A disgusting example of how connected groups game the DC budget and legislation system

(While bad, this doesn't even enter the league of disgustingness as it relates to the urban renewal plans mandated by DC City Council legislation for the Florida Market.)

Michael Neibauer has a great piece, "Odd deal sends D.C. fire truck, ambulance to Dominican town" in the Examiner about the ridiculousness of giving a DC fire engine (admittedly they have more pieces of "apparatus" than they need, because they went through a massive purchase of new equipment during the Williams Administration) to some town in the Dominican Republic at the behest of the incredibly well-connected group, Peaceaholics, which deals with crime issues.

Now, don't forget that in the U.S. we have separation of church and state. Here is the "legislative intent" for the boneheaded decision:

“Even though it’s $340,000, we see the city getting a lot back from it,” said Peaceoholics co-founder Ron Moten. “And it’s just a good deed. We believe if you can help anybody, God blesses you 10 times over.”

But the donation has struck numerous city officials as unusual, if not unprecedented. According to the Office of Contracting and Procurement’s Web site, all surplus government supplies are subject to auction so the District can recoup some of its costs.

This is another example of how DC City Council itself is exempt from the contracting requirements that all other agencies of the DC Government must follow.

This decision should be overturned. It is ridiculous.

District of Columbia fire department personnel respond to smoke coming from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009. Washington fire officials say the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House was evacuated briefly after smoke from a fireplace clouded one of the floors. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)