EDITORIAL: Mr. Barry, do what's right. Resign.

The Advoc8te has strong feelings about this. Marion Barry needs not only jail time but he should be required by the judge to resign his council seat. Councilman Marion Barry's $125, 583.00 yearly salary (which by far exceeds the annual salary of almost everyone in Ward 8) is funded with DC tax dollars...MY DC tax dollars and yet Marion Barry has :

1) gone years (8) without filing his federal AND state taxes [until threatened with jail time]

2) hasn't paid any of his DC back taxes for 8 months [until threatened with jail time] and

3) according to news reports owes the federal goverment over $6,500 for ANOTHER tax year!

This is hypocrosy at it's worst. This is also criminal and why he wasn't charged with tax evasion I (and a lot of people) can't understand.

The Advoc8te also feels there is a strong distinction between making a mistake doing your civic duty and paying your back tax debt willingly and having to have it garnished from your check by the IRS. I am highly doubtful given Mr. Barry's history of not honoring his payment arrangement with DC government to pay back his back DC taxes that if his councilman's salary was not being garnished by the IRS (to repay his federal back taxes) for $1300 every two weeks (the maximum allowed by law) he wouldn't have been making the payments he has been credited for in regards to his federal back taxes.

As a Ward 8 resident I am tired of being humiliated by Marion Barry's criminal behavior! I am tired of having my sanity and ethics questioned by non Ward 8 DC residents who label all of Ward 8 as "incompetents" and "crooks" solely for having re-electing Marion Barry to another term on the city council (The Advoc8te has never voted for Marion Barry and never will).

There are a lot of intelligent, law abiding and tax paying people in Ward 8 and Marion Barry does not speak for us. We have long ago recognized an immediate need for change.

It needs to stop - for all of our sakes!

In an ideal world Marion Barry would stop making excuses and write out a check IN FULL for all of his back taxes and on the back of the check tender his immediate resignation from the city council.

Perhaps then he could leave office having paid (in part) his debt to society and retire with some dignity.

Unfortunately, we all know that is not going to happen. This is going to continue to be drawn out, more tax dollars wasted trying to hold him accountable and the reputation of Ward 8 will be further damaged.

For shame Mr. Barry. Do what's right and retire and get your personal affairs in order.

You promised to always "fight for the people" well what the people need you to do is to put them first and resign.

UPDATE: Click HERE for the pre-trial motion