Letters to the Editor:

Park Service Pushback

I have had two recent and direct experiences with the National Park Service (Constitution Gardens and P Street Beach) which contradict the position expressed by Charles Pinck in the Georgetowner’s last issue. The National Park Service is not fulfilling its mission of maintenance of the pockets of land unjustifiably owned by them. The Georgetown waterfront receives more NPS attention than the vast majority of their holdings but the pocket areas we all pass every day are miserable … trash, tree limbs, duck detritus, unpruned bushes, etc. … and are testimony to the fact NPS is not doing its job. When that occurs in any other area in the economic system under which we operate, action is taken. And the action required is to turn over all those pocket parks to the city.

To assert that the city will not be a good steward of this land is to cite past history and fail to acknowledge the present good record of our Departments of Parks and Recreation and Public Works. To excuse the National Park Service based on their stewardship of the Georgetown waterfront or Yellowstone National Park is irrelevant to the quality of life in the Nation’s Capital. This issue is not related to private developers swooping in to take over Juarez Circle on Virginia Avenue; it is an issue of inadequate stewardship by NPS.

Linda Frees

Uber Stalled?
I had to chuckle about Jack Evans column on Uber. It’s funny how the District government, which can’t manage its own affairs, seems to be so intent on telling a private business how to run theirs. This is an entity that can’t issue business licenses in a timely manner. The Dmv? I would love to go one time, as I stand in the never ending line, and not see somebody in tears due to frustration. Ease of traffic is a major factor in creating a livable city. Uber gets people through town for a reasonable price. The district government does not know how to create a traffic circle (if the traffic engineers took a freshman class in design they might discover you don’t put a light every 40 feet), time traffic lights or just turn the damn things off at times. How many people have gone to the train station early in the morning with nobody around and sit at a traffic light every block?

We would be better off if Jack Evans would focus on getting his own house in order and keep out of private businesses. I’ll put my faith in Uber over DC government any day.

Sincerely,
Boyd Lewis

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