No Respect for ANC Members!
The trappings of office for an advisory neighborhood commissioner are few, but one nice thing is that you can get a little placard for your car announcing that you're "ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS," allowing you to park in certain places off limits to the hoi polloi.
This afternoon, official parking was scarce outside the Wilson Building, so one commissioner decided to put her placard to use. A blue Mercury Capri, belonging to former 5B10 Commissioner Kathy Henderson (mother of current 5B10 Commissioner India Henderson, who was along for the trip), was parked in the median of Pennsylvania Avenue NW in front of the building. Seeing as today was the judiciary committee's oversight hearing on the Metropolitan Police Department, there were also a few police vehicles parked in the middle of the street, too.
The authorities apparently have no respect for the Hendersons' "OFFICIAL BUSINESS"—which was to attend the police hearing:
"It's ridiculous," says Kathy Henderson, who says the ticket was issued by the D.C. Protective Services Department. She called the department up and explained that ANC members with a placard are allowed to park in official spaces. "They said, 'We don't know anything about that.'"
1:03 am
Mistake, DC Protective Services. ANC members are the real power in this town.
12:16 pm
Is parking in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue really an "official space?" I thought the reason that it was not legal to park in certain spaces (such as the median between two lanes of traffic) is because it wasn't a safe place to park. Nobody should be parking there, police or otherwise. If spaces are to be reserved for official use, then they should be marked as such.
1:26 pm
Not exactly official spaces, but government vehicles--police cruisers, cars w/ GT and federal plates, councilmembers' private vehicles--routinely park in the median.
2:25 pm
I guess I'm unclear on why such people on "official business" should be able to park wherever they want. This wasn't ever marked as a place to park, so there must be a reason. If it's not an emergency then it shouldn't be done. If the median is OK, what else is? What isn't? Who makes that call? That's why we have parking spaces.
I realize this isn't exactly the point you were making. But as to that - is there some reason ANC commissioners can't take metro like everyone else? No, they don't get much respect. But considering that most are elected by somewhere between 10 and 100 votes, and most don't really do a heck of a lot except promote their personal agendas/vendettas, should they?
I'm more OK with cops taking parking liberties (since we'd rather they enforce the law than spend unnecessary time in transportation). But I'm skeptical that ANC commissioners should be afforded the same privilege.
2:16 am
The ticket was dismissed. Commissioners on official business may park anywhere that government vehicles are allowed to park and DC government vehicles routinely park on that median when attending hearings in the Wilson building. Parking around the Wilson building is admittedly scarce. ANC's are a bonafide part of the District Government and should be allowed a mere parking privilege to help fight for the best interests of DC residents.
Kathy Henderson
7:45 am
Yes, this is leadership, DC style. The law does not apply to you, you can steal all the money you want - steal from HIV.AIDS victims, steal from children, steal from old people.
Adrian Fenty stole from a dead person's estate. Michelle Fenty stole from DC taxpayers & the DC housing agency. Fenty's frat brothers stole from DC taxpayers. Barry's crew & Graham's crew & Evans's crew all stole from DC taxpayers, children, & old people.
Leadership, DC style - steal every fucking penny you can get your hands on, no matter who the victim is.
7:47 am
Has anyone done a FOIA request re the money Michelle Fenty stole from the housing agency? There should be billing records, & there should be some kind of work product.
It'd be interesting to see how much she stole & what she tried to do to excuse it or to cover it up.
8:16 am
Comrade Al Gonzales: Please provide details about Michelle Fenty stealing. I was unaware of this until your recent postings. Thanks.
8:44 am
Thanks for the interest. LL & WaPo have written about Michelle Fenty grabbing city contracts for work that she was totally unqualified to do. Then she pads the bill by billing for work that was totally worthless.
Here's a link to a WaPo story, & a few quotes. I may try to dig up more on this later today if I have time.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/03/AR2007070302137.html
"Michelle Fenty's services for the NCRC raised concern because she is not a real estate lawyer. Fenty is a global technology transactional attorney, a highly specialized practice."
"The city's Department of Housing and Community Development, which monitors projects by NCRC that receive federal grant money, issued a critical report in August, saying it spent too much on legal costs."
9:19 am
Comrade Al Gonzales: Did you know that the Director of DC Housing and Community Development - Leila Edmonds - is related to King Fenty? She is married to his cousin. She is also Jamaican, just like Michelle Fenty. Not only is it nepotism, but it stinks of something really afoul!
9:59 am
Yes, it looks like the Fenty Family of Thieves has its tentacles reaching throughout DC government. I knew that the DC HCD director was somehow related to Fenty, but thank you for this extra detail.
I agree, there is something really rotten here & it is stinking to high heaven! If some good investigative reporting were done here, I'm sure we'd find out even more about how King Fenty & the Fenty Family of Thieves are looting DC's public coffers.
10:53 am
Leila is competent though and qualified for her post. I think all levels of Fentyism stinks in generla though. I never realized how profitable it is to be in politics. So much for a business degree, I should have just joined a frat, aligned myself with crooked politicos, and retire in the Dom. Republic as Mayor.
11:47 am
Adrian Bent-Me: She may show signs of qualification, but she was not when she walked in the door. She knew nothing; and if it were not for the people who worked there prior to her arrival who had all of the knowledge, she would still look like a deer in the head lights at council hearings. The fact that King Fenty never revealed that she is related to him is not government transparency or full disclosure. Thank God for competent staff and employees at DC Housing and Community Development who make Leila Edmonds look competent; enough for you to think she is anyway. Me, I'm no so sure.