Opinion

When faced with troublesome executive-branch or independent agencies, the DC Council’s solution has become nauseatingly predictable. Members, separately and collectively, propose a new agency, office or commission as an antidote for the…

During one of his four interviews with investigators at the law firm O’Melveny & Myers, Ward 2 DC Council member Jack Evans was asked to identify the specific circumstances that would trigger a conflict of interest. He reportedly…

Voters in Washington will make history next year. For the first time ever, they will have the choice to cast a ballot for candidates taking part in DC’s new Fair Elections program. Across the city, five candidates for DC Council have been…

When DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced earlier this month her intention to place more affordable, low-cost housing in neighborhoods long perceived as havens for the wealthy or the near-wealthy, humanists in the city surely must have smiled.…

As we confront the climate crisis, DC officials have set ambitious goals to lead our city toward a more sustainable future. One of the primary goals is having all of the District’s electricity generated by renewable sources by 2032. While…

That seemed the logical question to ask after realizing that more than a quarter million dollars of DC taxpayers’ money already has been spent this election season — although not one of the individuals who has tapped the public’s wallet…

Washington, DC, may be our nation’s capital, but that has not ensured true democracy for DC residents. It’s not uncommon to see locals sporting “Taxation Without Representation” paraphernalia in reference to the federal fight for DC…

Two of DC’s most pressing issues are housing and income inequality. The District has the unique distinction of being the most “intensely” gentrified city in America, while simultaneously having the highest level of income inequality in…

A year ago this month, Tom Marmet was shot and killed while driving across DC in rush-hour traffic. He was heading home from his job as a social worker for local nonprofit So Others Might Eat. Tom hoped to dedicate his life to serving the…

Don’t expect the DC Council to hold charters to the same transparency and sunshine standards as traditional public schools. That was the unmistakable message I heard telegraphed last week by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and at-large…

Demonstrating a brand of strong-arming that could rival any seen at the national level, Mayor Muriel Bowser and some in her administration have tried for the past several months to muscle members of the DC Commission on the Arts and…

Today the DC Council is holding a hearing on a bill that would subject DC’s charter schools to the same transparency standards as DC’s traditional public schools. The legislation introduced by Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen would…

Having retired from the DC Public Charter School Board (PCSB) eight years ago, I have the luxury of paying only selective attention to arguments about public education. Lately, however, a debate over how to ensure accountability for our…

As a reporter for Street Justice, which covers transportation, infrastructure and housing in DC and its suburbs, I recently participated in a panel discussion about transportation in DC’s Southwest Waterfront neighborhood. During the 10…

The economic development solution for what ails communities east of the Anacostia River is complicated. There are legitimate concerns about displacement of residents. Simultaneously, there are real issues about expanding the middle…

A young man is facing trial for killing my 15-year-old godson. If he is convicted, I believe he should do all his time — despite the District’s Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA), which allows judges to reconsider the sentence of…

They’re back — almost. DC Council members won’t officially return from their recess until Monday. The heat and controversy are already building over the public policy and political issues that await them. Unfortunately, based on their…

As District of Columbia students dive into the new academic year, a new public education campaign is gearing up. It calls for renovating abandoned buildings that blight their neighborhoods, ending the waitlist for successful public charter…

“Anybody can choose to operate a rental business in the shadows. That’s just a reality,” Ernest Chrappah, director of the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA), recently told The Washington Post. His comment came after a…

As another school year in the District gets underway, one topic seems to be far from everyone’s mind amid discussions about academics, extracurricular activities, after-school care and bus routes. Our school discipline system is broken.…