Washington City Paper: Contents for Feb. 20

Step Down
Nearly three years ago, the District gave up democracy for the tough love of the control board. Elected government is out, and the results are in: The control board has failed.

Cover Story

Dump the current control board right after a clean audit and the first surplus in years? Seems churlish, not to mention shortsighted. After all, before Andrew Brimmer and the Brimmerettes came along, the District was dealing with fudged numbers, a Congress riven by hatred for its adopted home, and a citizenry that couldn't get For Sale signs up on its houses fast enough. We're just getting started, right?

Well, the nice numbers that the control board is putting up are just that—numbers on a page somewhere. Out here where you live, the District is still a sick punch line halfway through a third control year. The calculus that measures the quality of life—schools, cops, and city services—suggests that the District remains a bad bet for the future.

Use the Ronald Reagan test for the control board: Are you better off now than you were three years ago? Any chance that your kids are headed into an improving school system? That you will end up finding your stolen or towed car in one piece? Thought not.

Yeah, yeah, Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles couldn't have turned the District into a functioning municipality in less than three years—even if they worked Sundays. After all, Marion Barry and his ilk had a full 20 years to screw it up. Says control board executive director John Hill, "Change is not easy. It is not linear; it is messy. And it's very easy to sit on the sidelines and play Monday-morning quarterback. The control board is about making things happen, and there are a lot of people in this city who are here to keep things from happening. We are as frustrated as anyone about the pace of change here."... Continued

Issue of Feb. 20 - 26, 1998

News and Features

Step Down
Nearly three years ago, the District gave up democracy for the tough love of the control board. Elected government is out, and the results are in: The control board has failed.
Cover Story By Tom StabileKen CumminsJonetta Rose Barras, Erik Wemple and David Carr
Boot Camp
Putting the screws to D.C. ticket scofflaws
The City By Scott Sowers
Church Out of Time
D.C.'s oldest church meets the U.S. Mail's newest regulations.
The City By Michael Schaffer

Columns

Trading Raul
Cheap Seats By Dave McKenna
Flintstone Democracy
City Desk By Ginger EckertLaura Lang, Amanda Ripley and Jamal Watson
Convention Center Slush Fund
Loose Lips By Ken Cummins

Eats

Movies

Law and Disorder
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Spheeris and Sphericality
Film Review By Arion Berger

Music

No Cover, No Minimum
Music Review By Joel E. Siegel
David Holmes
Music Review By Christopher Porter
Jimmy Sturr
Music Review By Matt Watson
DJ Shadow
Music Review By Rickey Wright
Neil Hamburger
Music Review By John Dugan

Theater

Dr. Strangelove
Theater Review By Bob Mondello

Arts and Events

Oscar Wild
Books By Arion Berger
Motorin' With Margo
Artifacts By Christopher Porter
Diverse Universe
Artifacts By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Whirly Guys
Artifacts By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Begging the Question
Can Tha Beggas turn D.C. heads on to the sound of the underground?
Arts By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Art and Language
Art Review By Chris Gilbert
Radio Baby Baby
Artifacts By Rowena Holt
Merci Killing
Artifacts By Sharon Hershey
Sleeping Sickness
Artifacts By Anonymous
Station to Station
Artifacts By Steve Donkin
Bonzo Journalism
Artifacts By Dan Vergano
Carspotting
Artifacts By John Kelly
Route of Our Problems
Artifacts By Chuck Coleman
Chai Babylonia
Artifacts By Joseph P. McKenna
I Can See for Miles
Artifacts By R. Paul Warren
Cineplexed
Artifacts By Margaret M. Dudley
The Monica Lewinsky Cover
Artifacts By Mark Witczak