I call BS on the east falls church parking problem.

Sure the lot fills up, but that is because it is small lot in an affluent, totally car dependent area.

When the silver line opens, there will be less frequency to the west. However, driving in and parking at east falls church isn't going to be an option for most. People who drive solo and park at Vienna (off of 66) can't continue inside the beltway at rush hour because of the HOV restriction. I guess there is room for some parkers to shift from West Falls - East Falls, but getting down route 7 or lee highway in the AM would likely eliminate any time savings from being a station further in.

I guess we just have to wait and see for the silver line. If it is really that bad (low frequency) from west falls to vienna, MAYBE a few people wake up earlier and drive to east falls, shifting its fill time to 7am from 730am.

by Nick on Mar 19, 2013 9:09 am • link • report

How long were we all waiting to make that Bowser joke?

by Alan B. on Mar 19, 2013 9:11 am • link • report

You can call BS on everything the examiner writes. I've taken to using Taylor Holland's phony stories as fodder on my weekend OpEds. Its the Faux news of written "journalism"

by Tysons Engineer on Mar 19, 2013 9:12 am • link • report

I am surprised that Liz (who is usually a bit more of a critical thinker) provides absolutely no evidence that the silver line will increase parking issues at EFC (the basis of the story).

by Tysons Engineer on Mar 19, 2013 9:13 am • link • report

DC's red light cameras are harsh. How exactly is AAA misleading? Drivers are being given tickets for failing to to come to a complete stop before making a right on red and for being stopped in traffic inside the intersection. They are slapped with a heavy ticket for "running a red light."

by Ian on Mar 19, 2013 9:14 am • link • report

So they're getting tickets for breaking the law?

by Alan B. on Mar 19, 2013 9:24 am • link • report

Ian, the situation you described is one of the most dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists.

In fairness to commuters, the red light program should be better. The fines are too hefty, and the money that has been received should be isolated and used ONLY for improved intersection designs and signage. There is no reason the red light cameras should be secret (that is predatory behavior that doesn't help create a safer intersection).

That being said, everything the AAA says is BS... wait! Has anyone ever seen the writers of the Washington Examiner and AAA in the same room!?

My GOD! They are the same person!

by Tysons Engineer on Mar 19, 2013 9:28 am • link • report

Bus to Silver

It baffles me that WMATA or Fairfax Connector do not start a service from Wiehle to IAD. I asked Fairfax Connector.

when the Silver Line means fewer Orange trains west of there, even more people will likely try to park.

Yeah, because non of the people who are riding in now will use the Silver Line.

Senators want a Latino museum

Ah, so it's official. We will abandon the American History museum, and replace it with a gazillion museums of ethnic American museums. E pluribus unum indeed.

by Jasper on Mar 19, 2013 9:30 am • link • report

RE: Latino Museum

Still waiting on the Italian, Irish, and German museums...

Also using "Latino" and excluding Italians is like referring to Asians but excluding Indians.

by Bossi on Mar 19, 2013 9:30 am • link • report

The Examiner article on Walgreen's in Del Ray is pretty much everything verbatim that was on Patch this weekend. Comments aren't a good judge of all community opinion, but as expected a few people have gotten their panties in a bunch about this. As with all Alexandria issues, there will be a very loud protest contingent. I'm neither anti or pro, but I am hopeful that the store design in an urban-ish setting, using an existing Deco-ish building could turn out well. Neon anyone?!

by spookiness on Mar 19, 2013 9:31 am • link • report

Were there plans to replace the EFC lots anyway with housing?

Let's just do that.

by drumz on Mar 19, 2013 9:32 am • link • report

@Bossi, you obviously don't go to many Asian Student Association meetings.

Why terminate the Flyer bus in Reston? Still makes more sense from Falls Church. Glad to see the 5a is safe.

by charlie on Mar 19, 2013 9:33 am • link • report

@Ian:Drivers are being given tickets for failing to to come to a complete stop before making a right on red

Yeah, like that cab that nearly ran me over yesterday, while it failed to even slow down for a turn on red, while pedestrians had a walk across 19th St in Rosslyn. Shameful people that like that poor cabi would be fined.

Or those cars that turn right on red from M onto Key Bridge without stopping and barrel over me when I cross the pedestrian walkway there. Horrible to fine those people!

by Jasper on Mar 19, 2013 9:33 am • link • report

"Drivers are being given tickets for failing to to come to a complete stop before making a right on red..."

Um, doesn't that law CLEARLY state that a driver must come to a complete stop-at the stop line, not in the crosswalk!-and may only make a right turn on red when it is safe to do so? Yeah, failing to see why I'm supposed to shed a tear for all those poor, mistreated drivers who are failing to come of a complete stop before turnign on right. I've lost track of the numebr of times that I'v almost be hit at the intersection of M and S. Capitol by folks who think the red light is a carte blanche to make right turns without looking for pedestrians.

by Birdie on Mar 19, 2013 9:33 am • link • report

I don't buy the EFC parking lot will get even more parking argument as someone who uses it on weekends. The Wiehle Ave and Tysons stations (for those who can park in Tysons or are coming from Tysons) will pick up some of those who currently use the EFC station. If the parking lot at EFC is full, those coming in on I-66 will stick with the Vienna and WFC stations and get on the Orange Line trains, even if they are more crowded.

I have to go look, but when will WMATA be able to run all 8 car trains at rush hours on the Orange Line to provide capacity for WFC, Dunn Loring, Vienna?

by AlanF on Mar 19, 2013 9:36 am • link • report

It's probably worth pointing out that there are MANY bus lines that go to and from EFC and other local metro stations so locals (who are able to walk up to 1/2 a mile to a bus stop) don't really need to drive. Obviously if people are driving down from McLean that would be another issue but I'm assuming the new Tyson's stations will add some parking there.

by Alan B. on Mar 19, 2013 9:37 am • link • report

Why terminate the Flyer bus in Reston?

Becuase they probably want to lower their operating costs with a shorter run.

by Alex B. on Mar 19, 2013 9:43 am • link • report

@spookiness,

Walgreens intends to use the existing building and only include interior alterations.

There is a petition going around (of course) opposing the store:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/del-ray-walgreens-opposition-to-national/

by RJ on Mar 19, 2013 9:45 am • link • report

Re: Schools. Within Prince Georges County there appears to be a widespread perception that things have not worked out well in the District of Columbia after the Mayor became responsible for education. What are the best arguments for challenging that claim?

by JimT on Mar 19, 2013 9:49 am • link • report

...and for being stopped in traffic inside the intersection.

If you can't make it all the way through an intersection, it is illegal to enter the intersection. Tough beans.

18-2201.11 "No driver shall enter an intersection or marked crosswalk, unless the movement can be made such that the vehicle can completely clear the intersection without obstructing the passage of other vehicles or pedestrians, notwithstanding any official traffic control device indication to proceed. A vehicle shall not enter an intersection to turn right or left unless there is sufficient space on the roadway being entered to accommodate the vehicle."

by thump on Mar 19, 2013 9:49 am • link • report

Re: Latino museum

Hey, what about the Scots-Irish in America? I estimate that they are much more influential in the founding and development of the nation than any of the aforementioned groups.

by ksu499 on Mar 19, 2013 9:49 am • link • report

@Jasper: Fairfax Connector is running a bus between IAD and Wiehle. Their route 981 will make this trip along with the Washington Flyer. See this link which I posted on the Plan-It site. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/dullesmetro/ (click on phase 1 bus service coordination under Transit Planning).

by Michael on Mar 19, 2013 9:55 am • link • report

There's been a CVS a block away from the proposed Walgreens location in Del Ray for decades, and nobody in the neighborhood seems to have a problem patronizing it. I'm sure CVS would be happy to have their little monopoly preserved.

by jimble on Mar 19, 2013 10:01 am • link • report

@Jasper
It baffles me that WMATA or Fairfax Connector do not start a service from Wiehle to IAD. I asked Fairfax Connector.

There will be such a service:
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/routes/dullesrail/981.htm

Hopefully they will coordinate departure times with WMATA so the 5A and the 981 are staggered every 10 minutes. That's probably too much to ask though.

by MLD on Mar 19, 2013 10:02 am • link • report

The African American Smithsonian should never have been built. It's a terrible precedent. Everyone is going to get all worked up about why there isn't a museum for their group.

by TakomaNick on Mar 19, 2013 10:03 am • link • report

The only problem I really have with the walgreens in Del Ray is that that it would replace 5 stores with a blank wall most likely. Which would harm the walkability of the area.

But if they can get into the space without a hearing then so be it. Maybe Alexandria City council would want to change the zoning of Mt. Vernon to allow more small storefronts and fill in some of the vacant lots/gas stations/car dealerships there currently.

by drumz on Mar 19, 2013 10:06 am • link • report

the mario-themed metro map is great, but it would have been even greater if it had been done by somebody with a passing familiarity with the area. "college park-u of medicine?"

by burgersub on Mar 19, 2013 10:10 am • link • report

Well to be fair, if a precedent was set it was certainly by the Museum of the American Indian. Personally, I don't mind. I mean we have like a dozen different art museums with different themes... so why not?

by Alan B. on Mar 19, 2013 10:10 am • link • report

At least he didn't write Silver Springs.

by Alan B. on Mar 19, 2013 10:12 am • link • report

@ Michael, MLD: Fairfax Connector is running a bus between IAD and Wiehle.

Excellent! Didn't know that. And three times an hour service as well. Very good.

by Jasper on Mar 19, 2013 10:12 am • link • report

East Falls Church is the most crowded Metro parking lot, and when the Silver Line means fewer Orange trains west of there, even more people will likely try to park. (Examiner) ... How about pricing the lots based on demand?

How about not? Unless you couple the demand parking with better transit options, you're just going to see a lot of frustrated people who already live in a car dependent area start driving into the city instead of taking Metro, or driving to other parking lots.

While I am all for congestion parking in the core, I don't think it works so well in the outlying areas. Driving and parking is primary way that people in the E. Falls Church area access the Metro.

by Scoot on Mar 19, 2013 10:18 am • link • report

I disagree that EFC and its surrounding area is car dependent.

Maybe compared to the R-B corridor but it's still very reasonable to get around on the several bus lines around the area or to walk/bike to a number of places. Meanwhile replacing the parking (or raising the price and putting the money towards public transportation improvements) would make the station less car dependent as well.

by drumz on Mar 19, 2013 10:25 am • link • report

"How about not? Unless you couple the demand parking with better transit options, you're just going to see a lot of frustrated people who already live in a car dependent area start driving into the city instead of taking Metro, or driving to other parking lots"

if the lot is full, increasing prices doesn't mean fewer people parking at the lot (as long as you don't increase it too much) It does mean allocating the spots to those who most need/value them, and more revenue that can go towards solutions.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 19, 2013 10:29 am • link • report

Driving and parking is primary way that people in the E. Falls Church area access the Metro.

No, it is not.

Check out WMATA's station access study for EFC:

http://www.wmata.com/pdfs/planning/Station%20Access/2002%20East%20Falls%20Church.pdf

Only 22 percent of station users drive and park.
20 percent are dropped off via car.
15 percent take Metrobus
3 percent bike
3 percent take a shuttle bus
36 percent walk.

As for the assertion that the Silver Line will mean parking DOOM at EFC, page 6 of the same study shows where people who park are coming from - and it's not people from the I-66 Corridor.

by Alex B. on Mar 19, 2013 10:33 am • link • report

I never thought that WMATA wouldn't revise the 5A's route to stop at Wiehle Avenue--either in place of the the Herndon-Monroe stop or in addition to it. I mean, the station's there, we paid for it, we might as well use it. And, unlike H-M, it's right off the highway, not a mile away from the exit ramp.

by Rob Pegoraro on Mar 19, 2013 10:37 am • link • report

@thump. It is surprising if AAA is trying to defend people who block the box. But still, they may have a point. Does the statute that authorizes red-light cameras also allow MPD to use the cameras for blocking the box, or only for red light violations?

The one time I got such a ticket, I misjudged the yellow light's length and got 2 photos, one of which showed that I was not in the intersection 0.1 seconds after the light turned red, and one that showed me in the intersection a second later. That left me with the impression that they were not sending violations if you were already in the intersection when the light turned red. But that was more than a decade ago.

by JimT on Mar 19, 2013 10:41 am • link • report

There is definitely a parking problem at EFC...not enough bike parking. Bike parking fills up pretty quickly at EFC since it's on the heavily used W&OD trail and the neighborhood is pleasant for biking. On the plus side, the bike racks are covered which is pretty awesome.

Putting more car parking at EFC will just create the problem that WFC faces. Traffic backs up like crazy on all the surrounding roads when all those cars try to leave at the same time during afternoon rush. Car exhaust from all the backed up cars then makes it unpleasant to walk/bike to metro and buses get stuck in the same traffic.

by Falls Church on Mar 19, 2013 10:42 am • link • report

"DC's red light cameras are harsh. How exactly is AAA misleading? Drivers are being given tickets for failing to to come to a complete stop before making a right on red and for being stopped in traffic inside the intersection. They are slapped with a heavy ticket for "running a red light.""

Since both these actions are unsafe and illegal, I don't see the issue.

by Colleen on Mar 19, 2013 10:42 am • link • report

Buses rerouted:

What baffles me is that why would you reroute buses that go to the mall to the Tysons Corner station by skipping the mall; almost everyone going to Tysons Corner Station will be going to Tysons Corner Mall and a small portion to Tysons Galleria. It would be easy to route the buses from the Mall to the Station instead of just skipping it.

Another issue that seems to be present is that when the stations are finished anything east of the Beltway does not cross it. That means anyone that uses any of the current buses that go somewhat close to the McLean Area 15K, 15L, 3T, 23A, 24T etc that want to go to the malls, WestPark, along Route 7 will have to get off the bus and get on the train for one or two stops and either walk or catch another bus. That is a waste and border line price gauging. I could understand ending some in McLean but all.

One issue that seems to be overlooked is how they suggest discontinuing or modifying buses that travel in areas not served by the new stations or dont even go to Tysons Corner.

I remember when the last 5 Green Line Stations opened bus service in the area got extremely worst for the most part. Two new bus routes and the rest were current bus routes that got cut in half.

Red Light Cameras

Follow the law you wont get a damn ticket its that simple. If you break any law you should get a damn ticket period. There is no excuse for a person to willfully break the law and b***h about getting a ticket

by kk on Mar 19, 2013 10:46 am • link • report

The African American Smithsonian should never have been built. It's a terrible precedent.

The main criteria for museums should be whether they are educational and well-attended. Assuming the african american and latino musuems are well-attended like the native american museum, there's nothing wrong with it. The Smithsonian is simply responding to what the market demands.

by Falls Church on Mar 19, 2013 10:46 am • link • report

Latino Museum

If people did not want ethnic museums on the mall they should have done better with the American History Museum. The museum does not have many exhibits that cater to all demographics of the people in this country.

It should have had a European American, African American, Asian American (including everywhere in Asia), Native American, Inuit, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanic American (not Latino cause that covers most of the Western Hemisphere and Southern Europe)

by kk on Mar 19, 2013 10:52 am • link • report

almost everyone going to Tysons Corner Station will be going to Tysons Corner Mall and a small portion to Tysons Galleria

No, most people using the four Tysons stations will be going to work -- either in Tysons if they're on outbound trains or in the core if they're on inbound trains.

by Falls Church on Mar 19, 2013 10:54 am • link • report

I don't believe what AAA said was necessarily misleading and he raised a reasonable question: If the cameras are as effective as claimed, why have they not altered driver behavior (speeding) in raw numbers?

More cameras = more speeding = more revenue = but less deaths?

St. Tommy Wells has a better chance than Muriel and that ain't saying a whole lot. At least he's not explicitly tied to Fenty. She's dead on arrival.

by HogWash on Mar 19, 2013 10:57 am • link • report

@ Falls Church:The Smithsonian is simply responding to what the market demands.

I am sorry. Is the Smithsonian a company trying to make money or a non-profit "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge"?

Basing the diffusion of knowledge on what the market wants leads to CNBC.

by Jasper on Mar 19, 2013 11:01 am • link • report

@kk:If people did not want ethnic museums on the mall they should have done better with the American History Museum. The museum does not have many exhibits that cater to all demographics of the people in this country.

It's the American History Museum. Not the American Ethnic History Museum. E pluribus unum, remember?

by Jasper on Mar 19, 2013 11:03 am • link • report

The museum does not have many exhibits that cater to all demographics of the people in this country.

They do..but they're rotating..much like the "Changing America" one they have now.

by HogWash on Mar 19, 2013 11:04 am • link • report

The problem seems to be that a Latin-American museum will be as relevant in 50 years as an Italian-American museum would be today.

(Which is not to say that it wouldn't be an interesting museum, but also that it might not deserve placement on the mall. A "museum of the American people" would be much better, or the American History museum could just be improved to be less terrible.)

by andrew on Mar 19, 2013 11:08 am • link • report

Only 22 percent of station users drive and park.
20 percent are dropped off via car.
15 percent take Metrobus
3 percent bike
3 percent take a shuttle bus
36 percent walk.

I should have specified drive or park -- as that is how 44% of people access the station (46% in the evening peak). Regardless, I would be curious to see how congestion pricing at the park and ride lot would alter accessibility to the station. Perhaps it would lead to more drop-offs or carpools, or perhaps it might just divert parking to other areas proximal to the station, or in the worst case, might reduce ridership temporarily.

by Scoot on Mar 19, 2013 11:11 am • link • report

If congestion pricing is implemented properly, why should it mean fewer total cars parked? Does the lot now fill up regularly now?

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 19, 2013 11:14 am • link • report

"not fill up"

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 19, 2013 11:14 am • link • report

"Also using "Latino" and excluding Italians is like referring to Asians but excluding Indians."

Which is what most people do.

by Michael on Mar 19, 2013 11:30 am • link • report

@Hogwash-Is there some reason why you seem unable to just say Tommy Wells? You seem to insist on prefacing his name w/ Saint and I just don't get it. Do you think we all have a monolithic view of Wells as some type of savior or a man who can do no wrong? I doubt that's true. Coming from you it seems to be a disparagement. Perhaps we should all start saying Felon Marion Barry whenever he's referenced...just to maintain consistency?

by thump on Mar 19, 2013 11:30 am • link • report

Is the Smithsonian a company trying to make money or a non-profit "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge"?

It is a non-profit that has customers which they should be responsive to. Why would whether you are a for-profit or non-profit affect whether you are responsive to your customer's demands?

The only way the Smithsonian can diffuse knowledge is if people actually go to their museums.

E pluribus unum, remember?

That's exactly what these museums are showing. How America is a "melting pot" or "salad bowl" of many cultures.

The problem seems to be that a Latin-American museum will be as relevant in 50 years as an Italian-American museum would be today. Which is not to say that it wouldn't be an interesting museum, but also that it might not deserve placement on the mall.

So, it the Italian-American museum no longer relevant?

http://www.italianamericanmuseum.org/

As for placement on the Mall, I agree that only the most significant and well-attended museums should go there. Not sure if the Latino museum would meet that criteria.

by Falls Church on Mar 19, 2013 11:48 am • link • report

"Also using "Latino" and excluding Italians is like referring to Asians but excluding Indians."

And, it's like using African-American but excluding North African-Americans like Egyptian-Americans. But, that's the world we live in.

by Falls Church on Mar 19, 2013 11:49 am • link • report

Do you think we all have a monolithic view of Wells as some type of savior or a man who can do no wrong?

All? No. But Obviously his most vocal fans are responsible for the "Saint" moniker sticking around. But these things happen all the time. Reagan, Clintons and now Obama. All four were made into something they never were..mainly by their most vocal supporters. Of course, only the Clintons wrote discrimination into law and later decided they were wrong. Go figure.

Perhaps we should all start saying Felon Marion Barry whenever he's referenced...just to maintain consistency?

Considering the number of various modifiers attached to anything about him, the effort to maintain consistency is already here. Then again, I'm not a Barry fan so it wouldn't much matter.

by HogWash on Mar 19, 2013 11:55 am • link • report

@ Falls Church

Don't forget whites. Every white South African I've meet has gotten quite a kick out of calling themselves African-American.

by onelasttime on Mar 19, 2013 12:05 pm • link • report

If congestion pricing is implemented properly, why should it mean fewer total cars parked? Does the lot not fill up regularly now?

If congestion pricing is implemented properly, then the number of total cars parked would be the same -- because the lot would be full (or very nearly full), as it is now.

by Scoot on Mar 19, 2013 12:12 pm • link • report

" Of course, only the Clintons wrote discrimination into law and later decided they were wrong. Go figure."

Which politician are you a fan of who opposed DADT when it was first passed?

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 19, 2013 12:12 pm • link • report

I don't think HogWash's nonsensical political views are of much interest to any of us here - they mainly consist of the opposite of whatever anyone else is professing at the time.

by MLD on Mar 19, 2013 12:17 pm • link • report

@HogWash, @thump: Barry has never been convicted of a felony. He's been indicted on felony charges in the past, but he's always either beaten them or bargained them down to misdemeanors. If I ever get arrested, I totally want his lawyers.

A comparison between Wells and Reagan is actually pretty interesting. Like Wells, Reagan is also sometimes referred to as a "saint", and, like Wells, this usage was coined by opponents as a way of characterizing his supporters as a cult. In which case, the appropriate descriptive for Barry would be another one of Reagan's epithets -- "teflon". Like Reagan, nothing sticks to him. Or, given how he's continuing to stymie Machen, should that be Teflon Vince instead?

by cminus on Mar 19, 2013 12:18 pm • link • report

@Hogwash-OK...so you're pushing back against what you perceive to be his most vocal fans pet name for him? I've literally never heard anyone other than you use it. I can't recall any piece on GGW using that term either. Again, I don't get it.

by thump on Mar 19, 2013 12:21 pm • link • report

"Councilmartyr Saint Tommy Wells" is from the City Paper.

Barry has never been convicted of a felony.
I'm pretty sure you have to be dead to be a Saint so then I guess they're both equally accurate.

by MLD on Mar 19, 2013 12:28 pm • link • report

@ Falls Church:It is a non-profit that has customers which they should be responsive to. Why would whether you are a for-profit or non-profit affect whether you are responsive to your customer's demands?

Customers, students, or visitors? Do people come to buy, to learn, or as a guest?

That's exactly what these museums are showing. How America is a "melting pot" or "salad bowl" of many cultures.

No, they are showing the 'E pluribus' part, but by being separate, they are not showing the 'unum' part.

As for placement on the Mall, I agree that only the most significant and well-attended museums should go there. Not sure if the Latino museum would meet that criteria.

Well, given that there are more Latinos than Native and African-Americans and there is room for Native and African-American museums, there should be. If that's the kind of logic you want to follow.

by Jasper on Mar 19, 2013 12:30 pm • link • report

@Thump

I like it. I will stick with Felon Marion Barry. Also, just because he wasn't technically convicted, means nothing to me. Just like OJ after he got off with murder. I would have no problem calling him Felon OJ (note he now actually is a felon)

@Hogwash

I agree, Bowser is awful. She is all show, and is the epitome of an empty suit. She is my CM, and I don't like her at all. I have e-mailed three times asking for CaBi progress on stations closer to me (I live in Petworth, pay taxes, and it is honestly the biggest quality of life component she can impact) and have been ignored all three times. I have met her in person, and the only times she seems willing to show is when she is going to get good publicity.

Also, the fact that Roosevelt and Coolidge are do decrepit, while the rest of the city's schools are all being renovated, speaks VOLUMES about her inability to effectively serve her constituents.

by Kyle-W on Mar 19, 2013 12:39 pm • link • report

As MLD said, "Councilmartyr Saint Tommy Wells" is not from his fans but a term the City Paper coined. It's not so much a reference to him being great but to how Kwame Brown took his committee away in large part because he investigated the Navigator scandal.

by David Alpert on Mar 19, 2013 12:40 pm • link • report

Which politician are you a fan of who opposed DADT when it was first passed?

John Kerry. And although I can't bring myself to forget Biden's vote supporting discrimination, I have a great amount of "no respect" for the Clintons who thought civil rights was best used as a bargaining chip.

In which case, the appropriate descriptive for Barry would be another one of Reagan's epithets -- "teflon". Like Reagan, nothing sticks to him. Or, given how he's continuing to stymie Machen, should that be Teflon Vince instead?

HaHA! Good point.

I've literally never heard anyone other than you use it. I can't recall any piece on GGW using that term either. Again, I don't get it.

He has a pretty deep fan base here so i can't imagine anyone w/in this group using it to describe him. I know WCP uses it but don't know which one of us used the term first.

I'm pretty sure you have to be dead to be a Saint so then I guess they're both equally accurate.

Well sure. That's if you're willing to believe that we in W8 see and vote for dead people.

Well, given that there are more Latinos than Native and African-Americans and there is room for Native and African-American museums, there should be

Since we are talking about an actual museum, I assume one of the main variables cited in these initial (should there be a museum) deliberations is the groups contribution to america. So that might explain why the institute thought Native and Black Americans deserved their own space.

by HogWash on Mar 19, 2013 12:45 pm • link • report

It's not so much a reference to him being great but to how Kwame Brown took his committee away in large part because he investigated the Navigator scandal.

This is a bit of revisionist history.

by HogWash on Mar 19, 2013 12:49 pm • link • report

It's been confirmed by reporters since then that the Navigator situation was a precipitating factor in Kwame Brown's decision. It didn't have to be the only one, but it was a big one.

by David Alpert on Mar 19, 2013 12:52 pm • link • report

Re the MD-410 blurb. The second part about HB 1508 by Delegate Mizeur ("or I-95 in Prince George's") is incorrect. That language is already in the statute and prohibits extending I-95 south of the beltway into College Park toward DC. Also the name of the highway is incorrect. in Takoma Park, MD-410 is called "Ethan Allen" and "Philadelphia Ave", not East-West Highway.

by JimT on Mar 19, 2013 1:00 pm • link • report

only the Clintons wrote discrimination into law and later decided they were wrong.

Um, the law of the land before DADT was still discriminatory. DADT prohibited discrimination while still banning homosexuals.

DOMA might be a better example but I fail to see what it has to do with what you call CM Wells, or why being considered ethical is a minus in your book.

by drumz on Mar 19, 2013 1:02 pm • link • report

I get a pretty hearty laugh that at any and all opportunity, cyclists will quote chapter and verse of traffic laws to point out that that guy who got caught parked half a car length beyond the cross walk or blocking the box because a traffic obstruction is truely a terror to society and deserves to have any and all book thrown squarely at his/her head.

But point out any traffic infraction exercised by a cyclist and you'll have volumes of supposedly "legit" excuses why it is no big deal and people should just relax.

by Bike on Mar 19, 2013 1:05 pm • link • report

To clarify an earlier point:DADT prohibited discrimination of closeted/unspoken individuals.The actual practice was different but still...

by drumz on Mar 19, 2013 1:08 pm • link • report

I get a pretty hearty laugh that at any and all opportunity, cyclists will quote chapter and verse of traffic laws to point out that that guy who got caught parked half a car length beyond the cross walk or blocking the box because a traffic obstruction is truely a terror to society and deserves to have any and all book thrown squarely at his/her head.

A. Cars are much more dangerous than bikes.
B. That's not what is being argued. What's being argued is whether doing so deserves a ticket. It does. And so does a cyclist who runs a red light or stop sign.

by drumz on Mar 19, 2013 1:09 pm • link • report

It's been confirmed by reporters since then that the Navigator situation was a precipitating factor in Kwame Brown's decision. It didn't have to be the only one, but it as a big one.

I imagine it might have been a factor. I doubt "the investigation itself" was the main reason than it was the extent to which grandstanding played into investigation. But that's still rather separate from the belief that the Navigator scandal led us to use the Saint moniker. It was Tommy's position on ALL things during that time and the severe level of defense offered by his supporters. You know...like when he was the lone vote against an ethics reform package he claimed to support in theory...and his supporters argued that he was right to vote against it in principle.

DOMA might be a better example

D'uh! You're right. I mean DOMA all along.

why being considered ethical is a minus in your book.

It's not but my opinion on what I believe doesn't really matter since many here are often better judge's of what I do and don't believe. *shrugs*

by HogWash on Mar 19, 2013 1:13 pm • link • report

bike - if a cyclist does something dangerous most cyclists will call them on it - if they do something that is not, cyclists will explain why its not. Especially if the non-dangerous infraction is being used by someone to argue against pro bike policies, which is not uncommon.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 19, 2013 1:13 pm • link • report

A. A stationary car 5 feet beyond the cross walk is no more dangerous than a stationary bike.

B. I hope you maintain that attitude next time the issue rears its head.

by Bike on Mar 19, 2013 1:17 pm • link • report

if a cyclist does something dangerous most cyclists will call them on it - if they do something that is not, cyclists will explain why its not.

I think the challenge is dealing w/what's said when you're friends aren't around. To what extent you provide a defense. For instance, in response to the belief that many Obama supporters are fanatical, people often say, "There are things Obama has done I don't like...but..." In this cycling/driving discussions people will say, "We don't believe cyclists should have free reign to....but..."

by HogWash on Mar 19, 2013 1:22 pm • link • report

A. A stationary car 5 feet beyond the cross walk is no more dangerous than a stationary bike.
B. I hope you maintain that attitude next time the issue rears its head.

A. Ok, but should that person be ticketed? Yes.
B. Ok.

by drumz on Mar 19, 2013 1:25 pm • link • report

"It's not but my opinion on what I believe doesn't really matter since many here are often better judge's of what I do and don't believe. *shrugs*

"It's not but my opinion on what I believe doesn't really matter since many here are often better judge's of what I do and don't believe. *shrugs*"

well your expertise is on what this blog does and doen not believe, if Im not mistaken.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 19, 2013 1:25 pm • link • report

And actually I support that a cyclist (and pedestrians) do whatever is possible to keep themself safe since its demonstrated again and again that the law is little protection against being hit or being able to do anything about it.

But we're not talking about whether people should break the law. We're talking about if they should be ticketed or not once they do.

by drumz on Mar 19, 2013 1:30 pm • link • report

@Bike

"A stationary car 5 feet beyond the cross walk is no more dangerous than a stationary bike."

I sympathize with your main point, but this comment is wrong headed. Yes, a stationary car in a crosswalk is not very dangerous, but the flippant attitude towards crosswalks/ right turns that often times produces that behavior is dangerous.

by onelasttime on Mar 19, 2013 1:33 pm • link • report

@Bossi: there's a German-American Heritage Museum on 6th St. in "Chinatown," over by Graffiato (the American-Italian joint) and Daikaya (and two blocks from the Goethe-Institut). To add to the multicultural confusion, the museum's name is so long that its sign uses a much larger font in Chinese than in English, and has no Deutsch whatsoever.

Which all goes to say that e pluribus unum is alive and well, even when it's threatened.

by Payton on Mar 19, 2013 1:39 pm • link • report

@onelasttime

I had to learn this when we adopted my son (who is black)

AFRICAN-AMERICAN basically means you have an ancestor who was broutght here against his or her will as a slave. That does not mean it is your entire ancestry but it is a part of it.

AFRICAN is more recent immigrants from Africa who came here either by choice or as refugees.

My understanding is that, because of the stereotypes and stigmas related to wing African American many African immigrants (there are many here in the DC area) make the distinction themselves.

My son is African American on one side and African on the other; it will be interesting to see how he identifies with one, both, or neither of those ethnic and racial histories as he grows up.

As for white South African immigrants calling themselves African American - either a sad attempt at a joke or a misunderstanding of what that cultural heritage really is.

by Gooch on Mar 19, 2013 1:40 pm • link • report

A stationary car 5 feet beyond the cross walk is no more dangerous than a stationary bike.

What's the point of this comment? What do you mean?
1. If a car is IN the crosswalk then yes it's dangerous, people have to walk around and end up pushed into traffic or other places other cars don't expect them to be.
2. If you are beyond the crosswalk in the intersection then you are holding up cross-traffic - it has nothing to do with bikes or pedestrians.

But yes, it's all the cyclists' fault that you can't be bothered to not block the box or stop before you turn right on red.

by MLD on Mar 19, 2013 1:44 pm • link • report

@ Gooch

You don't think that Barack Obama is African-American?

by onelasttime on Mar 19, 2013 1:49 pm • link • report

@ Falls Church

People work at the mall.

@ Jasper

All people are are apart of the history of America, how many inventions or breakthroughs in science, medicine, technology, agriculture, food etc made by non whites do you see in the museum. Heck there is not much about African Americans/Slavery, Native Americans before or after Europeans etc. There are many things that have occurred in the history of this country that are not mentioned or are whitewashed in the that museum.

by kk on Mar 19, 2013 1:49 pm • link • report

onelasttime,

Someone may not think he is but ultimately your ethnicity is decided by individual themself. President Obama delves into why he IDs as African-American in his books.

One can come up with all sorts of rules and criteria but there is always an exception. Some more famous than others.

by drumz on Mar 19, 2013 1:54 pm • link • report

"Someone may not think he is but ultimately your ethnicity is decided by individual themself."

Nice to know someone finally accepts my Kazakh-Tahitian identity.

by onelasttime on Mar 19, 2013 2:04 pm • link • report

But point out any traffic infraction exercised by a cyclist and you'll have volumes of supposedly "legit" excuses why it is no big deal and people should just relax.

I think you're referencing my first post today. I know the code b/c I work in a law office that handles a lot of cases dealing w/ crashes and taxi cabs specifically.

Personally, I think it's important to note that the traffic code was written for motor vehicles only. It's not until recently that bicycles have been anything more than footnotes. Further, the code has never taken into account the unique characteristics of bicycles. Namely, there are times when cyclists can and do act much like a motor vehicle and others when we more closely resemble a pedestrian.
I'd agree with AWITC that there is a large degree of false equivalency in just about every forum that mentions biking. If a cyclist screws up in traffic, in the vast majority of cases, it's the cyclist that pays. One of the biggest comments I see is that we go through (usually framed as "blow through") stop signs and red lights. Do I think it happens sometimes, sure, we've all seen it. I tend to yell at cyclists who go through reds when I know they'll be stopped at the next one anyway. But I roll through stop signs all the time, and from what I can tell, I still go through them at a slower speed than drivers that do the same thing. It often happens that I reach a stop sign at the same time as a motor vehicle and we roll through together. I just think those types of arguments are silly.

by thump on Mar 19, 2013 2:11 pm • link • report

Someone may not think he is but ultimately your ethnicity is decided by individual themself. President Obama delves into why he IDs as African-American in his books.

Yes and essentially people will identify w/how the rest of the world will ultimately view him. In Obama's case, he looks black and while mixed-race is a new'ish thing, most people back then did the either/or thing. There's also the identification issue which has changed over time.

Negro, Black, African-American. I tend to shy away from using African-american and prefer the all-encompassing term "BLACK" which some black folk don't like either.

by HogWash on Mar 19, 2013 2:18 pm • link • report

@onelasttime

Good points.

I think others have answered the question well - I was reporting the general guidelines that my family learned from other mixed race families as we went through the adoptive process. People are free to identify however they would like but some identities will be more recognized by society around them than others. Also, African American can mean an origin country, a particular history/ethnicity, and/or some combination, which makes the entire thing a bit confusing at times.

Note also that I pointed out why some African immigrants do not identify as African American; I never said everyone in the immigrant community feels this way or that the feeling spans generations.

As for the museum, which is where this discussion began - based on its web page and other information it is pretty clear that by "African American" they mean "slaves and their descendants."

by gooch on Mar 19, 2013 2:44 pm • link • report

AFRICAN-AMERICAN basically means you have an ancestor who was broutght here against his or her will as a slave. That does not mean it is your entire ancestry but it is a part of it.

AFRICAN is more recent immigrants from Africa who came here either by choice or as refugees.

Wait - someone who is descended from African immigrants who came here of their own free will circa 1905 is not an African American? That can't be right.

by dcd on Mar 19, 2013 2:46 pm • link • report

dcd

I would imagine most descendants of the handful of african immigrants who came in 1905 have assimilated into the broader african american community.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 19, 2013 2:53 pm • link • report

@dcd

They are cultural definitions, so there is no hard and fast.

by MLD on Mar 19, 2013 2:53 pm • link • report

@gooch

What people see a person as and what they are can be very different. I thought we were talking about identity, not perceived identity.

Ethnicity is not "cultural" in the sense that we typically think of. If I moved to China and assimilated well with the culture, spoke the language, identified myself culturally as Chinese etc. I would be no closer to being ethnically Chinese than the day I arrived. My ethnicity (white, German-American, whatever have you) is not something I get to choose.

by onelasttime on Mar 19, 2013 3:04 pm • link • report

Ethnicity is certainly cultural - it may be that in China someone who is white skinned and round eyed cannot be ethnically chinese, but thats just part of Chinese culture. That is to say ethnicity is a cultural construct. Some ethnicities in some societies are less tied to biology than that.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 19, 2013 3:12 pm • link • report

I didn't mean that ethnicity isn't cultural, I meant that it doesn't work like personal cultural identities generally do. If you really think that I would be ethnically Chinese if I assimilated in China, I'll take that as a reductio ad absurdum.

by onelasttime on Mar 19, 2013 3:23 pm • link • report

I think we may have different definitions of ethnicity. Do you think someone can be say, ethnically Brazilian? Jewish? Arab? yet all those identities include an almost unlimited range of complexions. It may be that certain ethnicities contain some irreducible core of physical descent - even that leaves lots of room for choice - someone who is part asian deciding whether to be chinese or not, for example. Someone of "ethnic Chinese" descent living in Saigon and speaking Viet Namese decided what to be. Someone in Prague in 1905 deciding to be ethnic german or czech.

To get back on topic, african americans have had a wide variety of complexions, including folks who appeared completely white. Historically anyone who is a descendant of people who were enslaved in the western hemisphere can be african american if they choose, but they can also not be if they can pass as white, and in recent years they can identify as multiracial. African culture not connected to that tradition is not "african american culture" but someone of african ancestry or partial african ancestry like Obama, who chooses to join the african american community and participate in its culture is also an african american.

by AWalkerInTheCity on Mar 19, 2013 3:37 pm • link • report

@Jasper Customers, students, or visitors? Do people come to buy, to learn, or as a guest?

Fine, call them visitors instead of customers. Doesn't change the point that the Smithsonian should be responsive to their demands whatever you call them.

No, they are showing the 'E pluribus' part, but by being separate, they are not showing the 'unum' part.

An "American Latino" museum would be showing 'E pluribus' with the 'Latino' part and 'unum' with the 'American' part. It's not an American museum and it's not a Latino museum. As a Latino American museum it would be directly aligned with e pluribus unum. Or, perhaps you could say that all the American ethnic museums taken as a whole are what's showing e pluribus unum.

In contrast, you'd probably never have a Turkish-German museum in Germany because many white Germans don't consider Turks as real Germans. That's the difference between American and Europe.

by Falls Church on Mar 19, 2013 3:58 pm • link • report

African American

So what is a Moroccan, Egyptian, Sudanese, Libyan, Tunisian whom is not Arab considered or a Madagascan since most of the population there is of Polynesian and not African descant

by kk on Mar 20, 2013 10:21 pm • link • report

@ HogWash

Black refers more than just African Americans, African Latinos or Africans. Most people of Oceania would qualify as Black if you just saw them and if a Papuan came here for example they would blend in with African Americans except for the ones with blonde hair.

The definition of Black depends on what country you are in and it changes over time. Just as the meaning of Latino has changed over time the term was coined by the French about themselves and all other people of Romance Language backgrounds.

All the ethnic groups of Papua New Guinea
People from Western Papua Indoesnia
Some people from East Timor
Native Australians
Tongans
Samoans
Aeta and Ati of the Philippines
Maori of New Zealand
Andamanese people of India

All of the above could all pass for black or mixed with black when most of them have less in common with Africans or African Americans than Caucasians do.

by kk on Mar 20, 2013 10:37 pm • link • report