Ward 7 is scheduled to receive the least.

That must be a bummer. You vote your corrupt CM to mayor, and you still get nothing. Wow. The news for Grey gets worse every day. It's bad enough that he's corrupt, he's bad at being corrupt forgetting to pay back the people that voted him into office.

The mayor's personal security costs nearly $1 million annually.

Which, according to the article is apparently a lot less that his predecessors. Wait, why is the Examiner publishing this?

Regardless, the focus of the article is wrong. Quite frankly, I do not care about the cost of security for public officials. If necessary, they should get protection. The real question though is whether they need it. And the answer is apparently not as much. I hope the next mayor continues this shedding of security detail.

by Jasper on Jul 27, 2012 9:03 am • link • report

The "medium sized" metros aren't exactly small and commutes probably vary by mode available which may further make "size" semi-irrelevant. That is part of he point buta little lost in the comparisonand discussion.

That camera enforcement is a mess should surprise no one. It's an outsourcing of law enforcement which should never be allowed in efforts place and is difficult to properly monitor and manage.

by Rich on Jul 27, 2012 9:15 am • link • report

Ward 4 seems to be getting the shaft again. Not sure why, but I know in speaking with others, in past school renovation frenzies, other wards have gotten much more than we have. Seems Bowser needs to spend more time helping her ward out, and stop spending as much time running for Mayor.

by Kyle W on Jul 27, 2012 9:21 am • link • report

RE: Mayoral Security Detail
To copy/paste my comment from DCist... an average cost per officer of $79k including benefits? I'd actually say that's not a bad price, considering that puts the average officers' salary at only about $60k.

by Bossi on Jul 27, 2012 9:39 am • link • report

With 18th street done, will the 90, 92, 96, and L2 bus routes return to normal?

by DAJ on Jul 27, 2012 9:48 am • link • report

@Jasper, That must be a bummer. You vote your corrupt CM to mayor, and you still get nothing. Wow

Ok, it's pretty odd (not really) how you can read all of the Examiner's article and offer a critique of the newspaper and the substance. Then turn around and mischaracterize the Wpost article, which, after talking about the bulk of W8 money (67.6mil) going to St. E and $53mil towards Ballou's renovation and most of W5's $118 going to towards school rebuilds, it also makes a point to say that W7 isn't getting shafted because of it's going to see Woodson renovated, Deanwood Rec Center built as well as two libraries.

We get it. It's better sound the "he doesn't care about you people" dogwhistle than it is convey facts...much like you did wrt to the Examiner article.

by HogWash on Jul 27, 2012 10:23 am • link • report

Saint Tommy Wells feels that enforcement camera ticket fines are too high for low income people? Then I have two words of advice: "Slow down!"

by Bert on Jul 27, 2012 10:25 am • link • report

Regarding Mayor Gray's security, there are some cost efficiencies on the horizon. In the near future, security will be provided for him by the U.S. Marshalls Service and the Bureau of Prisons...

by Bert on Jul 27, 2012 10:27 am • link • report

@ HogWash:it also makes a point to say that W7 isn't getting shafted because of it's going to see Woodson renovated, Deanwood Rec Center built as well as two libraries.

Oh, they should shut up because they've already been paid off?

by Jasper on Jul 27, 2012 10:46 am • link • report

The orginial study (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2919301/) of weight loss and transit could be interesting.

Of course the data is self reported.

However, it tracks with ancedotal evidence: walking around in a city is going to lose you 5 or 6 pounds. Manhatten, maybe 10 or 15.

5 or 6 pounds, however, isn't going to help with obesity.

The long terms effect (preventive) are the most promising, but data going back only to 2007 isn't very predictive.

by charlie on Jul 27, 2012 10:50 am • link • report

So, I don't really get the whole "Saint Wells" as a disparaging remark thing. I've seen Hogwash use it on numerous occasions and now Bert. What's the deal fellas?

You don't see other people saying "Crackhead Barry" constantly, though I guess one could argue that at least that name has a basis in fact.

by thump on Jul 27, 2012 10:54 am • link • report

@thump, the term "Saint Wells" was (I believe) coined by WCP to poke fun at the idea that Wells is somehow beyond reproach and should be loved by all because..well just because.

While I can't say I've seen the specific prhase, "Crackhead Barry" used, it's rare that his name is mentioned w/o some sort of negative spin to it.

So both "criticisms" are based in some fact.

by HogWash on Jul 27, 2012 11:34 am • link • report

@Hogwash-...but why do YOU use it? It seems to me like you try to push back on what you perceive as a bias in favor of Mr. Wells on the part of GGW and some commentators, but, as a guy w/o a dog in the fight I honestly don't see the bias and usually just wonder what the deal is. I do think people here think Wells generally does good work, especially on the urbanism and ethics front. When you contrast his work and his demeanor with someone like Mr. Barry maybe he does look like a saint? I certainly don't get why anyone would vote for Barry today (I get why they may have in the past), he doesn't seem particularly effective for his constituents and his frequent bouts of verbal diarrhea seem to hurt DC more than they help. Again, I'm not a resident, and don't follow DC Pols all that closely so maybe I'm way off base.

by thump on Jul 27, 2012 11:45 am • link • report

Unless someone has threatened the Mayor, he doesn't need a security detail. The President needs one because the loss of a President creates a temporary national security threat. And you can argue the same thing for some of the higher cabinet officials. But really, does the loss of the Mayor really measure in the same way?

And that is not to sound like I don't care about his safety. I'm going to stake out the radical position that no one should be murdered, but we don't spend a $1 million to protect everyone.

It's not unheard of for Mayor's to be assassinated I suppose (Moscone, Harrison, Cermak to name a few), but I suspect the rate is about 1 in 40,000. Is that really worth a $million. Especially since I'm not sure a security detail would have prevented any of those. Moscone was killed in his office by a City Council member. Cermak was killed accidentally during an assassination attempt on Roosevelt (who had Secret Service protection at the time). According to one source, there have been 11 assassination attempts on Mayor's in US History. Seriously, this is way overspending on such a tiny threat.

by David C on Jul 27, 2012 12:37 pm • link • report

Here is a little reminder on what DC could have been today....
2012 DC Olympic Bid

http://www.meticulous.com/portfolio/categories/3d-visualization/projects/2012-olympic-bid-renderings-dc-baltimore

by RJ on Jul 27, 2012 12:52 pm • link • report

re: Mayor's $1M security detail.
Sure, some level of security is prudent, but is that level necessary? As I opined in another posting, it is easy for first responders and security firms to justify consistently higher levels of service based on the "what if" hypothesis, and it is up to the politicians to find some way to force rational spending limits. The problem is that the final decision maker is typically the mayor, whose own prestige is enhanced by bigger and flashier security details. Perhaps we need a separate decision maker.

by SJE on Jul 27, 2012 1:07 pm • link • report

the term "Saint Wells" was (I believe) coined by WCP to poke fun at the idea that Wells is somehow beyond reproach and should be loved by all because..well just because.

I thought it was because he was the only Councilmember to have the temerity not to be a corrupt dirtball. Prissy behavior like that makes the rest of them look bad.

by oboe on Jul 27, 2012 2:35 pm • link • report

I thought it was because he was the only Councilmember to have the temerity not to be a corrupt dirtball. Prissy behavior like that makes the rest of them look bad.

Clearly, you thought wrong..which isn't out of the norm.

by HogWash on Jul 27, 2012 2:55 pm • link • report

Eh, Loose Lips coined the term after Wells was the only who voted against him being stripped of his transportation title (after having the audacity to do an investigation into navigator-gate).

Again, Wells was the only one who stood up to a crook who later resigned. Yay for ethics!

by H Street Landlord on Jul 27, 2012 3:12 pm • link • report

Yeah the criticism at the time was that he didn't have any friends on the council and didn't know how to get along. But if who you're friends with says something about you, then not being friends with that council is a resume highlight.

by David C on Jul 27, 2012 3:25 pm • link • report

Eh, Loose Lips coined the term after Wells was the only who voted against him being stripped of his transportation title (after having the audacity to do an investigation into navigator-gate).

I thought that LL's phrase was "Councilmartyr". Ah well, Tony Williams used to be slammed for having integrity in this town as well. Sometimes I think we like our politicians corrupt in this city. That way we don't feel like they're putting on airs.

by oboe on Jul 27, 2012 3:29 pm • link • report

Eh, Loose Lips coined the term after Wells was the only who voted against him being stripped of his transportation title (after having the audacity to do an investigation into navigator-gate).

And you're also wrong. See Oboe's recent comment.

*fact, shmacks, who needs those*

by HogWash on Jul 27, 2012 3:50 pm • link • report

@ Hogwash, Oboe.

LL has repeatedly used the term, starting September 2011. See here for the first use, tons since then:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2011/09/21/loose-lips-daily-mendo-in-charge-edition/

I do believe you owe me an apology, Hogwash :)

by H Street Landlord on Jul 27, 2012 4:01 pm • link • report

Instead of addressing anyone in particular or saying "you," I'll ask if annyone here has done a ride along with a police officer?

by selxic on Jul 28, 2012 2:04 am • link • report