Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 04/15/2002

Dear Sarge:
It is appalling that Mayor Tony Williams is spearheading the effort to bring the Mike Tyson fight to the Nation’s capitol, only a few short months after discouraging handicapped people, including disabled veterans, from visiting Washington, D.C. Because of his efforts, changes were made for handicapped parking at meters by non-residents.

The new law that went into effect last August requires that disabled drivers from other states must obtain a DC-issued placard to take advantage of on-street parking. This is required even though I have been issued handicapped licensed plates by the Commonwealth of Virginia. What ever happened to reciprocity? I am sure that most Virginia jurisdictions honor DC handicapped license plates.

I used to enjoy visiting DC to join friends for lunch at various fine restaurants. Many times it was difficult to find a parking space particularly at busy building sites. The reason--many spaces were occupied with construction vehicles with handicapped permits. The effort to curb fraudulent use of handicapped plates and placards is laudable, but could have been resolved more equitably by better enforcement than by punishing all handicapped eligible drivers.

I did attempt to drive into DC once after the law changed and parked in a public garage and was charged $18.00 for approximately 2 hours. Applying for a DC handicapped permit which consists of 8 pages including instructions for completion by a physician is a joke.

No more will I visit Washington, DC except for an extreme necessity. Mayor Williams can have his Mike Tyson fight. By the way, a good slogan for his re-election campaign would be "Show me the money".

Leon S.
Springfield, VA

Dear Leon:
The good news is that the Tyson fight has been nixed in D.C. And the even better news is that Congresswoman Connie Morella (R-MD), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on the District of Columbia, shares your concern about parking for disabled persons and is in the process of doing something about it. She has prepared legislation to provide reciprocity for you and other out-of-state holders of legitimate disabled parking permits to receive the same parking privileges as those issued by the DC Department of Motor Vehicles.

In an August 22, 2001 letter to Mayor Williams and Chairman Linda Cropp of the D. C. Council, Congresswoman Morella, commenting on the new DC law wrote, “Although the law was designed to address those who abuse the handicapped parking permits, it has been brought to my attention that the implementation of this law may result in some unintended consequences. First, the application for obtaining a District-issued handicap tag or placard appears to be overly burdensome and intrusive. . . . . Second, visitors from throughout the nation who drive to our nation’s capital will be required to apply for District-issued handicap tags to be eligible to park free for double the time limit stated on the meter. Apparently, the news of the change in parking reciprocity for handicapped individuals has not been disseminated in each area. The result is that tourists with legal handicapped placards or license tags from other states will be subject to fines either because they did not know they must obtain D.C.-issued handicap tags, or they may not have been able to present – in person – the appropriate, notarized documentation at the Medical Review Office during normal working hours. “ It is apparent that these individuals may end up with parking violations.

SHAFT KUDOS
Plan to join the American Legion Press Club Post 20 at a luncheon on April 23. The guest speaker will be the Honorable Edward A. Powell, Jr., President and CEO of the USO. Before accepting the top position at USO, Mr. Powell served as Assistant Secretary for Financial Management at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and later as Acting Deputy Secretary. Under his leadership, VA received its first clean audit opinion. As a result he received the VA’s Exceptional Service Award and was named Distinguished Federal Executive for 2000.
Mr. Powell owned and managed several successful business ventures, and he is former Adjunct Professor of Business Ethics and Policy at the University of Richmond Reynolds School of Business. He has been active in the Young President’s Organization since the age of 32, and is now active in the World President’s Organization School of Business. 

The meeting will include a free buffet lunch in the Committee Room of the Reliable Source if you call Past Commander Ken Blackshaw at 703-356-1123. You must call by April 18. 

The Sarge is looking forward to joining members of the Press Club, media and guests to a Press Club luncheon on April 25 featuring Kay Coles James, Director, Office of Personnel Management. Most recently, Ms. James was a Senior Fellow and Director of The Citizenship Project at the Heritage Foundation. She also served as Dean of the School of Government at Regent University and Chair of the National Gambling Impact Study Commission. She was Secretary of Health and Human Resources for former Virginia Governor George Allen where she designed and implemented Virginia’s landmark welfare reform initiative. Her prior positions included senior vice president of the Family Research Council, associate director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and as assistant secretary for public affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She was appointed by President Reagan and reappointed by President George H.W. Bush as head of the National Commission on Children. Kay Coles James is a graduate of Hampton University in Hampton, VA and is the author of three books, an autobiographical, Never Forget, and Transforming America: >From the Inside Out, and the third book will be released in September. For reservations contact Pat Nelson of the Press Club at (202) 662-7500 or 662-7501.

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-462-4430 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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