Excerpt from the June 16th 2008 article. To read the full article click HERE.
From the Washington Post
"About a month later, Barry filed a claim against Metro. Metro tracked down the bus operator, who denied hitting any vehicle. There was also no damage to the Metrobus. Unable to confirm Barry's account, a mid-level Metro manager advised against paying the claim.
But this was not just any claimant. This was Barry, 72, the Democrat known affectionately by his supporters as "Mayor for Life," a former four-term mayor who won election to the D.C. Council in 1992 after serving six months in prison for a misdemeanor drug conviction. For three years, he has served on the Metro board, which sets policy for the agency, the region's largest transit provider.
So when his accident claim was brought to the attention of Metro General Manager John B. Catoe Jr. last year, Catoe decided to make an exception.
"We couldn't prove it one way or the other," Catoe said in a recent interview. "The reality is, he's a member of the board of directors.
"In my judgment, I did not feel that he would have lied about such a small claim," Catoe said. "I believed he was truthful, and I made the decision to pay him."
On Aug. 17, Metro cut Barry a check for $3,227.40, according to Metro records provided to The Washington Post in response to a public information request."
Without a doubt the best part of this article has to be the reader comments. Here are just a few of the best ones.
82AllAmericans wrote:
Man, this is too damn funny, so I’m sorry if someone has already pointed this out, but how can you be stopped in the “curb lane” and get “sideswiped” on the passenger side of your car unless the bus was on the sidewalk, OH, and I may be wrong, but I don’t believe that neither MLK, Chicago or W St are one way at this point so why would a bus pass you on the right hand side? Not picking on the homeless, but any five guys you see sleeping in the park can run METRO and this city better than those in charge now.
6/16/2008 11:03:30 AM
8-man wrote:
We should be thanking Metro for not buying him a new car stocked full of crack.
6/17/2008 5:11:38 PM
donmac1 wrote:
Typical? I wonder how many of us peasents could file a claim with no evidence a month later and get paid? Marion " I forgot to pay my taxes" Barry is sooooooo honest. Get real! For years he made DC the laughing stock of the entire country and continues to play the bufoons in DC like a violin! Given his history he should have called the police immediatly and been drug tested before cutting a check! It's called hit and run and is a serious crime. Catoe is obviosly one of Barry homies and should be fired! Anyone who is denied a claim by metro past or future needs to cite this precident and get paid!
6/17/2008 7:45:14 AM
scottweible wrote:
One is compelled to wonder why the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia does not --- with such obvious implications of graft --- immediately conduct an investigation not only of the entire Metro Administration, but of the Fenty Administration as well. Regardless of whether Mr. Barry is lying or not, this sets a precedent whereby everyone will now have to be taken 'at their word', regardless of whether there are no supporting facts to confirm their claims. This is an unbelievable abuse of power, crass political cronyism and the kind of moral bankruptcy that gives our children the idea that as long as they have 'friends in high places', they don't have to follow the rules. Mr. Catoe should be fired summarily.
6/16/2008 6:27:46 AM
tdiaz wrote:
Oh, wait! I just remembered that Metrobus that totaled my Bentley five years ago and gave me amnesia and PTSD. I'll just file a claim for $110,000. 'Cause, you know, I wouldn't lie. I'm almost as honest as a "recovered" crackhead.
6/16/2008 6:03:02 AM
dlockwood15 wrote:
You have got to be kididng me.. Does this guy have any credibility left?? He didn't call police??? Maybe he was engaged in a crack deal.... no witnesses.. whatever.
6/16/2008 12:49:34 AM
nomayo wrote:
Maybe that "b!tch who set him up" was driving the bus.
6/16/2008 9:36:18 AM
sonoma21209 wrote:
Metro General Counsel or Audit ought to at least get back the profit that Barry made on this. He got it fixed for $2200 and was refunded $3200. He owes Metro $1000 at the very least. My colleagues above have addressed other issues of the wholesale corruption that would allow this sad man in a very sad jurisdiction to continue to pump more cash into his pockets. By the way, who is watching Metro? Arent those our taxpayer dollars that we are just deciding to give away? Perhaps we ought to see what that manager had to hide as well. He is a crook, too.
6/16/2008 9:06:13 AM
From the Washington Post
"About a month later, Barry filed a claim against Metro. Metro tracked down the bus operator, who denied hitting any vehicle. There was also no damage to the Metrobus. Unable to confirm Barry's account, a mid-level Metro manager advised against paying the claim.
But this was not just any claimant. This was Barry, 72, the Democrat known affectionately by his supporters as "Mayor for Life," a former four-term mayor who won election to the D.C. Council in 1992 after serving six months in prison for a misdemeanor drug conviction. For three years, he has served on the Metro board, which sets policy for the agency, the region's largest transit provider.
So when his accident claim was brought to the attention of Metro General Manager John B. Catoe Jr. last year, Catoe decided to make an exception.
"We couldn't prove it one way or the other," Catoe said in a recent interview. "The reality is, he's a member of the board of directors.
"In my judgment, I did not feel that he would have lied about such a small claim," Catoe said. "I believed he was truthful, and I made the decision to pay him."
On Aug. 17, Metro cut Barry a check for $3,227.40, according to Metro records provided to The Washington Post in response to a public information request."
Without a doubt the best part of this article has to be the reader comments. Here are just a few of the best ones.
82AllAmericans wrote:
Man, this is too damn funny, so I’m sorry if someone has already pointed this out, but how can you be stopped in the “curb lane” and get “sideswiped” on the passenger side of your car unless the bus was on the sidewalk, OH, and I may be wrong, but I don’t believe that neither MLK, Chicago or W St are one way at this point so why would a bus pass you on the right hand side? Not picking on the homeless, but any five guys you see sleeping in the park can run METRO and this city better than those in charge now.
6/16/2008 11:03:30 AM
8-man wrote:
We should be thanking Metro for not buying him a new car stocked full of crack.
6/17/2008 5:11:38 PM
donmac1 wrote:
Typical? I wonder how many of us peasents could file a claim with no evidence a month later and get paid? Marion " I forgot to pay my taxes" Barry is sooooooo honest. Get real! For years he made DC the laughing stock of the entire country and continues to play the bufoons in DC like a violin! Given his history he should have called the police immediatly and been drug tested before cutting a check! It's called hit and run and is a serious crime. Catoe is obviosly one of Barry homies and should be fired! Anyone who is denied a claim by metro past or future needs to cite this precident and get paid!
6/17/2008 7:45:14 AM
scottweible wrote:
One is compelled to wonder why the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia does not --- with such obvious implications of graft --- immediately conduct an investigation not only of the entire Metro Administration, but of the Fenty Administration as well. Regardless of whether Mr. Barry is lying or not, this sets a precedent whereby everyone will now have to be taken 'at their word', regardless of whether there are no supporting facts to confirm their claims. This is an unbelievable abuse of power, crass political cronyism and the kind of moral bankruptcy that gives our children the idea that as long as they have 'friends in high places', they don't have to follow the rules. Mr. Catoe should be fired summarily.
6/16/2008 6:27:46 AM
tdiaz wrote:
Oh, wait! I just remembered that Metrobus that totaled my Bentley five years ago and gave me amnesia and PTSD. I'll just file a claim for $110,000. 'Cause, you know, I wouldn't lie. I'm almost as honest as a "recovered" crackhead.
6/16/2008 6:03:02 AM
dlockwood15 wrote:
You have got to be kididng me.. Does this guy have any credibility left?? He didn't call police??? Maybe he was engaged in a crack deal.... no witnesses.. whatever.
6/16/2008 12:49:34 AM
nomayo wrote:
Maybe that "b!tch who set him up" was driving the bus.
6/16/2008 9:36:18 AM
sonoma21209 wrote:
Metro General Counsel or Audit ought to at least get back the profit that Barry made on this. He got it fixed for $2200 and was refunded $3200. He owes Metro $1000 at the very least. My colleagues above have addressed other issues of the wholesale corruption that would allow this sad man in a very sad jurisdiction to continue to pump more cash into his pockets. By the way, who is watching Metro? Arent those our taxpayer dollars that we are just deciding to give away? Perhaps we ought to see what that manager had to hide as well. He is a crook, too.
6/16/2008 9:06:13 AM
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment