OMG—More Klingle Blather

Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham started out sounding like the accomplished, mature legislator he sometimes can be: "I suspected the D.C. Council has discussed Klingle Road at sufficient length," he began. "There are even points where I give up....The handwriting is on the wall."

Phew, thanks Jim, on behalf of the beleaguered political class of the city, we appreciate you sparing us the 2,345th hour of debate about....

"HOWEVER," he continued, "saying in fact that Klingle will not be a road is a different decision than what this pathway ought to be."

So another amendment! This one, introduced with the support of colleagues Carol Schwartz and Muriel Bowser, would remove funding to convert Klingle Road to a hike/bike trail, while leaving the decision to close the road intact.

Graham, in his remarks, said he wanted to avoid rehashing all the old arguments but cited a conversation he'd had with transportation director Emeka Moneme last night where Moneme informed him that the official estimate for a hike/bike path is $9.6 million, far outstripping the $2 million so far budgeted. OK, interesting.

Then, in a funny but rhetorically empty exercise, Schwartz quoted the words of main anti-road foe Mary Cheh about how the road was prone to flooding and is located in a gorge: "I like bicyclists! I like pedestrians! I want them to be safe!"

Oh, and then, and then! Bowser, despite Graham's promise not to rehash the same 17 years of debate, takes the mike and starts rehashing the same goddamn unpersuasive arguments about traffic! Sheezus, Muriel!

The amendment has just failed, 3-10. God help us all.