A14
R
KLMNO FGHIJ
an independent newspaper EDITORIALS
The scourge of rape in prisons
ney General Eric H. Holder Jr. last June by the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission. By law, the attorney general was given one year to consider the report’s recommendations and issue standards to reduce the scourge of sexual violence in the nation’s prisons. The Justice De- partment is about to miss its June 23 deadline — and probably by a shamefully wide margin. The department will not say, but those follow- ing this issue closely estimate that the Justice Department is unlikely to take action until the end of this year. At that time, federal prisons will be obligated to adopt whatever standards Justice approves. State and local facilities will not be forced to embrace the measures for an-
“R T Looking out for
D.C. finances The fiscal records
of the mayoral candidates
HANKS TO a healthy economy and the strong foundation laid by the mayor who preceded him, Adrian M. Fenty (D) took office able to undertake a wealth of
projects across the city, invest resources in his big priority of improving the schools and still largely adhere to his promise not to raise taxes. The D.C. Council, under the leadership of Chair- man Vincent C. Gray (D), went along with much of the mayor’s agenda while insisting on its own priorities. The District now faces tougher fiscal times, and the two candidates for mayor each say that they offer the surest hand to guide the city’s finances. As the campaign unfolds over the summer, Mr. Fenty and Mr. Gray will be pressed for fuller explanations on how they would face these challenges. Their records over the past four years will offer some useful clues in assessing their promises. Within days of winning the 2006 Democratic
primary, Mr. Fenty moved to reassure a jittery fi- nancial community that a somewhat inexperi- enced council member could be trusted with the city’s finances by asking Natwar M. Gandhi to stay on as chief financial officer for another five- year term. When Amtrak tried to hire Mr. Gandhi, Mr. Fenty engineered an inducement, endorsed by Mr. Gray, for him to stay, and when a tax scan- dal broke, the mayor never wavered in his sup- port of Mr. Gandhi. That D.C finances are in relatively sound shape — its bond ratings have stayed steady with one new offering even win- ning a coveted AAA grade — is attributable, in part, to the stability of Mr. Gandhi’s tenure, and that is testament to the strength shown by Mr. Fenty in making key appointments. Mr. Fenty has been clear about his spending priorities — schools, police and rebuilding the district’s worn infrastructure. His efforts have produced results, as evidenced by The Post’s re- cent analysis of tens of millions of dollars in new libraries, schools and recreational centers in ev- ery city ward. But the mayor hasn’t always been forthright about the costs. Consider, for exam- ple, his promise to improve schools without ad- ditional monies, even as he directed more re- sources their way. And there are questions of whether in his haste to show results — cynically timed to this year’s election, some say — the city always has gotten the best deal for its money. The first year of his summer jobs program can only be described as a debacle. Perhaps his most impressive accomplishment was in controlling the costs of government. He consolidated agencies and streamlined func- tions, reducing the workforce by nearly 2,500 positions. After years of record increases, Mr. Fenty managed to keep recurring government spending modest, with expenditures from local funds staying almost flat over the past years. With the recession causing dramatic shortfalls in revenue, Mr. Fenty drew on the city’s reserves and restructured debt to come up with one-time savings to balance the budget. Both moves made sense in hard times, but there’s a worrisome lack of concern for building back the balance. Mr. Fenty has been true to his no-tax promise, although he has come under criticism for in- creased fees on a raft of government functions. It’s understandable that those paying more for parking or a building permit feel nickeled-and-
Why has the Justice Department dithered for a year?
APE IS VIOLENT, destructive, and a crime — no less so when the victim is incarcerated.” These were the opening words of a report delivered to Attor-
other year after that. In the meantime, more prisoners — including juveniles — will have been senselessly brutalized. The department has argued that it has need- ed the time to assess the costs of implementing the commission’s recommendations. The law that gave rise to the prison rape elimination re- port required that new directives must not “substantially” increase costs. The commission, chaired by respected D.C. federal Judge Reggie B. Walton, took this into account. It trimmed back or eliminated recommendations deemed prohibitively expensive. It tailored recommen- dations to reflect different facilities’ needs. It acknowledged the concerns of prison officials and law enforcement officers in the face of shrinking budgets and logistical challenges. But what it did not do was allow the prospect of any cost increase, the possibility of any difficulty, to derail it from its mission.
The Justice Department has unnecessarily
replicated some of the commission’s work and lost its sense of urgency. It has forgotten that the presence of sexual violence indicates that a fa- cility lacks basic controls. It has closed its eyes to the obligation to ensure that sexual violence is never tolerated as a collateral consequence of incarceration. It has shut out the fact that those raped in prison are likely one day to be released and asked to rejoin civil society — a task made that much more difficult by the savagery experi- enced behind bars. It has, in short, abdicated its responsibility to lead. Mr. Holder had it right when he told a House subcommittee in March that the government must work diligently to prevent sexual abuse in prison: “This is something that I think needs to be done, not tomorrow, but yesterday.” It is bit- terly disappointing that he has not done more to make that happen.
TOM TOLES
SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 2010
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
dletters@washpost.com
A dangerous wish for doctors
Regarding the June 8 letter by J. James Rohack, president of the American Medical Association, on Medicare payment cuts: For individuals who believe in government man-
dates, the obvious solution is a mandate requiring all physicians to accept all Medicare and Medicaid pa- tients as a condition for maintaining a license to prac- tice. The argument that physicians would abandon medicine rather than accept reduced compensation is a red herring. In a tanked economy slipping toward a debt-stoked financial conflagration, doctors would go where to do what? “A government that can give you everything you want is a government that can take everything that you have.” The AMA should be careful what it wishes for.
STEPHENMACK, Arlington Sweet taste of youth It was distressing to read in the June 7 Metro
story “In Washington, mulberry trees offer many im- migrants a taste of home” that many Americans are ignorant of the wonders of the mulberry. Every May, when that scent of ripening berries hits my nose, I float back four decades to when I sat in a tree at Madison Elementary in Falls Church at recess after lunch, eating dessert: mulberries and honeysuckle nectar. I guess too many others were busy with kick- ball and the merry-go-round. But for two weeks, I set exertion aside. Ambrosia! BENNETTL. MINTON, Arlington
Guantanamo’s real cost
The June 7 front-page story “Camp Costly” re- vealed how the United States has spent more than $500 million to upgrade the U.S. facility at Guanta- namo Bay, Cuba. But the greatest cost of Guanta- namo has been to American global leadership and credibility as a nation that respects the rule of law. Gen. David H. Petraeus has made it clear that “the
existence of Gitmo has indeed been used by the en- emy against us” and that it serves as a lingering re- minder of missteps in the war on terror such as the abuses at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison. There are not benefits to outweigh these costs. In the time that federal courts convicted 195 members of al-Qaeda and its allies, the military commissions at Guantanamo convicted three. A recent report con- firmed that most Guantanamo detainees have been low-level operatives. Many were captured and turned over to the United States by poor locals hop- ing to cash in on a $5,000 reward. The real absurdity of the Guantanamo boondoggle
is that we never needed to spend a dime to create it. CHARLES C. KRULAK, Naples, Fla.
The writer, a retired general, was commandant of the Marine Corps from 1995 to 1999.
The promise of Social Security The champions stepping up to protect Social Secu-
rity [“Social Security’s vanguard against cuts,” news story, June 9] are to be praised. However, lost in the debate over the deficit commission’s possible consid- eration of cuts to Social Security benefits is the reality that Social Security is a promise that protects all gen- erations, all families. Social Security, which turns 75 this year, provides
dimed, but there are benefits to some of the in- creases, such as making those who break speed- ing laws pay more. Mr. Fenty wasn’t timid in proposing unpopular cuts, such as doing away with the Emancipation Day holiday, and he has demonstrated determination to get the most out of the government workforce, which has earned him the enmity of labor unions, which are lining up to support his opponent.
M
r. Gray, by his role and his style, is more cautious about city finances. He must deal with 12 other council mem- bers, often with competing interests,
to develop consensus in reaction to what the mayor has proposed and in the face of passion- ate demands for resources from myriad interest groups. By and large, Mr. Gray has ably bal- anced the mayor’s priorities, council interests and the District’s fiscal well-being. One of the chairman’s finest hours was in the fall of 2008, when it became clear that the city was headed for financial hard times and Mr. Gray forcefully argued for spending cuts. The council chambers were packed with human services advocates clamoring for more resources, but Mr. Gray per- suaded his colleagues to make $131 million in cuts to better prepare the city for harder days ahead. He played a similar role last year. Like- wise, the chairman is credited with winning ap- proval of legislation recommended by Mr. Gan- dhi to limit city debt service to 12 percent of the city’s overall expenditures. And even Mr. Fenty credits Mr. Gray with setting up an office that would do a better job of winning the city’s right- ful share of federal reimbursements. High on the chairman’s personal spending priorities are early childhood education and adult job training, and he has used his position to direct resources to those programs. Overall, the council has tended to second-guess the may- or when it comes to reductions in human ser-
LOCAL OPINIONS 3Join the debate at
washingtonpost.com/localopinions
For D.C. teachers, crucial support is still lacking Michael Gerson [“D.C.’s passionate reformers,”
op-ed, June 9] asserted that a continued infusion of college graduates into the Teach for America program will make a difference in turning around D.C. schools. And with the growing focus on pay-for-performance and the longer hours and hard work that go with it, he may have a point.
But this competitive approach simply is not
practical for many other motivated teachers. The long hours spent on student assessments and the enormous pressure being imposed by D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee’s central of- fice are simply unbearable for some teachers, es- pecially those with small children at home. And other veteran teachers may not have the skills or motivation to adapt, so they will be pressured to leave — which is clearly Ms. Rhee’s strategy.
Why? Because DCPS, like other school sys- tems, has consistently failed to provide teachers such as my wife, who is leaving the system at the end of the school year,with the resources and au- thority to do their jobs. They must spend too much time on behavioral management without the authority to impose strict discipline on dis- ruptive students. Parents who fail to discipline their children at home are all too often not held accountable for what happens at school as a re- sult. Parents of children in private schools are more likely to discipline their children because disruptive students are threatened with ex- pulsion. But in public schools, where teachers’ hands are often tied when it comes to authority to discipline disruptive students, it is the stu- dents who rule the roost. DAVIDNEWSOM, Alexandria
vices; in order to come up with needed funds to restore projects, the council initiated increases in the cigarette, sales and gasoline taxes. It also enacted tax cuts for small businesses and the working poor. Mr. Gray’s tenure has not been without con- troversy. The use of earmarks, non-competitive government grants to specific groups, rose dra- matically. Adverse publicity prompted Mr. Gray to impose new controls, but it was the scandal over council member Marion Barry’s earmarks and shrinking resources that led to their elimi- nation. There also have been questions over Mr. Gray’s handling of this year’s budget delibera- tions. His flip-flop on funding for trolley cars, made in the middle of the night along with re- shuffling of spending priorities, stands at odds with the image he likes to project of open and transparent governing. Moreover, his decision to restore the trolley-car funding but still pre- serve pet projects by borrowing more money, even as the reserves dwindle, has opened him up to criticism that winning this election mat- ters more to him than the city’s fiscal health. Overall, the District’s current financial health is a result of the work of both men. Mr. Fenty got the big issues right in choosing Mr. Gandhi and controlling government spending; he also laid down the right spending priorities and then stuck with them. Mr. Gray’s careful probing pro- vided an important backstop, and at critical times he insisted on fiscal discipline. Looking ahead, Mr. Fenty has renewed his promise not to raise taxes; a spokesman for Mr. Gray said that tax hikes are not in his plans but it would be ir- responsible to make an ironclad promise. The Democratic primary is Sept. 14.
This is the second in a series of editorials on the records and positions of the candidates for District mayor.
ABCDE
EUGENE MEYER, 1875-1959 • PHILIP L. GRAHAM, 1915-1963 KATHARINE GRAHAM, 1917-2001
BOISFEUILLET JONES JR., Chairman KATHARINE WEYMOUTH, Publisher and Chief Executive Officer News pages:
MARCUS W. BRAUCHLI Executive Editor
RAJU NARISETTI, Managing Editor ELIZABETH SPAYD, Managing Editor
SHIRLEY CARSWELL Deputy Managing Editor
Editorial and opinion pages: FRED HIATT
Deputy Editorial Page Editor
STEPHEN P. HILLS, President and General Manager KENNETH R. BABBY, Chief Revenue Officer/GM, Digital
Vice Presidents
ROGER ANDELIN ......................................................................................... Technology BENJAMIN C. BRADLEE .................................................................................... At Large USHA CHAUDHARY..................................................................... Finance & Admin/CFO JAMES W. COLEY JR. ......................................................................................Production L. WAYNE CONNELL ......................................................................... Human Resources LEONARD DOWNIE JR. ...................................................................................... At Large WENDY EVANS ............................................................................................. Advertising GREGG J. FERNANDES .................................................................................Circulation JOHN B. KENNEDY ............................................................................................... Labor ERIC N. LIEBERMAN ......................................................................................... Counsel CHRISTOPHER MA ................................................................................... Development STEVE STUP ..................................................................................... Digital Advertising
1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071 (202) 334-6000
The Washington Post Company: DONALD E. GRAHAM, Chairman of the Board
Business and advertising:
Editorial Page Editor JACKSON DIEHL
insurance for 98 percent of children who have lost a parent. Social Security also serves children and spous- es of workers who have become disabled; families of fallen service members; grandparents raising grand- children; and severely disabled children and their family caregivers. Framing the issue as a choice be- tween seniors’ Social Security benefits and money for kids’ education is false and irresponsible. Children, parents and grandparents all benefit from Social Se- curity, a promise worth keeping. DONNABUTTS, Washington
The writer is executive director of Generations United, a nonprofit group that advocates for intergenerational programs and policies.
The right to protect marriage Regarding the June 8 op-ed “Marriage for all” by
John D. Podesta and Robert A. Levy: Same-sex marriage is not one of the fundamental rights of man. Americans have a civil right to orga- nize to protect marriage as the union of husband and wife, an idea with deep roots in our history, in com- mon sense and in the social science affirming that children long for their mom and dad. Overturning California’s Proposition 8 would be an outrageous vi- olation of the rights of the 7 million Californians who voted to protect marriage in their state constitution as well as the rights of millions of other Americans in other states with similar marriage amendments. MAGGIEGALLAGHER, Washington
The writer is chairman of the National Organization for Marriage.
Preventing deaths in the desert
I’m glad reporter Peter Slevin [“ ‘Los Samaritanos’ reach out across border,” news story, June 6] had an opportunity to go into the southern Arizona desert to see what “Los Samaritanos” (the Samaritans) do. As a Samaritan, I’d like to underscore that the objective of the Samaritans is to prevent deaths in the desert. We don’t think providing a little water and food is
encouraging those who struggle to enter the United States. It is desperation that motivates people to walk three to eight days, in 100-degree heat, across the harsh desert. While some U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials may disapprove of the humanitar- ian aid we offer, we’ve also been thanked on more than one occasion — nobody likes to find bodies in the desert. And though fears are stoked when migrants are portrayed as potential felons, studies show that immigrants (documented or undocumented) commit fewer crimes than native-born Americans. What it comes down to is that immigration policy is
broken. It is virtually impossible for unskilled work- ers to receive visas, though plenty of work awaits them. Visas for family members are equally unobtain- able. We continue to advocate for comprehensive im- migration reform. Until that happens, we’ll keep try- ing to prevent deaths in the desert. SANDRAROONEY, Green Valley, Ariz.
d Letters can be sent to
letters@washpost.com.
Submissions must be exclusive to The Post and should include the writer’s address and day and evening telephone numbers.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158