I found the Fake Issue (12/27/02) and its different stories very enlightening. Some of the stories made me laugh; other stories got on my last nerve.

This issue clearly confirms why D.C. citizens’ trust in their government is at an all-time low. There needs to be a law enacted that requires everyone—from Mayor Anthony Williams and others in key positions in the D.C. government on down—to be more sensitive to the concerns of the citizens of the District of Columbia and display a professional and caring attitude at all times.

As citizens of the District of Columbia, we are expected to bear and endure increased property taxes, high utility bills, lousy cable services, dirty streets, broken sidewalks, chopped-up school budgets, and decreased medical services with a Coke and a smile, in the name of downtown improvement. In return, we get rude and delayed motor-vehicle services, multiple fines for the least little thing, and massive parking tickets. I can almost envision a future where government officials turn me upside down and shake out my pockets.

If arrogant vs. ignorant people feel that things have improved in the District of Columbia, they need to remove their rose-colored glasses and stop faking it.

Southwest