Good Morning, D.C. Remember the news we told you about back in August, about an investigation into a potential prostitution ring at D.C. firehouses? Well D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin acknowledged yesterday under fire from the D.C. Council that “sex for overtime” allegations in his department are “potentially true.” The Council also expressed concern about the abnormally high rate of disciplinary action against African American firefighters in the department. African Americans were the subjects of 80 percent of the department’s discipline cases in fiscal 2007, though they make up just over 50 percent of the total number of employees.
D.C. Auditor Was Suspicious in 2004 The Post reports that the D.C. auditor filed a report in 2004 that urged officials to “closely monitor” the city’s real property tax revenue, after she noticed a spike in the amount of money refunded to property owners. CFO Natwar Gandhi said yesterday that he was aware of Nichols’s report, but at the time when he spoke with tax office managers, they gave him assurances that nothing out of the ordinary was going on.
Lead in Water Still a Concern for D.C. Schools: The Examiner has the story of a Virginia Tech professor, Marc Edwards, who is in D.C. of his own volition to test for lead in the water of D.C.’s public schools. Testing in spring found that three-quarters of D.C. Schools’ buildings still had problems with lead in the water, though since then new fountains and filters have been installed. Edwards told the paper he’s still skeptical that the problem is under control.
Briefly Noted: Dentist sentenced in rape of patient … Dulles rail construction to begin despite concerns over Federal funding … Driver OK after crashing into building.
This Day in DCist: In 2006 we were getting excited about a free Sufjan Stevens show at the Kennedy Center, and taken aback by the huge salary being offered to Metro Chief John Catoe.
Photo by whime
