Something should be done about D.C. Public Schools corruption

Re: “Schools can’t explain hefty car benefits,” Dec. 19

Examiner reporter Bill Myers’ article is first-class journalism! This is what newspapers should be doing — digging out corruption with well-researched facts instead of opinions. It was brilliant of him to use the Freedom of Information Act to get these records.

Bravo. Well done. Keep up this type of work. It makes me want to read The Examiner.

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I hope something is done about the “in your face” stealing that is going on in the D.C. Public Schools. The lack of auditing controls there is just plain flabbergasting.

David Ausman
Arlington

Hard to make a comparison between Iraq and WWII

Re: “The World War II Study Group,” Dec. 13

Jay Ambrose makes an allusion between the Iraq war and World War II, comparing a phased withdrawal from Iraq to the U.S. abandoning the fight against Hitler after D-Day. He suggests we stop dwelling on past mistakes and learn from them, adopting the lessons of World War II for Iraq.

Three years after Pearl Harbor, American, British and Canadian forces landed at Normandy. The costs were high, as Ambrose points out, but after a few days the beachhead was secure and the Nazis were on their last legs. They had no hope for victory; Hitler’s own generals tried to kill him and end the war.

However, three years into the Iraq war, widespread violence cripples the nation. Our soldiers are trying to get both sides to stop shooting at each other while suffering daily attacks from the same factions. I’m not sure what lessons we can adopt from WWII and apparently neither does Ambrose, since he doesn’t list any.

As for his other point, I don’t think dwelling on mistakes is a problem for this administration.

Tony Wilson
Arlington

Mayor-elect must now make his vision a reality

Imagine a District of Columbia in which all children and youth are safe in their homes and communities, have the resources to meet life’s challenges, have a fair chance to succeed no matter where they live and enter school ready to learn.

This District is possible under the leadership of Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty. However, Fenty must make significant inroads in some of the most pervasive and detrimental issues facing young residents, which include increasing child poverty, poor health outcomes, unmet mental health problems and poor access to high quality out-of-school-time programming.

As a City Council member, Fenty proved he is a champion of children and youth, and also of good government and accountability. He took executive branch agencies to task for their failure to adequately serve city residents. Now his ambitious plans must be put into action and transformed into meaningful improvements in city services.

Angela Jones Hackley
Executive director, D.C. Action for Children

Takeover may be a gift to classical music lovers

Re: “Classical radio station is one of area’s top assets,” From Readers, Dec. 19

My first reaction was that it was appalling that the nation’s capital could lose its only classical music station because Redskins owner Dan Snyder plans to take over WGMS (104.1 FM and 103.9 FM). However, I now think he is doing classical music lovers a big favor.

WGMS has weakened its power and has been inundated with commercials. It now usually plays only short pieces or single movements of symphonies and concertos, surrounded by multiple commercials.

Furthermore, I read that WETA (90.9 FM) will convert to a commercial-free classical station if WGMS is taken over. Not only is WETA commercial-free, its signal is superior to WGMS’ recently-weakened one.

I also recommend Baltimore’s all-classical, commercial-free WBJC (9l.5 FM), which many listeners in the area can receive fairly well with reasonably good equipment.

Norman D. Kline
Bethesda