Stinks In Here

It’s the same old story.  Congress continues to interfere with the District's Home Rule, yet D.C.’s elected officials continue to show they’re unable to rule.

Last week, Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh issued a scathing statement regarding a bill in Congress aimed at reforming D.C. government personnel practices. It’s easy to see why Cheh was upset. Earlier this year, she held her own hearings into the hiring practices of the Gray administration, and has offered her own legislation aimed at reform. 

She also called a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform investigation “redundant” and “unnecessary.”  Not only that, she called it a “deep offense to the people of the District of Columbia.” 

Mary Cheh took the words right out of my mouth, only I’d use them to describe what has gone on at the Wilson Building this year.

“Indeed, the Congressional Committee’s findings match the conclusions we reached two months ago,” said Cheh. 

She’s right, if she means both the Council and Congress released reports that found no one ultimately responsible and Mayor Vincent Gray completely unaware of any wrongdoing.  Now that’s what I call offensive.

Don’t get me wrong.  It’s great that Mary Cheh has taken the lead on personnel and ethics reform, both of which are long overdue in DC politics.  Then she goes and announces plans for an emergency resolution opposing Congressional interference.  That’s right, a resolution.  Talk about redundant and unnecessary.

Speaking of unnecessary, the Council last week also voted (tentatively) to increase salaries of some high level officials.  There was supposed to be a cap on salaries, but that didn’t seem to matter to Council members.  As a result, Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson will make a $275,000 annual salary and Police Chief Cathy Lanier will make over $253,000 a year. 

The Council needs to stop feeding us this bull about needing higher salaries to attract top talent.  If these people don’t like making six figures, it should be easy enough to find someone who will.  Approving monster salaries for government officials in this day and time simply sends the wrong message to rest of us.  “We’re still in the midst of a recession, and 10-percent unemployment.  Here’s more money!” 

In case you didn’t hear, Mayor Gray has also proposed a 5 percent sales tax increase on snacks sold at movie theaters in the District.  Gray says a large chunk of the revenue would go toward attracting a movie theater east of the Anacostia. 

Come again?

Other revenue would go toward providing incentives for movie producers to film in D.C. 

Huh?

The mayor expects us to believe we should be taxed more for food, even though it’s not our fault, as D.C. residents, that production crews find it too expensive to film in the nation’s capital?

Many of us have curtailed our trips to the cinema because it’s already too expensive, and the mayor really believes this is a way to help fund a new cinema east of the Anacostia? 

Let's get this straight.  If the mayor really wanted economic growth and more entertainment opportunities in Southeast, then his office would work to find the money necessary to attract a new cinema. 

Instead, we continue to see massive construction projects all across D.C., none of which were made possible by the levy of new taxes.  There was no new tax to attract a luxury hotel for the new CityCenter project.  The city didn’t create a tax out of thin air to build a state-of-the-art library for folks in upper Northwest.

A 5 percent tax increase on theater snacks?  You have got to be joking.

Speaking of, did you hear the joke about Home Rule?  It goes something like this: 

What’s the one thing the Wilson Building and Congress have in common? 

Answer:  A major lack of respect for D.C. residents.