Ella Robinson - ��Ӱ��

DC fails to enforce its own law, leaving wheelchair users stranded

Ella Robinson — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 16:35:19 +0000

The day before Kelly Mack’s vacation, she called the taxi company to schedule a car for the morning. They couldn’t guarantee they’d have a wheelchair-accessible taxi available then, even with a day’s notice, but they could send one now. Mack jumped at the chance and booked into a hotel nearby.

In the morning, when everyone else was taking the hotel’s shuttle to the airport, Mack had no choice but to motor in her wheelchair down the highway in the dark to make her flight.

That isn’t an unusual experience for Mack. She’s started keeping a spreadsheet to track her experiences with D.C. taxi companies, and in the ten years she’s been living in the District, she said, “I can say pretty solidly that it seems to only be getting worse.”

A $500,000 pilot was meant to improve the availability of wheelchair-accessible taxis, by creating a centralized hotline so they were easier to book, and hiring 24 new drivers. But wheelchair users say it’s failed. Only six drivers have been hired; Mack has called the new hotline ten times and only received a taxi once.

And D.C. continues not to enforce its own law requiring 20% of taxi fleets to be wheelchair accessible. ��Ӱ�� found through a Freedom of Information Request, that out of 18 taxi companies in the district large enough to be overseen by the law, just two are fulfilling the legal requirement.

“They just need to get in compliance with the law,” said Kai Hall, coordinator of the DC Transport Equity Network, which advocates for more reliable transportation for all members of Washington, D.C. That so few taxi companies “have actually met this requirement after twelve years of this becoming law – there is something fundamentally wrong there,” he said.

The Department For Hire Vehicles, which oversees the taxi cab industry and the pilot, declined an interview with ��Ӱ��. A spokesperson did answer some questions via email, which read in part, “Enforcing the 20% WAV requirement more strictly would likely force many taxi companies out of business.”

The spokesperson mentioned that this is worsened because there is no comparable rule for Uber and Lyft. However, student attorneys at the Disability Rights Law Clinic said Uber has become more accessible since a brought in 2017. The lawsuit alleged “that Uber’s failure to modify its policies and practices which it was argued were dissuading its drivers from driving WAVs was discriminating against people with disabilities in the district,” said Lana Parsons.

Both Mack and Naomi Hess have had more success booking Ubers. But users report that wheelchair-accessible Ubers usually stop running after 11 pm.

Naomi Hess, aged 24, has been living in D.C. for two years. “I should be able to stay out as late as I want, or go anywhere I want, and unfortunately, because of my worries about transportation that’s not an option for me,” Hess said.

“Do these companies think disabled people have a curfew? Because we don’t. We have full, active social lives,” said Hess. The DFHV is paying three drivers more to incentivize them to drive in the evenings, but Hess has never been able to book a wheelchair-accessible taxi in D.C., even after the pilot began.

In a November accessibility advisory meeting, a DFHV staff member said most drivers clock out at 4 or 5 pm. “We can’t make them work; we can only incentivize their work so they can be available,” he said.

In October, Hess went to a concert in Baltimore with her friend. The train was delayed, so by the time they arrived back at Union Station, public transport had stopped running. Hess called Yellow Cab and Royal Taxis, as providing 24/7 accessible service. Hess said they told her they don’t have wheelchair-accessible taxis available at night.

“Taxi drivers in Washington D.C. are independent, and taxi companies do not have control over their schedules,” said a spokesperson for Transco Inc., which manages Royal Taxis. In an email to ��Ӱ��, Yellow Cab stated, “Yellow Cab supports wheelchair accessible trips 24/7, 365 days a year.”

Hess was left with no choice but to motor in her wheelchair home at 1.30 am, while her friend called her from the Uber she’d been able to book with no trouble. “But like her, I should have been able to find a vehicle,” said Hess. “And it’s just not fair that because I’m in a motorized wheelchair, the companies decided not to be able to offer me services.”

Beyond the lack of enforcement of the 20% rule, the number of wheelchair-accessible taxis actually on dispatch is even lower. The law requires taxi companies to have wheelchair accessible taxis within their fleet, it doesn’t require them to actually be in use, meaning many sit empty in garages.

Best estimates are between 2 and 6% of taxis on dispatch are accessible. But even of those not all are used to transport wheelchair users. In the November accessibility meeting, DFHV’s Nicholas Roland said that sometimes they are used to carry extra luggage and groceries.

The DFHV said in an email to ��Ӱ��, “Requiring all companies to be on a dispatch system may not be feasible, especially for smaller companies.” The spokesperson stated, “Imposing such a requirement could create a significant financial burden, potentially pushing companies out of business.”

Wheelchair users have stopped calling the hotline, only 14 even tried in October. Of these 14, DFHV slides show only two tracked completed trips. Yellow cab journeys were listed as ‘unknown’ and four callers reportedly chose not to connect with any provider.

Mack explained she often cancels taxi requests when it takes too long and she has had to find an alternative mode of transport to get there in time.

This has a significant impact on wheelchair users. “Repeatedly our health systems show transportation is one of the biggest barriers to access,” Hall from the DC Transport Equity Network said. “Especially people with disabilities can miss their appointments if they don’t have reliable transportation, which leads to worse health outcomes.”

The D.C. code says companies should promptly dispatch wheelchair accessible vehicles, and, “If a wheelchair-accessible vehicle cannot be dispatched within 20 minutes, dispatch shall call another company with wheelchair-accessible vehicles to handle the request.”

When I was with Mack she tried to book a wheelchair accessible taxi to a concert; 24 hours later it still said ‘in progress’ on the tracker.

The law to regulate the percentage of accessible cabs in a company’s fleet began in 2012, increasing up to 20% in 2018. But from 2018 to 2022 it was waived, although Parsons said, “the legality for the prior waivers since they were done through administrative issuance by DFHV is questionable.” Explaining that administrative issuances should clarify a policy or law, not stop it from applying.

The pilot which has been running since June, offered cab drivers an extra $30 an hour as an incentive on top of fare income, which some drivers were receiving even if they made no wheelchair accessible trips.

In August, when the pilot had been running for two months, Nicole an operations assistant at Transco stated to ��Ӱ��, “Since the new WAV hotline has not gained traction, we are getting only a few calls each month from the centralized line. We made a company decision to let the WAV Pilot drivers take on other dispatch trips so as not to waste resources.”

“More accountability is needed by the cab companies and as a tax payer I want my government to hold them accountable for their service,” said Mack.

The current pilot ends this month. But city leaders are planning to spend more money to fix the issue, with a 2.0 pilot beginning in February 2025. Wheelchair users aren’t confident the new pilot will be any better.

The post DC fails to enforce its own law, leaving wheelchair users stranded first appeared on ��Ӱ��.

Georgetown’s e-scooters: Parking problem or congestion solution?

Ella Robinson — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 15:03:30 +0000

E-scooters in Georgetown have divided public opinion. There are clearly a lot of fans – in fact, Georgetown has the second-highest usage of scooters across Washington, D.C., only behind the National Mall. But parking those scooters, that’s another problem.

The Lime website, one of the leading e-scooter providers in D.C. reads, “Users shall park electric mobility devices in corrals when available.” But there aren’t enough securing parking spaces for them, and Mimsy Lindner, ANC2E commissioner, thinks people wouldn’t use them anyway. “I think people are lazy and they have to go right to the door, leave it in front of the coffee shop or in front of the bank, and not park it in a corral and walk half a block,” she said.

It’s not unusual to dodge e-scooters when walking the sidewalks of Georgetown; sometimes, you have to step over them. There have been 157 complaints about scooter parking in Georgetown through the 311 system so far in 2024.

“They are like litter throughout Georgetown,” Lindner said. She’d just returned from Paris, where e-scooters are banned, “It is embarrassing to think of our streets compared to the streets in Paris,” she said.

It causes further issues with people with mobility needs. Lindner told ��Ӱ�� she’d seen visually impaired people walking in the street, and heard from constituents who use wheelchairs and can’t access the sidewalks because of the scooters.

Parking solution?

The Georgetown Coalition for Public Spaces aims to bring together the community’s thoughts and opinions so they have a voice, explained Stefanie Scott, co-founder of the coalition. At a recent meeting with the District Department of Transportation representatives, Scott asked, “Why are people allowed to just park and stop their rides anywhere they want? There’s no control or process in place to make people park at a bike rack.”

Again, Scott looked to Europe for examples, explaining . “The DDOT representatives had no idea it could be set up that way,” she said.

Scott thinks dedicated parking areas would “alleviate so many frustrations of residents that walking out their door, there’s abandoned bikes in front of their house.” However, the Georgetown Coalition for Public Spaces has also voiced concerns about where bike racks have been placed in Georgetown, especially in congested areas, which resulted in racks being moved.

Colin Browne, communications director at the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, thinks more scooter racks reduce congestion, as more people would be using scooters rather than driving a car. He explained the new scooter racks are smaller than the size of one car parking space and are typically placed on the corner, where cars aren’t allowed to park to maintain sight lines.

Thanks to for the nifty new in-street bike rack and scooter parking area! This is at Kilbourne and Mount Pleasant street, in the No Parking area—daylighting for the crosswalk, space for bikes and scooters, no legal parking harmed.

— Jon Stewart (@JonStewartMtPDC)

��Ӱ��ington Area Bicycle Association both works with DDOT and advocates to DDOT to find a parking solution. They also partner with Lime on their e-scooters and bikes in the District. “The combination of those incentive structures and creating easy places for people to leave them is effective. They’re just not everywhere yet,” Browne said.

They’ve found more pushback in Georgetown over the new parking areas. “In Georgetown specifically, more than in many other places, there is a concern about aesthetics, which I am not sympathetic to I confess,” Browne said. “You can park the world’s ugliest sports car anywhere you want, but a scooter, God forbid.”

The importance of access

“Less than half of the population of D.C. drives to work, and more than 40% of households in D.C. don’t even own cars,” said Browne, “making space for the people who aren’t driving to get around safely is really important.”

In Georgetown there isn’t a metro station, so e-scooters are more important as a last mile solution – “It’s a long walk or a short scooter ride,” Browne said.

E-scooter trips typically don’t compete with other forms of public transit but with ride-hailing, Browne explained. Replacing short taxi journeys with e-scooters will help congestion and parking in Georgetown, and the climate.

This is true for Scott who uses scooters when she’s running late, “I use a scooter so I can get to my destination a little faster, a little cheaper than parking,” she said. “I’m not anti-scooter at all. I just want the companies held to a higher standard.”

Most Georgetowners support e-scooters if a parking solution can be found, ideally before contracts with e-scooter providers are renewed for 2025.

The post Georgetown’s e-scooters: Parking problem or congestion solution? first appeared on ��Ӱ��.

MPD look for suspect as man stabbed on Minnesota Avenue SE

Ella Robinson — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 23:30:56 +0000

Police are looking for a man caught on camera shortly after a reported stabbing. He’s around 50 years old. A hunt for the suspect is underway after a stabbing occurred near the bus stop on the 1700 block of Minnesota Avenue SE at 1.15 pm Monday.

The victim, an adult male, was transferred to a local hospital, he was conscious and breathing. He is currently in surgery at a local hospital, Lieutenant Adam Sotelo of the Sixth District told ��Ӱ�� at the scene.

Sotelo said units were alerted by witnesses who saw someone being assaulted at around 1.15pm. Upon arrival at the scene, they realized the man had been stabbed to his body. Makhetha Watson, from the MPD’s Office of Communications, told ��Ӱ�� via email that the victim had multiple stab wounds.

“We are looking for an African-American male, of around 50 years of age, wearing a black jacket with some fur lining on the hood, blue jeans and some black and white sneakers,” said Sotelo.

MPD posted a picture of the suspect on X, and asked for anyone with information to call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

Investigators in MPD’s Real Time Crime Center located images of a suspect in this stabbing investigation, pictured below.

Have info? Call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept)

At 3pm both MPD and the Metro Transit Police Department were still on scene, and police tape surrounded the bus stop at the intersection of R St SE, 18th St SE, and Minnesota Ave.

The post MPD look for suspect as man stabbed on Minnesota Avenue SE first appeared on ��Ӱ��.

Dueling rallies outside Supreme Court as justices hear transgender rights case

Ella Robinson — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 11:58:22 +0000

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Supreme Court Wednesday as justices heard a landmark case on transgender rights.

Inside the court, attorneys for transgender minors and the Biden administration argued that Tennessee’s law banning puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy, and related surgeries for those under 18 unlawfully discriminates based on sex. The case is known as United States v. Skrmetti.

The Tennessee law allows minors to receive treatment for early puberty or congenital disabilities, but children are not allowed to access those same treatments for transitioning purposes.

Those gathered in front of the Supreme Court steps separated themselves by opinion – those in favor of allowing transgender youth to access puberty blockers and other similar treatments gathered on the left—those against it and in support of the current Tennessee ban gathered on the right side.

Lawmakers and advocates spoke to their respective supporters simultaneously through bullhorns on platforms only several feet apart. Meanwhile, listeners adorned with LGBTQ+ flags, insignia and signs about protecting children cheered and booed in the cold as the justices heard arguments in the building behind them.

A ‘distraction’ from other issues?

D.C. resident Ari Bandy, a transgender Tennessee native, underwent gender-affirming care as an adult.

Ari Bandy demonstrating outside the Supreme Court. (Tayo Ojewunmi-Ojo / ��Ӱ��)

“Tennessee was a dangerous environment to be visibly queer, and after moving to D.C. specifically to get out of Tennessee, I wasn’t burdened by stricter diagnostic requirements and could get it [treatment] here,” Bandy said.

“These kinds of laws have a measurable death toll,” Bandy told ��Ӱ�� during Wednesday’s demonstration, adding that being denied access to this kind of care “results in alienation and really poor mental health.”

“It’s a distraction from the real healthcare reform that Tennessee needs and serving the southern opioid crisis and the immense amounts of poverty in our state,” said Bandy.

Laws restricting transgender medical treatment for youth have passed in 26 states, , so the Supreme Court’s ruling could have implications beyond Tennessee.

Lawyer Brian Burgess represents conservative officials, advisors, and activists who want to strike down the ban, in part because it infringes on parental rights.

This is “going to be an important case for understanding how this current court is going to be approaching equal protection analysis as it implicates issues of gender and gender identity,” said Burgess, author of an amicus brief in support of the teens who brought the case to the court.

Parents divided

Jen Donnelly, Prince William County, Virginia Moms for Liberty Chapter Chair. (Tayo Ojewunmi-Ojo / ��Ӱ��)

The Supreme Court chose not to address the question of parental approval for these kinds of treatments during arguments, instead focusing primarily on the issue of sex discrimination. However, this was still an important issue for demonstrators outside.

“I think that parents have a right to make decisions for their child’s welfare and their medical decisions, and I don’t believe that doctors or schools or anybody should be hiding those types of things from the parents,” said Jen Donnelly, who serves as chair for the Prince William County, Virginia, Chapter of Moms for Liberty. She said she supports Tennessee’s ban.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., at the rally (Tayo Ojewunmi-Ojo / ��Ӱ��)

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., known for her far-right views, including on LGBTQ+ issues, spoke at the rally in support of Tennessee’s ban. She told ��Ӱ�� before taking to the platform, “I’m here to declare that God only made two genders, male and female.”

“Children need to be let alone. They need to be allowed to grow up.” Greene said. “No one should mutilate their genitals, perform surgeries on them, or give them dangerous medicines and chemicals.”

Alex Shalom, co-author of an amicus brief representing expert researchers and physicians in support of the petitioner, told ��Ӱ��, “Every established medical agency that has looked at gender-affirming care for children believes that it’s appropriate in particular situations, when the child and the parents want it, and when the doctor thinks it’s appropriate.”

He cited research from the American Medical Association and American Psychological Association.

“At the center of this case, there are real children and their families who are worried about their safety and their ability to access life-saving health care,” said Shalom.

This is the second major transgender rights case to reach the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2020, the court ruled in a 6-3 majority that workplace sex discrimination laws protect transgender people in a case known as Bostock v. Clayton County, Missouri.

Biden administration attorneys argued Wednesday on behalf of transgender youth. That support could change with the next administration. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision by June.

The post Dueling rallies outside Supreme Court as justices hear transgender rights case first appeared on ��Ӱ��.

O’Malley’s last push for Social Security funding as waitlists grow

Ella Robinson — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 16:58:36 +0000

Thirty thousand people died while waiting for their disability evaluations in 2023, Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley told the House Appropriations Committee on Nov. 20.

In his final weeks on the job before resigning to start his run for Democratic National Convention chair, O’Malley called upon Congress to restore funding for staffing and increase funding for technology modernization.

After a half-billion-dollar cut to the Social Security Administration budget in July, the largest ever by the House Appropriations Committee, staffing has hit a 50-year low. Simultaneously, the number of people claiming Social Security hit an all-time high, said O’Malley.

The Social Security Administration’s budget decides how much of the $2.7 trillion in Social Security reserves the agency can access for administrative costs. Currently, the amount is 0.3%, 75% of which is spent on staffing. O’Malley asked the committee today to restore the accessible amount to 1.2%.

“We cannot stand back and watch this agency crater,” he said. “It is a sacred promise to the people of the United States; they’ve worked their entire lives so Social Security would be there for them.”

Cuts to the SSA budget, which don’t contribute to reducing the deficit, are defacto cuts to Social Security benefits, said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. She said cuts to staff make Social Security Benefits harder to access. O’Malley agreed, asking the committee, “What good are benefits if you can’t get through on the phone to access them?”

GOP Lawmakers were reluctant to restore the staffing budget, citing the SSA’s policy of allowing staff to work from home two days a week. O’Malley responded that productivity had increased by 6%, and some claimants now preferred to conduct their meetings over the phone.

Karl Polzer from the Center on Capital and Social Equity explained to ��Ӱ�� that the baby boomer generation means more people are receiving Social Security benefits. Still, the money is set to run out.

“Social security has a trust fund that runs out in 2035, so the agency says if Congress doesn’t fix the solvency issue, which is a big issue, they’re going to have to cut benefits by about 20%,” he said. “In the past, Social Security collected more money than it’s paying out. Since 2021, it’s paying out more money than it’s going in,” said Polzer.

The Social Security Administration has set a new target of 215 days of wait time, up from the current average of 243 days. However, in Georgia, the wait time for disability evaluations is 14 months.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., told O’Malley that regulations say the wait time should be 49.5 days, a regulation O’Malley had not heard before.

Clyde suggested the Social Security Administration contact the newly founded Department of Government Efficiency. “Maybe Elon Musk and Vivek can help you guys trim that,” he said, referring to Musk and Ramaswamy’s appointments.

As well as $600 million more a year for fixed costs to avoid “the grim reaper of attrition,” O’Malley sought a $5 billion one-time investment to modernize the systems for the future, saying the last big investment was when news anchor Walter Cronkite investigated in the 60s.

“One of my deep concerns about this agency when I depart next Friday is a looming problem on the horizon of antiquated IT systems totally breaking down or being shut down by bad actors,” said O’Malley.

O’Malley will not be part of the next administration, but he made final calls to the House Appropriations Committee to restore funding to help their constituents, “I know you’ve received their calls, I know you’ve heard their cries,” he said.

The post O’Malley’s last push for Social Security funding as waitlists grow first appeared on ��Ӱ��.

Retail thefts hit four-year high in Georgetown

Ella Robinson — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 17:28:49 +0000

Retail thefts have spiked in Georgetown along the M St Corridor; independent businesses are improving their security, but staff of big chain stores appear resigned to the problem.

Captain Darren Haskis told the Nov. 4 ANC 2E meeting in Georgetown that although all other crimes are down in the year-to-date and 30-day time-period statistics, thefts are on the rise.

There were 56 thefts in October, largely from businesses on M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, such as CVS, Lululemon, and Alo. This is a 27% increase from the same period last year.

“Thefts are a recurring problem that we are looking for different ways to address, especially when it comes to our retail corridor,” he said, “There’s a lot of work to be done.”

A staff member at one of the large chain stores on M Street said it was against corporate policy to speak to media, so she spoke to ��Ӱ�� anonymously. She said their store has seen an increase in thefts, so the police check in multiple times a day, “There’s a lot of police presence, so we feel really safe here.”

“It’s the location, everywhere on M Street always sees a lot of thefts,” she said, but she couldn’t think how to improve the situation. “All the retailers here, they’re not going to prosecute, so there’s nothing left we can do,” she said.

Emma, a visual team leader at Patagonia who declined to share her last name, said retail thefts there seem pretty consistent. “I wouldn’t say it’s completely out of hand; for retail, it’s just something you work with.”

Potomac Wine and Spirits (Ella Robinson / ��Ӱ��)

Smaller independent businesses are taking matters into their own hands. Potomac Wine and Spirits owner Josh Feldman said, “Patagonia, right next door to us, seems to have theft almost on a daily basis. But in here, it’s a little different, we’re partrolled by our family and we don’t really allow for stuff like that to happen.”

In addition to the family patrol, the store closes earlier to prevent crime, shutting at 8 p.m. on the weekends. It also has gated windows and a front gate, “so it’s not easy access to the building,” Feldman said.

“Some of these corporate stores, they have policies that they’re not supposed to go after anyone that steals product from them, even the security guards aren’t allowed to do that,” he said. “So the people that are stealing, they know that, and it makes it a lot easier. So I think that’s why you’re seeing a rise in theft.”

Morgan’s Pharmacy, which has been in Georgetown for over 100 years, was the target of a theft attempt in September. Five people tried to break into the store at midnight, but the pharmacist, Noorhan Alkhalich, told ��Ӱ�� that the alarm system scared them off, and the police arrived within 40 seconds.

Alkhalich said they had improved their security system with more cameras, and she was not scared working in the store.

Community safety efforts

The Georgetown community has worked to address crime for years through their community of block captains. Over 85% of blocks in Georgetown have a block captain who volunteers to pass on crime and public safety information.

Helen Darling, block captain of the year, has been periodically keeping her block aware of nearby safety issues for more than ten years.

She’s noticed changes in Georgetown over the years. That you now have to get a clerk to unlock a section in order to buy lipstick, she said, “It just seems bizarre to most Americans, and certainly most people who live in places like Georgetown.”

Helen Darling with Block Captain of the Year Award and CAG committee

Darling describes her role as modest. She often emails her neighbors to inform them of nearby crime or remind them to keep porch lights on. Recently, she received a call from a neighbor whose jewelry had been stolen while her house was being renovated. She wrote a report and sent it to her block.

“They know that somebody’s telling them if there’s something to be concerned about,” said Darling. “So if they’re not hearing anything, then they don’t need to be concerned, and that actually is very reassuring when you live in a city.”

While the block captain scheme is currently only in Georgetown, Darling thinks it would work well anywhere there is a sense of community with a low turnover of residents, “A ‘we’ feeling,” she said.

The police Darling says like the scheme, “They feel like we do something.” She acknowledges, “We are the part of the city that they’re really, really, really, really good to.”

As a social scientist, Darling says she won’t say the scheme makes Georgetown safer as there would be no way to do that research. “Do I think it’s worth my time would be one question. The answer is yes,” she said.

The post Retail thefts hit four-year high in Georgetown first appeared on ��Ӱ��.

DC passes Initiative 83 bringing ranked choice voting and semi-open primaries to the District

Ella Robinson — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 20:57:02 +0000

Initiative 83 has passed in D.C. with almost 73% of the vote meaning semi-open primaries and ranked voting are set to begin in 2026.

Before then, the ballot initiative will face more challenges with two lawsuits and the final decision to fund the decision made by D.C. Council.

Deirdre Brown, chair of the Vote No campaign told ��Ӱ�� on election day, “We’re hoping that they won’t fund it. We don’t believe that this is needed, this is an unnecessary election reform.”

Deirdre Brown, chair of the Vote No campaign (Ella Robinson / ��Ӱ��)

The initiative will allow D.C.’s 76,000 registered independents to vote in a partisan primary election of their choosing. This would open D.C. up in line with other states, as only have closed primaries.

Ruby Coleman, student engagement coordinator of the Vote Yes campaign said this would help many disenfranchised people in the most important election for always democratic D.C. – the primary. She drew attention to federal employees and journalists whose careers may be affected by having a partisan attachment.

“The reason we oppose that is because our Home Rule Act clearly states that our primaries are partisan,” Brown said. She also reminded people that independents can change their party affiliation even on election day if they want to vote.

The second half of the initiative is ranked choice voting – allowing voters to rank up to five candidates, and the lowest performing candidates would be eliminated until a winner receives at least 50% of the vote.

Kishan Putta outside Hardy Middle School polling station (Ella Robinson / ��Ӱ��)

The Vote No campaign said this is a confusing system, and it is more likely that people of color, lower-income voters, and elderly people’s votes won’t count if they fill in the ballot incorrectly.

Kishan Putta, ANC Commissioner said, “All important reforms in American history and world history have taken some time to get used to. I have faith in the voters they have been able to manage and understand lots of complexities in our society. Filing taxes for example, is much more complicated than ranked choice voting.”

An expert in voting rules and electoral systems, Josep Colomer professor of political science at Georgetown University, was voting for Initiative 83 at Hardy Middle School, as it is “less bad than what we have.” He told ��Ӱ�� the current winner-takes-it-all system of voting in America “is the worst. That is a general opinion among academics all across the world.”

Peter Gosselin campaigning outside Chevy Chase Community Center (Ella Robinson / ��Ӱ��)

Peter Gosselin speaking outside Chevy Chase Community Center said he can understand ranked voting for races where there are a lot of candidates, but ultimately he voted against the initiative. “Voting is our way of conveying authority,” he said, “think of being the second choice president, it’s a weird way to convey authority.”

There has been controversy surrounding the campaign. “We really believe this has little to do about D.C. voters, and has a lot to do with outside special interest groups and PACs meddling in D.C. politics,” said Brown chair of the Vote No campaign.

Mayor Muriel Bowser who has been publicly against the initiative, said “These groups want to come in and control our local elections,” on WAMU’s The Politics Hour.

Vote No have spent just under $5,300 during their campaign according to the, compared to

Ruby Coleman of the Vote Yes campaign (Ella Robinson / ��Ӱ��)

Coleman of the Vote Yes campaign acknowledged they have received “significantly more funding,” from larger organizations like Fair Vote. She said, it “is right over the border in Silver Spring, it’s barely outside D.C.,” and that funding allows them to hire people to work within D.C. on the campaign.

While the Yes campaign will be celebrating today, it is still not a clear path ahead.

Brown said, “This isn’t the end, there are two court cases that are currently challenging the validity of Initiative 83 and we believe at least one of those should prevail in the future.”

Because the initiative has a fiscal impact, it now goes to D.C. Council to decide whether to fund the change.

The post DC passes Initiative 83 bringing ranked choice voting and semi-open primaries to the District first appeared on ��Ӱ��.

Downtown D.C. businesses remain boarded up following election

Ella Robinson — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 20:23:34 +0000

Boarded windows and cement barricades dot the downtown streets of Washington, D.C. As the city braces for Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration, businesses say they fear retaliatory violence in the wake of the contentious election.

The results are in sooner than expected, but the uncertainty for businesses in downtown D.C. continues as they tell ��Ӱ�� they will remain barricaded until after the inauguration.

One of the businesses is Potbelly, located opposite the White House. Assistant Manager Danna Kelly said some of her colleagues feel uneasy with the barricades; “it’s a little nerve-wracking not to know what’s going on outside.”

It’s affecting business. Sitting in an empty shop at lunchtime, Kelly said, “it’s pretty dark and isolated.”

Kelly thought the security measures were precautionary, telling ��Ӱ��, “If nothing’s happened now or thus far, I don’t think we have too much more to worry about.”

But Ray Copper, an employee at T-Mobile’s nearby location, said, “I anticipate something going on.” He said, “You never know people get a little riled up at this time,” referring to previous vandalism.

Copper said he supported the safety measures D.C. was implementing, considering – located down the street – had been vandalized and looted in 2020 during a protest over the death of George Floyd.

Devonte Williams, a resident of DC for over 30 years, said he had never seen election safety precautions like this year. He also said as someone who experienced the anxiety of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack near his home, he was thankful for the preventive actions taking place around the District.

Nordstrom Rack boarded its windows and placed additional barriers outside its doors. (Lillian Juarez/��Ӱ��)

How long will barriers last?

Mayor Muriel Bowser responded to questions about boarded-up businesses in a press conference on Nov. 4. The mayor said the Metropolitan Police Department “is out in all eight wards and is very focused on commercial districts.” She said they will share information with so-called business improvement districts “so they know what we know and we trust that they will make the right decisions.”

Bowser said the city expects to request National Guard help between now and Inauguration Day.

Golden Triangle business district, home to more than 550 shops, bars and restaurants, including on Pennsylvania Avenue, has encouraged businesses to be “ready with a plan for if a threat does emerge,” according to an emailed statement.

In the meantime, the U.S. Secret Service spokesperson, Alexi Worley, wrote in an email that fencing and other physical public safety measures put in place for Election Day are expected to be removed this weekend.

Other businesses are more focused on getting customers over the emotional barriers of the election, particularly in heavily Democratic D.C.

, a cat cafe in Georgetown, has in the last day noticed an increased police presence, but they’ve decided not to board up their windows, a manager said.

Sydney Floyd, shift manager at the facility, said customers have come in this morning “definitely bummed over the results.” The customers are coming in for some animal therapy. Floyd noticed less foot traffic, too.

“I would assume that people are, I don’t know, either staying clear out of D.C. for the most part or are celebrating elsewhere,” she said.

The post Downtown D.C. businesses remain boarded up following election first appeared on ��Ӱ��.

Meet the Taylor Swift fans who have raised $235,000 for the Harris campaign

Ella Robinson — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 19:22:12 +0000

When Swifties for Kamala began as an online movement the day Biden announced he was stepping down from the race they hoped to raise 13,000 dollars for the campaign. Today they’ve raised $235,000, and they’re “running out of Taylor-related numbers, that’s crazy,” said Irene Kim, co-founder of the group.

The group is not affiliated with Taylor Swift, who has been widely reported on throughout the campaign. When Swift endorsed Kamala Harris on her Instagram story, over 400,000 people visited the vote.gov website directly from that link,

Kim said, “It was absolutely insane when Taylor endorsed Kamala.” But it didn’t have as big of an effect on their group as the media suggested, “we were taking action before she endorsed, and we would have done this regardless of her endorsement,” Kim said.

Irene Kim with Swifties for Kamala merchandise (Swifties for Kamala)

Kim is a freelancer and the executive director of the Swifties for Kamala campaign. She starts her day at 7 or 8 am, checking the group’s Discord, where they coordinate over 3500 volunteers, and it is “pretty much non-stop and then I go to sleep around 3 or 4 am.”

The campaign group coordinates with other democratic organizations such as Voters of Tomorrow and State Democratic Parties to provide enthusiastic volunteers for text and phone banks.

Kim said organizers often comment that the Swifties did two or three times as much as other volunteers in a shorter time span. “That’s normal for Swifties,” she said, “We’re just gonna go the extra mile every single time. But it’s great because it’s for such a good cause.”

In addition to typical political campaigning, the group has more unique methods. Their friendship bracelets coordinator has helped distribute thousands of bracelets across all 50 states. And the day Donald Trump posted “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” on Truth Social, Swifties for Kamala “turned that into a positive too.”

“We encouraged people to rage donate and we raised over $40,000 that day because of that tweet,” Kim said. “So it was really a ‘look what you made us do’ moment,” she added, referencing the Taylor Swift song ‘Look What You Made Me Do.’

A display of friendship bracelets (Swifties for Kamala)

But for Kim, the campaign’s highlight has been the individual interactions with voters. “Whether it’s someone telling me that their sister in law or best friend is a Republican, but they are voting for Kamala Harris because they are a Swiftie and that they’re a Swiftie for Kamala.”

Kim is focused on issues such as abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and the “harmful rhetoric” around immigration, campaigning so she can “get to live in a country where we are not afraid for our literal lives every day.” She said, “A lot of those issues are also what has brought a lot of Swifties together. We are first and foremost a community, so we care about each other.”

Swifties for Kamala puts a lot of focus on voter education. Kim said she didn’t learn about voting during her school education, and many of their followers are first-time voters. The group produces on voter rights, ID rules, ballot selfies, and disability access.

“We are used to sharing information together as a community. So now, instead of doing it around Taylor, we’re doing it around voting and this election, and I think it’s helped make it really accessible,” said Kim.

While the campaign group is called Swifties for Kamala, it is also focused on down-ballot races and making sure everyone feels their vote is important. Kim said, “It just really is so important to get out and vote, and that’s where change starts. And we recognize this isn’t a perfect system. It’s not even a good system, but it’s the one we have. So this is where we start, and then we keep doing the work from there.”

They’ll be watching the results closely on election night, hoping to finish the evening listening to Taylor Swift’s songs ‘Change’ and ‘Long Live’ but Kim and the rest of Swifties for Kamala are aware it may take longer for the results to come in.

The post Meet the Taylor Swift fans who have raised $235,000 for the Harris campaign first appeared on ��Ӱ��.

Non-citizen residents living in DC area fear election aftermath

Ella Robinson — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 22:53:33 +0000

Almost 50,000 non-citizen residents in the District of Columbia will have no say in selecting the next U.S. president. Yet, some believe they will be doubly affected by the policies at home and abroad.

Somaya Zaheereldeen moved to Virginia in 2014 and was in high school when Donald Trump was elected for the first time.

Emigrating from Syria and born in Egypt, Zaheereldeen was particularly concerned about Trump’s “distaste for foreigners, and especially he called out Arab countries.”

(Somaya Zaheereldeen)

In January 2017, former President Donald Trump issued an executive ordertravelers from seven majority-Muslim countries, including Syria. After multiple iterations during Trump’s presidency, on President Joe Biden’s first day in office.

Now, she is 22 years old, but she can’t vote for President as a non-citizen. “It feels kind of similar to how I was in high school,” she said. “I have no say in the way I’m living and I’m just kind of accepting any fate that’s brought upon me.”

A 49-year-old from Syria who asked not to be named as he is currently applying for U.S. citizenship tries to avoid thinking about the election. “We can do nothing about it; thinking about it is kind of useless. We cannot vote, and we cannot impact that.”

He has been living in the DMV for nine years and is three years into his citizenship application process, “If Trump wins, maybe this will be delayed or maybe denied,” he said.

Trump has announced that he would call for mass deportations of a million people without legal status per year. that Trump would use a 1798 law that gives the president power to “deport any noncitizen from a country that the U.S. is at war with.” (CBS whether there are details on the plan.)

While the 49-year-old is a green card holder, so he shouldn’t be affected, a previous mass deportation campaign in 1954 mistakenly deported U.S. citizens.

The green card holder said, “I will fight to stay in America, not just for living, fighting back for democracy and human rights. I wouldn’t leave that easily unless we are forced to leave.”

‘I’m just afraid’

Lena Le in Chinatown, D.C. (Lena Le)

Lena Le has been in Washington, D.C., for six months as a visiting lecturer from Vietnam National University, but she is afraid of the election’s aftermath. She has promised herself not to go out onto the street the day after the elections as she is concerned for her safety as an Asian woman.

“Sometimes politics is actually an excuse for people to expose their hatreds, their grievance, and who knows what would happen?” she said.

Hate crimes have increased during each of the last four presidential elections,

Cesilia Leiva from Argentina is “struggling” with perceptions, too. Leiva is one of 11,000 international students in the District of Columbia.

Cesilia Leiva in the Embassy of Argentina (Cesilia Leiva)

She said, “It’s difficult because I am here studying, and I am paying for the program, and I’m paying for the place where I am living, and taxes, and everything, and it’s really weird when maybe people feel like you are going to take their job.”

Leiva has a job with the Argentine government she will be returning to but international students in D.C. contribute over $500 million per year to the economy while in the country, according to the.

World tuned in

“The outcome of the U.S. election has very far-reaching consequences, especially for countries like us,” said Le.

Her family and students in Vietnam are closely following the election. She mentioned the 2023 , which covers a range of policies, including trade, public health, and addressing war legacies.

(Sangyub Ryu)

Trump is proposing a on all goods imported into the U.S., which would also affect Sangyub Ryu’s friends in South Korea.

Ryu is a visiting scholar at Georgetown University. In addition to being scared about hostility toward foreigners in general, prompted by the Trump campaign, Ryu also drew attention to defense in Korea. The Korean government is also worried about increasing the defense budget “because Trump wants the government to pay more,” he said.

Zaheereldeen said her friends and family in Syria follow the policies “even more sometimes than us in America. The efforts are very tangible there when you have [U.S.] soldiers in the country,” she said of Syria.

While non-citizen residents can’t vote, they will watch the polls closely in America, along with their friends and families back home.

The post Non-citizen residents living in DC area fear election aftermath first appeared on ��Ӱ��.

Ella Robinson - ��������Ӱ��