February 29, 2008
D.C. Submits New Designs for Quarter
Talk about speed.
It was Monday that the District proposed three designs for their personalized quarter, all bearing the slogan "Taxation Without Representation"; Wednesday that the U.S. Mint curtly rejected the designs; and late yesterday that city officials submitted three new design proposals sans the offending voting rights slogan. (Oddly, they remained quiet about the new proposals until late this afternoon, when the announcement was buried in a monthly newsletter sent out by the mayor's office.)
The design proposals -- two of them remained the same, one featuring Benjamin Banneker and another Duke Ellington; a third new design would feature Fredrick Douglass -- would bear the official city motto, "Justitia omnibus," meaning "justice for all."
Well, that's that. It's surprising how quickly this fight came and went -- apparently Mayor Fenty didn't think challenging the U.S. Mint would get us and our cause anywhere. He might be right. But then again, we folded awful quick on this one, not even going so far as to allow any sort of grassroots anger gain momentum. D.C. Shadow Representative Mike Panetta valiantly tried to get a campaign started; Fenty's move has thrown a good dose of cold water on it.
We suppose the best we can hope for is that the U.S. Mint doesn't find these new designs "controversial." After all, demanding justice for all and putting a rabble-rouser like Douglass on a quarter might stir the pot just a little too much.
|
Fredrick Douglass, please and thank you.
But why not wait 'till after November?
i just noticed the "S" underneath the motto on that quarter. it's not a P for philly or a D for denver. is it for "sample"?
I'm guessing San Francisco. The mint there doesn't produce coins for circulation, but they do produce proof sets, according to the Mint web site. But I wouldn't rule out sample either as I couldn't find a definitive answer either way.
This is about 25% satisfying.
It might have been nice to wait a little longer before resubmitting the quarter designs. But I am not going to hold this against Fenty. He made an effort and used this as an opportunity to raise awareness about DC voting rights. This is clearly a top issue for his administration and he's taking every opportunity he sees to talk about it. I applaud him for that.
Downtown rez. This administration is still in power through November and December. I think you mean after Jan 20. Either if it is McCain or Obama it will change nothing, seeing that these rules were set up during the Clinton admin; and I highly doubt a new President is even going to waste his time on this.
I guess yesterday was the mayor's unpopular news release day (like any good Friday). Not only do we lose our "state" motto, but the $1.50 per extra passenger fuel surcharge has been added back to the meter menu.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/29/AR2008022903487.html
I guess yesterday was the mayor's unpopular news release day (like any good Friday). Not only do we lose our "state" motto, but the $1.50 per extra passenger fuel surcharge has been added back to the meter menu.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/29/AR2008022903487.html
@RJ
"I think you mean after Jan 20."
Yeah, smaller point taken, larger point unaddressed.
"I highly doubt a new President is even going to waste his time on this."
Ah... The larger point: Perhaps, still, why shouldn't we raise it?
By the way, where's Fenty this weekend? Texas or Ohio, maybe?
"Justita omnibus" is Latin for "yes, massah."
I mean, seriously, why can't we stand up for democracy? What good is our state quarter lobbying if the Mint turns around and denies our bid to engrave the simple truth on the coin, the one defining feature of our "state" which is the "special" status that is taxation without representation? Fenty should have tried one more time, replacing "Taxation without Representation" with "Government without consent of the Governed."