Washington City Paper: Contents for Jan. 24

Membership has its privileges.
In discussions with Washington Teachers' Union officials, board trustees were careful to ask if all the bills were paid. But they didn't bother to ask what the bills were for.

Cover Story

Until October, Leroy Holmes was a fixture in the lobby of the K Street offices of the Washington Teachers' Union. Holmes wasn't on the union's payroll, yet everyone on staff knew him. He was the guy you'd get to help carry heavy boxes or make deliveries. He was the union's odd-jobs man, President Barbara Bullock's personal driver. Anywhere she needed to go, he would take her in one of his three Cadillacs.

He was there for the big jobs, too.

Holmes helped spearhead the union's creative approach to financial management. Here's how it went: Checks were made out to Holmes, he cashed them, and then he forwarded the proceeds to union officials or their relatives, while pocketing some for himself, according to a union audit released last week. On some checks, the names of payees were crossed out and Holmes' name was put in their place. More than $1 million in union checks passed through Holmes' hands from 1998 to 2001, the audit alleges.

"When I noticed [Holmes] was getting a lot of checks in his name and he wasn't reporting that income, I told him he shouldn't be cashing any more checks for them," says James Goosby Jr., Holmes' tax preparer. Goosby also prepared the tax forms for Bullock and the union--documents that the FBI alleges are wildly inaccurate.

"I don't think he understood the legal ramifications of what he was doing. He's not too bright when it comes to the law," says Goosby. "I think he wanted to keep his job, so he didn't complain enough."... Continued

Issue of Jan. 24 - 30, 2003

News and Features

Membership has its privileges.
In discussions with Washington Teachers' Union officials, board trustees were careful to ask if all the bills were paid. But they didn't bother to ask what the bills were for.
Cover Story By David Morton
Ebony and Emily
Putting your name on the color line
Feature By Sarah Godfrey
1617 21st St. NW, 1/15/03, about 5:45 a.m.
The City By Josh Levin
Showdown in Tow Town
Georgetowners want to haul tow trucks off the city streets.
The City By Felix Gillette
Thoroughly Soaked
A Northeast resident is awash in mysterious water bills.
The City By John Metcalfe
Going to the Mattresses
Nimby Tribunal By Josh Levin
There's a Riot Going On?
The Mail By Eric Wenocur
Think Nationally, Act Locally
The Mail By Mike Livingston
Injustice for All
The Mail By J.S. Patrick
Condo-Minimal
The Mail By Michael G. Malloy
Waxing Wroth
The Mail By Jonathan Cook
Single-Minded
The Mail By Sharon J. Chambers
Magnet Therapy?
The Mail By Daniel Luzer
Two to Tango
The Mail By Julie Meyer and Arnoldo Ramos
Straight, From the Heart
The Mail By Christopher Richards
Stepping in It
The Mail By Ralph Junior

Columns

Never Meanin' No Harm
Cheap Seats By Dave McKenna
Close to Home
Dept. of Media By Erik Wemple
First Responder
Loose Lips By Elissa Silverman

Eats

Movies

In the Mind's Eye
Film Review By Arion Berger
Latin Routs
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
One From the Heartland
Film Review By Christopher Hawthorne
A Guy Thing
Film Review By Tricia Olszewski

Music

Not Looking for a New England
Music Review By Brent Burton
I Suck on That Emotion
Music Review By Michael Little
Bitter, Bitter Weeks
Music Review By Andrew Beaujon
Tommy & Fred: Best Fiddle-Banjo Duets
A few of the things we're listening to this week, in no particular order
Music Review By Glenn Dixon
Emergency Third Rail Power Trip/Explosions in the Glass Palace
A few of the things we're listening to this week, in no particular order
Music Review By Leonard Roberge
Screamin' the Blues
A few of the things we're listening to this week, in no particular order
Music Review By Jason Cherkis
Mister Yellowman
A few of the things we're listening to this week, in no particular order
Music Review By Christopher Porter
Juzzle
A few of the things we're listening to this week, in no particular order
Music Review By Shannon Zimmerman
Eden Alley
A few of the things we're listening to this week, in no particular order
Music Review By Pamela Murray Winters

Theater

About Last Night
Theater Review By Bob Mondello
High Dive
Theater Review By Janet Hopf

Arts and Events

East Side Stories
Leah Hertz hopes to bring a lost era of Soviet cinema to American audiences.
Arts By Aimee Agresti
'Burbed Comments
Art Review By Louis Jacobson
Time Bomb
Artifacts By Josh Levin
Sisters in Spin
Artifacts By Sarah Godfrey

City Lights

This week's best in Arts and Entertainment.

Laura Wexler
City Lights By Michael Little
Ned Oldham
City Lights By Mike DeBonis
Alan Licht
City Lights By Jason Cherkis
Sculpture by Angel Nunez
City Lights By Glenn Dixon
In and Out of Focus: Images From Central Africa, 1885-1960
City Lights By Louis Jacobson
L'Etrange Monsieur Victor
City Lights By Mark Jenkins
Devra Davis
City Lights By Felix Gillette
La Paz
City Lights By Joe Warminsky
The Raymond Scott Orchestrette
City Lights By Steve Kiviat
Night Shapes
City Lights By Mark Jenkins
Caroline Rennolds Milbank
City Lights By Caroline Schweiter
The Cowboys
City Lights By David Dunlap Jr.
Boas
City Lights By David Dunlap Jr.
James D. Steakley
City Lights By Josh Levin