DC Government Employees Use Their Blackberries for Campaign Related Work

Wow, this sight is just getting started, but DC Government Employees are already accessing this website using blackberries and computers owned by the District of Columbia.

Using government computers for campaign-related activities certainly seems inappropriate, to say the least. What bothers me more, however, is that DC Government Employees are following the campaign rather than focusing their time and energy on fixing the problems that impact this city.

If this continues, we will ask the DC Government to work with us and find out specifically, which government-owned blackberries have accessed this site and who they belong to.

Bloggers Needed:Volunteer with Not Fenty

Are you fed up with Mayor Adrian Fenty? Do you want to Fenty kicked out of office on election day? Then we need you to help with the Not Fenty Blog.

The brand new Not Fenty Blog is off to a good start. We've got some traffic to the site and we're starting to pick up a few twitter followers, but we've got a long way to go.

Over the next few weeks you'll see this site continue to grow as we build up our twitter numbers, add a facebook component, and create some great graphics to help promote the site.

But we can't do it without you! Are you interested in becoming a Not Fenty blogger? If you've used blogger before, you know that it's easy. All you need to do is contribute to the site by adding information and news about the 2010 race for mayor and other relevant information. Find an interesting story. Share it with us. It's that simple. If you're ready to become a blogger at Not Fenty simply send an e-mail to notfenty@gmail.com and we'll get you set up on the site.

Vincent Gray: Fenty should obey law and stop handing out million dollar contracts to his friends without council approval

Tensions between the city council appear to be escalating yet again according to this recent article in the Washington City Paper.

Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray got in on the act. Late today, he posted to Fenty a demand that he submit all the million-dollar-plus contracts withheld from the council pursuant to a January memo from Nickles.

The request came with a throw-down ultimatum: If the contracts still don't appear, Grays writes, "On December 15, 2009 I plan to move emergency legislation, which upon approval, will order the Chief Financial Officer to stop payment on all retroactive contracts that have not been ratified by the Council by Act at midnight, on January 20, 2010."

Boom!

What are the contracts they are referring to? Well one exmple is the $86 million dollars that went to Mayor Fenty's fraternity brother without fair competition and (in violation of city law) without approval of the city council. The money went to Omar Karim and his company Banneker Ventures.

Fenty Skips Abe Pollin Funeral to Attends Wizards Game

WTOP Radio reports that Adrian Fenty skipped the funeral of Abe Pollin to attend the Wizards game in Miami:

When Washington Wizards Owner Abe Pollin was laid to rest two weeks ago, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty was noticeably absent from the services. WTOP has learned Fenty opted to attend a Wizards basketball game in Miami…

…At a dedication of an affordable housing complex the Pollin family is building in Ward 7, Fenty offered his condolences to Pollin’s family and friends.

“There are not enough words nor actions that we can say or do to ever really commemorate this man’s life the way it deserves.”

After the dedication, WTOP asked the mayor why he did not attend the funeral.

“I was out of town,” Fenty said. “I was with my family.”

When asked if he went to the Wizards game rather than the funeral, he declined comment repeatedly.

read the full story here

Marion Barry: We're talking About Illegal Acts on the Part of the Fenty Administration

Key Fenty officials refused to show up at an all day city-council hearing. The hearing looked at how $86 million dollars in city funds were given to Adrian Fenty's fraternity brother Omar Karim and his company Banneker Ventures without city council oversight. City Council members contend the non-competitive violated city law.

Marion Barry is quoted in the November 6th Washington Times

"We're talking about illegal acts on the part of the Fenty administration," said former mayor and council member Marion Barry, Ward 8 Democrat, invoking the names of former mayors. "Any mayor that believes in transparency would come down here and answer questions. Sharon Pratt Kelly would've come down here. Anthony Williams would've come down here. I would've come down here. Eighty-six million dollars has been hidden from the public. I wonder what they were thinking. That no one would find out?"

Yvette Alexander: We've Got to Get Rid of Fenty!

Yvette Alexander gave a speech at the Hardy Middle School PTA meeting after parents and teachers expressed opposition to Michelle Rhee's plans remove school principal Patrick Pope.

Yvette included in her speech this choice quote: "We’ve got to get rid of Fenty. And Rhee. And you can quote me on that!”

Georgetown Metropolitan has the full story.

DC Inspector General: $180 Million in Waste, Fraud Found in '09 Fiscal Year

The DC inspector general uncovered more than $50 million in waste and $125M in fraud during the past fiscal year, waste and abuse that account for more than 3% of the District's annual budget. The IG's audit division in FY09 issued 35 reports with hundreds of recommendations that if implemented would return $50.3M to DC coffers. The investigations division of the IG during 2009 presented 37 cases of fraud to the U.S. Attorney's Office and eight to the DC Office of the Attorney General, resulting in 25 arrests, 17 indictments, 16 convictions and restitution orders totaling $127.2M. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit garnered an additional $2.1M from provider settlements. Of the District's $5.4 billion budget, $180M amounts to 3.3% lost through waste, fraud, or abuse. The use of purchase cards by the Office of Unified Communications was the subject of a February audit in which the IG discovered numerous questionable or unjustified purchases -- including $15,000 to clean and maintain chairs and $59,365 for uniforms worn by employees who don't meet with the public. In November, OUC charged $900 for staff massages. read the full story in the Washington Examiner