Mount Pleasant DC Forum

[jcasaburri]

I have lived in the Woodner for 3 years and for the past 3 years it has been hell. Recently we were introduced to the MPDC Emergency Response Team otherwise known as SWAT and no one had the decency to tell us the situation. Those that were in the building couldn't leave and those that were outside couldn't get in. Was the killer in our building? Or was he outside? No one knows. Two homicides since February and still no explanation. The only change to the building is that the Security Guards are now more rude and use more vulgar language in front of the tenants. And on top of all this our rent is increased 5.5% almost every 6 months. I ask you MR. ANC, DO YOU ACTUALLY GIVE A CRAP ABOUT OUR BUILDING? I know you live here but I've never seen you. How about a new Security Company? How bout not letting anyone in unless you have a keycard no excuses? How about making this building safe again? Do you wish to respond to the most recent events at another wasted lobby meeting. We had a fire and still don't know what happened then either. Step up or step off the Board.

[jack]

[jesparzadc]

Let me begin here by responding to the most recent issues:

1) The SWAT team was at the Woodner looking for a suspect/s involved in a murder that took place further down 16th St. The police responded quickly to the crime scene and were actually able to immediately canvass area buildings looking for the suspect/s and gather intelligence. It's my understanding that, though the suspect/s is still at large, several solid leads were pulled together.

2) As for the murder at the Woodner earlier this year, this was a case of someone being murdered by a known assailant and most likely due to very personal reasons; this was not a random act of violence and it could not have been prevented as the assailant was invited into the building by the victim. A similar murder occurred some 15 years ago in the Woodner, and there have been no others since.

3) The fire in the building was due to a careless tenant leaving their stove unattended and the brunt of the damage was focused on that tenant's apartment. I understand there was some smoke in the hallway, but no one was seriously injured and the fire was quickly contained.

On a personal note, I have to say that I very much enjoy living in the Woodner or else I wouldn't be there. I have lived all over the Metro area and in several parts of DC (including Mt. Vernon Sq. BEFORE they built the Convention Center) and I have to say that Mt. Pleasant is by far my favorite place to call home. I find that most people are willing to say hello or at least return a nod when I pass them on the street or in the hallways; I find that most people are helpful when I'm trying to get in the door with a bunch of bags/my helmet/my backpack/etc. in my hands; I find that security at the Woodner is very good, especially given the size of the building and the number of tenants/visitors. Overall, I find that, just as there are a handful of people who make a bad name for the Woodner (and, yes, twenty or thirty or even fifty people is only a handful in this mini-city), there are a handful of people who live only to complain and lash out at anyone who is trying to help. It is very easy to place blame on those who have stuck their necks out and who are working on improving the neighborhood quality of life and who actually go out into the neighborhood (like the police, like CM Graham, like the ANC, etc.) while hiding away in your apartment because you think things are so ragingly out of control (which is patently absurd as Mt. Pleasant and specifically PSA 301 have a very, very low crime rate, check the stats).

I work very hard to bring attention to the problems at the Woodner, including maintaining relationships with the police on multiple levels (beat cops, Lieutenants, Commanders, the Chief, and Park Police), contacting and working with various government agencies (the Office of the Tenant Advocate, DCRA, Office of Latino Affairs, National Park Service, etc. etc.) to ensure that laws are being fairly enforced, supporting neighborhood associations like the Woodner Building Association so that tenant concerns are heard and attended to rather than summarily dismissed, and on and on and on.

The answers to virtually every question are out there, but some people would rather rant and rave like ignorant children than take the time to ask around and find out the facts. My name, telephone number, address, email address, meeting schedule, and voting history are all easily found with a simple google search, by checking out the ANC1D website, or by calling the city and asking for the Office of the ANC. The names and contact information for all the other ANCs in the area, for CM Graham, for the At-Large CMs, for the agency heads, for the Mayor, for Congresswoman Norton, and even for the President of the United States are all also easily found and any one of those people could be contacted for information and/or assistance. All elected and appointed officials put themselves and their credibility out there each and every day and I, for one, take great offense at anyone who suggests otherwise.

Spoiled children really chap my hide, and I treat them as they deserve. So if someone comes at me acting like a brat, I'm going to treat them like a brat. If a serious discussion is desired, then that person will need to act like an adult. End of story.

Joe Anthony Esparza
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner
Single Member District 1D02
3636 16th St NW, Apt A825
Mt. Pleasant, Washington, DC 20010
(202) 422-3817
[email address removed - log in to view]

[jesparzadc]

Let me begin here by responding to the most recent issues:

1) The SWAT team was at the Woodner looking for a suspect/s involved in a murder that took place further down 16th St. The police responded quickly to the crime scene and were actually able to immediately canvass area buildings looking for the suspect/s and gather intelligence. It's my understanding that, though the suspect/s is still at large, several solid leads were pulled together.

2) As for the murder at the Woodner earlier this year, this was a case of someone being murdered by a known assailant and most likely due to very personal reasons; this was not a random act of violence and it could not have been prevented as the assailant was invited into the building by the victim. A similar murder occurred some 15 years ago in the Woodner, and there have been no others since.

3) The fire in the building was due to a careless tenant leaving their stove unattended and the brunt of the damage was focused on that tenant's apartment. I understand there was some smoke in the hallway, but no one was seriously injured and the fire was quickly contained.

On a personal note, I have to say that I very much enjoy living in the Woodner or else I wouldn't be there. I have lived all over the Metro area and in several parts of DC (including Mt. Vernon Sq. BEFORE they built the Convention Center) and I have to say that Mt. Pleasant is by far my favorite place to call home. I find that most people are willing to say hello or at least return a nod when I pass them on the street or in the hallways; I find that most people are helpful when I'm trying to get in the door with a bunch of bags/my helmet/my backpack/etc. in my hands; I find that security at the Woodner is very good, especially given the size of the building and the number of tenants/visitors. Overall, I find that, just as there are a handful of people who make a bad name for the Woodner (and, yes, twenty or thirty or even fifty people is only a handful in this mini-city), there are a handful of people who live only to complain and lash out at anyone who is trying to help. It is very easy to place blame on those who have stuck their necks out and who are working on improving the neighborhood quality of life and who actually go out into the neighborhood (like the police, like CM Graham, like the ANC, etc.) while hiding away in your apartment because you think things are so ragingly out of control (which is patently absurd as Mt. Pleasant and specifically PSA 301 have a very, very low crime rate, check the stats).

I work very hard to bring attention to the problems at the Woodner, including maintaining relationships with the police on multiple levels (beat cops, Lieutenants, Commanders, the Chief, and Park Police), contacting and working with various government agencies (the Office of the Tenant Advocate, DCRA, Office of Latino Affairs, National Park Service, etc. etc.) to ensure that laws are being fairly enforced, supporting neighborhood associations like the Woodner Building Association so that tenant concerns are heard and attended to rather than summarily dismissed, and on and on and on.

The answers to virtually every question are out there, but some people would rather rant and rave like ignorant children than take the time to ask around and find out the facts. My name, telephone number, address, email address, meeting schedule, and voting history are all easily found with a simple google search, by checking out the ANC1D website, or by calling the city and asking for the Office of the ANC. The names and contact information for all the other ANCs in the area, for CM Graham, for the At-Large CMs, for the agency heads, for the Mayor, for Congresswoman Norton, and even for the President of the United States are all also easily found and any one of those people could be contacted for information and/or assistance. All elected and appointed officials put themselves and their credibility out there each and every day and I, for one, take great offense at anyone who suggests otherwise.

Spoiled children really chap my hide, and I treat them as they deserve. So if someone comes at me acting like a brat, I'm going to treat them like a brat. If a serious discussion is desired, then that person will need to act like an adult. End of story.

Joe Anthony Esparza
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner
Single Member District 1D02
3636 16th St NW, Apt A825
Mt. Pleasant, Washington, DC 20010
(202) 422-3817
[email address removed - log in to view]

[dank]

Maybe these boards need a moderator.... people seem to lose respect for each other on these boards -- one reason I normally avoid posting anymore. Yeah, I'll probably get rotten tomatoes thrown at me just for posting this so I wonder why even bother coming out of my cave.

Casaburri's initial posting wasn't respectful for certain. There are more respectful ways to complain if one wants to complain. Some folks just plain forget manners.

But jesparzadc, your response was equally lacking respect. Just b/c someone is rude to you, doesn't justify being rude yourself.

Can we be more civil? Do we have to call people names? Do we have to be arrogant? Do we have to assume who is to blame? (remember what ass u me means?)

Maybe casaburri needs an education on community involvement and has no clue where to begin. There were better ways for him to reach out and ask for help. Casaburri sure sounded frustrated.

Jesparazadc, it doesn't seem like you care at all to learn his or her plight despite casaburri's rudeness. Casaburri after all is your constituent regardless. Perhaps you could enlighten casaburri to how anc's and community involvement works. However, the way you respond to him, you aren't converting a negative into anything positive, you are just feeding the fire.

You may think security is fine and dandy over there but aren't there like 2000 people living in that building. I'm sure you can't claim to the situations of each one experiences. Could you consider demonstrating that you are open to listening to casaburri's situation/experience? I think casaburri probably gets just the opposite message from your posting.... at least I did anyway.

Hey, we don't have to agree with each other, but I'd like to think that I at least have the respect of my fellow neighbors even when we don't see eye to eye on something.... and if I screw something up, that folks will help me fix it instead of throwing rocks at me.

Do people think that we just plain need a moderator on these boards?

Politeness and respect to others despite how they treat you will take you miles and even on difficult roads, but treating others how they treat you may possibly just lead you to a dead end.

Dan