No Pains No Gaines » My Suggestions
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January 2, 2007
Dear Newly Sworn In Mayor Adrian Fenty
  Category: Our Elected Officials, My Suggestions   |     Posted By: David Gaines @ 9:52 pm  

The other day in the paper, there were some letters to incoming mayor Adrian Fenty written by residents. These letters addressed the lesser known issues around the city such as the trash which begins in the streets and ends up in the river, the abandoned buildings which invite criminal activity and the reversible lanes on Connecticut Avenue which increases the frequency of dangerous driving habits.

Obviously we all want to see something done to correct the public safety issues, the educational system issues and other key concerns, but sometimes just focusing on the smaller more manageable issues can really go a long way.

So what would I write if I wrote a letter to newly sworn in mayor Adrian Fenty? Let’s see…

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   Speak Your Mind
August 2, 2006
Bringing Changes and New Ideas to the Libraries
  Category: DC Libraries, My Suggestions   |     Posted By: David Gaines @ 9:16 pm  

Every now and again I’ll have a conversation with people about the crime happening in Washington, DC. And to my amazement, just about everyone tends to respond with the same with of thinking. When hearing about the millions of dollars spent on police officers and removing abandoned cars, people generally say that money needs to be spent on the next generation.

Apparently you don’t have to be a politician to figure it out. If you really want to reduce crime, give the youth today something to do so they don’t get sucked up into a life of crime. Sure, the curfew may prevent them from becoming victims or roaming the streets looking for trouble, but it still doesn’t solve the problem of preventing them from eventually having nothing better to do but enter into the world of criminal activity.

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June 21, 2006
The Unofficial Quick Guide to Riding Metro
  Category: METRO, My Suggestions   |     Posted By: David Gaines @ 2:06 pm  

When I first got to Washington, DC, I learned the hard way the life of a METRO rider. From the minute you get on the escalator to the minute you leave the station, you are vulnerable to public scorn, flying elbows and being humped at rush hour. This is your quick guide to riding the METRO, especially written for those of you new to the nation’s capital subway system.

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April 7, 2006
If They Litter, I Say Make Them Go Get It
  Category: Crime/Public Safety, My Suggestions   |     Posted By: David Gaines @ 3:40 pm  

After spending the week out and about for the Cherry Blossom Festivities, I couldn’t help but to wonder why people would throw their trash just about anywhere they pleased. You see the beauty of the cherry blossoms, the majesty of the monuments, the trees, the kids, the everything; and people wanna litter? Well, I will admit that just about every single trash can I saw was way past capacity! Maybe the city should’ve put out more trash cans.

Then again, looks like they have a better idea. The DC Council is thinking about giving the police authority to write tickets to those who litter. Council member Kwame Brown introduced the idea of letting police have the ability to actually enforce the law. There’s already a $75 fine and/or eight hours of community service if you litter. But seems like up to now, no one has been enforcing it. I say pass it.

Did you know that each month, that’s every 30 some days, officials estimate that 70 TONS of trash is removed from the Anacostia River? I say raise the litter fine to $150 and add a mandatory 16 hours of cleaning up the Anacostia River.