Posts tagged Government
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DC Dems should appoint a caretaker to Kwame Brown’s seat
In January, DC Council Chairman-elect Kwame Brown will vacate his current at-large seat, and the DC Democratic State Committee will appoint a temporary successor. This is a terrible provision of the law. The DCDSC should select someone who doesn’t plan to run permanently, and the Home Rule Act should be amended to remove this appointment power. The DC Home Rule Act calls… Keep reading…
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Does DC really need a Deputy Mayor for Education?
A mayoral transition is a good time to think about budget-friendly changes to the org chart, and one constructive change might be to eliminate the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME). Why do we need a DME when we already have an Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)? The DME office (with its own chief of staff, 8 full time staff and a $1.3m budget after the… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: With an eye to the future
Washington in 2040; Healthy Potomac needs more forests, less sprawl; Bipartisan proposal to raise gas tax; Bike sharing should be revenue neutral; Park Service limits public input; Transit riders save thousands; Behind the bag fee victory; Should we try strict liability?; And…. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: All liquored up
Virtual liquor license moratorium; MoCo liquor stores to open Sundays; How not to set a good example; Jefferson High struggles with diversity; Clarendon Trader Joe’s nearing lease; Baltimore codifies bike rights; More escalator problems uncovered; And…. Keep reading…
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Afternoon links: Trouble brewing
Food cart problems in Silver Spring; States in trouble with USDOT; GOP House will revisit HSR and TIGER projects; San Francisco has negative balance; Sherman Avenue to get Complete treatment; Pavement to parks in San Francisco; Are bike lanes really safe?; Free market traffic lights; And…. Keep reading…
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Fallout shelters: Cold War history in your neighborhood
At the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, the District of Columbia prepared hundreds of fallout shelters. However, since the capital was a primary target in the event of nuclear war and most shelters were located downtown, the city’s fallout shelters could not have saved Washingtonians in a direct attack. Had a nuclear bomb detonated over Washington during the early 1960s,… Keep reading…
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Talking buses another example of WMATA “safety theater”
Pedestrians across the region may soon find Metrobuses talking to them. Although WMATA will position these buses as a safety innovation, implementing system-wide talking buses would be a poor use of resources and would do little to improve safety. Supporters of talking buses argue that audible warnings make our streets safer. But the whole scheme feels like a knee-jerk reaction… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Better pedestrian environments
New crosswalks in Lincoln Park; Arlington police step up enforcement; A green street in PG; Arlington’s streetcar old and new; Credit card payment at more Metro lots; New LEED to incorporate transportation; Free parking in Eugene not working as hoped; Robocars by 2026 or not?; Regions and neighborhoods more important than cities?. Keep reading…
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Encourage better conditions for restaurant workers
Dining out in the DC area is an occasional practice for many and an everyday indulgence for some. The restaurant industry is an ever-changing and fast growing industry not only across the nation, but here in DC. Unfortunately it is also an industry plagued with many bad jobs and only a few good ones. There are almost 2,000 eating and drinking establishments in Washington… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: What’s in a number?
How far can you get in 15 minutes?; 85-year-old man killed; Hit-and-run driver avoids felony charge; How CaBi handled the insanity; Coke gives $50,000 toward Mall rehab; Ballston looks to create BID; Dulles Metro stop could ruin viewshed?; EPA attacks manicured lawns; And…. Keep reading…