4.03.2009

Lovin' the Weather on Friday

Quick hits for Friday

FOLLOWING UP on M@'s Tranquil Spaces piece... RAHM EMANUEL has possibly been spotted frequenting the yoga studio on 17th St.


Is Rahm studying to be a Hip Tranquil Chick(TM)? Also, has he moved out of the illegal bachelor pad on Capitol Hill? Does he live closer to the White House, perhaps in Dupont Circle now?

THE REAL WORLD coming to DC? For realsies this time? Sorry kids, that shit won't fly here. I'll believe it when I see it. For now I'll be content with the fact that we got a black family to move into the White House before we got Real World DC. Does anyone even watch Real World anymore? Where do you think they would live? Adams Morgan is the obvious choice, which has been rumored for years. I'm voting in favor of REAL WORLD: CLARENDON. THIS WEEK, TIFFANY-AMBER RIDES THE ORANGE LINE TO BALLS-ton.

FIRETRUCKS FOR VACATIONS? Now this, it just writes itself, really. If you haven't heard, in January the Deputy Fire Chief for Apparatus traveled to the Dominican Republic to donate a firetruck and ambulance. He stayed at a resort for six days (at $135/day). The equipment has been valued at $340,000, though it was considered obsolete. After the hubbub erupted, it seems the fire trucks were turned back in Miami and were returned. I don't even know where to start with this.



STREETCAR NAMED 'HOLY SHIT' Maybe La Republica Dominicana could use some trollies, too. City Desk notes that the District is paying $860,000 a year to store unused streetcars in the Czech Republic. Yes, this is correct, the District purchased three streetcars to be used on a trolly line in Anacostia. However, the construction of the line has been delayed until at least January 2010. So... the streetcars have been sitting in storage in the Czech Republic (where they were made, yes, buy Czech!). Apparently this costs $2,356 per day.

AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL, 'RACE BAITERS?' The DC Council has been kicking around the idea of a $0.05 plastic bag tax, and the American Chemistry Council is pissed. Naturally, the best way to lobby against a plastic bag tax is to point out that it unfairly targets low income people, especially minorities. From Marc Fisher:
A group called the Progressive Bag Affiliates, funded by the American Chemistry Council and leading bag makers, has hired Darrell Carrington, a lobbyist from Annapolis who is African American. Carrington tells me that he's making the rounds of council members' offices, arguing that any fee on bags "is going to disproportionately hit low-income people, who are predominantly minorities. That's what it is. Truth is truth."

Progressive Bag Affiliates. Good god. It's a fact that any flat rate tax does disproportionately burden those with lower incomes. Like sales tax. And excise tax on tobacco and booze. I'm glad to see the American Chemistry Council and plastic bag manufactures are looking out for the less fortunate. Big-old tip of the hat to them. Anyways, the real question here is how do you enforce a plastic bag tax on the self-checkout?

16 comments:

  1. can i add a little hate for the DCist falling over themselves to promote Sweetgreen? "Sweetgreen is a little bit like Chop't meets TangySweet -- the restaurant offers a selection of signature and design-your-own salads and tart frozen yogurt with fresh fruit toppings. The restaurant also lives up to its name by using biodegradable/compostable dishware and utensils, recycled napkins, and reclaimed wood. Still not enough for you? Sweetgreen is also a certified Green Restaurant and is powered by 100 percent wind energy. To top it off, the take out menu is studded with seeds that will sprout into actual flowers if planted." designer salads? really? you do know that you can buy lettuce and ice cream and just about everything else they sell at your local Safeway for a fraction of the price. but you can also buy hoodies for $20 instead of a north face fleece for $200. just saying. theres a recession on, ya know. i think you know where to plant that menu.

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  2. Nice little roundup.... ROFL at Kimberly Wilson's newest protege. I guess he's trying to meet some nice young men?

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  3. It is obvious that Marissa and to a lesser extent, Dave, are attempting to save this blog in spite of M@, and to a lesser extent, Liz.

    Marissa balances personal perspective with current events and humor, while Dave injects his juvenile Narcissism into current events (OMG YOU GUYZ!). M@ brings a medley of his personal problems together with his lack of talent, and that is what ultimately undermines this blog.

    DCist is actually a much better place to be. Bye.

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  4. hey i didn't say "OMG" one time in this post.

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  5. Anonymous,

    You make me giggle. OMG, you guys.

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  6. Black TV Jesus will offer a tax credit to consumers to compensate for the costs of the plastic bag tax.

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  7. Rusty's a douche.

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  8. In all fairness, I'm not trying to save any blog (not even my own at this point)...because blogs don't pay me money. But I do thank you, anonymous poster, for your compliments.

    Moving on, I like this round-up a lot, particularly because I learned that "Deputy Fire Chief for Apparatus" is an legitimate title and not just a euphemism for something dirty, although I will continue to use it as such.

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  9. um, marissa hardly writes anything, so saying she's "saving this blog" is bullshit.

    unless of course you're trying to be funny and make the argument that she's saving WIHDC by almost never writing anything for it.

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  10. It's a tax on paper bags too, not just plastic!

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  11. THE REAL WORLD ALABAMA AVE SOUTHEAST

    I'D PAY TO SEE THAT SHIT YO

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  12. "unless of course you're trying to be funny and make the argument that she's saving WIHDC by almost never writing anything for it."

    Ok Matt, whatever. You suck, she doesn't.

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  13. I like M@. He is funny.

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  14. "I like M@. He is funny."

    Its obvious that you like yourself a lot, M@. You even anonymously refer to yourself in the third person from time to time. Two more reasons why you suck.

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  15. Also, that Blingee is the shit.

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  16. Anonymous Shit Face:

    HEY! FUCKTARD! You seem to do a lot of knokcing but not much else, how about you stop drooling over the girl you tit and try and offer something rather than throwing stones when you're house is made of glass?

    Cheap glass by the way, fucking cheap glass.

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