Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Gutted Noise Bill Passed Council

The District of Columbia has a new and toothless noise bill. I'm busy with work, so I'll let the Washington City Paper give you the play-by-play [Read more HERE]:

Gutted Noise Bill Passes 9-4: Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.’s pro-union amendment passed and the full bill both passed 9-4. Original bill sponsors Tommy Wells and Mary Cheh both voted against in both cases, along with David Catania and Carol Schwartz. Chairman Vincent C. Gray and Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry, though both in support of the union position, denounced in strong terms labor’s targeting their colleagues. Barry said he was “very upset with my friends in the labor movement”; Gray said he was “offended and disappointed to see what happened” to Kwame Brown and Yvette Alexander.

Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas borrowed Jack Evans' amendment, which passed 9-4. It raises the decibel level limit from 70 to 80 dB, restricts the limit to R-1 through R-4 zones, and changes the requirement for measurement to inside the home.

Basically, this offers zero protection for our downtown friends and allows the noise of a freight train inside a residential bedroom.

We are grateful for the tenacity of all D.C. residents who stood up for their rights--especially our elected Councilmembers Tommy Wells, Mary Cheh, David Catania and Carol Schwartz. They truly fought the hard fight for the residents of the District of Columbia.

Thank you.

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Barry said he was “very upset with my friends in the labor movement”; Gray said he was “offended and disappointed to see what happened” to Kwame Brown and Yvette Alexander.

David, can you explain this? What happened to Kwame Brown and how was he targeted?

7:08 PM  
Blogger Klav said...

Under the umbrella group dubbed the Speak and Be Heard Coalition, labor groups on Friday, launched a radio ad, invoking the names of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), that chided council members Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7) and Kwame R. Brown (D-At Large).

In the 60-second ad, a narrator says, "Hands off free speech or we will let our votes speak for us."

The ad distorted completely distorted the noise issue.

9:59 PM  

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