---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rob <indianrob@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Jun 8, 2012 at 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: [Brookland] A Strategic Proposal for Change in DC
To: Kathy <cooperator@starpower.net>
Kathy,
So, I had to go back and re-read my email to see how I offended you - First, Let me apologize for this statement "You are as bad as the lady who asked about "why Save-a-lot" a few days ago". Let me correct my statement to say that your comments here are as insensitive as the lady who asked about "why Save-a-lot" a few days ago. So I hope you know that this doesn't make you a bad person just one who I think needs to be a lot more clear with your words and sensitive in your initiating contact!!
Anyways, here is the problem. When one says "If my comments do not apply to you, you have no need to be defensive". Well, it doesn't have to apply to me to make me defend (not be defensive) the lack of sensitivity and compassion expressed. Save-a-lot coming here or not doesn't affect me and neither does a Whole Foods but I can understand the need of having both because I have a Giant - but I will defend against anyone making insensitive comments like the one made about "why a Save-a-Lot" as this is much bigger than just that comment. That's why we are spending money on this Unnecessary Trolley when we have Schools to fix and Roads to Repair, and why we will be contributing to a Developer to develop a McMillan when we don't need to.
You see all this crap about being "diverse" and "living in a diverse community" and wanting "diversity" is all nonsense to me when many of you who seem to write this continuously contradict your "diverse" words with the thoughts you put on paper. So you should know by now that one does not need to "know" you or anyone else and don't need to have "met" you or anyone else to understand the English Language you utilize on this medium of communication as we get to know each other. Just like I told you about this "Black jrturner" joker now "Jim Turner and intelligent "moderators" people like Taylor Armstrong who want to question me how I know someone is Black or not, or having to expose the others for who they are - none of this is rocket science and I am not the only one who feel the way I do. Believe it or not, while many of you out there might think that I am rude and crude and whatever, you should be thankful that I take the risks that I do to get you to tune into what you are actually saying. Imagine, A MAN ISN'T EVEN ALLOWED TO PRAY FOR ONE OF HIS FALLEN BROTHERS!!
As to my response, I just translated exactly what you were actually saying. Maybe you should look at it for what it is. While you might have knowledge of DC, you are definitely not tuned into the reality of many of our residents saying what you said. You think we bring our kids up to be hogs who have two hoofs at a dinner table and only want to gold dig? I am not going to stand by and allow anyone to stamp the entire community on the mistakes or bad judgement of a few.
I want to see all of you start talking about the rest - not just the Harry, Kwame, Gray, Michael - I want you all to talk about the Jim, Jack, Adrian, Padou, SAP Offenders, The Trolley Supporters - wasting our Capital money when we could use it to fix the Schools in Wards 5,7, and 8 first - all of them. I want you and the rest to get on the list serv and help me as I have to correct all these "raised" "educated" "wanting diversity" people who are so off in so many of their statements and "big" words. I want you and the rest to come forward and say "I forgot about all those who would benefit from a "Save-a-Lot"" or tell me that fixing our REAL infrastructure is not more important than a Trolley going to the same places that the Bus and the Trains currently go to! Talk to ME!!
So you know, anytime you write on a public forum, the public has a right to respond. Feel free to correct your initial email and resend out as I only got what you wrote.
Rob
--
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)
From: Rob <indianrob@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Jun 8, 2012 at 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: [Brookland] A Strategic Proposal for Change in DC
To: Kathy <cooperator@starpower.net>
Kathy,
So, I had to go back and re-read my email to see how I offended you - First, Let me apologize for this statement "You are as bad as the lady who asked about "why Save-a-lot" a few days ago". Let me correct my statement to say that your comments here are as insensitive as the lady who asked about "why Save-a-lot" a few days ago. So I hope you know that this doesn't make you a bad person just one who I think needs to be a lot more clear with your words and sensitive in your initiating contact!!
Anyways, here is the problem. When one says "If my comments do not apply to you, you have no need to be defensive". Well, it doesn't have to apply to me to make me defend (not be defensive) the lack of sensitivity and compassion expressed. Save-a-lot coming here or not doesn't affect me and neither does a Whole Foods but I can understand the need of having both because I have a Giant - but I will defend against anyone making insensitive comments like the one made about "why a Save-a-Lot" as this is much bigger than just that comment. That's why we are spending money on this Unnecessary Trolley when we have Schools to fix and Roads to Repair, and why we will be contributing to a Developer to develop a McMillan when we don't need to.
You see all this crap about being "diverse" and "living in a diverse community" and wanting "diversity" is all nonsense to me when many of you who seem to write this continuously contradict your "diverse" words with the thoughts you put on paper. So you should know by now that one does not need to "know" you or anyone else and don't need to have "met" you or anyone else to understand the English Language you utilize on this medium of communication as we get to know each other. Just like I told you about this "Black jrturner" joker now "Jim Turner and intelligent "moderators" people like Taylor Armstrong who want to question me how I know someone is Black or not, or having to expose the others for who they are - none of this is rocket science and I am not the only one who feel the way I do. Believe it or not, while many of you out there might think that I am rude and crude and whatever, you should be thankful that I take the risks that I do to get you to tune into what you are actually saying. Imagine, A MAN ISN'T EVEN ALLOWED TO PRAY FOR ONE OF HIS FALLEN BROTHERS!!
As to my response, I just translated exactly what you were actually saying. Maybe you should look at it for what it is. While you might have knowledge of DC, you are definitely not tuned into the reality of many of our residents saying what you said. You think we bring our kids up to be hogs who have two hoofs at a dinner table and only want to gold dig? I am not going to stand by and allow anyone to stamp the entire community on the mistakes or bad judgement of a few.
I want to see all of you start talking about the rest - not just the Harry, Kwame, Gray, Michael - I want you all to talk about the Jim, Jack, Adrian, Padou, SAP Offenders, The Trolley Supporters - wasting our Capital money when we could use it to fix the Schools in Wards 5,7, and 8 first - all of them. I want you and the rest to get on the list serv and help me as I have to correct all these "raised" "educated" "wanting diversity" people who are so off in so many of their statements and "big" words. I want you and the rest to come forward and say "I forgot about all those who would benefit from a "Save-a-Lot"" or tell me that fixing our REAL infrastructure is not more important than a Trolley going to the same places that the Bus and the Trains currently go to! Talk to ME!!
So you know, anytime you write on a public forum, the public has a right to respond. Feel free to correct your initial email and resend out as I only got what you wrote.
Rob
On Fri, Jun 8, 2012 at 10:22 AM, Kathy <cooperator@starpower.net> wrote:
Rob,
I think you are being overly defensive, where my comments are concerned. I'm not talking about a perfect society, which will never exist. I am being realistic, and I did not say my comments apply to everyone in D.C. If my comments do not apply to you, you have no need to be defensive.
Neither do you have a reason to attack me personally for my comments, which you did and I take offense at that. You do not know me, you have never met me and you seem to have made some off-base assumptions about my knowledge about D.C. and my basic beliefs. Please refrain from doing so in this public forum.
Kathy Sinzinger
On 6/8/2012 9:47 AM, Rob wrote:Good Morning,
First of all, this wouldn't work because people like Guy and the rest of the Brookland Listserv "moderators" would censor those who even tried to educate the public; definitely Censored if you are exposing that much of the Blame is initiated from some Whites, especially their Imperial Privileged and Entitlement here in the City and their constantly ignoring their part in the current situation. Folks like them don't want to allow this information to pass through even though everyone has their own delete button!!!!
Now to get to Kathy's email - while it sounds nice, there is so much that is said here that is flawed;
I don't see anyone in this town -- not even the private schools (which, I was told by some of my former interns, didn't teach them anything about local government in D.C. or how to participate in it) -- teaching the children how to be good citizens. Essentially, they're all being taught merely how to make money when they grow up.
Really Kathy? You are pretty much saying that people are raising their children to just pilfer. Am I missing the contradiction in your words when you say that "I disagree that the entire system in our city is rotten. I think it needs a lot of tweaking, but I believe it can be harnessed to work for the citizenry". I am still offended from the first statement!!! Maybe you should come out and meet some of your neighbors. And earning money is why people go to college and graduate school - to prepare themselves to earn a higher income - but trust and believe me that most parents are trying to teach their kids to be "good citizens" even if they aren't themselves!
So, should we be surprised when they grow up to be greedy with lavish lifestyles and a sense of entitlement?
This is ludicrous. And I know that you are not talking about "sense of entitlement" and have never talked about the Padous, the 901 Project and Trolley issues!!! Who is more entitled than those vocal and silently in support of them. I know that you seem to be inclusive here but I remember your historical writing so some of us will digest this with the undertone that it seems to have. I didn't see you talk about Jim Graham and Jack Evans, Fenty!!! I want all of you who write about Kwame to write about those two so that we can have a fair dialogue when it comes to "OUR LEADERSHIP". Let's be real for a change!
I informed everyone about the Cafe, the 901 Monroe Project, and the misuse of the Capital Money for the Trolley and now you talk about "Sense of Entitlement". Seriously????
Unfortunately, D.C. has thousands of adults who have grown up without proper mentoring in self-government.
Really! So does everywhere - even in your home town - which is where?? as I would like to take a look a that perfect society as described in -- Where I grew up (small town Ohio), the political party organizations saw themselves as vehicles for educating the populace (including the children) about how government is supposed to work and their responsibility as citizens to make it work correctly for the greater good. They didn't spend 12 months of the year campaigning for candidates or shilling for elected officials. And everybody wasn't jockeying to become some sort of political boss or otherwise seeking political favors all the time. Campaigns didn't continue all year long, either -- they were events that had a beginning and an end.
Matter of fact, let me infuse the amount of drugs in your community and challenged schools throughout your perfect little town and see how "educated" that "populace" including the "children" are 20 years from now.
Where is perfect society so that we can emulate it!! You are as bad as the lady who asked about "why Save-a-lot" a few days ago. You are not even close to being connected to the reality of our City and the needs of so many who have been here for a lifetime!
Rob
On Fri, Jun 8, 2012 at 7:24 AM, Kathy <cooperator@starpower.net> wrote:
I agree with Guy. Online forums are a good way for a virtual handful of common-bonded people to communicate, but government is about the general populace -- and fixing government's ills won't happen simply by participating in an online forum.
I disagree that the entire system in our city is rotten. I think it needs a lot of tweaking, but I believe it can be harnessed to work for the citizenry. Having GOOD local government requires an educated, informed, active and vigilant citizenry -- which maybe only the smallest of small towns in America actually has these days. THAT needs to be the goal of any movement to clean up D.C.'s government.
I don't see anyone in this town -- not even the private schools (which, I was told by some of my former interns, didn't teach them anything about local government in D.C. or how to participate in it) -- teaching the children how to be good citizens. Essentially, they're all being taught merely how to make money when they grow up.
So, should we be surprised when they grow up to be greedy with lavish lifestyles and a sense of entitlement? I don't think so. I think we often forget that we need to mentor the next generation if we want what's good in our society to be maintained.
Unfortunately, D.C. has thousands of adults who have grown up without proper mentoring in self-government. Chanting political slogans at demonstrations isn't enough. People need to know what they MEAN and to understand the possible consequences/results of getting what they ask for.
Where I grew up (small town Ohio), the political party organizations saw themselves as vehicles for educating the populace (including the children) about how government is supposed to work and their responsibility as citizens to make it work correctly for the greater good. They didn't spend 12 months of the year campaigning for candidates or shilling for elected officials. And everybody wasn't jockeying to become some sort of political boss or otherwise seeking political favors all the time. Campaigns didn't continue all year long, either -- they were events that had a beginning and an end.
I think until we either (1) eliminate the partisanship in our local government (difficult to do, but all Democrats in this city aren't REALLY Democrats anyway...so, in a way, you can't keep trying to blame the "one-party system" here. Put as many political parties as you want in D.C. and nothing will change as long as the parties continue to operate as usual here) OR (2) undertake MAJOR OVERHAUL of the way our political parties function in this city, we won't get anywhere close to the good government that I know most of us want.
Don't fool yourself into thinking that any of this will be easy. You can't simply pass a law to fix any of it. Fixing our local government will require sustained, grass-roots organizing and active participation by a lot of people.
Kathy Sinzinger
10th Street NE
On 6/7/2012 11:04 PM, Guy Brandenburg wrote:Problem with that idea is that we know now that everybody's degree of, and manner of, connection with the world at large today is quite different one from the other. Some people are recluses with no phones. Others still use only their land line with no computers. Others go to the library when they need telecomm. Others live with a blackberry in the backpack, ipod something in the ears, ipad in the lap, skyping and liking and friending all the livelong day. Others use computers to do genealogical or physics or pharmacological research and can't be bothered with stuff like that except for emails.
When you speak of having a city-wide electronic forum such as that, well, that might be a nice idea, but quite seriously, I will bet that out of 600,000 inhabitants of our fair city, only a few thousand at most are likely to take part any time soon, even if you started it up tomorrow (which can be done, by the way, if you really want to; nobody is stopping you from doing so).
However, I think you will find that most of the rest of the folks are busy with other stuff, doing other things -- there is no way that anybody, even with the best of intentions, can do everything that could be done or needs to be done. Just wishing that everybody will join one's own chosen bandwagon isn't sufficient. And of course we humans form habits and tend to stick to them unless something really serious intervenes and forces us to change.
So, I think when folks talk about initiative XYZ whatever that might be as a way to get everybody to talk together at once, I think they are engaging in wishful thinking.
Just sayin'.
But go right ahead if you really want to.Guy Brandenburg, Washington, DC
http://gfbrandenburg.wordpress.com/
http://home.earthlink.net/~gfbranden/GFB_Home_Page.html
============================
From: Aaron McCormick <aaron.mccormick01@gmail.com>
To: Daniel Wolkoff <amglassart@yahoo.com>
Cc: LeRoy hall <lema@rcn.com>; brookland@yahoogroups.com; EdgewoodDC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, June 7, 2012 10:51 PM
Subject: Re: [Brookland] A Strategic Proposal for Change in DC
Daniel,Good evening you have a point with a city wide social network for District of Columbia like email,Facebook, and blog... The internet will in many case make the residents of DC have a voice when many are scared to speak out and need social network that will work for them in getting the word and put should also help with them voting.Aaron
On Thu, Jun 7, 2012 at 7:33 PM, Daniel Wolkoff <amglassart@yahoo.com> wrote:
We can make ourselves a state ,, when we overthrow the city council and put the mayor in prison!
Daniel Goldon Wolkoff
1231 Randolph Street, NE
Washington, DC 20017
Tel: 202-232-8391
--- On Thu, 6/7/12, LeRoy hall <lema@rcn.com> wrote:
From: LeRoy hall <lema@rcn.com>
Subject: Re: [Brookland] A Strategic Proposal for Change in DC
To: "IE Brown" <i41brown41@yahoo.com>, "Linda Sun" <lcsun8@yahoo.com>, jeromepeloquin@fastmail.fm, Brookland@yahoogroups.com, wardfive@googlegroups.com
Cc: "Tim Clark" <theboyzup@yahoo.com>, "Kathy Sinzinger" <cooperator@starpower.net>, "Linda" <lyahr@fastmail.fm>, blair-rowan@starpower.net, "Mary Melchior" <mulchness@gmail.com>, mrac.brookland@verizon.net, "Eddie Johnson" <Ejohnson@emjohnson.com>, "Carol Jacobs" <hattysue@yahoo.com>, "Guy Brandenburg" <gfbrandenburg@yahoo.com>, "Guy Durant" <rightguy@writeme.com>, "John Delicath" <jonwdeli@gmail.com>, "John Feeley" <5A06@anc.dc.gov>, "Daniel Wolkoff" <amglassart@yahoo.com>, "mildred stevenson" <smokie.stevenson@verizon.net>, "Daniel Keesler" <j.daniel.keesler@gmail.com>, "Amy Gellatly" <amygellatly@gmail.com>, "darwin fishman" <darbfish7@hotmail.com>, vaughn_bennett@yahoo.com, "Valencia Mohammed" <Vmohammed16@aol.com>, "Richard Layman" <rlaymandc@yahoo.com>, "Robert Brannum" <president@dcfca.org>, "Rob" <indianrob@gmail.com>, "Jon Freeman" <jwfreeman@pepco.com>, "Dyana Forester" <dyana.forester@gmail.com>, "lisa LaTorre" <lisa.latorre@gmail.com>
Date: Thursday, June 7, 2012, 4:19 PM
We should have zero tolerance for stupidity, crookedness, bad judgment or any failure on the part of elected officials to properly represent all of the public needs. Jerry is calling again for a community organized Town Hall Meeting. We were not able to come together before because of lame excuses not to attend from a few people while most of the rest were silent. It should be clear by now that the community must come together to deal with this culture of corruption at the Wilson Building. This is a Democracy. Having ultimate authority, we are responsible for our own governance. There must be vigilant oversight of the City Government including all agencies to clean house and move forward.We would not have this situation today if we had put some teeth in our authority with at least a serious threat of Recall. The Republicans pulled off a successful Recall in California against a Democratic governor, and now prevented a successful Recall in Wisconsin against a Republican governor. It was reported last night that 30% of union households voted for Scott Walker who is anti-bargaining, How dumb is it to vote against your own best interests?There are many on the Council who have conflict of interest. When I was in Yvette Alexander's office with Respect DC, she asked us what'swrong with Walmart?" Anyone who does not know what's wrong with Walmart after all the documentaries and negative news, is not qualified torepresent our best interests. How much money did Vince Gray, Muriel Bowser, Jack Evans and others get to allow Walmart in town?Why does Michael Brown want on-line gambling? Why are we getting Marijuana dispensaries? Why are overhead power lines still a problem?What problems do we have with Vincent Orange, Marion Barry and Jim Graham? Who else? And what about the Schools?If we were smart, we would not have allowed Term Limits to be overturned. And with a Recall we could have set a precedent to control corruption.If citizens don't have control, they don't have Democracy.Jerry, where, when, what time?LeRoy Not just about Ward 5From: IE BrownSent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 10:22 AMSubject: Re: [Brookland] A Strategic Proposal for Change in DCAgreed, it's time to get moving in a positive direction, the shadows of the National Shrine are also a bit murky but that's another subject for another day! DC Government as permitted by the CON- stitution, by permission DC is overseen by the Federal Government and CON- gress maintains supreme authority over the DC Council and all acts of the Council are overseen by CON gressional review and may be overturned. Sorry to sound cynical, but in addition to Kwame Brown, a billionaire Governor of Wisconsin was worthy of recall but of course he dodged it; The Governor of New Jersey headed a commodities house that lost $600 million and his public statement is/was that "he's not losing sleep over it." How are these people still in the CON-gress?
Change starts "way up yonder" and makes it's way down to the field mice as well! Tiananmen Square was 13 years ago, the Arab Spring less than a year ago. Again, worth repeating is "all acts of the of the Council are overseen by CON gressional review and may be overturned". Time to overturn the acts of the Council, then CON-gress will know they're next!Al@Kearny
From: Linda Sun <lcsun8@yahoo.com>
To: "jeromepeloquin@fastmail.fm" <jeromepeloquin@fastmail.fm>; "Brookland@yahoogroups.com" <Brookland@yahoogroups.com>; "wardfive@googlegroups.com" <wardfive@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 7, 2012 9:30 AM
Subject: Re: [Brookland] A Strategic Proposal for Change in DC
This is the best idea I have heard for a long time. I wholeheartedly second it. Here we are, living under the shadows of the National Shrine where people from all over the world come to visit and pay homage, but lurking in the shadows are these corrupt minds. No, I am not referring to the petty thieves and robbers, but to those who govern our city and hold our fate in their hands. It is truly sickening, both morally and physically.The DC government needs to be more diverse. More people should speak up. "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing."It's time we stand up for our rights!Linda SunFrom: "jeromepeloquin@fastmail.fm" <jeromepeloquin@fastmail.fm>
To: Brookland@yahoogroups.com; wardfive@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, June 7, 2012 8:59 AM
Subject: [Brookland] A Strategic Proposal for Change in DC
Friends/NeighborsSeveral years ago I ranted on this list serve of the danger of concentrated power in the hands of The Democratic Party here in the District AND the inept and toothless ethics laws constantly being proposed and then amended by a complicit and venal city counsel. I think it must be clear to almost everyone out there except possibly Robert, that this government of ours is rotten to the core! Who will be next? When will the next shoe drop? The FEDS (themselves no school boys) have three more council members and The Mayor himself in their sights. Deals are being made as we speak (Kwanmi included) names are being named and indictments drawn up.I have been a lurker on the Brookland and Ward 5 list serves surfacing only to address the most egregious and blatant issues, however I am back now and intend to comment regularly on this issue of government corruption within this city. I am considering a NEW blog ... but, since few people really believe that positive change is possible , and/or even care enough to vote, I question the viability of a blog ... there are too many anyway.Here's my point If we want to see real change ... we will not get it from this council or Mayor!
- Einstein said,"... a definition of insanity is to keep doing things the same way and expect a different outcome!" IF we actually do want to see change then WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM !!!! We cannot look to our government to do this. We have to do it ....WE THE PEOPLE!
Let's take the egos out of this (mine included) let's put the usual suspects in an advisory group positions and lets make this a true citizen's blue ribbon panel ... one made up of a diverse mix of old and new residents ... let's have a real town meeting here Objective Create a Citizen's Ethical Review Board to provide oversight of DC City Counsel and Government. Output To create a pledge for every elected official in the district to sign.Politicians would be invited to attend and participate but not lead it. Anyone who serves on this Panel should sign a pledge that they will NOT run for elective office for 4 years after the dissolution of the panel. Let's start here in Ward 5 ... let's not be the problem ward but the leadership ward ... I will help but not lead ... I think we should have a three person troika to organize and focus the panel. Anyone can serve on it who is NOT an elected official in any way (including ANC's) I do not trust the entire system. Nor, I believe do you!Finally believe me folks it is not the people in government. It is the government itself that must change. The same people given a more rational and effective model would behave differently ... we have to take the money out of politics to the extent possible. Getting rich is NOT an acceptable objective to run for office any longer.WADAYATHINK?Jerry NO LONGER in Opposition
--
Aaron McCormick
571-505-0605
__._,_.___Brookland Rocks !!!!![Yahoo! Groups]()
.![]()
__,_._,___
--
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)
--
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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