DCist

Early-Out/Easy-Out At Core Of Latest Fenty/Council Spat

Aaron Morrissey — 2009-11-22T12:35:11-05:00

Photo by LGography.

Should the District's early-out/easy-out retirement payments be considered a "bonus"? This is the debate in the latest chapter of the overarching tiff between the Fenty administration and the D.C. Council. The Examiner's Michael Neibauer reports today that four District employees have been denied such exit payments by the Department of Human Resources, after the Council approved a 2010 budget which outlaws all "bonuses and special payments" to District employees.

Employees enrolling in D.C.'s retirement severance program are offered an incentive of 50% of their salary up to $25,000, paid in installments -- in exchange, employees taking the payment can not be reemployed or hired as a sole source consultant or personal services contractor within the District government for five years. Not surprisingly, the five-year rule has had compliance issues in the past.

But specifics aside, the story should be familiar to all of us by now: the Council (in this case, Ward 3's Mary Cheh and Chair Vincent Gray) claim that the administration didn't understand what they meant, and District attorney general Peter Nickles basically tells the body to stop making the city's agencies read their minds. 58 similar applications for early-out/easy-out bonuses were processed before October 15, when the new 2010 budget went into effect -- so, obviously, plenty of District employees considering retirement interpreted the ruling the same way that Nickles has. But with emergency legislation currently being written by Cheh likely to settle matters, it's just another episode of our newest favorite soap opera. Who knows what next week will bring? Now all we have to do know is figure out a good title. As the Wilson Building Turns? Chehs of our Lives? The Old and the Disagreeable?

Controversy Over Rhee Now to Include Sex, Congress

Rachael Brown — 2009-11-21T16:10:01-05:00

Photo by David Clow - Maryland

A congressional report issued yesterday by two ranking Republicans suggests that schools chancellor Michelle Rhee performed "damage control" for her now-fiance Kevin Johnson during investigations into Johnson's alleged sexual misconduct and misuse of Americorps funds at the St. Hope charter school he founded in Sacramento.

Johnson, an ex-NBA player, is currently mayor of Sacramento. Rhee confirmed that the couple got engaged earlier this month.

According to the New York Times, "The report does not accuse Ms. Rhee, who was on the board of the school, of any wrongdoing, and her spokeswoman, Jennifer Calloway, said it 'rehashes old allegations that have long since been dismissed and deemed meritless.' " Rhee resigned from the St. Hope board before beginning her work as schools chancellor in D.C. in 2007; reports of her romantic involvement with Johnson only began to surface last winter. However, given the contentious atmosphere around Rhee's reform efforts here in the District, it is likely this report, and the national attention it has received, will energize her opponents.

The report [PDF], released by Sen. Charles E. Grassley, and Rep. Darrell Issa, criticizes the Obama administration's firing of Gerald Walpin, the AmeriCorps inspector general, as being politically motivated, in part because of Walpin's investigations of Johnson, a former NBA player and prominent Obama supporter. The White House has countered that Walpin, 78, was "incompetent and had behaved bizarrely". The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday that Walpin, who was a Bush appointee, "is receiving free help from a conservative public relations firm associated with the Swift boat ads that opposed Democrat John F. Kerry in the 2004 presidential election."

Yesterday's congressional report was released along Walpin's orginal investigation on St. Hope, which includes interview notes suggesting that Rhee stepped in after an Americorp volunteer complained of unwanted sexual advances from Johnson. At least two other instances of inappropriate behavior by Johnson are also described, although it is unclear if Rhee was aware of them. (City Paper's Mike Debonis has all of those details. They're pretty gross.)

Jacqueline Wong-Hernandez, a former St. Hope teacher (not the accuser), told federal investigators that Rhee contacted her after the allegations were first raised to find out what had happened, and told her "she was making this her number one priority and she would take care of the situation." Later, Wong-Hernandez heard that Johnson's lawyer had met with the accuser, and the complain had been dropped. According to the IG report, a week later, when the accuser decided to leave the program because of "financial and family reasons", Johnson confidentially offered her $1,000 a month until the end of the program, which was declined. Wong-Hernandez later quit St. Hope, she says in part because of the handling of the incident.

Earlier this year, the acting United States attorney for Sacramento found that Johnson had committed "no criminal wrongdoing", and the school agreed to pay $424,000 to settle accusations that it failed to follow terms of the AmeriCorps grants.

It's unclear as of yet just what the fallout will be from all of this, and how that will impact Rhee's reform efforts in the District, particularly as next year's mayoral election heats up. On the one hand, it's hard to just dismiss the complaints against Johnson, but the political backdrop to the whole thing suggests certain amount of posturing. Much of the coverage of the report has focused on Rhee, despite the fact that her actual involvement, beyond her personal connection to Johnson, is pretty slim. Her national celebrity may actually hurt her here. Jeff Smith, director of school advocacy group D.C. Voice, told the Examiner, “I think her detractors may use it as another part of their case for why she’s unfair, but I don’t see it as having relevance on her philosophy or approach or management of the school system.” But if the commenters on the Post's story about the scandal are any indication, Rhee's critics aren't going to let this go anytime soon.

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You Think You've Got Problems

Aaron Morrissey — 2009-11-21T15:22:41-05:00

Even between the DPW fiasco, the WTOP/biking police escort kerfuffle, not being Superman, facing vital questions about crime, handling a significant legal tussle regarding policing strategies, dealing with his "all-purpose scandal-in-a-box" Sinclair Skinner, recognizing his struggles with the D.C. lottery contract, trying to rebuild OCTO after its bribery scandal, navigating the significant labor strife among teachers in our public schools, and drawing the general ire of the entire D.C. Council, it could always be worse for Adrian Fenty. After all, he could be Baltimore's Sheila Dixon, who finds herself balancing a busy Mayoral schedule with being a defendant on theft charges which could force her to leave the office. (Sorry, Baltimore, we're just looking for some perspective here.) Also on the bright side? Fenty's upcoming 39th birthday bash will feature a "a large cache of Wine, Beer & Soft Drinks." So he's got that going for him, which is nice.

D.C. United Icon Ben Olsen To Retire

Aaron Morrissey — 2009-11-21T14:45:36-05:00

Ben Olsen, seen here holding off Real Madrid's Kaka in an August 2009
friendly, will reportedly announce his retirement next week.
Photo by Kyle Gustafson / http://www.photokyle.com

Steve Goff had the big soccer news from RFK Stadium yesterday: D.C. United midfielder Ben Olsen will announce his retirement next week. Olsen, a tenacious midfielder who played in the World Cup for the United States men's national team in 2006, is about as Washingtonian an athlete as you'll ever find. After leaving the University of Virginia in 1998 for MLS, Olsen led United to a championship in his first season and again in 2004. He has been a fixture in the D.C. community -- choosing, unlike many D.C. sports stars, to actually live inside the District -- and has served as a mentor for many young United players.

Olsen's career had plenty of highlights, despite the fact that recurring ankle troubles -- the most serious of which occurred while Olsen was on loan at Nottingham Forest in 2000 -- cost him a considerably unfair portion of his prime, especially on the international stage. United fans certainly have plenty of memories to look back fondly on from his time in the Black-and-Red: his hat trick at RFK against New York in 2007, his man of the match performance in the 1999 MLS Cup final, or even his equalizer against New England early this year. Personally, my favorite memory of Ben Olsen was on a sweltering hot day in June 2008, when Olsen -- in but 15 minutes, his only action that season -- received an overwhelming reception from the nearly 36,000 fans who had come to the stadium that day to jeer David Beckham.

Anyone who follows United can tell you that Olsen was the consummate footballer. Always the heart and engine of the team, many players would never have recovered from missing 18 months of playing time, let alone making the rather large adaptation from a wide, speedy player to a gritty central one. In the end, this writer never watched Ben Olsen ever play a game as if it wasn't his last; that will be his lasting legacy. One hopes he will stay with the team in some capacity -- United could certainly do much, much worse in terms of a new assistant coach.

We'll miss ya out there, Benny.

Report: CCDC Split From UDC Is "Critical To Success"

Aaron Morrissey — 2009-11-21T12:54:40-05:00

An independent report commissioned by DC Appleseed and the Brookings Institution has concluded that it is "critical to the success and sustainability of" the new Community College of the District of Columbia to sever ties with the University of the District of Columbia. UDC, which has always had plenty of problems balancing the hefty costs of a four-year university and its open-enrollment-assisted reputation as a two-year college, split focus in August into the University and the Community College. Both operations still operate under UDC's administration.

The findings certainly don't shy away from its recommendation that CCDC make a clean break, suggesting the college seek out new relationships with more reliable suburban colleges in order to supplement the institution through its first formative years. The Post has the real stomach punch quote:

The 60-page report...pulls no punches, stating that UDC "has been troubled by a distrustful faculty, high administrative overhead, poorly maintained and outdated facilities, chronic mismanagement and internal dissension, and unacceptably low completion and graduation rates."

Ouch. For their part, UDC officials "said they agree with some of the findings," according to the Post, but they disagree that CCDC needs to break away in order to succeed. The full report, along with testimony from yesterday's D.C. Council round table on the recommendations, can be found here.

Goals But No Grit Means 3-2 Loss for Capitals

Elisabeth Meinecke — 2009-11-21T10:20:22-05:00

Young Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth found himself looking into the back of his net one too
many times Friday night in a 3-2 loss. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

The Washington Capitals scored first, but the Montreal Canadiens scored more and won 3-2 on Friday night at the Verizon Center.

The Caps' Eric Fehr netted the only goal of the first period for either team, but the Canadiens had twice as many shots on goal in the first, only the second time a Washington opponent has done that this year. Even Alex Ovechkin looked off his game, despite registering a huge crowd-pleasing hit in the opening period. Head coach Bruce Boudreau agreed.

"I didn't think we were ready at the start of the game," Boudreau said. "We were flat. I think we thought, 'Oh, we're the Washington Capitals, and we're gonna go out there and it's gonna be an easy win.' And there's no easy win in the National Hockey League."'

The first twenty minutes were very physical, ending with a five-minute fighting penalty on John Erskine and the Canadiens' Georges Laraque, and featuring a nifty hit by Brooks Laich which sent Roman Hamrlik flying into the Capitals bench. Apart from Erskine's penalty, the Capitals stayed out of the box for forty minutes. But the home team couldn't break their unfortunate penchant for drawing penalties in the third period: Mathieu Perreault got called for hooking, Brendan Morrison served time for diving, and finally, Laich got called for tripping.The Canadiens scored the game-winner while Laich was in the box.

"I'm not sure what happens to us," Fehr said when asked if the Caps have a third period penalty curse. "We had a pretty disciplined game in the first two periods, and somehow, someway we found ourselves in penalty trouble again. Hopefully, the curse will be gone soon."

Down 3-1 with two minutes left, the Caps were given one last chance to score when the Canadiens got called for hooking with less than two minutes left in the game. Brendan Morrison found the net -- and Mike Green got his second assist of the night -- but it was too little, too late.

Because of the battered Capitals lineup -- Mike Knuble, Alex Semin, Boyd Gordon, Quintin Laing, Milan Jurcina, and Shaone Morrisonn are all injured, and Jose Theodore's still not dressing for games -- there were several new faces on the ice for the Caps: center Jay Beagle, defenseman John Carlson, and goalie Michal Neuvirth. As if that list was not long enough, blue-liner Tom Poti suffered an upper body injury in the first and didn't return to start the second period. Boudreau says the Caps will probably call someone else up from Hershey to play tonight against Toronto, as it's questionable as to whether Jurcina or Morrisonn will be ready to come back.

Boudreau said Carlson played with a lot of poise in his first game, and that Neuvirth kept the Caps in the game between the posts.

"[Neuvirth] did what a starting pitcher's supposed to do, keep you in the game -- and we didn't take advantage of it," Boudreau said. "[Carlson]'s shots from the point were accurate. He's going to be a good player in this league for a long time."

Fehr added that despite all the new faces, he feels the team is adapting to the lineup shuffle.

"I feel like we're adjusting pretty well," Fehr said. "We got guys going in, filling in the holes. We had a lot of chances tonight, we just weren't lucky to get a few more."

Boudreau, however, had a different way of putting it in his press conference -- he said his team wasn't willing to get the dirty goals this time around and get those second shots.

"We weren't paying the price," Boudreau said. "I didn't think we wanted it hard enough."

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D.C. Insurance Dept. Denies Birth Control Coverage Meddling

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-20T18:20:18-05:00

The blog RH Reality Check posted an item yesterday alleging that Gennet Purcell, the District of Columbia's relatively new insurance commissioner, had surreptitiously conspired to make it possible for D.C. women to lose their birth control coverage. But the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, the agency Purcell runs, has since emphatically denied the story.

Here's what RH Reality Check reporter Amie Newman wrote on Thursday:

Under Purcell's watch, private insurance companies operating in Washington DC are now allowed to opt out of covering contraception in individual plans. This coverage is considered "non-mandatory" by the insurance commissioner and some women are finding their birth control coverage suddenly dropped.

A petition has been started, on twitter, to raise awareness and grab the commissioner's attention that allowing insurance coverage of birth control to become non-mandatory for those not in a group plan is unacceptable. You can sign here.

The City Paper's Sexist blog also picked up the story, and as a woman who currently pays for my own individual, non-group health insurance plan, you can bet this author was personally very concerned. But DISB spokesperson Michelle Phipps-Evans assures DCist this is "just an untrue story."

Here's the full statement from Phipps-Evans:

"The Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) has not made any changes in its position regarding contraceptive coverage in individual health insurance under Commissioner Gennet Purcell or prior to Commissioner Purcell's appointment.

In fact, mandated coverages for insurance are not at the discretion of the insurance commissioner, but rather mandated coverages are those that are required by D.C. law. Contraceptive coverage is not now, nor has it ever been, a mandated coverage in D.C. DISB has researched its recent consumer complaint history and found no complaints about individual health insurance not covering contraception. It is surveying insurance companies writing individual health insurance in the District of Columbia and, while responses are still coming in, has found that there are individual plans available in D.C. that provide contraceptive coverage."

This individually insured District woman can tell you that the Carefirst Blue Cross individual HMO plan definitely covers birth control pills, and has for the last five years without interruption. Care to crowd source on other individual plans?

Northeast Post Office Branch Spared From Closure List

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-20T17:45:15-05:00

The U.S. Postal Service today released yet another revised list of possible branch closures, and one D.C. office has been trimmed. The Northeast branch, located at 1563 Maryland Ave. NE, will stay. In Maryland, two other branches were also spared: the Friendship Heights branch, and the Silver Spring Center branch. The total list is now at only 241 post offices still under review nationwide, down from almost 3,300 at the beginning of the process.

That leaves eight D.C. branches remaining on the potential closure list:

*Columbia Heights Finance, 3321 Georgia Ave. NW
*Fort Davis, 3842 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
*LeDroit Park, 416 Florida Ave. NW
*Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave. SW
*Navy Annex
*Petworth, 4211 9th St. NW
*Randle, 2306 Prout St. SE
*Woodridge, 2211 Rhode Island Ave. NE

No final decisions have been made, but the Postal Service expects to start closing selected branches in early 2010.

Same-Sex Marriage Foes Have Few Options on Hill

Martin Austermuhle — 2009-11-20T15:30:23-05:00

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Ut.)

With the D.C. Council's same-sex marriage bill scheduled for a December 1 vote and a petition to put the issue on the ballot denied, opponents of same-sex marriage might finally have to live up to a threat they've been making in recent months: to take the issue to Congress.

But a hearing on the Hill this week on legislation that could grant the District more budgetary and legislative autonomy showed that even if opponent take their complaints to Congress, they're unlikely to get far. Chief District foe Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Ut.) was one of two Republicans at the hearing, and even he admitted that there exists little chance of derailing the legislation once it comes to Congress for its mandatory 30-day review period. "Democrats have the House and the Senate and the presidency," Chaffetz told the Post. "I'm going to try to fight back, but procedurally, they've got us pretty well wrapped up."

Today, DC Vote added its voice to the debate, pleading with same-sex marriage opponents not to take their complaints to Congress. In a statement, Executive Director Ilir Zherka said, "We know that our opponents in the Congress will use every chance they get, including a D.C. law providing for marriage equality, to restrict the rights of D.C. residents. We promise to fight that congressional intrusion. We ask that D.C. residents on both sides of the marriage equality debate refrain from taking this fight to Capitol Hill. Let's stand in solidarity in support of democracy for D.C."

So far, these sorts of arguments have rung hollow with adamant same-sex marriage opponents, who remain angry about what they call a violation of their voting rights for being denied a popular vote on the issue. But even if they organize to petition Congress, conservatives will not likely be able to marshal the votes to stop the District from legalizing same-sex marriage next year.

Former Blade Staffers Launch 'DC Agenda'

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-20T13:45:54-05:00

From the ashes of the Washington Blade, DC Agenda has risen. The staff of the suddenly shuttered LGBT publication has managed to put together a new web site and "a modest, early iteration" of a print edition, both out today, less than a week after they all lost their jobs. From their introductory message:

The former staff of the Washington Blade remains united and DC Agenda represents our effort at continuing the important mission and work of the Blade. It will grow and evolve to include a much larger and more diverse group of voices. But the core of the Washington Blade’s work remains unchanged. We will cover Congress, the White House, the LGBT rights movement, the D.C. marriage fight, local hate crimes and other political issues important to the LGBT residents of the city.

It’s been a tough week for us, but we are buoyed by the outpouring of support from people all over the city and beyond. We welcome and need your help and will respond to each offer as soon as possible. Thank you to all who have pledged to stick with us, especially our advertisers. Please visit savetheblade.com for updated information on DC Agenda or to make a gift to support the new venture.

We haven't yet been able to find any of the print editions placed around town, but today's first online stories offer up reporting on Dignity USA, a gay Catholic group that is urging the D.C. government not to back down to the threats of Catholic Charities over the same-sex marriage issue, a few local Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities, and news about a U.S. House committee vote to approve legislation "that would benefit the partners of LGBT federal workers," among other items.

Best of luck to the DC Agenda as they get on their feet.

UPDATE: @DCAgenda has been tweeting the locations where you can find a copy of the print edition, so head over there if you'd like to pick one up.

D.C. Unemployment Rate Reaches 11.9 Percent

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-20T10:45:22-05:00

The unemployment rate for the District of Columbia jumped to 11.9 percent in the month of October, its highest level since the current recession began, according to figures released today by the Department of Employment Services. That number marks an increase over the previous month, September, which saw an unemployment rate of 11.4 percent. The national unemployment rate for October was 10.2 percent. Today's news comes paired with an estimate that the District actually added 10,200 jobs in October, despite the increase in unemployment figures. A news release from DOES explains these diverging trends as being due to an increase in the District's labor force, with no change in the number of employed people.

Affidavit: Former Taxi Commissioner Linked to Bribery Scheme

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-20T09:20:29-05:00

Photo by Samer Farha

Federal authorities believe former D.C. Taxicab Commission chairman Causton Toney participated in a long-running bribery scheme while he held that position from 2005-2007, the Washington Post reports this morning. A recently unsealed affidavit lays out the FBI's suspicions against Toney, who has not been charged with any crime, but whose home was raided in October.

The links between Toney and the bribery allegations stem from the same D.C. taxicab industry investigation that already snagged Ted Loza and 30 some odd taxi drivers.

Authorities have not indicated why they raided Toney's house Oct. 2. He does business with Syume but is not named in the indictment. In the newly unsealed court papers, an FBI agent says that wiretaps and other recorded conversations link the former taxi commissioner to the conspiracy.

In November 2007, Toney told Syume in a phone call that he had talked to Swain and that Swain had told him that he "wants us to keep pushing ahead . . . to get this thing done so -- I'm going to do that," the affidavit says. The agent wrote that Toney's comments are a "possible reference to completing their scheme."

Morning Roundup: Change Edition

Martin Austermuhle — 2009-11-20T08:33:40-05:00

Photo by andertho

As we come to the end of a week where the District dealt with the death of another child -- this time it was nine-year-old Oscar Fuentes in Columbia Heights -- there doesn't seem to be much to say about a city that while significantly better than it was a decade ago still suffers from stubborn crime and violence. Post Metro columnist Petula Dvorak today proves that point with a column that can be summed up as such -- Columbia Heights has come a long way, but it still has a ways to go. It's not really groundbreaking reading, and it doesn't offer any real solutions. (Thankfully, she carefully toes around the issue of race, avoiding the minefield that is pretty much any discussion on gentrification.) But it does make the case again that Columbia Heights has become a microcosm of the District as a whole, an area that has changed dramatically in some ways while remaining exactly the same in others.

Council Seeks Compromise With Church: Last week members of the D.C. Council were expressing annoyance at the Archdiocese of Washington, which had said that sure-to-pass same-sex marriage legislation would force them to stop providing charitable services in the city. This week, a compromise may be on the horizon. The Post reports that council members Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) and David Catania (I-At Large) have asked the Archdiocese to follow the lead of Georgetown University and the church in San Francisco, both of which offer benefits to same-sex couples by allowing employees to have add one domiciled resident -- irrespective of gender -- as a beneficiary. Church officials haven't yet said much, but what little they are saying doesn't hint that they're too keen on the proposal.

Virginia Restaurants Prepare for Smoke-Free Future: With December 1 fast approaching, Virginia restaurants are readying themselves for the smoking ban that few thought would ever become a reality. The Examiner reports that health officials are traveling across the state to make sure restaurants comply, but are finding that many already do. Some 66 percent of restaurants in the commonwealth -- many of them in Northern Virginia -- went smoke-free before the ban was passed, and since then the number has risen to 73 percent. The ban allows restaurants to wall off a separate room for smokers, and outdoors spaces remain legal for lighting up. Violations of the law would cost a mere $25.

More Controversy Over Mayoral Exercise Habits: When he was first elected, District residents seemed to marvel at Mayor Adrian Fenty's exercise habits. Now they complain about them whenever they can. According to NBC4, there has been a recent brush-up over lane configuration at the newly renovated Wilson Aquatic Center, with parents arguing that lanes are not set up for the school team's practices and instead for those who train for triathlons. Like the mayor. OK, so it's not exactly Bicyclingate, but an interesting read no less.

Briefly Noted: Nickles says Gray home repairs were kosher ... AOL ~~trims~~ hacks workforce ... Jogger in Takoma Park sexually assaulted ... Kaine asked to restore voting rights for felons.

This Day in DCist: On this day in 2008, Robert Wone's three roommates were indicted on conspiracy charges and Metro announced commemorative SmarTrip cards for Barack Obama's inauguration. In 2007, the Supreme Court announced it would hear the case that became the momentous Heller D.C. gun ban decision.

Arrest Made in Brightwood Liquor Store Slaying

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-20T08:01:53-05:00

Rufina Hernandez

One of two suspects sought in the Nov. 7 killing of shopkeeper Rufina Hernandez has been arrested, D.C. police announced last night. Andres Lopez, 45, of no fixed address was taken into custody without incident on Thursday afternoon near 4th and Kennedy Streets NW, only about five blocks from La Casa de Morata liquor store. Hernandez was shot and killed that Saturday night during the course of a robbery. Two suspects are believed to have entered the store and demanded money, a request with which Hernandez complied, but one of the suspects shot her anyway. D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier declined to indicate whether Lopez is believed to be the shooter, but reiterated that the search for the second suspect continues. "We look forward to getting help from the community," Lanier said. "There is still work to do."

Jack Evans Hops Aboard a SmartBike at Bike Lane Unveiling

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-19T15:15:23-05:00

Image courtesy DDOT

We've been following the work on the new 15th Street NW contraflow bike lane for a while now, and today the District Department of Transportation and Mayor Fenty hosted a little ceremony to announce its formal completion. But we have to thank IMGoph for tweeting to point out that one of the images DDOT sent around from the ribbon cutting features Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans (D) aboard one of the city's SmartBikes. We're used to seeing the likes of Fenty and famed cycling enthusiast Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) on bikes, but Jack Evans? He looks about as comfortable as a bear on ice skates. Click through to DDOT's Facebook page to scroll through the rest of their images from today's event. DDOT Director Gabe Klein also joined Fenty and Evans for their little ride.