The Voice of DC Cab Drivers, August 21, 2011: Taxi Chair’s First Extended Interview; PG’s Troubling Pattern

Posted on August 22, 2011 by admin

Pete and D.C. Taxicab Chair Ron Linton

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[In addition to listening to The Voice of DC Cab Drivers live on the radio, you can listen live online at wust1120.com or on your phone at (712) 432-6620.]

In Prince George’s County, drivers have just seven days left to deliver to the Board of Elections 3,300 valid signatures from Prince George’s County registered voters. The signature gathering is part of an effort by the Prince George’s County Taxi Workers Alliance to place the recently passed, anti-driver legislation, known as CB-3, on the ballot as a referendum in 2012.

In order to meet the Aug. 28 signature requirement, the Taxi Workers Alliance focused on Aug. 2, National Night Out, when thousands turn out for events throughout the county. But a troubling pattern of official misconduct is emerging. In at least three instances, drivers were told they couldn’t collect signatures at National Night Out events.Last week, here on The Voice of DC Cab Drivers, Dele Omonijo and Lemma Desalegne described being kicked outof a National Night Out public event at Beckett Field in New Carrollton. The reason? According to Omonijo and Desalegne, Officer Lyew – that’s L-Y-E-W – told the drivers they couldn’t collect signatures because they hadn’t pre-registered. Here is some of what Omonijo had to say last week, here on The Voice of DC Cab Drivers.

[Dele Omonijo]

In an email to TheFightBack, New Carrollton City Administrator Mike Downes denied that drivers were asked to leave the public event, but said a driver was asked to move because he was “annoying.” You can listen to the full interview with Omonijo and Desalegne at TheFightBack.org.

Later in the program we’ll examine other instances where drivers were kicked out of public events held Aug. 2, including in Morningside, Temple Hills and Bowie, and we’ll be joined by Lloyd Scott, attorney for the Taxi Workers Alliance. For more information about the petition effort you can visit taxipetitions.com [which also has a Facebook page].

In the District of Columbia, the new chair of the D.C. Taxicab Commission, Ron Linton, appears to be continuing the practices of his predecessors. While Dena Reed’s stint as interim chair is over, she continues on as general counsel, the position she held under former-chair Leon Swain.

As interim chair, Ms. Reed attempted to push through industry altering changes to the regulatory code that governs D.C.’s taxicab industry. Ms. Reed’s proposed amendments to chapters 6 and 8 of Title 31 would force drivers to buy a new car every five years and further empower hack inspectors, who repeatedly abuse what power they already have, according to numerous drivers.

At the one hearing held on Ms. Reed’s proposed amendments to chapters 6 and 8, there were signs posted on the Taxicab Commission hearing room walls that stated in bold, capital letters, “NO TELEVISION CAMERAS. NO VIDEO TAPING. NO AUDIO TAPING.”

Despite the fact that Ms. Reed openly barred the press from the one hearing held on these major changes, Ron Linton is prepared to vote on them at the next meeting of the Taxicab Commission, Sept. 21. Thursday, in his first extended interview since becoming chair, Linton said he saw “no reason not to proceed [with a vote on the proposed amendments to chapters 6 and 8 of Title 31].”

Wednesday, at the mayor’s weekly press conference, I asked Vincent Gray if he was comfortable moving forward with the proposed amendments to Title 31 in light of the fact that the prior hearing was marked by irregularities.

“It ain’t gonna happen,” said Gray. “We don’t intend to pass anything in the dead of night.” The mayor then called up City Administrator Allen Lew and Brian Flowers, general counsel to the mayor.

Here is my Q&A with Mayor Gray, City Administrator Lew and General Counsel Flowers on Wednesday.

[Q&A with Gray]

Apparently Ron Linton is not swayed by the city’s highest officials who are calling for a proper hearing to be held on chapters 6 and 8 of Title 31 before moving forward with any changes. In his first extended interview since becoming chair, Linton said he’s ready to vote on the proposed amendments at the next meeting of the Taxicab Commission on Sept. 21.

Also noteworthy is Linton’s reading of the 1985 Taxicab Commission Establishment Act, which calls for three industry representatives to be on the Commission. Presently, there are none, by any reasonable definition. Yet, Linton stated that he believes the 1985 law defines “industry” as being the hospitality industry, not the taxicab industry.

It was also interesting to learn that Linton was unaware of the May 27 incident at the Taxicab Commission in which a dozen drivers were pushed out of the office. The Commission then locked the doors, turned off the lights, called the police and referred to the drivers as “a mob.”

But this was not a mob. Instead, it was taxi leaders attempting to peacefully submit a petition, signed by more than 900 drivers, in opposition to the proposed changes to chapters 6 and 8 of Title 31.

By moving forward with Ms. Reed’s attempted rewrite of chapters 6 and 8, Linton is defying the mayor who has called for holding a proper public hearing before any action is taken.

Here, in his own words, is Ron Linton in his first extended interview since becoming chair. I spoke with Linton Thursday in the hearing room of the D.C. Taxicab Commission.

[Ron Linton]

Despite the fact that Mayor Gray and City Administrator Lew have called for a full and open public hearing to be held on the proposed changes to chapters 6 and 8 of Title 31, Linton intends to move forward with the controversial amendments.

Haimanot Bizuayehu is one of the lead organizers and a board member of The Small Business Association of DC Taxicab Drivers. He joins us on the line.

[Phone conversation with Haimanot Bizuayehu]

We now turn to the situation just over the D.C. line where the Taxi Workers Alliance needs to submit 3,300 valid signatures of registered Prince George’s County voters by Aug. 28. The driver-led organization is looking to overturn CB-3, the anti-driver legislation recently passed by the Prince George’s County Council.

(For more information on the petition effort visit taxipetitions.com.)

In order to meet the Aug. 28 signature requirment, the Taxi Workers Alliance focused on Aug. 2, National Night Out, when thousands turn out for events throughout the county. But a troubling pattern of official misconduct is emerging. In at least three instances, drivers were told they couldn’t collect signatures at National Night Out events.Earlier in the show we heard from Dele Omonijo as he discussed being kicked out of Beckett Field in New Carrollton. Elsewhere in Prince George’s County on Aug. 2, Taxi Workers Alliance members were forced to leave at least three other public events.

At the VFW Post in Morningside drivers were told they couldn’t stay because it was a nonprofit organization; and at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Temple Hills they were told the public event was just for police and police families, according to Markos Gebrehiwot, one of the four drivers turned away.

I spoke with Gebrehiwot last week, first standing outside VFW Post 9619 in Morningside, then outside Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Temple Hills.

[Markos Gebrehiwot]

We’re joined on the line by Lloyd Scott, attorney for the Prince George’s County Taxi Workers Alliance.

[Phone conversation with Lloyd Scott]

In addition to drivers being kicked out of public events in New Carrollton, Morningside and Temple Hills, Isidore Asucquo and another driver were forced to leave Allen Pond Park in Bowie.

Unlike New Carrollton Police Chief David Rice, Bowie Police Chief John Nesky returned my call and answered all my questions. Chief Nesky confirmed that the two drivers were in fact told they couldn’t collect petition signatures at the National Night Out event at Allen Pond Park because “it wasn’t the forum for that” and they were “blocking my entrance as well,” explained Nesky.

Chief Nesky mentioned that other types of activities would also have been off limits at this event, for example anyone attempting to pass out information either for or against abortion would have been prohibited from doing so. This event was family oriented and it had a theme, said Nesky: “You must be presenting something that is safety or crime related.”

Last week, as he stood at the spot in Allen Pond Park where he was told by Bowie police officers that he couldn’t collect signatures, Isidore Ascucquo recounted the events of National Night Out.

[Isidore Asucquo]

The Voice of DC Cab Drivers is brought to you by Dominion of Cab Drivers, a member of The Small Business Association of DC Taxicab Drivers. The Small Business Association consists of the following driver-owned cab companies and associations: Allied Cab, Ambassador, Black Pearl, Camel, DC Professional, Dominion, Grand, Luxury, Pleasant, Seasons, Swift, Travelers, UCC, Washingtonian, Welcome, and Wonder Cab.

For drivers interested in staying up on the latest, local taxi news, you can join the Saturday night 9:00-11:00 p.m. phone conference which is conducted in both Amharic and English. I work with Ermias Wosenu to produce the English segment of the phone conference. The call-in number is (712) 432-3100 and the code is 140-465.

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