Photo by flipperman75.Good morning, Washington. Mayor Vince Gray will deliver his first major citywide address this evening, when he speaks about the “State of the District” at Eastern Senior High School. Gray is expected to focus most of the address on his budget proposal — which he will deliver to the Council on Friday, seemingly without an increase in income taxes — but obviously, the public will be closely watching what Gray will say about the various scandals that have tarnished his first few months in office. Tonight’s speech begins at 6:45 p.m. What would you like to hear Gray say this evening?
Council on Gray Hires: One issue that Gray might address during tonight’s speech? Hiring practices for political appointees — but before he’ll have the chance, Councilmember Mary Cheh and friends will take a crack at it. The Council will hold a hearing this morning regarding the Sulaimon Brown hiring/firing/fallout, the hiring of administration staffers’ children and high salaries. Both Brown and his former boss, Department of Health Care Finance Director Wayne Turnage, have been invited to testify.
Yoink: Though violent crime is down over the first three months of 2011, property crime is way up in the District, according to statistics reviewed by the Post. Burglaries citywide are up 18 percent over 2010, while thefts are up 23 percent. Police try to tamp down on the worry by claiming that most property crime are crimes of opportunity — but the Post’s report does its best to keep the fear alive, highlighting an office building that’s been broken into ten times since last June and stating that the spike is being “driven in part by thieves who smash in back doors and squeeze through unlocked windows, then make off with cash, iPads, televisions and other valuables.”
Briefly Noted: Why does the Committee of 100 hate fun?…Mayor’s office looking closely into accusations of improprieties against D.C. alcohol control board chairman…Marion Barry’s old block — it’s different now than it was when he was mayor!…Storifying the Reagan assassination attempt…Domino’s delivery man shot and killed in Seat Pleasant…Maryland and Virginia keeping eye on radiation levels…No more free Viagra for MoCo county employees…I see a bad moon(shine) rising.
This Day in DCist: Last year, we were talking about congestion pricing for Metro and those darn kids and their lack of health insurance after graduating from college; in 2009, D.C. Public Schools made moves to regulate dress inside its schools, while MPD explained its decision to scrub narratives from its public data.
