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DAILY 03-09-10 MD RE A18 BLACK
A18 R KLMNO TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2010
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
d letters@washpost.com
FGHIJ
an independent newspaper
Retaking the measure of U.S. poverty
You can’t solve a problem without accurately defin-
EDITORIALS
ing it. The announcement that the U.S. government
will produce an experimental poverty measure [“New
formula to give fresh look at poverty,” news story,
March 3] is a welcome first step toward fixing one of
From proximity to peace?
the fundamental indicators of economic well-being —
the U.S. poverty rate.
Research by the National Center for Children in
Poverty demonstrates the flaws of the current meas-
ure. A family of four is considered poor if its income is
What to expect from the Israeli-Palestinian talks brokered by the Obama administration
less than $22,050 a year. According to the center’s re-
search, it takes double that amount for such a family
HE OBAMA administration appears conviction that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin sense, for now, than trying to reach a final to make ends meet. Any new definition of poverty can-
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near to a diplomatic achievement it ex- Netanyahu is intransigent. And Mr. Netanyahu settlement. not be “supplemental” to the current, egregiously out-
pected long ago: the relaunch of negoti- regularly offers evidence that this is so. He recent- President Obama and Mr. Mitchell erred last dated definition we now use if America is to get any-
ations between Israelis and Palestin- ly appeared to rule out Israeli withdrawal from year by raising expectations that such a break- where on this corrosive issue.
ians. It will be a modest start — not a big the Jordan Valley, which previous Israeli govern- through could be achieved relatively quickly. While we are encouraged by this news coming from
conference or a convocation to Camp David but ments have conceded to a future Palestinian state, Even now Arab leaders, who endorsed the new the government, it does not go far enough. We urge
“proximity talks” in which envoy George J. Mitch- and he allowed new Jewish settlement construc- process last week, may hold lingering hopes that continued, aggressive diligence from our lawmakers
ell will shuttle between the two camps. This is, in tion to proceed in the West Bank despite the the U.S. president will impose a solution. Yet as until a modern, meaningful definition of poverty ex-
one sense, a step backward for Israeli-Palestinian “freeze” he announced several months ago. Mr. the new administration discovered in 2009, there ists, so we can accurately help the more than 40 mil-
relations, since the two sides have been talking di- Abbas, for his part, already rejected a far-reaching are limits to how far the United States can push lion Americans who live in poverty.
rectly to each other, off and on, since 1991. But Mr. peace offer from Mr. Netanyahu’s predecessor. Middle East diplomacy without genuine invest- JANICE L. COOPER, New York
Mitchell says he hopes his brokering will quickly Mr. Mitchell sensibly has explored a strategy of ment from the two sides. There are also risks: A The writer is interim director of the National Center for
lead to direct talks, and the administration be- beginning the talks with security matters — an is- Palestinian nation-building project is making Children in Poverty.
lieves that even this stunted process will be better sue on which Israeli-Palestinian cooperation has progress in the West Bank, and it could be endan- a71
than none at all. been improving — and discussion of the borders gered by another diplomatic failure. Three cheers to the Commerce Department and
We hope that proves to be the case — but there of a future state. Agreement on the latter would On the whole it is better to have Israelis and Undersecretary Rebecca M. Blank for updating the
is considerable cause for concern about this itera- also resolve the settlement question. Mr. Netanya- Palestinians talking than not. But Mr. Mitchell way the federal government measures people in pov-
tion of the seemingly endless Middle East “peace hu has been reluctant to discuss borders indepen- must aim for a quick transition to direct negotia- erty. By accounting for the realities of a family’s budget
process.” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dently of other issues. But aiming for a partial and tions — and he should avoid raising expectations — including increased costs of living as well as supple-
has resisted direct negotiations partly out of a pragmatic agreement on territory makes more about what they can accomplish. mental income sources and cash assistance — a more
precise map of poverty in the United States will be cre-
ated. Having accurate information on the economic
A boundary
situation of Americans will allow government at all
TOM TOLES
levels to efficiently target its resources and ensure that
policymakers have the correct information as they
make decisions on the creation, reduction, expansion
for teachers
or elimination of programs that help those in need.
RICHARD ALARCÓN, Los Angeles
The writer is a member of the Los Angeles City Council.
The District needs to close a legal
gap on sexual misconduct.
Ex-Somali official really was a ‘monster’
Mohamed Ali Samantar, who was the defense
ISTRICT LAW considers it a crime when minister (1980-86) and prime minister (1987-90)
D
doctors betray a trust and have sex with during the military dictatorship of the late Somali
patients, no matter their age. Ditto for president Mohamed Siad Barre, claims that he “al-
hospital volunteers, ambulance drivers ways respected the rule of law” and “served the peo-
and other people entrusted with providing care. ple rightly and justly” [“I am no monster,” front
But, for reasons that no one can really explain, page, March 2].
this common-sense protection doesn’t apply to What Mr. Samantar, who now lives in Fairfax and
teachers and students. It’s an anomaly that is being sued in U.S. court, doesn’t say is that Soma-
needs to be addressed as officials assess how lia was not ruled by laws but men during his years in
well the system deals with teacher misconduct. power. The military government was a socialist dic-
It happens only rarely in District public tatorship that allied itself with the former Soviet
schools, but teachers who administer corporal Union and the Eastern Bloc. It came to power
punishment or engage in sexual misconduct through the barrel of a gun, closed the parliament,
must not be tolerated. That’s why it was so trou- shut down the courts, eliminated opposition par-
bling to hear Schools Chancellor Michelle A. ties, destroyed independent media, nationalized pri-
Rhee detail the case of a teacher suspected of im- vate businesses, invaded neighboring countries and
pregnating a special-needs student. The teacher crushed clans that refused to surrender to brutal
was removed from the classroom and sub- men in uniform.
sequently laid off, but law enforcement officials The fact that Mr. Samantar is old, that he is ill,
said they were powerless to act because the stu- that he loves his grandchildren or that he can no
dent was 18. Her disability was not seen as pre- longer enjoy real sugar in his tea isn’t an issue. We
venting her from giving consent. must remember the thousands who were sent to
The U.S. Attorney’s Office recognized this gap their graves early by Barre and his henchmen, in-
in the law in 2006 when it tried to get the D.C. cluding Mr. Samantar, for believing in the basic
Council to prohibit sexual acts or contact be- rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
tween any adult (including teachers) in a signifi- ABDUL ABDI, Beltsville
cant relationship with a minor who “has not yet The writer was a staff member of the Somali Service of
attained the age of 18 years or a person attending Voice of America from 1992 to 1993.
high school or its equivalent who has not yet at-
tained the age of 19.” The measure was support-
ed by the administration of then-Mayor Anthony
A. Williams but was struck in committee. Coun- pany magazine that among the 266 teachers she think most parents would be shocked to know
Those tone-deaf Democrats
cil member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), who laid off last fall were those who hit children and that you can put your hands on a kid, hit a kid, et If passing massive legislation along strict party
chairs the committee on criminal issues, said the had sex with them. The council demanded de- cetera, and that doesn’t necessarily mean that lines constitutes “the normal process,” E.J. Dionne
measure was part of a massive overhaul of pub- tails, and Ms. Rhee reported that since she took you automatically get fired.” Jr. [“The GOP’s big health lie,” op-ed, March 4] may
lic safety laws and that he couldn’t recall wheth- office in 2007, nine cases of corporal punish- It’s important to stress, as Ms. Rhee did in a be correct from the narrowest of procedural stand-
er there were substantive objections or whether ment and two of sexual misconduct have result- recent letter to teachers, that the vast majority points. But the unusual circumstances surrounding
it was merely overlooked. He said that in the ed in a teacher or school official’s termination. of those who work with children are hard- the vote on health-care reform highlight just how
light of this most recent case, it’s worth another Ms. Rhee has also issued 28 suspensions for cor- working professionals with a dedication to do- tone-deaf and desperate the Democrats are. They
look. We agree, particularly since it is not unusu- poral punishment. ing what’s best for their students. That makes it long ago abandoned any pretense of reflecting the
al for District students to be as old as 18 or 19. What’s striking about her account is how out- no less important, though, that a new contract will of the voters through a more bipartisan ap-
It is still unclear what action, if any, the D.C. comes are sometimes skewed by the rules gov- with teachers — and an agreement is said to be proach. Their — and Mr. Dionne’s — emphasis upon
Council plans to take in the aftermath of the up- erning teacher discipline. As Ms. Rhee recently near — contain reforms to deal with this serious the words and not the music of power will continue
roar caused by Ms. Rhee’s remark to Fast Com- said on WAMU-FM’s “Kojo Nnamdi” show, “I issue. to bite them, just as it did in Massachusetts shortly
after that “normal” Christmas Eve vote in which the
Senate passed its far-reaching health-care bill.
Fulfilling Gideon’s promise
RICHARD H. LEE, Cambridge, Mass.
Saving lives trumps selling drinks
The Justice Department’s push for better legal representation for poor defendants
In arguing against Maryland’s proposed law that
HEY ARE common stories by now: The tion — and that legitimate convictions are some 20 recommendations on how legal services would require first-time drunk-driving offenders to
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court-appointed defense lawyer who falls imperiled — if those who may lose their freedom for the poor could be improved. Among them: use ignition interlocks, the American Beverage In-
asleep during a client’s murder trial. The do not enjoy robust representation. creation of statewide independent public defend- stitute worries that the law would inhibit people
beleaguered big-city public defender who So it is welcome news that the nation’s chief law ers offices and establishment of statewide over- from having a second drink when dining out or at-
barely has a chance to scan a client’s file as she enforcement officer, Attorney General Eric H. sight commissions to ensure that defendants in tending sporting events [“Md., Va. consider ignition
rushes from courtroom to courtroom, laboring Holder Jr., has launched an initiative to improve all parts of the state are competently represented. breathalyzers for first offense,” Metro, March 2]. ABI
under a crushing caseload. legal services to poor defendants across the coun- Money is always an issue. Public defender offic- managing director Sarah Longwell said, “We don’t
Ever since the Supreme Court’s decision in Gid- try. A mark of Mr. Holder’s seriousness is the hir- es are generally poorly funded, and lawyers are think that they should be punished to the same de-
eon v. Wainwright, poor defendants have had the ing of Laurence H. Tribe, a Harvard law school paid meager wages that often pale in comparison gree as somebody who has 10 drinks and then
right to appointed counsel if they could not afford professor, in the new role of senior counsel for to the salaries earned by prosecutors. This gap drives.”
to hire a lawyer. But in the 47 years since that “access to justice.” must be narrowed to attract and retain talented Ten drinks? I don’t know what physiology-blood-
landmark ruling, the promise of justice has in Mr. Tribe need not start from scratch. The Na- lawyers. The Justice Department cannot force chemistry equations the ABI uses. But I’ve seen peo-
many ways been gutted by indifference and finan- tional Right to Counsel Committee, which is part such changes on the states, but it can provide in- ple impaired after three drinks, tipsy at four and
cial neglect. Prosecutors, who butt heads with de- of the nonprofit Constitution Project, produced centives to states that adopt best practices and it blotto after five. It seems cruelly obvious from that
fense lawyers every day, are often the first to ac- an excellent report in 2009 detailing the failings can help states improve the quality of indigent de- statement that the ABI values selling liquor over
knowledge that the justice system cannot func- of the indigent-defense system. The group offered fense through training and other means. saving lives.
Ignition interlocks are not punishment; they are
protection — for the offender as well as every one of
us when we’re on the road.
LOCAL OPINIONS MIKE MCLAUGHLIN, Laurel
3 Join the debate at washingtonpost.com/localopinions
ABCDE
John Adams, un-American?
Maryland is addressing manure’s impact on the environment
EUGENE MEYER, 1875-1959 Was John Adams, our second president and one of• PHILIP L. GRAHAM, 1915-1963
David A. Fahrenthold’s March 1 front-page entific research and agronomic basis for ma-
KATHARINE GRAHAM, 1917-2001
our Founding Fathers, really un-American? Some
story, “Rising with a bullet among top pollu- nure applications to land. The soil conservation
BOISFEUILLET JONES JR., Chairman
conservatives would appear to think so [“Conserva-
tants: Number Two,” missed an important point. districts in each county help farmers apply these KATHARINE WEYMOUTH, Publisher and Chief Executive Officer tives raise ruckus over Justice appointees,” news
Maryland, perhaps unlike states in other areas technologies and best-management practices.
News pages: Editorial and opinion pages:
story, March 4]. These conservatives call it “conflicts
MARCUS W. BRAUCHLI FRED HIATT
of the country, has the laws, science and tech- In addition, the Maryland Department of Agri- Executive Editor Editorial Page Editor of interest” to consider judgeships for lawyers who
nology in place to address land application and culture has transported almost 600,000 tons of
RAJU NARISETTI, Managing Editor JACKSON DIEHL
provided legal representation for some detainees at
ELIZABETH SPAYD, Managing Editor Deputy Editorial Page Editor
alternative uses of manure. In addition, recent manure from areas with soil that doesn’t need
SHIRLEY CARSWELL
Guantanamo Bay. John Adams had the guts to pro-
documentation by Gov. Martin O’Malley’s more nutrients to those that can use it.
Deputy Managing Editor
Business and advertising:
vide legal counsel for the British soldiers charged
BayStat initiative shows that agricultural im- The private sector is stepping in with new STEPHEN P. HILLS, President and General Manager with murder in 1770 for the Boston Massacre.
pacts on water quality are declining. ways to use manure through projects such as
Vice Presidents
He was proud of that, and who will say he didn’t
ROGER ANDELIN ......................................................................................... Technology
Appropriate manure application to fields is Perdue’s organic fertilizer pellet plant. Compa- KENNETH R. BABBY .................................................................................... Advertising serve his country all his life?
regulated under the Water Quality Improve- nies and governments will soon be able to buy
BENJAMIN C. BRADLEE .................................................................................... At Large
USHA CHAUDHARY..................................................................... Finance & Admin/CFO
ROBIN ZIEK, Sandy Spring, Md.
ment Act of 1998. Today, 99.5 percent of farmers nutrient credits from farms that have done
JAMES W. COLEY JR.......................................................................................Production
L. WAYNE CONNELL ......................................................................... Human Resources
have the nutrient-management plans that are more than required to reduce nutrients. LEONARD DOWNIE JR. ...................................................................................... At Large
required by law. Enforcement actions are un- BayStat is proving that efforts by farmers, re-
GREGG J. FERNANDES .................................................................................Circulation
JOHN B. KENNEDY ............................................................................................... Labor
derway for the 12 farmers who are out of compli- searchers and other technical experts to reduce ERIC N. LIEBERMAN ......................................................................................... Counsel
ance and for any who are found to be not adher- the impact of manure from Maryland farms are
CHRISTOPHER MA ................................................................................... Development
GOLI SHEIKHOLESLAMI ...................................................................................... Digital
Letters can be sent to letters@washpost.com.
d
ing to their plan. paying off.
STEVE STUP ..................................................................................... Digital Advertising
Submissions must be exclusive to The Post and should
Nationally recognized experts at the Univer- E
The Washington Post Company:
ARL F. HANCE, Annapolis
include the writer’s address and day and evening telephone
DONALD E. GRAHAM, Chairman of the Board
sity of Maryland and elsewhere provide the sci- The writer is Maryland’s secretary of agriculture. 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071 (202) 334-6000
numbers. Letters are subject to editing and abridgment.
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