GLAA to Blade: Catania has what it takes
To: Readers Forum
The Washington Blade
via email to forum@washblade.com
[published in the September 11, 1998 issue of The Washington Blade]
To the Blade:
The Blade's September 4 article "The face of D.C. politics" rightfully notes that openly Gay Councilmember David Catania recently "persuaded Republican leaders in the House to approve $1.2 million in funds for a D.C. civilian police review board that Gay leaders deemed as a high priority."
But when a crisis subsequently developed on this front, Councilmember Catania proved more than equal to the occasion.
Rumors began spreading on Capitol Hill that the new D.C. Police Chief, Charles Ramsey, was not in favor of the new civilian complaint review system being established by the D.C. Council and that therefore Congress should knock out the $1.2 million in federal funds for Fiscal Year 1999 that the House Appropriations Committee had approved for the new system.
The Gay & Lesbian Activists Alliance (GLAA), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Black Police Association, and others immediately began a campaign to urge Chief Ramsey to come out publicly in favor of the $1.2 million appropriation. We thought Councilmember Jack Evans, chair of the Judiciary Committee, would be in the best position to influence Chief Ramsey. In his response last month to the GLAA questionnaire, Mr. Evans promised he would speak to Chief Ramsey on this matter.
Councilmember Catania went to the Chief personally. His efforts paid off. In an August 20 letter to Senator Lauch Faircloth (R-NC), chair of the Senate D.C. Appropriations Subcommittee, Chief Ramsey wrote: "I have been requested by Councilmember-at-Large David Catania...to provide a letter in support of funding for a District of Columbia Office of Citizen Complaint Review....I am entirely supportive of the concept of citizen complaint review and urge that the subcommittee include the $1.2 million appropriation...in the Senate version of the District of Columbia's FY 1999 budget."
Mr. Catania has shown what it takes to be considered a champion for our community.
Rick Rosendall
President
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance
