The old Liberty Loan Building, now the Treasury Department building, was hastily erected from the Tidal Basin in 1919 and was an ugly structure in its day.
Tempo was “ugly and utilitarian compared to the monumental neoclassical architecture that dominated the city,” Auslin writes, and its construction required the clearing of much of the beautiful greenery on the Mall, which at the time was the only remaining building space in Downtown DC. By the 1960s, Auslin writes, Tempo was “outdated and nearly impossible to keep clean because of its aging materials, yet tens of thousands of federal employees continued to work in its cramped offices.”
While there’s no need for that space now, Auslin believes it’s necessary to remember a time when Washington was buzzing with American power, optimism and leadership.
When the time comes this century when Washington, DC needs 36 cheap office buildings, there will be no question as to where to turn.
Costco Wholesale already sells 8-foot teddy bears, gold bars, coffins, giant inflatable sea serpents, and sheet cakes that feed 96 people. Why doesn’t it sell offices? Catherine Rampell The warehouse style stores actually sell entire barns.
Katherine’s ode to Costco praises the retail giant as a “marvel of capitalism” and exactly what Americans need right now, including its world-famous hot dog combo, which Costco officials assure will remain priced at $1.50 until, presumably, the sun’s hydrogen runs out.
Katherine is a Costco evangelist (as am I; you can get a tub of poi the size of a bathtub at a Hawaii hardware store), and by the time you finish reading her column, you might just want to apply for membership in the most non-divisive organization in the country.
Chaser: Mark Fisher We all agree that DC needs more housing, we write, so why is it so hard to build it?
from Eduardo Porter I wrote a column about how the world’s sources of immigration will soon dry up. More and more countries, including China, India and Mexico, are exceeding their settlement limits. Developed countries will lose about 80 million working-age people by 2050.
Eduardo says this means that within a decade or two, countries that currently reject new immigrants “will be caught in a fierce competition to attract as many immigrants as possible.” Looking back, for example, Donald Trump’s xenophobia and dreams of zero immigration will look pretty foolish.
Chaser: George WillBut he was focused on the politics of the moment, writing that the “chaos” at the border will likely be the cause of President Biden’s defeat in November’s presidential election, “when it’s too late, too late.”
Ted Johnson It’s a lesson for Trump, one he learned in the cafeteria of his grade school, where the black market pizza trade made or broke third graders every day.
Ted recalls that in that black market, braggarts didn’t last long. Bad publicity was sometimes better than no publicity, but not always. A little caution, a little — Huh! — Adherence to the norms went a long way in the cafeteria.
of Editorial CommitteeOn the other hand, he defends the former president on one particular issue: that he should be allowed to vote for himself in the election.
To be clear, this is not an exception the Commission wants to allow. Rather, the Commission broadly opposes stripping felons of their voting rights. Fortunately, the country appears to be moving away from this practice, and we should all be happy about that — including Trump.
- So you married a Supreme Court justice. …in the latest “Impromptu” podcast, Charles Lane, Ruth Marcus and James Homan Discuss the politics of marriage in positions of power.
- Megan McArdle She shares fond memories of her late father, whose many accomplishments included raising the American flag at a school in Atkinson, Nebraska.
- of Editorial Committee Mexico’s recent democratic elections were in fact Weakening Mexican democracy.
It’s a goodbye. It’s a haiku. It’s… “goodbye.”
Have a newsworthy haiku of your own? Please send by e-mailIf you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to contact us. See you tomorrow!
