PUBLISHED !

After reading Mr. Meyers' article in the Nov/Dec issue of Bethesda Magazine, I felt compelled to contribute my two cents.... So, I shot off an emotionally charged letter to him.  Well, very shortly I received an email from Ms. Lisa Shroder - Managing Editor, asking if I would allow them to publish it as a 'Letter to the Editor'.  Of course, I said "YES !!!!!"

Truth be told, this is not the first time I've been published.  About 7 years ago, I spoke as a resident before our Mayor and Council on issues relating to housing, and the lack thereof.  Unfortunately, I can't recall exactly what I said, but I'm sure it was along the lines of: 'Please provide more affordable housing for us little people here in the County.....'  That act of public dissent got me published in our local 'Gazette'.

Currently, there are various housing agencies tasked with the almost impossible mission of finding homes for those of us 'under-privileged' who make less than $40,000.00 a year.  The waiting lists are astronomically long - sometimes even years. 

I myself waited two years to get to the top of the Rockville Housing wait list.    There are many parameters which needed to be met first.  They make us jump through ALOT of hoops to get to where we are.  Everytime I watch 'Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory', I think about the hope and desperation his family felt when they were trying to win that ticket.  It's not unlike how I felt before I was told there was finally a house available for myself and my kids.  It's the same feeling I'm sure other people feel when they're approved for the Section 8 Voucher.  It feels like getting a 'Golden Ticket'..... No exaggeration.

But, did the Mayor and Council listen to me?  No.  In fact, since then the situation has gotten worse.  Don't get me wrong - luxury townhomes, and deluxe McMansions continue to rise in Montgomery County (along with the cost of living), but the dearth of decent, affordable housing continues it's steep decline.  

I've personally been 'relocated' at the City's behest twice in the last 10 years, for their convenience - but at my own expense.

That's what I alluded to in my 'Letter to the Editor' (Jan/Feb Bethesda Mag);  Until there is equitable treatment and opportunity regarding housing and job opportunities here in Montgomery County - there won't just be 'White flight', there will be 'universal flight' (yes, I just made that up).  

NEGLIGENT

When I found out that there was a toxic moat next to my home because of the waste leaking from a clogged and overflowing sewage drain; with the industrial park being the probable cause, I freaked.

As an Army Veteran, I had been 'schooled' on how sneaky our government could be.  There were the covert Agent Orange sprays our Vietnam War soldiers endured senselessly;  Not to mention the Tuskegee Syphilis experiments.... I thought about Erin Brockovich, and John Travolta in 'A Civil Action'.  By the end of my first week of knowledge, I had convinced myself that the disgusting living conditions here had to have been intentional.  During my aggressive letter-writing campaign last September (in an attempt to rectify the situation), I'm pretty sure I called my landlord (as well as the Mayor) "evil".  Do I regret that?  NO; Because it was apparent that the standard of living here had sunk to such an all-time low that apathy, complacency, disrespect and laziness had become 'the norm'. 

My son and I have been struggling to understand it.... But, I reminded him where I grew-up (Westchester, N.Y.);  And the fact that my Dad would IMMEDIATELY clean-up our basement after rainstorms.... There was simply no question or doubt about that..... So, for my landlord (and Rockville City) to be so negligent as to allow a sewage drain to pollute this property for over two years was - and still is - incomprehensible to me (us). 

X-MAS LIST

As soon as I found out there wasn't really a Santa Clause, I stopped making my annual Christmas List.  But, I decided to write one this year, knowing I'm still not going to get what I want.  So, here goes:

1. A stable home to raise my child
2. In a good neighborhood
3. Free from mold
4. Complete with non-deficient electrical wiring
5. Out from under the 'administration' of HUD / RHE
6. Away from drugs and drug dealers
7. Which is affordable
8. Safe
9. nice
10. and clean.

Is that too much to ask?!  I don't think so, either....

I would even go back to making a plate of fresh cookies for Santa, if I thought that'd help.... *sigh*.....

PLEA

This is my open invitation - a plea of sorts to YOU.

I know for a fact there are people out here who know what I'm talking about, they have 'inside information' which can corroborate my claims of fraud, waste and abuse at Rockville Housing Enterprises.  Or, you have something which helps verify my assertions of toxic waste dumping in the 'moat' located at 687 Lofstrand Lane.  You won't come forward because you're afraid of being found out, losing your job - or experiencing retaliation in some other form.  Rest assured that if you provide information - and want / need anonymity - I'll go out of my way to make sure you get it.  You can even send me information anonymously - so there'll be NO CHANCE of me revealing who you are, because I won't even know ! 

But, there has to be someone with a conscience who can help myself and my family get out of this situation we're living in right now;  Because - I gotta tell you - it's a little like I'm 'Alice In Wonderland' (where up is down, in is out, big is small and small is BIG).  But, maybe a better analogy might be 'The Twilight Zone....'; Cuz everytime I say something, I get disputed.  I'm always wrong, or else I'm just making things up whole cloth... It's become exasperating.....

I recently found out that the reason most of the other tenants aren't complaining like I am is because RHE is basically emotionally blackmailing them into silence... *Sigh*...

So, now I'm begging:  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HELP US !!  We can't continue to live like this much longer !!

SLANDER

In the e-mail back and forth between myself and the Mayors office this past year, a local worker at the Department of Environmental Protection took offense at my implication that he had been lax in his duties.  In fact, he sent me a threatening e-mail message suggesting I get my facts straight before I continued "slandering" him.  Interesting......

Of course - after being sick for a year, and worrying what toxic poisons myself and my son had been exposed to - I WAS VERY concerned with "slandering" his name.  I shot him back this email:

"Mr. Martin:

You may be right, I may have confused you with Steve Davis.  I've been tossed around so many times to so many different people, that I may have lost track of whose who...
However, the technical definition of "slander" is:  'A malicious, false, and
defamatory statement or report:  A slander against his good name,  Law: Defamation by oral utterance rather than by writing, pictures, etc....'  To my knowledge, I haven't
made any verbal false statements.  And I'd go so far as taking soil samples, and having them tested by professionals to prove my previous assertions, if need be.  Whether it was you or Steve Davis - by your own admission - you were tasked in some way, shape or form with ensuring the health and safety of Rockville residents, and ensuring that businesses are compliant with environmental standards.   Also by your own admission - you "haven't been to the site";   Which is disappointing, to say the least.... I would think that by now you might be a little bit curious as to what I've been referring to for over a month.   That - by anyone's standards - is negligent...."

Just so we're clear:  Inclusive of all my blogs - I've not once made a malicious, false and/or defamatory statement or report against anyone involved in this situation.  I have concrete proof to back-up my assertions, and I can put my money where my mouth is - so to speak.  There are other - more serious accusations I could make, but won't - because I don't have the proof needed to be able make them.  As soon as I do - I will.

Occupy HUD

I noticed a strange thing..... Of course I have a Facebook page (who doesn't, these days?), and out of curiosity I wanted to see if HUD had one... So I checked, and you know what? They DO !  But that's not the strange thing I was talking about.  The strange thing I was talking about was the fact that over some months, people would post complaints or questions, but the complaints / questions were never answered by anyone at HUD.  So, it's like - it IS their webpage, then again, it ISN'T.

My Dad used to say to me:  "Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall... !"  Now I know what he meant. 

So, I decided to start my own Facebook page called:  'Occupy HUD'.  It will be a venue to allow people to vent and ask questions in a public forum, exchange information as well as puts HUD on notice that we're now talking to each other - which can be a dangerous thing.....

Plus, it'll assuage my guilt at not doing something more proactive to contribute to the 'Occupy' Movement. 

So, go - post, ask, vent, inform and best of all, know that you're not alone.

COMPASSION

Compassion - or lack thereof.  That's what this blog is gonna be about.  I just finished talking to a woman who was brutally assaulted in my home four years ago.  Before I lived here.  This was before the cameras were installed.  But, it wouldn't have mattered anyway - because - even now - there are still no cameras in the rear of the property.

At the time of the assault, this woman was friends with the woman who lived in my home.  They were talking and laughing in the kitchen, when - suddenly - they heard a noise out back.  It was a man either playing with or trying to steal her patio furniture.  When she opened the door to ask him what he was doing, he forcefully pushed past her and stormed into the house.  While there, he beat her and her friend up with a gun, and grabbed a little girl who was also visiting.  The woman who was telling me this story says that her skull was cracked open during the assault, requiring 38 stitches, and to this day she still has dizzy spells and gets headaches.  She's never been the same since.

They fought him off, and called the police.  However, the police botched the investigation, and no one was ever caught or prosecuted for the crime.  

These poor women were forced to continue living here for years afterwards, because it didn't occur to anyone at Rockville Housing Enterprises to offer them a compassionate transfer to another property.  They're cold, callous, insensitive, greedy and ruthless people.  These are the same people who forced someone to move the same week her mother died;  Because it was financially beneficial to THEM.

Do you think anyone at RHE told me the history of my home? Of course not.  Why?  Because - once again - it wouldn't have been financially beneficial for them to do so.

At least I understand the cameras better, but I'm so mad right now, I could spit. 

BOTTLE

It rained yesterday.  Pretty much all day.  So, by nighttime our property was a dusky, soggy, smelly mess.  I wish I could bottle the smell for all of those people at HUD and City Government who claim daily that there's nothing wrong with this property.  All of them have a vested interest in continuing their denials, and none of them actually live here.  In fact, you couldn't PAY THEM to live here. 

They know there's a toxic cloud over this property.  A stench so bad it's almost indescribable.  My complaints have spurred an EPA investigation, a State investigation as well as a local investigation.  But, I don't expect anything to come of them because - if you do the numbers - to find an environmental problem, that would mean displacement and/or closure of an entire neighborhood, a school and at least three local parks - as well as numerous businesses.  That's the unfortunate math.  Much better to deny, deny, deny............

So, selfishly - I'm willing not to continue 'rocking the boat', so to speak.  All I'm asking is that my son and I get relocated to a more suitable home environment.  However, when I've spoken to my landlord about that possibility, they say they have no more properties in their dossier to move me / us to.  Which is a lie.  One of many they think I believe. 

As an alternative - I put my name on their Section 8 waiting list, but was told that it could take anywhere from 5-7 years to come to the top.  Mine and my sons health may not survive 5-7 years.  I'm not being melodramatic, I'm being realistic, and truthful.

Therefore, as long as I'm here, I'll continue to document our experiences, and try to publicly shame them into 'finding' more appropriate housing for us.  Why?  Because I think we've 'done our time' - so to speak, in silently suffering various and numerous indignities associated with living in RHE/HUD supported housing.  We're done.

FORM LETTER

AAaaaaahhhhh.... Yes, the dreaded form letter.  You complain to (fill in the blank), pour your little heart out... draft, redraft - final draft - until you're satisfied that your complaint letter expresses just the right amount of despair and dissatisfaction... And you get back - THE FORM LETTER.

It usually goes something like this:

' Dear Mr. / Miss. So and so... Thank-you for your feedback.  Your input is appreciated.  Please rest assured that we value your opinion.... Blah blah blah......'


Sincerely,
Customer Service

Ha ha ha... This would be laughable if we were talking about a defective CD from XYZ Electronic company...., but - wouldn't you expect a more personal, informed response from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of HUD in reference to ADA Violations??!

However, that's exactly what I got when I complained to HUD recently about my Housing Authorities' nasty habit of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by continuing to house my son and I in deficient homes.  A form letter, with a threat thrown in for good measure.  You already know about the 'moat', so I won't bore you with that again, but wait - let me tell you how we got here in the first place....

Once Upon A Time (2005-2010), my kids and I lived in a cute little house subsidized by HUD.  It was just right.  Until it was WRONG.  Soon after we moved in, my sons asthma began to worsen, and we had persistent colds... Then, there was the smell.  No matter - when you pay $300.00 per month rent you can hardly complain, right?  So, we suffered for years in silence.  Then, I started noticing alot of black mold in the bathroom.  No amount of scrubbing, disinfecting, bleaching would get rid of it.... I blamed myself for a long time.  Then, talking to my neighbor - who'd lived in that neighborhood since forever, he confirmed that ALL of the homes in our area were infested with mold inside and out, to a certain extent.  It had something to do with the type of soil the homes were built on.... Blah, blah, blah... 

Of course, I kicked into high gear and began to educate myself on mold, and it's negative effects on asthma sufferers.  I panicked.  I tried to get my PHA (Public Housing Agency) to feel my pain, to no avail.  They acted like I was a lying drama queen, and tried to ignore me.  However, I'm not the type of person to be ignored.  With my son's Pediatrician egging me on, I pressed the issue. 

Me: "There's mold in my home"
Them:  "No, there's not"
Me: "Yes, there is"
Them: "No, there's NOT"
Me: "Yes, there IS"
Them: "Well, how can you tell?  Maybe you just need to clean better.... "
Me:  "It's clearly visible"
Them: "No, it's not.  You just need to clean better.... "

And on and on it went for months.  I appealed to  Mr.Lee Palman, Director of the DC HUD Office.  Unfortunately, he was unavailable for comment.  Always.

Me: "Tell you what - why don't you get someone more objective in here to test for mold spores, and prove me wrong?"
Them: "No."
Me: "Yes."
Them: "No."
Me: "YES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Them (finally): "Ok."

So, these guys come in with all their bells and whistles, sampling this, and testing that... Turns out - I was RIGHT.  There was over $6,500.00 worth of toxic mold damage to my home.  I was sick, but vindicated.

Do you think that changed anything? No.  When I asked what they had in the way of plans to remediate the mold damage?  The Executive Director of the PHA literally laughed in my face and said: "Nothing".  I was told to GET OUT, in no uncertain terms.  In fact, they filed for eviction against me, because - they said - since I liked to complain so much, and I was so unhappy - I could move next to a toxic moat, across from a landfill on a dead-end street and see how much better I liked it there (He, hehe, snicker snicker..... ).

And, so - here we are.  Thanks for your response.... :-/

THE EMPEROR

There once was a fairytale, invented and retold throughout the years - authored by Hans Christian Anderson. It was called: 'The Emperors New Clothes'.   Basically, it was a story of how this vain, rich and powerful Emperor was duped into believing that a new suit was being specially made for him of the finest threads, and woven using the rarest fabrics.... Except, there was no suit. The Emperor was told by the sneaky Weavers that only a person of astounding stupidity would not see it's beauty and style... So, after taking most of the Emperors money and 'finishing' the suit - (which of course the Emperor couldn't see, because it didn't exist);  He paraded through the town - naked. Why did he do this? Because he was too proud and foolish to admit that he had been duped. You might say the moral of the story is: Be careful when you go along with the status quo, because the end result is that you could end up looking stupid yourself.   People just look dumb when they blindly adapt to their peer group, especially when it's obvious to themselves (and everyone else), that the group is WRONG.

At the end of the story, while all the towns-people are giggling and snickering behind the Emperors back (because no one had the guts to state the truth), finally - a little boy innocently shouts out: "Hey ! The Emperor is NAKED !"

At the risk of sounding vain myself - I AM that little boy.  I'm saying that it's totally inappropriate for a government agency (HUD) to attempt to police itself, and that no one wins as a result.

As it stands, when residents try to appeal to their local HUD Field Office about their PHA (Public Housing Authority), the local Field Office defers to the PHA. Try going over the Field Office to the Regional Field Office.   But, they defer to the local Field Office (who, then - in turn blindly defer to the PHA).   Starting to see a pattern here?!  It's the government legal equivalent of mumbo-jumbo, clickety-clack....

Which might not be a problem, if we weren't talking about people's lives. Childrens stability, and parents' peace of mind.   As long as no one accepts responsibility, and local PHA's are allowed to operate like rogue agencies;  Innocent citizens such as myself will suffer. There's gotta be a better way....
Everybody is looking at everybody, and everybody ends up looking STUPID.   Meanwhile, the problems still aren't solved, and residents are still dissatisfied.  This type of 'responsive' non-response will no longer be tolerated in this current, political environment.

OWS = US

I hear people disrespect the Occupy demonstrators, which bothers me to no end. They say disparaging things like:

"Get a job !" To which my answer would be "I did. I held a steady job for 10 years."

"Take a shower !" C'mon, that's just ignorant and insulting. Really?!

"Ya'll are a bunch of hippies !" To which I would reply - some things like love, peace and happiness - or at least the hope for them - should never be outdated...

"You all are just a bunch of lazy bums with nothing better to do !"  There were times when I worked, volunteered, attended school AND single-parented all at the same time.

But, consider this: Artists contribute immeasurably to our economy on a myriad of different levels. Some of them happen to be writing and singing about societal change. Yeah, they (we) may seem 'hippy-dippy', but without them (us), the world doesn't turn on it's axis as smoothly as it should.   Some of our best and most pivotal times as a society were changes brought about as a result of sit-ins, marches, petitions, chants, mottos, anthems and declarations... And, yes - sometimes we tore each other down during the process - which didn't stop it - it only served to delay...

Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs said it best:

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

TIME

Everyone waits with bated breath the year-end issue of TIME Magazine. That's when they normally pick and publish on the cover their 'Person of the Year'.  This year, instead - they chose a whole group:

'Time magazine has again turned to a concept for its latest person of the year, choosing "The Protester” in recognition of a year in which unhappiness with politics and the economy was given voice in streets around the world, most notably in the Mideast.'

“Is there a global tipping point for frustration?” asked the magazine’s top editor Rick Stengel in a statement Wednesday.  “Everywhere, it seems, people said they’d had enough,” Stengel stated. “They dissented; they demanded; they did not despair, even when the answers came back in a cloud of tear gas or a hail of bullets. They literally embodied the idea that individual action can bring collective, colossal change. And although it was understood differently in different places, the idea of democracy was present in every gathering.”

Finally ! Public recognition for people like myself who play by the rules, do what we're told - in hopes of reveling in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Except, there is no pot of gold - because - when we get there - we find that it's been looted. Looted by others who thought it was ok to take shortcuts, NOT play by the rules - look the other way as others dipped their hands into the proverbial cookie jar.

But, I'm speaking in parables.. Here: Let me be more specific: In my recent 'Whistleblower' blog posting, I detailed how the State Attorney General denied my request for Whistleblower protections, and instead referred me back to HUD to investigate itself;   Which was laughable. Well, I received notification from them (HUD) yesterday that - in fact - their official, investigative findings were that (drumroll please): THEY were right, and I was WRONG :-O
Surprise, surprise.....

That's why I'm a "protester" a "whistleblower" a "trouble-maker"... Call me what you will - but, at the end of the day - I intend to be the bane of the existence of the current HUD administration for their total apathy, lack of compassion, professionalism and accountability regarding their role in the ruination of my financial life.

PIG

I can't attribute this saying appropriately, despite my internet research - but it popped into my head as I watched Painters paint railings in my neighborhood this week:

'You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig'.  
Meaning:  You can't disguise the true character of something by trying to cover it up.


And, it made me chuckle. Because everyone is so busily invested in trying to make this neighborhood appear healthy... Everything is 'normal', nothing is wrong, nobody is culpable; Which makes the residents all happy. Unfortunately, this couldn't be further from the truth. Before I started complaining about the 'non-existent moat' next to my house in September, a little girl who lived here got bitten by a rat and was hospitalized for three weeks with infection. She almost died. But, we have nice, shiny new white railings.

The Soto Leeson Laundromat next door is still allowed to spew their noxious fumes at my front door, and my landlord is using mafia-like tactics to strong-arm me into signing another year-long lease with them.   However - we have nice, shiny new white railings...

Squirrels drop dead around here like snowflakes fall, but at least we have nice, shiny new white railings....

The 'moat' has been drained and covered over (literally and figuratively) with Hay, but we have nice, new white railings.

I guess I should be grateful for that.... Hey, that pig doesn't look so bad after all... Put a string of Pearls on her, and she'll be ready for the Prom yet !

A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM

There's this stupid woman in my landlords office who keeps saying this thing to me, which I find infuriating: "It's a voluntary program". Like, your bank is gonna tell you - "Oh, you don't have to pay your mortgage this month, it's a voluntary program...", (While they file foreclosure on you).

Does that make sense? No, not to me, either. When she says that - I think to myself a couple of things: #1: She's not very smart, #2: She must not be a parent, #3: That's a typically insensitive comment coming from that office, which shouldn't surprise me, except it does...

I'm brought back to that saying we used to chant during my activist days: 'Housing is a RIGHT, NOT a PRIVILEGE' !

I was telling my son the other day - this "new" 'Occupy' movement is NOT new, tent cities were set-up on the Mall in Washington DC during the sixties to protest basically the same sorts of things... Dissatisfaction with our government, and how it was being run; As well as to draw attention to the disgusting lack of affordable housing in this Country. So, this is all deja-vu for those of us who have been keeping track of our history.

Currently, the Occupy Wall Street Movement has morphed from local parks to abandoned and foreclosed homes, their rationale explained in a recent USA TODAY article:

'...Such occupations of foreclosed homes constitute trespassing, because the bank owns a property once the homeowner defaults on the mortgage.

"Some people say this is illegal," Patricia Malcolm, one of the march leaders, told the crowd outside the house at 702 Vermont St. "But let me ask you: How legal was it to take us out of our homes?"

Matthew Smucker of Occupy Wall Street also defended the move: "Peaceful civil disobedience is a proud American tradition in the face of large injustice. … The illegal behavior to be looking at is the illegal foreclosures by banks...."'

We're right, THEY'RE WRONG, it's not OUR fault - it's THEIR fault ! And, meanwhile - people are dying out in the cold streets every Winter. Now - how much sense does that make?!

BETHESDA

The Circle of Life.  What goes around, comes around.... I've been thinking about these concepts alot lately, especially after reading a very interesting article in 'Bethesda' Magazine, titled: 'The Great Divide', by Freelance Journalist:  Mr. Eugene L. Meyer. 


He was basically illustrating the widening divide here in Montgomery County between the 'haves', and the 'have nots'.  One perspective I found particularly interesting was how he detailed different instances where, despite how someone grew-up, their current circumstances could belie their prior privilege.  


I related to that especially, because I grew-up in the affluent New York suburb of Westchester County.  I loathe to even tell people that's where I grew-up, because they're bound to make certain assumptions.  Like, maybe I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth.  But, they would be wrong.


However, I will admit to an astounding amount of ignorance.  I thought everyone lived in a spacious, million-dollar, 5-bedroom, 2-bath lakefront property with a vast yard - front, back and side.  I thought EVERYONE had the BEST education, the newest books, the latest cars, the most recent and fashionable clothes.  The word: 'ghetto' wasn't even in my vocabulary....


I was blind, or at the very least wearing rose-colored-glasses.  But, in my defense - I was not PURPOSEFULLY blind or ignorant, I simply didn't have anyone the likes of Mr. Meyer to point out what should have been obvious:  Not everyone 'has'.  In fact, alot more people fall into that 'have-not' category than not.


Of course - now that I DO fall into that category, it's painfully obvious how great the divide is, and how much greater it's becoming.  But, instead of pointing fingers, and placing blame, it's probably time for all of us to wake-up, wipe the sleep from our eyes, and work together to figure out how we can solve our many MUTUAL problems.  


Otherwise, the next article Mr. Meyer writes may be entitled:  'The GREATER Divide.....'

GRATITUDE

There's probably no one reading this who pays less for housing than I do.  And, I should be grateful, but it's hard - because my house is not really mine.  I can't say who comes and goes.  My landlord doesn't let me forget that, either.  Every week, they schedule 'visitors' for me;  Causing me to have to rearrange my personal life and schedule around THEM.  


This week, it's supposedly gonna be energy conservationists from the City of Rockville.  And, they'll be here I'm told either today or tomorrow - between the hours of 8am and 5pm.  So, unless I want to have strangers roaming through my house un-escorted and unsupervised (which I don't), I must put my life on hold for two, whole days.


Last week, it was HVAC representatives come to clean out my air ducts.  It was a major operation, involving flying dust and who knows what else airborne during the process.  Since my son has asthma, I expressed concern to my landlord.  Did he care? NO.


Oh, the week preceding were another set of people for HVAC cleaning.  Another major operation.  Another risk to my sons health.  Another apathetic response.


Then there was Orkin.  Before that was a housing inspection where I had two guys come in and basically toss my bedroom looking for bed bugs like I was a prisoner in a jail cell.


Before that?  HUD sent housing inspectors to make sure we were keeping our homes clean.  Every week it's something or someone else.  And, we don't have any choice but to let them have full run of our homes, our lives, our schedules, because - to refuse them would be a violation of our lease.  God forbid WE should violate OUR lease !


I hate the visitors.  I feel like how the Jews must have felt during Nazi Germany;  When the Gestapo would come banging on their doors, and go through their homes looking for any evidence of the harboring of Jews, and in general just scare and harass people.


And, I wonder WHY?  Why can't they just leave us alone, give us space and respect?!  Is it because we're poor?  Does that then imply that we're less than, less deserving of respect than _______ (fill-in-the-blank) others?  More prone to _______(fill-in-the-blank) ... WHAT?!?!


I don't know what they're looking for, but I sure hope they find it soon, and leave me the hell alone.

MOVIES

I like those movies where you can choose an alternate ending.  Those are cool.  If only real life were like that... Here's the alternate ending I would choose for my situation:


Instead of hearing apathetic silence when I showed my landlord the moat, he would have said: "Don't worry, Lydia, I'll make some phone calls, and see about getting this cleared up right away.  I'll let you know what I find out."


Instead of hearing: "That's not my department", when I showed the moat to Code Enforcement, I would have heard: "This is disgusting.  I'm going over there right now, and try to find out what's going on with this.  Don't worry, we'll get it figured out ASAP.  Meanwhile, I'm gonna suspend HUDS rental license, and order that tenant rents be paid to the court in escrow."


Instead of DEP saying: "Yuk yuk, oh, well... I do drive-bys every  now and then, and it looked fine from the road... yuk yuk...", I would have heard: "Yeah, I dropped the ball on this.  I had no idea what was going on with it, because - frankly, I don't give a damn about those people who live over there anyway.  They're just a bunch of poor, lazy bums who probably deserve to be poisoned in the first place.  Just wish I could do more to hurry it along...."  (No, that's NOT what I wanted to hear, but at least it would have been the truth.)


Instead of my landlord saying: "What the hell more do you want from me?! I made a phone call on your behalf!", I might have heard - "We're sorry you're sick, Lydia.  Don't worry, we're gonna work with the City on this to make sure it gets cleaned up as soon as possible."


Instead of the Resident Coordinator laughing at me and saying: "Well, if you guys are getting headaches from the fumes, just close your windows ! lol...." I would have heard:  "You're getting headaches? That's really wierd... I wonder if they might be coming from the fumes at the laundromat?  Don't worry, we're gonna make some calls and see if we can't fix this, so it doesn't keep happening".


And, instead of that same person saying: "If you just spent as much time on school as you did complaining, you'd be done by now !"  She would say: "I understand your worry, Lydia, this must be really stressful for you.  If you need to talk, I'm here to listen."


Instead of the EPA conducting a make-believe investigation, with a pretend agent, I would have gotten an immediate injunction against HUD preventing them from operating a housing complex at this location, and an order to refund ALL tenants back rent for the time we were incarcerated here.


Instead of everyone saying: "She's just a crazy trouble-maker whose bored and letting her imagination get the best of her.  We KNOW there's no REAL problem, because she's the only one whose complaining... Everyone else is really happy to live over there...!";  I might have heard:  "Let's count our blessings that more residents don't think like her, because she's right."


Instead of court dates and eviction letters, I might have gotten honest explanations and apologies.  Instead of patronizing and placating, I would have gotten REAL CONCERN, and REAL SOLUTIONS.  Instead of arrogance and apathy, I might have gotten sympathy and support.


But, alternate endings only happen in movies.  And, even then - only sometimes.

THE PLAYGROUND

There's a playground five feet from the toxic moat, but I won't let my son play at it.  In fact, I cringe when I see other people's children playing at it.  I wanna run out and say: "NOOoooooooooo !!! Don't let your kid play here !!!" I feel like there should be warning signs put up around it:  


'WARNING: DANGER - ALLOWING YOUR CHILDREN TO PLAY HERE COULD RESULT IN RESPIRATORY DAMAGE, BRAIN DAMAGE AND/OR RISK OF WEST NILE VIRUS INFECTION DUE TO MOSQUITO BITES FROM THE OPEN SEWAGE DRAIN RIGHT IN BACK OF THEM.'


But, maybe I'm just being melodramatic.  The State Health Department recently informed me that they read my blog, and are interested in investigating "numerous" violations which may or may not be occurring on this property, as it relates to the industrial complex next to it.  So, I was discussing it with my son last night, and I said something like: "I doubt they'll find anything, they probably should have come 3 or 4 months ago to get the full effect.... There's no 'water' there, now.  And, unless they get extra enthusiastic - and take soil samples - they probably won't be able to actually ascertain what was really in that moat....."  To which he replied:  "Yeah, that's probably why they put hay down on top of it, to absorb the chemicals."  Smart boy.


When we talked about moving, he indicated that he can't wait.  He's tired of seeing rats and mice scurry around our living room and kitchen.  That made me sad, that as a parent - in this day and age - even with all of my yelling and screaming - I still can't provide more than the bare minimum for him.  It's humiliating and lessens the amount of respect he has for me, I'm sure.  Do I want it to be this way? NO.  Does it need to change? YES.


Can I live here another year? NO.  


Is this the way YOU live?  Probably not......

HONEY

I just got off the phone with my lawyer, who felt the need to remind me of that old adage:  "Sometimes you get more flies with Honey, than Vinegar....."  To which I replied:  "I'm all out of Honey, the Honey is gone... !"


Had I not been so quick to be flip, I might have said something more intelligent, like:  "Don't judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes...", or something equally witty.


But, I didn't.  Somewhere, along the way - I lost my Honey (now I just sound like Winnie the Pooh).  No - seriously - I had honey when we were moved the first time - from Moore Drive.  I was forced to use up all of my vacation time and savings to do so, but - I used Honey.


I used Honey when we were made to jump through numerous hoops to get and keep Public Housing....

I used Honey when my belongings were repeatedly stolen by various Maintenance personnel, and my reports went ignored....

I used Honey when I was called into the office numerous times after that to provide birth certificates and Social Security cards for myself and my family because office staff kept 'losing' them.

I used Honey when issues brought up in Resident Council meetings went ignored and un-addressed. 

I used Honey when my landlord miscalculated my rent, and took me to court for no reason;  Over and over and over and over again......

I used Honey when they broke numerous promises about helping residents buy back on Moore Drive.  I used Honey when money went missing from the buy-back program due to embezzlement, and us residents suffered as a result.

I used Honey when we were promised an all-purpose community center complete with computer equipment and printers, only to have the doors locked so consistently that I ended-up having to buy my own computer and printer.

I used Honey when I lived in a unit which had faulty electrical wiring that caused me to have to buy new stereo, T.V. and computers every year, and the landlord refused to fix it, or have it professionally rewired, playing Russian Roullette with our lives...

I used Honey when my landlord laughed in my face and told me she wasn't going to fix the toxic mold problem in my home, because it would cost her too much.

I used Honey when all of my furniture was eaten by termites, because the maintenance guy refused to admit that I was right about having them in the first place (despite my bringing him one in a jar);  And waited 2 years to call an exterminator.

I used Honey when Code Enforcement and my landlord ganged-up on me - forcing me to use money I should have spent on my kids, threatening me with eviction if I didn't use it for lawn care maintenance instead, because they were too selfish to loan me existing equipment or too lazy to do it themselves.

I used Honey when my redneck neighbor let himself into my house to let me know in no uncertain terms that we weren't welcome in the neighborhood, but that he would "tolerate" us...

I used Honey when we were forced to move a second time at our own expense, because RHE Board Members were too greedy, callous and self-involved to understand that as a single parent - I may not have had the extra $200.00 laying around to fund just such an expense.


Like I said:  I'm all out of Honey...... *sigh*.

WHISTLEBLOWER

Currently, there are no protections afforded people like myself who complain about fraud, waste and abuse by government workers.  


Anticipating that HUD would react the way they did, I asked the Maryland State Attorney General to protect me under the Federal Whistleblower statutes currently in place commonly used to protect government workers against retaliation from their government employers.  They didn't exactly refuse, but they didn't agree to, either.  In fact - they referred me back to HUD to investigate itself.  Below is the response I received:

I checked and HUD’s website is referring to State whistleblower laws and protections for state employees.   I did locate the followinghttp://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm.  While not specific to whistleblower, it appears to be a way to let someone in federal government know what you  are experiencing.  It may be worth a try.  I wish I could provide more.    

Citizen Response Coordinator

Maryland Office of the Attorney General

Isn't that a little like asking the fox to guard the henhouse?!  And, in fact I got a very official-looking response from HUDs OIG Division:

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20410-4500

Dear Ms. York:

We reviewed the information you provided to our office and determined that

your issues could best be addressed by the HUD program office with jurisdiction in

these matters. Therefore, we recommend you follow up with HUD’s Office of Public

Housing, Washington, DC (3GPH).

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Director, Office of Public Housing Washington, DC (3GPH)

820 First Street, NE

Washington, D.C. 20002

Phone (202) 275-6381

Fax (202) 275-6388

Sincerely,

Michael R. Kirby

Director, Program Integrity

(Hotline) Division

GFI/91

A political hot-potato much?  Like I have time to keep writing letters and calling people.  No, I don't.  I have to pack, since it was no ones job to listen to me and protect me, but - it was everybody's job to take my rent money.

COMPLAINING

"Maybe if you weren't so busy complaining, you could concentrate on school, or better yet - get a JOB !"  This from the same dimwit who told me to close my sons window so he wouldn't keep getting headaches from the drycleaner fumes of the laundromat next door.  Like I enjoy living in sub-standard housing, and get my rocks off finding fault where there is none (and here I'm being facetious).  That insensitive comment might not be so bad, except it came from someone in my rental office.  They're not the brightest stars in the sky....


For the record:  I DON'T LIKE COMPLAINING.  It does nothing for my emotional health and well-being.  And, it's worth noting that I was a totally compliant, reasonable and rational resident for 9 long, hard years before I blew my top - so to speak.  But, when there's no Resident Council to voice resident concerns - a PHA (Public Housing Authority) might be tempted to run roughshod over it's residents.  And, since HUD no longer randomly polls residents with their satisfaction surveys through the REAC division; Violations can and will occur.  Currently, there aren't margins for error - there are big, gaping holes.  And, who suffers as a result?  Us residents.  


If this isn't the wake-up call it's intended to be, then I don't know what else to say... smh... (shaking my head)....

SHOW ME THE $$

John E. Hall (202) 275-6291 http://www.hud.gov/news/

For Release Friday March 06, 2009

N E W S    R E L E A S E :

HUD AWARDS $21,750 TO THE ROCKVILLE HOUSING ENTERPRISES TO BRING JOBS, ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE TO PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS IN ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND

'WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $21,750 to the Rockville Housing Enterprises that will be used to help public housing residents in Rockville, to find jobs that lead them toward economic independence. This funding was part of nearly $12 million awarded to 207 public housing agencies across the U.S.
The grants are provided through HUD's Public Housing Family Self-Sufficiency Program, which enables public housing agencies (PHA) to hire program coordinators who work directly with residents to connect them with local education and training opportunities; job placement organizations and local employers. The purpose of the program is to encourage local innovative strategies that link public housing assistance with public and private resources to enable participating families to increase earned income; reduce or eliminate the need for welfare assistance; and make progress toward achieving economic independence and housing self-sufficiency.
"As America prepares to meet the growing challenges brought on by rising unemployment, it helps to have a helping hand guide individuals to training and job opportunities in their community," said HUD Deputy Regional Director Brenda Laroche. "These grants will help public housing residents find employment or assist others who want to increase their earning power."
Public housing residents sign a contract to participate, which outlines their responsibilities towards completion of training and employment objectives up to a five-year period. For each participating family that is a welfare recipient, the PHA must establish an interim goal that the participating family be independent from welfare assistance prior to the expiration of the contract. During the period of participation, residents may earn an escrow credit based on increased earned income, which they may use in a variety of ways, including continuing their education or down payment toward a home purchase. A HUD study showed low-income families who participated in a similar HUD family self-sufficiency program saw their incomes increase at a higher rate than non-participants....'
======================================================================

Show me the $$$, cuz I was enrolled in this program during the time-frame that RHE received this grant, and I don't know what they did with the money, but I can say with a certainty that it was absolutely NOT used for it's intended purpose.  Maybe they went out and had a big lobster dinner with it.  Maybe they rented a cruise ship and took a vacation with it.... Who knows?!  But, all I can tell you for sure is that - as a participant of this program - when it came time for me to cash-in on my FSS contract - all of a sudden - the money had mysteriously vanished.  Ruth O'Sullivan, Executive Director of RHE gave me this big song and dance about this and that... Tried to bamboozle me with fake documents, then gave me a dummy escrow account ledger.  Except, I ain't no dummy.  To this day, I'm in Public Housing against my will because they 'misappropriated' resident money, and botched accounts.  So, instead of being the homeowner I'm supposed to be, I gotta live on swampland, next to a toxic moat, across the street from a landfill, on a dead-end street, going nowhere fast..... Thanks, Ruth.

POLICE STATE

We live in a police state.  This is the only part of town where there are cameras mounted on top of the street lights monitoring our every move.  Granted, this used to be an open-air drug market, but still.......


I don't like them.  Most of the residents here don't like them.  In fact, it hurt the sensibilities of  residents so much that installation of them was problematic.  They kept getting torn down.  Who wants a camera watching your every move?!


There's one trained on my front door.  I guess they're unnaturally interested in my comings and goings. *Sigh*.  I'm pretty sure it's a violation of my civil liberties, but I've been so busy getting sick this last year, that I've had to pick my battles.  


Then, I gotta wonder where the money for installation and monitoring comes from.... Hhhhmmm... Another example of our taxpayer dollars at waste - Uh, I mean - at work?


It's just a little too much like 'Big Brother' for me.  I could see if I was doing something wrong, or if someone else were doing something wrong, but this neighborhood has improved 75% since then, so now it's time for them to come down.  Except they won't.


This City likes to monitor and control certain uuuhhhh, how to say this? 'segments' of their population like animals in cages.  It gives them a sense of power and superiority.  Well, goody for them.  If they want to use the cameras to foster their God-complex, then so be it.


I think it all comes down to Karma.  Where there is injustice in the world, there is also justice.  Maybe this blog is justice.  It feels like it.  If I can expose them for the evil, hypocritical slumlords that they are, then they can watch my front door.  I think it's a fair trade-off.  What do you think?

CODE ENFORCEMENT

I know what you're thinking:  What I've said can't possibly be true, because there're agencies in place to make sure that housing is safe for residents.  And I would tell you that - no - in this town, there are not.  

Take our local Code Enforcement Department:  They're so busy cozying up to City officials and landlords that they could really care less about the safety of housing for residents.  I know - because every time I called them to help me with an issue regarding deficient HUD housing, they would come out, and instead find a reason to cite ME for some sort of deficiency on MY part.  No lie - 

Instead of caring about termites on my property, they cited ME for the debris Orkin had displaced from the basement when they came to spray for the termites.

Instead of caring about the toxic levels of mold in my house, they chose to cite ME for an inoperable vehicle parked in my driveway (although it was within legal guidelines).

Instead of caring about faulty electrical wiring in my home, they cited ME for grass that was 2" high (one inch higher than regulation allows).

Instead of caring about peeling lead paint in my house, they cited ME for overgrown shrubbery. 

All of this is a matter of public record - I have no reason to lie.  Time after time, Code Enforcement proved their incompetence by being overly concerned with the City's bottom line, and bullying residents into compliance.  For years they harassed and cited me to the point of distraction.  It was bizarre. They never helped me in my quest for safe housing for myself and my son - never, not once.

Even with the open sewage drain on this current property - did they care? NO.  I personally showed one of their agents the clogged/overflowing drain (aka MOAT) next to my house which was sickening us, but his only response was: "That's not my department."  Comforting :-/

But, here's the thing:  When it comes to the health and welfare of people - especially residents who expect a certain level of safety regarding their home and neighborhood;  And who pay good money to live here - it SHOULD be his department.

ELECTION

I think it's appropriate with the upcoming elections to remind our elected officials (as well as those running) of the 'Want, Will and Hopes of the People' as outlined in our oldest, most precious document: The Declaration of Independence:


"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. —"


Somewhere along the way we lost sight of those principles.  Wait, no - WE didn't - YOU did.  Holding elected office is not supposed to be some cushy, administrative job where you take money and perks just to wake-up and put on a suit in the morning.  YOU work for US.  It's inappropriate for you - Councilman, Mayor, Congressman, Director, Board Member to have access to public funding and squander it or worse - misuse it.


When you know you have a housing shortage or problem in your area, address it in a timely manner.  Address it appropriately - because housing is a RIGHT, not a PRIVILEGE.

MOAT 2

I thought my blog about the 'moat' would purge me of my anger, except it didn't.  There's so much more to tell... Most of all, I'm angry at myself.  Angry because - despite my military and medical training, plus experience with the shady, underhanded way Rockville City and Rockville Housing Enterprises staff treat us residents - it didn't occur to me sooner that we were being poisoned.  My Aunt said it best:  It's nothing short of economic racism.


Let me backtrack:  First of all - my subsequent investigation indicates that the dust was more than likely coming from the industrial laundromat which abuts this property.  Our headaches were from their fan which blows chemical fumes right at our front door, and into my sons window - everyday, all day.  The noxious fumes? Probably from one or more of the four bio-hazard companies, car wash and laundromat which are located adjacent to this property.  I have to legally say things like "probably", because - despite an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) criminal 'investigation' into this situation initiated by my complaints, to date no one has been held accountable for the condition the moat was in when I found it.  No one.  And the beat goes on....


This is a historically black neighborhood with a rich history, but now it's become a ghetto, despite gentrification efforts.  That's probably why these companies saw fit to dump their toxic waste in our backyards, thinking we wouldn't notice - and no one would really care.  I couldn't say this without proof that there are 3 additional dumping sites other than the one I found next to my house, all within a five-mile radius. But, does anyone care? NO. Why??Because it wouldn't benefit them monetarily to care.  If they cared - they might have to be concerned about the Elementary School up the street, and the children's health.  They might have to close the three parks, and relocate residents.  None of that would be beneficial to the Citys' fiscal bottom line.  So, we suffer in silence.  And the beat goes on......


Stay tuned for MOAT 3, which will include pictures.  I gotta go dust.

THE MOAT

So, let's talk about why I'm REALLY here...


We've been housed in this town home by HUD for the last year.  During the first month, I noticed a fine layer of white dust accumulating on my furniture daily.  No matter how much I dusted, there it would be again the next day.... That dust.  Which kinda made me wonder what we were breathing...So, since my son has asthma - I have to keep the house cleaner than the average bear.  I began running fans constantly - to clean the air and keep it circulating.  But the dust persisted.


Then, there was the smell.  It was a noxious, gaseous smell of death.  Indescribably bad.  There were many nights when my son and I would turn to each other in unison and say: "Do you smell that?! Ewwwwwww...... !"  Then, there were the constant colds and upper-respiratory infections we were getting.  It was worrying.  My son and I began to spit-up yellow, green and red phlegm  every morning for weeks.  We would wake-up with green gunk sticking our eyes together and showing up in tissue when we blew our noses.  It wasn't funny anymore.


I thought it was us.  First, I thought - well, we just need to ________ (fill in the blank) mop more, sweep more, clean more, deodorize more etc..... I spent a small fortune on room fresheners, sprays, incense and bleach.  


Then, after doing all that I could to ensure our house was clean, I began to suspect our neighbors.  Maybe THEY weren't keeping THEIR houses clean enough, and WE were suffering as a result... HHhhhhhmmmm.... It became a mystery.....


Soon came the mice.  While setting traps for them one day, my maintenance guy casually says - "Oh, well, you know where the mice are coming from, don't you?" I said - "no, where?"  He says: "They're coming from that river over there !!"  "What 'river'?"  I asked... So, he proceeds to escort me to the fence bordering the perimeter of our property which I'd never had a reason to go near before.  And, there it was: Not a river at all, but a MOAT.  A 50-yard stretch of stagnant, standing 'water' about 2 feet deep.  And it was only 30-feet from my front door.  The closer we got to it, the worse it smelled.  I actually had a 'EUREKA !' moment.  Suddenly, it all made perfect sense:  That's why we were getting sick ! That's what we'd been smelling for months.... ! OHhhhhhhhh !!!!! DUHhhh !!!!


How to describe this disgusting display? Oh, well - I think I just did.  According to the City of Rockville, it's an open storm water sewage drain they knew had been clogged since 2009.  Yet, no one bothered to ask the industrial parks' management to clean it up.  So WHAT residents were getting sick, and it's an unhealthy environment to raise kids in??  So what.  As long as we continued to pay our rent on time, there was no problem.  Right? Wrong.  I slowly turned to my maintenance guy and said: "John (that's not his real name, cuz you know - I gotta protect the innocent), you really shouldn't have shown me THIS."


That's when all hell broke loose.  I kicked into high gear and got as much information and contacted as many people as I possibly could.  Of course, it wasn't HIS problem, it was HERS, it wasn't HIS job - it was THEIRS.... blah blah blah... But, I refused to take "no" for an answer.  I immediately stopped paying rent in protest, and  literally shamed them (HUD) into siding with me in order to get the problem solved.  It worked, but - by way of apology they sued me for back rent, and petitioned the court for my eviction.  They didn't even have the decency to be embarrassed or remorseful :-(


So, where are we now?  Well, I'm still pissed that it took HUD and the City 2 years to get this issue resolved.  And, I'm currently experiencing retaliation for my efforts, but otherwise - it's all good.  Never let 'em see you sweat ;-)

BITING

'Biting the hand that feeds you':

Definition: turn against a friend or supporter; repay kindness with wrong

Explanation: Used when talking about someone who does not appreciate those who have helped her

Examples: He is biting the hand that feeds him if he continues to criticize and fight against his superiors. - Remember to not bite the hand that feeds you when speaking to your parents.

============================================

Soooooo....You may ask: Why would you dare to criticize an agency which has helped you and your family? To which I would reply: They haven't.

Not when they uprooted us twice for their own, selfish, monetary gain, made empty promises, refused to abide by our lease agreement, and consistently harassed, threatened and intimidated myself as well as other residents into submission.  When they move children and families around the County like we're chattel, causing children to worry and switch schools - disrupting their lives without regard.  When they adopt the attitude that they're impervious to criticism and outside review -  to the detriment of residents;  When they disregard the health, safety, psychological and emotional well-being of residents - they're not helping.

When they stand by idly and let their staff grossly mismanage public funds, as well as resident savings... They're not helping.  But, most of all, I'm tired.  I'm tired of waiting for someone to notice the fraud, for someone to speak-up on my behalf, for someone to right this wrong.

I put up with HUD and their nonsense for almost 10 years.  The Cherokee in me is deeply offended that our government still thinks it's ok to displace people at will, for their own convenience, and at their leisure.

I want them to see me as a person.  A Mother who is trying to provide a safe, stable home for my children, yet is being blocked at every turn - by HUD.

ALL-AMERICAN CITY

I live in Rockville, Maryland.  And, every year there's this contest amongst small town America - where cities compete for the title of 'All-American City'.  Like - trying to prove that Mayberry still exists.  And, it's so funny, because representatives from my town get all gussied up and go to the convention to put their best face forward in hopes of winning this coveted title.  I suspect it's just an excuse to take a vacation on the taxpayers dime, though.  Anyway, this little exercise has always left me a bit amused, considering the following historical quotes:

 "...The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy and the handicapped. " ~ Last Speech of Hubert H. Humphrey

"A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members." ~ Mahatma Ghandi

"Any society, any nation, is judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members -- the last, the least, the littlest."
~  Cardinal Roger Mahony, In a 1998 letter, Creating a Culture of Life

The greatness of America is in how it treats its weakest members: the elderly, the infirm, the handicapped, the underprivileged, the unborn. ~  Bill Federer

"A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members and among the most vulnerable are surely the unborn and the dying,"
~  Pope John Paul II

===================================================================

Rockville loves it's rich people.  And, the richer the better.  I've always been on the fringe of this 'great' City, never able to cash in on the American Dream;  Because every time I think I might have a foothold, someone in City or Federal Government gets a bright idea to do something adverse to myself and my family - so it then becomes a 'one-step-forward-two-steps-back' situation ....

To my knowledge, Rockville has never won the title.  But - they're clueless as to why not; To which I would say - read any (but preferably ALL) of the above quotes, and then ask yourself:  Are we REALLY an 'All-American City' ???!