Monday, October 19, 2009

The epidemic of ineffective government

On Sunday, the Washington Post published a heartbreaking piece looking at the District's HIV and AIDS support organizations. Debbie Cenziper's investigative reporting is damning to the District government, especially the city's HIV/AIDS Administration.

Make no mistake, this is a difficult article to get through. It tells a complex story that includes ghost payrolling, lack of oversight, inappropriate grant awards, and more. The 5,100+ word piece gets to the heart of why AIDS truly is DC's Katrina.

DC is a city with an AIDS infection rate greater than some West African nations. One out of every fifteen black males in the District of Columbia is HIV positive. We've heard these statistics before. We've also heard of government waste. The Post tells us about Renee Paige, who died on a bench just a mile from the HIV/AIDS Administration.

This tugs at the heartstrings. Again, we read about how the real DC lives. The story tries hard to leap off the page, to call us to action. Yet, I fear it will not. To those who can make a difference, to those who can influence elections, to those who vocally call for change--this story won't gain much traction.

We shake our head at out of control crime in the city, and we shake our head at poverty. We sit and wonder why teens turn to gangs, and to crime. We sit and wonder why the schools are failing as an epidemic of hopelessness and despair sweeps our city. Think about the image of Renee Paige dying on a bench. Think about the hundreds of thousands of dollars sent to ghost employees for non-profits that leave people out in the cold. Think of the government administrators who sent money to unlicensed, ineffective organizations.

This is but one more example of the District government failing it's population. How many more times will we read articles that include the terms "non-profit funding" and "FBI investigation." When will enough be enough? Or rather, will it ever be enough? How many more times will we hear of precious dollars being funneled away from people in need and into the pockets of those who cozy up to power.

2010 is an election year. Mayor Fenty and his iteration of the status quo are up for re-election. Will anyone challenge? Will that challenger offer anything new? Seems very unlikely. We've got an embattled Councilmember in Ward 1, Jim Graham, who will likely easily win re-election. In fact, it's likely he will face no challenger at all.

What kind of scandal do we need to get people to "vote the bums out?" Scores of talented and idealistic people have moved to DC in the past decade. These groups are still a minority in this city, but they could be much more vocal. Will they take up the cause? Will they organize?

It seems doubtful.

by Dave Stroup, filed under City Hall at 7:00AM

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