Listen to Mayor Gray and Ron Linton at 7/27 press conference
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Listen to interview with Ron Linton
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Ron Linton is in and Dena Reed is out, sort of.
Wednesday, Mayor Vincent Gray named Linton chair of the D.C. Taxicab Commission (DCTC).
In introducing the newest member of his administration Mayor Gray said, “In Ron Linton we have selected a gentleman who has absorbed more about public policy and administration than most of us will ever hope to know. He learned the ins and outs of the taxicab industry while serving as a member, vice-chair and then chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.”
Linton replaces Reed, whose tenure lasted just three months and was marked by controversy, particularly over the arrests of two journalists – Jim Epstein of Reason TV and myself – at a public meeting of the DCTC.
Reed won’t be going far, but instead will continue on as DCTC general counsel, a position she held under former chair Leon Swain (whose tenure was also less than stellar).
Under Swain, then-general counsel Reed attempted to ban Fox 5 photojournalist Jason Smith from recording. “If the cameras don’t leave the room we’re not going to have the meeting,” Reed told Smith.
Linton’s approach to dealing with reporters is different from his predecessor and general counsel. “I started my professional career as a newspaper reporter and so I’m not too frightened of journalists,” he said.
However, Linton’s thoughts on whether drivers should be included in the political process appear to be all too familiar.
The 1985 Taxicab Commission Establishment Act calls for three of the nine commissioners to be industry representatives. Presently, there are none.
Yet Linton questioned whether drivers should have any representation at all. “What’s the purpose of public hearings if you have a commission where everybody already has a position?… [Then] it doesn’t become a commission, it’s a dictatorship.”
Related Stories:
- The Voice of DC Cab Drivers: A Debate on the Future of the Taxicab Commission, July 10, 2011
- It’s Time to Inspect D.C.’s Hack Inspectors, June 23, 2010
- Transparency, DCTC Style: “NO TELEVISION CAMERAS. NO VIDEO TAPING. NO AUDIO TAPING,” May 11, 2011