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.
Read today's column:
Marc Fisher
(The Washington Post)
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In Md., There Are Horses for Courses And Slots for Tots (Post, Feb. 12)
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.
A transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonians.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, folks.
The Yay and Nay of the Day:
YAY: To the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, an arm of the Organization of American States, which has ruled that the United States unfairly and illegally denies voting rights to residents of the District of Columbia. The stirring ruling is not binding, but slams the U.S. for being the only nation in this hemisphere to deny residents of its capital representation in the legislature. Read more about it at International Panel Backs Seat for Capital in Congress (New York Times, Feb. 11)
NAY: To Virginia's House, which this week voted to exempt the state legislature from the Freedom of Information Act, allowing lawmakers to meet in secret. The Senate or the Governor can still stop this from happening.
Today's column looks at Maryland's governor and his cynical effort to solve the state's money problems by sucking the poor dry with slot machines. Tuesday's offering was a look back at Uline Arena, the D.C. venue where the Beatles made their American debut.
Your turn starts now....
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Gaithersburg, Md.:
Mr. Fisher,
Re: Slots for tots.
Put the slot machines near the borders of Maryland that adjoin D.C., Va., Pa., Del. and W. Va.,and at the rest stops along 95, so we can suck dry the pockets of residents of other states. Problem solved!
Marc Fisher: The only strong argument that the pro-slots folks make is the competitive one, that Maryland has to do this because Delaware, W. Virginia, New Jersey and soon Pa. are going to have slots. It's the old gee, Mom, all the other kids are doing it argument. But somehow it doesn't resolve the main problem -- the idea of the state balancing its budget on the backs of those who can least afford to pay.
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Derwood, Md.:
Marc,
The question to ask is not when and how slots will come to Maryland.
The question to ask is how soon will slot advertisements appear on Metro cars?
I envision a fully "wrapped" car, where the entire exterior of a full Metro train is painted up to look like a row of giant slot machines ...
Marc Fisher: Metrobuses will be rows of cherry clusters rolling down the avenues. I'm sure that's coming soon, along with those great jingles that the casinos up in New England have on their radio ads.
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North Potomac, Md.
At the risk of seeming silly, it bothers me to see "slots" instead of slot machine(s)" But the usual news line is to use "slots."
Is anyone aware that there is a really crude connotation here? If not, I had just as soon let it rest.
Best wishes,
Marc Fisher: Slots sounds so much better, whatever the connotation. But what I really love is hearing the lobbyists for the gambling companies and the governor's staff refer to the machines, with all seriousness, as "video lottery terminals." That, and "gaming," the PC term for gambling.
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Unbelievable Quote:
Did you catch this quote by Tim Capps, executive director of the Jockey Club in the news story?
"It's not a bill that is going to reward any (racetrack) operator to any significant degree. It's just not reasonable to term this as our bill or anybody else's bill ... All we've ever said is, if this thing goes somewhere, the racetracks have to be included, because if we're not, it just leads to us hemorrhaging to death."
What could he possibly mean? Does he take Maryland legislators for fools? This whole slots plan is for, by and benefits the horse track completely. At least be honest, Mr. Capps?
Marc Fisher: Hey, didn't you know? The track owners are doing this slots thing as a favor to the state of Maryland. They don't like gambling, want nothing to do with it. They're not even going to make any money off it.
Right. On the other hand, the hearing room in Annapolis yesterday was packed to the gills with gambling company and horse track lobbyists, snarfing up $300 an hour for sitting there in their $1,000 suits.
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Washington, D.C.:
I wasn't sure whether to post this comment in your chat or Gene's --
I LIED on my washingtonpost.com registration form.
(But I won't say what I lied about.)
Marc Fisher: I am appalled. I am shocked. I am perturbed. I am also, at least according to my washingtonpost.com registration, a 97-year-old woman who is CEO of a major corporation.
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Former Bob Levey reader:
I thought a replacement had been named. When does his column start appearing?
Marc Fisher: The new Bob Levey is John Kelly, one of the most creative minds and fun-to-read writers in this building. John Kelly's Washington premieres early next month. Should be a must read.
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College Park, Md.:
Re: WASA's failure to adequately announce preliminary findings.
As I see it, on the one hand, they didn't want to spend a lot of money to notify everyone of the potential hazards involved with these lead pipes without "adequate" evidence (let alone spend the money on actually replacing the pipes). On the other hand, they put many people's lives, particularly small children, at increased risk.
My question is, whatever happened to responsible corporations that thought progressively? That is, although they would have spent millions, by notifying everyone and saying, "there MAY be increased hazards, but we really don't know, but REGARDLESS, we WILL replace these pipes ANYWAY. Your health is far more important, and we CARE about our customers." Can you imagine how much people would appreciate that? It will take them years to replace all the lead pipes, and they will have to follow a certain schedule to do so. Moreover, they will HAVE to replace them eventually. Why not do it now? Eat up the costs now, and enjoy the efficient new pipes/loyal customers at a later date.
Marc Fisher: Glad you brought this up -- I almost gave WASA the Nay of the Day for the second week running, for their consistent failure to get the lead out.
After leaving five messages on their "hotline," I finally got a call from WASA and they told me they'd send a water test kit out instantly and that I would definitely have it by Tuesday -- that's this past Tuesday. No sign of it yet.
The key thing to remember about the assurances that most people don't have lead service lines is that you might still have lead pipes leading into or actually in your house.
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Washington, D.C.:
I've read about your coverage of Tim Cooper and his taking matters to international arenas. So I was wondering what your reaction was to the OAS finding that all of us D.C. residents human rights are being violated. This should be something we all get behind, D.C. residents, Americans, etc.
Marc Fisher: The OAS seems to have gotten it just right -- I read their decision this morning and while they should be embarrassed that it took them 11 years to render a verdict, they nail the U.S. government and courts very nicely, showing that there is no justification for denying citizens the vote and calling on Congress to remedy the situation.
Will this have much impact? Not likely, but it could help judges in future court cases summon the courage to do the right thing.
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North Potomac, Md.:
Vote in D.C?
Easy. Just do what they did in Maryland and make Columbia county between P.G. and Montgomery counties.
Marc Fisher: That would be a good way to go. Retrocession to Maryland, at least for voting purposes, makes a lot of sense.
But it's extremely unlikely to happen.
What you will see -- and quite soon -- is a move by Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia to broker a deal in Congress granting the District a full, voting representative in the House in exchange for an additional seat in the House for Utah. A new Democratic seat for a new GOP seat. Will the Democrats block it is the question.
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Gaithersburg, Md.:
Marc,
Re: Wash. Coliseum/Uline Arena.
I don't give a flip about the Beatles. Never did care for them. (Picture a painfully white college kid in 1963 who preferred to go to the Howard Theatre to see R&B acts, or to the Showboat Lounge at 18th and Columbia Rd. to see jazz.) Motown was my radio music of choice.
However, I did patronize the Arena, in its various iterations, and have pleasant memories of seeing the Harlem Globetrotters, the Ice Capades, the circus, etc., there.
As a fan of preservation I, too, would be sad to see it go, but I am a realist. How important to our "culture" is the venue that first hosted the Beatles in the U.S.? Not very.
Marc Fisher: You're right that the simple fact that the Beatles debuted there is not justification enough for preserving the arena. But it is an architecturally interesting structure and if developer Doug Jemal is not just blowing smoke, he seems to think that it can be renovated into a profitable residential or office complex, which would be a great solution.
Two other fabulous bits offered to me by alert readers about the arena: 1) It is the source of the name of Arena Stage, the theater company that actually launched at Uline half a century ago. And 2) during the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations in 1971, hundreds of arrested protesters were processed and detained inside the arena. That bit courtesy of Art Spitzer of the ACLU. Thanks!
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Chevy Chase, Md.:
Speaking of WASA. What's the difference between WASA and WSSC?
Marc Fisher: They serve different areas -- WASA delivers water to District residents, but while you likely get your water from WSSC, your wastewater is likely treated by WASA.
Here's how WASA puts it: WASA serves "more than 500,000 residential, commercial and governmental customers in the District of Columbia, and also collects and treats wastewater for 1.6 million customers in Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland and Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia."
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Maryland:
I don't like the way you ended your Slots column today. "That's how desperate politicians in Annapolis are to avoid the pain of deciding what's necessary and raising the tax money to pay for it." You write this like it is the only alternative to slots. It isn't. We can also decide what's necessary and CUT EVERYTHING ELSE. What a radical notion! Of course, there will be some moaning and groaning from people who lost "their" program. I already pay so much in Maryland taxes, yet receive so little in real services. A program may start as a "nice-to-have", a "luxury", something we "should do". It becomes a necessity, a demand, something we "can't live without". Maybe Marylanders should just work out what is truly necessary. I have a household budget. If my income no longer covers my expenses, I'll pay the mortgage and forgo the jewelry! Why can't our government do the same?
Marc Fisher: That's exactly what I meant when I said that the politicians' job is to decide what's necessary. Obviously, the governor and legislature could decide to ax entire agencies, but of course they don't have nearly the backbone to do that. It's so much easier to try to hide behind something like slots.
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washingtonpost.com: Fab 4 Faithful's Sacred Site Faces the Music
(Post, Feb. 10)
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Maryland:
"on the backs of those who can least afford to pay?"
I detest and despise this argument. The poor, like anyone else, have a right to choose on what they spend their money. You and I may find it foolish, but there it is. So what if they want to play slot machines? Is it better to have them spending the money on lottery instead? Guess it's only wrong when the state isn't the one racking in the $$$.
Marc Fisher: I have no objection whatsoever to gambling or to slots. If people want to hurl their money off bridges, I don't object to that either. My objection is to the government encouraging -- or depending on -- poor people to waste their money on gambling. Isn't it wrong on the face of it for the state to say, hey, we'll educate the children, but only if enough losers and poor people gamble away their dinner money?
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Rosecroft Fan:
Frankly, I was shocked that State Senator Lawlah had such negative comments about gambling.
Over the past six years that I have gone to the track to bet on the ponies, she has held at least three fundraisers at the track and, if memory serves me right, advertised herself as a big proponent of slots.
Was she just playing to the crowd? Why the reversal?
Marc Fisher: I don't think it was a reversal. She said she has supported slots before and likely will again. But she was raising some good points, some real doubts about who will really be helped by bringing state-supported slots to the state.
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Takoma Park, Md.:
While I find states profiting from gambling questionable (and I'd rather tax the rich), I do question the whole 'protecting the poor' argument. If a person wants to spend their money on slots who are we to 'protect' them? It is their choice as adults (the gambling age is 18) to decide where their money goes.
I would like a percentage of the profits to go to addiction programs and commercials letting the population know they have a snowball's chance in hell of winning big, and the rest of the money will go to the schools (teaching mathematical proofs that gambling doesn't pay)
Marc Fisher: Ok, but if the state gets into this business already conceding that it will produce thousands of addicted gamblers, all manner of social distress and crime, and that it's a sucker's bet, what exactly is the social good that slots will accomplish? And if those TV ads persuade most right-thinking people not to waste their money on slots, then isn't the whole objective of slots to vacuum money out of the pockets of the dumb, the reckless and the ignorant?
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Arlington, Va.:
Mr. Fisher,
Since we, the public, have only access to the media on news, we got to go with what we are given. Now it seems the 14-year old Princess had a 28-year old boyfriend who allegedly kills someone. His buddy then kills the Princess because she wants a payoff for being silent on the first killing. She won't rat out her boyfriend if she gets something. Ah true love! But our first major output from you is a sob story about the poor Princess and the family. It appears that you played the sympathy card way early in this game. Also notice that you are not letting any more negative feedbacks get on your chat. Feeling guilty that you may have scammed us, the reading public?
Marc Fisher: I tend to put the negative comments up hight -- they make for a better chat. So what you see is what comes in.
As for the Princess case, I was very careful in every column on that case to say that this family was dysfunctional, that the parenting left a whole lot to be desired, that the family includes drug dealers and that we would likely learn that Princess herself had made very poor choices.
That said, the city -- its government and residents -- should nonetheless be disturbed by this killing. However awful the people involved may be, it is in no one's interests for potential witnesses to crimes to be assassinated in our city. And any parent who loses a child deserves our attention and sympathy.
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Falls Church, Va.:
Marc, while reading an article earlier this week about Princess Hansen, I was shocked, and frankly disgusted, to read that her stepfather had told reporters that Princess was dating Marquette Ward, the man she allegedly saw kill Evan. He was 28, she was 14. Since the article didn't specify, I was curious as to whether the family knew about this relationship before her death, and if they didn't, why not? I know you have defended her family, and they seem to need defenders in this situation, but this sounds like a grievous case of a parent not taking steps to control her child. 28 and 14 --that is statutory rape! I am curious about your reaction.
Marc Fisher: Absolutely right. Their relationship is described by authorities as boyfriend/girlfriend, but I can't see how any relationship between a 28 year old and a 14 year old can fit that definition. It is indeed, as you say, a criminal or at least immoral relationship and should be called for what it is.
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Baltimore, Md.:
The City Paper quotes you as saying a naughty word and -- more to the point -- violating the rules of "off-the-record" in your reporting on the Princess killing. http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/media/media.html (City Paper, Feb. 13-19) I say good for you, the whole off-the-record business just lets people like the Mayor's PR guy get away with saying terrible things with impunity. What do you think about the CP article?
Marc Fisher: Cardinal rule: When speaking to a reporter from an alternative weekly, always sprinkle your speech with cuss words. It guarantees that you will be quoted accurately and it makes their editors very happy (because they can print those words and the big bad metropolitan daily -- the Victorian gentleman, as Tom Wolfe likes to call such papers -- cannot.)
As for the piece in the City Paper, it looked fair and reasonable to me. The fact is that no good reporter would ever dream of breaking an off the record confidence. But reporters routinely use the information they receive off the record to go out and report stories, looking for on the record information to flesh out the off-record tip. What did you conclude from reading the piece?
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Washington, D.C.:
I was hoping that you might comment on this- I believe that one way to help stop the crime in our community is for people who have knowledge of the commission of serious crime to tell what they know to the police. For instance, in the case of the recent shooting at Ballou, I would venture to say that someone, one of the fellow students/classmates, was aware that the young man had brought a gun to school, even if they didn't know his intentions. If someone had gone to the principal and said that so-and-so has a gun at school today, the situation would have been nipped in the bud, so-to-speak. This is a powerful weapon in our hands, but all I keep hearing about is "the law of the streets". We need to start telling what we know, "snitching", if you will, and then we will stop some of these tragedies before they occur. Otherwise, I maintain we forfeit our rights to feelings of hopelessness and despair, after the fact.
Marc Fisher: Once you call it snitching, you've lost the battle. But you're right -- everyone has an obligation to report crime, just as we have an obligation to help investigators by saying what we've seen. That's a tough message to sell in schools, especially in inner city schools where street crews wield so much social power. But good principals and teachers are expert at eliciting cooperation and information from kids.
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Stanton Park, Washington, D.C.:
Bush and the National Guard -- it seems that the administration 'doth protest too much' in claiming their horror at the press delving into this. Frankly I couldn't have cared less until Bush compared his service in the 70s to modern Guard service. There is no comparison. In the 70s it was a way out of combat. Now they are fully integrated into the active military.
Doesn't it seem like the administration is just making it worse for themselves by getting all red-faced and appearing to hide facts even if they're not?
And last, again I wouldn't have cared had they not made it an issue, having widely spread photos of Bush in his combat gear both in the Guard and recently aboard the aircraft carrier.
Marc Fisher: The search for records to prove or disprove Bush's participation in the Guard has gone on for all too many years. Obviously, if a paper trail existed, it would have come out by now. Much more interesting would be the harder reporting job of going back to the members of his unit --not just the commander, as has been done -- and finding out if the guys who served with Bush recall him being around on the weekends when they did their duty.
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Woodbridge, Va.:
Early submission - do you know what the difference is between a civil union and marriage? I don't. In other words, what legal rights do civil unions not convey that marriages do? Thanks.
Marc Fisher: None. It's not a question of legal rights. Civil unions were invented expressly to provide the legal rights of marriage. What marriage conveys beyond legal rights is what the whole debate is about -- the moral and religious stamp of approval, the statement to the community at large that this couple is officially one. And therein lies the solution to the debate as well -- separate the state's role from that of the clergy. Have the state issue acknowledgements of union or some such legal notice that for tax and other legal purposes, these two folks are living as one. And leave the moral questions about homosexuality to each faith to figure out for its own members.
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Bethesda, Md.:
To change the subject completely ... I guess that since the doggie bakery has shut its doors, people will have come up with new snotty comments about Bethesda, right?
Marc Fisher: Has it? Oh, now we'll have to focus instead on the spas and the fevered opposition to development and so on. And, as for all of MoCo, the instant closing of schools in the face of any weather of any kind....
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Laurel, Md.:
For the opening of last week's chat:
"Marc Fisher: Goodness, what have we here? A day in which no school system has shuttered its doors? I know I saw a bit of ice on a street last night. Have these people gone mad?"
That day, two teens in Virginia were killed when their SUV slid off the road and hit a tree. I'm pretty sure those were the only school-transportation related fatalities during those two snowy/icy weeks we had; but does the fact that one did occur make us re-evaluate all the other closing decisions that were made during that period.
Marc Fisher: No, it should have no bearing whatsoever on decisions to close or open school. Anecdotal evidence tells us very little outside the context of a thorough examination of the larger universe of facts. Surely, that was a tragic accident, and perhaps it would not have happened had school been closed. But my point is that by closing school, you do not reduce the number of kids who are in danger -- those kids are going to drive to the mall or to lunch if school is closed. Or their parents will drive them to the office because there's no place else to leave them. Or parents will dump kids at the public library, as the Metro story the other day illustrated -- leaving kids unsupervised and open to all manner of bad stuff.
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Annandale, Va.:
When I was a kid, Maryland had slots. I remember a building (or arcade) at Marshall Hall amusement park that was devoted to slots. I also remember a fishing shack or store somewhere down near the bay that also had a slot machine.
When and why did Maryland eliminate slots, and is that reason still valid?
Marc Fisher: Slots were considered bad because they were unregulated and the state didn't get a cut. And the assumption prevailed that slots led to thugs and crime. We are not supposed to remember that part now that slots are our solution to all ills.
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Maryland Gambling:
Maryland can't have it both ways -- Look at Keno. They have gambling in virtually every bar in Maryland, and it runs almost 24/7. The barrier on gambling has already been broken -- now it's just a matter of degree. And I don't see slots/casinos being any worse than lottery tickets at every single grocery and convenience store, horse racing, firehouse and 'non-profit (which is laughable) bingo, Keno in bars, etc., ... Maryland is awash in gambling. Why not go upscale? Maybe more people upper income people will play.
Marc Fisher: How is slots going upscale?
Yes, the state is sadly dependent on gambling money. Does that make it right to extend the franchise and suck even more money out of those who have the least? If the state truly needs the money, isn't it more fair and honest to tax everyone progressively?
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Anonymous:
Marc, how many of the churches who have expressed opposition to the slots run their own bingo or casino nights to support their church? Seems a bit hypocritical to me.
Marc Fisher: Good one.
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Bethesda, Md.:
I do find it somewhat disingenuous for the middle/upper class to say no to slots because those who can least afford to pay will be "victimized."
How patronizing. Why don't we just say: "You obviously don't know what's good for you so let us tell you."
Marc Fisher: Yes, let's say that. Why isn't that a perfectly proper role for government to play? After all, government is supposed to be a careful steward of the public's money, and if the state is helping to support those who cannot support themselves, then that indeed gives the state the right to say, hey, let us show you how better to take care of your health and how to get good training so you can get a job, and so on.
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Gaithersburg, MD:
Mr. Fisher,
Thank you for the insightful columns and chats.
I have heard little of the aftermath re: the girl whose car was found abandoned in No. Va. with the keys still in it. I have heard bits and pieces, i.e., she took the car without permission in December and wrecked it, so she hid out with someone in Silver Spring, afraid to face her parents. What is the full story? How could she put her parents through that agony? How dysfunctional is this family? Why hasn't anyone reported on this in depth? If I have missed such a story, I would appreciate a reference to it. Thanks
Marc Fisher: I'm afraid I don't know much about that story. Anyone?
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Baltimore, Md.:
I submitted the original question about the C.P. piece.
In answer to your question, I concluded that the Mayor's mouthpiece was furious about being exposed and was trying to slag you after the fact. I note that he didn't deny any of the disgusting words you put in his mouth.
Again, can't we do away with "off-the-record?" It will keep guys like this from spreading trash without getting called on it.
Marc Fisher: Thanks -- I'm with you on that. "Off the record" is granted far too often, it erodes reader confidence, it deters reporters from playing the role they ought to, and it encourages sources to pass along information that is not as accurate as it might be if the source had to attach his name to the info. That said, there are times--whistleblowers, renegades in high places -- when sources cannot risk being named.
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Capitol Hill, D.C.:
The difference between civil unions and marriage IS "a question of legal rights."
Civil unions are valid only within the state they are issued. Marriages, on the other hand, are required by the Constitution to be recognized in all states and by the federal government.
Say a civil-unioned couple is driving cross-country and they get in an accident outside their home state. One spouse would not be allowed to make medical decisions for the other spouse should the need arise, much less even visit him/her.
And that's just one of thousands of nightmare scenarios. It is, to be sure, a question of legal rights.
Marc Fisher: Yes, but if all states accepted civil unions -- a possibility that is envisioned in one of the drafts of an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment -- then that legal problem would vanish, and there really wouldn't be any legal difference between civil union and marriage.
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Good Experience with WASA:
While I am not at all impressed with WASA management, I had a very good experience with the WASA hotline. I called at 4:55 on Friday and got straight through. The woman on the other end of the phone was very helpful and detailed. My containers showed up Tuesday, just as promised.
Marc Fisher: That's great to hear. Please let us know what happens after you send your test kit back for analysis.
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Arlington, Va.:
I was wondering how your child is doing?
Marc Fisher: Very kind of you to ask -- he's doing much better and is back at school, gaining energy all the time.
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Washington, D.C.:
Marc --
I have three toddler children, so I've been following the unfolding lead in the water story closely. Every time it looks like it can't get any worse, it does. When is someone going to be held accountable?
Marc Fisher: Don't hold your breath. Look what happened to the brave woman who tried to blow the whistle on the lead problem from within WASA.
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Columbia, Md.:
Come on, Marc -- to claim that the accident should "have no bearing whatsoever" on school closing decisions is ridiculous. Of course it should, but it should not be dispositive for the reasons you gave. I agree with your position on this, but to claim an accident is irrelevant and silly.
Marc Fisher: Well, if you agree that that case should not determine school closing policy, then what's wrong with my statement? All too often, public policy is made in reaction to one or two dramatic events, even if those events are aberrational. Just because something makes for emotionally troubling footage on the evening news should not mean a change in policy.
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Re: Civil Unions:
You said "there really wouldn't be any legal difference between civil union and marriage."
Why then bother with an amendment then?
Marc Fisher: Right. Government should just bow out of the marriage business and leave that to religious institutions. All you'd need is some new signs at the Marriage License Bureau -- all them Coupling Centers or something.
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Re: Missing girl:
" have heard little of the aftermath re: the girl whose car was found abandoned in No. Va. with the keys still in it. I have heard bits and pieces, i.e., she took the car without permission in December and wrecked it, so she hid out with someone in Silver Spring, afraid to face her parents. What is the full story?"
From what I read in the Herndon Observer that pretty much is the full story. After the girl disappeared and was profiled on America's Most Wanted a relative of the women the girl was staying with in Maryland called the police and the girl is back home. It was reported that the ran off because she had taken the car and wrecked it. As for how she could put her parents through all of that your guess is as good as mine. Personally if she were my child she'd be grounded until she was eligible for AARP membership.
Marc Fisher: Thanks for the info.
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Northern Va.:
For people who don't think that the poor need 'protection' from slots, look at it this way: After they gamble away all of their cash they will be at social services trying to get their rent paid or food stamps. You'll end up subsidizing them because they're subsidizing the slots.
Marc Fisher: Right.
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Washington, D.C.:
Marc, don't give up this fight on slots. You express yourself very well, and I support you 1000 percent. Once they come in, forget it. It's a nasty business any way you cut it.
Marc Fisher: Thanks.
We're over our hour. I'll toss in a couple more posts and bow out gracefully.
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Reston, Va.:
I know the schools around here close at the drop of a hat but what do you think is the biggest influence in the school's decision to close: fear of lawsuits from stupid parents or the dire predictions of weather people who declare that we're going to get truly awful weather and then go "whoops! my bad!" when it doesn't happen?
Marc Fisher: Lawsuits, all the way.
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Washington, D.C.:
did you notice that recently the D.C. public schools indoor track championships were held in PG County? What's up with that?!
Marc Fisher: Check out the athletic facilities at DC schools and you'll have your answer.
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Farragut West, Washington, D.C.:
Marc:
What's happening with the proposed smoking ban in D.C? I always felt it was best to let the businesses decide for themselves. A second best alternative would be to permit smoking in a restaurant if they provided adequate ventilation. Though the cost would be prohibitive for many restaurants, several high end and a few niche restaurants that want to attract smokers would surely go for it. Why is this never discussed as an option?
Marc Fisher: That would be a reasonable compromise, but the anti-smoke zealots don't do compromise. It's their way or no way. I haven't heard a timetable on that legislation in the District.
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Silver Spring, Md.:
Marc, congratulations for your continuing coverage of the governor despite the polls showing him to be very popular in the state. I attributed those surprising results to the lack of public familiarity with what he is doing to the state, not to agreement with what he is doing. Or do you have another take on why is he riding high in the polls?
Marc Fisher: He's a lot like the presient -- not a detail guy, but very genial and good at seeming to be opposed to political sniping.
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Washington, D.C.:
Who do you see running for Congressional office once the District gets full voting rights? Will the Hillarys of this political world move into the District to run for office?
Marc Fisher: Great question -- and sadly, as for the mayoral race, the pickings are slim. But one thing's for sure -- we'd get some candidates who actually paid their taxes.
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Downtown D.C.:
It's been a while since I have heard that snappy Foxwoods jingle. Do you think you can sing a few lines for us, please?
Marc Fisher: I'll sing my way out of the show...
OH NO -- it's going bye bye:
Check out this Newsday story....
February 8, 2004, 10:44 AM EST
NEW LONDON, Conn. -- The wonder of it all apparently isn't so wondrous anymore.
Foxwoods Resort Casino said it will dump the finger-snappin' jazzy jingle that has been the centerpiece of its advertising campaign since 1999.
"'The Wonder of it All"' is the kind of ad jingle marketers dream about," said Martin Kramer, director of advertising at Foxwoods. "We've had great success, but you just can't keep doing the same thing the whole time."
Foxwoods is considering four firms to replace Trahan, Burden & Charles, the Baltimore firm that currently handles the creative portion of the casino's advertising program. The company recently withdrew its name from consideration, and the relationship will end in three months, Kramer said.
Mohegan Sun will also seek a new advertiser, after masses have accepted its invitation to "Come Play."
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Potomac, Md.:
I thought you would appreciate this. One of your colleagues in a chat said that it took nine months for the government to decide to investigate intelligence (that now appears to be wrong) regarding WMDs. It also takes the same government about nine seconds to decide to investigate a breast (Janet Jackson's) I wonder if Ashcroft is behind all this, what with covering up the exposed breast of the lady justice statue and all
Marc Fisher: I think men have been making that choice for millenia.
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Marc Fisher: Thanks for playing along, folks. More next week. Back in the paper on Sunday. Happy Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day and all that.
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