DC's Black Voices

2006-08-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

DC's Black Voices

Less than 30 days until we go to the polls to vote for Mayor of the District of Columbia. Who's your choice, Cropp or Fenty, and why?

2006-02-10T10:15:00.000-08:00

DC's Black Voices

Next meeting for the CNCMC

Monday, Feb. 20th @ 6:30 p.m. at 3939 Benning Rd. NE. This meeting is a strategy session for supporters of the National Capital Medical Center only.

2006-02-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

DC's Black Voices Public Enemy #1

Now that I have been labeled in the February 1, 2006 edition of DCWatch as, “the ugliest, nastiest and most offensive” writer this blog has ever published, I’m not going to waste space attempting to defend my position as it relates to that ‘lost soul’ I took to task in my last posting. But I will share a little bit of who I am and why I feel the way I do about this community.

After 10 years as a television news journalist, and facing what would have been my third move in five years, I decided I had had enough. I really wanted to establish some roots in the District—so I stayed. I worked in New Orleans before coming to DC in 1995. The two cities are very similar; both depend heavily on the tourism industry, both have problems with the public school system, both struggle with an almost daily increasing murder count, and they also have a black majority of colorful people. However, the glaring differences is that DC is a government town and the home to the most educated population of African Americans you’ll find anywhere in the world. I’m proud of the latter fact, but I’m also a little disappointed; because the few that have made it have consciously allowed themselves to be silenced. When I was in the news business, I was only allowed to say so much. Every word was scripted and subject to being censored and edited. That is the TV news business. But now that I’m self-employed, I can freely share some of my observations.

After you scrape away all the rhetoric, blind yourself to race and sexual orientation, and get down to the real issues, the people who call DC home are all basically the same. We want safe, clean and healthy communities. We want our children to get a quality education and have the options that that will offer. We want to work and own property. And we expect our government to do the right thing. Essentially, we all recognize the need for an equal distribution of this city’s resources; i.e., jobs, health care, vocational education and affordable housing.

This brings me to the debate on the National Capital Medical Center. First of all, the quality of healthcare dispensed from DC General Hospital, the nine community health centers and Public School Nurse Program of the Public Benefit Corporation was never an issue. The problems were in management, billing, collections and facilities. The place was hemorrhaging money, and instead of addressing those four areas, the Mayor and the Financial Control Board’s solution was to shut it down. This was the ill-fated process used to close DC General Hospital. First, administrators of the hospital were responsible for the submission of a detailed closure plan that addressed the needs of patients that were currently admitted, and patients that accessed that facility for services in the past. Second, the Department of Health (DOH) approved the plan and coordinated the process; which included, DOH advising the community by facilitated public hearings, providing resource information and ensuring provisions were made for the safekeeping, storage and accessibility of patient medical records. Sensing a potential political powder keg, District officials answered the expressed concerns regarding the desertion of a community by saying that systems would be put in place to ensure residents had access to the same level of care and services. DOH was charged with developing a health care access program for uninsured and uninsurable residents of the District with incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and inmates of the DC Jail. The DC HealthCare Alliance was put in place to fill the void that was left once the hospital’s doors closed to inpatient care. Greater Southeast was awarded a 5-year contract to manage the Alliance program, and as such, the institution was to establish itself as a Level 1 trauma center. This never happened. Greater SE was also charged with establishing a Satellite Emergency Department (SED) at the DC General site. It was supposed to house one or two EMS vehicles so transportation would be readily available to patients accessing the SED in need of a higher-level of care. This was poorly implemented and eventually phased out.

The parent company of Greater SE was also plagued with financial difficulties. The parent company was using the Alliance money to jet set and run its other healthcare operations around the country. DOH sources say it never invested in the physical plant at Greater SE, DC General or the community clinics. In combination with these issues, and the facility holding area’s inability to pass the Fire Department’s inspection, the contract was cancelled and turned over to DOH. Now there it is, the District simply never delivered on its promise to the citizens in the eastern sector of our community.

I hope this answers some of your questions and makes the argument as it pertains to need.

2006-02-01T06:06:00.000-08:00

DC's Black Voices

Why don't they put the NCMC over there?

This question has come up several times during this debate. The more enlightened members of the community agree with the CNCMC that a Level 1 trauma center is needed, but ask, "Why not put it in wards 7 or 8?"

I've gotten two answers to that question:
1. There is no city owned land in those two wards large enough to adequately handle the size and traffic flow created by a Level 1 trauma center.
2. Reservation 13, the DC General site, is the only obvious location for this proposed state-of-the-art facility.

What do you think?

2006-01-29T17:41:00.000-08:00

DC's Black Voices

The Big "O" got got!

Late last year, Oprah endorsed a book called 'A Million Little Pieces.' In it, the author told his personal story of drug addiction. The problem was most of the book was lies -- total bullshit. Last week, Oprah finally had to deal with this deception and confronted the author on her show. The show was watched by 9.5 million Americans. It was must see T.V. in its truest form. Unfortunately, it was too little too late because 3.5 million books had already been sold; after the show the sales of the book pushed it back into the top five.
In the end, the author is now rich and Oprah is still famous -- so who loses?

2006-01-26T05:51:00.000-08:00

DC's Black Voices

The Certificate of Need--what's the deal?

Opponents of the National Capital Medical Center are calling for the Certificate of Need process to block the initiative from happening.

Should the supporters of the NCMC be concerned about this strategy?

The CON process in the District is in place to ensure that services (hospital, stand alone outpatient, equipment and additional beds) are not duplicated in the same vicinity. Along the same lines, it ensures that new providers are not moving into an established providers backyard or trying to monopolize a service.
In some states the CON process is also done on the back end, if a hospital decides to close. This is to ensure that communities/patients aren't left without other health care options. Mind you, this didn't happen in the case of DC General.
Not every state requires the CON process. As a matter of fact, recently DC didn't use the process for 13 years. The opponents of the NCMC can legally tie up this initiative in the CON process for 5 years. This move would increase the cost commitment for the District exponentially and continue to leave a sector of the community without immediate access to a Level 1 trauma center.

So the question is can the Council members really support the NCMC and at the same time vote for the CON?
Or is this just a move to straddle the political fence on this issue?

2006-01-17T08:07:00.000-08:00

Thieves in the Black Church!

Recently a brother shared a site with me that gives an interesting look at some of the major ministers in the church. Check it out and let's chat...www.pulpit-pimps.org

2006-01-12T20:15:00.000-08:00

DC's Black Voices

I attended a meeting January 12th in Ward 7, where the subject was DC health care. More specifically, it was a strategy session for the proposed National Capital Medical Center. The room was filled with black folks from Wards 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 -- all in support of this new hospital. Ward 7 Councilman Vincent Gray was there along with representatives from the city administrator's office, Howard University, and a public relations firm. Before the meeting ended, we established a new organization called the Citizens for the National Capital Medical Center (CNCMC).

The most important thing I learned is that Howard University plans to create a non-profit to run a smaller in-patient hospital on Georgia Avenue NW and move the Level 1 trauma hospital and 250 beds to Ward 6 to fill the existing acute health care void in that sector of the District. This being the case, why is there a need for the City Council to submit this proposal before the Certificate Of Need (CON) process? After all, Howard is just moving their trauma services from one location where there's more than adequate health care coverage to an area of desperate need.

The reason I introduced race in the third sentence is because, as much as I would have liked to have seen a rainbow of faces in that gathering, it's clear to me that either we need to do a better job of enlisting others to this campaign, or they simply don't see this as their fight. Now, if the former is true, the CNCMC plans to address that, but if the latter is the case, then I say we don't need them anyway. One of the strategies the CNCMC agreed on is a concentrated effort to lobby those seeking office in November. Plainly stated, if you want to be the next Mayor, Council Chair, or At-Large Councilmember, then you must publicly support our issues and cast a Yes vote for the hospital and a No vote on the CON process! Anything short of that is unacceptable.

The CNCMC knows the opponents of this measure plan to use the CON as a hurdle to block this hospital. That being the case, the CNCMC plans to galvenize support within our community first, and then launch a well orchestrated counter attack with accurate information to challenge those on the editorial staff of the Post.

2006-01-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

DC's Black Voices

New Orleans -- will it ever be the same?

2006-01-12T11:19:00.000-08:00

DC's Black Voices

The Redskins' handling of LaVar Arrington, is that about race or just bad business?

Just to give you a little history about this organization: They are the only NFL team with a racially offensive mascot. They were the last team in the league to intergrate. After winning their last Super Bowl, they fired their record setting black quarterback because he asked for more money.

Now I ask again, is this about race or is this organization so culturally detached that they simply haven't thought about their actions?

It blows my mind that some of my folks, African Americans in DC, can support an organization that gives their middle finger to the Native Americans. The mentality around the beltway is like, as long as they are not called the Washington Niggers, Kikes, Wet Backs or Gooks -- I got no problem with it. That's insane. Just think what would happen if those four minority groups banned together to boycott the team...to force a name change. The team would immediately become a national embarassment and the league would step in. On the other hand, the team could preempt this and launch a national name change campaign and get loads of free positive press. My submission would be the Washington Warriors. Now what's not to like about that?

2006-01-12T11:16:00.000-08:00

DC's Black Voices

Marion Barry, the man, the politician, the legend...where does he go from here?

2006-01-12T10:25:00.000-08:00

On my last submission, I tried to explain why I and many others, feel the way we do about Marion Barry. For that, we are called apologists and enablers. Then Gary Imhoff went as far as mocking me, by labeling Mr. Barry as a "Race Hero." The gloves are off now.
I would like to examine what gives you, and people like you, free license to personally attack members of my community. Is it because you, for one, are married to an African American woman? I wonder... If you show this level of insensitivity and lack of understanding towards our race, what do you really think of your wife? Hmmm...
Or is it because you feel that since you have read a few African American authors and watched Eye On The Prize and Roots...this somehow qualifies you to know our experience and therefore feel free to attack our leaders and issues? I have worked with countless ignorant and arrogant news directors who honestly feel just as you do, and see absolutely nothing wrong with it.
I will say to you, Gary Imhoff, and the others like you, we know Marion Barry. He is our brother and we love him. Our love for each other is unconditional. And further more, we don't have to apologize to anyone outside our community; because we don't share their warped sense of humor.
Do us all a favor, throw your barbs at George Bush, Jack Abramoff and their bunch...you'll get no quarrel from me.
I truly believe it is your kind who do more damage to this beautiful city and not defenseless addicts like Mr. Barry.

Leo Alexander

2006-01-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

Marion Barry -- Leo Alexander

To those who are having trouble understanding the "betrayal" [themail, January 4]: I remember when I first came to the District to work for WRC-TV4 as a news reporter in 1995. I wanted to know how did this community reelect a man after that famous bust at the Vista Hotel. I knew, because of my experience as a black man in this country and a child of the movement, that when the government is investigating you and the majority of the white community doesn't like you, then you must be doing something right. I couldn't wait to get here to witness it myself -- what is it about this one brother? After attending my first Mayor Barry press conference I knew the deal. Regardless of his personal weaknesses; i.e., drug addiction, women, taxes, etc., to me, his proud legacy will remain that he tried to create a level playing field for his community. In spite of everything, black folks simply know Marion Barry will never sell them out. Unfortunately, many whites like Gary Imhoff will never understand or fully appreciate this and that's because they believe everyone has a price. Not Mr. Barry. That is why the former mayor felt betrayed by that robbery and also why we as a community have to do a better job educating our young about our history and its many colorful heroes. As flawed as he may be, Marion Barry is one of my heroes, and I, for one, don't care if Imhoff and his ilk do not understand. They never will.