Man Stops Traffic at 17th and K to Demand $200 Million
Morning Roundup: Goodbye, Abe Edition
Judge Throws Out WTU Suit Over Teacher Layoffs
Vegetate to Close at the End of the Month
Morning Roundup: Rain Won't Go Away Edition
After a tough week that saw legislation to grant the District a voting seat in the House pulled because of a hostile gun law-gutting amendment, voting rights activists are pulling out all the stops in order to save the voting rights measure. The Post reports that activists and congressional proponents of the legislation are targeting 60 conservative legislators, including members of the Blue Dog Democrats, who hold the key votes on this issue. Congressional sources claim to have 190 votes rounded up for the measure, 28 short of what they need for passage. For our part, we hope that the Blue Dogs come to see how outlandishly foolish it is that the NRA just has to hint that they'll score a vote before members of Congress come running to defend their pro-gun credentials.
Non-Resident Youths Participated in Summer Jobs Program: Remember the fiasco that was last year's D.C. summer jobs program? Yeah, not only did it go wildly over budget, but the Post is reporting that it even took in a few non-D.C. youths. According to the Post, the 203 youths joined the program even though they lived as far away as Georgia and Texas, costing the city over $275,000 during the ten weeks that it ran. Sure, that's a drop in the bucket for a program that took in over 21,000 youths and ended up costing $55 million, but it adds insult to injury for what has been Mayor Adrian Fenty's biggest flop while in office.
Virginia GOP Heeds Our Advice: WJLA is reporting that the Virginia GOP may soon oust embattled head Jeff Frederick. The move comes a few months late, but better now than never, right?
Maryland Death Penalty Repeal Fails Senate Vote: A measure supported by Governor Martin O'Malley to repeal the death penalty in Maryland failed in a Senate vote yesterday, replaced instead by a compromise bill that limits the use of capital punishment. WTOP reports that the legislation passed by the Maryland Senate would limit the death penalty to murder cases where there is biological evidence or a videotaped confession. The measure next goes to the House of Delegates.
Briefly Noted: MoCo executive backs ignition breathalyzers ... Manassas Chick-fil-a attracts job-seekers ... Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) disputes beaten homeless man timeline ... Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5) seems to threaten local publication's advertisers.
This Day in DCist: On this day in 2008, we reported on crime around the DCUSA complex and saw some irate residents noisily take to the street in front of Jack Evans' house. In 2007, Scooter Libby was found guilty and Metro's platform lighting got more colorful.
Picture snapped by andertho
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Tommy Thomas' not-so-veiled threat was a dumbass move, but fairly typical of his professional abilities. It's always fun to watch him during hearings trying to sound like he knows what he's talking about. Can't wait to see the literary masterpiece that is his committee's budget report on parks and libraries. Those will become collector's items one day.
And is it any shocker that the Summer Youth Welfare Program was a debacle? The mayor's obsession with outdoing other mayors led him to make the incredibly dumb last-minute move to hire everybody and anybody that wanted a summer job, rather than putting a cap. The fiscal analysis was faulty because it didn't include the now limitless number of participants, nor the increase in the minimum wage. It was a total debacle, personally ordered by the mayor. Yet it was the Summer Youth program people that take the fall for the mayor's dumbass idea. Nice deal.
And just wait - this summer will be a repeat debacle. Agencies are already being told how many dozens or hundreds of kids they will be assigned (regardless of whether the kids have any interest in working for that agency or any minimum skills or abilities). What will all these kids do? Not much. Instead agency employees will have to take on additional responsibilities as babysitters. In the midst of this budget mess, why on earth are we still utilizing a make-work welfare program of limitless cost?
Now more than ever, we need Marion Barry back at the summer jobs program helm. We need his bold leadership, like his "Youth Violence Initative" that gave basketball tickets to teenagers on the basis of, since they're watching a basketall game, they aren't robbing people.
If he were here with us today, he'd propose a "Youth Summer Mental Gymanstics Initiative" where the Union Station theaters would be reopened so kids could hole themselves up and play Halo for 18-hour marathon sessions. An unlimited supply of popcorn, Booty Sweat®, and Busta Nut® bars would keep them powered up, bloated out, sedated, and incapable of mugging anyone. Only by investing in our children and reorganizing the District government into the first Galactic Empire, can we ensure a safe and secure society which I assure you will last for ten thousand years.
Something about that photo reminds me of a Raymond Pettibon picture. I'm thinking of the one of a dorky guy with glasses and a grimace of horror on his face holding a sign that read, "DALLAS WELCOMES JFK AND BEAUTIFUL JACKIE!"
wow, way to go harry thomas. you sound more like a caudillo than a councilman.
...it adds insult to injury for what has been Mayor Adrian Fenty's biggest flop while in office.
Biggest flop so far.
That $55 million could have come in handy towards Fenty not completely f-ing up the Poplar Point project!
Other than his stalking of President Obama, accrual of a campaign loot chest and the birth of a bizarrely hairy baby - this has been a quietly bad 6 months for Fenty.
Hath not a non-resident youth eyes? Hath not a non-resident youth hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same rap snacks, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same shiftlessness, healed by the same means, loiter on the same stoops, warmed by the same summer jobs program as a resident youth is? If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?
I really have a thing for redheads. Especially protesting redheads.
HOT.
If you can get over that whole deer-in-headlights look.
If you can get over the deer in headlights style of protesting, then yes.
I was pausing to comment about red-headed ethereal protesters (AKA the woman in the photograph) being hot; thank you for holding the door open. At first I thought she was Angelina Jolie, because Angelina Jolie: 1. is in town, and 2. she looks different every time I look at her.
But this photograph reminds me of the late 60s and early 70s when, in order to get laid, I would join any protest and "get friendly" with any red-headed ethereal protester. While those days are gone, they leave passionate reminders untouched by time.
And that burning sensation when you urinate? Just think of that as your own private little fireworks display...IN YOUR PANTS.
Is that really red, or is it more of a henna/dye red? I'm not opposed, but I can't imagine the collar and cuffs match.
No monkey, during that time of sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll we had little to worry about. Any "problem" could be taken care of with a few tablets of Penicillin. As for fireworks in my pants, that, my friend, is a whole different story.
The photo is from the DC Tea Party protest in Lafayette Park in February. Her sign reads "Your Mortgage is Not My Problem"
Holy frking snrt! The Tea Party people are bat$h!t-eating insane!
I've totally lost my erection now. In fact, I'm cutting it off and throwing it out a moving car window.
Speaking of fighting back: DCist won't take any responsibility for the NextBus fiasco (their inquiries caused WMATA to take down the unpublicized beta test) but you, dear commenters, can still demand answers and a quick restoration of the NextBus data feeds.
WMATA General Manager John Catoe's monthly live chat is at noon, and you can submit questions now. See:
http://www.wmata.com/community_outreach/lunchtalk_online_chats/transcript.cfm?ChatID=184##post
I heard that WMATA would have to pay a fee even for the Beta Test.
First PCP, and now corruption in the Summer Jobs program? Wow, this really is 1989 all over again. Should only be a matter of weeks before we get strip clubs back on 14th St.
Oooh, Oooh, Oooh....does this mean Fox 5 will bring back "City Under Siege"??
I think Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) would support such a move by Fox 5.
Yes! You forgot the regular sounds of gunfire in the distance, buying switchblades at the "Chinese Emporiums" in Chinatown, the evening glam hooker parades on 15th st and $50,000 Logan Circle crack house "fixer uppers" sold by the city.
The kids today don't know what they've missed. We should really do more to document this important period in DC's cultural history.
Daily gun/voting rights post template:
[Insert statement on how DC is mishandling the situation]
[Give example of why DC gun laws are NOT "common sense"]
[Blame the Council for this mess]
You forgot:
[obligatory Simpsons reference and/or cock joke from Monkeyrotica]
You need to make every day a celebration of your love! Suprise her with a pasta salad! Tie a minature beret to your wang!
There. A combination Simpson's quote/cock joke.
Knew you wouldn't disappoint. Well played, sir!
That blatant threat by Harry Thomas against a community newsletter in his own ward is pretty outrageous, and something that probably deserves to be addressed by his fellow Council members. Hell, even Cheney didn't threaten specific publications and specific advertisers by name when he made his infamous "people need to watch what they say" comment.
There's a mini-burgeropalypse at Matchbox today. 3 mini-burgers for $3, 6 for $6 and 9 for $9.
Of course you won't have enough elbow room to lift your mini-burgers to your mouth.
Ah man, don't tell everyone. It's already gonna be a 'pocalypse, lets not turn it into an 'ageddon.
comment of the day award goes to west!
i'm not defending thomas's actions by any stretch of the imagination, but i think it also needs to be made clear that Padou, via the Brookland Heartbeat, has alienated her fair share of community members. that "everybody loves it" as Julia Tillman states is patently false.
yes, the Heartbeat covers news and events that don't get coverage elsewhere - and that's truly great - but it's also a very one-sided publication (as many hyperlocal pubs and blogs are) that often rallies against development, historic preservation, and the supposed transparency of community events.
essentially, i support Padou's right to say what she wants, and Thomas should suck it up as a public official, but let's not lionize the Heartbeat in the process. [/rant]