January 8, 2008
Morning Roundup: Maybe You Should Walk Edition
Good morning, Washington. On what's supposed to be another strangely warm day (speaking of, check of CapitalWeather.com's snazzy new blog, now at the Post), maybe it's time to start walking to work. According to the Post, as higher fares kicked in yesterday for Metro, the majority of Metro commuters admitted that they won't be ditching mass transit for their cars anytime soon. But others explained that they may now be less tolerant of crowded trains and service disruptions. Makes sense, no? Sure, we may not all expect immediate improvements, but something gradual would be nice.
No Pope For You: When Pope Benedict XVI shows up in Washington in mid-April, don't expect him to mingle with the common-folk -- due to heightened security concerns, the pope's only public showing will be a Mass at the new Nationals Stadium, says the Post. And though the event will hold 45,000 of the faithful, tickets are going fast. So either call the Archdiocese of Washington today or settle for searching around on Craigslist for those who aren't as high-minded as yourself.
Norton Brings Home Bacon: According to the Examiner's Harry Jaffe, D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton did what few sitting members of Congress have ever done -- she directed her $20 million in 2007 earmarks to needy and useful causes. Of the 22 budget set-asides that Jaffe found Norton had sponsored, all went to non-profit organizations that served to educate former prisoners, provide child care for homeless families, and train dentists to spot HIV/AIDS. Jaffe also found that Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Ca.) sent $500,000 to Barracks Row and Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.) gave $131,000 to Eastern Market.
Parents Threaten to Boycott School Meetings: Parents and activists unhappy with Mayor Adrian Fenty's plan to close 23 public schools have threatened to boycott the 23 open meetings scheduled for January 17 to debate the move. According to the Post, they argue that the separate meetings -- one for each school -- is meant to dilute opposition to the plan and keep Superintendent Michelle Rhee for directly addressing parents. City officials point out that the proposed format is more efficient that having one really long meeting. Council members Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) and Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5) support the boycott and are planning on offering up the John Wilson Building as the site for the larger single gathering.
West Virginia Bars Seem Nice: For all you smokers who have abandoned D.C. and Maryland bars because of their bans on smoking, maybe it's time to look a little farther out -- according to the Washington Times, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (D) is looking to re-introduce a smoking ban for the commonwealth. While the measure was voted down once already, Kaine's new proposal would cover any establishment where food is served but would exclude outdoor areas that cannot be enclosed.
Briefly Noted: D.C. Council should be more active in school reform, says report ... D.C. not happy with deal between Nats and PG County ... Anti-abortion crusader from Prince William County announces run for Senate seat.
On This Day in DCist: On this day in 2007, we shook our heads at a swampy myth about our fair city, and in 2006 we argued why we'd miss Borf.
Picture snapped by miamabanta
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Don't look at Craigslist yet:
According to the ADW:
"The Archdiocese of Washington has not finalized plans for distribution of tickets to the April 17 event, to be held at Nationals Park. In the past, the custom for major events has been to distribute tickets primarily through our parishes, dioceses and organizations with whom we collaborate in the pastoral care of the local Church."
I've also read that they were going to be very strict about not accepting scalped tickets, which means that if you don't get your tickets directly from the ADW, you aren't getting in.
So irritated parents are going to boycott meetings that Rhee and Fenty don't want them to attend anyway? Makes sense. Atheists have been boycotting churches for years and look how well that turned out.
I didn't notice if I was overcharged on the metro-to-bus transfer yesterday, but I did notice metro had a table in Columbia Heights selling SmarTrip cards. It's nice to see them taking a coordinated approach to the fare increase and giving people an opportunity to avoid the higher bus fares.
Not sure where you got "tickets are going fast" from. Regardless, I called the Archdiocese and I was told plans had not been finalized for ticket distribution.
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Tickle my Gibbs!!!
my favorite quote from the smoking ban article: "I just don't like the idea in America where the government tells a private citizen what to do," said Delegate David B. Albo, Fairfax County Republican.
better leave the country!
and though i'd love to see more smoke free bars and restaurants here in the Commonwealth, i just don't think it's going to happen.
The Pope's Visit Ticket Info Line is 301-853-5395. Right now it has the same announcement as the website, but keep the number for the future when you need to call and get tickets.
Whoa, Bob Marshall is probably my least favorite person ever. If the VA GOP would like to hand Mark Warner his Senate seat on a silver platter, nominating Marshall would be a super first step.
So Albo doesn't like it when the gubmint tells private citizens what to do? Ironic, given that he was behind the super-increased fines for Virginia drivers and he just happens to be a part of a law firm that deals mainly in (wait for it, wait for it...) defending drivers who receive traffic citations.
Fun fact: "Delegate David B. Albo" is an anagram for "I be a teal VA dildo." Just goes to show that voters always get the dildo they deserve.
From the school closings article:
I'm right with ya! Why protest directly to the Mayor, the Chancellor and their staff when you can just pack into a room and bitch to each other about how awful these school closings are?!
To paraphrase SNL, who are the protest wizards that came up with this one?
Love the Post article on Metro commuters and their first mistake, 3 paragraphs in, about some guy riding in from Vienna to the Archives stop on the Orange line, which is something of a miracle since Archives isn't on the Orange line.
This morning I heard that Pope Benedict may be in center field. Given his age and lack of speed, I'd put him at first base.
Couldn't you just suck-off your local clergy-man to get some good VIP seats when the pope comes?
I think the Green Line would make a really cool bike tunnel if you took the trains out of it. They'd probably charge us $1.65 to ride in it though and confiscate our squeeze bottles.
Yeah, but have you ever tried to ride a bike on railroad tracks?
Yeah, but have you ever tried to ride a bike on railroad tracks?
Yeah. It's kind like banging a skinny girl, except you get to honk the horn.