Ehrlich on Washington column, April 23, 1995

REPORT FROM WASHINGTON By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. WEEK OF APRIL 23, 1995 GIVING D.C. TO MARYLAND WON’T SOLVE ITS PROBLEMS Recently I had the chance to speak to a group of firefighters in my district about the recent achievements of the 104th Congress. When I spoke about the need to devolve power away from Washington and back to the states and localities, one member of the group wryly and astutely observed: “Local governments do work best. . .except in Washington, D. C.” This comment drew a hearty round of laughter from all of us. At the same time, it reminded me of how truly ironic and sad it is that our nation’s capital— the city which should showcase what is best in America— has come to such a sorry state. Washington, D. C. is now routinely referred to as the “murder capital” of the nation. Only blocks from the U. S. Capitol Building, people live in poverty and despair— the result of failed welfare policies that sustain hopelessness rather than broaden opportunity. The District is also undergoing its worst fiscal crisis ever. Because of a bloated city bureaucracy which employs almost twice as many people as other cities of the same size, the District of Columbia is experiencing a $722 million financial shortfall. Last week President Clinton signed into law a bill creating a powerful financial control board to oversee the spending habits of the city government. I believe that it is a necessary first step towards getting our nation’s capital back on the road to solvency. The new law permits the District to balance its budget over the next four years. It empowers the control board to continue reviewing the city’s finances for a minimum of eight years. But many observers feel that getting the District’s house in order will take much longer. While this is an effective response to the crisis at hand, it is important that the District