District Links
The comprehensive DC politics roundup, by Cuneyt Dil.
Send tips, links, events, things to cuneytdil@thedcline.org.
|
|
Happy Thursday. Jack Evans says he no intention to resign his DC Council seat, WaPo reports. His lawyers, alarmed with the bullet-train pace of his ethics scandal, pleaded yesterday in a letter to the council chairman and the head of the panel investigating Evans for a “slow-down.”
Evans’ lawyers, Abbe David Lowell and Mark Tuohey, denounced the leak of the law firm’s report on Evans to WaPo a day before it was publicly released, and the ensuing calls for the veteran legislator's resignation — which grew to nine council members yesterday. Trayon White is the latest lawmaker to publicly say Evans should resign.
DL says publicly because two sources say Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has privately encouraged Evans to resign. One source says Mendelson has advised Evans multiple times to quit, including as early as after the FBI raid of his Georgetown home in June.
DL has no intel on what veteran politicians Anita Bonds and Vincent Gray are thinking. (Backstory: One source tells DL Gray and Mendelson met with Evans in March to tell him he should resign as chair of the Finance and Revenue Committee, which was ultimately dissolved in a July vote. Given that the scandal has only worsened since March, it’s hard to imagine Gray not wanting Evans to resign, although he hasn’t offered any hints to his stance.)
“We ask for a slow-down, for some deliberation, for some consideration of the real facts and applicable law,” Evans’ lawyers write in a letter to Mendelson and Mary Cheh, chair of the ad hoc committee investigating Evans. On the report by the outside law firm, which found Evans committed 11 violations of the council’s code of ethics, the letter says: “There was no finding that [Evans] linked any official action to any financial gain or that, to use the words of some, he sold his office, nor that he had any intention to circumvent the rules.”
Cheh fired back in a response to Evans’ legal team. “The essence of your letter is that Mr. Evans is being denied due process,” Cheh wrote. “Mr. Evans has already had considerable due process and will be receiving more.” Evans has been invited to speak before the committee. She concludes: “Cloaking your public relations campaign in legal jargon does nothing to advance your defense.”
NEW DRAMA - A new bill introduced by Kenyan McDuffie would ban all outside employment, including Cheh's post as law professor at GW University. DCist’s Natalie Delgadillo: “The legislation would also give councilmembers a pay raise to about $185,000 from the $140,000 they make now, presumably to make up for some of the funds they may otherwise have made at other jobs.
“… Brianne Nadeau introduced similar legislation back in April, also in the wake of the potential conflicts of interest coming to light in the investigations of Evans. That bill was co-introduced by the majority of the council, meaning it’s likely to pass. … Nadeau’s legislation does not include a pay raise, and it includes an exception for councilmembers with teaching jobs.
“… Though her bill includes an exception for teaching, Nadeau says she would also support a blanket ban, though she hopes that McDuffie’s office reached out to Cheh about the bill.
“Cheh says that McDuffie did not. ‘I think it’s interesting that [this bill] comes from somebody with whom I’ve clashed occasionally on the council,’ she tells DCist. ‘I wonder what the real motivation is here, especially since there is already a bill to ban outside employment but makes an exception for teaching.’ McDuffie was not immediately available for comment.” [DCist]
— Bowser supports banning all outside employment.
WaPo latest from last night … Fenit Nirappil: “D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said Wednesday that she hasn’t read the findings of an ethics investigation of D.C. Council member Jack Evans that has sent shock waves through the Wilson Building and prompted a growing number of lawmakers to call on him to resign.
“Bowser declined to say whether Evans (D-Ward 2) should stay in office but said she was troubled by news reports about the latest revelations, although she had not read the report that was delivered to the council Monday and was released to the public Tuesday.
“… Three members — Elissa Silverman (I-At Large), David Grosso (I-At Large) and Robert C. White Jr. (D-At Large) — said they would vote to expel Evans from the council. Expulsion requires a vote of 11 members.” [WaPo; also WTOP]
Cheh did hint Tuesday at a potentially thorny scenario: The ad hoc committee could recommend expulsion with a majority vote, but the council would need the super-majority in order to follow through. So even though the committee includes 12 of the 13 legislators, rules discrepancies could prove pivotal in the outcome.
|
|
|
TODAY: Number of dockless vehicles would more than double under new DDOT rules; activists bristle at NTSB's call for mandatory bike helmet laws; Ward 4's Janeese Lewis George on publicly financed campaigns ...
|
|
|
IN OTHER NEWS - ‘D.C. officials, activists ramp up statehood push — Lawmakers working with senators, national organizations, and recruiting celebrities.’ Wash Times’ Sophia Kaplan: “The campaign includes hanging U.S. flags with 51 stars around the District, airing ads for statehood in Kentucky and South Carolina, having the mayor appear on national news programs and engaging national veterans groups on the issue.
“… Meanwhile, the District’s ‘shadow’ senator — Paul Strauss — is advancing the campaign by meeting with ‘anybody who can influence anybody else.’ Last month, he met with a group of students from Boston University and two young political leaders from Laos and Malaysia. He said he will go to the Republican and Democratic national nomination conventions, as well.” [Wash Times]
MORE THAN DOUBLE - 20K dockless scooters, bicycles allowed under new DDOT regs. WTOP’s Jeff Clabaugh: “The District Department of Transportation is now taking applications for its 2020 Shared Dockless Vehicle Program, and if vendors take full advantage of the new fleet size limits, the number of dockless scooters and bikes in D.C. will more than double next year
“DDOT increased the total potential dockless fleet for 2020 to a maximum of 20,000 — 10,000 scooters and 10,000 bikes — up from just over 6,200 allowed currently.
“… DDOT also has new plans to address dockless vehicle clutter and illegal sidewalk use by riders. The city will install 100 parking corrals for dockless vehicles, and in a new effort to keep them off sidewalks in the Central Business District, DDOT will be painting stencils on sidewalks identifying them as a ‘dismount zone.’” [WTOP; also Curbed]
‘Small business owners press D.C. lawmakers for financial relief.’ WAMU’s Ally Schweitzer: “Proprietors, local business advocates, ANC commissioners and others described a crush of challenges facing small business owners in the District, including rent-gouging landlords, high property taxes, excessive regulations and a lack of small commercial spaces, in addition to larger forces like consumers’ migration to big box stores and online shopping.
“… One of the bills, Council member [Charles] Allen’s ‘Longtime Resident Business Preservation Amendment Act,’ would supplement rents paid to landlords who sign long-term leases with longstanding businesses. Another, the ‘Small and Local Business Assistance Amendment Act,’ guarantees rent payments to property owners if their tenants become unable to pay. The goal, Allen says, is to encourage landlords to rent to local businesses instead of deeper-pocketed chains perceived as less risky.” [WAMU]
LOCAL ANGLE - 'NTSB wants mandatory bike helmet laws. Bike advocates don’t.’ WaPo’s Luz Lazo: “Increased use of helmets would reduce the number of serious head injuries from collisions, which are the leading cause of death among cyclists, the NTSB said, urging all 50 states, the District and Puerto Rico, to require everyone wear a helmet while riding.
“But cycling advocates said they are strongly against mandatory bike-helmet laws, saying they might discourage biking.
“… The NTSB recommendation was among several the agency issued Tuesday following its first examination of bike safety in the United States since 1972. The safety board also called for improved roadway design, more separated bike lanes and enhancing the visibility of bicyclists through technology.” [WaPo]
Head of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, Greg Billing:
|
|
COMMENTARY - ‘DC’s Fair Elections program exists because voters are sick and tired of council corruption.’ Ward 4 DC Council candidate Janeese Lewis George in The DC Line: “The Fair Elections program puts voters first and invests in better government for all — contrary to the arguments in jonetta rose barras’ recent critique of the program in The DC Line. The program is brand-new this year, so I still get a lot of questions about what it is and how it works. Here’s a quick overview of what it’s about.
“Candidates who opt-in and qualify for the program agree to three conditions: 1) We accept no donations from corporations or political action committees, 2) all donations to our campaigns are limited to $50, and 3) we agree to participate in a public debate. In return, the Fair Elections program will match qualified donations $5-to-$1, giving us a way to financially compete with candidates backed by large corporations and wealthy donors.
“Participating in the Fair Elections program encourages candidates to fundraise from the grassroots. By the nature of the program, we must build a much larger and more diverse community of support in order to win. The working parents, immigrant families, senior residents, LGBTQI neighbors, people of faith, renters, and young people who chip in $5 or $10 are all powerful donors to our campaigns.” [The DC Line]
‘D.C. offers financial aid for residents to replace lead water pipes.’ WaPo’s Katherine Shaver: “Some District residents qualify for financial assistance from the city to cover part or all of the cost of replacing their lead water pipes under a new program aimed at completing lead service line replacements in about 12,000 homes.
“The program covers homes where D.C. Water already has replaced the part of the lead service line, which connects homes to the water main, on public property. Those residents may apply for financial aid to replace the rest of the lead line between the property line and their home with safer copper pipe, D.C. Water officials said Wednesday.” [WaPo]
NEW BOOK - ‘Ex-CFO Gandhi’s memoir recounts humble origins in dusty Indian village, sings praise for immigrants’ contributions to America.’ By Edward Cowan in The DC Line: “Natwar Gandhi, who became famous locally during 13 years as the chief financial officer of the District, has penned an engaging memoir looking back at his boyhood in India and later adventures — setbacks and successes — in the United States. Titled Still the Promised Land, the book serves in part as Gandhi’s paean in praise of immigrants and his adopted country.
“Gandhi, who retired in 2013, still lives in the District, in upper Northwest. He serves on several local boards; consults abroad for the World Bank; takes cruises with his second wife, Panaa Naik (both were widowed); and shuttles with her between Washington and Philadelphia, where she still keeps a home. Nat and Panaa continue to write poetry in their native tongue, Gujarati, the common interest that drew them together. As Gandhi relates, language and literature are his first loves.
“Gandhi, shrewdly if a touch defensively, opens his book with the worst day in his 16 years of service to the District: On Nov. 7, 2007, Harriet Walters, a midlevel employee of the tax office Gandhi had headed, was charged with embezzling $50 million of taxpayer money. Walters and 11 others were convicted.” [The DC Line]
‘A connected bikeway network wins out over parking protection on P Street SW.’ GGW’s David Alpert: “Despite opposition from the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission, DC will build a protected bikeway on P Street SW, completing a missing link in the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.
“In a formal reply to the ANC, District Department of Transportation (DDOT) transportation planner Will Handsfield said the project will create ‘a clear walking, biking, scootering route for people traveling in and through Southwest DC, and especially linking the two stadia, the Wharf, the Southwest Waterfront Metro, and Navy Yard areas.’ It will serve users ‘between 8 and 80 years old,’ reduce car trips, and make the road safer for people on foot, bike, or scooter.” [GGW]
‘The owls of Washington are on the attack. Experts say it comes with the territory.’ WaPo’s Marissa J. Lang: “Residents may not see owls marauding the streets of Washington, but, biologist Dan Rauch said, they’re always there.
“‘Barred owls are everywhere — in parking lots, by the zoo, outside Eastern Market, all over Rock Creek Park, the National Arboretum, everywhere,’ said Rauch, a wildlife and fisheries biologist who works for the D.C. Department of Energy and Environment. ‘They’re just so cryptic and secretive that you don’t really see or hear from them unless they come out and do something like this.’
“Barred owls, eastern screech owls, great horned owls and even snowy owls have been known to take up residence in the nation’s capital.” [WaPo]
|
|
|
ICYMI — the top-two clicked stories from yesterday's newsletter: Three-way tie: Area colleges waive application fees for DC students [DCist]; WWII-era duck boats used for tours now retiring [WAMU]; Video: Bowser wants ban on outside jobs for council members [@FenitN]
|
|
|
A look at the latest proposed amendments: ‘Updates to DC’s Comprehensive Plan fit together housing and preservation’ [GGW]
‘New York offers half-price train and bus rides to low-income residents. Why doesn’t D.C.?’ [WAMU]
WaPo Newspaper Guild report: women paid less than men, employees of color paid less than white men [Post Guild, Washingtonian, Nieman Lab]
‘She was 7 months pregnant when she lost her baby. She then left D.C., believing it took too much from her.’ [WaPo]
DC Council acts to expand rights of sexual assault victims [DCist, WTOP]
The rundown on DC's snow preparation plans [WTOP]
Panda watch: 4-year-old Bei Bei leaving National Zoo this month [WAMU, WTOP, DCist]
Language museum Planet Word, taking over Franklin School building, to open May 31 [WBJ, Curbed, WAMU, Washingtonian]
‘Spike Gjerde plans big food hall and two restaurants at Buzzard Point’ [WBJ]
Tenants signing on for new developments east of the river [Bisnow]
’43 condos on the waterfront: A new look for one of Georgetown’s largest projects’ [UrbanTurf]
'These two incredibly stylish hotels are opening in DC by early 2020' [Washingtonian]
‘Union Station badly needs updates. Here’s why fixing it is so complicated.’ [GGW]
District Architecture Center exhibit will show off DC's modernized schools [Curbed]
|
|
|
Evans has been an ally of the mayor:
|
|
|
Robert White gets hearing for his bill to help Check It buy its building in Anacostia (DL's story from August):
|
|
|
|
Noon: Honor the Life and Memory of Firefighter and Technician Alex Graham of Engine 21 Platoon 4 at Line of Duty Funeral. DC Armory. Open press.
|
|
|
|
|
|
