Photo by MudflapDC.Good morning, Washington. Or is it? Getting back to Washington via highway yesterday was a real struggle, much of D.C.’s internet went down for a long stretch last night, the Redskins lost, Leslie Nielsen died, and now it’s the first day back to to the office after a long weekend in which most of us didn’t do anything but sit around, eat and drink (and a day in which you’ll likely be distracted from that email inbox by online shopping opportunities). Is today the worst Monday of the year? It has to be pretty close to the top.
Audit Reveals D.C. Taxicab Commission’s Faulty Oversight: The D.C. Taxicab Commission is unable to account for the entirety of $1.1 million in license fees it collected between 2005 and 2008, according to an audit released and reported on by Freeman Klopott at the Examiner. The questionable fee collection — which took place during a bribery scandal at the organization which ended up in the indictment of 39 people including Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham’s former Chief of Staff, Ted Loza — was due to a lack of accounting procedures. Klopott notes that the agency still does not have a written policy in place to account for the collection of licensing revenue.
P.G. County Corruption Probe Goes Deep: We had a feeling that the recent arrests of Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson and several county police officers was but the tip of the iceberg — and the Post confirms that, noting that 46 of the county’s police officers have been suspended or placed on administrative duty due to various corruption investigations. The Post reports that a crime is suspected in at least 19 of those cases, including ten officers who have already been brought to court.
Comment Upgrade: If you haven’t yet noticed, our migration to Disqus is nearly complete, and so you should be having a slightly different commenting experience this morning. If you happen to see any bugs in the experience, please drop us a line and we’ll work to get them sorted out as quickly as possible. Obviously, we’re looking forward to hearing what you guys think about the new system.
Briefly Noted: Streets of Washington has the fascinating history of the interesting brick building at 2 Massachusetts Avenue NW…Teachers’ union election results should be finalized tomorrow…Man shot on 1300 block of I Street SE…Body found in woods near Laurel near homeless camp…Carbon monoxide poisoning hospitalizes people in Alexandria and Fairfax…Fatal car crash in District Heights…Man bites dog: several new members of Congress have no interest in actually living in the city…Have bedbugs? Time to file a lawsuit!
This Day in DCist: In 2009, three Metro workers were injured when two trains collided at the West Falls Church rail yard, and we examined how those who frequently call the city’s 911 system fit into the ongoing health care debate.
