Reading around

A number of good articles in today's papers:

1. Tom Boswell, who for a sports section columnist has been somewhat evenhanded about the massive funding of the baseball stadium, which when fully paid off with interest charges, the cost will be $1 billion or so (according to Mayoral candidate Michael Brown) compares what's happening in DC with Pittsburgh's successful construction of PNC Park, in today's column, "Look no farther than Pittsburgh." He writes:

While others focused on Pittsburgh's pride, some minds wandered to the Nationals' new ballpark, being built on the Anacostia River waterfront, which also has potential for some magnificence as well as landmarks in its sight lines. Pittsburgh broke ground in April '99 and had its park open for play in 23 months. The city was on time and absolutely on the money, especially when you consider that PNC Park's $262 million price tag included land acquisition costs.

Can the District, which broke ground on its park in May, do the same? With $313 million allocated for the park itself and about $300 million more allocated for land and other costs, can the nation's capital approach the architectural imagination and civic execution of a funds-strapped Rust Belt city trying to revive its sooty reputation?

In other words, can Washington build a ballpark half as wonderful as PNC Park for more than twice the cost? And can D.C., which already shows signs of dragging its heels and bending deadlines, finish by Opening Day of '08 to avoid potential penalties that could run into the tens of millions if the park is delivered late?

One thing that makes me wonder--DC decided to build an "architectural gem" (whatever that means, usually some modernist monstrosity that doesn't age well, rather than focus on what works, retro parks, or what would work even better), see "Our "friends" the Lerners: More about constructing buildings vs creating places" and "Tale of Two (or more) Cities," blog entries from 2006 and 2005.

2. The Home section mentions Community Forklift, in the article "Varied Treasures." There are decent photos of their growing stock that didn't make it into the online edition. Community Forklift is a building materials recovery and resale operation--did you know that 50% of the materials dumped in landfills are building parts or rubble?

3. The article about the recommendations of the Health Care task force, "Panel Suggests D.C. Build 3 Health Clinics: Alternatives to Medical Center Proposed" says that rather than build a new hospital, the best way to improve health care and health wellness outcomes, is to have high-quality outpatient clinics in the three wards evincing the greatest need, Wards 6, 7, and 8.

This is something that many people, including me, have argued have argued for since last summer. The strongest discussant of the issue has been Dr. Eric Rosenthal, writing for the most part, in themail (although he also had an op-ed in the Post, "The Right Approach to Health Care in the District") the good government e-newsletter from DC Watch that has tremendous impact in goading the local issue space towards better outcomes. (Not with baseball, but you can't bat 1,000 either. They do better than .300 or .400.)

4. Which leads to the column by Jonetta Rose Barras in today's Examiner, "Residents expose leadership failures, save democracy again." She writes about how the slots-gaming initiative has retreated, and won't attempt to get their terribly flawed pro-gaming initiative referendum on the ballot for this fall's election. From the article:

When officials forget their sworn oath that obliges them “to protect and defend the laws of the District of Columbia,” the results can be disastrous. During the past several weeks, a gang of thugs converged on the nation’s capital to get a slots gambling initiative on the ballot for the November General Election. They violated city laws and intimidated residents with impunity. All of this is as old as polyester bell-bottoms.

Robinson et. al. weren’t halted by elections officials or the mayor or the D.C. Council — although Council Member Carol Schwartz attended a rally against slots....Even as complaints poured in, Wilma Lewis, chairman of the elections board, did nothing to rein in Robinson’s crew....The mayor has said he doesn’t support gambling, but didn’t lobby against the Robinson effort. ...

Not unlike 2004, the task of defending democracy — and enforcing election laws — fell to a collection of residents including attorney Ronald L. Drake; DC Watch founders Dorothy Brizill and Gary Imhoff; Anthony Muhammad, chair of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8A; and Thelma Jones, head of the Fairlawn Citizens Association. This is the group, which doesn’t collect the huge salaries and stipends offered to elected and appointed officials, that stopped Robinson and his crew.

The group’s success is testimony to what informed, passionate and organized citizens can do. It’s also a glaring example, yet again, of District leaders’ failure to honor their oath of office.

Yet another deserved encomium for DC Watch and the people they rally.

THANK YOU!

Index Keywords: housing; stadiums-arenas; health-care-planning; urban-revitalization; gaming; civic-engagement