Economist.com Cities Guide: Washington, DC Briefing - November 2005

News this month

Good news for drinkers...

The District of Columbia city council passed a temporary, emergency law on October 18th to ease Washington’s “zero-tolerance” policy on drunk driving. Previously, drivers with blood-alcohol levels as low as 0.01% BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) could be arrested if police officers believed them impaired, even though the legal level at which drivers are presumed intoxicated is 0.08%. The council acted in the wake of a much-publicised story in the Washington Post about a 45-year-old woman who was arrested and put in jail for several hours, though she had only one glass of wine with dinner (her BAC level was 0.03%). She then spent months in court battling to keep her driving privileges and avoid a 12-week alcohol-counselling programme.

Under the new legislation, drivers with BAC levels under 0.05% would not be considered intoxicated, while those between 0.05% and 0.079% would have to show other evidence of impairment before an officer could make an arrest. The legislation, which would bring the District’s laws in line with those in neighbouring Virginia and Maryland, will be in effect for 90 days; then the council has to pass new legislation to make the changes permanent.

...but not for smokers

The city council could vote as early as December on legislation to ban smoking in virtually all of DC’s bars and restaurants from 2007. The council’s Health Committee approved the measure on October 26th, and it will now go to a full council vote. Previous versions of the legislation had become stuck in the Public Works and Environment Committee, but this year proponents reworked the bill to pass through the more sympathetic Health Committee.

The legislation would ban smoking in all restaurants and bars, with exceptions for outdoor areas, cigar bars, hotel rooms and retail tobacco outlets. Businesses that demonstrate a significant negative impact from the ban could apply for a waiver. The ban would take effect immediately for dining areas in all restaurants, but would not completely cover bars until 2007, to allow them time to create outdoor seating. Opponents are fearful of the effect on the city's hospitality industry, which could lose customers to Virginia.

Stadium difficulties

The city government has seized 14 acres of land on the south-east waterfront, by the Anacostia river, in order to build a baseball stadium. The businesses and residents who are on the property have 90 days to vacate the land, unless they can get a judge to rule that the compulsory purchase was unconstitutional. In all, the city seized $84m worth of land from 16 owners after the parties failed to agree on a sale price. The stadium, the future home of the Washington Nationals, is due to open in March 2008.

Meanwhile, the city council continues to fight over the deal to bring baseball back to the city. Vincent Orange, a council member who chairs its Committee on Government Relations, tried to hold a hearing on the city’s plans to fund the stadium, which involve an agreement with Deutsche Bank to pay $246m of the $535m necessary. When Linda Cropp, the council chairwoman, ruled that this hearing was unofficial as baseball is outside Mr Orange's committee’s remit, Mr Orange sued Ms Cropp, claiming that she had abused her power. The fight presages more to come—both politicians are running for mayor in 2006.

Lights, cameras, inaction

The DC government has installed traffic cameras at 45 intersections over the last six years. But while generating millions of dollars in traffic violation revenue, they have done little to reduce accidents, according to an October study by the Washington Post.

The devices photograph vehicles that ignore red lights, to whose drivers the police then issue $75 fines. According to the Post, these traffic tickets have generated $32m since the project began. But while city officials claim that the cameras have improved traffic safety, the study cited analysis by three traffic experts showing that accidents at the camera intersections had in fact increased over the last six years—and at a rate as bad as or worse than at intersections without cameras. City officials attributed the accident rate to an increase in overall traffic volume.

In trouble again

Marion Barry, a former mayor of Washington, DC, has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanour counts relating to his failure to pay federal taxes for five years. In a plea bargain with federal prosecutors that gave him a recommended probationary sentence, he admitted to wilfully failing to file returns and failing to provide information. He told the court that he did not know how much money he had made in the years in question. Sentencing is scheduled for January 18th.

Mr Barry is a controversial figure in Washington. A popular mayor with significant credentials in the civil-rights movement, he was serving his third term in 1990 when FBI agents videotaped him smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room. He served six months in jail before getting re-elected to the mayor’s office for a fourth term in 1994, and was elected to the city council last year.

Catch if you can

November 2005

“Much Ado About Nothing”

Until November 27th 2005

The Folger Theatre's production of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” shines. This version, set in England just after the second world war, is enlivened by a uniformly impressive cast. Kate Eastwood Norris as Beatrice and P.J. Sosko as Benedick are wonderful, with Mr Sosko providing a welcome touch of physical comedy.

The post-war motif mostly works, owing to the timelessness of witty sparring between the sexes. The script is changed slightly in some places (“holster” for “scabbard”, for example), but not in others, with references to American soldiers as “lords” and characters calling each other “señor”. Still, this production of one of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedies is marvellous.

The Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street, SE. Tues-Thurs 7.30pm; Fri, Sat 8pm; Sun 7pm; Sat, Sun 2pm. Tickets: $30-49. For more information, visit the theatre’s website.

More from the Washington, DC cultural calendar