Cabbies take meters to court
In a continuation of the months-long struggle between D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty (D) and the city’s taxicab drivers, a hearing will be held today in the D.C. Coalition of Cab Drivers’ lawsuit against Fenty and Taxicab Commission Chairman Leon Swain. Cab drivers have been protesting since Fenty’s decision last October to install time-and-distance meters in D.C. taxis; they are currently asking that zone meters be implemented instead.
Today’s hearing is a follow-up to a March 11th hearing, in which D.C. Superior Court Judge Henry Greene ruled to suspend the date of the time-distance meter installations from April 6 to May 1.
“[The time-and distance meters] will cause a trickling effect of the driver’s income and will force drivers out of business,” Coalition leader Nathan Price said.
The current suit against the Mayor and the Chairman, which was filed on March 7, alleges that the decision to install time-and-distance meters does not belong to the Mayor and the Chairman, but to the nine-member Commission. According to the Coalition, none of the nine members were part of the decision
As for today’s hearing, Price’s main hope is that the judge will remand the decision over meter installation back to the Commission. If the hearing does not go in the Coalition’s favor, Price plans to re-file and appeal the case.
“The major victory will be saving drivers’ jobs and the service of the city,” Price said. “That’s the big picture.”
—Crystal Chung
$3 GUGS burgers
The Georgetown University Grilling Society implemented a $1 price increase on their hamburgers last Thursday, raising the price to $3.
GUGS President Jake Styacich (COL ‘09) said that the price hike on their half-pound burgers is necessary because of the rising cost of beef, which is currently at $2.29 per pound.
“GUGS is proud to be a self-sufficient student group, meaning this week’s profits pays for next week’s food,” Styacich said.
He hopes that the price of burgers will remain at $3 for at least another 5 years or until beef prices fall, allowing GUGS to drop prices back down to $2 a burger. Hot dogs and bottled water will remain at one dollar apiece.
—Maddie Donnelly
