|
Potomac Confidential
With Marc Fisher
Post Metro Columnist
Thursday, Feb. 21, 2002; Noon, EST
Potomac Confidential fills the midday lull with discussion of the latest news and a rigorous slicing and dicing of the issues that define who we are and where we live.
In his weekly show, Washington Post Metro columnist Marc Fisher veers wildly from serious probing to silly prattle, and is open to topics local, national, personal and more.
The 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: Welcome aboard--lots of talk today about the Mike Tyson fight, plus special ed in the District, the schools wrangle in Prince George's and much more. So let's get started.
Herndon, Va.:
Mr. F: Boy does money (or the possibility of money) talk! With so many otherwise intelligent people drooling over the possibility of a Tyson fight in D.C., I must join your associate Mr. Kornheiser (who still does a little work for The Post) in asking: Isn't it just a bit of a conflict of interest for a member of the D.C. Boxing Commission to be involved in negotiating the fight arrangements? And, I believe, the negotiations started even before the commission voted. It's wonderful to live in this area -- it may be many things, but dull it ain't!
Marc Fisher: Talk about the fix being in from the start. This Tyson deal was declared done before the public process even began! Of course the boxing commission tried late in the day to pull the line back in and assure us that they will listen to the public and make a decision properly next month, but the fact is that the commission met secretly, decided to bless the Tyson deal and only then began the legal, public process.
As for Michael Brown's role, it is odd indeed. Here is the vice chairman of the boxing commission announcing his support for a fight that he has played some unstated role in negotiating--if that's not a conflict, I can't imagine what is.
Washington, D.C.:
On the first card: Marion Barry vs. Tony Williams....
Does this nonsense have anything to do with the 2012 Olympic bid? Perhaps the Mayor thinks that if we demonstrate openess to Mike Tyson, then we'd certainly welcome the axis of evil athletes. And the French.
Marc Fisher: Oh, I don't think the mayor is doing anything but trying to mend fences with those Washingtonians who see him as a tool of the white establishment. He saw this as an easy way to get on the good side of that part of the city that has always been uncomfortable with him. And if he takes a hit from the Board of Trade crowd, all the better for his image citywide.
Beltsville, Md.:
How are people appointed to the boxing commission, and how the heck can the public get them off it?
Marc Fisher: The mayor appoints members of the boxing commission and the council approves them. The chairman, Arnold McKnight, was appointed by Barry, then reappointed by Williams and approved without opposition by the council.
Rockville, Md:
Amazing but not surprising that the District boxing people would want the Mike Tyson fight here. If they think that's the way to improve the area's economy in light of recent events, they are sadly mistaken. A one shot deal is not the solution. Although, Montgomery County could benefit. After all, Tyson spent time in jail here once before. Maybe they have his cell waiting.
Marc Fisher: Ouch!
The economic boost argument is beyond silly. Brown and other boxing commission members were tossing around numbers like $100 million and even $150 million this week, which is patently ridiculous. The best estimates say that a huge one-night event like a Tyson-Lewis fight could bring $6 million to $10 million to the city, which is a nice little zap of revenue, but it has nothing whatsoever to do with this issue. The issue is purely political and cultural, a classic Washington set-to that reminds us of the deep divisions in class and race that for so long prevented the city from reaching its potential. For those who thought that Williams was dedicated to transcending those divides, this is a very disappointing moment.
Foggy Bottom:
Yuck! Yuck! Yuck!
I don't get it. How can the boxing commission think this is a good idea? How can the mayor come out in support of it?
It's just so..... Marion Barry..... yuck. It literally makes me sick to think that 4 decision-making people, at the very least, this is a wise move for the city??
Marc Fisher: Well, come on, if you were the boxing commission, why wouldn't you want this fight? It's the premier event in boxing, it's the best the sport can possibly offer right now. It would focus all eyes on the District. It would be huge.
If you put aside the nonsense about economic impact, and ignore the debate about how bad a man Tyson is, then it's obviously a fabulous thing for the city to do. Of course, putting aside the Tyson behavior issue is more than many can stomach.
Bethesda, MD:
Tyson's a jerk and a nut, that's unarguable. But the fact is, he served his time, and having the fight here will put some money in the pockets of a lot of hard working people who are struggling right now. The fight's going to happen somewhere, so if the District can lure it here and help out some citizens, I say go for it.
Marc Fisher: Sure, if you want the fight here, that's a perfectly reasonable argument to make, but let's not delude ourselves into thinking that any one-night event is going to make any difference in the city's economy. The NBA All-Star game is a week-long series of events, and certainly the city's hotels and restaurants were pleased to have it here, but the economic impact even of that large an event is tiny compared to one good sized convention.
Washington, D.C.:
I, for one, am hopeful that D.C. will let Tyson fight. It will reemphasize that this city can't make responsible local decisions, and shouldn't be given a voice in Congress to make national decisions.
Marc Fisher: Oh, no, more grist for the hate-D.C. crowd. This is exactly the nightmare scenario that I'd have thought Williams would see coming from the start of this issue.
Tyson??:
Come on people, it's boxing. What do you expect?
Should Tyson be allowed to fight here? I have a hard time believing that if someone with the same past wanted to be a janitor here anyone would care. Why should we care about a boxer?
As for closed meetings, side deals, conflict of interest, and coruption ... Like I said, it's boxing.
Marc Fisher: Absolutely. I thought Rock Newman had it precisely right: Boxing's been blind for years.
Also, remember this is the Boxing and Wrestling Commission we're talking about. No one bothers to pass judgment on pro wrestlers when they come to town; if they're crooks and thugs, that's exactly what anyone would expect.
La Plata, Md.:
So what does the Boxing Commission do with most of its time? I mean, there aren't very many fights that are held in DC. Do these people get paid too?
Marc Fisher: The commission holds public meetings once a month, and no, there's not much boxing activity in the District, sadly. In fact, one of chairman McKnight's other hats is a boxing promotion business in which he organizes bouts in New Carrollton! So here's the DC boxing commission chairman putting his time and energy into promoting boxing in Prince George's County!!!
Orange, Virginia:
Is there any room--given their broad oversight powers over the District--for Congress to stick their nose into the morass and pull Tyson's license
Marc Fisher: See, I told you where this would lead.
Sure, Congress can and does stick its nose into any District affair they choose to. If they can order Metro to plaster Reagan's name all over the place, they can ban Tyson, or, if they're eager to see the fight, they can mandate that he be granted a license.
Oakton, Va.:
Why all of the controversy over Tyson's boxing license? Seems to me to be a clear-cut case.....big money notwithstanding, this man clearly has mental problems and is a risk not only to himself but to others...he certainly should not be a boxing ring practicing a sport which can be brutal and semi-barbaric at times. Mayor Williams needs a BIG reality check here.
Marc Fisher: I've had a bunch of emails from psychiatrists and other physicians making the case that Tyson needs some sort of intervention, that he's a mental case who should be removed from his sport and put in continuing care. Maybe. But since when is mental stability a prerequisite for participation in professional sports? Most pro sports leagues have at least their share of wackos and violent thugs, and yes, these people tend to be given many, many more chances than ordinary mortals would ever get. In baseball alone, Steve Howe, Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry pop to mind.
Local Resident:
We care because Tyson is a danger to himself and society.
Do people not remember his little traffic altercation in Montgomery County? Fisticuffs over a fender bender?
I would be concerned about any convicted rapist getting a job here. And in a city with such a high rate of fatherless children, is this really the role model the city wants to project?
Like it or not, kids look up to professional athletes. Long after the fight, the children of D.C. will be living out the effects - anger management, lack of respect for women, punching people for a living. Let's look a little long-term here.
Marc Fisher: OK, if that's the primary concern, then isn't Tyson's decision to have a home in Montgomery County more the issue than the District's decision to give him a one-night license to make a bundle at the MCI Center?
We'll come back to Tyson, but let's take a break with some other issues....
Arlington:
Do you think the publicity about the people sticking their arms in the metro train doors and getting dragged will finally stop people from trying to jump onto trains when the doors are closing? There will always be another train coming, people.
Marc Fisher: No, no amount of publicity will stop people from scrambling to get on the first train into the station, nor should it. Trains are supposed to be built to account for human behavior, and most train doors do exactly what they're supposed to: They bounce back open when someone pushes in. That's how any safety engineer would design it.
If this new crop of cars doesn't work that way, Metro needs to get them fixed. That line about there'll always be another train coming is straight out of the conductor's manual, and I don't believe it for a second.
Silver Spring, Md.:
I'm really surprised that the PG school board didn't put up far more of a fight when the state board tried to overrule it on Ms. Metz's firing. What is the sense of even having a local government if one can go crying to Annapolis every time they don't like a local decision and get it overturned?
Marc Fisher: It's not for lack of trying. The Prince George's school board tried to hire a lawyer to fight for its decision to sack Metts, and the county council stepped in to nix that. Now the board president says he'll push ahead with a legal challenge even with the council's decision.
This is the issue that has school boards across the state worrying--Will the PG mess mean that all school boards lose their autonomy, or were they always working at the pleasure of the state? Bottom line is that the state has neither the means nor the intention of intervening anywhere except in Prince George's and Baltimore. And isn't it interesting that the state thinks it can poke its way in and get away with scrapping the will of the voters only in the state's two majority black jurisdictions?
Washington, D.C.:
Marc,
Do you have any insight as to what is going on with the Giant on Wisconsin and Newark and the neighborhood group trying to get the building declared a historical site? For the life of me, I cannot understand why these folk are making life so difficult for Giant. Do they really enjoy shopping in a grocery store one-fourth the size of a real grocery store? What makes them think people will be coming from miles around just because there is a new Giant? Is there any chance Giant will pack it all in and just leave altogether?
Marc Fisher: I wish Giant would call the neighborhood's bluff and close up shop entirely, or build some even uglier monstrosity. It's hard to imagine a more self-destructive and small-minded bunch than those who are toiling so hard to tag that butt-ugly brick pile with historic preservation protection. Giant was ready to build exactly what the neighborhood needs--a larger, modern supermarket to handle the needs of the many elderly and car-less people in that area. But the rich folks oppose all change, and just as they seek to endanger the lives of people who live near the Tenleytown fire station by insisting on preserving a fire station that doesn't even fit modern fire trucks, they will do anything to stop Giant from doing a splendid community service.
Washington, D.C.:
What's the status of the so-called "Casey mansion" these days? I find the idea of ensconcing the mayor of this city in an exclusive mostly-white area which is almost impossible to get to by public transportation to be "appalling." But I loved the idea I saw here a few weeks back about the city buying the Heurich mansion for that purpose ... could it ever happen?
Marc Fisher: The Casey mansion deal seems to be all set. I drove by there the other day and didn't see any sign of work on the building or site, but the money is there and it looks like everything will move forward. The Heurich house, sadly, will be sold on the open market and will likely vanish from public access.
Beltsville, Md.:
No Metro cars - new or old - bounce back like elevator doors.
And that's a good thing.
The trains aren't supposed to move while the doors are open, but they shouldn't bounce back when every last person tries to shove their backpack through to cram onto an already overcrowded train.
Metro has a point.
Marc Fisher: I stand corrected--the proper safeguard is that the trains cannot move when a door is ajar, not that the doors bounce open again. Thanks!
Gaithersburg, Md.:
i can't tell you how many times I've been on the Metro and some moron just has to try and squeeze thru when the doors are closing. Once, a guy got everything in but his right ankle. Try as he might, he just barely got his ankle/foot in. His shoe, however, remained on the platform.
He'd probably call his kid an idiot if the kid did something like that.
Marc Fisher: Serves the guy right if he lost his shoe, but I congratulate him on the attempt. Squeezing onto the train at the last second is a time honored and terrific sport, one that I take part in and encourage others to join.
Burke, VA:
Great columns this week Marc! I don't know what annoys me more, the idea of anyone letting a loose cannon like Tyson anywhere near a ring or the shenanigans of the D.C. school system. Are they tired of the idiots over in PG getting all the limelight?
Marc Fisher: We must pray daily for the continued antics of all our officials, whether in Richmond or Annapolis, the District or Prince George's. They enrich our lives and make my job a pure and everlasting joy.
Beltsville, Md.:
How is it that Abe Pollin changes the name of his team from Bullets to Wizards because he's concerned about condoning violence but then he welcomes Mike Tyson?
Marc Fisher: Not so fast. From what I've seen, Pollin has been cagy on this issue. He said something vaguely positive about the Tyson fight coming here, but made no commitment about making his arena available.
Arlington, Va:
OK, let's hear from you on the biting Mike Tyson's taking in the press for fighting in D.C. with a license. Doesn't Tony Williams' defense of Tyson's "behavior" remind you of another former mayor who seemed to think he could do anything as long as it was at 2 a.m? Frankly, I think Williams' father was smart not to have anything to do with him, as he seems kind of creepy, with or without tie.
Marc Fisher: Unnecessarily cruel, man. First of all, this mayor has vastly more integrity than his predecessor. Second, his vision for the city is downright inspiring. True, he's not the world's most talented pol--not by a long shot. And true, he's made some boneheaded moves. But to hear him talk about what this city can be, and to see some of the plans he's concocted is to see something that would make anyone in this region proud.
Friendship heights:
Just another Tyson comment. I love how Mayor Williams tried to make the excuse, "well, look at all the NFL and NBA people who have problems". I can't remember any player repeatedly being arrested for rape and biting off the ear of an opponent. Thanks for your column today. It was exactly to the point, as usual!
Marc Fisher: Sure there are--there've even been murderers in the NFL. Yes, Tyson's an extreme case, and a very bad guy, but he's hardly unique.
Rockville, Md.:
I'm having trouble understanding what the big deal is about Tyson fighting in D.C. OK, the boxing commission is corrupt. Big deal. Which commission isn't? How are the taxpayers being hurt?
Tyson is a foul individual who has done bad things out of the ring. So what? I think the whole Clinton/Lewinsky scandal (and other politicians of both parties) has shown that people are willing to separate a person's private life from his/her performance on the job.
Marc Fisher: Absolutely right. And that's why this issue has split people so dramatically.
Part of the equation here, as in so many similar debates in the past--think Marv Albert or Marion Barry--is the distinctly different approaches to the concept of redemption that are popular in white America and black America. Much of this traces to traditions in the church, and to the history of oppression in this country.
Wiredog:
Why not have the Tyson fight in Tyson's corner? Then you could have Tyson's Corner (of the ring) in Tyson's Corner. And if he lost "Tyson Corner loses fight in Tyson's Corner". The possibilities are endless.
Well, OK, the possibilities are fairly limited. But fun within the limitations.
Marc Fisher: Limited, but I like the idea. The Brawl in the Mall.
McLean, Va.:
ON his WTEM radio show, former Hoyas coach John Thompson said he is in favor of allowing the Tyson fight because it would mean "many jobs for people who dion't have jobs." Is there any reason to believe the fight would produce jobs? Has the Mayor or anyone else made this claim?
Marc Fisher: That argument, which we will hear ad nauseum, is the giveaway that there is no reason for having the Tyson fight here other than that it would be cool and fun. At the very most, one big night might mean that a few dozen temporary workers might find one day's employment. Period.
Silver Spring:
What is the criteria for a boxing permit in DC. The Commission may not have much latitude depending on the legal requirements.
I have not seem anyone place these in the media to discuss. Anyone out there with a copy of the DC Code?
As for deals being done before they start in the public process - Sometimes it happens, always has always will. The public may (think they) have input, but they don't sit on the boards and commissions.
Marc Fisher: All you need to do to get a boxing license in the District is file an application, hand over an $85 check, submit to blood and AIDS tests, and sign on the dotted line.
Washington, D.C.:
Please comment on the situation regarding the DC Inspector General (Charles Maddox) and his apparrent attempt at an end run around the D.C. residency requirement. I was personally taken aback by the defense of Mr. Maddox by Ms. Rivlin and Mr. Prettyman, published in the Post a few days ago. This is the guy (Maddox) who is supposed to be keeping everybody else in the government on the straight and narrow, and he seems to be cutting corners in his own compliance with the rules and regs. What say you?
Marc Fisher: Maddox's refusal to resign is sad. He obviously has no vested interest in the city; he has chosen subterfuge over living here. His background is weak, his performance lackluster. He should go before he is pushed. And the mayor should not shy from dumping Maddox simply because Maddox is investigating Williams' campaign finance shenanigans. Get rid of him and let the successor complete the probe.
Lexington Park, Md.:
Hi Marc. I know you and your fellow discussioners are jazz fans. I was wondering if you could name a couple of really good jazz CD's for me. I am more into band jazz, not so much into singers. So maybe a couple of good instrumental jazz albums, preferably compilations of many artists.
Marc Fisher: It's too late in the hour to reach out to readers for proposals, but if you're just starting out, start with the basics--anything by Ellington, Basie, Coltrane, Davis, Hawkins, Parker, Rollins.
Washington DC:
The Giant on Wisconsin/Newark is just fine as it is. People love it so much that they do come from all around to shop at it. Just try and find a parking space there on a Saturday afternoon, it's packed! Why tear down something so cost effective and beloved?
Marc Fisher: Let's see, how about because it's tired, crowded, outdated and loathed?
Silver Spring, Md.:
This is a political question, but I'd like to know how you would keep the Kennedy's and Shriver's from doing to Maryland what they did to Massachusetts? There's an empty-suit Kennedy-ish Shriver who is going to try to represent Montgomery County (and part of P.G., thanks to redistricting). The county is loony enough without letting this family take over!
Marc Fisher: Oh, come, come. Agree with him or not, Mark Shriver is an energetic and committed state legislator who has a powerful command of his district's needs and of the core issues. The race against Morella is going to be a doozy, and the Democratic primary should be fun to watch too.
Washington, D.C.:
I was on Metro this morning and noticed how terribly crowded it was. Since we are coming up on tourist season, wouldn't it be nice for the Metro folks to post signs reminding people to stand right, walk left on escalators? While I normally don't get worked up about things, standing behind a few folks from Iowa who are gawking at everything makes me want to scream. Of course, I don't!
Marc Fisher: There are subtle little signs here and there, but you're right, we could use a more forceful statement of that policy, just to keep things moving.
Maybe not "anything" by Coltrane or Davis:
Latterday electric Miles and avant-garde Coltrane would probably not be good places to start.
Marc Fisher: True nuff. Let's amend that to say that a beginner might want to start with recordings from the 1933-1959 period to take advantage of the higher accessibility of music created during the time when jazz was a pop art as opposed to the more purely high art it evolved into later.
Arlington, VA:
The Giant on Wisconsin Ave is a dump. It is crowded, has the narrowest aisles I've ever seen, and has extremely limited selection and variety. I only went there when I was forced to, b/c I worked a few blocks away. I don't know why ANYONE would want to keep that rat-trap in their neighborhood! PS The parking lot sit. stinks too.
Marc Fisher: Thanks, though I don't see what's wrong with the parking lot.
Bethesda, Md.:
Speaking of Tenleytown-- I don't understand the opposition to improvements there. It's an obvious candidate for forward-looking development-- a crummy-looking urban enclave in the middle of affluent neighborhoods. Development would improve life for everyone in the area -and- put a (probably needed) kick into property values.
Marc Fisher: Exactly right. What Tenleytown needs--and what so many other Metro stops need in the District and in the suburbs as well--is the kind of development that has turned Ballston and downtown Bethesda and Friendship Heights and Potomac City Mall into such magnets.
Washington, DC:
You're kidding, right? Trying to hop on a metro train at the last minute is a "time honored sport?" Is this what might be considered an alternative to aggressive driving?
Marc Fisher: What's wrong with it? No one gets hurt, it's fun and you get where you're going faster and with a sense of accomplishment.
Subway Rush:
I commute on the subway daily. I once saw a man leap to get in the door as they were closing. Well, he made it, but his hand and briefcase were outside the door! He pulled and tugged as the car moved and he eventually had to let go of it! Gee, buddy, glad you saved 6 minutes until the next train?? Several of us stifled a chuckle.
Marc Fisher: See, he provided you with an evening's entertainment and he got his comeuppance too. Everyone's happy!
Metroville:
Maybe what we need is super-sharpened doors on the Metro. Maybe after a few people lose a limb or half a back pack, they'll stop trying to force their way onto trains.
Marc Fisher: Now there's a spectator sport to bring to town!
Red Line:
Re: jumping / squeezing on to Metro trains. I don't mind when people jump on the train at the last moment. I've done it many times myself. What I do have problems with, however, is people who leap aboard but then block the door as other people follow. When you jump on, move away from the door! Others of us don't want to get caught in "the mangler."
Marc Fisher: So this is a vote for selfish train-squeezing? I agree it's annoying when others hold the door and delay the train, but there is something nice about the gesture.
silver spring, md:
Hi Marc. I don't understand why you and your readers are turning Mike Tyson's fight here into a racial issue. I'm being totally serious when I say this. Why shouldn't he fight here? So what? Why can't DC be involved in something this big?
Once again, isn't it about dollars and cents, not race? Also, isn't is safe to assume that the people who are saying it's about race are white? Help me grasp this Marc...
Marc Fisher: Good point, but judging from my mail and street conversations, it's blacks and whites alike who see this in racial and class terms.
D.C. Appreciation:
Thanks Marc, for finally saying what it is....Racial!! All of these people are talking around it....but won't say it.
Marc Fisher: Thanks, but I think people are saying it--Maybe not the people in decision making roles, but at street level, that seems to be where the conversation moves fairly quickly.
Arlington:
Marc, the first rule of fight club is not to talk about fight club!
Marc Fisher: Ok, there's a lot more along these lines waiting in the queue but we're over time already, so I'll have to cut it off here.
More next time, and thanks for joining us.
| |
© Copyright 2002 The Washington Post Company | 
