District needs its own Tea Party

If you’ve been following the latest shenanigans of elected officials
running the District of Columbia, it’s easy to understand why the city
is so messed up. I’m referring, of course, to Lincoln-gate, where D.C.
City Council Chairman Kwame Brown ordered not one, but two 2011 Lincoln
Navigator SUVs for his official use. Why two? Why not? Well, he didn’t
like the color of the interior on the first one the city ordered at
nearly $2,000 per month in leases.
 
It appears Mr. Brown wanted a “black on black” SUV and no other color
combination would work. The reason he gave is that model “holds its
value” longer than any other. So now the chairman is cost-conscious? How
pathetic. What Brown hopes readers don’t remember is his insistence
that the SUV be “fully loaded,” including a DVD player in the backseat. I
don’t even want to know the reason behind that request.
 
Late last week, the chairman saw the error of his ways and is now returning the vehicles. The sad irony here is we may never have learned of any of this — including Brown’s personal insistence on such minor (and meaningless) details — if not for a Freedom of Information Act request by area reporters.

Worse still, why do these politicians feel they can flaunt and fiddle with the trappings of office and use their public positions for personal gain? Is this town stuck in the Dark Ages when it comes to transparency and stewardship of the public coffers?
 
It’s time for a Tea Party movement to form in the District, and I’m not referring to the kind that leans right and votes conservative. We’ll never see that in my lifetime. No, we need a movement that is willing to stand up and wag a finger in the faces of the Kwame Browns who claim to “take full responsibility” and then walk away without justifying such a statement. One which asks why a city that’s $400 million in debt should even THINK about paying for a lease that’s over $1,900 a month when its residents struggle to make that in two months. One that’s tailor-made for this type of political corruption.

Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 169, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m., Monday through Friday. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/arightside, and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/arightside.