Ballou HS Rocks the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Suspect in 9-Year-Old's Murder Found Dead in D.C. Jail
Morning Roundup: Black Friday Edition
Go Home Already: Make Room
Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Remember those billboards that popped up in the 1980s that counted up the national debt, dollar by dollar? Pretty scary, huh? Well, District voting rights activists want something similar for their cause.
Today the D.C. Council held a hearing on legislation that would allow the city to place two large LED billboards -- one outside the John A. Wilson Building and the other outside the new Washington Nationals stadium -- that would display the amount of taxes paid by District residents to the federal government. The point? To highlight the double indignity faced by all District residents: not having a voting representative in the Congress while still paying federal taxes.
During the hearing, Council Chair Vincent Gray noted that District residents currently pay more in federal taxes than seven states -- Delaware, Maine, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota and Vermont -- and almost as much as four other states. Council member Kwame Brown (D-At Large) pointed out that the District has paid $40 billion in federal taxes since Home Rule was achieved in 1973.
A number of voting rights activists, including the District's Shadow Delegation and Ilir Zherka, president of D.C. Vote, advocated for the signs as a creative means to highlight the city's plight to visitors and tourists. Paul Strauss, the District's Shadow Senator, argued that while many people are aware of the city's lack of voting rights, "By quantifying it numerically, we turn it into an issue that cannot be ignored.” Shadow Representative Mike Panetta echoed that view, noting that the large audiences during the 2009 Presidential Inauguration and during baseball games would promote awareness of the District's longstanding disenfranchisement.
It might not be that easy, though. Gregory O'Dell, chairman of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission, testified that under the stadium's lease agreement, all internal and external signage rights belong to the Washington Nationals. Neither Gray nor Council members Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) and Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) were happy to hear this, arguing that after the city's $611 million investment into the stadium, they should at least have some say as to whether a sign could be installed or not. There was even debate as to whether such a sign could be installed within the stadium's periphery.
It should be no shock that we're fully supportive of the idea. If you want to make a good political point, there's no better way than in dollars and cents. Of course, it's nothing short of embarrassing that the District legally has no control over a stadium that was built with public funds. Hopefully the Nats will get onboard, because we'd love to see the signs in place for Opening Day in April.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
"By quantifying it numerically, we turn it into an issue that cannot be ignored.”
You wanna know what else is quantified numerically but is totally ignored? Signs posting the speed limit. Does anybody pay any attention to those? Like right now, I'm posting these from my phone on I-95 at 80 MPH from the trunk of the Mach 5 and...
[Hits a pothole, flames out, crashes, escapes with lifeless body of Spritle]
This is the kind of thing that kills me. Did none of the Council think that when they handed over $611 million dollars that they should, oh, I don't know, get some clarity on the issue of signage or any number of other things that are loopy with this stadium?
The Nats don't have any reason to step into the middle of a political fight.. I don't see why they would do this. That said, surely the District has some land in the area that could be used.. right?
I think a more apropos clock would be one counting up how much money was stolen by Harriatte Walters.
Oh and perhaps another clock with the numbers of local businesses that have gone out of business because they couldn't afford to keep financing Ms. Walter's wardrobe.
(I think it's ridiculous that people like CM Brown would want to use the money recovered from Walters and co. for anything but property tax relief.)
under the stadium's lease agreement, all internal and external signage rights belong to the Washington Nationals
Sounds like we need another sign.
Politburo,
From the testimony I heard, nope. The DCSEC director stated that signage rights apparently include the periphery of the stadium, though what the periphery was wasn't defined. He mentioned, though, that it included the parking lots the city is building for the stadium.
monkeyerotica, get back on the meds. On second thought you're entertaining so don't. Never mind.
I testified today in support of this bill as I think it's a good way to spread the message about the taxation situation in the District. It's going to be a battle with the Nats/Lerners to make it work like we envision. They control the signing rights in, on, and around the stadium. If the bill passes, which I assume it will, we're going to need to keep up the public pressure to make it a reality at the stadium.
I testified today in support of this bill as I think it's a good way to spread the message about the taxation situation in the District. It's going to be a battle with the Nats/Lerners to make it work like we envision. They control the signing rights in, on, and around the stadium. If the bill passes, which I assume it will, we're going to need to keep up the public pressure to make it a reality at the stadium.
How about a clock counting how much DC residents pay in DC taxes and another clock counting how much DC residents actually get as a result of those taxes.
Seriously, this sign idea is dopey. I hope the Lerners shoot it down. And I hope some preservationist rule prevents it from being put on the Wilson Building. I'm all for getting people to recognize DC's unique situation. But this is just dumb. How about working on lobbying Senators and educating their populaces in their home states, rather than a cheap gimmick that tourists will oggle at (while standing in the middle of the sidewalk causing pedestrian gridlock and rage), and have no clue as to its meaning or point.
During the hearing, Council Chair Vincent Gray noted that District residents currently pay more in federal taxes than seven states -- Deleware
it's DelAware
Cranky,
That lobbying is being done, and this sign is part of educating the populace. It's a creative and necessary lobbying tool.
@Martin: "It's a creative and necessary lobbying tool."
Creative? Yes. Necessary? I don't think so. Though I'm amused to note that the councilmembers were shocked to realize they had spent all sorts of money for absolutely no say-so.
As for this campaign, firstly, how many tourists are we expecting at the Nationals Stadium? I mean, sure, there'll be some, but not like the eleventy million that go to plenty of other places around the city.
Personally, I'll echo what a commenter said either here or on Prince of Petworth, that the DC government should place permanent placards on all city trash cans to replace the guerilla "DC Ballot Box" stickers.
Justjack,
I agree that the Eastern Motors Your Job's Your Credit Nationals Stadium is not the best place for such a sign. I think 7th St. by the Verizon center would've been better (if only we had recently been in some sort of negotiations with Mr. Pollin over a huge grant of public funds we could have negotiated the placement of such a sign, hmmmm....oh well, at least Vinnie Gray gets to take his kids to see Wiggles for free).
I disagree about the DC Ballot Box idea. I think it gives the impression that DC does not know how to hold clean and fair elections.
Am I the only one who thinks the phrase "quantify... numerically" is redundant, and a waste of taxpayer money?
"the new Washington Nationals stadium"
The name of the stadium is officially Nationals Park, and it will be throughout the 2008 season. It's alright to start calling it that now.
How about another clock counting the DC taxes that went into financing the stadium so private baseball owners could get rich? Do you think the Lerners will let the city put that billboard up? Of course not, baseball owners are way more powerful than city officials.
How about a sign showing the revenue District citizens lose every week through theft, incompetence, and shortsighted legislative initiatives that make many believe D.C. is an abbreviation for dysfunctional and corrupt.
http://www.DCIndependents.org