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Wednesday, december 26, 2012
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Davis Kennedy/Publisher & Editor Chris Kain/Managing Editor
Resolution in 2013?
The last month of the D.C. Council’s two-year session brought a flurry of activity — 70-plus bills. Notably absent was a campaign finance overhaul. The omission is a particularly frustrating end to 2012, a year when two council members resigned due to criminal wrongdoing. A strong reform measure would have sent the message that the members who remain are committed to changing the political culture. A year ago, council members approved a flawed but comprehensive ethics measure. The bill created the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability to root out and punish future misdeeds, and it reduced the size of council members’ constituent services funds. But council members opted not to act on various fundraising loopholes, such as “bundled” contributions that in practice allow some donors to exceed donation limits. They waited even on common-sense steps like tightening reporting requirements to provide real accountability. They voted down multiple amendments sought by Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells. At the end of last year, we urged council members to commit to adopting a campaign finance reform measure by the end of 2012. Ward 4 Council member Muriel Bowser, as chair of the Government Operations Committee, pledged to take a broad look at campaign finance laws. By the time of the council’s summer recess, council members said they were waiting for the mayor and his attorney general to draft their proposed bill. In the fall, after Attorney General Irvin Nathan submitted legislation that would have closed many gaping loopholes, time was allegedly too short to develop a consensus. The council could not even adopt a standalone bill initiated by Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh to restrict the use of money orders, which have been used to flout campaign reporting requirements. She withdrew the proposal due to concerns that proposed amendments would sink the measure. The absence of any reform this year leaves us pessimistic, though some hopeful signs may point to action in 2013. The presumptive chair of the Government Operations Committee, Ward 5’s Kenyan McDuffie, made “Ethics & Integrity” a key plank in his election campaign, saying that he would push to prohibit bundling, increase transparency and tighten rules on — or eliminate — constituent service funds. We would like to see him move swiftly to seek council action, using the attorney general’s bill as a framework. If that’s to happen, concerned voters must be more than onlookers: Discuss the subject at community meetings, contact legislators and make it a campaign issue in the April 23 special election for an at-large seat.
Investing in the children
The nonprofit DC Action for Children recently released a policy brief that laid out troubling statistics on third-grade proficiency in math and reading among D.C. public school students — “a make-or-break benchmark in a child’s educational development.” The group found no statistically significant improvement in citywide scores since 2007, when D.C. adopted mayoral control of the school system and began current reform efforts. It’s clear the District’s schools do not yet offer what they must: solid educational opportunities to all of the city’s students. Within the report, however, is a call to focus on a key way to improve student performance. The policy brief cites the city’s analysis of 2012 test scores, which found that graduates of pre-kindergarten programs “were more likely to achieve reading and math proficiency in third grade than students who did not.” The brief also noted the tremendous progress the city has made in boosting access to early childhood education. The school system offers free full-day kindergarten and pre-kindergarten to 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds, as well as some preschool offerings for 3- and 4-year-olds. Yet much work remains. The DC Action for Children review raised questions about whether the city really provides all children with access to highquality pre-k programs — as intended by the 2008 act that then-Chairman Vincent Gray shepherded through the council prior to becoming mayor. Particularly worrisome is the finding of “gaps in capacity and quality, particularly in low-income communities in the city.” In response to the report, the mayor’s education officials echoed the importance of pre-k education and noted that the mayor’s action plan calls for increasing the availability of high-quality early childhood development programs. The mayor also cited research touting the value of high-quality programs in closing achievement gaps. Mayor Gray and other city officials deserve credit for expanding access to early education, but the council’s reconstituted Education Committee should the city’s success in implementing universal, high-quality services.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 …
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he late Kansas City Star columnist and author Bill Vaughan had it right. “An optimist stays up to see the new year in,” he said. “A pessimist waits to make sure the old one leaves.” How should we approach the new year after the upheavals of 2012? The Notebook likes this unattributed line: “When I thought about the evils of drinking in the new year, I gave up thinking.” The top story in D.C. for 2012 could have been that our homicide rate fell below 100 for the first time in decades. (We still have a few days for that to actually come true.) The top story could have been the economic boom that’s driving billions of dollars in development in the city. Or it might have been the continuing population growth after years of decline. Unfortunately, all of those are also-rans. The top story in our city — by far — for 2012 and maybe the foreseeable future begins and ends with ethics. Kwame Brown. Felon. Harry Thomas Jr. Felon. Brown, the former D.C. Council chairman, and Thomas, the former council member, lead the parade of the fallen and the suspect. Brown is serving home detention and public community service for a few more months. Thomas is in prison in Alabama. U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen is coming under some community heat to wrap up his long investigation into the 2010 campaign of Mayor Vincent Gray. But some in law enforcement and elsewhere note that Gray has declined to meet with prosecutors, prolonging the investigation. The mayor certainly has a right not to cooperate, but politically it’s a no-win situation. For many, in the court of public opinion it makes the mayor look guilty. Machen does have three guilty pleas, including that of Jeanne Clarke Harris. In court, Harris’ guilty plea officially revealed the existence of a $650,000 “shadow” campaign that helped elect Gray. Until her court case, the “shadow” campaign was attributed to “sources” and people “close to law enforcement.” But it’s a fact that a shadow campaign on Gray’s behalf sullied his election. As 2013 begins, we are still waiting to learn more details about who thought
it up and who carried it out. ■ Going great guns. Last week President Barack Obama announced that Vice President Joe Biden would lead a task force to determine what new gun laws could be enacted in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre of 20 children and six adults. D.C. officials welcomed the move. The city is still irritated that the U.S. Supreme Court in 2009 threw out the city’s absolute ban, saying it violated the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Ward 2 D.C. Council member Jack Evans wants to see tougher national laws because he says legal and illegal guns flow into the District, many of them from Virginia. “You know, there’s nothing we can do,” he told NBC4. “You can buy guns in Virginia at will. You can buy bullets at will, and unfortunately you can get in your car and drive across the 14th Street Bridge and bring them into the District of Columbia.” Evans said he also welcomes a review of mental health policies that might identify those who are prone to engage in gun violence. “Yes, we should treat mental health; it’s very important,” he said. “But if people didn’t have access to guns, it wouldn’t matter what state of mind you’re in, you wouldn’t be shooting anybody.” ■ Waving the flag. D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton is about to get first-rate treatment and respect for the city’s flag. Norton earlier this fall disclosed that the U.S. Navy and other federal agencies do not routinely include the D.C. flag at ceremonies where the flags of all 50 states are flown. Norton held a news conference to highlight a District family whose members were embarrassed by the omission. A son was graduating from naval training at Great Lakes. The home state flag was dipped for each graduate. But there was no D.C. flag. Norton said it was a demeaning oversight. As the holidays approached, Norton won passage of her measure to require the D.C. and territorial flags to be displayed whenever the 50 state flags are. We certainly can salute that. And, by the way, we’d like to say, happy New Year to all. Tom Sherwood, a Southwest resident, is a political reporter for News 4.
TOM SHERWOOD’S
NotebooK
Letters to the eDitor City-owned theater needs path to future
I love the arts, and I regularly attend theater performances, music events, art openings and film premieres. I strongly believe that without an appreciation of beauty and culture, we are doomed to live in a worthless world. That said, the state of the Lincoln Theatre has always upset me. After the venue’s spectacular revival in 1993, the promise of a vibrant arts district in the U Street corridor was quickly dashed, as the nonprofit tasked with leasing and managing the facility was not in sync with the needs of local arts organizations. The theater’s huge auditorium, lack of substantial wing (side) space and small lobby made it difficult to program. I had my films play in the theater as part of a few film festivals, but was always disappointed in the
poor sound and huge expanse of the space. Three hundred people in a standard movie theater is a sellout — in the Lincoln (1,250 seats), it looked empty. In the last year, the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities was given control of the space, which seemed like a good idea — until it was evident that the understaffed office was unable to properly program the venue. Now it has put out a request for proposals to find a theater management company to control the theater. Sadly, it seems to have been narrowly written to encourage a select few local promoters to bid. So, what do I suggest? The District needs an arts center for the hundreds of small performing arts, film and visual arts groups struggling to stay in the city. My plan for redevelopment includes: ■ Preserving the lobby and front spaces for small events. ■ Dividing the main auditorium and basement spaces into three or four flexible black-box theater
spaces to serve audiences of 50 to 200 at a time; rehearsal and studio spaces; a permanent 100-seat film screening room; and shared office spaces for arts organizations. ■ Selling the land’s air rights to a developer to create a mix of standard housing and affordable units for artists. ■ Re-evaluating the site’s back lot for added housing creation. When I mention this plan to older Washingtonians, I often get pushback as they cite the venue’s historical significance. While I appreciate this sentiment, it is imperative that we, as a city, stop living in our past, and learn from its lessons — so we can move toward an innovative, successful future. Keeping the facility as is will inevitably create another failed space. Creating a Lincoln Arts Center would encourage artists to stay in the District, create a more vibrant U Street corridor and provide much-needed affordable housing. Jon Gann Candidate, at-large D.C. Council seat