Panels approve ballpark measure

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The D.C. Council's finance and economic development committees approved the city's ballpark financing bill yesterday in a set of hearings marked by angry exchanges among council members.

The committee votes, each by a 3-2 margin, set the stage for the first of two decisive votes next week by the full council.

The approvals were widely expected, but the preceding markup of the stadium legislation arrived with a battle of wills between Jack Evans, Ward2 Democrat and finance panel chairman, and David Catania, at-large independent.

Catania, a strong opponent of the ballpark bill, sought to make 20 amendments to the stadium bill, ranging widely from the implementation on a spending cap on the city's investment in the stadium to the use of living wage requirements for stadium workers.

All but one of the amendments sought by Catania failed to pass, with the exception a minor revision of technical language on approvals of stadium design and construction. But tension grew palpably during Catania's heated criticisms of the ballpark proposal that served as a preamble for every failed amendment, finally boiling over with his comment that "this council will approve anything."

"I've been on this council for 14 years, and I don't just ... vote for anything," said Evans, using a profane adjective. "I take my job very seriously."

The verbal clash between the two continued with Evans telling Catania, "If you don't like [the way the council deliberates], why don't you quit?"

Catania quickly replied, "What, and leave this to you?"

Evans later apologized for his outburst, but Catania's excoriation of the stadium bill did not cease.

"This is pork barrel to end all pork barrels," Catania said. "We've made false promises to the public with no intent of keeping them. This is not this council's finest hour."