All Opinions Are Local: November 7, 2010 - November 13, 2010
The police killed my son. Why can't they answer my questions?
On the morning of Dec. 10, 2008, I said goodbye to my 19-year-old son, Hailu Brook, and left for work. It was the last time I would see him alive. The pain of what transpired that day will remain with...
By
Brook Hailu Beshah
| November 13, 2010; 10:11 PM ET |
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Comments (14)
Categories:
Fairfax County, HotTopic, Virginia, crime, police
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Con-con promise comes due for O'Malley
In an Oct. 21 gubernatorial debate with Republican challenger Robert Ehrlich, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley was asked if he supported convening a constitutional convention — a “con-con” — in Maryland. He replied: “If that’s what people want to do, then that’s...
By
J.H. Snider, Severna Park
| November 13, 2010; 1:59 PM ET |
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Comments (2)
Categories:
HotTopic, Maryland
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The Post's double standard on my legislative work
The Nov. 11 editorial “Race away from the top” called into question my integrity and claimed I should recuse myself on voting, as a state senator, on education issues because I work for teachers and their union. I have worked...
By
Paul G. Pinsky, University Park
| November 13, 2010; 1:45 PM ET |
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Comments (4)
Categories:
Maryland, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, education, schools
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Help wanted: One second-chance job
Tim Cofield needed his public defender again way too soon. After his release from jail in March, I wrote on this page that Tim would soon be back in front of a judge if he did not get consistent access...
By
Jim Arkedis, Washington
| November 12, 2010; 8:30 PM ET |
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Comments (2)
Categories:
D.C., economy, housing
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What it will take to change Annapolis
In the Nov. 7 story about Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s reelection, “O’Malley charts unclear course for 2nd term,” Aaron C. Davis and colleagues presented an interesting picture of a governor reelected by a landslide but with no clear mandate or...
By
Paul Edwards, Towson
| November 12, 2010; 8:21 PM ET |
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Categories:
HotTopic, Maryland, economy
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Signs your escalator won't be fixed anytime soon
Regarding the Nov. 11 Metro story “Inspections reveal escalator problems”:At Union Station, the escalator from the turnstiles to the platform went down in August for repairs with a “done by October 2010” sign. Seriously? Three months to repair an escalator...
By
Paul Foldi, Bethesda
| November 12, 2010; 8:11 PM ET |
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Categories:
Metro, transportation
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Washington Monument tour needs polishing up
While the National Park Service deliberates about enhancing security at the Washington Monument, how about upgrading its current tours of the monument as well [“A truly monumental security issue,” front page, Nov. 8].So many opportunities were missed when we visited...
By
Rebecca Hertzman, Bethesda
| November 11, 2010; 7:15 PM ET |
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Categories:
D.C., HotTopic, Local blog network, National Mall
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McDonnell's stance: I need more experience, but Palin doesn't
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell is smart enough to know that a 2012 presidential bid would constitute a premature reach beyond his experience level. So why did he tell MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell on Wednesday that Sarah Palin has enough experience...
By
Paige Winfield Cunningham
| November 11, 2010; 2:51 PM ET |
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Comments (3)
Categories:
Local blog network, My Endorsement, Va. Politics, Virginia
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Chaffetz may not oversee D.C. afterall
Last week, we reported that in the wake of the Republican Party's takeover of the House, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) would likely be elevated to the post of the District's official minder and overlord on the Hill. Chaffetz is...
By
Martin Austermuhle
| November 11, 2010; 11:28 AM ET |
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Categories:
D.C., D.C. politics, DMV, HotTopic, Local blog network
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Courageous response to a D.C. fire
Tuesday, Nov. 2, was a day I'd like to forget. At 4:30 in the afternoon, I watched in horror as a three-alarm fire blazed directly beneath my apartment at Windsor House Apartments at 1444 Rhode Island Ave. NW. I am...
By
Melissa Salmanowitz, Washington
| November 10, 2010; 7:04 PM ET |
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Categories:
D.C., housing
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Why was there no consideration of the Silver Line's security?
For several years, I have expressed the concerns raised in the Nov. 5 Metro story "Audit: Metro's Silver Line lacks security features." I contacted many who could have made a difference. I stressed the obvious: that the Metropolitan Washington Airports...
By
Randy Atkins, Vienna
| November 10, 2010; 6:55 PM ET |
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Categories:
DMV, Fenty, HotTopic, Metro, Virginia, development, traffic, transportation
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The conflicted Virginia university
Virginia's schools of higher learning are in the thick of national conflict on several hot-button research issues, according to a new publication of the American Association of University Professors. The most recent edition of the AAUP's "Academe: the Conflicted...
By
Peter Galuszka
| November 10, 2010; 5:00 PM ET |
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Comments (1)
Categories:
HotTopic, Local blog network, Va. Politics, Virginia, arts, development, economy, education, environment, health care, history, public health, schools, smoking, taxes, weather
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Metrobuses can talk, but can they save lives?
In 2007, Martha Schoenborn and Sally McGhee were killed after being run over by a Metrobus as they crossed Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Later that year, a Rockville man was killed after a Metrobus struck him while he was in...
By
Aaron Morrissey
| November 10, 2010; 3:20 PM ET |
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Categories:
D.C., HotTopic, Local blog network, Metro, transportation
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The District's evolving movie scene
Last weekend I walked out of the Uptown Theater in Cleveland Park after seeing "Fair Game." The movie was good, the theater was great. I've loved going to movies for as long as I can remember. One thing I've...
By
Rob Pitingolo
| November 10, 2010; 2:00 PM ET |
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Categories:
D.C., HotTopic, Local blog network
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Bias in The Post's 'Team Thomas' editorial
A Nov. 8 editorial touting “The latest on Team Thomas” leads me once again to question the motives of The Post and the editorial page’s continued — and oddly inappropriate — foray into investigative reporting. The paper talked to my...
By
Harry Thomas Jr., Washington
| November 9, 2010; 7:51 PM ET |
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Comments (0)
Categories:
D.C., D.C. politics, HotTopic
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D.C. without a building-height limit
The New York Times recently had a pretty good article about the height limit debate in DC. It's worth a read. In general, I think the height restriction is a pretty terrible policy. Unlike some who share this sentiment,...
By
Rob Pitingolo
| November 9, 2010; 5:08 PM ET |
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Comments (1)
Categories:
Arlington, D.C., economy
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Rethinking early voting
There have been a couple of recent issues about which I’ve disagreed with my friend Montgomery County Councilman Phil Andrews (D-District 3). (I mean “my friend” in the literal sense, rather than the political one.) One is the ambulance...
By
Keith Berner
| November 9, 2010; 4:55 PM ET |
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Categories:
HotTopic, Local blog network, Maryland, Montgomery County
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Legal immigrants face driver's license woes
Colombian citizen Ledy Serrano was surprised to get a letter from Virginia's Department of Motor Vehicles stating that there was something wrong with her driver's license. The mother of three had had one for about a decade, had committed...
By
Peter Galuszka
| November 9, 2010; 10:34 AM ET |
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Comments (10)
Categories:
HotTopic, Local blog network, Prince William County, Va. Politics, Virginia, crime, economy, immigration, police, race, traffic, transportation
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Meddling with D.C.? Gingrich did his share
I was astounded that the Nov. 6 editorial "No more meddling" cited former Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich's unilateral imposition of charter schools on the District as a "positive" example of Congress's interference in D.C. affairs. I will leave aside...
By
Laurent Ross, Washington
| November 8, 2010; 7:32 PM ET |
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Comments (1)
Categories:
D.C., D.C. politics, DC Vote, HotTopic
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The case for speed cameras
In her Nov. 5 Metro column, "In Montgomery, burning mad over speed cameras," Petula Dvorak wrote: "But whether [speed cameras] actually reduce accidents is questionable." Not according to the evidence she introduced in the next paragraph, in which she wrote...
By
John Mathwin, Rockville
| November 8, 2010; 7:28 PM ET |
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Comments (1)
Categories:
Maryland, Montgomery County, traffic, transportation
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How not to get a speeding ticket
Here's a simple solution to Petula Dvorak's and other drivers' woes concerning the much-maligned speed cameras: Obey the speed limit. Ms. Dvorak's cheers for vandalism and speeding smell like a personal vendetta. Slow down, and you won't get a ticket....
By
Lotte Fleck, Washington
| November 8, 2010; 7:11 PM ET |
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Comments (4)
Categories:
Maryland, Montgomery County, traffic, transportation
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Redistricting will be good for northern Virginia
As the election dust settles, the battle lines dividing the Republicans and Democrats are giving way to two different rivals: northern Virginians vs. southern Virginians. Redistricting promises to transfer more Richmond representation from the rural portions of the state...
By
Paige Winfield Cunningham
| November 8, 2010; 4:49 PM ET |
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Categories:
Fairfax County, HotTopic, Local blog network, Va. Politics, Virginia
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Ride-On's bad attitude
When I first moved to Takoma Park nearly 11 years ago, I found Ride-On drivers to be a joy. They were almost always friendly and courteous. “What a welcome contrast to Metrobus,” I thought. Since then, I have watched...
By
Keith Berner
| November 8, 2010; 2:35 PM ET |
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Comments (1)
Categories:
HotTopic, Local blog network, Maryland, Metro, Montgomery County, traffic, transportation
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A public 'menu' for closing the D.C. budget gap
Like all governments and public authorities of late, the District faces a large budget hole, which it needs to fill through cuts to services and/or revenue increases. D.C. should create a "menu" of possible fixes that exceed the gap...
By
David Alpert
| November 8, 2010; 1:19 PM ET |
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Categories:
D.C., D.C. politics, Local blog network, Vincent Gray, economy
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Making it pay to go solar
Regarding Anya Schoolman and Jefferson Morley’s Oct. 31 Local Opinions commentary, “D.C. solar’s newest power couple”: When power begins flowing from new solar panels on the White House, the District’s utility regulators will welcome the Obama family as new customer-generators....
By
Betty Ann Kane, Washington
| November 7, 2010; 9:45 AM ET |
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Comments (1)
Categories:
D.C., HotTopic, economy, energy
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Running scared on Confederate history
Twenty years after Gen. Robert E. Lee rode into Appomattox and surrendered his tattered army, ending the War Between the States, a memorial chapel was built in Richmond in memory of the 260,000 Confederate soldiers who died during the conflict....
By
Richard T. Hines, Alexandria
| November 7, 2010; 4:00 AM ET |
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Comments (25)
Categories:
Confederate flag, HotTopic, Va. Politics, Virginia
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