Remember those billboards that popped up in the 1980s that counted up the national debt, dollar by dollar? Pretty scary, huh? Well, District voting rights activists want something similar for their cause. Today the D.C. Council held a hearing on legislation that would allow the city to place two large LED billboards — one outside the John A. Wilson Building and the other outside the new Washington Nationals stadium — that would display the amount…

Sure, it’s December and we’re all preoccupied with holiday cheer and making plans for that one New Year’s party that will finally be worth the all the hype. But even though they’ve suffered some setbacks this year, D.C. voting rights activists are pushing the cause through the holiday season. On Thursday, December 6, the D.C. Council will hold a hearing to consider legislation that would place large electronic billboards outside the John A. Wilson Building…

You know what they say — better one scandal too late than never at all. We’ve received word from the office of Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) that tomorrow afternoon he’ll be hosting a public roundtable on the Water and Sewer Agency, which has had something of a rough year so far. Reads an email from Graham: I will be holding a public roundtable on the status of the public water main system in…

President George Bush has issued the orders, and now his loyal adherents will carry them out. Yesterday Bush declared that he would veto legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives, calling the proposal unconstitutional. Today the Post reports that Republican leaders in the House are pushing members to vote against the legislation (originally scheduled for a vote today, but pushed off until as late as next week), going…

Morning, D.C. Man, it got cold over the weekend, didn’t it? One moment on Friday I’m biking around town in my skirt, next moment I’m huddled on the couch in the fetal position, swathed in comforters. And don’t even get me started on the Skins…Anyways, it looks like it’ll just be in the high 30s today, so pull those gloves and that scarf on. Episcopal Church Votes on Departure: The Post reports that two…

Can you stand all the excitement that comes along with sifting through so many election results, race by race, this morning Washington? For political junkies like us, and we’re sure, like many of you, last night was an up way past our bedtimes, whiskey-infused, edge of our seats, shouting about the relative quality of cable news commentators’ hair dye jobs kind of time. And it’s not totally over yet. But before we get to the…

Ever been to the Washington Museum of Art? Of course, there isn’t one, but that’s likely to change tonight with the dedication of the City Hall Art Collection at the John A. Wilson Building. For the first time the District will have a permanent collection of art to show off the talent of our local artists. The exhibit features a broad swath of media and contemporary stylings, not to mention representation from every ward, with…

In regards to the much talked about possible elimination of the current rent ceiling system here in the District, there will be a public roundtable on the issue today at 5:00pm at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Two weeks ago, the City Council’s Committee on Consumer and Regulatory Affairs voted 4 to 1 to overhaul the system. Right now, the cap is based on a particular unit’s “rent ceiling”, while the…

This summer hasn’t gone well for public transit in the District. Increased fares, (thankfully) short-lived tiny trains, and persistent problems on the Red Line have Metro riders talking about a union, and letter writers in the Post on Sunday griping about lax security. (See DCist: Commuting for all the fun) After all this, now seems like a good time to go stick it to the man, or at least ask some tough questions. You’re in…