A deliberative roundup of one city’s local politics. Send your tips, releases, stories, events, etc. to lips@washingtoncitypaper.com. And get LL Daily sent straight to your inbox every morning!
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
The Cranky Redskins Fan’s Guide to Dan Snyder
Good morning sweet readers! Babies do, in fact, have necks, who knew? News time:
Bring a Sleeping Bag To Your Office: Next time there’s a major snowstorm, the District of Columbia’s government might tell you to “shelter in place” and “request that motorists quickly move their vehicles onto side streets so road crews can treat heavily traveled commuter routes,” reports the Post’s Tim Craig from yesterday’s D.C. Council hearing. During winter storms, the District’s 70 traffic control officers are reassigned to help plow snow. Under questioning from [CM Tommy] Wells, District officials acknowledged that some steps could have been taken to alleviate some of the congestion. During winter storms, the District’s 70 traffic control officers are reassigned to help plow snow. But transportation officials said they did not formally request that D.C. police step in to try to direct traffic off heavily congested intersections. In the next storm, Howland said, Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier has agreed to use special operations officers and cadets to help with traffic control.” Meanwhile, Pepco took out a full-page ad in the Post apologizing for the many power outages. Says Pepco CEO Joseph Rigby: “We will not make excuses. We will make improvements.”
AFTER THE JUMP: Silly Rich People Register Their Guns; Weak Walmart Oppo; Snyder Hurts His Chances?…
Rich People And Guns: Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer likes to use the line: “None of your damn business and not as many as I’d like” when people ask how many guns he owns. But in D.C., gun owners are more chatty, and spoke with the Post‘s Paul Duggan about their firearm ownership. “Mine are loaded—locked and cocked—right where I can get them,” says one. Duggan penned today’s talker, in which he reports that most legally obtained guns in the District are finding homes in well-heeled neighborhoods, especially in Ward 3. “In the 2½ years since the U.S. Supreme Court ended the District’s handgun ban, hundreds of residents in Washington’s safest, most well-to-do neighborhoods have armed themselves, registering far more guns than people in poorer, crime-plagued areas of the city, according to D.C. police data.” See where your Zip code rates in new gun ownership here.
Walmart Opposition is Weak: Housing Complex’s LDP explains: After a morning of meetings with officials and staff, which yielded no evidence of a coordinated strategy on the part of politicians to compel Walmart to do anything, the advocates’ disappointment was palpable. ‘Our councilmembers are acting like they don’t know what Walmart is,’ said Brenda Speaks, an ANC commissioner representing the area near Walmart’s proposed Georgia Avenue location. ‘We did not get any satisfying answers from one councilmember.'” That’s the story of LL’s life right there, honey.
Snyder’s Lawsuit May Hurt Training Facility Chances: The Post‘s Mike DeBonis reports that Dan Snyder, renowned owner of the Washington Redskins and plaintiff in a lawsuit against Washington City Paper‘s owner, may have hurt his chances of getting any help from the District government in building a new training facility in town because of his lawsuit. Says CM Tommy Wells: “‘I had not seen Dan Snyder as really being a Washingtonian or really a contributing leader to the community with his stewardship of the team,” he said. The lawsuit, he added, “‘continues to reaffirm a lack of sensitivity or connection with the city and its fans. There’s a civic relationship between a city and its football team, and Mr. Snyder has done very little to nurture that. Now, he’s done more to injure it.'”
New Principal for Hardy: Interim Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson has named Daniel Shea as the new principal at Hardy Middle School. Judging from Shea’s kindly mug posted over at the Georgetown Dish, it should be nothing but smooth sailing ahead at the troubled Hardy. Right?!
In other news: Ted Trabue re-elected as school board president. Gray psyched about United Negro College Fund moving to town. St. Elizabeth’s still has problems, but it’s getting better. Gray and CM Jack Evans celebrated Chinese New Year. Ousted Dunbar operator Friends of Bedford operator implies former Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee would have given FoB more time. History lesson on why D.C. has 13 councilmembers and not a governor and 25 legislators. Go ahead and plan on not paying anymore federal taxes! CSX has been making the Anacostia even dirtier, will pay $8 million.
Gray schedule: Presser at 11:30 a.m., Meeting with Illinois Rep. Danny Davis at 5:30 p.m.
Council: Meeting on CAFR at 10 a.m.