Re: 3rd grade school performance -- The press brief, with lots of data, is here.

by goldfish on Dec 17, 2012 8:56 am • link • report

re: CT Avenue building, are these the same people using "historic homes" as a reason to oppose the development, who themselves opposed creating a historic district a few years ago?

by William on Dec 17, 2012 9:06 am • link • report

From the meter story:

A source in Ward 3 D.C. Councilwoman Mary Cheh's office, which sponsored the bill, told The Washington Examiner that the program collapsed after Mayor Vincent Gray withdrew his support of the bill at the last minute.

But a spokesman for Gray disputed that account.

"I have no idea what you may be talking about. Our priorities haven't changed," said Pedro Ribeiro. "The woman is obviously confused. Today has been my day dealing with the ridiculousness pouring from her office."

---------------

Wow! I don't really care about the interpersonal relationships at the Wilson Buliding, but I'm pretty sure referring to a Councilmember as "the woman" is inappropriate and borderline misogynist. I'm almost 100% sure that Mr. Rebeiro would never refer to a male Councilmember as "the man" in a similar context.

by Adam L on Dec 17, 2012 9:11 am • link • report

While I support the efforts to calm traffic on Wisconsin Ave, there will continue to be significant issues until similar measures are taken to fix the three blocks between the Safeway entrance and the 2200 block of Wisconsin, where the new traffic pattern starts.

As it is now, you have 2 lanes of traffic for the vast majority of Wisconsin, bulging out to 4 lanes in front of the Safeway, causing a race to get ahead of the other cars until the lanes constrict 3 blocks later.

Not only that, but Safeway, 34th Street, and Hardy Middle School (in addition to Whitehaven) would be well-served by a left-turn lane on their various approaches.

by Jacques on Dec 17, 2012 9:17 am • link • report

Re: Moscow

Speaking as a native Muscovite, albeit one who has not had the misfortune of living there in many years, I can assure you that the answer is most definitely HET (that's "nyet," for you non-Cyrillic readers).

Russian civil society is roughly on par with 1880s America.

by Dizzy on Dec 17, 2012 9:25 am • link • report

Homeowners in Chevy Chase protest new development that isn't mired in suburban excess? Color me completely and utterly not surprised.

by Alan B on Dec 17, 2012 9:32 am • link • report

but I'm pretty sure referring to a Councilmember as "the woman" is inappropriate and borderline misogynist.

Referring to a woman as a woman is borderline misogynist? Well alrighty then!

RE: Test Scores..Now that we know the modest gains of the Rhee area are rather consistent w/the modest gains under previous supers, it's time to start focusing on how to move the scores even further. What we now have in place seems like a good first step but clearly there's so much more to be done. A huge chunk of the problem w/seeing administrative efforts realized is that the office of DC's education chief has been a revolving door for far too long.

RE: IZ, I'm having a hard time sympathizing w/the developer here. If find it hard to believe that he hasn't been able to sell TWO units under the IZ program after almost 2 years on the market. Imfreaknpossible! No sympathy here.

RE: Red Top Program,...you gotta be kidding me. 700k invested into something we now won't use? And exactly whose idea was this?

by HogWash on Dec 17, 2012 9:41 am • link • report

I always wondered what that blank patch was. I'm glad to see it filled in; maybe it will bring some life to the neighborhood.

by Neil Flanagan on Dec 17, 2012 9:44 am • link • report

If find it hard to believe that he hasn't been able to sell TWO units under the IZ program after almost 2 years on the market.

Sounds like he hasn't been able to sell those units under the conditions imposed by IZ.

IZ mandates that the housing remain affordable. So it's not just about selling it for below-market value, it's about restricting the deed of the property so that the next buyer will get the same discount. Which means banks are reluctant to issue a mortgage for such a property.

by Alex B. on Dec 17, 2012 9:47 am • link • report

"White House was turning the Ellipse into employee parking"

Parking on the Ellipse is still employee parking - free, too, and monitored by the Uniform Division, U.S. Secret Service.

by C. P. Zilliacus on Dec 17, 2012 9:49 am • link • report

@Alex B

My friend recently purchased a subsidized home in D.C. within the last year with similar restrictions on resale (it's not a part of the new IZ program). There were a limited number of mortgage options available, but he got one. There seems to be something else at play here beyond just the mortgage issues. But if there are problems with getting a mortgage, perhaps the DC Housing Finance Agency can help? They have a mortgage program backed by D.C. bonds... http://www.dchfa.org/DCHFAHome/Homebuyers/GetaMortgage/tabid/74/Default.aspx

by Adam L on Dec 17, 2012 9:54 am • link • report

I'm pretty sure referring to a Councilmember as "the woman" is inappropriate and borderline misogynist.

Oh, please. Does this really sound anti-male?:

"I have no idea what you may be talking about. Our priorities haven't changed," said Pedro Ribeiro. "The man is obviously confused. Today has been my day dealing with the ridiculousness pouring from his office."

by Juanita de Talmas on Dec 17, 2012 9:56 am • link • report

Co-sign what Jacques says about Wisconsin. All in all, though, the Wisconsin improvements look pretty good. Much less weaving between lanes (more like between the 1.5 lanes) than in the previous configuration, and a definite upgrade from a pedestrian perspective.

by Dizzy on Dec 17, 2012 10:01 am • link • report

@Juanita

It does not sound anti-male, but many things do not. It is, however, disrespectful in any context when coming from the Mayor's office referring to a Councilmember.

by Adam L on Dec 17, 2012 10:03 am • link • report

He said a modern-looking, nine-story building with two levels of underground parking would likely downgrade the surrounding neighborhood of historic single-family homes.

“What you end up producing is a kind of residential no man’s land,” he said.

A. More residents (as opposed to a non mixed use building in a mixed use area) in a residential area makes it a no mans land? Ok.

B. It'd be funny if said homeowner has lived their less than 22 years because then they'd be the newcomer "downgrading" the neighborhood.

C. There are literally apartment buildings on either side of this plot. And what else are you supposed to put up within walking distance of a metro station?

by drumz on Dec 17, 2012 10:06 am • link • report

Also, is there any reason for there to be a paralell road to 460? It's my understand that we need it for freight reasons. If that's the case then just toll the existing 460 and use it to create interchanges and bypasses if need be. That's got to be cheaper and smarter than an entire new road.

I'm not familiar with that section of 460 but if it's express purpose is for freight that seems a little suspect as well. I feel for truckers but even in Hampton Roads (not even mentioning NOVA) the bigger problem is commuters. If you can solve the people's commute problems (via transit and what not) then the freight problems will begin to fix themselves.

by drumz on Dec 17, 2012 10:13 am • link • report

I know this isn't a site to show sympathy for the environment, trees, etc. but the photo of that site in Chevy Chase is sort of idyllic and I can see why people hate to see that greenspace go. We are concreting over DC at an amazing rate and we already have quite the heat island.

But that is private property on a main street and we do need dense housing.

The IZ thing with condos has been allowed to become an embarrassing fiasco. I don't understand why the rules can't be changed so a non-profit can buy IZ condos to rent as Section 8. Otherwise the rules will have to be changed to allow profit on sales after a certain number of years. That's the way the low-income condos all around me were done and it's provided capital accumulation by many low-income people. But of course it doesn't keep the units low-income.

by Tom Coumaris on Dec 17, 2012 10:17 am • link • report

"I know this isn't a site to show sympathy for the environment, trees, etc."

I come to this site precisely becaue of my sympathy for the environment. I see it as in the forefront of dealing with the most pressing environmental issue of our time.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Dec 17, 2012 10:22 am • link • report

I mean that area is pretty well covered in trees.

It's like when my school wanted to clear a wooded area in the middle of campus for a new dorm/dining hall and friends complained that they liked the woods when I couldn't ever think of a time that we had even entered those woods to do anything. Meanwhile that part of campus is much more active now.

by drumz on Dec 17, 2012 10:32 am • link • report

Also, is there any reason for there to be a paralell road to 460? It's my understand that we need it for freight reasons

You're correct. The idea is to dredge the port so it is one of the only ones in the country to allow post-panamax sized ships. Then build a highway that connects to the port.

The problem with the highway is that the time savings it generates for truckers is not worth the cost. So, no private enterprise was willing to build the road because they would not be able to recoup their investment in tolls. Apparently, McDonnell sees this as an opportunity for government intervention, so he's going to spend $1.4B of taxpayer money to build what is essentially corporate welfare for the port. The port is going to make tons of money because they'll have a new shiny highway but taxpayers will be stuck footing the bill.

Meanwhile, NOVA once again is bearing a disproportionate amount of the spending cuts in the Governor's latest budget proposal...

by Falls Church on Dec 17, 2012 10:34 am • link • report

That's why it seems to make more sense to extend 264 around the Suffolk Bypass. Toll that and then build bypasses around Wakefield and Waverly until you get to Petersburg.

by drumz on Dec 17, 2012 10:38 am • link • report

I agree with @Adam L. Ribeiro statement is borderline misogynist precisely because he would never refer to a male councilmember as "the man." Why is it that he couldn't refer to her has Councilmember Cheh?

by Birdie on Dec 17, 2012 11:16 am • link • report

But that is private property on a main street and we do need dense housing.

Indeed, perhaps the neighbors should thank Cafritz for allowing them to enjoy the greenspace as a dog park and who knows what else for 22 years for free, when it could have been built on long ago (and perhaps built on again since then).

by ah on Dec 17, 2012 11:23 am • link • report

they liked the woods when I couldn't ever think of a time that we had even entered those woods to do anything

Can't they be enjoyed aesthetically? Why would you have to "do" something in them in order to enjoy them?

by Vicente Fox on Dec 17, 2012 11:33 am • link • report

statement is borderline misogynist precisely because he would never refer to a male councilmember as "the man." Why is it that he couldn't refer to her has Councilmember Cheh?

How do you know a man wouldn't refer to another man as as...well..man? There are some serious issues w/women out there but this is certainly not one. She's a woman. Maybe it's 'PC' never to refer to women as anything other than their title..but it's the farthest thing from misogynist and disrespectful. geesh! Reminds me of the "disrespectful/racist" references to Barack Obama as...Barack or Obama. go figure.

by HogWash on Dec 17, 2012 11:36 am • link • report

Maybe, I literally grew up surrounded by woods on all sides so I always had a utilitarian use for them (at least for a kid who needed a place to play).

There is a place for wild/untouched wilderness. I'm not so sure that place is smack dab in the middle of a large campus or urban neighborhood.

by drumz on Dec 17, 2012 11:43 am • link • report

That site on Connecticut Avenue at Military Road is not a wooded lot. I live a few blocks south of there and pass by all the time. The photo accompanying the Post article is perhaps a bit misleading. The trees on the periphery will/could probably stay. Most of the lot is rather unkempt, and there is some foundation for something that previously existed at some point. But I agree with others on here in that even if a few trees must come down, that more than outweighs the advantages of increasing density of (hopefully) getting more people to live at least a car-lite lifestyle.

by Sandy on Dec 17, 2012 11:45 am • link • report

@HogWash, because I've had to deal with Ribeiro far too often and I'm not overly inclined to cut him any slack. Have you ever heard him refer to a male council member as "the man" to the press?

by Birdie on Dec 17, 2012 11:55 am • link • report

Have you ever heard him refer to a male council member as "the man" to the press?

No I haven't. But that shouldn't the basis of a "misogynist" allegation because it totally diminishes much more serious women's issue. She is a woman. An adult woman. This is PC gone haywire.

This is no overhyped Sandra Fluke war on women nonsense, this is referring to a woman as a woman

by HogWash on Dec 17, 2012 12:15 pm • link • report

I wouldn't peg it as specifically sexist, but it's certainly a flippant and disrespectful remark.

by MLD on Dec 17, 2012 12:29 pm • link • report

@Hogwash

A woman as a woman. Absolutely. How about referring to Councilmembers with other characteristics, such as the following hypothetical regarding Chairman Mendelson?

"The Jew is obviously confused. Today has been my day dealing with the ridiculousness pouring from his office."

I think we can all agree that wouldn't be appropriate, yet we give flippant remarks about women a slide.

by Adam L on Dec 17, 2012 12:46 pm • link • report

Charters not performing any better? Not exactly news, but at least even the Examiner had to take note.

by Rich on Dec 17, 2012 1:09 pm • link • report

"The Jew is obviously confused. Today has been my day dealing with the ridiculousness pouring from his office."

Ok I'll bite. And how often is it to have people refer to a specific person their ethnicity? "The White man" is obviously confused is not an appropriate comparison. Instead, the appropriate one is what we have uptop, "The man is obviously confused."

They gay man, the lesbian woman, the black man, overweight woman etc...understandably are not respectful references. But "woman?"

Democrats were silent when one of their own called Laura Ingraham a slut. that was disrespectul and sexist.

by HogWash on Dec 17, 2012 1:20 pm • link • report

Regarding the Ribeiro comment, I agree with MLD that it is disrespectful, but people should be careful before throwing around words like misogynistic.

I think the more interesting point is that this is more evidence of the terrible relationship that the mayor's office has with the council, and with Cheh's office in particular. If the mayor's spokesman feels comfortable with using those words to a reporter, just how toxic is the relationship behind the scenes?

by JW on Dec 17, 2012 1:21 pm • link • report

"Democrats were silent when one of their own called Laura Ingraham a slut."

The ever active right rage equivalency machine.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/laura-ingraham-obama-didnt-call-me-when-ed

by AWalkerInTheCity on Dec 17, 2012 1:39 pm • link • report

"right wing"

by AWalkerInTheCity on Dec 17, 2012 1:39 pm • link • report

but people should be careful before throwing around words like misogynistic. Absolutely!

The ever active right rage equivalency machine.

Well I'm not a right winger but witnessed enough "war on women" talk during the election to know, as a fact, that dems nor the country rallied in Laura's defense. Most likely didn't even know Ed said it...which was actually before Rush called Sandra a slut.

Facts are on my side here..which can't be disputed.

by HogWash on Dec 17, 2012 2:41 pm • link • report

@Drumz

Did you go to CNU? We had a situation that mirrored that almost identically, and the former woods/parking lot that has been converted to dorm/Academic building/green space is now an extension of the center of campus, as opposed to being a wierd wooded space between a building and a parking lot.

@Falls Church

Totally agree. Even in their explanation for the road, the stupidity bleeds out. This road will run parallel to a railroad, and we will use it for truck traffic. That is all you need to know! The kind of loads that will be coming in on one of these super freighters begs to be transported by rail, as opposed to the much less efficient truck.

by Kyle-W on Dec 17, 2012 2:42 pm • link • report

Re: Woman comment

While the comment wasn't made during debate, Robert's Rules provides a useful reference on how to address members of an assembly. One on hand, the respectful thing to do is to refer to CMs using their official title. On the other hand, you can also refer to someone as "gentleman" which is equivalent to referring to someone as "woman":

Decorum in Debate. In debate a member must confine himself to the question before the assembly, and avoid personalities. He cannot reflect upon any act of the assembly, unless he intends to conclude his remarks with a motion to rescind such action, or else while debating such a motion. In referring to another member, he should, as much as possible, avoid using his name, rather referring to him as "the member who spoke last," or in some other way describing him. The officers of the assembly should always be referred to by their official titles. It is not allowable to arraign the motives of a member, but the nature or consequences of a measure may be condemned in strong terms. It is not the man, but the measure, that is the subject of debate.

If one desires to ask a question of the member speaking, he should rise, and without waiting to be recognized, say, "Mr. Chairman, I should like to ask the gentleman a question. The chair then asks the speaker if he is willing to be interrupted..."

by Falls Church on Dec 17, 2012 2:46 pm • link • report

Kyle-W,

No this is GMU. Which has recognized that used to have huge parking transportation problems that have been met by adding housing on campus, expanded transit options, and even a kind of bikeshare now. Plus they built housing for staff/professors on campus that would look right at home in any new-urbanist community.

Fairfax could learn a lot from the way GMU has dealt with high traffic demand.

by drumz on Dec 17, 2012 2:52 pm • link • report

@Falls Church-I like your comments. However the equivalent to "Gentleman" is "Lady" or "Gentlewoman".

by Tina on Dec 17, 2012 3:30 pm • link • report

dems nor the country rallied in Laura's defense.

MSNBC suspended Ed Schultz for one week without pay for calling Laura Ingraham a ‘slut’.

What punishment did Rush receive for calling Sandra Fluke one?

by Vinh An Nguyen on Dec 17, 2012 3:40 pm • link • report

MSNBC suspended Ed Schultz for one week without pay for calling Laura Ingraham a ‘slut’.

An appropriate rebuttal to facts that the country nor dems rallied in Laura's defense shouldn't be to demonstrate he got suspended from his job. It disproves nothing I said.

What punishment did Rush receive for calling Sandra Fluke one?

Another ridiculous comparison. What punishments are usually doled in for those in Satellite radio?

by HogWash on Dec 17, 2012 4:06 pm • link • report

It disproves nothing I said.

On the contrary. The Women’s Media Center, the nonprofit founded by Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem, sent out an alert urging MSNBC to suspend Schultz. Perhaps you don't think of them as part of "the country".

What punishments are usually doled in for those in Satellite radio?

You're the ridiculous one if you think Rush is only heard on satellite. The FCC has the power to remove the licenses from stations it decides are not acting in the public interest, something many clearly felt it should consider for stations that carry Limbaugh's show.

by Vinh An Nguyen on Dec 17, 2012 4:22 pm • link • report

Oh good, someone in DC government made a flippant comment that could be seen as sexist (especially depening on tone/context) and now I have to defend the actions of every "liberal" ever who may have also said something bad once.

by drumz on Dec 17, 2012 4:29 pm • link • report

@Tina

I think you're correct about using "lady", although I had always thought that "lady" was not the most politically correct term possible. I'd have to refer this question out to the feminism experts out there but wikipedia seems to agree with you. Specifically, you should use "lady" as the feminine form of "gentleman" but using "lady" as the feminine form of "man" or "guy" is potentially patronizing and outdated:

"[Lady] remains in use, for example, as a counterpart to "gentleman," in the phrase "ladies and gentlemen," and is generally interchangeable (in a strictly informal sense) with "woman" (as in, "The lady at the store said I could return this item within thirty days."). However, some women, since the rise of second wave feminism, have objected to the term used in contexts such as the last example, arguing that the term sounds patronising and outdated when used in this way - a man in the same context would not necessarily be referred to as a "gentleman". Feminist writers such as Robin Lakoff (1975) in her book "Language and Woman's Place" notably raised the issue of the ways in which "lady" is not used as the counterpart of "gentleman". A sign in the gardens of Hunters Hotel reads "Ladies and Gentlemen will not pick the flowers; others must not." However, what Lakoff misses, as do so many Americans : is that that the establishment may have been using the term is an 'ironic' fashion, by suggesting a distinction in regards to class which in all circumstances, would be totally wasted on the flowers, since the plants in question, would not be aware of the difference between one human class & another."

by Falls Church on Dec 17, 2012 4:31 pm • link • report

The Women's Media Center sent out an alert. Got it! And from what I can tell, their "alert" was the gist of the country's outrage. If selectively choosing an instance or two where someone said "anything" about Ed's actions (your argument) is the same as the country rallying in defense of his "war on women," (my argument) then we can clearly see the rationale behind your contribution to the topic. You want to argue against facts.

The FCC has the power to remove the licenses from stations it decides are not acting in the public interest, something many clearly felt it should consider for stations that carry Limbaugh's show

Sure they do. But that's irrelevant. You posited that MSNBC suspended Ed as a parallel to Rush receiving no punishment from his bosses. As stated, there is no comparison because you can hear women called sluts, whores, etc daily on satellite radio.

Advertisers removed their ads from Rush's show. Let's compare apple to at least an orange and not a zebra.

by HogWash on Dec 17, 2012 4:37 pm • link • report

Speaking up "perception," men were chastised for "ganging up on Hillary."

Obama was called sexist for referring to Palin's lipstick on a pig line.

Geraldine Ferraro called Obama sexist for "brushing the nonsense" off his shoulder.

Hillary cried sexism when she felt she was being asked "the first question" all the time.

Sorry if I don't cry a river about calling a woman...a woman.

by HogWash on Dec 17, 2012 4:43 pm • link • report

@HogWash

Are you under the impression that Rush Limbaugh broadcasts his show from a homemade radio set in his basement and doesn't have bosses/overlords who could suspend him from his job? You are also aware that he is on regular, publicly-available-over-the-air radio, right? And that his show is actually more available to anyone who would like to listen in than, say a cable show on MSNBC?

by MLD on Dec 17, 2012 4:54 pm • link • report

Hogwash -

I think that part of the difference in response to Rush and Ed can be explained by the different access each target had to respond/defend themselves. Sandra Fluke was a student at Georgetown and has no radioshow. Laura Ingraham has a nationally syndicated talkshow.

This doesn't make any of the actions more or less right. But it does mean that Laura needs less help to defend herself and fightback.

by sk on Dec 17, 2012 5:16 pm • link • report

Are you under the impression that Rush Limbaugh broadcasts his show from a homemade radio set in his basement and that his show is actually more available to anyone who would like to listen in than, say a cable show on MSNBC?

Thanks for the response. Am I aware? Of course I am...just as aware I am w/other things that are common knowledge that for some reason, often needs to be "explained" to me. And I'll ask you, what does any of this have to do w/what Ving objected to? That is, the country did not rally behind Laura and against Ed for him calling her a slut. I've been consistent since my first post about this..nothing has changed.

I think that part of the difference in response to Rush and Ed can be explained by the different access each target had to respond/defend themselves. Sandra Fluke was a student at Georgetown and has no radioshow. Laura Ingraham has a nationally syndicated talkshow.

I disagree. Ed made the statement on his radio show and MSNBC suspended him after he went to them. Rush made the statement about a virtually known, rather irrelevant, college student and the entire country rallied against him..and on her behalf. It even earned her a prime time speaking slot at the DNC.

Again keeping it consistent, the country did not rally against Ed when he said, Like this right-wing slut, what's her name, Laura Ingraham? Yeah, she's a talk slut. which is arguably far worse than what Rush said about Sandra.

I believe how some of you "excused" ed calling her a slut is similar to how the rest of the country would've reacted had they actually knew about his comments. Let's overlook it because it's Ed/Laura our friend/enemy. Let's bash Rush and rally around Sandra because he's our enemy and she a victim.

by HogWash on Dec 17, 2012 6:20 pm • link • report

Falls Church/drumz/et al,

The existing US 460 is an antiquated 4-lane undivided road built in the 1930s. No access control whatsoever. It's in serious need of improvement, but this toll road proposal is overkill. As Falls Church noted, no private firms bit when VDOT previously offered it up, so it took a massive amount of state money to get the private sector to jump on it. As I understand it, the amount of public funding is $736 million from VDOT plus another $250 million from the state port authority.

I've made the argument elsewhere that, given the very low forecast traffic volumes (only 23K by 2035), this is money that would be better spent elsewhere. I know Northern Virginia has been screaming for decades about the need for improvement money, but we have a similar situation down here in Hampton Roads. Given that one of the stated goals of the new 460 is as an "alternative to I-64", spending the $736 million on targeted improvements down here would be a way to meet that goal and serve far more than 23,000 vehicles in 2035.

by Froggie on Dec 18, 2012 10:50 am • link • report