Free Minds, Free Eastern Market

David Weigel | May 2, 2007

Over the weekend DC's landmark Eastern Market caught fire, the blaze blackening and ruining half of a decades-old hall just blocks from the Capitol. DC's Congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton is pledging to get federal funding to rebuild it. Orange County Republican Rep. John Campbell clears his throat and offers a rebuttal.

I am completely puzzled. Why in the world should the American taxpayer be asked to help pay for the rebuilding of a local market that has no connection to the federal government, except that several members of Congress live nearby?

 

I would submit that if Del. Holmes-Norton and other members are so concerned about rebuilding Eastern Market than they should dip into their own pockets to help out -- not just unassumingly take from the taxpayers. It sure is a lot easier to spend money when it is not yours, than when it is.

Via John Miller, who suggests the city just privatize the market, which is currently owned by the city. Having lived in the city for about a year and seen the alacrity with which private markets, condos etc. shoot up, I'm intrigued.

Comments

|5.2.07 @ 10:13AM|#

Ten bucks says Campbell supports "the federal government" dictating DC's gun ownership laws.

Another ten says he supported the law forbidding the District from counting ballots on the medicinal marijuana bill.

|5.2.07 @ 10:17AM|#

I'll take that second bet, Joe.

VM|5.2.07 @ 10:20AM|#

John Campbell says, "It sure is a lot easier to spend money when it is not yours, than when it is."

True.

What is his record? Is he a typical pol here, or does his voting behavior reflect his assessment?

It'd be cool if a spending buster jumps up. It'd be lame if he were just another spender...

This comes from a legacy in recent years where the congress gladly has "take[n] from the taxpayers".

hrumph. (and I can't remember where those scorecards/ grades for Reps are. sorry)

Chris Monnier|5.2.07 @ 10:23AM|#

Is Campbell a wannabe Davy Crockett?

Guy Montag|5.2.07 @ 10:25AM|#

Chris Monnier,

You beat me to it. Good show!

OT: Texicans keep calling Colonel Crockett day by the wrong name.

|5.2.07 @ 10:31AM|#

He hasn't been around long enough to have much of a record (he replaced Chris Cox) but he talks a good game on budget issues.

ed|5.2.07 @ 10:50AM|#

Is Campbell a wannabe Davy Crockett?

I wouldn't be mentioning no coon-skin caps with Eleanor Holmes Norton around,
if'n y'all get my drift.

|5.2.07 @ 10:55AM|#

I lived a couple of blocks from Eastern Market back in the eighties. I loved the place but every time I went inside I thought "when is this place going to burn down?" It was rehabbed (with air conditioning, yet) a decade ago, and they were going to put in sprinklers, but somehow they never got around to it. It's so hard to do two things at once!

VM|5.2.07 @ 11:02AM|#

Thanks, Aaron.

|5.2.07 @ 11:19AM|#

Hobbies are so much more fun when you spend somebody else's money on them.

robc|5.2.07 @ 11:30AM|#

Chris, Guy,

You both beat me. Saves me from doing a google search, so Thanks!

brains|5.2.07 @ 11:40AM|#

ed - completely irrelevant to the topic at hand

|5.2.07 @ 12:01PM|#

Another ten says he supported the law forbidding the District from counting ballots on the medicinal marijuana bill.

This guy is my congressman. I sent him an email encouraging him to oppose funding for the DEA raids of California MM distributors. He sent me a nice reply explaining that teh drugz was such a threat to the nation that it required the federal government to override his own state's voters.

VM|5.2.07 @ 12:08PM|#

Gimme:

goes to show that Bruce Campbell is much, much better representation!

|5.2.07 @ 12:11PM|#

I don't doubt that he's a hardcore drug warrior, Gimme Back My Dog.

My point was that his sudden antipathy for the federal government being in charge of matters typically handled by localities, as long at the locality is DC, doesn't come across as genuine.

|5.2.07 @ 1:14PM|#

Why should the federal government pay for it? Why not? DC is not, and was never intended to be a real city in the sense that New York, Atlanta, or Las Vegas are. It's a federal district with limited self government.

|5.2.07 @ 1:36PM|#

Ten bucks says Campbell supports "the federal government" dictating DC's gun ownership laws.

The last time I checked, there was no Constitutional garantee of federally funded farmers markets, in the same way there is of the right to bear arms.

The federal government interviening in gun control, is like the federal government interviening if a local government were to outlaw athiesm, or if the federal government began enslaving Africans again. It is a protection of the bill of rights.

ed|5.2.07 @ 1:42PM|#

brains | May 2, 2007, 11:40am | #

ed - completely irrelevant to the topic at hand

When did that ever stop anyone here?

Guy Montag|5.2.07 @ 2:06PM|#

Perhaps they can pay for it with the new proposal by former Mayor-for-life and now City Councelman Marion Shepilov Barry, Jr?

Just heard on the radio he is proposing toll gates at all roads entering DC.

Guy Montag|5.2.07 @ 2:07PM|#

My bad, that would mean DC would be using their own money for somthing. Move along, nothing to see here.

highnumber|5.2.07 @ 3:08PM|#

VM,

Bruce Campbell, the renaissance man?

VM|5.2.07 @ 4:24PM|#

High#:

THE SAME!

(just had lunch with Mr. Crane. The lake looks amazing today! White caps and all!)

highnumber|5.2.07 @ 4:29PM|#

Whadjahave?

VM|5.2.07 @ 4:35PM|#

sammich and a bier.

(at PJ's as it's around the corner from hier)

und a side of dead baby. mit sauerkraut. y Lorenzo Llamas i agua calliente.

highnumber|5.2.07 @ 4:38PM|#

Beer at lunch on a weekday?

Oh my.

VM|5.2.07 @ 4:57PM|#

ach ja - it iz zee german. Vee then unpimped ein Auto!

representing Deutschland! oh SNAP!