What is it about black-run cities and their affection for convicted felons?
In a perpetual comedy of errors especially embarrassing for a “black” city, the DC government has once again revealed its collective low IQ. With the cognitive adeptness of a gnat, the Metropolitan Police Department, charged with executing the law, hires criminals to guard criminal-infested schools.
The government’s dealings with the Watkins Security Agency (owned by Watkins Group, Inc.) are fraught with controversy. After a city auditor’s reported revealed that Watkins was the least competent among the contract bidders, the government — get this — retained Watkins to continue guarding schools through a series of short-term contracts.
That government schools require security guards is pitiful in its own right, but the people responsible for protecting students against thug students are thugs themselves. Ain’t skin color preferences grand? Our dead Civil Rights forebears, especially those killed on the front lines, would be so proud.
The brain cell-deficient politicians who run DC ought to hire smart people to turn its laughingstock “rule” into something resembling a well-run city. Can a black-run city ever be well-run? I’d have to answer that in the negative, especially after learning that DC replaced Watkins with Hawk One, another security agency that hires criminals!
In this age of terrorism, why would you hire anyone of any color or religion to provide armed protection without a criminal background investigation?
I spent months waiting for the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate my measly background before I could even enter the building! And as a law-abiding citizen, I can’t have a gun in DC if I want to remain law-abiding. But idiots who were locked up for preying on innocent people get their very own government-sanctioned firearms.
We’ve let the lunatics have the full run of the place.
(Big hat tip to DC Education Blog)
Other sources:
I’m a public educator who is completely fed up with the system. Public education is a ridiculously inefficient, top-heavy beuracracy full of government funded programs that are astronomical in price and completely useless. We spend more time in training to “facilitate” new sensitivity programs than we do teaching. Personally, I would like to see education become completely privatized. Get the government out of the game except for being the book keeper. I still believe the government should collect taxes for education (about half of the current level) and send an equal monetary voucher to the home of every child pre-k through undergraduate college. Let the parents choose where their kids go to school. Let schools compete and get the government and its wastefulness and indoctorination programs out of the process. Sure, you may lose some of the “diversity” in schools, but honestly I’d rather have a safe, educated child than a child that recieves a substandard education so the government can play social engineer. Does anybody really believe the stupidity La Shawn posted about would be tolerated by parents (or even neccessary) if parents had the chance to choose where their child went to school?
Comment by Independent — 07.20.05 @ 1:04 pm
La Shawn, I just read the article you linked to. Appearently, if a Special officer runs afoul of the law, he is requierd to report his offence to this employer.
What kind of insanity is that? A criminal is not going to report on himself. Some people are so delusional, I can’t help wondering if there’s something in the water.
Comment by NYgirl — 07.20.05 @ 1:36 pm
It’s in the CA water too..
Comment by Baklava — 07.20.05 @ 1:38 pm
Somewhat related…
FYI, Mayor Street of Philly, the guy that claimed the corruption investigation of his administration was just a racist ploy by Bush to get him out of office… oddly silent on the 10 year sentencing of his man Kemp.
I think Street still claims the investigation was invented, and still railes against being called the 2nd worst mayor in America.
Comment by SCSIwuzzy — 07.20.05 @ 1:43 pm
La Shawn: Are you saying you can’t own a gun to keep in your home, in DC ????
I think you can. You may not be able carry, or transport it, but you can surely keep a firearm in your personal possession at home, if you want to.
Of course, if you lived in California, and are a celebrity, you get a permit immediately.
Comment by Glamchild — 07.20.05 @ 2:00 pm
LaShawn,
DC Schools are a joke. I worked for a company that put in a whole new broiler system in Malcolm X Elementary School about 3 years ago. It cost the school around 2 million dollars. The following year, they closed the school down. Go figure. Corruption is rampant down there.
Comment by bucktowndusty — 07.20.05 @ 2:01 pm
Dear Glamchild:
LaShawn is right. DC has one of the most restrictive gun control laws in the country. Ordinary folks are prohibitied from owning guns. That is one reason why the violent crime rate in DC is so high.
Only criminals have guns.
Non-criminals are not allowed to protect themselves. And it is not the job of any of the local police departments to protect ordinary folks from criminals–they only want to protect gummint offices from terrorists.
Bt the way, almost every elected official in the DC gummint is a Democrat. If you believe the Democrats’ rhetoric, DC should be paradise–but it is really more like the opposite place.
Comment by Diane C. Russell — 07.20.05 @ 2:08 pm
Glamchild
You are allowed to own certain shotguns and rifles as a DC resident, but only if they’re registered and stored in a broken down state or locked up and unloaded (which means they’re about useless for home protection if you go by the letter of the law). Handguns are a complete no-no.
LaShawn
Many thanks for the link! Keep up the good work.
Comment by Nathan — 07.20.05 @ 2:13 pm
LaShawn;
Recently, I testified in the Texas legislature in a futile attempt to stave off overwhelming property taxes that ostensibly go to educate the children of Texas. My efforts were in vain, and I sold my house at a two hundred thousand dollar loss. The children of Texas are not being educated, but the administrators are fat and sassy. I am overwhelmed with the idiocy that is being foisted upon the taxpayer in the US, at the expense of children who are being deprived of a chance to learn. Why are thugs allowed to cannibalize the education of the children who wish to learn? Why are the needs of the ‘behaviorly challenged’ superceding the needs of the ‘behaviorly disciplined’? Why have we allowed the concept of compassion to become so ‘bastardized’(I’m sorry for the rhetorical force of that word, but I am overwhelmed with the horror of the forces unleashed by liberal ideology upon the children of this country, at such enormous cost) that we use it to destroy the lives of so many people in this country? In Texas, there is a school district that spends $4,649 per pupil and is rated exemplary, while another spent $17,364 and did not perform as well. One district spent $28, 432. Meanwhile, we are providing children with a bi-lingual non-education, multi-cultural non-content instruction; a perverted self-esteem based system that is producing ignorant children who cannot handle the demands of a global society. How compassionate is that? I am disgusted. Furthermore, the level of teacher’s colleges is abysmal, and many of those teachers are migrating to urban areas. Out of compassion, we allow these inadequately prepared teachers to fail to educate hordes of children. Once again, the rights of the few supersede the rights of the majority. Why does anyone think it is compassionate to foist an inferior education on any child to make a teacher feel better about themself? what is going on here?
Comment by jan brauner — 07.20.05 @ 2:31 pm
There is a belief still lurking on the far Left that black criminals (especially violent ones) are in reality political prisoners of a “racist” judicial and economic system. Never mind that many of the victims of these criminals are themselves black. In this world-upside-down view, crime equals rebellion.
This notion was popular in the 60s, and still has a hold on many leftists today. You can see it in action every time a black defendant or his lawyer plays the race card, and politicians and the MSM flock to the case.
That’s why this story about DC schools does not surprise me.
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi — 07.20.05 @ 3:12 pm
jan brauner, I see it every day. After nine years of trying to actually teach in the corrupt and destructive system that is public education, I gave my resignation this summer. I’m interviewing at a private Christian school next week. Pray that I might get the chance to fulfill my calling to actually teach after trying to do so for nine years in public schools. There are good people in our public schools that are waking up and walking away. I pray that educators, parents and tax-paying citizens will raise their voices to a level that the legislature cannot ignore.
Comment by Independent — 07.20.05 @ 3:26 pm
Glamchild,
D.C. law does not allow for even the possession of a handgun by an ordinary citizen. However, much to my amazement, it apparently makes exceptions for convicted felons who are employed to guard schools and government agencies, at least that is the impression that I got from reading the links provided by La Shawn.
How is this possible? We do background checks for our police applicants as do all other police agencies in the country. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation does background checks for all applicants for both armed and unarmed security licenses. I cannot imagine anyone like the individuals described slipping through the cracks and getting licensed to do armed security. They must be issued their guns because there is now way they can pass a background check to buy one on their own.
By the way, how convenient it was for the one criminal/security guard (or special police officer as they call them in DC)to be issued a firearm so that he could resume his criminal activities on the way home from his full time job, kind of like having a part-time job for supplemental income.
Comment by Montie — 07.20.05 @ 3:54 pm
I read through all the articles, where is this a race preference issue? Did I miss something LaShawn?
I think the problem is that DC has an incompetent police department, they seem to let many things slip through the cracks in terms of licensing these guards.
do you have the name of the other bidders?
Comment by Dell Gines — 07.20.05 @ 4:05 pm
Raise your hand if you are embarrassed by the “leadership” provided by that Congressional Black Caucus thing?
Do you see them as true leaders? Is so who do they lead and if not, why are they allowed to exist as a racially exclusive entity?
I have never seen such a large collective of whiners, complainers, beggars, liars and downright kooks in my life out side the general Democrat Party.
Comment by Raymond — 07.20.05 @ 4:28 pm
Umm…
my hand is raised
Comment by Renee — 07.20.05 @ 4:33 pm
Well, gee, who better than a thug to deal with another thug?
Comment by Chuck — 07.20.05 @ 4:37 pm
Ok. I read the contract, and it seems of the seven companies that initially responded to the RFP, Watkins was the second highest scorer behind a company call MVM, Inc. MVM had problems with certain areas of the contract award, specifically the requirement to have 35% of its revenue stream be subcontract to LSDBE’s (local, small, disadvantaged businesses - a typical economic development tool in major cities)and MVM therefore was excluded. This made Watkins the number one scorer in the RFP. In other words, the most competitive.
The five making it to the bidding process were:
MVM Inc./Sub-Sentry Security International
Holiday International Security
Homeland Security Corporation/Sub-National Correction and Rehabilitation Center
Unlimited Security and
Watkins Security Agency of D.C
The panel evaluating the best and final offers determined that:
“The evaluation panel members were selected for their background and knowledge in the area of security and related issues. The evaluation panel submitted the evaluation summary on August 7, 2002 stating all offerors were considered to be in the competitive range.”
After the second BAFO - best and final offer, MVM, was out of the running, and with the final three, Watkins as mentioned above, was the most competitive after the second BAFO, best and final offer.
“The 2nd BAFO submitted by Holiday International, Homeland Security and Unlimited Security were evaluated so see if they add additional value to BAFO. None of them did.”
This isn’t a race preference issue, it is a poor business issue, and letting competitive capitalism and contract law be worked out. If the company wasn’t servicing the contract right, there is provision for termination.
Watkins contract was not race specific, the only ‘race’ issue that can be arrived at is in LSDBE certification in which one aspect of the certification can be race based upon the disadvantaged clause (it can also be women)and there are certain provisions external to race (IE it isn’t race alone but other qualifying functions) that go into disadvantaged status. In fact, more weight in the LSDBE is given to being a local and small business than it is to disadvantaged business. Regardless, this would only be made up of 35% of the revenue stream.
MVM would have received the award, if they would have agreed to bolster the locally owned small businesses through subcontracting. They didn’t, they lost.
“In accordance with 27 DCMR Chapter 16, the Contracting Officer determined that although MVM, Inc. was the highest scored Offeror, exceptions taken in their 2nd BAFO rendered their position untenable for a contract award. The offer of Watkins Security Agency of D.C., the second highest scored Offeror, was determined to be the most advantageous offer to the District of Columbia Public Schools, considering price and other factors in the solicitation”
The contract - http://www.dcpswatch.com/dcps/040227.htm
Info on LSDBE’s - http://olbd.washingtondc.gov/olbd/cwp/view,a,3,q,494938.asp#8
Comment by Dell Gines — 07.20.05 @ 4:38 pm
Well, I can’t find my comment on the nuke the Arabs post, you must have deleted it, but not before baklava called me judgemental. Not the case, bak, just bringing out my political incorrectness. It’s not countries we are fighting against, its factions, and that’s harder to fight against, so I don’t know know what the answer is. I sure wouldn’t turn the other cheek.
Since you’ve “lost respect” for me after the Tancredo post, why bother reading/commenting at all? I can’t figure why people who claim to hate/dislike/disrespect nonetheless read my blog. If you plan to continue commenting here, you’d better fake respect and follow my commenting rules. - Admin
Comment by Chuck — 07.20.05 @ 4:48 pm
Dell, the bidding process is one thing even though it appears everything has been done IAW FAR (Federal Acquistion Regs). But getting a good score is no indication of how the rubber will meet the road. Given DC proclivities to play games under the table, we can only hope that the Inspector General will shine a bright light on any nefariousness.
As for Watson vs Hawk One, there’s an old saying in contracting circles; “Same job, different hat”, or “same job, different paycheck”. Usually when a company wins a new for them contract, they will hire the incumbent staff, if said staff exists. For several reasons, ie practical, relying on institutional knowldge and saves on HR efforts.
The issue, as I read it revolves around the vetting process. And the pointing of fingers as to ultimate authority for thumbs-up/thumbs-down decisions appears to lie with the police department — you guessed it, government bureaucrats.
Now for the good, the bad and the ugly about background checks and your rights, I recommend that everyone check this link out — it will come in handy as a personal FYI:
http://www.esrcheck.com/docs/SAFE_Hiring_Program_ver_4.pdf
As you will see, neither Watson, nor Hawk One can really vouch for the bckground of their hires.
Comment by Andy — 07.20.05 @ 5:32 pm
Don’t worry about gun control. In DC it is illegal to have pepper spray as well. The public has no right to defend itself.
Just last week here in DC two blocks from my house a young women was attacked by a man. Stabbed numerous times.
She was saved by neighbors running out and attacking the attacker. They repeatedly hit him with a sign post which was lying on the ground and then restrained him until the police arrived.
Would a gun have made a difference - definitely. The attacker may be dead and thw women in a much better position.
But for a women to not even be able to carry pepper spray to deter an attacker is terrible.
Comment by davod — 07.20.05 @ 5:43 pm
PS.
I meant to mention the pdf may induce dozing, but you can read the magazine article that summarizes the pdf quite well, by clicking on my name below.
Comment by Andy — 07.20.05 @ 5:45 pm
LaShawn,
DC is a special case of a Federal city. Most of the middle case, Black and White, had moved to he suburbs by 1965. No city, county, etc can govern itself when the middle class move away. Yes, in 1965 I thought I was grown because I had a college degree, but I listened to people a lot older than myself. A black or Hispanic city can rule itself if the middle class (and conservative)
stay and fight the politicians. Houston elected Lou Brown mayor after he left as police chief. He is the PhD cop who worked first in Atlanta over someone who was killing young black males.
Conservatives must unite, if cities can be saved.
James M. Barber
Comment by James M. Barber — 07.20.05 @ 6:03 pm
Speaking of gun control — anyone know what position the new SCOTUS nominee takes on the Second Amendment?
He served on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, right? They “just blew off” a couple of gun-rights cases in the last year or so.
Comment by Ranten N. Raven — 07.20.05 @ 6:23 pm
Ranten, I’m VERY concerned about his second amendment position as well.
Comment by Independent — 07.20.05 @ 8:10 pm
As usual, a conservative (heck, liberals are the same. I’m somewhere in between because I won’t have a label put on me) gets it wrong. I didn’t say I had lost respect, I said I was losing it, I still have some. Besides, everyone’s focusing on the flip-flop at the White House issue. Keep up the good work, just don’t lose your Christian focus.
Comment by Chuck — 07.20.05 @ 9:18 pm
Independent, you have totally resurrected a horrendous day for me. What a gift! After being utterly slammed in the legislature by lobbyists and teacher’s unions whose self interests were totally vested in taking as much money as possible from those of us who pay taxes, and are losing our homes at astronomical rates.Meanwhile, educators are totally failing to educate our children. Our NAEP rates were the worst in the US with three Fs and a D-, with some districts failing to get more than 35% of all funding into the classroom. In Texas, all schools are paid from property taxes, so the burden has become overwhelming. If you lose your job, your property taxes simply march on. Independent, it was like a breath of fresh air to speak to someone who understood. I simply do not understand this country that I have returned to, after twenty-four years overseas.Thank God for people like you and LaShawn and everyone else that speaks with the voice of sanity.
Comment by jan brauner — 07.20.05 @ 9:22 pm
“Blowing off gun rights cases” is great! He did the right thing for sure. The Constitution is clear on gun ownership. Needs no review. There are enough laws already governing guns.
Comment by Raymond — 07.20.05 @ 9:46 pm
Insulting the site host? Don’t you know better than to pull on Superman’s cape or “P” in the wind, mess around with Old Man Trouble or mess around with Jim? Heck, that warning was was even in a song! geesh.
Comment by Raymond — 07.20.05 @ 9:51 pm
Raymond,
Do you know what the difference between a cactus and a causus is? With a cactus, the pricks are on the outside!
Comment by BuckTownDusty — 07.20.05 @ 10:02 pm
jan brauner, do not give up the good fight. Our kids are being subjected to a form of internal terrorism that honestly makes Islamic terrorism look tame. It took me a long time to understand what is happening. You come into education all bright eyed and ready to save the world. The politics, dumbed down curriculum, indoctorination programs all kind of creep up on you. You go for a while thinking this isn’t what I expected, but I’ll go along and keep my goal on teaching these children. Then, it overwhelms you and you just try to keep your head above the tide. At some point you are forced to make a conscience decision: will I be part of the program or reject it and fight. This site gave me a start in understanding the background behind the current public education system. Let me warn you it is really scary stuff.
http://4brevard.com/choice/
Scroll down to the heading: U.S. Education - Dead Last
Check out the highlighted area labeled: shocking origins
It’s all true! I looked it up myself.
Comment by Independent — 07.20.05 @ 10:10 pm
Chuck #18,
Yes, I wrote, Chuck wrote the judgmental opinion, “but you’ve lost your focus….â€
I disagree. I think La Shawn and Ann are great human beings who are rarely factually incorrect and have impeccable logic. It seems that you just disagree Chuck. No need to go on with the judgmentalism/intolerance.
Instead of judging that La Shawn has lost her focus, just state your disagreement.
In the next part of my post #93, I talked about how there are differences of opinion with respect to the interpretation of Jesus’s teachings. In almost perfect timing, La Shawn posted Dennis Prager’s articles. There are Christian’s and Jews who think it is not God or Jesus’s word for a leader to offer up more buildings or cities or turn the cheek per say. It is the leader’s responsibility to protect the nation from evil. It is not our obligation to obliterate all defensive armament and nuclear weapons and subject ourselves to the quickest defeat of ourselves by evil.
It is important to be strong in the face of evil. It is important for us to let them know what could be the consequences of their evil ways if they do it. It is many people’s interpretations that Tom, La Shawn, and others verbalized morally, ethically, proper and right when answering a question stated that we should make it clear that before any of our cities are nuked that the worst thing in the world could happen to them.
Comment by Baklava — 07.20.05 @ 11:56 pm
Independent, your kindness has brought me to tears. Seriously, i’m crying! Lately, I have been feeling as if I have been residing in an Orwellian universe of the politically correct, in which multiculturalism is the pre-eminent concept. Meanwhile, my eight and a half month pregnant eldest daughter was involved in an accident this week-end, with an intoxicated, unlicensed, uninsured, illegal alien who had no form of identification on him. Her new vehicle was destroyed, and it looks as if she will go into premature labor. Apparently, the driver had ‘borrowed’ the vehicle (That’s euphemistic for stealing.)On top of the whole scenario is the tragedy that she had already been brutally raped by an illegal alien, and put in the hospital. For a year, she had to undergo Aids testing, and contracted a serious disease from the rape. The Faustian twist to this equation is that she is married to an exquisite new immigrant from Columbia, whom I adore, and my other daughter is engaged to an immigrant from Cuba, who is darling as well.To make ends meet, my pregnant eldest drags herself out of bed, despite her diease,and a severe strep infection, works ten hours per day at Dell, does webb design in her off hours,while knowing that so much of her money goes to those who have no intention of lifting a finger to earn what they see as a mere entiitlement. Both of my son-in laws-lament the horror of inflicting the crippling effects of a bi-lingual education on children. They are both so grateful that they did not have a bigoted liberal foisting their bigoted notions of low expectations on them, coupled with a bi-lingual education, which would have ensured a degree of failure on each of them. You see, neither of them spoke a word of English when they arrived at an an Eglish speaking school. Within four months, they were quite proficient, and within a year they wer beautifully expressive. Instead, both of them have been allowed to flourish in out mutual language, while their own families have fostered their native cutures. So, even in an Orwellian universe, holding students to stadards of excellece is crtical. Teacer centered, content filled, discipline oriented educated remains absultely essetual. We’ve been in the Land of Oz long enough,…;et’s go home…
Comment by jan brauner — 07.21.05 @ 12:13 am
“new broiler system in Malcolm X Elementary School”
Malcolm X Elementary????
Can’t have one named after Thomas Jefferson, but you can after Malcolm X….ok..that makes sense.
Comment by Dan — 07.21.05 @ 8:42 am
Criminals Guarding DC Schools
Criminals Guarding DC Schools
Trackback by Dummocrats.com — 07.21.05 @ 9:54 am
This is more than likely caused by the idea of giving the contract to the lowest bidder, regardless of qualifications.
Comment by Stephen — 07.21.05 @ 11:34 am
Stephen, not really. See #19/21 for the real story.
As much as I hate the thot, the only real way to fix this & ID theft is a national ID. Question is whether maintaining some measure of privacy thru confusion is worth the price of occasional bad hires. Or are ww willing to give that up in exchange for an illusion of total security. For now, I’m willing to bear the price, however, we do and should maintain a national ID on immigrants & aliens.
Comment by Andy — 07.21.05 @ 11:51 am
jan brauner said, “We’ve been in the Land of Oz long enough,…;let’s go home…”
I think we are going to make it home. There will be no sounding of trumpets and big farewell, just one person at a time clicking their heels. Everywhere these days I hear people saying what amounts to the phrase, “there is no place like home.”
Comment by Independent — 07.21.05 @ 12:01 pm
Perhaps a few years of military rule/marshall law might help. It certainly couldn’t hurt.
But what would really help to bring the city back onto its feet would be to allow its law-abiding citizens to arm themselves, both inside and outside of their homes. Florida has proven several times that the more citizens are allowed to protect themselves, the lower the crime rate becomes.
If everyone is allowed to carry a concealed weapon, criminals just don’t know who is armed and who isn’t, making them think two or three times before breaking the law.
Comment by Lornkanaga — 07.21.05 @ 4:22 pm
Jan and Indy,
I’m going to click my heels 3 times and say: “If only they’ll close the loopholes.”
Then our property taxes could get lowered. Yipee!!!
HB2 does require at some point in the next few years that 65% of expenditures must be spent in the classroom. That’s a start. As for the rest, you gotta hope there are some take charge teachers (like at my campus in FW) that will stand up and demand change.
I bet those in DC wished over 50% of their dollars made into the classroom.
Comment by Chris Roberts — 07.22.05 @ 1:06 am