|
Potomac Confidential
With Marc Fisher
Post Metro Columnist
Thursday, July 5, 2001; Noon EDT
Want the inside skinny on life in the Washington area? Concerned about your neighborhood? What about the quality of our schools? Want to talk politics?
In his weekly show, Marc Fisher discusses whatever is in the news, locally and nationally. He talks about why people live where they live and the eternal debate between urbanites and suburbanites. He also explores the lighter side of life.
Fisher writes his Post Metro column three times a week. He'll talk about that plus anything else that's current and topical.
A transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Marc Fisher: Hello, folks. Dried out yet? It got a little hairy down on the Mall last night, but the fireworks came off beautifully. There's no stopping the fireworks in the Chandra Levy/Gary Condit case. Condit's staff made some cryptic comments yesterday about things coming clear in the next few days--what can that mean? And where do we go now in the unending and yet still shocking story of the Prince George's County police department and their propensity to shoot unarmed people?
What's on your minds? We're starting and ending a few minutes early today, so here we go....
Washington, D.C.:
Great coverage of Condit. He may not be responsible for Levy's disappearance, but he's doing whatever he can to make himself look like a suspect.
The thing that really puzzles me about this case is the permissiveness of California parents. Maybe I'm a prude, but if my daughter suggested to me that she was having an affair with an older, married congressman, I would advise against it -- strongly. Chandra's parents seemed to take that news in stride. Monica Lewinsky's parents were the same way. Is this a trend? When I interned in Washington in 1983, I occupied myself with parties at Fletcher's Boat House and searching out free receptions on the Hill for dinner. I guess life was simpler then.
Marc Fisher: I don't pretend to know anything about the parenting style of the Levy family, but I do know that the parents have said they did not know any details of Chandra's relationship with Condit.
Bethesda, Md.:
Great column today. Apparently Mr. Condit has not been paying attention the last few years during the courses offered by the Clinton White House.
What really made me crazy was the article next to your column about arsenic levels in drinking water. Where can I begin? How about the lady in St Mary's County worrying about her tap water being "laced with arsenic" when it's not identified how many parts per billion are in her water? Or the graphic to the right of the article showing where there are water plants with "harmful" levels of arsenic (with "harmful" never being defined)? Or the fact that Clinton authorized the new 10 parts per billion standard as he was walking Buddy to the helicopter for the last time, even though the new standard was proposed in 1999? Or the fact that nowhere in the article is it discussed that Bush wants to ultimately move the standard to 20 parts, thus reducing the current standard by more than half? You get my point. That article was advocacy, not reporting, and as such should be in the back pages of the "A" section, not the front page of Metro. It was the old saw about Republicans wanting to starve children and poison the water and the air dressed up as a report about a poor frightened old lady who wonders if she's going to get cancer tomorrow from her drinking water. She better not eat broccoli then, since it probably has a higher parts per billion of arsenic than what's coming out of her tap.
Thanks for letting me rant.
Marc Fisher: Whatever the merits of the arsenic debate, I think it is clear that that was an unfortunate chapter in the early days of the Bush Administration; anytime a president who is already perceived as weak on the environment proposes to relax standards for something with as poisonous a name as arsenic, someone is not doing their PR homework. Clinton was no friend of the environment either, but he did a far better job of selling himself as someone who cared. (Indeed, I think it's fair to say that Gore's sudden amnesia during the campaign about his formerly Green positions helped sink him.)
HLB ~ Mt. Lebanon, Pa.:
Is Condit just another Democrat hot-shot Jack Kennedy wannabee [roll call: Hart, Ted Kennedy, Clinton, Jesse Jackson] who can't keep his pants on and trashes his name and career for sex or is this guy just a hapless "doon" that tried to help out a young woman with some life problems and is getting donged by the press for his effort? Thanks much.
Marc Fisher: If, as appears to be the case, this is another case of a politician who had trouble staying on the marital reservation, he would hardly be joining a purely Democratic roster. You say Teddy, I say Newt. Add Hart and Clinton, but also throw in Bob Livingston, Henry Hyde, and so on. Now, if you want to ask why so many big name pols fit this bill, that's interesting. Could it have something to do with their craving for adulation?
Arlington, Va.:
Hi there! Any Tom Cruise stories going around town other than the Reliable Source restaurant sightings? I would think especially with his mom hanging around with him that he would be on good behavior. He doesn't seem prone to the "punch out a photographer" syndrome so many have anyway. Using the Willard Hotel as a location for a 50 years-into-the-future kind of situation sounds intriguing. Do you know what kind of changes have been made? BTW--saw "Risky Business" for the umpteenth time recently and it's hard to believe that he and the Cruise in MI:2 are the same person! Anybody remember Cruise in "The Outsiders?"
Marc Fisher: I haven't seen him, though I have been caught in some of the traffic caused by that movie's filming, both on Pennsylvania Ave downtown and in Georgetown. Anyone have any sightings to share?
Tallahassee, Fla.:
To quote from your column this morning: "Condit could be avoiding publicity with the hope of sparing his wife some of the misery she is certainly experiencing now," says another lawyer.
If he wanted to spare his wife some misery perhaps he should have refrained from having adulterous affairs in the first place! I have no sympathy for this creep now. What do you think these latest developments mean? Makes me wonder if he really has something to hide, if he would go to such lengths.
Marc Fisher: True nuff. I don't know where it's going. DC Police Chief Ramsey was on WTOP this morning and he sounded as if the police are pretty well stymied in their search for Chandra. On the other hand, I think you will see a continuing flow of stories about Condit's personal life in the coming day. Whether these two strands become linked is the key question.
Re: Condit and the flight attendant:
The flight attendant's story sounds fishy to me. I don't quite believe her lawyer, who claims that she turned down $50k from the Star, but her roommate sold her out anyway. If she was acting so righteously in refusing to sign a false affadavit, then why did she have an affair with a married man in the first place? And why did she interview with Fox News? Not exactly the most reputable of news sources. I smell a LOT of spin on this one, trying to make her look as good as possible ...
Marc Fisher: Surely, anyone in that kind of position who goes public with very embarrassing information wants to spin the story in the best possible light, but that said, I don't see much spin here. The woman came forward with a story that makes her look immoral and all around bad, and there's nothing in it for her unless she sells her story, which, so far at least, she has shown no sign of doing.
Orange, Va.:
While I admire the unique perspectives and writing talents you often bring to your columns, your obsession with Congressman Condit leaves me more than a little bit puzzled. Your main beef seems to be that he's remained silent thoughout the whole sordid mess. So? Assuming the worse about his role in the disappearance, you would seem to be advocating a full confession prior to even an indictment. Assuming the best about his role, you seem to be advocating an abandonment by Condit of any justifiable desire he might have to keep his private life private. Just because he's one of few people keeping his mouth shut during the investigation, doesn't seem to warrant your constant harping on such silence.
Marc Fisher: As several lawyers in today's column said, Condit has no obligation to speak to the press, but he does have an obligation to be forthcoming to the police, and law enforcement sources are saying that Condit has been less than fully cooperative with them.
In addition, while I agree that the congressman has no obligation to trot his personal affairs before the cameras, he does have an obligation to answer questions from his constituents, the people who hired him, and they seem to have sincere questions about his ability to do his job under these circumstances, and his silence about his relationship with Levy.
Washington, D.C. :
I read in the July 2 issue of The Post that District of Columbia Public Schools fired 531 teachers for not having their teaching certificates. Nowhere in the article did it mention that the inability to teach competently was one of the criteria for dismissal.
Please let me know if I have this right. DCPS which has a tragic record in failing to educate its students does not appear to fire teachers for incompetence but does fire them for lack of a teaching certificate? Private schools in D.C. which have parents breaking their backs to get their kids in and pay $16,000 a year tuition do not require teaching certificates but do require competence?
Marc Fisher: You're certainly right that a teaching certificate is no guarantee of a competent teacher, and that many great teachers have no certificate. But in the byzantine world of public school personnel matters, this is a neat and crafty trick. Superintendent Vance has managed to excise from the system fully 10 percent of its teachers by using certification as a club; principals say he has permitted them to use this as a ruse to shove out of the buildings many of the incompetents they've been trying to get rid of for decades. And the most amazing part of the story is that the teachers union is on board! The quote from the head of the union endorsing this sacking was jawdropping.
Maryland:
What's the point of those anti-cop 5 series articles? Is the Post guilty in line with the NAACP party line? How about a few pro-police articles?
Marc Fisher: Why is it that an investigation into wrongdoing--really scary, egregious wrongdoing--by a few cops is considered an "anti-cop" series? A number of policemen I know say they welcome this coverage because they want people to respect them, and they know that won't happen as long as their departments shelter rogue cops.
The paper is full of "pro-cop" stories every day, as we chronicle the arrests and investigations that put crooks away. But there is no higher calling for any news organization that documenting public wrongdoing and shining light on it so that all of us can demand better.
Palisades:
Not to be too much of a whiner, but the other night, I was looking to go see the movie "Memento." It's playing at that theater in Chevy Chase, Mazza Gallerie General Cinemas. The tickets for this theater cost a ridiculous $9.75. Am I the only one who thinks this is just silly? The theater lost out on two patrons because of the ticket prices.
Marc Fisher: The prices at Mazza are way out of line with other theaters in the area--their "Club" theaters, which give you the privilege of spending even more money on alcohol, cost something like $12 a seat. But I was there last week and the theater was sold out, so obviously people don't mind paying Manhattan prices. What's amazing is that the other theaters haven't jacked up their prices as well. (Of course it would be hard for Cineplex Odeon to dare a price hike given that sharp springs jut out from many of their seats!)
Virginia:
Aren't Member of Congress immune from being arrested? Are they waived from any criminal charges?
Marc Fisher: Congressional immunity does not apply to felonies.
Burke, Va.:
What a great series on the PG Police this week! Shall have to buy a bulletproof vest before I spend any time there next time! Is this an institution that can be turned around, or like much of the D.C. gov't. are the problems so ingrained that it would take a complete demolition and rebuilding to eradicate them?
Marc Fisher: The Prince George's police can certainly be reformed, much as the DC police have completely overhauled their policies and practices regarding the use of force. Immediately following the Post's series on use of excessive force by DC police, that department instituted a Force Investigation Team that has real teeth, and the result has been a dramatic decline in the use of force. PG could do the same--if the political will were there. But given the silence of County Executive Wayne Curry and the defensiveness of a county government and police department that fought the Post over nearly every request for information, there is as yet no sign that the public is demanding change.
Herndon, Va.:
Unfortunately, I think that it's time that citizens realize that we can no longer assume that our police department always makes the correct choice. Every police department needs to have an independant oversight board to reviews all cases involving weapons. It's not enough for citizens to say "police have a dangerous job so we have to trust their judgement." Lethal force should be the last possible option, not the first.
Marc Fisher: Many police departments have added oversight boards, some more independent than others. But they are not a silver bullet. Those boards need to be taken seriously, and their proceedings ought to be open.
Chantilly, Va.:
Marc: I'm submitting this early since I will miss the discussion -- was there ANY information posted about the Fairfax police funeral procession that took place July 3? My appointment in Arlington was missed and I know a lot of people's schedules were completely screwed up by all the funeral hub bub. Shouldn't SOMEONE have informed the people of Northern Virginia about the plan? I'm sorry the guy died, but the whole ceremony seemed poorly planned compared to how many travelers it affected.
Marc Fisher: Certainly there was news coverage of the procession; I don't know that anyone was owed any more notice than that. If we're in too much of a hurry to allow for funeral processions, we're in sad shape indeed.
Washington, D.C.:
Your continued coverage of Condit convices me that the line between the Washington POST and the New Yor POST continues to become fainter and fainter. Please consider the fact that you are ruining the reputation of your newspaper, by becoming more like a tabloid.
Marc Fisher: How is the Condit coverage like that of the tabloids? Do we pay sources for information? Absolutely not, not ever. Should we ignore a missing person case that involves a congressman? Are we invading the congressman's privacy? Certainly we, like many readers, are uncomfortable with any story that involves the private life of a public official. But as with the Clinton case, there are times when the line between private and public gets quite blurry, and in this case, we tend to follow the lead of law enforcement. As the trail of evidence leads them to question a public official about his personal life, our reporting follows. That seems to me to be an important, if discomfiting, part of our obligation as a watchdog and as a reflection of society.
Congressional immunity:
It doesn't apply to felonies, but what about smaller infractions (misdemeanors, I guess)? I'm thinking of that case a few years ago where some Senator rear-ended another car and whipped out his copy of the Constitution ...
was the struck motorist really SOL on that one?
Marc Fisher: Correct. Of course, in many such cases, congressfolk can be embarrassed into doing the right thing by the light of publicity, but they do have immunity on smaller stuff like that.
Washington, D.C.:
What's your view of the new anti-speeding cameras in the District?
Marc Fisher: I'm all for them, just as I am for red-light cameras. They are simply a technological extension of the cop sitting in his car watching for traffic violations. And the beauty of the cameras is that a few of them go a long way; once a certain number of people start getting the tickets in the mail, word spreads and the number of speeders/red light scofflaws drops like a stone. What's the down side of that?
Silver Spring, Md.:
After years of urging people to use Metro to get to big events on the mall, people are responding in great numbers. I took Metro to the Folklife Festival on Sunday, mid-day, and the trains were as full as during a rush hour. It doesn't seem there was adquate planning for the growth of usage, if even a Sunday crown overwhelms the system.
Marc Fisher: Right you are. Before last evening's deluge, Metro was reporting that thousands more folks were using the trains than did last July 4. And Metro responded with some pretty savvy service changes, cutting down on the number of trains going out to the far reaches of the system so that more cars could be put into service in the core near the Mall.
Inevitably, there are going to be long waits and big crowds when you have half a million people wanting to all be on the same train. But they handle the crowds quite well.
Washington, D.C.:
OK, so am I the only one around here that thinks it was crazy for them NOT to delay the fireworks until today? I mean, if those thunderstorms yesterday afternoon hung around and electrocuted some people, there would be a lot of people wondering why the festivites weren't put off.
And by the way...Macy's NY fireworks shows rule! Sorry!
Marc Fisher: I'd put the last couple of July 4 fireworks on the Mall up against the Macy's show anyday. This has become one of the best blowups in the country. And I think they made the right call last night--the people were out there, so why not shoot off the works. There was no lightning in the sky and had not been for a good 20 minutes.
Arlington, Va.:
Hi Marc! Just curious about the fireworks last night. Husband and I were at Route 50 and Pershing and saw what we thought were the fireworks on the mall from about 9:10 to 9:30, but at 9:30 they stopped. Was this THE fireworks and why did they stop so early (was it just because of the rain). Were people on the Mall notified as to why? Thanks!
Marc Fisher: There were a few smaller shows to be seen in various corners of the sky, but that big cloud of smoke and bombs bursting in air over the Mall was the Big Show indeed, and they didn't stop any earlier than usual. The show usually runs pretty much from 9:15 to 9:40.
Woodley Park, Washington, D.C.:
Hi Marc,
What do you make of the National Cathedral's purchase of the apartment buildings across the street? I'm not too happy about it, it sounds like they eventually plan to raze the buildings (one or two of which are art deco from the '30s-'40s) and build additional churches.
Ugh, what this city needs are MORE apartments and residents, not fewer! Grrr. In this one case, I'll side with the NIMBY folks who will hopefully organize against it.
Marc Fisher: According to the story in today's paper, the National Cathedral is buying the apartment buildings with a guarantee that they will remain rental facilities for five years. After that, I imagine they might use them for the Cathedral schools or to house their faculty, or perhaps to create space to solve the longstanding problem of tourist buses idling on Wisconsin Avenue--all of which are good uses for that land.
Reston, 20190:
Are the red light cameras hidden, and therefore intended to produce revenue? Or, are they obvious, and therefore intended to enhance safety? If people don't know they're there, they won't slow down.
Marc Fisher: They're quite obvious, if you know what you're looking for. But the point is not to trick folks, it's to slow them down and get them to stop on red.
Fairfax:
For Chantilly re: the funeral procession:
If you check the Post's "Traffic" page, they post daily the scheduled events for major roads in the D.C. area. The funeral procession (down to which exit it would enter & exit on) was scheduled 1.00-1.30. It's a great resource to use when you want to get somewhere & avoid tie-ups. Also, the page lists major traffic delays and current vs. optimal driving times.
Marc Fisher: Thanks for the info.
The downside of red-light cameras:
Actually NPR did a story on this during Morning Edition. In San Diego, Lockheed Martin has the contract for those cameras and gets a dollar amount of each ticket issued ($70/ticket, I think). Apparently LM moved the underground sensors in a few locations without telling the city, resulting in many invalid tickets--the city ended up cancelling out thousands of tickets. Also, the story mentioned that LM chose intersections for cameras based on high traffic volume and short yellow lights--not high accident rates.
So in general I agree with Marc that these cameras are a good idea--but whoever installs them has to be watched carefully. These companies are out there to make money, not necessarily to make our streets safer. They need oversight.
Marc Fisher: Absolutely. We had a big lesson in what happens if the contractor gets too strong a hand when Lockheed Martin installed a camera behind Union Station, at a mid-block light that suddenly switched from red to flashing yellow. It was totally unfair and several thousand folks were nabbed before the city finally was forced to step in and remove the camera and cancel those tickets.
Beltsville, Md.:
Regarding the red light cameras
My father was at a well-known camera-watched intersection this morning and was approaching at the speed limit. While the "Don't Walk" signal was flashing, the light was still green. He thought he would be able to go through safely but the light changed to yellow and he didn't want to risk it. He stopped, but the person behind him also thought there'd be time to get through and did not.
My father's comment afterwards was that he felt bad for the other driver (who wasn't tailgating or anything) but with all of this camera paranoia he didn't want to risk it.
I think we've crossed a line from reason to obsession. My father's poor crumpled car certainly demonstrates this.
Marc Fisher: Your dad did the right thing--if the light has changed to yellow, you're supposed to stop, not gun the motor and charge through. I know this because my wife keeps telling me it's the case. (I'm not conceding that I need the reminder, but somehow I do keep getting it.)
Centreville, Va.:
I have issues with how the police are investing the Chandra Levy case. They are being way too accommodating with Condit and his wife. Would a regular citizen be able to "arrange a meeting/interview at a convenient time"? I don't think so. Don't they realize by stalling the cops that they look suspicious?
Marc Fisher: Chief Ramsey again insisted this morning that Condit is getting the same treatment anyone else would. Several lawyers I've talked to beg to differ, saying that a non-congressman in such a case would be questioned harder and more frequently, and that a search of the apartment would have happened early on.
Nowhere Near Chandra:
The D.C. Police response to the disappearance of Ms. Levy seems bizarre. She worked at the Bureau of Prisons, right, and she was apparently a highly social butterfly? So why haven't the D.C. cops checked with all the regulars, bartenders, etc., at all the Cap Hill places where BoP-ers go after work? Guess what - they haven't! They haven't even checked a single one of the local bars. Is that dumb or what?
Marc Fisher: You may know of some place they have not been, but I can tell you that they have been to many such places and questioned many such folks.
Rosslyn:
Condit's staffer, Mike Lynch, has been vociferously denying his boss was romantically involved w/ Chandra Levy .. .When the truth comes out, and it will, how will that guy ever be taken seriously again? Why does he put his own credibility on the line like that?
Marc Fisher: Interesting question--after my column on Condit last week, I had several notes from Hill staffers saying that they would have done a Mike McCurry by now--refusing to get involved in questions about their boss' personal life. But obviously, we do not know what the mix of loyalty and belief in Condit's version is among the staff, and any guessing about their motives would be just that.
Fairfax, Va.:
Lost in all the chatter about Chandra/Condit is the answer to a legal question I'd like. How long does somebody have to disappear in D.C. before it does go from the "missing persons" desk to the criminal file? Is this speled out in a D.C. police procedural? Everybody always cautions in this case that there isn't a body yet, but there can and have been murder trials even when the body was never found.
Marc Fisher: At this point in an investigation, police say, there's not a whole lot of difference that stems from changing the name of the probe from missing person to criminal. The decision about how much resources to pump into the case is made independently from that. And there are sometimes strategic reasons for not calling an investigation criminal--some people might be more willing to come forward.
Laurel, Mississippi:
No more of this smoke screen, Cap'n. We need
the Real Deal. Tell us what you think really
goes on behind the closed doors in the halls
of power. I have heard many a tale of King
Lizard and his tribe of merry men tromping
through the gardens of limestone and cholera.
Marc Fisher: I have nothing whatsoever to say on this, but I loved the sentences so much that I had to put it up here.
Wiredog:
Condit "has an obligation to answer questions from his constituents." I didn't realize you were one of them.
Marc Fisher: I'm not, and I don't expect he'll be calling me with an explanation anytime soon.
Washington, D.C.:
Regarding Chandra Levy
Marc,
I'm glad you're getting closer to the mark with your take on the Condit case. You've been somewhat critical of the fact that this guy had a relationship with a young intern. However you and the rest of your friends in the press haven't gone far enough. This is what you didn't get during the Clinton Lewinsky affair. It's OK to be downright angry over JUST the affair. Forget about what's legal or whether you can catch him in a lie or whatever. You and I both know he's a dirtbag and that matters big time. Sometimes things that are technically legal such as Bill Clinton's and Condit's behavior are more hurtful and wrong than legal behavior. That's what's going on here..
The other piece of the pie you're missing is that he's stonewalling the investigation of what happened to Chandra by the police. You see if he made the facts public, the public could help solve the case. But he won't do that because just like Bill he cares only about himself than the country or us fellow citizens. Thanks a lot.
Marc Fisher: I'm with you on the idea that there is indeed something wrong with someone in a position of public trust philandering around in a public way. But sadly, most of the country seems to have little if any problem with that behavior.
Prince George's County Resident:
I would just like to state for the record that as a Prince George's County resident, I feel quite safe in my county.
I live close to the city, close to the Beltway and far away from the nice comfortable suburbs of Bowie, Upper Marlboro, etc.
I am a minority in Prince George's County. I wish people outside the County could get a balanced view of all of the hard work and GOOD work the Prince George's County Police Department does.
Marc Fisher: That's very much the response I've had from many Pr. George's readers in the past when police brutality has come up, and I think it's the same sort of thing that politicians hear, and that's a good reason why so little has been done to change things.
Washington, D.C.:
It is better for the Cathedral to acquire new property and extend its grounds than to rely on the surrounding neighborhoods for parking. I live nearby and am tired of tour buses idling in front of my house.
Several weeks ago, I took part in a telephone survey asking my opinion about the Cathedral's impact on the community. I think they are concerned about their perception in the city.
Marc Fisher: Fascinating--if you know anything about the survey or who's doing it, please email me.
Mike :
Why more of the roadside cameras have not been shot out by irate motorists beats me....not that I would ever do something like this myself...I wouldn't. Road rage fanatics who think nothing of shooting a person with a gun would think even less of shooting at a camera that would give them a healthy ticket.
Marc Fisher: Let's not give anyone any ideas, Mike.
Washington, D.C.:
Marc, has the Post evaluated the effect that Live Online participation has on a columnist's popularity? In the last year I have started reading several columnists in the Dead Tree edition since seeing their discussion onlines--you included. I feel like I hear a columnist's "voice" better after reading an online discussion, and I appreciate the columns more. Just wondering...
Marc Fisher: Much appreciated. I don't think anyone has done that sort of study, but I could be wrong. In any event, it's clear to me that the conversation I have with readers in the column is very much opened up and helped along by our discussions here online.
But I've got to scoot early today, so that wraps up this edition of Potomac Confidential. More next week. Thanks for coming along.
washingtonpost.com:
That was our last question today. Thanks to everyone who joined the
discussion.
Stay tuned to Live Online:
Got
Plans at 1 p.m. EDT
Prince
George's County Shootings at 1 p.m. EDT
Author
Candace Bushnell at 2 p.m. EDT
Dirda
on Books at 2 p.m. EDT
Keep up with the latest in news, sports, politics and entertainment with
washingtonpost.com
e-mail newsletters.
NEW! Personalize your Post with mywashingtonpost.com.
Get customized news, traffic, weather and more.
|
|
© Copyright 2001 The Washington Post Company | 
