Knowing that you and I have a good relationship and seems like we seem to be on the same side, I don't want to stray too far from your intent which is to focus on the Pepco issues that we are having. I think Eric and Gigi mentioned some numbers. It would be good to really have a analyst go over the #'s with a group of us from the neighborhood who would be able to lend their education and experience. So, Yes, we should have a plan laid out to underground the wires so as to stop being caught in this same cycle. It is amazing that people/Mayor/CM's want to save the world with less pollution and spend 2 Billion plus on street cars but are cool with cutting our trees to look very challenged and habe us stressed out during these storms, shouldering the cost and discomfort caused by these storms!! So let's add this to the list for us to focus on when we do finally become a "community" and start fighting together on priorities; starting with our schools, etc.
Anyways, I know what you were getting at but as you see, what you said was perfect timing to flow into this Trolley meeting tomorrow night at Phelps. For some time now, I have been working on increasing the level of Cognitive Dissonance at a subconscious and conscious level so that a possible end result is that we could become more of a collective. And whether we are in support of the completion of the H Street Trolley Project or not, I know that with the proper information/thoughts bouncing around in the Brain, most people are good and will seek to create stability in their own being; thus making us closer as a community when we approach this Barn issue and see the racism in it! They wouldn't dare think about putting this on a Majority White School Property! If Sidwell Friends was owned by DC and this issue came up over there, they wouldn't even dream of putting this Barn there!!
For some time now, I have been identifying the many horrible inconsistencies of thoughts on our listservs and by creating enough truthful discomfort (dissonance), I hoped that brains would eventually respond with logic and compassion and eventually create more of a balance thought process. I believe that most everyone in this community really wants the pleasure of creating the best environment for their kids which should automatically default to helping all kids; especially if it doesn't really cost them anything or much at all. The reason I know this is that I give away a lot without even blinking my eye just to be helpful but agonize over purchasing some simple things for myself. I bet that feeling is shared amongst many of us (White and Black). So, why would it be any different with how we all approach the things that will affect us the most - overall opportunities for Youth and the community who really need! I am betting on most everyone's nature just wanting to do the right thing!
By now, even if we would all like to have this "aesthetic" Street Car ride up and down H Street and throughout the city, I hope that at over $200 Million for just the H Street Street Car project and over 2 Billion Dollars for the entire 38 miles throughout the City, we realize that a Street Car system truly isn't needed for development to occur in Washington DC and really isn't a priority compared to many of our other needs. Worse yet, for all those who like to ride bicycles, that's 38 miles that you can't ride on as your tires will be caught in the tracks!! Kind of dangerous, isn't it and counter productive to the Bike Movement! Other Cities may need this Street Car Gimmick for redevelopment and to attract companies and investors; but not Washington DC - our variables are different!!
I really hope that logic prevails and we all realize the offensive nature of the placement of this Street Car Barn! Remember, it wouldn't even be a thought for Sidwell Friends if it was owned by DC and there was a need for a "Street Car Barn" on that side of town!
Rob Ramson
On Sun, Jun 24, 2012 at 4:41 PM, Carole Jacobs <hattysue@yahoo.com> wrote:
Sorry, Rob. I didn't do a good job of getting my point across.
The DC neighborhoods I know for sure are undergrounded are Capitol Hill (as the most optimistic realtor would define it) and Dupont Circle. My hypothesis is that neighborhoods composed mostly of free-standing houses have above ground service (which clearly has lower upfront costs) and that neighborhoods of rowhouses were undergrounded because the tangle of wires needed to provide separate service every 17 feet would have been impractical as well as ghastly looking.
The house I bought in 1976 was technically part of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, but it it was pretty far from the Capitol and not gentrified. Nonetheless, the juice was delivered underground. My point was that the perceived or real prosperity of the residents seems not to be a factor in the above ground / underground breakdown.
Pepco Holdings is a publicly traded company, which means management feels pressure to deliver good financial results on a quarterly basis. I have no idea whether they have ever made the case to their shareholders that the cost of undergrounding lines throughout DC or any other jurisdiction would pay for itself in reduced repair and tree mutilating costs (to say nothing of horrible PR) in X number of years. I would hope that some people who both live in careas without underground service and own Pepco stock might try to put the question to the board and to management. I am sure that Pepco has the data to do an accurate projection. I hope someone gets the info out of them.
Cheers. Carole
From: Rob <indianrob@gmail.com>
To: Carole Jacobs <hattysue@yahoo.com>
Cc: Brooklander13 <brooklander13@gmail.com>; carolynsteptoe <csteptoe@verizon.net>; "Brookland@yahoogroups.com" <Brookland@yahoogroups.com>; ward5@yahoogroups.com; Ward 5 Google Groups <wardfive@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2012 3:33 PM
Subject: Re: [Brookland] Pepco
Good to see that the storm didn't cause as much damage that it could have. Just FYI, I wouldn't park under any trees for the next week or two as there could be some cracked branches that are still holding for right now but the weight might win over time and helped with a wind! At least that's what happened with the big Oak in my yard. It fell a week after some heavy winds!Now for a comment this morning by Carole on the Brookland List Serv - "For whatever reason, Pepco's lines on Capitol Hill extended -- not just the gentrified parts -- have been underground for at least 40 years".I want you to know that the "gentrification" in Capital Hill Extended just occurred so your comment that I underlined is truly troubling??? Thus the two comments "not just the gentrified parts" and "underground for at least 40" are counter-intuitive and shows a level of dissonance! Something that a quite a few folks seem to have in common! I keep trying to shed light on the psychological imprinting in many aspects of the comments on our listservRob
On Sun, Jun 24, 2012 at 8:38 AM, Carole Jacobs <hattysue@yahoo.com> wrote:
The "lobbying" has got to originate with the ratepayers. To start, we need to demand that they give us an accounting of the one-time cost of undergounding (which is not insubstantial) vs the cost -- say, over ten years -- of rushing in to repair storm-related damage eight times a year and badly butchering our trees whenever the spirit moves them. Once we have the life-cycle costing figures, we can start talking to them about making the change and who -- ratepayers or stockholders -- would pay for it.For whatever reason, Pepco's lines on Capitol Hill extended -- not just the gentrified parts -- have been underground for at least 40 years. The juice goes out unexpectedly perhaps once every decade, and then only for a short while. Pepco's own figures should show how much they saved by not having to maintain above-ground lines.Cheers.Carole on Kearny
From: Brooklander13 <brooklander13@gmail.com>
To: carolynsteptoe <csteptoe@verizon.net>
Cc: Brookland@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2012 11:58 PM
Subject: [Brookland] Pepco
Does anyone know of a way to lobby Pepco to spend the money to put power lines underground? The city has been digging up sidewalks on all of 13th St and Franklin for weeks. That could have been a good time to work with them to bury the lines. What can we do as a Ward to get this done? You drive around here and all you see are horrible poles and wires. Then we have a storm and people are without power. Food is lost. No AC. Its stupid.ES on 13th
__._,_.___Brookland Rocks !!!!
.
__,_._,___
--
R. Ramson
3744 12th Street, N.E.,
Washington D.C., 20017
202-438-5988
"We must become the change we want to see" - Mohandas Gandhi-
(Together, for a Brighter Tomorrow)
--
R. Ramson
3744 12th Street, N.E.,
Washington D.C., 20017
202-438-5988
"We must become the change we want to see" - Mohandas Gandhi-
(Together, for a Brighter Tomorrow)
--
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