Washington City Paper takes on Barry, some sort of outrage ensues

The Washington City Paper is drawing some heat for its cover this week. As you can see, it has a photo of Marion Barry, and a quote from a voicemail obtained by the paper. While not quite as classic as "Bitch set me up," this is a good one.

Howard Kurtz at the Washington Post has a summary of the "controversy" in today's paper.

The City Paper has been fielding all sorts of angry calls and complaints, as well as charges of racism.

Was it a "provocative" cover, absolutely. Was it worse than things that show up on the New York Post? Not at all. This story has been dominating local news for the last week, and the City Paper has had excellent coverage. It's a sad fact that this story demands coverage in the first place, but it does. This cover grabs your attention and sells the story well. Job well done, in my mind. Would it be appropriate for the front page of the Post or the New York Times, absolutely not. But the City Paper is not either of those publications. It is an alternative weekly that can take risks that those other papers can't afford to.

From the Post article:

Before Barry's news conference yesterday, two women approached a group of reporters and demanded to know which one worked for the City Paper. They soon began shouting at City Paper's Jason Cherkis, waving a copy of the newspaper at him.

"This is a disgrace, and I want to know what the media is doing about this," said Tisa Mitchell, 37, of Northeast Washington. "This is racially motivated. It's ugly. . . . You wouldn't do this to a white politician."

As television cameras gathered around them, Mitchell said: "I don't like the graphic nature of the front page. Everyone has relationship issues, but it shouldn't be put on the front page."

Constance Woody, who lives in Ward 7, east of the Anacostia River, added that "if Barry were a white man, he would have never been presented like this. This is an outrage."

First off, these charges of racism are, in my mind, completely ridiculous. This was presented the way it was because it was Marion Barry. Secondly, does anyone really believe if there was a scandal of this nature involving a white member of the Council, it wouldn't demand attention? Especially if that member had the history Barry does? Come on. We all saw how the media gave Bill Clinton a pass on Monica Lewinsky just because he was white.

And by the way, the total of money Barry directed to his girlfriend is up to $60,000. DC Council chair Vincent Gray has enlisted an independent law firm to investigate.

In an interview yesterday with The Washington Post, Watts-Brighthaupt raised further questions about the contract when she said she was hired to study Barry's political life. That would appear to contradict the terms of the contract, which said she would consult on "poverty reduction strategies."

Yesterday, in his first remarks since the arrest, Barry, 73, refused to comment on the $5,000-a-month contract. Instead, he blasted the U.S. Park Police, saying they inappropriately arrested him.

"Poverty reductions strategies" for $5k/mo? Well, Barry was certainly working to reduce his girlfriend's poverty.

We'll see what this investigation digs up, but we'll probably hear that the investigation is racist as well. We're picking an historical landmark of the District of Columbia who has done nothing but love women and constituents for his entire career. Right?

Can't spell Twitter without 'twit'

For those of you who only read the RSS feed, you wouldn't have noticed the Twitter box over on the right hand side of the site.

Yes, a few months ago, we created a why.i.hate.dc Twitter. Who knows how long this will last, but the fad seems to be growing and we'll run with it. After all, we live in DC where it's cool to put "Twitter Sk1llz" on your resume.

So yeah, feel free to follow us on Twitter.

Metro in more of a mess, no one is surprised

So the news keeps on getting worse for Metro. There have been two YouTube "incidents" this week, with video evidence of an operator texting as well as another operator apparently falling asleep. Both of these videos were made before the fatal crash, back when trains were still running on automatic mode.

A lot of bad press for WMATA, these latest incidents have been all over the national media. Sadly, the phrase "Metro Fail" has apparently become OK usage in national media headlines.

Metro has taken one positive step, finally making it a fireable offense to use a cell phone while operating a train or bus. According to General Manager John Catoe, "One strike and you're out. It's plain, simple and strong. Is it a tough policy? Absolutely. That's what I want."

Correction, John. That's what you want now that people are paying attention to WMATA, and it's becoming evident that operators aren't always paying attention. Why wasn't it what you wanted six months ago? A year ago? What about after the crash in Boston or the 25 dead in Los Angeles--both due to texting? Those weren't enough of a wake-up call? Oh, that's right, Metro doesn't pay attention to other transit systems.

This all at the same time as the District pulls the plug on $50 million in funding for Metro. So much for that dedicated funding stream. Of course the DC budget is in shambles, but by stopping the $50 million, $150 million in federal government matching funds would be lost. Well, except for the fact that the $150 million, while authorized, were not included in President Obama's budget.

Keeps getting better and better.

Metro operators union: "At least you're alive"

The Metro Red Line continues to suffer from overcrowded trains and stations, sixteen days after the fatal accident outside of Fort Totten Station. As a daily Red Line rider, I can say I need to add around 15-20 minutes extra to my commute. Each rush hour is similar to what I would expect for a baseball game or other special event, completely packed cars and completely full platforms. It's a mess, and it does test my patience a bit.

The Examiner reports today about the growing frustrations felt by Red Line riders. It's the typical "commuters are upset" piece we've seen elsewhere, but it does have an interesting quote from Jackie Jeter, the head of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, which represents Metro train operators.

"I understand that you want to get to work a little sooner," she said, but "everybody should back off that. ... At least you're alive."

Well yes, I am glad that I am alive, and I am saddened by the loss of 8 passengers and the train operator. I also believe that safety has to be the number one priority of any transit system. However, there's got to be a better way to get your message across.

Perhaps a statement that says, "We understand the customers' frustrations, and we hope that management works to resolve this situation as soon as possible." Or if you want to be a little edgier than how about "Customers who are frustrated with the situation should urge their state and Federal governments to provide more funding for Metro. If funding is not secured, these delays and service interruptions will be permanent." That has a nice ring to it, much better than something that sounds a bit like "hush up because you could die any moment on the Red Line."

In other Metro-related news:

• A Metrorail operator was suspended for a week without pay after a rider recorded him operating a cell phone.
• Metro should take some time to research similar transit systems, especially BART in San Francisco. The failure John Catoe called a "freak occurrence" was well known to those running the Bay Area Rapid Transit system. From the WaPo: Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said that every transit system is unique and that it is difficult to know the "intricacies of everybody else's system and how they compare to ours." I'm sorry, shouldn't that be someone's job at Metro? There aren't that many transit systems in the United States, and there aren't that many that are so similar to Metro.
• The proprietor of Unsuck DC Metro, a site that frequently comments on WMATA, admits to having never ridden on a Metrobus.

I demand my consulting fees

Tim Craig at the Washington Post tracked down $10,000 in taxpayer money sent from Councilmember Marion Barry's office his alleged "stalkee," Donna Watts-Brighthaupt. Mike DeBonis at the CityPaper finds another $10K. Thit $20k is made up of various consulting fees, including $5k in computer consulting. It should be noted that all of these payments were made after the two became a couple.

Craig tracks down the official conflict of interest policies for the DC Government, and this appears to fall into a ridiculous grey area:

According to the District's conflict of interest laws, no public official should use an "official position or public office to obtain private financial gain for the public official or any member of their household, or any business with which the public official or any member of their household is associated."

Members of the household are defined in the statute as spouses, parents, brothers and sisters and children, as well as their spouses. The law does not appear to address girlfriends.

"The issue becomes whether [Barry's] relationship would fall into any of those categories," said Cecily E. Collier-Montgomery, director of the Office of Campaign Finance. She declined to comment further because her office could be asked to investigate Barry's hiring of Watts-Brighthaupt.

Well, regardless of technicalities, it stinks. But that's obvious. Not to mention that while the policy doesn't mention girlfriends, it does mention spouses. That made me think about how, Marion "Gay marriage will start a civil war" Barry is still married. Yeah, they've been separated for seven years now, but haven't gotten a divorce. Stay classy, your honor.

Shit, he's so good at manipulating people that not only does he get elected Mayor after going to prison, and then gets elected to the DC Council... he gets people to give him organs. Yeah, remember that whole ordeal? About how he was too ill to pay his taxes?

From another excellent WaPo article:

"He was raised by three women, and so he truly understands women and he speaks to your need," said Kim Dickens, who donated a kidney to Barry last year. "And if there is no need, he will create the need for you to be with him. He knows how to get into your life."

Damn. Now I'm waiting for the "Ripped From the Headlines" episode of Law and Order: SVU based on this whole saga.

In other news, I'm still waiting on my consulting fees to be paid. As people from the Wilson Building read this blog, I feel I've provided them with quite a bit of consulting. Heck, if you hire me at the rates Barry paid his girlfriend, I'll tell you what not to do before you do it, which beats reading about it in the newspaper and on blogs. It's a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Hell, at this rate, maybe I should just run for the DC Council myself. I'd say most of the DC "blogosphere" is generally more qualified and would make better representatives than the current crop we've got in there. The bar has been set so infinitely low.

The anti-Anti Real World DC

So I've thus far refrained from comment on the whole Real World: DC ordeal. Honestly, out of all of the things that deserve hating upon in the DC area, this ranks near the bottom. A television show is being filmed in a house, and some camera crews are going to follow some people around. Big fucking deal.

If you read DC blogs (I assume you do, at this point), then you've probably heard about The Anti Real World DC. It's a collaborate blog effort that's been going on for a few weeks. I've been reading it occasionally, as it's gotten ubiquitous coverage as of late. I've avoided commenting on this, but there are a few things that really need to be said.

1. Get over it. The Real World is here, and they don't care about you. I'm sorry that there are roughly six less parking spots in your neighborhood than before. And maybe the house will be a little noisy for the duration of their stay. However, the producers of the Real World obtained all of the necessary permits and are here legally. Maybe they aren't playing by your so called rules, and attending your local ANC meetings. But if you've got a serious problem with this, take it up with the Government of the District of Columbia. I'm sorry the producers of the show didn't come to your house with a fruit basket to preemptively apologize for their presence.

2. I was with you, somewhat, but then you went after the appearance of the cast. Did you have legitimate concerns about the show, because I forgot the moment you discuss how a girl was wearing too much makeup. 1) who cares, and 2) she's being filmed, of course she'll have more makeup on than normal. Are you Perez Hilton or are you trying to make a real point? Because I don't know anymore. Your celebrity gawking and mocking is just more publicity for the show you supposedly despise and are up in arms about.

3. You actually meet some of the cast and "epically fail" in your mocking. So you're at the Big Hunt and some members of the cast come into the bar. What's that? You mock them for listening to Kanye West and Outkast? Further mocking for the Temptations? Wow, grasping for straws a bit there? You come face to face with one of the girls (is this the one with too much makeup?) and all you manage to say is that you don't hate her and that you want to buy her a drink. Because she's cute. Oh, okay. And then you go on and bash the Human Rights Campaign? All in one post? Jesus, how many more people do you want to alienate on your blog. Typical DC, I suppose. All talk, but when you had a chance to say "you aren't welcome here, in fact, I dedicate a lot of my spare time to mocking you" you didn't. No, you hit on her. And then you lamented that you went home alone. Please.

4. What's the point, and are you astroturfing for MTV? Yeah, that's right. I went there. Maybe someone smart at MTV realized that "local blogs" are popular, and that they could drum up publicity by creating an "Anti" Real World blog. If MTV isn't paying you to promote the show, they should start. Free advertising.

The Anti Real World DC is doing one thing, serving as the epitome of self-absorbed, self-important DC. I could really care less about the Real World filming in DC, but what I really hate are these people who get so riled up about something that is not worth getting riled up over. They sprinkle in little 'factoids' about how important they think they are (e.g. "Look at me! I'm important. I plan events! For a non-profit! I know how to make nice with the ANC") and how this is obviously the end of the world for them.

Look, you'll survive. Maybe I should have made a blog called "Anti Wrecking Ball Coming 10 ft. From My Window" back when the school next to where I lived was being torn down. No one asked me if that was O.K. That was a whole lot louder and a whole lot more a pain in the ass than some stupid television show. Or how about the "Anti Gang War down the Street from Where I Live," that's one I can get behind. Or maybe "Anti Marion Barry Embarrassing My City So I'll Never Get the Vote."

I know for a fact that you are loving every second of this, and without a doubt you will watch every damn episode that airs. So why don't you change your web site already and admit to the world you're happy they are here.

Bitch set me up, again

Over the weekend, former mayor and current Councilmember Marion "I voted for gay marriage before I voted against it" Barry was arrested by the U.S. Park Police. He was charged with stalking Donna Watts-Brighthaupt after a traffic stop in Anacostia Park.

Sunday was a busy news day, with a Barry press conference, which lashed out at the 'accuser,' making her out to be mentally unstable. Barry's spokesperson stopped short of explicitly saying "bitch set him up," but that was the general sentiment. Watts-Brighthaupt was the woman Barry purchased an expensive fur coat for at a fundraiser in April.

I have to give kudos to City Paper's Mike DeBonis for being all over this on a holiday weekend. WCP doesn't pay you enough, I'm sure. The latest news is DeBonis's interview with Watts.

After sifting through all of this nonsense, it appears that Barry and Watts are "sort of" dating. They "officially" dated for about six months, from late last year until early this year. The "relationship" included a trip to the DNC in Denver.

On Saturday, Watts was attending a screening of a CNN program at the Wilson Building. She attended with her children and her ex-husband. When Barry learned that the ex-husband would be present, he sent a memo demanding he be banned from the Wilson Building. Watts claims he was removed from the building and that she was embarrassed. This led to WAIT A MINUTE WHAT THE FUCK I DON'T GIVE TWO SHITS ABOUT THIS.

Yeah, that's right. I'm not even going to go through the rest of this ridiculous narrative. Yeah, I get it, he's a former mayor of DC. He was mayor when this city had absolutely no idea how to govern itself (it still doesn't), and he was caught on tape smoking crack. Yeah, we all know that part. Then he was elected again after going to prison. He failed to pay income tax, he was arrested on drug charges (later dismissed, you know, because the Park Police is "out to get him"), and he is on probation now. He's also collecting around $100k each year to serve as "Councilmember" for Ward 8.

Well you know what, I don't live in Ward 8, and I didn't live here when Barry was mayor. Here's the part where I'm going to give "props" to all of the change that has happened in DC since 1999. Just for a minute I'll stop hating all of the self-important assholes who move here and bitch and moan about things that aren't a big deal. You know why? Because as much as I hate all you gastro-pub loving, North Face wearing, funemployment douches, at least you wouldn't vote for Marion Barry.

So, all you hiptard, gentrifying asshats, here's a memo: Anacostia is the next Petworth, please move there and recall this idiot. Otherwise can we just blow up the damn bridge and "retrocede" Ward 8 to Prince George's County and call this a day.

This is beyond embarrassing. This makes Mark Sanford look like Jimmy Carter and Wasilla, AK look like Shangra-fuckin'-La.

Enough is enough. It's sad that a man who showed so much promise for the District of Columbia, a man who was a part of the civil rights movement, has become such a nationwide spectacle.

Holiday weekend is here, blog readers go on vacation

It's been a slow week around the blag-o-sphere, given that an estimated 30% of the city is on vacation right now. However, there's always news to report. So here's a few quick hits for anyone who still opens their browser or RSS reader over the holiday weekend.

A big story is that Metro has decided to run the Red Line at normal speed again. This comes just days after John Catoe said the line would run at 35 m.p.h. until the cause of the June crash was determined. The WaPo says Metro consulted with the NTSB, who signed off on the plan. Trains will still be operating at slower speeds through the Ft. Totten-Takoma section of track. The puzzling part is that Metro says the 35 m.p.h. speed limit may be resumed after the weekend. It's either safe or it's not, make up your mind.

In the realm of most people don't care, the Real World cast has begun moving into their house on S Street in Dupont Circle. A small gaggle of bloggers and gawkers greeted a few of the new cast members yesterday afternoon. A longer piece about this is in the works. Look for that on Monday.

Thought I was done with the Red Line crash? Thanks to LL Daily (kudos for updating on a holiday!) for pointing out this link, to Dave Statter talking about the media blackout after the crash. According to Statter, Mayor Fenty ordered all city officials stop cease releasing information about the crash until he could hold his own press conference later that evening. This is an interesting read if only to get a sense of the dynamics at play within the Fenty administration.

Finally, from the Follow Up on This in Six Months department--there's been some talk around the Airport Authority board of restoring the original name of National Airport to, well, National Airport. Supposedly the current (super) majority in Congress might be grumbling a bit about it. No word on if the plans call for the eventually renaming to Obama National Airport.

Enjoy the weekend folks. And remember, only you can prevent the epidemic of illegal fireworks. Remember, safety is everyone's responsibility.

Potentially terrible news: Metro knew of circuit problem?

This could very well turn out to be a huge story. WJLA-TV has two anonymous sources that say Metro knew about the circuit problems on the Red Line five days before the fatal crash. From the ABC7 piece:

WASHINGTON - Sources tell ABC 7 News there are significant new findings on what led to the breakdown on Metro last Monday.

Two sources who must remain anonymous because they are close to the investigation allege that Metro technicians knew about a serious circuit problem on the track five days before the deadly accident and that they allegedly reported the problem to supervisors days before nine people lost their lives.

On June 17, the sources say several technicians discovered a circuit near the accident scene, known as a weezie bond, was not working properly. Metro explains that particular circuit communicates train speed and distance between the tracks, trains, and the operations control center.

The sources explain there was bobbing in the circuit -- meaning it was intermittently dropping out and could possibly be unable to detect a train on the track.

Furthermore: "Sources say the technicians all claimed they notified supervisors and Metro's maintenance operations center about the circuit problem five days before that collision and that the information was entered into Metro's maintenance computer database."

WMATA Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein was caught off guard when asked about this, saying only: "I am not aware -- no one has shared with me. I wouldn't have access to those types of memos if there were -- I am not saying there were I just honestly don't know."

No, I'm not taking down the Catoe Watch anytime soon.

What did they know, and when did they know it?

DC Office of Tax and Revenue can't hold on to their money

Yesterday, Harriette Walters was sentenced to 17 years in prison for her role as ringleader in the largest embezzlement in the history of the city. Walters and 10 others have been convicted in the scheme that stole more than $48 million from the city government. Walters operation siphoned the money via fraudulent tax refund checks. Walters was a former manager at the Office of Tax and Revenue.

Today, the story breaks that OTR is sending out "mistaken" tax refund checks to people who owed taxes. WTOP has some details:

D.C.'s Office of Tax and Revenue has mistakenly sent refund checks to residents who actually owe taxes. In one case, a resident received a check for $2,886 -- the exact amount he owed.

The resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, received the check in early June and returned it with a letter alerting the chief financial officer to the error.

"The amount represents my total tax liability for 2008, which I have paid, not the amount due me in refund."

Natalie Wilson, a spokesperson for the Office of Tax and Revenue, says there was a "processing error" which is now being investigated.

"We don't believe this is widespread."

But D.C. Councilmember David Catania (I-At-Large) isn't so sure, considering one of the checks was sent to his home.

Now I'm not even sure what sort of "processing error" could result in a check being cut and sent out for the same amount of a tax bill that was already paid.

I've heard a good deal of stories about dealing with OTR, with tax payments being applied to the incorrect tax year, resulting in the IRS withholding federal refunds, etc. Not to mention it's a horrific experience attempting to speak to anyone from OTR about these matters. God help the poor person here who tried to return that check. I can only imagine how that will screw up their 2009 taxes.

I imagine Marion Barry received a hefty "mistake" check from OTR as well.

Metro to scrap automode, run Red Line at 35mph

Metro General Manager John Catoe announced two new safety provisions today. First, trains will be running in manual mode indefinitely, and second the Red Line will run at 35 m.p.h. until the cause of the fatal crash is determined.

This is in addition to putting Series 1000 cars in the middle of trains, and having all trains berth at the very end of the platform regardless of length.

First off, a personal observation. My commute involves the Red Line. On a normal day, my commute takes a little under 30 minutes. Today I attempted to take the Red Line, after using bus alternatives last week. Big mistake. When I arrived, the platform was already packed (this was at around 8:45 am) and the information display was not showing the next arrival. I waited about 12 minutes before deciding that even if a train arrived, I wouldn't be able to get on, and the display only showed a "-- Train" arriving in 12 more minutes.

Running the entire Red Line at 35 m.p.h. could indicate a few things. The first is that Metro has absolutely no idea why the accident occurred (perhaps the real cause has nothing to do with a faulty sensor), or they are aware of a problem that is limited only to the Red Line. What is that problem? It must be a pretty big problem because running an entire line at such a low speed makes me think they are very afraid that there will be another crash. The other alternative is that they have absolutely no idea what happened, but feel it would be too much of a burden to run the entire system at 35 m.p.h.

Is this an overreaction of caution in the face of nine deaths and what will surely be hundreds of millions of dollars in lawsuits? Or, are our greatest fears perhaps warranted and the entire system is vulnerable to a terrible crash? This excellent post over at Greater Greater Washington outlines the various safety systems Metro uses. From that post, we learn "Metro tracks don't have signals in the same way that older subways like New York do. Visible wayside signals only exist at switches." Question for Metro, does this make running in manual mode more difficult? The system will always limit speed to prevent crashes (even in manual mode), but what about the fear that the safety system is broken. Without signals, do the drivers just have to "watch out" for other trains? In 2005, there was nearly a horrific accident in the tunnel between Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom, but operators hit the emergency brake in time. Metro has been silent on what may have caused that to happen. Imagine a crash in the blue/orange tunnel under the Potomac. I don't even want to think about that.

Metro has had problems training their operators--e.g. they don't always remember how long their trains are. There have been concerns about attentiveness after years of running trains in automatic mode. We know operator error was not the cause of the crash last week, but i don't really want my train operator to be playing a game of (reverse?) chicken in a twisting dark tunnel (of doom).

So again, I'll state some questions for WMATA:

1. Why is it only the Red Line operating at 35 m.p.h?

2. Is the risk of another crash more likely on the Red Line? If so, why would that be the case?

3. What were the results of the investigation into the 2005 incident?

BUT, hey, we did get Nextbus.

The future of hyperlocal blogging, or why blogs are not the future

I've discussed the spread of hyperlocal neighborhood blogging before, rattling off a list of things you can to do to ensure you're blog is the best blog in your immediate 8 block radius.

DC has a ton of neighborhood blogs. These are the new listserves, the new 'neighborhood newsletter,' so on and so forth. I'll even admit, I read some of these neighborhood blogs. I might even read three or four different neighborhood blogs. However, there's one thing that needs to be said, so I'll say it as clearly as possible.

'Hyperlocal' blogs are not a substitute for newspapers.

I keep seeing how local bloggers are filling the void left by the collapse of newspapers. I'll give some local blogs some credit, they are covering things that no one else is covering. The Washington Post doesn't send reporters to local ANC meetings to report on voluntary agreements and liquor licenses. This is very true. However, there is still a huge void in local news that cannot be filled by 'part-time keyboard jockeys' such as myself.

Blogs are great at 1) serving as a filter of local news, highlighting interesting stories that may fly under the radar and 2) providing entertaining commentary.

However, blogs do not fill the void left by the lack of actual hard news coverage. You don't have bloggers digging through court records and testimony to put together a several thousand word piece on an unsolved murder case. You don't have bloggers asking the tough questions at press conferences. That's because blogs are (generally) not a full-time occupation where the writer can spend their days doing research, conducting interviews and building stories.

Newspapers, television and radio stations have the resources needed to cover local news in depth. As we know, in DC, a lot of outlets don't do a great job at this. But on any given day take a look at CityDesk over at the Washington City Paper. Take a look at the Washington Examiner. And yes, take a look at the Washington Post Metro Section. This is where the real reporting is done. This is where the bloggers get their material. Without these sources, we'd only be writing about 'neat' doors, the new wine bar opening in the basement of another wine bar, or that time you think you saw a bunch of police do something and maybe a helicopter was involved.

Do the hyperlocal blogs serve a purpose? Sure they do, but they aren't a substitute for the Metro section. There's a niche for everything but I should hope no one confuses blogging for real, shoeleather journalism. Might it help the Post if they launched their own set of hyperlocal blogs? Maybe, but not until they do something about their awful web design. If the Post or some other media-savvy enterprise acquired a blog in each 'high profile' neighborhood and paid the writer to blog as a full-time job (with some sort of responsibility) then perhaps we'd actually get some good local coverage.

That would never turn a profit, though, as not enough people read such blogs.

DC vows 'crackdown' on fireworks

I'm not sure what's more useless, this article from WJLA or the subject of the matter, "D.C. Pledges to Toughen Fireworks Crackdown."

Sweet, ain't no kind of crackdown like a tougher crackdown.

Just like every other year, DC Police and the Fire Department are "cracking down" on illegal fireworks. In DC, that means pretty much all fireworks, excluding pointless "fireworks" such as sparklers and smokebombs and those things you throw at the ground that go "pop." Or the fireworks display at Nationals Park.

I grew up near the Illinois-Indiana state line, where the "illegal" fireworks trade came out each year in full force. Hundreds of fireworks stands popped up all along the Indiana side of the border. The fireworks were, as I understand it, illegal in Indiana, and if you bought them, you were agreeing you would take them out of state. The fireworks were also illegal in Illinois, so you'd have the Illinois State Police stopping all of the people as soon as they crossed the border. One fireworks dealer described the State Police's efforts as a "full paramilitary operation" involving camouflaged surveillance and undercover operatives.

Needless to say, despite the best efforts of law enforcement, each July you'd see and hear plenty of illegal fireworks as well as plain old gunfire as people "celebrated" the birth of our nation.

Here in DC, the "crackdown" apparently involves fire inspectors on the street and a partnership with MPD. Well, shit, I guess that puts that to bed. Nevermind the fact that I just heard about 15 firecrackers go off outside. Looks like the recession put the brakes on deploying the fireworks sniffing dogs on all of the bridges into DC.

While D.C. offers the annual PBS "A Capitol Fourth" spectacular on the National Mall, many residents prefer to create there own, including Calvin Scott Sr and his 9-year-old son, Calvin Junior.

"Come out here and we just shoot fireworks until 1, 2 O'Clock in the morning," the elder Scott said. "I mean, we have friends that go to North Carolina, pick up hundreds and hundreds of cases of fireworks. Believe it or not, we just sit out here and have an excellent time."

"We're going to shoot fireworks," he said, his son interrupting to question the wisdom of telling the world about their plans. "It's just something that's, you know, tradition," the elder Scott continued.

Fireworks can be dangerous, they can destroy fingers and start fires. Firecrackers can also sound a lot like gunfire (e.g. the person who called 911 saying they heard 60-80 gunshots! damn, must have been some firefight). However, this is quite like the battle against "illegal firearms" which the city has been losing for some time. Call me crazy, but I have a feeling that for as long as fireworks are sold anywhere on the eastern seaboard, people will bring them to DC and set them off. It's going to happen. No matter if we have an All Hands on Deck driving down every single block looking for some telltale white smoke.

The best resource in the city's crackdown is you and me, because as the DC Fire Department reminds us on their web site, it is our duty to report fireworks:

What can I do if I see someone engaging in illegal fireworks use or sales?

As a citizen of the District of Columbia, it is your duty to report the use of illegal fireworks use or sales to the DC Fire Marshals office at (202) 727-1600 for immediate action.

Calvin and Calvin Junior had better watch out. Maybe DC FEMS (God, they need a better acronym) can pull their best fire inspectors off fire hydrant inspections to go look for firecrackers. Sweet. How's that Eastern Market fire investigation going, anyways?

Catoe on Catoe: Online Chat at 2:30

There's no justice like angry Internet mob justice.

Today at 2:30 PM Metro General Manager John Catoe will be hosting an online chat to address questions about Metro's safety.

Will he answer the big, important questions? Will his lawyers advise him not to answer them?

I am currently out of town, in the land of Windy Shoulders, so I may have to miss this chat. I urge all of those in Internet land to attend if you can. See if your questions get answered.

Perhaps we can also administer some type of Turing Test to make sure that we're actually talking to a human, and not Skynet. The NTSB is realizing that Skynet let us down, and instructed the striking train to continue at 59 mph.

I'm curious to know if WMATA had any information about a sensor problem prior to the crash. Track work had been done in that area, and with the volume of trains on the Red Line it seems as though someone would have noticed this problem. Maybe not, though.

Also, Catoe announced Metro would be putting Series 1000 cars in the middle of trains, where they would be less vulnerable. Given that Series 1000 cars make up something like 30% of the rolling stock, it's not possible to do this in every case. However, why was this not already in place, given prior NTSB recommendations? Also, is that not admitting that Series 1000 cars are unsafe? I know this paints Metro into a corner here, but still.

Too little, too late? Or just enough? What do you want to ask John Catoe?

Also, are we still getting NextBus on July 1?

Coming never: A "grassroots" bar on U Street

via PoP: Community (party) organizer Nikisha Carpenter is aiming to open a new bar/lounge on U Street, called Kindred. The bar will be located at 1357 U St. Rather than relying on traditional ways to open a bar, Nikisha is instead asking for your spare change.

Opening a new bar is an expensive task. Generally people finance this with money raised from family, business partners, and loans. The idea is that once the business is operational, it will hopefully make a profit, and you can repay your loans and investors.

Nikisha "Yes, We Can" Carpenter decided to take today's trendy term "grassroots" and somehow apply it to the bar industry. Instead of having a business plan and getting investors, she's just asking for donations over the Internet. If it worked for Howard Dean and Barack Obama, it can work for her as well. Right?

From the Kindred site:

Have you ever found yourself wondering why that bottle of Miller Light at the bar costs the same as a six-pack at the liquor store? Or, why you have to pay so much more for a martini that only takes a minute to shake when you’re at home? Well, the answer to those questions is pretty simple: Bars charge more than liquor stores because they have to pay more overhead: opening costs, renting a space, paying employees, and interest on bank loans. When you do the math, it all adds up.

So which ones of those (opening costs, rent, payroll and interest) don't liquor stores have to pay? It is true that a swanky lounge likely has more overhead than a corner liquor store. They also can turn a lot more profit.

The argument and apparent "mission" of Kindred is to raise $100,000 (that's a lot!) to open a lounge. Supposedly once this is open, prices will be very reasonable because they got $100,000 for free rather than from a bank or investors. It's unclear how that initial $100K will keep prices down in the long run. Will their employees be volunteers? Also, keep in mind that by donating you do not become an investor or shareholder. You are giving this person your money, because a web site told you that you'd be getting a cheap, swanky lounge.

So far, on the Kindred blog, we have a selection of testimonials. Here's one:

Nikisha is doing something great for the community, opening up more doors for everyone ... who wouldn't want to support that.
- Ice

Well, Ice, I'm glad to see that there's no better use for a hundred grand in DC than to open up a swanky lounge.

Again, from the site's mission statement:

I realize this is something unprecedented. My goal is to raise money through the community and via online donations from supporters like you to help cover the cost of opening KINDRED — a for profit business. And I’m hoping to do so with your help and support. Grassroots isn’t just for politics, after all, right?

It's unprecedented because it's a terrible idea. Don't get me wrong, it's awesome to get fired up about something and to raise money for a good cause. But there's a reason why bars aren't 501(c)3 non-profits. She even mentions here that it is a "for profit business." Non-profits across the region and the nation are struggling, laying people off and discontinuing vital services to people. And Kindred wants to ask people to give them $100K to open a bar along a trendy (and expensive) strip of U Street?

This, like socialism, sounds like a great idea. But come on, asking the world give you money to open a bar with the promise that you will only try to make a little bit of profit? I don't care who you are or how awesome of an idea you have for a bar, that just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Even if you promised me a kickass Jurassic Park themed bar, I'm not going to just give you money because you said so! It's a lounge on U Street! Exactly how does a "cheap" $3 Miller Lite or a $5 martini help the community?

Gee whiz, I'd like to buy a house. Can the Internet help me pay for it? I promise once I get it I'll invite everyone over for dinner once a month.

In case you actually want to donate some money to a good cause, here's a few suggestions:

• Martha's Table
• DC Central Kitchen
• Critical Exposure
• The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington