DC crime is out of control but local leaders continue to waste $270,000 in tax money promoting the extremist Black Lives Matter movement in the heart of Washington DC that is racist, anti-police, anti-American, and often violent.
Tom Fitton, Judicial Watch President
Taxpayers were forced to shell out more than $270,000 to repaint the phrase “Black Lives Matter” on a street near the White House in the nation’s capital.
That’s according to the watchdog group Judicial Watch, which obtained 25 pages of records in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Washington, DC, Dept. of Transportation.
The repainting took place shortly before Black Lives Matter groups began defending the Hamas terrorist attack on the Jewish people in Israel.
On June 5, 2020, after days of protests and riots in DC led by the Black Lives Matter movement, a team of artists, residents, District employees, and demonstrators painted “Black Lives Matter” in 50-foot-tall yellow capital letters and the District’s crest, which resembles three stars above an “equal” sign, on 16th Street NW near the White House.
The following day, demonstrators painted “Defund the Police,” a key demand of the Black Lives Matter movement, alongside the “Black Lives Matter” message.
Details from the Judicial Watch records are below.
The total price tag of $271,231 includes $53,551 for paint and supplies, and $217,680 for labor.
In a purchase order dated September 15, 2023, with the description “Black Lives Matter Plaza Redo,” a vendor charged DC-based Equus Striping a total of $53,551.20 for supplies for “BLMRedo2023.” These supplies included “StreetBond 250 Yellow-BLM (MMA)”, “StreetBond 250 Catalyst,” and “StreetBond Primer,” plus shipping.
The labor for the repainting was provided by a subcontractor called Dewberry and totaled $217,680.
A memorandum of negotiations for the project dated April 13, 2023, indicates that the project required a foreman, operator, laborer, carpenter, and mason. Equipment included a backhoe/loader, portable air compressor, Bobcat, dump truck, pick-up truck, and service truck.
The memorandum also indicates that the hourly rates submitted by the contractor on March 9, 2023, were rejected. After negotiation, the contractor submitted lower hourly rates and were accepted on April 13, 2023. The negotiated pricing was signed off on by DC Department of Transportation officials Dr. Eloka Kingsley Achebe (Deputy Program Manager), Jaswant Matharu (Project Manager-Local Paving), and Gaiyath Naanou (Resident Engineer-Local Paving).
Judicial Watch obtained the records in a November 6, 2023, FOIA request for:
- All budget records, invoices, work orders, authorizations, agreements and contracts involved in repainting the Black Lives Matter logo on Black Lives Matter Plaza in November 2023.
- All emails sent to and from the following DC Department of Transportation officials: Interim Director Sharon Kershbaum, General Counsel Frank Seales Jr, Chief of Staff Matthew Marcou, Chief of External Affairs Olivia Dedner, Chief Project Delivery Officer Sandra Marks, Interim Chief Operating Officer Neelima Ghanta, Chief Information Officer Khaled Falah, Chief Performance Officer John Thomas and Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Nana Bailey-Thomas identified using the following search queries:
a. BLM+Hamas
b. BLM+terrorism
c. BLM+Palestinian
d. BLM+Palestinians
- All emails sent between any of the officials identified in Bullet 2 and any representative and/or employee of Black Lives Grassroots organization and/or with an email account ending in the domain @blmgrassroots.org.
On July 1, 2020, Judicial Watch filed a civil rights lawsuit against Mayor Bowser and other officials for First Amendment violations over their refusal to allow Judicial Watch to paint the message “Because No One Is Above the Law!” on a DC street.
In August 2020, Judicial Watch filed a FOIA lawsuit against Bowser, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation and the District of Columbia Department of Public Works for records about the painting of “Black Lives Matter” and “Defund the Police” on a DC street in front of the White House
In September 2020, Judicial Watch filed a FOIA lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation for records of communication between the Federal Highway Administration and the District of Columbia’s Department of Transportation about the painting Black Lives Matter on 16th Street NW near the White House.
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“Governing” is just performance art for these clowns. The problem is taxpayers are a captive audience that must buy the tickets to these idiotic performances.
Sadly true.
Sadly true.
“Governing” is just performance art for these clowns. The problem is taxpayers are a captive audience that must buy the tickets to these idiotic performances.
All other issues aside, BLM leaders have become multi-millionaires and can afford to pay for their own ADVERTISEMENTS without robbing taxpayers.
All other issues aside, BLM leaders have become multi-millionaires and can afford to pay for their own ADVERTISEMENTS without robbing taxpayers.
The BLM front was never about Black Lives. The manipulative tactics of the Left have never been so transparent: Race is just another Divide&Conquer/diversionary strategy. As long as the corporate media works for the dark state, we will continue to endure the propaganda and phony political rhetoric ad nauseum. The following link, to a superb piece of relevant political journalism,is for the doc: “The Fall Of Minneapolis”. Well worth watching, and perhaps Sharyl Attkisson might consider interviewing the woman who produced this excellent documentary. Every American should watch this, and especially high school and college youths. LINK: https://www.thefallofminneapolis.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
The BLM front was never about Black Lives. The manipulative tactics of the Left have never been so transparent: Race is just another Divide&Conquer/diversionary strategy. As long as the corporate media works for the dark state, we will continue to endure the propaganda and phony political rhetoric ad nauseum. The following link, to a superb piece of relevant political journalism,is for the doc: “The Fall Of Minneapolis”. Well worth watching, and perhaps Sharyl Attkisson might consider interviewing the woman who produced this excellent documentary. Every American should watch this, and especially high school and college youths. LINK: https://www.thefallofminneapolis.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Senator Tom Corbun’s legacy was his “Wastebook” reports that listed millions, if not billions, of wasteful spending by the federal government. Tom Fitton does an admirable job of gather similar data but how many voters pay attention? With a $34 Trillion National Debt which requires interest payments (euphemisticaly called servicing) matching the annual defense budget; apparently not many voters.
Sorry, listening to a podcast while typing. Should read gathering similar data…
Also euphemistically!
Sorry, listening to a podcast while typing. Should read gathering similar data…
Also euphemistically!
Senator Tom Corbun’s legacy was his “Wastebook” reports that listed millions, if not billions, of wasteful spending by the federal government. Tom Fitton does an admirable job of gather similar data but how many voters pay attention? With a $34 Trillion National Debt which requires interest payments (euphemisticaly called servicing) matching the annual defense budget; apparently not many voters.