We spend a lot of time pointing out the asinine and corrupt federal policies which come out of Washington, DC. But there’s another government in DC, and it’s also filled with petty tyrants who make bad policy in order to benefit special interests. That the local DC government is corrupt has never been a secret, and this time it’s in the news for having journalists arrested at an open and public meeting:
At a Wednesday meeting of the D.C. Taxicab Commission (DCTC), two journalists were arrested by Park Police for taking photos at the public meeting.
…During the first hour of the meeting, a taxi inspector approached Tucker and told him that he couldn’t take photographs of commission members seated at the front of the room.
Tucker snapped a photo of the inspector. According to his account, two Park Police officers approached him, and one said, “You can come with me or you can get locked up.” He responded that he was merely documenting a public meeting.
The officers, responding to a request from a commissioner, arrested Tucker and led him from the room in handcuffs. Jim Epstein of Reason magazine recorded the arrest on video, using a cell phone camera.
Leaving the event, Epstein was also arrested.
Epstein also offered this account over at Reason:
About 30 minutes into the meeting, I witnessed journalist Pete Tucker snap a still photo of the proceedings on his camera phone. A few minutes later, two police officers arrested Tucker. I filmed Tucker’s arrest and the audience’s subsequent outrage using my cell phone.
A few minutes later, as I was attempting to leave the building, I overheard the female officer who had arrested Tucker promise a woman, who I presumed to be an employee of the Taxi Commission, that she would confiscate my phone. Reason intern Kyle Blaine, overheard her say, “Do you want his phone? I can get his phone.”
…As I tried to leave, I was told by the same officer to “stay put.” I told her I was leaving and attempted to exit the building. I was then surrounded by officers, and told to remain still or I would be arrested.
I didn’t move, but I tried to get the attention of a group of cab drivers who were standing nearby. At this point I was arrested.
As outrageous as this is, the purpose of the meeting might be even worse. The meeting was being held because the political overlords have decided to solve a problem that doesn’t exist and introduce DC to the medallion taxi-cab system. This is the corrupt, price-controlling system which prevents cab drivers from entering the market unless they are able to get their hands on a “medallion,” which are strictly limited at below market levels by the government. In cities such as New York, they are in so much demand and such short supply that they go for more than half a million dollars. Should the medallion system be passed, the result will be fewer cabs, reduced service and higher prices.
The last time this effort was tried, the FBI raided the office of Councilman Jim Graham, a leading proponent of medallions, and arrested his Chief of Staff for taking bribes to promote the legislation. Big, rent-seeking cab companies want to keep out potential competition, so corrupt, big government proponents are their natural allies. While petty tyrants lording over public meetings is blood boiling, corrupt politicians that use their power to favor special interests at the cost of consumers might even be more outrageous.
