DC Government

The DC Police Union (“D.C. Police Union represents the 3,000 officers, detectives and sergeants of the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department.”) wrote:

“Over the weekend, DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson called the police because there were peaceful protesters at his house. Because he decimated the police department with horrible legislation and our staffing now has 800+ vacancies, there was a delay in responding to his home.

Because of the delay, @ChmnMendelson called and screamed at the OUC and MPD staff. There is now a PERMANENT security detail at his home staffed by an MPD officer who should be handling more important matters.

We currently have 3,100 total sworn members, the lowest in 50 years, and we now have to dedicate one of them to be a security blanket for a man who hates cops, while other people calling 911 for real emergencies will have to wait. This nonsense must end immediately.”

A resident, Meg Krause, replied:

“It’s entirely unhelpful to spread inaccurate information about incidents like this. Highly doubt the Chairman called and screamed, especially having witnessed how kind he was to the officers that showed up after the protesters left. A few other lies in your story. (more…)

31st and O Street, NW

“Dear PoPville,

I figured you may want to post it so people can identify the correct authorities to be informed. 311 was totally unhelpful.”

Any ideas beyond 311?

On Monday we posted about the “Crisis of the Throne bathrooms”.

Yesterday City Administrator Kevin Donahue waded into and weighed in on the crisis:

“Although we found funding to keep the Thrones pilot program running until Sept 30, the Council plans to pay for the public toilets program next year by **terminating** 60 DC Department of Public Works employees who are working on keeping our streets and sidewalks clean.”

STAY TUNED.

Tim Ebner shares with us yesterday:

“This intersection (Starburst Plaza) is what I like to call “somebody else’s problem.” Case in point: Today, I helped a man get life-saving care with Narcan nasal spray after an overdose that almost killed him.Read on, and let’s hold our city leaders accountable, so someone doesn’t die from a preventable overdose (more…)

photo by Adam Fagen

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Mayor Muriel Bowser, working with Ward 2 Councilmember and Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety Brooke Pinto, announced the Juvenile Curfew Emergency Amendment Act of 2025, emergency legislation to strengthen and enhance enforcement and accountability tools for juveniles, with a specific focus on a stronger and more flexible curfew program.

“Most of our young people are doing the right thing, but unfortunately, we continue to see troubling trends in how groups of young people are gathering in the community – in ways that too often lead to violence and other unlawful behaviors,” said Mayor Bowser. “And when we see patterns of unsafe or unlawful behavior that put young people and the community at risk, we have to act. This emergency legislation gives us stronger, more flexible tools to prevent violence and disorder before it starts and to keep our community safe.”

The legislation seeks flexibility in the District’s juvenile curfew to allow the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to ensure the safety of juveniles and the public. The legislation is being submitted for consideration by the Council of the District of Columbia’s July 1 Legislative Meeting.

“Our young people deserve safe and engaging recreation spaces throughout our city and this summer we must explore additional programming to support their diverse interests and activities,” said Councilmember Brooke Pinto. “We also must empower the Chief of Police with additional tools to protect our kids and prevent violence before it occurs with the authority to call for certain areas to have earlier curfews for kids if situations get out of control with large groups. We can and must do both.”

While MPD has used various methods to address past conduct of juveniles, including enhanced enforcement of the disturbance of the peace offenses, working with local businesses on signage related to trespassing by unaccompanied minors, and requests for a restricted curfew in the Wharf, the tools available are limited.

The legislation will ensure the safety of juveniles and the public by: (more…)

Speaking of the budget…

According to Car and Driver: “The price of the 2025 Rivian R1T starts at $71,700 and goes up to $101,700 depending on the trim and options.”

Maybe DC got a deal from Rivian?

Not sure what year or model this one is but…curious vehicle to be hauling around tree detritus…

AND completely unrelated a few blocks away: (more…)

photo by angela n.

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Mayor Muriel Bowser shared Grow DC, her Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Budget. Grow DC is a bold, proactive growth agenda to generate new economic activity, create new jobs for DC residents, and increase revenue to support city services and programs.

“With this budget, we’re not waiting for change to happen – we’re making change happen. The Growth Agenda is about creating jobs for DC residents and generating the economic activity we need to keep DC a world-class city,” said Mayor Bowser. “This budget acknowledges the challenges we are facing, but also includes bold, forward-thinking solutions to change our economic trajectory.”

Washington, DC continues to thrive as a world-class city, welcoming record numbers of visitors, balancing budgets for 29 consecutive years, having the fastest-improving urban school district in the country, and driving crime down to historic lows. However, recent federal actions have resulted in a shifting economy – both for the city and the entire region. The Chief Financial Officer’s February revenue estimate forecasts revenues to be reduced by $1 billion over the next four years, driven by the expected loss of 40,000 federal government-related jobs, reduced income, and lower consumer spending.

To meet the moment, Grow DC focuses on growing DC’s economy, rightsizing government spending, cutting red tape and making it easier to do business in DC, and investing in shared priorities. Mayor Bowser’s budget avoids any tax increases and strengthens DC’s long-term economic outlook by protecting critical programs and services.

More than half of local funds are invested in public education and human support services. The $2.6 billion FY26 capital budget prioritizes DC Public Schools facilities, transportation networks, and WMATA.

Below are the highlights of investments and initiatives in Mayor Bowser’s FY26 budget proposal: (more…)