Get Rid of Greenwashing
• April 9, 2015

This Earth Day, let’s get rid of greenwashing. We’re fed up with companies pretending their products are green to dupe paying customers. Examples abound for all types of greenwashed products in the U.S., from shampoos and detergents, to meats and vegetables, to electronics and clothes, to cars and oil products, and even to plastics (water bottles and trash bags!) and paper products(!).

American consumers are all too eager to buy products with a green sheen, and companies are happy to serve the market with products that deceive with “green” or “natural” labels or packaging design. Consumers are being “greenmailed,” if you will, into buying products that claim to be more environmentally friendly than competitors. Well, they aren’t.

“Natural” and “all natural” mean nothing. Plastics aren’t green. Paper products, unless made primarily with recycled material, are not green. (For example, the super soft toilet paper increasingly found in grocery stores is so soft because it is made from ancient trees that are hundreds of years old.) Shampoos, conditioners, lotions and makeup made with petroleum or coal products are not “natural.” Laundry and dish detergents that contain countless toxic chemicals cannot be “green.” There’s not such thing as a “green” car. Even Priuses and electric cars run on fossil fuel and are manufactured with precious metals often ripped from the earth. Home appliances that save energy are better for the environment than clunker predecessors, but they still use substantial amounts of energy, usually made by burning fossil fuels. The list goes on and on.

As consumers, we expect more from these companies than the way they shamelessly hawk their environmentally degrading products. Companies, please drop the pretenses and be honest about your products’ impact on the environment. Show us a little transparency for the customers who spend millions on your products.

We know companies are hesitant to do this on their own because of American capitalism’s twisted incentives. So, let’s urge them on. Large companies are increasingly responsive through Twitter and other social media outlets. So, let’s call them out and tell them that their “all-natural” dish soaps and pesticides are ruining our waterways, that their paper products are crushing our most pristine forests, that their plastic is poisoning our sea life and that their appliances are burning up our atmosphere. It’s time to kill greenwashing.

GWU vs. Georgetown in Basketball?
•

Those who have ever played one-on-one in their schoolyard or sunk a jump shot in a pick-up game or just launched an imaginary three-pointer to win at the buzzer – we love this time of year. March Madness, one giant American event that never lets you down. Congratulations to the NCAA men’s basketball national champions Duke University. One exciting game this year reminded me of a local rivalry that should happen and hasn’t in many, many years. Wichita State has wanted to play in-state rival Kansas for decades. When Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall ran into University of Kansas coach Bill Self last year, Marshall suggested they play. Self just laughed and walked away.

The Shockers had the last laugh. They beat the Jayhawks in the NCAA tournament this year.

Which brings me to the men’s basketball programs of Georgetown University and George Washington University. Georgetown was the national champion way back in 1984, and, in the immortal words of the late Marion Barry, they have never “gotten over it.”

Georgetown refuses to play its neighbor in nearby Foggy Bottom, George Washington. To properly understand why this has not occurred, I called basketball expert and columnist John Feinstein.

Feinstein has written about Georgetown arrogance and elitism for years. He told me that “Georgetown doesn’t think they have anything to gain.” The decision was not made by the present coach, John Thompson III, but by his father. The son takes the “cues from the father,” Feinstein said. And he went on to say that no one will “dare criticize Big John.”

Well, I will.

There’s more to this story. For 20 years, Pete Teeley has organized a tournament every Christmastime at the Verizon Center. Today, it is known as the BB&T Classic, a glorious event that has raised more than $9 million over the years for the Children’s Charity Foundation. It wasn’t until this past year that Georgetown University deigned to participate – with the explicit stipulation that it not play GW. (For 19 years, Georgetown did not participate at all.)

Feinstein was one of the original organizers. He went to Georgetown and thought they would surely play. As he recalled thinking, “It was for charity.” But, he said, “I was wrong.” Quite simply, Georgetown won’t play GW because the team might lose.

You see, doing something for the city is not what moves them. They don’t identify with D.C. They just don’t give a damn. And they get away with it.

I tried to contact Georgetown University President John DeGioia on this subject. He never called back.
Now, I must confess that I am a GW alumnus. More important, I am a resident of this city. A hometown rivalry – GW vs. Georgetown – would be great for this place. But Georgetown won’t suit up.

Political analyst Mark Plotkin is a contributor to the BBC on American politics and a contributor to TheHill.com.

U.S. Attorney Retires With Unfinished Business
• March 26, 2015

Almost everything that anyone connected with the still ongoing investigation of former Mayor Vincent Gray’s 2010 mayoral campaign does replays the scandal and its handling over again, like a spool of old Nixon tapes.

A week ago this Monday, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr., announced that he would be stepping down and resigning his position as of April 1 and handing over the reigns to his highly-regarded top assistant Vincent H. Cohen Jr.

Machen will be leaving without resolving the fate, case and future of Gray remains in limbo. Gray remains, because he was all but publically indicted after a deal was reached with businessman Jeffrey Thompson last year back in March just days before the Democratic primary. At that time, Machen stated that Gray was aware of a shadow campaign, run by Thompson, which illegally funneled nearly $700,000 into Gray’s campaign.

At the time Machen promised that the Thompson indictment was only the tip of the iceberg in the Gray campaign scandal. Most savvy political observers were counting the days to when Gray would be indicted. Yet, the indictment never came and the investigation remains ongoing.

Machen’s investigation of the Gray campaign produced several indictments of lower campaign functionaries , a little at a time, until the explosion of the deal with Thompson.

Many observers, including Gray backers, have questioned the timing of the revelations that came with the Thompson deal, coming as it did just days before the primary election in March. The eventual winner, Muriel Bowser who is now mayor, had already gained some momentum prior to that but many Gray supporters felt that the Thompson revelations cost Gray the election.

Machen, who is the District’s longest serving U.S. Attorney, said he was resigning for personal reasons, not for anything having do with any cases, including the ongoing Gray investigation. His legacy remains solid. Regardless of what happens with Gray, he has exposed corruption on the city council , convicted dozens of government officials including three city council members—former council chairman Kwame Brown, Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas Jr and at large councilman Michael Brown. Ethics in high and low office seem to be less of a talked-about problem in the city.

His office has handled numerous high profile national security cases, including those involvingd former Blackwater World employees, and a Mexican drug cartel leader.

Still, most observers agree that his ultimate reputation will hinge on what happens in the Gray investigation. The obvious delay in indicting—or clearing—Gray bothers many people, and it certainly had an impact on the electoral politics of the city.

According to a Washington Post article, Gray’s lawyer, Robert S. Bennett, said that the investigation should be ended without charges against Gray. According to the Post, he said that “I am hopeful that this investigation will finally be closed because the mayor is innocent of all allegations of wrongdoing.”

With the ongoing investigation, Gray’s future and standing remains in doubt. It seems to many observers that there ought to be a kind of time limit for an investigation to produce a result, one way or another.

Loss of Aaron Lichtman: ‘Your Retrospective Helps Us Heal’
•

I’d like to say a quick but genuine thank you for the mention of my move from (formerly) Ipsa to Salon L’eau [Feb. 25, “Business Ins and Outs,” page 10]. Very thoughtful, indeed.
More importantly, thanks for the coverage and sentiments regarding the tragic loss at Ilo [“Aaron Lichtman: 1962-2015,” page 10]. As an alum there also, I can only say that the coldest week of the winter was that much colder for many of us. Your retrospective helps us heal.
– Bryan Winter

Mt. Zion Cemetery Resurrection
•

Last issue’s cover story about the desecration of Georgetown’s Mt. Zion Cemetery, near the corner of Q and 27th Streets, hit a collective nerve. Many readers sent in letters offering their thoughts.

There was a common theme to all who reached out to us: something needs to be done now and they want to help do it.

Many were shocked that the remains of as many as 4,000 slaves are buried in unmarked mass graves in the small burial ground. They were greatly concerned that so little has so far been done to bring honor to the African American dead who lived, suffered and died as property of their white masters.

As a slight correction to what we wrote in the article, the National Trust for Historic Preservation (not the Historic Preservation Office) has pledged to match Mt. Zion’s $5,000 contribution, bringing a total of $10,000 to the restoration process. While that is a wonderful start, those funds won’t go far. Much more money and loving attention will be needed to bring the site to a condition that the community can be proud of.

Time is an unceasing tyrant. The burial ground is sliding into further decay and what few remnants of the past are still visible will likely be unsalvageable before too many more winters pass.

The will to change is clear. Now a commitment to follow through is crucial for real change to happen. The community as a whole needs to take advantage of the present spirit and not allow these first efforts to become bogged down.

The memory of these Georgetown citizens has been done a great disservice. The dead should be honored, their lives be remembered and the disgrace of their servitude serve as a lesson in history. In the words of Abraham Lincoln: “Let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds.”

The Dumbarton House Headquarters and Museum has reached out and offered to become a point of contact for these efforts and spearhead the movement with staff for clean up of the property, a location for preservation meetings, fundraising opportunities and historical research. You can contact Karen Daly at karendaly@dumbartonhouse.org to get involved.

Neighbors React to Cemetery Story
•

I’m a Georgetown resident and was moved by your article in the Georgetowner on the Mt. Zion cemetery. I’ve seen the tombstones lying about and thought it was a result of vandalism – never realizing it was from neglect. Just awful.
– Donna Brant

We just finished reading your article “Death of a Cemetery” in the new Georgetowner. We are interested to become involved in the restoration efforts and would greatly appreciate if you could provide us with more details or put us in touch with the people already working on this.

We have been living only a block away from the cemetery at Kew Gardens (2700 Q Street NW) and have passed it many times over the past year and a half that we have been calling Georgetown our home. However, we have been unaware of its history until we read the article today. We would like to help where possible.
-Tim Maurer and Scott Mathews

Dumbarton House Pledges Major Help for Mt. Zion
•

I was heartened to see the revived attention being given to Mount Zion-Female Union Band Cemetery in the last issue of the Georgetowner and have since learned of the Preservation Plan being developed for the site, funded partially through a grant by the National Trust of Historic Preservation. The cemetery has abutted the historic Dumbarton House property since it opened—less than a decade after Samuel Jackson completed construction of our Federal period estate here on the heights of Georgetown in 1799.

As its neighbor for over two centuries, Dumbarton House is happy to assist in whatever way is most helpful to the cemetery, Mount Zion Church, and the Georgetown community: providing staff or volunteers for clean-up efforts, fundraising, hosting community meetings or public programs, mounting exhibitions on the history of the site, etc.

We look forward to supporting the effort to restore this incredible piece of Georgetown’s past.
– Karen Daly, Executive Director, Dumbarton House

Red-Top Meters Make Motorists See Red
• March 11, 2015

Those red-top parking meters which have popped up around town and across the city have everyone confused, including handicapped drivers, the ones for whom they’ve been installed. The special meter program is meant to ensure that on-street parking is accessible to residents and visitors with disabilities, who would have to pay for parking. (Currently, those with a proper handicapped parking placard may park for free in any metered spot with no time restrictions.)

In two years’ time, the District Department of Transportation has installed about 1,200 red-top meters. But the special spots, near corners and popular venues, are not ready for prime time. For one thing, the restrictions that go with them are not yet in effect.

Says DDOT: The red-top meter program is not currently being enforced. Anyone can park at a red-top meter. Persons with disability placards or tags do not have to pay. When the program rolls out, then only individuals with disability placards and tags can park at red-top meters and they will have to pay.”

Along with criticism from the District Council – and despite legislation that halts the program – DDOT officials admit that the rush to install the meters at the end of Mayor Vincent Gray’s term led to over-the-top red-tops in certain neighborhoods.

“One of the reasons there are so many meters clustered together in a confusing and illogical way is that there was just an overall goal to install 1,200 and to hit a number,” DDOT’s new acting director, Leif Dormsjo, told the Washington Times. “So that led to a whole bunch of perverse outcomes. . . . The best way to handle this is to start to clean up the most egregious examples of where we’ve got too many meters concentrated in the same area.”

Let’s rub out some of these red-top meters, get the program right or don’t do it at all. And let’s hope that Mayor Muriel Bowser – who appears to be settling in as a no-nonsense administrator – clips other programs that were rushed and wasted taxpayer money. Future programs will be launched, one hopes, with better planning and more public discussion.

Meanwhile, it’s time to end the confusion. For now, anyone may park at a red-top meter. Just remember you still have to pay.

Holiday Decorations Need a Re-do
•

In Georgetown, it still looks a little like Christmas. Oh, wait – it’s March. Why in the world are some of the holiday decorations still up?

Lately, people have been talking about a future with gondolas across the Potomac, a Georgetown Metro station and other expensive projects coming real soon. It’s all very well to imagine a dazzling future, to think outside the box and think big.

But maybe we ought to do the right-now things better before getting to work on the future. We all know what the future is like: usually not much like the one we drew up 20 years earlier. We’ve seen what can happen with exciting, big schemes. Witness the not-yet-happening Purple Line and the downtown Silver Spring project. Witness the D.C. streetcar project – with missed deadlines and a continuing series of snafus, collisions and other problems that have the project on life support.

The 2028 Action Plan for Georgetown is being coordinated by the Georgetown Business Improvement District, the same entity in charge of the holiday lights and decorations.

To be honest, it was difficult to appreciate the presence of Christmas in Georgetown this past season. The two Christmas trees – across from the Four Seasons Hotel and at Francis Scott Key Park – were underwhelming. (And the one on the east side of town was only lighted two-thirds of the way up.) The lighting along M Street and Wisconsin Avenue also requires a serious rethinking.

Georgetown’s farsighted planners and leaders should be setting their sights on projects for today and creating a fresher, more hands-on approach to decorating for the holidays, which are the most important season for our merchants. 

Next Christmas, let’s at least get the decorations up and back down in more timely fashion.

Bibi at the Bat
•

It’s a good thing for American politicians that Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu isn’t a player in U.S. politics. Don’t, for now, consider his views on the Iran nuclear threat. Instead, marvel at his performance before the joint session of Congress.

Talk about being a master of the moment. From the very start, he seized the day. He walked down the center and worked both sides of the aisle – shaking hands, touching shoulders, smiling with good cheer. And when he got to the podium, he looked up to the packed gallery and, to thunderous applause, raised his right hand and waved. There was not a trace of nervousness or hesitation. Bibi grasped the lectern and was immediately in charge, and seemingly at home.

Without teleprompter, he thanked all the right people. And with a natural politician’s touch, he singled out Minority Leader Reid, who had suffered a serious eye injury, and said with warmth, “Harry, good to see you back on your feet. Just shows you can’t keep a good man down.”

After that opener, he told the rapt audience that he was “deeply humbled” to be addressing “the most important legislative body in the world.” A little praise has been known to sway and charm a crowd. The prime minister hit exactly the right note with that line.

Midway through the speech, he pointed out that “with us today is Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.” Wiesel stood up in the front row of the gallery and acknowledged the mention. The ovation was overwhelming. Everyone rose to show respect. When the premier said that the Jewish people would no longer “remain passive in the face of genocidal horror,” and when he proclaimed, “Those days are over,” the House shook.

He closed perfectly by saying, “May God bless the State of Israel and may God bless the United States of America.”

Politics and persuasion require theater and style. Netanyahu knows this, and practices it with ardor and audacity. He went to high school in suburban Philadelphia and college at MIT. The American idiom is putty in his hands. He came up to the plate and hit the ball out of the park.

Netanyahu’s strong words and powerful oratory have altered the negotiations. That was his primary purpose, and I believe that he has succeeded.

Political analyst Mark Plotkin is a contributor to the BBC on American politics and a contributor to TheHill.com.