Potomac Confidential

Marc Fisher (The Washington Post)

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.

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Marc Fisher: Welcome aboard, friends and neighbors. The column returns to print today after a bit of a hiatus and D.C.'s juvenile court is the topic. Here online, there's lots of interest in Virginia Gov. Warner's tax initiative, in the ongoing battle over slots in Maryland, in the big snow we got overnight (um, what, not a flake? oh, never mind) and in assorted other topics.
First, the Yay and Nay of the Day:
Yay: To Mark Warner and John Chichester, the Virginia politicians, Democrat and Republican respectively, who have woken up and realized that it is not possible to pretend forever that cutting taxes and increasing spending are comfy bedmates. But can the guv make his plan palatable to the GOP? Don't bet the house on it.
Nay: To President Bush's silly space dalliance. With domestic problems largely untouched and the war on terrorism likely to suck away huge resources for years to come, an adolescent game of let's explore space is irresponsible at best.
Your turn starts right now...

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Capitol Hill: Marc, am I some kind of lunkhead? I actually voted ("present") in Tuesday's beauty pageant. I still don't get what it was all about, and now I come to find out that the vote count was all screwed up anyway. Can't this city do anything right? Grrrrrrrr!

Marc Fisher: Voting is usually such a stirring act -- moving and fun all at once. But I agree -- Tuesday's experience was deflating. The hall was empty. Only a lone Dean supporter stood outside handing out campaign literature. The election, which I supported heartily back when it promised to be a real vote electing real delegates, was a fizzle.
Only when the mayor and other elected and party officials are ready to take real risks will we make any progress on representation in Congress. The local Dems should have insisted on electing real convention delegates in this primary. Backing away from that was a disastrous mistake.

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Olney, Md.: PLEASE, Marc, help me! I can't seem to get a straight answer from anyone, even Ms. Holmes-Norton, who took a lot of other important questions in her Live Online discussion.

What happened to the plan to force all Democratic candidates onto the D.C. ballot? While the DNC's plan to marginalize D.C. seems to have otherwise worked, particularly regarding the media, forcing them all on the ballot would have forced the "top-tier" candidates to campaign in the District or give their opponents a talking point about their showing in the District.

Please, Marc, what happened? Did it ever get voted on by the Council?

Marc Fisher: Sadly, the city's Democratic officials were only too willing to be forced into this meaningless vote by the Clintonites who run the national party. Jack Evans talked about putting all the candidates on the ballot whether they liked it or not, but the council just didn't go there, and if I recall correctly, there was an issue over whether the council had the authority to mandate how the Democratic Party conducted its primary. I believe the ultimate decision was that the party had that right and the party alone.

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Kingstowne, Va.: Will any of the snow-mongering local news elves be held responsible for their irresponsible prognostications? Maybe you could call them to task in your column. Don't let them off the hook!

Marc Fisher: Whatcha gonna do with all that milk and TP?
And this came 24 hours after a nice feature in the paper about how much more accurate weather forecasting has become thanks to the fancy-dancy new computers. Hah!

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Alexandria, Va.: Why is it that local columnists always give a "yay" to big-government politicians who have the "courage" to call for higher taxes? Seems to this observer that the true courage of a public servant comes from controlling spending and making tough choices, not picking the pockets of its citizens.

Marc Fisher: I'm no fan of higher taxes, and I think I pretty routinely rail against the outrageous increases in taxes locally, especially in the District. But Warner's plan both raises and lowers taxes -- it's a real stab at reforming the tax code to put more of the burden on the wealthy, to move toward the good and righteous policy of taxing the hell out of tobacco, and to create a more realistic approach to state finances.

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washingtonpost.com: Hot Seat For a Cold, Wet Forecast (Post, Jan. 14)

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washingtonpost.com: Hot Seat For a Cold, Wet Forecast (Post, Jan. 14)

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Arlington, Va.: Please talk about Chichester for a moment. Is this a moment of conscience on his part, or is there something broader going on? Where do Tom Davis and his friend/protege Devolites come down on the Chichester-Howell battle? Thanks.

Marc Fisher: Chichester is a straight shooter. In my years of watching him, I've found him to be one of the rare folks in Richmond who sees the state's problems and is willing to talk about them. Of course, he's as partisan as the next guy and isn't about to hand Warner a victory, even if that were in his power to accomplish.
But there's something of a McCain kind of character to Chichester. Whereas Howell is more a Hastert type -- a party hack with no particular ambitions toward statesmanship. I haven't been to Richmond lately and don't have a good sense of where Davis and Devolites are on this, but I'd bet decent money that they'll be firmly on the side of the House conservatives who rail against any and all tax increases.

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Virginia Tax question: Yet another governor who would rather increase spending in all of his programs, including worthy ones yes, rather than tone down and not nick the "rich" for more money. Why is it this Democratic fantasy that just because people are wealthy, just because people are successful, that means we should tax them MORE. On top of the 40 percent income tax, state taxes, capital gains taxes, any estate taxes they incur. Sure they have money, no one is arguing that. But just because they can afford you to tax them more doesn't make it good policy.

Marc Fisher: Well, sure, if the money's not needed, the government shouldn't collect it from anyone. But if the budget gap is as serious as Virginia's is, then it makes much more sense to me to collect from those who can most afford it rather than sneakily raising the money by leaning harder on the least affluent, through sales taxes and other regressive charges.

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Farragut North, Washington, D.C.: Marc:

The Washington Post did a great job investigating Lucy Spelman and the various mismanagement and mishandling of animal care at the zoo.

May I now recommend that these same reporters and their zeal for investigative reporting be turned on Chief Ramsey and the MPD?

Rather than poring over veterinarian records with a fine tooth comb perhaps they could pore over murder cases or time sheets to determine why we simultaneously have the lowest closure rates in N. America and the highest overtime costs in a city with a police force that per capita has 40 percent more officers then the next highest city.

And when the Chief waffles and makes excuses as usual instead of forgetting about the story these same dogged reporters will stay on it and keep it on the front page until someone holds this Chief responsible for his poor stewardship of the police department.

Am I dreaming or does it not matter or does the Post simply not care?

Marc Fisher: I don't see why you pose this as an either/or situation. With as large a reporting staff as the Post enjoys, it's quite possible to be aggressive on the zoo and the police. And we do have several reporters whose primary focus is the police department. Chief Ramsey would be the first to remind us that the Post has devoted more investigative effort on his department over the past decade than on any other topic, local or national. The result has been reforms in the use of force and in the deployment of officers.
That said, there are still major flaws in the MPD, and the poor detective work on murder cases is a glaring example. Is Ramsey at fault? Certainly the department has improved in some ways since he came aboard, but not in the homicide unit and not in responsiveness to small crimes in the neighborhoods. Changing chiefs doesn't seem to be the answer; getting rid of lousy officers would seem to be far more effective.

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Chevy Chase, Md.: Any truth to the speculation that you are taking over Bob Levey's column? I for one think you would be great. Bob is too self-absorbed and focused the column too much on himself. You seem the perfect civic journalist for the space. Will it happen?

Marc Fisher: Sorry to disappoint, but I'm happy in my current space and I don't think I'm the right personality or writer to do the Levey job. Nor has anyone asked me to. There are some superb possibilities on the Post staff and I know the editors are mulling that choice and hope to have someone in place in a reasonable time. But make no mistake: Bob will be missed.

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Mt. Pleasant, Washington, D.C.: Remind me what Tina Brown brings to the paper, besides a parochial NYC, circa 1993 view of the world?

Marc Fisher: Damn, I seem to have misplaced my ability to remind on that. I'm sure it will come to me shortly.

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Rockville, Md.: Help!

I bought all the TP, bread, milk, eggs and bottled water that I could fit into my Lincoln Navigator, and now I have no room to move in my house and the fridge door won't close.

Guess that's my own fault for actually believing we'd get 1 to 3 inches of the wicked white WMD from the sky.

Now what do I do?

Marc Fisher: Some sharp charity should open a Snow False Alarm dropoff point for all the food and other items folks buy when the TV weathermen press the panic button. In the meantime, Bread for the City, Martha's Table, McKenna's Wagon and other charities would surely welcome whatever excess stuff you have on board.

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Bethesda, Md.: I don't know what weather forecast y'all heard, but I heard that we might get 1"-3" but there was a chance that we might not get anything. There was a winter weather advisory, but c'mon people, aren't we experienced enough to try and track the weather ourselves? I saw the radar last night on the news and quickly realized that the snow would hit north of us.

Marc Fisher: The only thing I heard yesterday was the 1-3, without caveats. But hats off to your forecasting skills. It's always better to assume that these things will miss us. That way, you stay far away from the madding crowds at the Giant.

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Derwood, Md.: Marc -

I was shocked to read that the Federal Highway Administration is destroying the environment in front of the White House.
Tourist Spot Is Hard-Hat Zone As Penn. Ave. Work Begins (Post, Jan. 15)

Didn't they get the memo from Gov. Bobby that roads improve the environment?
Connector's Impact Sparks Fears (Post, Jan. 7)

Marc Fisher: Well, destroying the environment is a bit strong; they're taking a stretch of unused pavement and turning it into a fancier, more expensive stretch of unused pavement. It's a colossal waste of taxpayers' money, but not an environmental issue.
Still, I like the way you link the two.

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Washington, D.C.: Weatherfolks have about the same amount of accuracy as a major league hitter: They are right about 1/3 of the time.
If anyone outside those fields performed at that level, they would be fired.
Thanks

Marc Fisher: Add preachers to that list. Their batting average predicting days of doom or paradise seems even lower.
And speaking of religion, there was some considerable reaction to my offhand dismissal here last week of suburban churchgoers who attend city churches on Sundays, clogging up D.C. streets. Readers pointed out that those suburbanites contribute donations and energy to the city that otherwise wouldn't make it here. And that is a good point. But I still think the city should be much more aggressive about enforcing traffic regulations around churches on Sundays. Coming into town to worship is anyone's right, but that shouldn't trample on District residents' ability to enjoy their neighborhoods on weekends.

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Chantilly, Va.: Marc: what are your thoughts on the actions so far of the new Loudoun County Board? Pretty ham-handed -- if they are trying to ensure that at least a couple of them get thrown out the next time around, they're off to a good start.

Out of one side of their mouths they wail about taxes, out of the other they slash the impact fees developers will have to pay. So I wonder who they expect to pay for the new schools to educate the kids who live in all those new houses.

Marc Fisher: This is the sort of thinking that we've grown accustomed to from the GOP in Congress and Richmond, so now that the same gang has taken over the Loudoun board, we're in for some real voodoo economics. Developers will get free rein to build thousands of new houses, and then one day, we'll wake up and realize that the new residents have children and that they need schools, and the new residents use water, and the sewage system needs expanding, and on and on. The new board members are a cynical bunch, but the voters appear to favor putting off the day of reckoning.

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Glass House: Uh, the Post.com weather thingy in the upper left hand corner was forecasting 3" to 6" despite the text scroll-down forecast of 1" to 3".

True story.

Marc Fisher: No wonder it's so chilly in here.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Marc, I had to pick up a prescription yesterday at about 5, and my Giant was pretty uncrowded and panic-free. Tuesday, on the other hand, it was a madhouse.

Marc Fisher: We are an efficient bunch of panicking, snow-fearing citizens in this region, and we're getting so good at preparing for doom that soon we'll be buying out the bread shelves before Doug, Sue, Topper and Bob even get that early warning on the air.

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Herndon, Va.: SNOW! My co-office pals from Northern Montgomery County tell me they had a goodly amount this morning. The Post just needs to print 188 editions every day, for every little section of the metro area -- each with a different forecast.

Marc Fisher: And for northern Montgomery, we could save tons of money by just printing a mega-snow forecast every day from November to March.

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Arlington, Va.: I'd rather be told snow is coming and not have it show up rather than the reverse. Until someone can actually change the course of the weather, we've just got to sit and let whatever it is come our way. We've got funky weather being in the mid-Atlantic region, but we generally don't suffer the devastation that many geographic regions routinely suffer. We have inconveniences, yes, but certainly not devastation.

Marc Fisher: And even when we do get some devastation, as we did with Isabel, it tends not to be snow-related. Snow, at worst, keeps us home and happy for a few days. Worst thing that can happen is that you eat the canned goods that have been in the back of the pantry since the late 1980s.

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Arlington, Va.: I attended a parents' meeting at my kid's high-school last night that was scheduled to run to 8:45, but they rushed us out at 8:00 so we could "beat the snow."

Marc Fisher: And it worked!

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Gaithersburg, Md.: Marc,
You are talking out of both sides of your mouth. You work for a newspaper that, like most media, do not publish the names of juvenile defendants. Why is that? Well, to protect the confidentiality of the juvenile. To shield him/her from public knowledge of their "misguided" behavior. This is the same reason every job application, etc., does not require an applicant to divulge juvenile offenses. All the reasons you are railing against now. Do the states that have sunshine laws have better juvenile courts? Lower juvenile crime? Lower recidivism? I doubt it.
I worked in the juvenile court system here in your favorite county, Mo.Co., years ago. The public was not allowed to observe proceedings, and records were sealed. There was, however, a "watchdog committee", populated by a variety of members, including everyday citizens who volunteered their time, that keep close watch over the whole system, and woe unto anyone who abridged a child's rights, etc. This approach makes more sense than allowing every derelict and reporter (same difference?) to sit in on proceedings. If your daughter was in juvenile court as a child who is out of parental control; sexually active, etc., would you want some pedophile to be able to get her identity and prey on her because he now knows she is "easy"?
The 13 states that do not allow public scrutiny of juvenile courts have it right, at least on that score. There is much about the juvenile justice system in this country that needs fixing, but sunshine won't fix it. Kids are not green plants. You and the rest of the states are misguided. You are not helping the terrible juvenile crime problem.

Marc Fisher: Good point about the paper's policy. Just as governments are trying more and more juveniles in adult court, this and other newspapers have been making more exceptions to the rule against naming juvenile defendants.
I happen not to agree with my paper's policy; I'd pretty much name all juvy defendants. But that's not my decision to make and obviously there is a good argument for witholding those names, particularly in cases of minor infractions.
But I don't buy the idea that a carefully selected watchdog committee is the same as real public scrutiny of what happens in juvenile court. The courts -- all of them -- should be open to citizens who just want to stop by and watch. That's how word gets out to ordinary folks about how the justice system really works. The ideal is the dynamic seen in To Kill a Mockingbird, where the court and the community are very much part of one organic continuum. And that's especially important when dealing with children.

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Washington, D.C.: I think your column today is right on. There are some youths in the District that are committing violent crimes, and we should know what is going on when they go to court. I would like to relate a story about how messed up the system is in D.C. Over a year ago a group of teenagers attacked some people including me outside the Fort Totten Metrorail Station about midnight. I was punched in the face, and my nose and lip were bloodied. Another man was hit with a board, and his face was bleeding. The Metro Transit drove me and the other man a few blocks to identify the attackers. I was unable to identify my attackers. The other man identified one youth. One transit officer repeatedly asked him if he was sure if the youth hit him. In fact, the officer said he was worried that he might be sued for false arrest. It is a sad state of affairs when it appears the police are more worried about being sued instead of vigorously pursuing violent criminals.

Marc Fisher: Sad story. Even sadder is the fact that if you had been able to ID the culprit, and if he had been arrested, you, your family and friends would have been barred from watching his trial.

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washingtonpost.com: D.C. Should Let The Sunshine Into Juvenile Court (Post, Jan. 15)

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Silver Spring, Md.: Marc, it was my post last week that prompted your comment about the suburbanite churchgoers. Although I miscommunicated my position, I do agree with you wholeheartedly. No one should be allowed to double and triple-park on major city streets for hours on Sunday, or any day. Last Sunday I drove down 6th Street and there were still cars double-parked at 4 p.m. (even though the curb lane was mostly clear).

Marc Fisher: Right -- the city has an obligation to provide clear streets. There's obviously room here for some smart business types to provide parking lots and shuttle buses -- could be a real moneymaker for the right entrepreneur.

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Re: Suburban Church Goers: I'm glad they give something back. After all, churches are tax exempt and without the suburbanites coming in we could have business or homes on that land and have higher tax revenue leading to better schools, etc.

A stretch? Not really.

Marc Fisher: Well, you're certainly right that the city has far too much of its land controlled by non-profits and others that are exempt from property taxes. Too many churches? That's a dicey one. But a drive down 16th Street NW is either an inspirational journey through the wild variety of human spirituality or a pathetic trip through the extremes of searching souls. In either event, whatever their various beliefs, these folks need a better place to park.

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Petworth, Washington, D.C.: Please Marc, continue to come down hard on those suburbanites who come to town just for church. They double and triple park all over town making Sunday as bad as a weekday in terms of traffic and making it impossible for many people to use their cars on Sundays!

Sure, they donate to their churches. But I don't see them at brunch in D.C., or staying in town after church.

The city needs to realize that even though parking regulations are looser on Sundays, there are still some regulations, and that those regulations NEED to be enforced. Otherwise residents suffer for the comfort of those suburbanite churchgoers. And that's simply wrong.

Marc Fisher: It would be interesting to try to quantify the contributions of suburban churchgoers to city causes. The congregations I've watched closely do indeed contribute quite a bit to food programs, caring for the elderly and ill, and so on. But there are also many churches in the city that are perpetually on the lookout for a better, cheaper site in the burbs, and those churches seem to have no special dedication to the District.

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Fairfax City, Va.: We followed the golden rule of snow prep: we put anti-icing stuff down on the walk to the house, thereby guaranteeing the snow would avoid us. You're welcome.

Seriously, if you've spent more than a few years here, you become aware that if the snow is threatening us from the midwest or north, it may very well miss us. However, if it's coming from the south, batten down the hatches.

Marc Fisher: I too followed the golden rule of snow prep: I did nothing whatsoever. Works almost every time.

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Olney, Md.: No, Marc, the worst thing that can happen when it snows is you stay home and find yourself watching DAYTIME TELEVISION! Ick. I'd rather pour bat guano in my ear. (Rather apt comparison, now that I think about it ...)

Marc Fisher: Ah, but now there's the Game Show Network, and they're even showing the old Gene Rayburn Match Game. So daytime TV is saved!

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Weather-tron bashing: To be fair, I have to point out that Topper Shutt on WUSA called this latest meteorological non-event correctly last evening. He also called for snow on Saturday night, in contrast to the rest of the pack (that I saw, at least), so you better get ready! Just save the milk and TP you just bought for the weekend.

Marc Fisher: Good for Topper! I am becoming more and more partial to Topper, though I must admit there has not been enough use of the Weather Terrace of late. I like to see my weathercasters freezing their kabooties off.

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Washington, D.C.: Marc,

To jump in on the snow that never was chat, forecasting by media types all depends on the weather service they are using and the models that are generated. Who has the best and is most reliable is the same as subscription rates for other media to use in charging for advertising. Stay warm and think Mars.

Marc Fisher: We should do more regular and exacting scorecards in the paper on our local weathercasters. And of course, our own (not hugely accurate) weather forecasts should be measured against the TV folk.

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Arlington, Va.: Dear Marc - I am so infuriated with the president's call for a man on Mars I could spit. Don't get me wrong, I approve of science-for-science sake more than most. It seems, though, that level of funding and support could better serve the U.S. and the world if it were directed at something more tangible, say, developing an alternative fuel to relieve us of our dependence on a nonrenewable resource.

I really appreciated your colleague Ann Applebaum's op-eds, especially that this idea ". . . tap(s) into the vast well of unfocused religiosity out there, and the righteous anger of people who have grown accustomed to seeing their personal dreams backed with government funding. . . ." It is so obvious to me this is a new form of bread and circus.

Marc Fisher: Sure, basic science is an essential government function. But is there really much more to learn from the surface of the Moon? I thought we had pretty much nailed that one down in the 60s and 70s. Unless someone's ready to revive the notion of shipping our toxic waste up there.

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Potomac, Md.: Shut up about Bush and the space plan. I stand to make a fortune based on my investments in Halliburton and Lockheed Martin, just as I've already made a bundle off sending the little people to go fight for my portfolio over in Iraq. It's George W. Bush's world -- the rest of us are just living in it!

Marc Fisher: Did you see the full page ad in today's A section from Lockheed Martin paying tribute to space exploration? There's much moola out in that great beyond.

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Derwood, Md.: I think the new space plan came out because China put their first man in space, then said they were going to go to the moon.

This made the administration realize they could "competitive outsource" all those NASA jobs to China.

Marc Fisher: Will our next generation of rockets be Made in China? That would certainly fit with the Bush plan to export all American jobs.

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Crofton, Md.: Forget the story about Lucy Spelman, the real zoo is over at the offices of the U.S. Park Police.

Park Police Chief Was Sabotaged, Lawyer Says (Post, Jan. 11)

Marc Fisher: Well said. The Teresa Chambers story is a real outrage. How long will the administration keep her dangling? My sense of the Park Police is that they are among the more efficient departments in town, but never underestimate the ability of the National Park Service to muck up management. Look at what they've done to the Mall.

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NW DC: Marc:

According to the Washington Post on Tuesday Chief Ramsey and Mayor Williams have come up with another plan to redeploy 1600 officers within newly drawn PSA's in the District. District Plan Redeploys Police Officers (Post, Jan. 13)

What the article does not address is what do the other 2100 officers that make up the 3700 in MPD actually do?

Are there actually 2100 supervisors -- almost 1.4 supervisors per officer on the street? Or are there 2100 detectives -- if that is the case why can't we solve any crimes in this city? Or are there 2100 officers in specialized units -- if so someone needs to ask why the specialized units seem so ineffective and have done nothing to slow the rise in gang violence. Or maybe there are 2100 officers on leave or suspension -- I'd love to learn more about that. Maybe all 2100 are working security detail for our president who is almost never actually in town? Or perhaps the 2100 are still processing the paperwork from the illegal protest arrests?

But however the numbers are divided on the officers not on the street it is really a stunning number of staff not out in our neighborhoods and I cannot believe a story like this doesn't explore how other cities compare in terms of officers deployed or examine what these other 2100 actually do with our taxpayer money.

Any comment?

Marc Fisher: The relatively small proportion of DC cops who actually patrol the streets has been a problem in this department for at least 20 years. Remember that this department has all sorts of extraneous obligations foisted on it by being in the federal city -- escorting every bozo foreign leader who drops in to town, working the motorcades, demonstration duty, and so on.
But the bottom line is that the detective bureaus remain understaffed and the street patrols are often frighteningly thin. I don't see where the new Ramsey-Williams plan will fix any of that. By enlarging the PSAs, you don't increase the number of cops on the streets, you just make your numbers look better.

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SW DC: Marc, any chance of the Williams recall catching on? I was appalled by hizzoners' response that he will "crush it."

Marc Fisher: What else should he say, that he welcomes a recall? No, I don't see a recall going anywhere. The sad truth about D.C. politics is that the level of apathy far outstrips any anger caused by any failed policies. Williams' ability to sail back into office after his petitions fiasco proves the point -- to support a recall, you need deeply involved and aggrieved activists, as you see in cities such as San Francisco, Miami or Boston. Not here.

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Farragut West, Washington, D.C.: I just read that a few of the mayor's long-standing political enemies are trying to recall him. Why is it that the recall has now become a method for the disgruntled to short circuit elections rather than a way to remove someone from office for committing legal or ethical lapses? While the mayor is far from perfect, I don't see anyone else out there with the intelligence and drive to do better.

Marc Fisher: Yes, that's the key point -- who else is there? No matter how disappointed you might be by Williams, whom can you point to who represents a real and exciting alternative? I can't think of any.

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Iglesias: Actually, Marc, there are interesting historical reasons for church locations in the District. If memory serves, Massachusetts Avenue and 16th Street originally (like a long time ago) had zoning overlays that encouraged locating churches there. Some of the churches looking for suburban land are interesting because they reflect demographic shifts with wealthier African-Americans moving to certain areas and so on. It's actually a pretty neat story if someone wants to do the hardcore research before writing.

Marc Fisher: Yes, it's a great story -- and I wonder if the rising property costs and the gentrification of neighborhoods along 16th Street will encourage the refurbishing of many of those houses of worship back into the elegant homes they were first built as.

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Springfield, Va.: One pretty picture of the martian landscape and NASA gets the money to put a colony on the moon. One horrible picture of a gasoline tanker on fire. Does the DOT get any money to improve our road infrastructure?

Marc Fisher: Not this century. But nice try.
We're over our time, but I'll toss in a couple more posts that I've been trying to get in through much of the hour....

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Annandale, Va.: For frequent Orange line Metro riders from Virginia it is a known fact that our line is one of the most crowded during evening rush hour (just compare the number of passengers on the Virginia-bound Blue line cars to the Orange line cars at Foggy Bottom for about 30 minutes and you'll see what I mean). Anyway, I would like to know what circumstances occur that would have Metro send a 4-car Orange train at the height of rush hour, causing back-ups on the platform and waits of 2-3 trains in the aftermath? I've actually taken a train in the opposite direction a few stations, gotten off, and boarded at Farragut West just to get on.

Marc Fisher: Shortage of cars, as I understand it.

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Southwest, D.C.: Hi MArc,
I must sing the praises of the D.C. DMV online car registration renewal. It took all of 5 five mins. online! If only I could do the inspection online!

Marc Fisher: Yeah, that's my new year's wish too. I have to go face the inspectors this week. I'll report back on my experience.

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Martha's Table: Excess food would be most appreciated at Martha's Table, Marc. I went there last week to drop off some clothes and they said they're in desperate need of food. So let's put a happy spin on it and call the fake snow forecast a boon for the needy.

Marc Fisher: So get in the Navigator and take that food over there!

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Silver Spring, Md.: I hope Rockville was being facetious about loading up the Navigator. If people feel that they'll be trapped in their houses because of a couple of inches of snow, then clearly they need to learn to drive in the stuff. It's not like D.C. never gets snowed on.

Marc Fisher: ok, and one more on snow

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Silver Spring, Md.: Hey, leave the poor weatherpersons be ... I saw at least three snowflakes last night.

Marc Fisher: Save them in the freezer.
That's all we have time for today, folks. More next week. Til then, thanks for coming along.

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