Folks tuning into last week’s D.C. Council session received a lesson in how not to conduct government business and how to imperil public funds. They also were treated to antics rivaling an Amos ‘n’ Andy/Three Stooges movie. Where is Moe when you needhim?
How hard is it, really, to choose and fund a parking plan?
Let’s go the clips: Mayor Anthony Williams, the council and the D.C. Sports & Entertainment Commission approved a legal agreement with Major League Baseball to provide 1,225 parking spaces by opening day 2008. To build underground garages and meet that deadline, District officials needed to start construction Sept. 1. (That date was pushed back to Oct. 5.) The council capped spending for the entire baseball project — stadium and parking — at $611 million. Members knew that amount was insufficient.
Current and future mayors Williams and Adrian Fenty (aided by Council Member Jack Evans), and the current and future council chairmen — Linda Cropp and Vincent Gray — last week attempted to bring sobering reality to the problem. They urged lawmakers to declare an emergency, examine two parking proposals and approve additional funds for the chosen plan.
That didn’t happen.
Council Member Vincent Orange asserted, incorrectly, that choosing either plan jeopardized a fund for community projects. At-large member Phil “all trees and no forest” Mendelson was “unready.” Council Member David Catania argued the city should deliberately violate the lease with the Nationals ownership group headed by Ted Lerner.
(Any wonder why some youth, residents and government workers are perfectly comfortable with breaking rules and laws.)
Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi this week told the council it has dithered too long. Only one viable option remains: to build above ground garages. Further, if the city fails to meet its obligation, it faces significant penalties and revenue losses. The price tag for the District’s irresponsible behavior could reach $80 million.
All this drama can’t be over two plots of land, comprising roughly 6 percent of the entire baseball district, which includes the stadium and surrounding blocks.
It isn’t. It’s about Herb Miller — the city’s favored developer — on whose behalf some officials floated an unsubstantiated offer of $61 million for development rights. Miller has been unable to satisfy Gandhi’s concerns, including the demand to “show me the money.” Yet, some council members persist in doing Miller’s bidding.
The Lerner group has asked only that the city honor its agreement. They assert that failing to provide adequate parking could taint the fan experience, which could affect the number of people coming to the ballpark district, which could reduce the amount of money going into the city’s coffers, including that community fund Orange thinks is his legacy.
Gray says the council may need a consultant to objectively explain the options. The choices have been presented ad nauseum. The only thing required now is courage.
Jonetta Rose Barras is the political analyst for WAMU’s D.C. Politics Hour with Kojo and Jonetta. E-mail her at [email protected].
