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FGHIJ Middle East pivot
an independent newspaper EDITORIALS
F President Obama takes a promising new tack.
OR MUCH of the past 15 months, President Obama sought to advance his goal of a Middle East peace set- tlement through public pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu. The results were mixed. Mr. Ne- tanyahu made significant concessions to the White House, including announcing for the first time his acceptance of Palestinian statehood and imposing a 10-month freeze on new construction in West Bank settle- ments. But Mr. Obama’s attempt to insist on further Israeli retreats in Jerusalem and his aides’ sometimes-harsh rhetoric produced a backlash both in Israel and in Washington — and encouraged Palestinians to escalate their own demands. With U.S. midterm elections looming, Mr. Obama tried a different tack Tuesday, show- ering Mr. Netanyahu with public praise and encouragement during a White House visit. The president said he believes that the Is- raeli leader “wants peace,” praised his “re- straint” on settlements and joined with him in calling on Palestinians to begin direct peace negotiations by September, when the settlement freeze expires. This switch may look craven to some of Israel’s critics — but in fact it is smart. By reaffirming U.S. sup- port for Israel and pressing for direct talks, Mr. Obama has created an opportunity to put both Palestinian leaders and Mr. Netan- yahu to the test and to discover who is seri- ous and who is not about a two-state settlement.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been assuring the administration’s en- voys that he is ready to make peace. But un- til now he has been under no pressure to de- liver. Instead Mr. Abbas has watched from the sidelines as Mr. Obama battled with Mr. Netanyahu, while raising his demands on settlements to match those of the Obama administration. Palestinians have hoped that the United States would extract further concessions from Israel or announce its own plan for a final settlement between Is- rael and the Palestinians. Now Mr. Abbas has a choice: Begin direct negotiations in exchange for prisoner releases and other “confidence-building measures” that Mr. Netanyahu has been offering — or show himself to be not so ready for peace, after all.
If talks begin, Mr. Netanyahu, too, will be challenged. Mr. Obama’s counterproductive focus on issues such as Jewish housing in Jerusalem has allowed the Israeli leader to rally domestic support and delay spelling out where he stands on truly central ques- tions, such as the borders of a Palestinian state and whether Jerusalem will be its cap- ital. Mr. Netanyahu says that he needs guar- antees that the West Bank will not become a base for Iranian influence and missiles aimed at Israel, as have southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. That’s not an unreason- able demand. But what will he offer Mr. Ab- bas in return? Only direct negotiations be- tween the parties will make that plain.
Tax truths
UMMER DRIVING season is upon us. This year, the annual migration of va- cationers coincides with rising con- cerns over the federal debt and a nasty oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. What better time to revisit the enduring, maddening, il- logical contrast between how little Amer- icans actually pay to drive — and how fierce- ly they resist even modest gasoline tax in- creases that would go a long way in addressing the nation’s environmental and fiscal crises? By any measure, driving in the United
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States is cheap. The price of a gallon of reg- ular gasoline averaged about $2.70 during June. That’s up almost a dollar since the depths of the Great Recession in December 2008. But the price has been steady for about a year, and adjusted for inflation it is 66 cents per gallon less than it was in 1980. Gas prices have had their ups (the $4-a-gallon spike in mid-2008) and downs (the consis- tently low prices of the late 1980s and 1990s). Overall, though, driving today is sub- stantially cheaper, in real terms, than it was about a generation ago. In fact, it’s cheaper than it was at the end of World War I. Gov- ernment forecasts suggest prices may rise slightly over the next year. Crude oil prices dictate more than half the price of gasoline, and the price of crude, in turn, fluctuates with broad global economic trends. So today’s cheap gas probably re- flects the depression of demand for oil due to the weak U.S. and European economies. But a significant factor keeping gas cheap is
Summertime, and the driving is easy — too easy.
the erosion of gas taxes. The federal tax of 18.4 cents per gallon has not gone up since 1993 — meanwhile losing a third of its value in real terms. State taxes are about 30 cents per gallon on average, but they, too, have barely risen lately. In real terms, Americans spend just $19 on gas taxes per 1,000 miles driven — half of what they paid in 1975, ac- cording to a recent report in USA Today. We’re driving more miles but paying less for the privilege. Small wonder that alternative-fuel vehicles struggle in eco- nomic competition with the internal com- bustion engine. Or that transportation infra- structure is crumbling across the nation: The congressionally authorized National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Fi- nancing Commission reported last year that it would take a dime-a-gallon increase in the federal gas tax just to maintain current high- way quality. Increasing the federal tax by 25 cents per gallon would raise $305 billion for highway construction and deficit reduction over the next decade, according to the Con- gressional Budget Office. And initially, at least, a gallon of regular would still cost less than three bucks. Any increase should prob- ably be phased in so as not to remove abrupt- ly what has turned into a de facto economic stimulus program. But drivers could offset the increase through minimal conservation. Motorists hate taxes, of course, and politi- cians regularly bow to their resistance. But the truth is that few measures would gener- ate more public benefits in return for less sacrifice.
Failed experiments
Sometimes closing a poor-performing charter school is the right choice.
performing schools. So it is encouraging that the board has decided to take action against schools where students are foun- dering. Such toughness will help ensure that only the best-quality schools are of- fered to D.C. parents who are in search of educational alternatives for their children. Two schools, Children’s Studio and the Academy for Learning through the Arts, voluntarily relinquished their charters when it became clear that the D.C. Public Charter School Board was getting ready to yank them. A third school, the Kamit In- stitute for Magnificent Achievers (KIMA), faces revocation proceedings following last week’s unanimous vote by the board. Earli- er this year, the board rescinded the charter of one other school. Shutting a school is never to be cel-
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F THERE has been any criticism of the board that oversees the District’s flour- ishing charter school movement, it is that it has been too tolerant of under-
ebrated; it’s disruptive to students and their parents. It is clear, though, that the board had no choice but to move against schools not serving student interests. Con- sider, for example, that the two schools re- linquishing their charters had fewer than a third of their students able to score profi- cient on the city’s standardized math exams. KIMA, according to a report pre- pared for the board, suffers from a 30 per- cent truancy rate, lacks basic supplies and is without a coherent curriculum. The school will have a chance to challenge the findings before the board makes its final decision.
Given the 57 charters on 99 campuses and the highly individualized character of each school, there are bound to be wide dif- ferences among them. Indeed, those differ- ences are the lifeblood of the charter move- ment. But the board is right to insist that when it comes to quality, every school must meet its standards.
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THURSDAY, JULY 8, 2010 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
dletters@washpost.com Coping with water restrictions in Montgomery and Pr. George’s
In the July 6 Metro article “Limits on water extended in Md.,” officials in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties were said to have ex- hausted every option to in- form the public of the re- strictions imposed after a damaged water main was dis- covered. In fact, The Post has been the only source from which I have received infor- mation about the restriction, and the vast majority of my neighbors have been unaware of the problem. Here are a few simple ideas that came up within a minute of reading the article: Every public elementary school in Montgomery Coun- ty has the ability to send out phone and e-mail messages to all parents. Make use of that. A portion of the key time for reduction of usage was over the weekend. Ask churches, synagogues, etc., to announce the re- strictions during services (and/or by e-mail lists). Place signs at major intersections. Ask supermarkets and other businesses to display posters. Ask major employers in the area to inform workers. Ask those who have been informed to notify neigh- bors and friends. I hope that both counties will use this as an oppor-
MARVIN JOSEPH/THE WASHINGTON POST
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission issued water restrictions while a water main in Potomac was being repaired last week.
tunity to come up with better plans for informing the public about important issues before the next prob- lem arises, rather than waiting until it is too late. JOHN FOURKAS, Bethesda
Of course people did not respond to the mandatory
water restrictions. How could they believe there was a problem? According to the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), if there were an emer- gency and if the rerouted water supply couldn’t han- dle it, we might have had a crisis. With those state- ments, it was hard to believe even the WSSC believed we faced an emergency. Why was the WSSC so equivocal? In this age of computer modeling, hasn’t the WSSC run through various disaster plans? Ask any teenager and he could come up with hundreds of disaster scenarios. Computer simulations are easy and cheap. The WSSC, like BP, needs to develop scenarios based on the probable, the unlikely and the complete catastro- phe and be prepared if any of them occur. If the WSSC’s plan to avert disaster hinges on us not flushing the toilet, we do indeed have a problem. SHERRIDECK, Rockville
We owe a debt of thanks to the people who worked
over the July Fourth weekend repairing the major water main break that threw a couple of counties into serious water restrictions last weekend. Imagine, if you will, looking forward to the big summertime holiday and all its festivities and find- ing out that a real emergency dictated that you would lose forever this national celebration. Those of us who heard about and followed the restrictions might have grumbled about the inconvenience of not being able to wash our cars, water our lawns or otherwise go about our usual activities. But these workers gave up far more: not only in convenience but in an impor- tant long weekend of much-needed rest and relax- ation, time with their families and the chance to cel- ebrate our country’s freedoms. These people deserve a tremendous showing of gratitude for their sacrifice and dedication to our common well-being. We are now in a better situation because they sacrificed for us.
GEOFF PATTON, Wheaton The July 2 water reduction order in Montgomery
and Prince George’s counties left many residents high and dry, stuck with limited access to an essential resource. Much like the 41-year-old water main in question, America’s water infrastructure is frustrat- ingly outdated; we lose 1.7 trillion gallons of treated water every year to aging, leaking pipes. Many states simply don’t have the money to upgrade these neces- sary systems. In 2008, Maryland was able to secure federal funding to cover only 0.7 percent of the $3.8 billion needed to fund its drinking water and waste- water infrastructure projects. This funding gap must be closed in Maryland and
Tom Toles is away.
Brothers and sisters grieve, too The July 4 Metro article “Getting through grief to-
gether” left out an important aspect of the Compas- sionate Friends conference: the siblings. We are an often forgotten population, even though there were more than 250 of us at this conference in Crystal City. We are often the most affected when it comes to the loss of a loved one. We grow up with our siblings, looking up to them, seeking advice from them. When they pass away, people may tell us to “take care of your parents.” We grieve in silence. It’s frustrating. But at this conference, we were given the chance to be heard. We siblings talked for hours about how we feel, and we helped one another. I made lifelong friends who, if I called at 3 a.m. on a school night, I know would pick up and listen to me as a grieving sibling, not as the daughter of a grieving parent. I know they will take care of me and put me first. At this conference, we stayed up until 1 a.m. and
later just sitting and talking about what made us tick and what made us cry. We shared everything. But most important, we were heard. Being ignored in this article made me angry. Parents aren’t the only ones who grieve.
KATE STOSKUS, Ashburn More parking near the Mall
With all due respect for the luminaries who shared their ideas about an expanded and improved Mall [Sunday Opinion, Topic A, July 4], none of these dreams will improve a visitor’s experience until we solve the area’s parking problem, and the answer is right under our feet. Some years ago, I was driving a rental car up and down a broad avenue in Barcelona, fruitlessly search- ing for a parking space, until I realized that every two or three blocks I’d been passing entrances to under- ground parking. In fact, the entire avenue was the roof of one huge parking garage. Since we now have similar parking technology at countless shopping malls and hotels, why not put a parking garage under the entire central portion of the Mall between, say, Third and 14th streets? No improve- ment to the Mall would be more appreciated by visitors than access to secure, nearby, out-of-sight parking. DONDILWORTH, Silver Spring
Why was a dedicated nurse fired? Sue Eynon Lark, a pediatric nurse fired from
Montgomery Hospice in 2007 [“A fight to clear her name,” Metro, July 1], was the attending nurse in a home hospice arrangement I maintained for a dear friend who died of colon cancer in 1999. She was never anything other than caring and supportive to both the patient and the network of caregivers. I am appalled that anyone might have chosen to “write her up” and terminate her for questioning why adult medication dosages were being pre- scribed for children. I expect trained professionals like Ms. Lark to raise these types of concerns and ap- plaud her for doing so. Is someone trying to cover up his or her own mistake by scapegoating this wonder- ful hospice nurse?
DAVIDKAMINSKY, Silver Spring
in states across the country, but raising rates on con- sumers isn’t the answer. While we all know that mon- ey is tight, water shouldn’t be something Congress can scratch out of the budget. The federal govern- ment needs to renew America’s water by setting up a reliable fund to finance these much-needed projects so that citizens can continue to have access to afford- able and dependable drinking and wastewater services.
WENONAHHAUTER,Washington
The writer is executive director of Food and Water Watch.
Skewed views from the U.N.
In his July 2 op-ed, “U.S. and Israel: Diplomacy on the quiet,” Martin Indyk spoke of “Obama’s pro- tection of Israeli equities at a time when the rest of the world is busy remonstrating” against Israel. The allegation that the “rest of the world” remonstrates against Israel has been made with increasing fre- quency. But is there any international polling to support it? Are we not really talking about the re- monstrances of diplomats at the United Nations? Some of these diplomats undoubtedly reflect the outlook of substantial bodies of citizens of their countries. But many do not. China makes it its gen- eral policy to be on the opposite side of the United States at the United Nations as often as possible. In- dia worries about Kashmir being placed on the U.N. agenda if it does not play along; Brazil wants to earn brownie points for its selection as a perma- nent member of the U.N. Security Council, if mem- bership in the council is reformed. In cases such as Cuba (whose diplomats are extremely effective in rounding up votes) and Venezuela, we are dealing with governments that seek to embarrass the Unit- ed States. None of these governments reflects prevailing popular sentiment on the issue at hand. Most of their citizens have other concerns. Beyond that, there are many ambassadors who have no in- structions from their governments on issues in- volving the Middle East, but who, for various rea- sons — none dealing with the merits of the case — run along with the crowd. It follows that we need not mistake games played
at the United Nations for true worldwide sentiment.
RICHARD SCHIFTER, Bethesda
The writer was U.S. deputy representative to the U.N. Security Council from 1984 to 1985.
Sun, surf and cellphones
The July 4 front-page story “WE R GOING 4 A SWIM, BRB” overstated the case for digital technol- ogy being the bane of the family vacation. While there is plenty of surfside tension between being online and being in the moment, the article failed to mention that cellphones and laptops now allow many more families to take vacations together than was conceivable in the pre-digital era. Back then, some families would not even enter- tain the idea of a week or more at the beach lest they experience the separation anxiety inherent in parents being out of the office or kids being apart from their friends for more than several days at a time.
DENNIS S. ASKWITH, Gaithersburg d
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