DC ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE REPEATEDLY SCOLDS ANC 8C: Advises 8C to" follow the law".

In reviewing the advice letters from The DC Attorney General's office to ANC 8C there definitely seems to be a pattern of "poor sportsmanship" being committed by some ANC 8C commissioners. By far most ANC 8C complaints focused on: 1)ANC meetings being held without the legaly mandated notice 2) ANC meetings being resceduled without the legally mandated notice or 3)ANC meetings being cancelled without the legally mandated notice.

There were also some questions by at least one former Commissioners on certain ANC 8C financial transactions including a $6,700 bank issued check and lack of bonding by the ANC 8C Chair and Treasurer.

Seems The Advoc8te wasn't the only one wondering "what the @#$! is going on"?

In some of these advice letters from the AG's office to the ANC 8C Commissioners (or in response to a concerned citizen) you can feel the AG's office's frustration and helplessness. Despite all the complaints (and it seems there are a lot) the Attorney General's office does not have the legal authority to "compel" ANC 8C to get it's act together despite their repeated non compliance with the laws governing Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.

Imagine the Attorney General's office as a referee who calls a team out for breaking the game rules but is unable to penalize the violators or eject them from the game all together - despite how bad the committed offense. The advice letters become more of a "hey- you played out of bounds" than "play inbonds or else".

If ANC 8C history has taught us anything is that frustrated ANC 8C Commissioners and frustrated residents write frustrated letters to the frustrated Attorney General. The frustrated Attorney General investigates and writes a frustrated letter to the ANC advising them to clean up their act. The ANC leadership (most likely not frustrated) takes the letter and promptly files it according to importance - in the trash can (also not frustated).

Nothing changes.

From the Feb 4 2003 advice letter from the Attorney General's Office in response to Commissioner Dion Jordan (8C02) letter to the AG concerning an ANC 8C meeting that was held without giving the mandated required notice to the community:

"Despite our repeated advice over the last year regarding the inadequacy of public notice provided by ANC 8C, the ANC continues to ignore the plain requirments of the law. If the ANC continues to do so, future ANC meetings will be invalid as well.

Therefore, I urge you to continue your efforts to bring the ANC into compliance with the statutory notice requirements so that the ANC can concentrate on the important issues affecting its neighborhoods, and avoid undermining its own actions with procedural deficiencies."

6 years later NOTHING has changed - starting with the ANC 8C leadership. Commissioner Mary Cuthbert is still running the show (in her own mind anyway).

Perhaps we can exchange our "poodle" for a bloodhound and get to the source of these long standing problems and solve them quickly and effectively once and for all.

Below are all the Advice Letters written to ANC 8C from the Attorney General's Office. Click the letter name to view the letter.

July 28, 1997
Re: Advisory Neighborhood Commission quorum requirements

January 16, 1997
Re: Advisory Neighborhood Commission quorum requirements

Febuary 13, 2001
Re: Notice of February 7, 2001 Advisory Neighborhood Commission Meeting
*The Advocate has to ask the question again. If at the time of this letter ANC 8C meetings were being held at "various places in the Commission area". Why would the January 2001 meeting minutes reflect that going forward ANC 8C meetings would take place at the ANC office yet they take place elsewhere? If the meetings weren't being held at the ANC office why was an ANC office being paid for?

August 1, 2001
Re: Notice of June 27, 2001 Advisory Neighborhood Commission Special Meeting

December 19, 2001
Re: Notice of August 16, 2001 Advisory Neighborhood Commission Special Meeting

March 1, 2002
Re: Notice of Advisory Neighborhood Commission Meetings

February 4, 2003
Re: Whether Proper Notice Was Given For ANC Meeting

February 4, 2003
Re: Whether January 8 ANC Meeting Was Lawfully Convened
*ANC law requires no less than 7 days written/posted notice re: ANC meetings.

March 7, 2003
Re: Officer Vacancy and Citizen Views
*It's obvious Commissioner Cuthbert doesn't take this opinion too seriously. Community concerns can never be made without her expressed approval and if she doesn't like you - fuggitabout it.

January 18, 2004

Re: Notice of Advisory Neighborhood Commission Meetings, Commissioner Check Writing and Bonding
*By far one of the biggest concerns raised by this letter was "you state that you thereafter received a bank statement from Riggs Bank (as the previous treasurer of record) for the ANC account that revealed a cancelled bank issued check (rather than a pre-printed account check), written on December 4, 2003, in the amount of $6700.00. The check was signed by Mr. Lockridge and Mary Cuthbert, who has also claimed to be chairperson of the ANC.

Sidenote: The $6,700.00 check was later deemed "not in compliance" by the DC Auditor.

Sidenote: Mary Jane Cuthbert. Convicted 1/30/90 for Theft in the 2nd degree (Felony)
Sidenote: From the March 14, 1994 Washington Post:

Saying that [R. Calvin Lockridge]'s offense was one that
"demanded" incarceration, [John H. Pratt] sentenced him to three years on a charge of theft from a senior citizen. He also sentenced Lockridge to a total of 20 months on charges of tax evasion, filing a false tax return and failing to
file a tax return, to be served concurrently. The judge then suspended two years of those sentences, giving Lockridge a year in prison. He also told Lockridge to
pay the maximum statutory fine of $7,500.

CURRENT ANC 8C COMMISSIONERS: William Ellis (8C01), Dion Jordan (8C02), Mary Jane Cuthbert (8C03), R. Calvin Lockridge (8C04), Cardell Shelton (8C07)

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!

On Wed, April 29th 2009 from 7pm - 8:30pm at the UPO Petey Greene Center (2907 MLK Ave) Commissioner Dion Jordan of 8C02 will host: "A New Era in Financial Responsibility For ANC 8C" during the 8C02 Single Member District meeting. This meeting is to bring together 8C02 residents and property owners to discuss with key figures in the DC government issues, concerns and hopes for ANC 8C including (but not limited to) the issues surrounding ANC 8C finances and financial reports.

SPECIAL GUESTS:

Councilmember Yvette Alexander (Ward 7), Chairperson of the Committee on Aging and Community Affairs

Deborah K. Nichols, Esq. , District of Columbia Auditor

Charles J. Willoughby, District of Columbia Inspector General

Gottlieb Simon, Executive Director of the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions

Concerned citizens may submit advance questions and concerns for the panel by sending an email to Commissioner Dion Jordan at 8C02@anc.dc.gov .

ANC 8C02 Single Member District meetings are held the LAST Wednesday of the month at the UPO Petey Greene Center (2907 MLK Ave) for 8C02 residents, property owners and business owners.

The purpose of the single district meetings is to provide a forum for an orderly, respectful and informative dialogue on 8C02 single member district issues as well as to collaborate on progress and plans for our community.

Residents are invited to attend and to make suggestions for future meeting topics by contacting Commissioner Dion Jordan of 8C02.

"Together we can make a difference".