Whether we like to admit it or not, most of us are Monday morning quarterbacks when it comes to local government. Whenever the District's government does something foolish, many of us are quick to assume that we could do better. Well, now we have a chance to prove it. During last year's mayoral campaign, the D.C. Appleseed Center ran a campaign soliciting resident input into the city's most pressing problems. From the 1,500 submissions they... more ›

Since they were apparently sick of all the best scoops going to the Post, the folks at the City Paper have been nice enough to grant us a little nugget of information -- Mike DeBonis, currently Senior Editor at the alt-weekly, will become the newest Loose Lips columnists. As you may recall, in late June James Jones stepped down as author of the vital local politics column, choosing to move on to a stint at... more ›

Since 1983, Loose Lips, the City Paper's weekly local politics column, has been the place to get quirky news and commentary on the District's political figures. But today, James Jones, Loose Lips columnist for the last two years, bids farewell to the paper. Jones came to the City Paper after a stint at WAMU, and his first column was published on March 11, 2005. According to the folks at the City Paper, Jones has taken... more ›

Well, that may be that for proponents of a commuter tax for the District. more ›

In early April, the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice kicked of a contest they hoped would serve to inspire political and civic engagement in an election year in the District -- basically, they launched a website. The website was interactive, encouraging area residents to identify problems and propose solutions. Once all the ideas were collected, they would be voted on, and the best ones would win cash prizes and the chance to be presented to the slate of D.C. mayoral candidates. more ›

Right now both the Nats and DC United are planning to leave RFK Stadium in the next few years. That will leave his landmark empty and unused. The probable outcome is that it will be knocked down. Instead, I suggest building and hosting greyhound racing once a week inside the stadium. A track could be built pretty easily and without a lot of cost. It would allow use to continue to use the stadium in some fashion and enjoy a sport that is a lot of fun to watch. Unlike other greyhound parks, RFK could be turned into a kid friendly avenue where people who come to the park are educated about pets and their care, etc. Since there is nothing like this anywhere nearby, the dogs could be sponsored - potentially raising money for other government programs.

No one likes buying condoms. The act, though innocent and perfectly legal, instantly offers an insight into the sexual activity of the purchaser, and, depending on the types of condoms bought, their sexual preferences. And while it's one thing to march into a store and resolutely buy condoms, as embarrassing as that can be, it's a whole other thing to have to sheepishly ask an employee for them. At many local CVS stores, that's exactly what consumers are forced to do. more ›

Yesterday we reported on a new initiative launched by the D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice through which residents can submit ideas on the city's most pressing problems and propose solutions. We're happy to see that the ideas have started rolling onto the organization's website. After the jump, there's a sampling of what has been offered thus far. more ›

Crime, education and affordable housing. more ›

When we last checked in on the state of HIV/AIDS in the District last August, things were looking rather grim. more ›

We're always one to celebrate when the District is good at something. But today's news is bittersweet. We're really good, it seems, at having really bad air, or so reports the Washington Times. According to an updated EPA report, air quality in the District is the fourth worst in the country, ranking behind New York, California and Oregon based on tests for 177 air toxins, including lead and benzene. We can try and take solace... more ›

World AIDS Day, observed today, has particular relevance and importance for the District. The city has the distinction of suffering from one of the nation's highest rates of HIV infection, afflicting 1 in 20 residents, ten times the national average, and 1 in 7 African-American men. The District's response to the problem has been so ineffectual (some say the city is 10 to 15 years behind where it should be) that in August D.C. Mayor... more ›

Hell, 77 comments and counting on our last post on the commuter tax, and along comes more news to fuel the debate. more ›

Almost two weeks ago a federal appeals court ruled that a District attempt to impose a commuter tax on the legions of out-of-towners who make their living within the city's borders was unlawful, a violation of the powers of the U.S. Congress to oversee and regulate the District's affairs. While the decision wasn't unexpected -- after all, like it or not, the District is fundamentally a Congressional colony -- it dealt another blow to the... more ›

While D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams touted the success of his government reform initiatives by celebrating the millionth caller to the Citywide Call Center yesterday, he was similarly forced to acknowledge failure in a simmering, city-wide health crisis. more ›

Good morning, Washington. Today will be partly cloudy in the morning and then clearing with highs in the 80s. This photo of the Potomac at sunset was posted to DCist photos by the flickr user "adrummer_boy" who also uploaded a couple others we liked - one of the C&O Canal at dawn and another Potomac sunset photo. If you've got a blog you can get your meetup on tonight at the monthly meetup.com event for... more ›