Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Car Pushed Into Anacostia River By Train
Morning Roundup: Black Friday Edition
Devendra Banhart @ 9:30 Club
Police Move Not Really Canceled?: So says the Washington Post this morning, the next chapter in what seems to be an increasingly odd story revolving around the planned move of MPD headquarters to a new location in Southeast. As you'll recall, Office of Property Management Director Lars Etzkorn put out a statement earlier this week announcing that the move had been canceled despite a half million dollar rent payment already having been paid on the property and funds having been approved by the D.C. Council on a 20-year lease. Now Mayor Fenty's office says the move was never canceled and that Etzkorn released his statement prematurely and without the Mayor's knowledge or approval. Whether the Mayor is covering his tracks after a bad reaction from the Council, or it's true and Etzkorn has been wildly insubordinate is still unclear.
DDOT's Chief Engineer Resigns: Tom Sherwood at NBC4 reports that DDOT's Chief Engineer, John Deatrick, has suddenly resigned, apparently at the behest of the Fenty administration. The resignation comes in the midst of several major construction projects, including the P Street project around Dupont Circle and of course the South Capitol Street Bridge. DDOT Director Emeke Moneme said that the administration wanted to make a change, but that the parting of ways not negative.
Briefly Noted: Ex-Charter School Chief admits fraud ... Firefighters injured in Northwest row house fire ... Feds probing D.C.’s migrant education grants ... Nationals aren't stepping up to spend the money they said they would on the new ballpark.
This Day in DCist: In 2006 we rounded up the various endorsements in the mayoral race, and in 2004 we lamented the sorry state of adult literacy in D.C.
Photo by Kyle Gustafson
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Whether the Mayor is covering his tracks after a bad reaction from the Council, or it's true and Etzkorn has been wildly insubordinate is still unclear.
Why does it have to be either/or? Isn't it usually a safe bet in DC to say that everybody involved in a government decision screwed up?
About the ballpark: Federal wonks, am I mistaken or did I see an earmark in aid of our poor struggling millionaire team owners tucked neatly into the FY08 Federal budget document?
Nice work, Marion Fenty.
That story about the charter school head makes me absolutely furious. And if you read here, you'll see how DC's "permanant government" works:
http://www.examiner.com/a-613864~_Just_us_girls___The_charter_schools_saga.html
This is why I hope Rhee tears the entire adminstration down before building it again. There are many, many people who have for decades viewed the DCPS as one endless ATM machine. There are deep historical reasons for this that tie into the lack of home rule. But this crap has gone on long enough.
The absolutely most critical thing that DCPS needs right now is an efficient, transparent, and comprehensive accounting system. This should be priority number 1. This should have happened ten years ago.