Because we simply can’t get enough of salary talk, today the Post tells us that Metro’s presumptive new head honcho, John B. Catoe Jr., will be taking in $300,000 a year, not to mention a $60,000 living allowance, a company car, and all the free Metro rides he can take. While it seems a little on the steep side for a public servant working for an agency notorious for its mismanagement of public funds, Catoe…

When we found out earlier this year that Richard White, WMATA’s troubled general manager, would be replaced by District Department of Transportation Director Dan Tangherlini, we were happy. Tangherlini had long been known for being approachable and affable, a young and ambitious civil servant dedicated to improving service and quality in his day-to-day functions. Those qualities translated quickly into his work at Metro, where he visited with the rank and file, encouraged riders to offer…

Under the leadership of former WMATA Chief Richard White, the transit agency wasn’t known for being particularly user-friendly. And while steps were taken to open the agency to commuter advice and scrutiny in White’s latter years — townhall meetings were hosted, online chats occurred and the Riders Advisory Council was created — Metro seemed somewhat insulated from the day-to-day troubles that its many riders experienced. That’s changing. WMATA’s Interim General Dan Tangherlini, former head of…

Today is Richard White’s last day at WMATA. As you may recall, it was a little over a month ago that the transit agency decided that White had overstayed his welcome, replacing him with District Department of Transportation Director Dan Tangherlini. Beyond being known as one of Metro’s only top honchos to actually ride the system they ran, White was associated with a tumultous period in which the agency’s spending came under repeated questioning. And…

Back in November when we first reported on the idea of extending the Yellow Line beyond its terminus at the Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center stop, we thought it a bit of a shot in the dark. After all, then WMATA Chief Richard White didn’t seem to keen on the idea, stating, “Such an extension of service would be exceedingly expensive, both from an operating cost perspective, as well as from a capital cost perspective.” But…

Severance for Metro Chief Higher Than Average: When WMATA Chief Richard White stepped down/was fired last week, few seemed surprised at the news. Most were, though, surprised at the size of his severance package — a one-time payment of $238,000, an annual pension payment of $116,000, free Metro travel and health care for life, and a $58,000 annual salary for his wife. Yesterday the Post reported that White’s severance exceeds that of comparable transit…

Yes, it is about that time of year again. That time when DCist comes out from behind our computer screens to prove that we do, in fact, have lives and personalities. And we’d love for you to join us. Since we imagine we’re not incentive enough, we’ll have drink specials, giveaways, and DJs. And if you were under a rock this week, this is what you may have missed: — Marion Barry reacquainted himself…

In response to allegations that existing state law banning gay marriage hasn’t gone far enough in protecting traditional marriages from corrosive homosexual influences, Virginia is now considering further defining marriage as only being between a man and a woman, reports WJLA. We thought that Virginia had made their opposition to gay marriage clear enough last year with their endorsement of “Traditional Marriage” license plates, but it’s always good to err on the side of excess….

It’s been rumored for the better part of the last month, and today it has finally come true — WMATA Chief Richard White is being replaced. According to a reliable DCist source, White will be replaced by District Department of Transportation head Dan Tangherlini. White was chosen to head the region’s transit agency in 1996, and has since steered the agency through a variety of scandals and mishaps that angered commuters and frustrated members of…

Today the Post is reporting that WMATA’s Board of Directors is quietly discussing whether to dismiss head honcho Richard White, whose troubled nine-year tenure at the transit agency has been marked by controversy and criticism. Ironically enough, the Post notes that one of the issues that might provoke White’s dismissal is a series of articles that appeared in the newspaper in June that detailed over $1 billion in mismanaged spending. This instance serves as a…