Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
D.C. Council signals a turn on traffic-camera fines
City lawmakers on Tuesday answered a mounting chorus of motorists who say the District is burdening them with pricey traffic-camera fines in an attempt to balance the local budget under the banner of public safety. Published October 16, 2012
Activists for D.C.’s disabled see ‘red’ over parking meters plan
Advocates told a D.C. Council committee on Monday that legislation to reserve about 10 percent of the city's on-street parking spots for disabled motorists — yet require them to pay — appeared to be a revenue grab that overburdens a population with limited transit options. Published October 15, 2012
Mendelson to talk to Graham before acting on Metro report
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said Monday he owes fellow city lawmaker Jim Graham the "courtesy" of a sit-down meeting to discuss a recent report that claims Mr. Graham violated rules of conduct while representing the District on the Metro board in 2008. Published October 15, 2012
Playoff has extra meaning for Nationals’ No. 1 fan — D.C. Mayor Gray
Last winter, the man largely credited with morphing the Washington Nationals from perennial losers to the talk of the town left D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray a voice-mail message. Published October 9, 2012
Norton walking tightrope on D.C. referendum
The District's non-voting member of Congress was put in a tough spot last week when all 12 members of the D.C. Council decided to support a springtime referendum that would allow voters to weigh in on budget autonomy, the long-sought ability to set the city's fiscal year and spend local funds without being tied to the spending-approval process on Capitol Hill. Published October 7, 2012
Norton in tough spot between budget autonomy bill and congressional cooperation
The District's non-voting member of Congress was put in a tough spot this week when all 12 members of the D.C. Council decided to support a springtime referendum that would allow voters to weigh in on budget autonomy, the long-sought ability to set the city's fiscal year and spend local funds without being tied to the spending approval process on Capitol Hill. Published October 5, 2012
Plans for D.C. health insurance marketplace move forward
The District of Columbia will forge ahead with plans to build a virtual marketplace where the uninsured and small businesses can compare health insurance providers, even if Republican nominee Mitt Romney wins the White House and President Obama's signature health care law is repealed, city officials said Thursday. Published October 4, 2012
Debate for two D.C. Council seats maintains civil tone
Maybe it was the setting — a house of worship — but a quartet of candidates vying for two at-large seats on the D.C. Council eschewed the bitter rhetoric and personal attacks that have dominated the past few weeks for veiled swipes and even cordiality during a debate in Georgetown on Thursday. Published October 4, 2012
Security, traffic control in on-deck circle for Nats
The Washington Nationals and half of D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray's Cabinet are ironing out plans to beef up security, vendor inspections and traffic control in and around Nationals Park next week when the city hosts its first baseball postseason game in almost 80 years, officials said Wednesday. Published October 3, 2012
D.C. Council to seek budget freedom from Hill
The president could be forced to side either with the District or lawmakers on Capitol Hill if D.C. residents support a charter referendum next spring that would allow their elected leaders to spend local funds without approval from Congress. Published October 2, 2012
D.C. may reserve 10% of meters for disabled
A D.C. Council member will introduce a bill Tuesday that reserves more than 10 percent of the District's on-street parking spaces for disabled motorists, a "red-top" meter program designed to comply with federal law despite cutting into an already thin supply of curbside spots in the nation's capital. Published October 1, 2012
D.C. Council to consider charter amendment on budget autonomy
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson plans to introduce a charter referendum bill on Tuesday that, if passed, will allow city voters to say whether their elected leaders should be able to spend local funds without pre-approval from Congress. Published October 1, 2012
Mendelson praises LivingSocial Metro deal for Nats playoffs
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson is grateful that daily deal-provider LivingSocial "stepped up" and offered to put down a deposit to cover any costs from extended Metro service after late-night playoff games at Nationals Park this month. Published October 1, 2012
District eyes Nationals’ playoff payoff in revenues batted in
For months, the District's money-minders have been rubbing their hands together at the prospect of playoff-driven revenue from the surging Washington Nationals. Published September 30, 2012
Pre-election mailing puts D.C. Council member Orange in a gray area
D.C. Council member Vincent B. Orange is set to host a small-business summit downtown on Friday -- a who's who event at which Mayor Vincent C. Gray and top officials discuss business opportunities in the city -- but a mailing that advertises the event tests the delicate boundary between an incumbent's duties and the fight for name recognition on the path to Election Day. Published September 27, 2012
LivingSocial funds Metro service for Nats playoff games
Daily-deal provider LivingSocial delivered a clutch hit for the Washington Nationals and the District on Thursday by offering to pay for extended Metro train service in October, if needed, when the ballclub enters the playoffs for the first time in decades. Published September 27, 2012
D.C. alcohol board members criticize pick for chairman
A pair of D.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Board members on Thursday accused Mayor Vincent C. Gray's pick to chair the independent body of creating a "toxic" environment behind the scenes while the board grinds through its heavy workload. Published September 27, 2012
Thomas investigation ongoing
Federal prosecutors on Thursday signaled the investigation into former D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr.'s scheme to bilk $350,000 in city funds is alive and well, even if the ousted lawmaker is already serving time at a prison in Alabama. Published September 27, 2012
Gray helps demolish ‘worst shopping center in the city’
With the swipe of a mechanical claw, D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray demolished a slice of a Ward 7 retail center that has been a sore point for officials and residents alike for two decades and symbolized the challenges that come with ambitious projects east of the Anacostia River. Published September 26, 2012
City gets in gear to inaugurate president
D.C. officials are gearing up for Inauguration Day festivities that will stretch from the U.S. Capitol to the White House, a logistical tightrope walk that costs millions, requires onlookers to deal with street-level checkpoints and puts city hall in the hands of the Secret Service. Published September 25, 2012
