Capital Improvements

Pop Quiz

What ex-President said: “As you probably know, some American politicians and American journalists refer to Washington, DC as the “capital of the free world.” But it seems to me that Brussels, which boasts 1,000 years of history and which serves as the capital of Belgium, the home of the European Union, and the headquarters for NATO, this city has its own legitimate claim to that title.”?

What US President said: “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”?

What British musician said: “Our neighbors shake their heads And take their valuables inside While my countrymen piss in the fountains To express their national pride.”?

What actor said: “Must we be put to shame by much smaller and poorer countries, by Ireland, France, Austria or Sweden, who have understood that a nation’s support of its arts is a matter of both national pride and cultural survival?”?

Answers at the end of the post.

Promises made, promises kept

President Trump is a builder, a creator of architectural monuments. His construction business has, over the years, purchased buildings that were in various stages of decay and replaced them with useful modern structures pleasing to the eye. When the skating rink in Rockefeller Center needed renovation he stepped in and completed the work. The project had been managed by a line of bureaucratic Marx Brothers…long delays with large cost overruns as far as the eye could see. He finished the job, saved money and made an iconic part of the City more attractive to the residents and visitors from around the world. He saw the national Capital as an urban renewal project that needed the Trumpian touch.

For purposes of this post the seat of our government will be referred to as the Capital which is comprised of the District of Columbia and the city of Washington.

The Capital of the United States should be source of pride and inspiration. It should be a place where Americans and international visitors will be able to visit the many monuments that memorialize our rich history…The White House (1800), the Smithsonian Institution (1846), the Washington Monument (1884), the Library of Congress (1893) and the Lincoln (1922) and Jefferson (1943) Memorials. There is also the Congressional Office Building/Brothel (1800)…a place where taxpayers can go to get screwed.

There are, in addition, a number of memorials to the veterans who selflessly served to protect the American dream. The World War II (or 11 if you are Ilhan Omar), Korean War and Viet Nam Memorials offer a place to offer thanks to those who served and to acknowledge that we live free because of their sacrifice. There is, nearby, Arlington National Cemetery the final resting place of more than 400,000 of those veterans, including many who gave their last full measure of devotion.

The District of Columbia

In 1791 Congress passed the Residence Act establishing a federal district which became known as the Territory of Columbia. It included the City of Washington. President Washington oversaw the construction of the White House but it was John Adams who became the first President to reside there. Pierre L’Enfant was appointed to design the layout of the city. The President’s House is an impressive structure and the British, still miffed about the whole Revolutionary War thing, showed up in 1814 and burned the White House during their last North American incursion.

The District of Columbia is 68 square miles…surrounded by reality.

The Decline of our Capitol

Over the years the Capital has suffered a slow but steady urban decline. Parts of the city became centers of drugs and violence. This is partly explained by the fact that there has not been a Republican mayor since 1961. The murder rate in the District became a national embarrassment. It was no longer a safe place for foreign visitors and American families to visit and feel secure and welcome. It was the scene of violent protests in the 1960s against the Viet Nam War, capitalism and people over 30. More recently there have been protests against anything related to Donald Trump. During these disruptive events residents were deprived of their right to quiet enjoyment of the area,

The events of January 6, 2021, a technicolor production of Deep State Fantasyland Entertainment, were, happily, confined to Capitol Hill. It did have a positive impact…shutting down Congressional mischief for a few days.

President Trump, as is his wont, decided that this urban decline needed to be reversed, especially with the upcoming 250th anniversary celebration. After two young Israeli diplomats were killed, in broad daylight, near the Capital Jewish Museum in 2025 Trump deployed the National Guard to address the growing crime and violence in the Washington. It was roundly condemned by the usual suspects but the residents and the Democrat mayor later admitted that they felt safer with the increased police presence. Perhaps visitors to the Capital now feel safer also.

In addition, the President took on the issue of homelessness in the Capital and his policies have contributed to measurable improvements in reducing the homeless population…a 19% reduction from the 2020 level. Homeless encampments are unsightly, unsanitary and unsafe…a blight on the streets and in the parks of Washington. Time for a new version of an old slogan…Make America Beautiful…Again.

The Kennedy Center

In 1971 the Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts opened and for more than fifty years hosted a wide range of cultural events. Trump, relying on his experience with urban renewal, decided it was time to undertake a renovation of the Center. There was no serious controversy until it was announced that the name would be changed to the Trump Kennedy Center. A federal judge, in an exercise of ego driven overreach of judicial authority, instructed the Center to remove Trump’s name from the Center, any reference to Trump in the literature and barred any card games that included trump suits. Representative Dan Goldman, who like Winnie the Pooh is a bear of very little brain, recently said: “It is just unquestionable at this point that that man cannot see public office again. He is not only unfit, he is destructive to our democracy, and he has to be, he has to be eliminated,” Perhaps Goldman would allow Trump’s name to be used if the President had the good taste “to be eliminated”. This would justify use of the word “memorial”.

The Bawlroom

Recently a deranged Democrat, who was in the Capital to attend a Village Idiots Convention, tried to assassinate Republican officials attending the White House Correspondent’s Dinner. The would be murderer was, much to the chagrin of the media and the Democrats, unsuccessful. Nevertheless it did raise serious issues about safety of anyone associated with the Trump Administration in the Capital. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a more secure venue for such an event…say a magnificent ballroom in the White House? A ballroom paid for by private contributions. The overreaction by those suffering from TDS was almost instantaneous and it inspired Eric Swalwell, suffering under the delusion that there were still a handful of Americans who did not know he is a total idiot, to state for the record that he would oppose any Democrat candidate for the presidency in 2028 who did not agree to tear down the Swalwell Bawlroom within an hour of being inaugurated.

The Reflecting Pool

In a reprise of the work done in Rockefeller Center in NYC Trump directed that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool be renovated and repainted. Again TDS sufferers reflexively attacked the project. Yet when the work was completed even a few Democrats admitted it was much improved. Years ago your humble scribe took his family to visit the Capital. My, then eight year old son, stood on the National Mall and asked me if this was the spot where Martin Luther King gave his I Have a Dream speech. A proud moment! Everyone should arrange a family visit to the Capital and surrounding sites such as Arlington National Cemetery.

Our President has delivered on his promise…a cleaner, safer place to reflect on the symbols of the Shining City upon a Hill…John Winthrop’s dream of what America would be.

On July 4 we will be putting out our 200th post and it will focus on the greatness of America. A cleaner, safer Capital will be the centerpiece of our semiquincentennial celebration!

Answers to the pop quiz:

What ex-President said: “As you probably know, some American politicians and American journalists refer to Washington, DC as the “capital of the free world.” But it seems to me that Brussels, which boasts 1,000 years of history and which serves as the capital of Belgium, the home of the European Union, and the headquarters for NATO, this city has its own legitimate claim to that title.”? The clean and articulate Joe Biden, showing his support for surrendering American sovereignty to the EU

What US President said: “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.”? Abraham Lincoln

What British musician said: “Our neighbors shake their heads And take their valuables inside While my countrymen piss in the fountains To express their national pride.”? Billy Bragg…he may not have aimed his remarks at our Capital but he hit it

What actor said: “Must we be put to shame by much smaller and poorer countries, by Ireland, France, Austria or Sweden, who have understood that a nation’s support of its arts is a matter of both national pride and cultural survival?”? Theodore Bikel