Let's not win this one for the Gipper
Ask anyone I know and probably all would agree that I'm a great admirer of Ronald Reagan. But I'm not smitten enough that I agree with Rep. Henry Bonilla's effort to rename 16th Street NW in Washington, D.C. "Ronald Reagan Boulevard." According to a story in Yahoo! News, "there are other streets here named for presidents, including Thomas Jefferson and James Garfield, and there is a circle named for George Washington." Mayor Anthony Williams "estimated that it would cost $1 million to change signs and maps. He suggested that Bonilla rename a street for Reagan back home in San Antonio."
Great suggestion, Mr. Mayor. The key part of that suggestion, of course, is that the decision would be made locally whereas Congress makes such decisions for the District. While I feel that the city shouldn't be beholden to a state government, I strongly believe that matters of this magnitude (or lack thereof) should be in the hands of the people. If any place should exhalt the concept "of the people, by the people, and for the people," it should be D.C. And if anyone would be a champion of this, it would be Mr. Reagan.
