy inherited the keys to a city broken by years of Democratic mismanagement) to 649 in 2001. Overall crime fell an astounding 57%. Indeed, according to the FBI, NYC went from the crime capital of the country to the "Largest Safe City in America."

My question is, where is our Rudy? Isn't there a tough as nails tax cutter living in the District who can cut through our Democratic dominated political system that has failed the people of DC?

Hey Looks Like I am Getting Company Here

2007-02-05T19:33:00.000-05:00

Don't look now but it looks like LibertyDC is about to get some company here - and God knows I could use the company of someone who blogs a little more frequently than me... More to come soon!

Marion Barry - "B*tch Set Me Up Again"

2007-02-03T08:50:00.000-05:00

Honestly, Marion Barry really is the gift that keeps on giving. Today's Washington Post reports that crackhead, turned Mayor, turned felon, turned DC Council Man, has turned down a plea offer from prosecutors relating to two traffic stops. From the Post:

Barry (D-Ward 8), a former D.C. mayor, has rejected an offer from prosecutors to plead guilty to operating a motor vehicle while impaired in an incident in which police said they detected the smell of alcohol. Had he accepted the offer, prosecutors would have dropped the other charges, including the more serious offense of driving under the influence. Prosecutors also would have dropped charges in connection with a subsequent traffic stop.

According to Barry these charges are just the latest in a long line of set ups, shake downs and conspiracies all aimed at him.

"It's undue harassment," Barry said after the hearing. "They know they don't have a case."

More Insanity from the DC Super Nanny

2007-02-02T08:04:00.000-05:00

Over at To the People, blogger Leonardo has run into yet another worthless law compliments of the DC Super Nanny - aka the DC City Council.

From To the People:

Last week I was in California and bought four bottles of wine to be shipped home. En route home I got this email:

When you placed your order last Sunday for a total of 4 bottles to ship to Washington DC, I didn't realize at the time that DC has a shipping restriction whereby we can only ship 1 bottle per month to an address. Therefore, we cannot ship your order from Ridge.

Yes my friends, this is what your taxpayer dollars are funding - the DC Super Nanny. No wonder they feel the need to sit on an extra $1.4 billion in taxpayer dollars - you never know when Super Nanny will need an extra stash of cash to confront pressing issues of the day like the shipment of wine.

Today's DC Forecast: Snow?

2007-02-01T08:53:00.000-05:00

Honestly this post has nothing to do with District politics, taxes, fiscal sanity or anything else remotely related to the stated purpose of this blog. But heck, I love the snow and love the corny Rankin-Bass created Snowmiser character and the ridiculously catchy song he sings from the classic "A Year Without a Santa Claus."

Enjoy.

DC Surplus Should Mean Tax Cuts

2007-01-31T15:01:00.000-05:00

Today's Washington Post notes that the District achieved a $325 million surplus in 2006, pushing the District's total surplus to $1.4 billion. Not that folks at the Post care but let me do a little translating for them. A $1.4 billion surplus means $1.4 billion in EXCESS tax payer dollars. Money that tax payers gave the District government, but for which they got nothing in return.

It's fine if the District wants to keep a "rainy day" fund (translation future spending splurge fund) but it borders on criminal that no one in District government is making the case that some of this money should be returned to DC taxpayers.

More on That Pay Raise

2006-12-20T09:32:00.000-05:00

From the Washington Times:

The increase means council members will earn more than their counterparts in cities like New York, where members will earn $112,500 next year.

"There's no question that we're near the top," said council member Phil Mendelson, an at-large Democrat who introduced the bill and amended it to include cost-of-living increases. "But there's company."

That's right folks - thats how Phil Mendelson defended this shameless, self-indulgent pay raise. Of course this pay raise isn't a done deal, the Congress could step in and shoot the pay raise down. I wouldn't, however, hold my breath waiting for Nancy Pelosi to reign in these clowns. I mean heck, if the voters of the District aren't willing to hold the Council accountable, why the heck should anyone else.

Talk About Rewarding Bad Behavior

2006-12-19T15:42:00.000-05:00

The shameless District of Columbia City Council has voted to raise their own salaries, as well as the salary of incoming Mayor Adrian Fenty. According to the Washington Post:

In a 7-3 vote, the council supported increasing the salary for Mayor-elect Adrian M. Fenty to $200,000 from $152,000 annually. The council chairman will earn $190,000, up from $142,000. Council members will earn $115,000. The current salary for a council member is $92,530.

The District's elected officials will be the highest paid in the region.

Unbelievable. Talking about fleecing District residents. Does anyone in their right mind think that the District's elected officials deserve to be the highest paid in the region?

My City Council rep, Jack Evans, voted for the shameless pay raise. Indeed, only 3 members of the Council had the decency to oppose the measure:

There was no debate today, but council members Kwame R. Brown (D-At Large), Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3) and Carol Schwartz (R-At Large) dissented. They also voted against the measure on Dec. 5 when the bill was approved on first reading.

Fenty and Gray recused themselves from the voting while Council member Sharon Ambrose (D-Ward 6) was absent due to illness.

The Cut DC Taxes Mayoral Endorsements

2006-09-12T06:29:00.000-05:00

I know you all have waited with baited breath, so here they are - the official Cut DC Taxes Mayoral endorsements (they are like the Marion Barry endorsements but carry a little less weight with hookers, crack heads and the mentally infirmed).

If you are a Democrat -
Adrian Fenty for Mayor.

I had earlier issued a half-assed, half-hearted, kinda, sorta endorsement of Fenty (which I will admit had more to do with my total disgust for Linda Cropp). Well today I get off the fence and outright endorse Fenty in the Democratic primary.

Sure I wish someone would have run a real outsider/reformer campaign (opportunity missed by the Johns campaign), but the fact is no one did. I am not always going to agree with Adrian Fenty but I am confident he will not let the bureaucracy and the system hobble him the same way Mayor Williams has - and the same way I am sure Linda Cropp would.

Fenty brings enthusiasm and optimism to the city, and hell even someone as pessimistic as me wants to feel good about the city every now and then. It also doesn't hurt that Fenty is the only candidate in the Democratic primary who pledged not to raise taxes!

If you are a Republican -
Dave Kranich for Mayor.

Yes, there are registered Republicans in the District (myself included) and yes there is a Republican primary for Mayor today. Dave Kranich, who is endorsed by the DC Republican Committee, is facing off against Dennis Moore.

Moore's campaign seems to be little more than a concerted effort on his part to post long rambling comments on as many DC-related sites as possible. Kranich on the other hand, is running a serious campaign. I have spoken to him before and he seems like a nice enough guy. Unless a write-in-Carol Schwarz campaign springs up in the next few hours - I recommend DC Republicans vote for Dave Kranich.

My MNF Interrupted by a Clearly Drunk Vincent Orange

2006-09-11T20:02:00.000-05:00

Is anyone else seeing these Vincent Orange for Mayor ads during the Skins Monday Night game?!?!?!? Seriously, the first one was just some mumbling shit, I couldn't understand a damn word. The second ad was some sort of poem that Orange read (as I watched it I actually wished it was the mumbling ad again!). Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the third ad in this series was a seemingly drunk Orange babbling about voting against the Washington Post and mumbling something about how voters should vote for him since he's first on the ballot.

These are unquestionably the WORST campaign ads I have ever seen in my entire life. Here's my question - who in the Orange campaign saw these ads and said "Yeah Mr Orange, I think these are GREAT!"???

UPDATE (9:14 pm): OK, I have had 2 beers, 2 glasses of wine, and I am working on a tequila and OJ (while watching my beloved Skins) and I am still way less drunk than Vincent Orange appears in these ads. It's like some shit you would see on Public Access.

Barry's Magic 8 Ball Says "Fenty"

2006-09-06T03:46:00.000-05:00

Marion B!tch Set Me Up Barry ended the suspense yesterday and announced his support for Mayoral candidate Adrian Fenty. Fenty can now count on a surge in support from crack heads, hookers, and the mentally infirmed.

In typical Barry fashion, he didn't bother to coordinate his announcement or messaging with the candidate he was endorsing. From The Post:

The Fenty campaign was caught off guard by Barry's public announcement. Barry's e-mail listed campaign events with Fenty today, but Fenty said he had prior commitments. He added that he has no plans to campaign with Barry before next week's vote.

Barry's endorsement has questionable value, and certainly brings with it some potential downside, which I am sure the anonymous Cropp supporters who comment on this blog will be happy to point out.

More from The Post:

Political analysts said Barry's stamp of approval was not likely to hurt the chances of Fenty (D-Ward 4), who has waged a vigorous 16-month, door-to-door campaign.

"It's an expression of political consensus and a widening of his base," said Ronald Walters, a political scientist at the University of Maryland. Walters said there had been speculation that Cropp (D), the council chairman, might receive Barry's endorsement. Several longtime Barry associates, including Cropp campaign chairman Elijah B. Rogers, are working with her campaign.

Certainly, it was the least valuable endorsement Fenty received yesterday. Yesterday alone Fenty received the endorsement of the Washington Post, the Washington Examiner and Planned Parenthood of Metro Washington. Not a bad day for the Mayoral front-runner (and he still enjoys the half-hearted, half-assed, kinda, sorta endorsement from this blog!).

The Post Endorses Fenty

2006-09-05T05:56:00.000-05:00

This may be the nail in the coffin of the Linda Cropp campaign. For weeks now, Cropp supporters, and others watching this race, predicted that Cropp would enjoy a late surge, particularly among white voters, as a result of an anticipated Washington Post endorsement of her campaign. Alas, for Linda Capt of the Titanic Cropp, The Post didn't endorse her - choosing instead to endorse front-runner Adrian Fenty.

From The Post:

The criticism from his opponents notwithstanding, there is more to Adrian Fenty than a youthful, energetic and politically ambitious grass-roots campaigner. There is a can-do quality in him that suggests the government can be reformed, that schools can be rebuilt and that institutions in this city can come together to improve people's lives. He offers a vision of the city that challenges the best in people.

The Post's closing in its endorsement probably sums this race up about as well as one could:

The 2006 mayoral campaign is all about the District's future in a dynamic and uncertain environment. Democrats inclined to vote their fears may look elsewhere. A vote for hope, however, is a vote for Adrian Fenty.

Now You Too Can Be Big Brother - Check Out Who Your Neighbors Are Contributing To!

2006-08-29T19:28:00.000-05:00

Ask and ye shall receive. A Cut DC Taxes reader thought it would be fun to put up the link to the search engine that lets you see who your neighbors have contributed to in the DC Mayor's race (as well as other DC races).

So here is the link - http://election.dcwanna.be/contributions/neighbor_search

Enjoy! Oh, and by the way, I am happy to report that no one on my block gave to Linda Capt of the Titanic Cropp.

Breaking - New SurveyUSA Poll Shows Cropp Gaining

2006-08-29T19:01:00.000-05:00

Before the Cropp supporters get too excited, the new SurveyUSA poll, conducted for WUSA, still shows Fenty leading by 10%. This lead, however, is half of what it was in the last SurveyUSA poll conducted two weeks ago.

According to WUSA:

In the Democratic Primary for Mayor of Washington, DC today, Adrian Fenty leads Linda Cropp 45% to 35%, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for WUSA-TV Washington, DC.Compared to an identical SurveyUSA WUSA-TV poll 2 weeks ago, Fenty has lost 3 points and Cropp has gained 8 points.

According to the SurveyUSA poll, Cropp's gains have been among self-identified moderates and conservatives (who the heck are the three folks self id-ing as 'conservatives' in the DC Democratic party???).

More from WUSA:

Cropp's gains have come from conservatives and moderates. Among conservatives, she had trailed by 33, now leads by 9. Among moderates, she had trailed by 13, now leads by 5. Liberals continue to support Fenty: he leads this group by 23 points, compared with 25 points 2 weeks ago. None of the other five candidates gets more than 9% of the votes. With two weeks until the Primary Election, only 4% of likely voters are undecided.

So the question is - are the Cropp negative campaign ads working or was the earlier SurveyUSA poll an outlier? This poll is certainly more in line with other polls showing Fenty with a roughly 10 point lead.

Marie Johns runs a distant third with 9%. Interestingly enough, taking a look a the crosstabs shows that Johns is actually running impressively strong among white DC residents - polling 19%, just 7 points behind Linda Cropp with this same group. Johns, however, is getting crushed among black DC voters, polling just 5%.

Isn't It a Little Late to "Meet Marie"

2006-08-29T17:33:00.000-05:00

So the Marie Johns campaign has a squadron of gay guys canvassing my hood (Rose Park area of Georgetown). Props to the Johns people for knowing the hood well enough to know to send a squadron of gay guys to canvass for her. However, while she gets props for the crew she sent to canvass for her, she gets a big "huh" for the flier itself. The flier announces a "Meet Marie" event this week on P St. Maybe its just me but this seems a little late in the game for a "Meet Marie" event. Where were these folks a couple of months ago.

I think the window of opportunity closed on Marie Johns. Too bad, she could have made this race a bit more interesting.

Linda Cropp - DC's Gray Davis

2006-08-28T16:38:00.000-05:00

It suddenly all makes sense! It turns out that the same people behind Linda Cropp's negative campaign blitz, DCO Media, are the same folks who so ably handled Gray Davis' campaigns in California! Amazingly, they actually mention it on their website!

Under the Clients section we get this gem:

Gray Davis’s stunning victory over two multi-millionaires to become governor of California

Lets see... boring, ineffectual, career bureaucrat, lousy campaign, candidate of the machine - sure enough Linda Cropp is DC's Gray Davis!

WashPost - Cropp Negative Campaign Blitz Gets "Mixed Reviews"

2006-08-28T08:12:00.000-05:00

I love it. Nothing would make me happier than for Cropp's nasty campaign tactics to backfire on her.

Check out this blurb from the Post's article this am:

But as she steps up pressure on Fenty, her supporters are not certain what to make of her strategy. Some residents have contacted her office to complain about her tactics, and Cropp's allies worry that the advertisements could backfire.

"I don't think it was Linda's initial game plan," said Ted Trabue, a friend who worked for Cropp on the council from 1991 to 1995. "People in the District are not used to a lot of negativity. Will this hurt or help her? No one will know until September 12."

A G Rated WSC Locker Room Conversation

2006-08-23T18:17:00.000-05:00

Random guy: "Hey nice DC flag tattoo."

LibertyDC: "Oh, thanks."

Random guy: "You originally from DC?"

LibertyDC: "No, I just love this place. I don't ever plan on leaving."

Random guy: "Who you like in the Mayor's race?"

LibertyDC: "Fenty."

Random guy: "Good, and don't believe that crap Linda Cropp is saying about him either. My mom worked for Cropp a couple years ago and she doesn't have anything good to say about her."

LibertyDC: "Don't worry, I wouldn't vote for Linda friggin Cropp if my life depended on it."

Attack of the Anonymous Cropp Supporters!!!

2006-08-23T15:17:00.000-05:00

I love comments... I really really do. I hate that I don't get more comments. I mean I think I say some pretty over the top stuff now and then that people should want to comment on. That having been said, anonymous comments are lame. They really really really are. Which is why I am not in the least bit surprised that all of the comments I have gotten supporting Linda Capt of the Titanic Cropp's televised attack ads were all from anonymous. Isn't it bad enough that your candidate, Capt Cropp, is as lame as they get. Can't you guys (and gals) at least post under a pseudonym or god forbid your actual name.

I am beginning to think I like Linda Cropp supporters about as much as I like Capt Cropp herself - and that aint much.

Marion Barry to Endorse a Mayoral Candidate Soon

2006-08-22T19:18:00.001-05:00

According to the AP, Marion "B!tch Set Me Up" Barry is preparing to endorse a candidate in the DC Democratic Mayoral race: (crackheads, the criminally insane, and worthless, incompetent mid-level bureaucrats wait with baited breath)

Barry told Washington Post Radio there are five "outstanding candidates" running for the post. He said he's narrowed his choice down to two, but he won't say which candidates he's considering.

If the election were held today and a majority of people voted, Barry said he has a sense that Council member Adrian Fenty would win the race. He said Council Chair Linda Cropp is second.

Well its good to see Mr. Barry is capable of reading the same damn polls as the rest of us, of course maybe the former Mayor relied on his magic 8 ball to help him with that bit of stellar prognostication - oh wait, I am fairly certain Mr. Barry smoked his magic 8 ball.

Barry, clearly lacking any sense of shame or decency, had the balls to level this charge:

Barry said the city has been neglected, especially the schools. He said the next mayor will have to inspire people and make significant improvements.

Oh yeah, and this place was friggin Valhalla when you were running the show. Someone shut this guy up. Seriously.

Cropp Takes Her Attack Ad Blitz to the TV Airwaves

2006-08-22T13:48:00.000-05:00

Adrian Fenty better watch his back. Linda Capt of the Titanic Cropp ain't going down without a fight. The Washington Post is reporting that Cropp has launched a pair of television advertisements.

D.C. mayoral candidate Linda W. Cropp unveiled a pair of advertisements that began airing on local network television affiliates today, including one in which she paints herself as a responsible legislator and rival Adrian M. Fenty as ambitious but morally flawed.

The Cropp attack ad once again hammers Fenty on his handling of a pair of cases for legal clients. More from the Post:

"What is it that gives a mayor the judgment to do what's right? Flashiness or steadiness? Charisma or character?" asks a voice-over narrator on the ad that compares Cropp and Fenty.

The ad, titled "Judgment" by the Cropp campaign, then addresses a pair of cases in which Fenty, who worked as a lawyer before joining the D.C. Council in 2000, mishandled the accounts of elderly clients. The other ad, titled "Determined," touts Cropp's experience as a teacher and council chairman who helped lead the city of out financial bankruptcy in the mid-1990s.

Adrian Fenty better be prepared to swing back. These ads are a first for DC Mayoral races, and could have a dramatic impact on the race (depending of course on the size of the ad buy):

The ads reportedly mark the first time D.C. mayoral campaigns have paid for time on over-the-air network affiliates. Council member Vincent B. Orange Sr. (D-Ward 5), who also is running for mayor, bought ads this spring on local cable channels.

The Fenty campaign's response is not surprising:

Fenty's campaign has said Cropp is desperate to close the gap and that voters will be "turned off" by negative campaigning.

I hope for Adrian Fenty's sake that they aren't banking on voters being "turned off" by negative campaigning. Fenty has run a smart, aggressive campaign up until now. I would hope his campaign team would be smart enough not to let Linda Cropp define Fenty in the closing weeks.

UPDATE (3:07 PM): Here is a link to the Cropp attack ad entitled "Judgment" I just watched it, and while this crap works its clear Linda Cropp is beyond desperate. This is the gutter of politics. I don't know how many times I am going to say this but Fenty should fire back. Call Cropp out on running the nastiest, most vicious campaign this city has ever seen. I wouldn't vote for Linda Cropp for dog catcher.

Third Poll Confirms Fenty Leads by Double Digits

2006-08-22T06:11:00.000-05:00

According to The Post,

A poll concluded last week showed Fenty leading Cropp, 39 percent to 28 percent, with 17 percent undecided, in the Sept. 12 Democratic primary. The margin of error was 2.5 percentage points. Pollster Ron Lester interviewed 600 likely Democratic voters by phone Aug. 12-15.

The story doesn't give us the full poll, nor does it tell us how the rest of the smurfs in the race are polling (here's my guess, Vincent Orange isn't seeing a surge in support after his homo-bigoted comments).

We now have a third poll that confirms Fenty has a double digit lead on Cropp in the closing weeks of the campaign, which accounts for Cropp's negative campaign blitz.

Poll re-cap

Washington Post Poll (July 13-18)
Fenty 38 Cropp 28

Survey USA Poll (August 12-14)
Fenty 48 Cropp 27

Lester Poll (August 12-15)
Fenty 39 Cropp 28

Cropp Continues Her Negative Campaign Blitz

2006-08-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Linda Capt of the Titanic Cropp is continuing her negative campaign blitz against front runner Adrian Fenty. Her latest attack mailer, aimed at seniors and parents, again attacks Fenty for his handling of an elderly client's case, and adds attacks on Fenty's vote on rent control protections and "emergency" text book legislation (you know how much Capt Cropp LOVES emergencies!).

A digital copy of the front and the back of the flier are provided compliments of The Washington Post.

According to The Post, Cropp's negative campaign may be backfiring:

The negative literature outraged some District voters who wrote e-mails to the Fenty campaign and several neighborhood e-mail discussion groups to say that Cropp's attack persuaded them to support Fenty.

People who read this blog no I am no fan of Capt Cropp, not by a long stretch. However, I am skeptical that these mailers are actually going to backfire on her. We may not like it, but negative campaigning works. If Cropp's people did a good job of making sure these fliers got into the hands of the people its targeting - parents and seniors - then this flier certainly could have a negative effect on Fenty. I warned earlier that Fenty should not "take the high road" here. He should respond forcefully to Cropp's negative campaign. He should refute the allegations Cropp is levelling and take her to task for running a nasty, negative campaign. Fenty's failure to take Cropp's campaign on could damage him in the closing weeks.

Johns Vows to Cut Taxes on Poor

2006-08-22T05:46:00.000-05:00

Marie Johns, a distant third in the polls, is pledging to eliminate the District's income tax on workers making less than $25,000. According to the Post:

Such a measure, she said, would provide a bit of relief to the needy and show that the city is serious about retaining a working class as rents rise and the amount of affordable housing shrinks. The tax cut would cost up to $70 million a year, she said.

Good for Marie Johns. I would much prefer she advocate across the board tax cuts, but at least she seems to fundamentally understand that people in the District are over-taxed.

In addition to having the sense to advocate for tax cuts for the working poor, Johns also is smart enough to understand the realities of her current standing in the Mayoral race:

Johns acknowledged yesterday that she is trailing Fenty and Cropp by a wide margin, though she said her appeal is more than the 8 percent of likely Democratic voters who supported her in a recent Washington Post poll.

The Post also reports that Johns finance committee chairman, Deborah Royster, recently bolted the campaign to support rival Adrian Fenty. Apparently, Johns rejected Royster's advice that she drop out and run as an independent.

More from the Post:

Johns said she is determined not to quit and wants to secure additional endorsements. She said she has no plans to bolt the party, as U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.) did this month after losing in his state's Democratic primary.

Too bad. Johns running as an independent could really shake this race up.

Orange Gets Boost From Ex-Con Bus Driver

2006-08-21T20:35:00.000-05:00

Apparently, the Don Quixote Mayoral campaign of homo-bigot Vincent Orange is resonating with some people. Well, ok maybe one person - an ex-con Metro bus driver. Check out the Washington Post story. It's almost too weird to believe.

Brown Promises to Stop Nats Stadium if Elected

2006-08-21T20:11:00.000-05:00

Only problem for Michael Brown is that I have a better chance of being elected Mayor. Nonetheless, Brown, according to the Washington Times, is pledging to personally stop construction of a new stadium for the Nationals (I have these great images of Michael Brown chained to an abandoned car in SE to stop the stadium).

From the Times:

Michael A. Brown says that, as D.C. mayor, he would stop construction of the Washington Nationals' baseball stadium on South Capitol Street and instead would refurbish RFK Stadium for the team.

"The city is going to build a stadium for the team or refurbish, from my standpoint. ... I think the city should've selected the location. I don't think [Major League Baseball] should've forced us as to where," Mr. Brown said during an interview with editors and reporters at The Washington Times.

"When this deal is done, it's going to be $1 billion. What I'd like to do is reprogram some of those dollars to other things here in the District of Columbia and at the same time refurbish RFK."

I love Brown's use of the word "reprogram." Brown would like to "reprogram" the billion dollars for the stadium to "other things." Reprogram is clearly code word for "piss away".

Yes, Mr. Brown, thats exactly what we need. Give the incompetent city government a billion freaking dollars to "reprogram." Thank God this guy doesn't have a chance, because he clearly doesn't have a clue.

If Jack Evans is Against Ya, I'm For Ya!

2006-08-21T07:11:00.000-05:00

When I waiver in my half-assed, half-hearted, kinda-sorta-maybe support for Adrian Fenty, I need to remind myself to read gems like this one from my Council member Jack Evans (via the Washington Post):

"He did not know what he was doing. He was just grandstanding," said Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), who has long been critical of Fenty. "I don't think he's a serious person."

That's rich coming from Jack Evans. As a constituent of Jack Evans I can understand why Fenty's approach would rub him the wrong the way - Fenty is a tireless constituent advocate.

More from the Post:

With no council committee chairmanship assigned to him during his first four-year term, he focused on constituent services. Fenty, armed with his ever-present BlackBerry, and his staff answered 200 e-mails a day, distributed bulletins to 2,500 constituents and posted replies on six neighborhood Listservs.

Jack Evans on the other hand, could give a crap. Folks in my area of Georgetown either know, or have found out the hard way, that if you need something done - don't waste your time calling or emailing Jack Evans office. Much better time spent waiting for Godot.

In the interest of full disclosure, Jack Evans was responsive to an email of mine in 2003 asking him how he could possibly jump on the loony tunes bandwagon and endorse a raving lunatic like Howard Dean. His response was that he "had a feeling about Dean." It was heartening to see Councilman Evans took the same thoughtful approach to making a Presidential endorsement as he did to constituent service.

More Proof I am a Political Junkie

2006-08-20T08:06:00.000-05:00

I read this Washington Times story on how terrible and annoying campaign signs were and thought, "What? I love campaign signs!"

Seriously, I really do. I love everything about campaigns - the signs, the commercials, the spin, the horse race, the mudslinging. It's sad, I know.

Pin Head of the Week - Vincent Orange

2006-08-18T13:30:00.000-05:00

This story is so ridiculous it's almost funny. Councilman Vincent Orange (D) is pinning his Don Quixote campaign for Mayor hopes to his opposition to same-sex marriage.

According to the Washington Blade,

Vincent Orange accused his four main rivals of being “morally unfit” to be the mayor of Washington, D.C., because of their support for same-sex marriage.

In an Aug. 5 interview with Channel 5 News, Orange, who represents Ward 5 on the D.C. Council, said he believed gay marriage would become an issue in the final weeks before the Sept. 12 Democratic primary.

“I’m the only one that is opposed to same-sex marriage,” he told Channel 5 reporter John Henrehan. “The other four, they say they believe in God, they go to church, but they’re also for same-sex marriage.”

“So I think coming down the stretch, that’s going to be an issue,” Orange said. “I don’t think they’re morally fit to run the city.”

What a freakin pinhead. It's good to see Vincent Orange pulling the old bigot out of the hat at the last minute routine. There is a reason Orange is at 5% in the polls - he sucks. Note to Mr. Orange, maybe you should try running for office in Alabama or Texas or some other God forsaken backwoods place where your bigoted message might resonate.

Cropp Takes Negative Campaign to the Airwaves

2006-08-18T07:41:00.000-05:00

According to the Post, Linda Capt of the Titanic Cropp is taking her negative campaign against front-runner Adrian Fenty to the airwaves:

D.C. mayoral candidate Linda W. Cropp will ramp up her increasingly pointed attacks on opponent Adrian M. Fenty today with a pair of radio spots, the first on-air campaign advertising in the race for mayor before the Sept. 12 Democratic primary.

The two one-minute radio ads seek to paint Fenty as an obstructionist D.C. Council member who was an irresponsible lawyer before he was elected to office.

Both ads feature a 1999 case in which Fenty mishandled the accounts of an elderly man while he was acting as a court-appointed guardian. Fenty, who was running for council at the time, has acknowledged his oversight and said he voluntarily repaid $15,000 to the man's estate.

"Fenty was admonished for his neglect," one advertisement devoted exclusively to the case announces in a voice-over. "An official investigation labeled Fenty 'incompetent, negligent or both.' "

The Cropp campaign decision to go into hyper negative mode isn't surprising. The Post poll showed her down 10 points and the SurveyUSA poll showed her down 21 points, so it is clear she had to do something fast to turn this thing around.

Cropp's negative campaign may actually work and so far is being aided by unforced errors on Fenty's part. First, Fenty agreed to a one on one debate with Cropp, which honestly mystifies me. There is no upside in it for him. If I were Fenty's campaign I would have agreed to a debate only if it included the other candidates. Second, Fenty is trying to take the high road and not respond to the Cropp negative campaign blitz - something that is truly a mistake. More from the Post:

Despite agreeing to the debate, Fenty has responded to Cropp's attacks by trying not to get into a direct confrontation. His first direct-mail brochure to voters this week did not mention her.

Fenty can give this lead away in the coming days if he lets Cropp define him. Fenty should swing back at Cropp and swing back hard. Trying to look above the fray won't work. Voters are going to be paying closer attention to the race in the coming weeks and Cropp's negative campaign blitz could seriously hurt Fenty's standing.

New Poll - Fenty Crushing Cropp

2006-08-16T03:54:00.000-05:00

Well, apparently Linda Capt of the Titanic Cropp's recent rash of negative campaigning ain't paying off for her. A new WUSA-TV/SurveyUSA poll shows Fenty with a 21 point lead over Capt Cropp!

The poll shows Fenty at 48%, Cropp at 27%, Johns at 7%, Orange at 5%, and Brown at 4%.

It's hard to find good news in a poll that shows you getting rolled by your opponent, but if there is any glimmer of good news in this for Cropp it is this nugget:

Fenty does best among likely voters under age 35, the least reliable voters. Cropp does best among likely voters age 65 and over, the most reliable voters.

Expect to Cropp to introduce new "emergency" legislation requiring all DC residents under 35 to be confined to their homes on September 12th.

Crime Cameras Don't Work - What a Freakin Surprise

2006-08-15T08:55:00.000-05:00

Capt Cropp should consider reading this gem from the Washington Times on the uselessness of crime surveillance cameras in Baltimore:

Surveillance cameras like those authorized by the D.C. Council for police investigations and now being put in place have shown limited success in decreasing violent crime in other cities.

Baltimore, for example, set up about 80 cameras in May 2005 in high-crime neighborhoods. Volunteers and retired law-enforcement personnel monitor the images in real time, but the cameras have not helped put criminals behind bars.

"Generally, the State's Attorney's Office has not found them to be a useful tool to prosecutors," office spokeswoman Margaret Burns said.

"They're good for circumstantial evidence, but it definitely isn't evidence we find useful to convict somebody of a crime."

Miss Burns said Baltimore prosecutors kept detailed statistics from the first nine months of the camera program. Most of the 500 cases forwarded to prosecutors were quality-of-life crimes, she said, and 40 percent of those cases were dropped by prosecutors or dismissed by the courts.

"We have not used any footage to resolve a violent-crime case," she said.

Desperate Cropp

2006-08-15T07:43:00.000-05:00

Wow... a cardinal rule from politics 101 is that anyone who starts challenging their opponents to frequent debates, especially someone who already has almost 100% name recognition, is completely and totally desperate. It appears that Linda Captain of the Titanic Cropp is now a desperate candidate. According to this morning's Washington Post she is challenging Fenty to twice a week debates between now and the September 12th primary:

"I am ready to meet Adrian Fenty for a one-on-one debate twice a week," Cropp said during a news conference at a seniors apartment complex on Florida Avenue NE.

While I think these one-on-one debates would be fun as heck, I don't think Fenty should accept, there is almost nothing in it for him. It's clear Cropp is desperate and desperate candidates will do and say almost anything. Fenty is leading in the 4th quarter and he has the ball, he should concentrate on running out the clock and let Cropp continue to make a fool of herself.

Speaking of Capt Cropp making a fool of herself, Cropp continued her attacks on Fenty (more proof of a desperate candidate). According to the Post:

Cropp's latest attack on Fenty focused on two D.C. Council votes about education. Over the weekend, the Cropp campaign released a new mailing alleging that Fenty's record on public schools had been "shameful."

That material, a glossy brochure, features pictures of Cropp surrounded by children in a classroom setting and highlights her experience as a teacher. The four-page pamphlet outlines Cropp's plan to improve schools: universal pre-kindergarten, the creation of a principal's academy and the inclusion of the superintendent in mayoral Cabinet meetings.

It alleges that Fenty "has a record of turning his back on our children" and highlights two education bills that Fenty voted against: an emergency bill in May 2001 on purchasing public school textbooks and a bill in May 2005 approving emergency funding for school security.

During his meeting with Post reporters and editors, Fenty said he thinks District voters are "turned off " by Cropp's recent surge of negative campaigning.

Well one thing is clear - Capt Cropp LOVES emergencies... emergency crime bills, emergency education bills, emergency must debate my opponent twice a week because my campaign is in a tail spin...

Just When I Start Getting Comfortable

2006-08-14T15:23:00.000-05:00

With my half-hearted, half-assed, kinda-maybe support for Adrian Fenty - I read this piece in the Washington City Paper. It's not flattering, and it doesn't make me think very highly of Fenty. I don't care what this guy has done for Fenty, you don't surround yourself with homophobic bigots like Sinclair Skinner - period.

Linda Cropp - Shameless

2006-08-11T06:53:00.000-05:00

This woman never ceases to amaze me... the Capt of the Titanic herself, City Council Chair Linda Cropp threw this barb at Mayoral front-runner Adrian Fenty at an AARP forum (via the Washington Post):

"If Adrian Fenty refuses to explain his record when it comes to senior citizens in the District of Columbia, then I owe it to the District to hold him accountable," she said.

The Cropp barb wasn't in reference to Fenty's record on the City Council, but instead to his handling of a legal client's case. Linda's attack apparently went over like a fart in church:

Cropp's comments about Fenty, the Ward 4 council member, did not go over well with some attendees. After the moderator reminded the candidates to avoid personal attacks, audience members clapped enthusiastically.

Note to Captain Cropp - you better PRAY voters aren't going to the polls in September with plans on holding any of our politicos accountable for their records. You act like you just showed up on the scene, that somehow you haven't been part of the problem. The reality is that Linda Cropp isn't just part of the problem - she is the problem.

If voters in September do hold candidates accountable for their records, then Capt. Cropp's defeat is sealed. Here's hoping that happens.

The Anti-Incumbent Effect

2006-08-09T07:29:00.000-05:00

After staying up late last night watching the defeat of three federal incumbents (Rep. Joe Schwarz (R) in Michigan's 7th, Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D) in Georgia's 4th, and Senator Joe Lieberman (D) in CT) I got to wondering what impact the growing anti-incumbent sentiment might have on our own elections here in the District. I would think the conventional wisdom is that any anti-incumbent sentiment would help the perceived outsiders - Fenty and Johns, at the expense of the entrenched, incumbents like Linda Cropp.

Of course, a bigger question is whether or not the District's political landscape is shaped by the same winds that blow in the rest of the country? Could it be that a wave of anti-incumbency sweeping the nation would have no impact on the insular and isolated politics of the District?

Thoughts?

Cropp Attacks Fenty Over Crime Bill (Surprise)

2006-08-09T06:57:00.000-05:00

Once again, Linda Capt of the Titanic Cropp is on the attack for something that happened on her watch as City Council Chair. According to the Post, Cropp is going after her opponent Adrian Fenty for his opposition to the do-nothing DC Crime Bill:

D.C. Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp changed the tenor of the mayor's race yesterday in a campaign brochure warning thousands of voters that front-runner Adrian M. Fenty's position on crime "puts our safety at risk."

The personal nature of the glossy four-page brochure marks a change in tactics for Cropp, who had not mentioned Fenty in previous mailings. With a little less than five weeks until the Sept. 12 Democratic primary, Cropp is seeking to reinvigorate her campaign.

Oh yeah Linda, thats it. Fenty's vote against a bunch of feel good, do nothing provisions "puts our safety ar risk." Linda Cropp has no shame at all. She has been the CHAIR of the City Council while this "crime emergency" unfolded. Linda Cropp has been at the wheel while the City's streets became increasingly more violent. Now La Linda has the balls to attack Fenty for putting "our safety at risk." I'll tell you what will put our safety at risk - electing Linda Cropp Mayor.

Fenty's camp nailed what is motivating this latest lunacy from the Cropp campaign:

Asked about the charges made in Cropp's brochure, Alec Evans, Fenty's spokesman, said, "They're behind, and they're desperate."

While Cropp plays politics with the growing violence on our streets and pretends like she hasn't been at the helm of this disaster, Fenty is actually focused on solving our crime problem:

"The hastily and politically inspired response to the newest crime emergency underscores the need for new leadership in our city," Fenty said in the statement. "My campaign is about real solutions: putting police officers on the streets, closing down open-air drug markets and drug houses, holding the police department's feet to the fire and addressing the root of the problem by finally fixing our troubled school system."

Who Is Sabotaging the Johns Campaign?

2006-08-08T13:03:00.000-05:00

Interesting story in today's Post about Marie Johns week of high profile events meant to boost her sagging poll numbers. The story is interesting because it appears that someone or someones are attempting to sabotage the Johns campaign:

Johns's campaign supporters say at least one rival views her as a threat.

They point to a strange convergence of events leading up to Sunday's "voter roundup," during which Johns supporters were corralled to eat barbecue, ride horses and hear their candidate. The event drew hundreds to a park in Congress Heights, despite what the Johns campaign considered acts of sabotage, including the removal of signs and calls telling Johns supporters that the event had been canceled.

And who might be working to sabotage the Johns campaign? Well the Johns folks have an idea, and honestly it wouldn't surprise me in the least:

"It's coming from the Cropp campaign," said Johns's campaign manager, Leslie Pinkston. "They're threatened."

Yesterday, the Cropp campaign denied any effort to derail Johns but declined to comment further on the issue.

Johns supporters are asking an interesting question too:

"If we are so low in the polls, and we are so not a threat, then why are people putting so much energy into undermining us?" asked Johns supporter Cora Masters Barry as she sat on her front porch to watch the roundup in the federal parkland just beyond her fence.

Does the Cropp campaign view Johns as a threat? Wouldn't her outsider campaign draw more votes from Fenty? In the end will Johns be a player or will she be kept in the single digits? Only time will tell... its just starting to get fun!

How the Heck Did I Miss This?

2006-08-01T14:06:00.000-05:00

How the heck did I miss the fact that Juan Williams' (liberal talking head of Fox News and NPR) son, Tony Williams, is running for City Council (Ward 6) as a Republican? I knew Tony Williams was running because I have seen his name on the DC GOP website, but I had no clue he was related to Juan.

Are Brown and Orange Packing It In?

2006-08-01T13:50:00.000-05:00

Marc Fisher has a new column up that suggests Vincent Orange and Michael Brown may be effectively leaving the Democratic Mayoral contest. Quite honestly, neither of these candidates ever made an impact in the race, and I can't figure out exactly why either thought they could or should be Mayor.

Another juicy nugget from the Fisher column is a suggestion that Marion "B*tch Set Me Up" Barry is likely to wait until after Labor Day before he endorses Linda "Capt of the Titanic" Cropp. Fisher opines that Barry may wait to endorse Cropp because, "Cropp keenly needs Barry's support east of the river, but wouldn't want Barry publicly on her side more than a few days before the vote for fear of too much backlash in other parts of the city, especially west of Rock Creek Park, where Barry's name can be poisonous."

How much with this gambit surprise me? Coming from Linda Cropp, it ain't surprising in the least damn bit.

Another Reason Linda Cropp Shouldn't Be Mayor

2006-07-31T19:18:00.000-05:00

She doesn't drink. Personally, I don't trust people who don't drink. Either they don't drink for religious reasons (which makes me think they are knuckle-draggers or future cult members) or they don't drink because they use to drink and ended up with a "problem." Either way, I don't want elected officials who don't occassionally throw one back.

Republican Mayoral Candidate's Website is Up

2006-07-31T16:34:00.000-05:00

Sorta. Here is Dave Kranich's campaign website. I have chatted with him and he seems like a good guy. I am hoping the DC media will pay some attention to his campaign at some point. I understand that the media is going to pay way more attention to what is happening on the Democratic side, especially given the slug fest between Cropp and Fenty. However, at some point, this city needs to have a real debate about the issues and about the solutions we choose to the challenges facing us. The more voices involved in that debate, across the political spectrum, the better.

Debating the Role of Government

2006-07-31T12:28:00.000-05:00

Last night I found myself in a hell of a debate with some of my neighbors about the role of the government. I hadn't intended to get into a debate about it, but after a few drinks I am always prone to provoking political debates. This one, like so many, didn't start off any where near where it ended. The debate started with me asking a couple of my neighbors about the upcoming DC Mayoral primary. Ok, in all honesty, it was a little less like I asked them and a little more like I provoked them with my, "I sure as hell hope none of you people are actually thinking about voting for Linda friggin Cropp."

Alas, a couple of my registered D neighbors are planning on voting for Linda Cropp... and for the worst possible reason - her support for the Mayor's crime bill. Ugh. This revelation really got me going. I immediately launched into a tirade about why the crime bill is such a frigging disaster. I was starting on my "we shouldn't sacrifice our civil liberties" line when one of my neighbors point blank told me - "oh don't give me that civil liberties crap."

The next thing I know I am listening to my uber-liberal Democratic neighbors advocate expanding the government's ability to monitor us, defend the government's role as an arbiter of decency, and defend the government's role as chief nanny in charge.

It's depressing to think that the concept of defending individual liberty has been so degraded by our current political environment.

Marion Barry Lives in Bizarro World

2006-07-27T09:37:00.000-05:00

That's really the only explanation for this unbelievable piece in the Washington City Paper. Loose Lips reports that B*tch Set Me Up Barry actually criticized fellow City Council member Kathy Patterson for being - SOFT ON CRIME!

I couldn't make this crap up if I wanted to... from the City Paper:

Barry kicked off his harangue by announcing with great disgust that “people are being murdered on the streets of Washington!” He should know something about murders. When the police chief reported to Mayor Barry, the District’s annual homicide tally topped 440 for four years running. (In 2005, the city recorded 196 murders).

Then Barry began to zero in on his mark: “Some of our colleagues are soft on handguns,” he bellowed. “Soft! On! Handguns!” Barry then held up a D.C. map and gave a quick tour of where handguns have been seized. At the end he noted that seizures were “very few in Ward 3.”

“Yet we sit around and are nice and gentle about guns,” Barry said. “Mrs. Patterson, I know you care, but you don’t care enough.”

Barry is apparently miffed at Patterson’s unwillingness to support his bill, which would force judges to impose a mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentence upon those convicted of handgun possession. Patterson is no fan of the mandatory minimum. “The research shows mandatory minimums do not serve to deter crime and do not serve to rehabilitate,” she says.

“[Mandatory minimums] tend to send lots of young African-American men to prison.” She backs an approach that gives judges more leeway in dealing with first-time offenders, including the option to lock up convicted gun toters for 10 years. That’s not tough enough for Barry.

“I’m gonna start naming names on this council,” Barry shouted, “and let the public know you are soft on guns.” He also rattled off a list of members who share his views, including Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray, Patterson’s only opponent in the Democratic primary race for council chair.

Another Reason Not to Vote for Linda Cropp

2006-07-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

Really the reasons are endless why no one in their right mind should vote for the Captain of the Titanic, aka City Council Chair Linda Cropp. Talk about rewarding bad behavior. Why in God's name should we promote Linda Cropp to Mayor?

Well the latest reason not to vote for Cropp comes from her own mouth - in an interview with the Washington Post, Cropp claims that a new poll showing her trailing isn't relevant because it doesn't factor in Fenty's opposition to the do-nothing, feel-good, knee-jerk, misnomered "DC Crime Bill" that the Council just passed. According to The Post:

Linda W. Cropp dismissed yesterday a Washington Post poll that found she trails Adrian M. Fenty in the race for D.C. mayor and said the results would have been different had the survey been conducted after the D.C. Council approved a crime bill last week.

Cropp (D), the council chairman, said Fenty (D-Ward 4) was out of touch with residents because he was the only council member to oppose the crime legislation. The bill, which came after a city crime emergency declaration, imposes a 10 p.m. youth curfew, gives police immediate access to some confidential juvenile records and installs surveillance cameras in neighborhoods.

"Mr. Fenty does not even recognize that there is a neighborhood crime problem," Cropp said. "Obviously, he's not talking to the community.

"When the real poll is taken September 12" -- the date of the Democratic primary -- Cropp said, "we will be victorious. If you took [the poll] last week . . . it would have had a different read."

What a load of crap. What has Cropp done to make the District safer during her tenure on the DC Council? What has she done to reform the MPD? To reign in the power of the police unions? Did anyone bother to tell Cropp that this latest surge in violence took place on her watch as City Council Chair? No reason to let something like the facts get in the way of some quality political grandstanding.

Fisher on the Last Days of the Dems Mayoral Battle

2006-07-25T08:49:00.000-05:00

Interesting analysis from The Post's Marc Fisher on the last seven weeks of the Democratic battle for the Mayoral nomination. Fisher's column comes on the heels of a Washington Post poll that shows Adrian Fenty inching out to a small lead over Linda Cropp (39-31%), with Marie Johns in a distant third at 8%.

Fisher says there is "increasing pressure on Johns to bow out, but neither the Fenty folks nor the Cropp crew seem terribly confident about where Johns' votes would go." My guess is that the Johns people would lean towards Fenty since both are trying to run outsider campaigns (while Cropp runs the consummate insiders campaign - quite a feat in this disaster of a government).

I guess I am rooting for Fenty - given his pledge not to raise taxes (tho I am very suspicious of this pledge considering Fenty's record), his opposition to the DC "crime" bill, and his support for civil marriage equality. Unfortunately, I can't get that excited about him. Like the rest of the Dems he promises more of the same big government, big spending, big bureaucracy that has failed so miserably. In the end I guess it doesn't matter what I think, I can't vote for any of them (since I ain't a registered Democrat). But for now, consider this the best of the worst, half-hearted, kinda-hope you win, endorsement.

Census Adds 31,000 Victims

2006-07-24T10:03:00.000-05:00

According to the Washington Post, the census has added 31,528 victims, err residents, to the District's population estimate. I am sure the DC Council and the Mayor's office are just giddy about the additional revenue that will be squeezed from new residents. How long till the Council uses these new residents as the reason for some new spending program, or even worse, some new tax scheme.

Honestly, I am happy that folks are returning to the District. Maybe new folks will be a little less likely to put up with the bs from our city government.

In Praise of Fenty's Crime Vote

2006-07-21T07:45:00.000-05:00

Let me begin by admitting that I haven't been kind to any of the Democratic candidates running for Mayor this year. On taxation, spending, real reform, etc I haven't seen much day light between the group. I will, however, give credit where credit is due. Councilman Adrian Fenty, one of the Mayoral front-runners, deserves a large dose of credit for his principled vote against the Mayor's so-called crime package.

I have made my thoughts on this crime package clear - I think it stinks. In my earlier post on this subject I said:

The Mayor fundamentally doesn't get it. The failing DC bureaucracy needs reform from top to bottom. It doesn't need more of our tax dollars, nor should residents be asked to sacrifice their civil liberties just because the MPD can't do its job.

Given my thoughts on this subject I was obviously pleased to read that Fenty had voted against this ridiculous, knee-jerk proposal. I was even more pleased to read Fenty's spot-on criticism of it... From The Post:

Fenty, who along with Chairman Linda W. Cropp (D) is a front-runner in the mayoral race, said that it was a "knee-jerk" bill and that the city's elected leadership instead needs to demand more of the city's police department.

"I agree there is a spike in crime, but what the community needs the most is much better policing of the neighborhoods," Fenty said.

Councilman Fenty is absolutely right to have broken ranks with the rest of the chicken little Council on this worthless crime bill. What we need is an MPD that does its job. What we need is an MPD who doesn't "collectively bargain" away its responsibility to serve and protect the citizens of the District. What we need is a police chief who actually has a clue.

Kudos to Adrian Fenty for doing the right thing.