Nobles and Knaves

OPINION:

Noble: Amy King, an Alabama school teacher who prevented a massive and tragic bus accident by jumping to the wheel when the driver passed out.

En route to Chattanooga’s Tennessee Aquarium for a field trip, the driver of a bus carrying 44 elementary school children passed out. The quick-thinking Mrs. King, who teaches math, jumped to the wheel of the bus and tried to straighten it out. Unfortunately, the bus still crashed and 20 people were sent to the hospital. But Mrs. King’s actions helped avoid a much worse outcome. Had she not jumped to help, the results would have most certainly been grim.

Mrs. King fared worst as far as injuries. CBS News reported that the bus “sideswiped 200 feet of guardrail before it came to rest upside down in a drainage ditch.” During the crash, Mrs. King was thrown through the windshield of the bus and sustained several broken bones and a collapsed lung. She was released from the hospital, is recovering well and hopes to be back on her feet by the start of the next school year.

For her bravery and selflessness in saving the lives of her students, Amy King is the Noble of the Week.

Knave: Mayor Adrian Fenty, for his questionable clothing choice in a taxpayer-funded D.C. tourism ad.

Mr. Fenty recently launched a campaign to promote tourism in the District. He joined forces with Destination D.C., “the official convention and tourism corporation for Washington,” which is blitzing this city and others with $2 million worth of print, television and Internet advertisements to entice visitors. One ad shows the mayor jogging through Rock Creek Park sporting a “Fleet Feet” T-shirt. This is a plug for the local sporting-goods store of the same name owned by Mr. Fenty’s parents.

D.C. Republican Committee Chair Robert J. Kabel responded appropriately this week that “Mayor Fenty is asking D.C. taxpayers to sacrifice $100 million in new taxes and fees in his FY2009 budget all while promoting his family’s business in taxpayer funded ads.” He also noted that 75 percent of Destination DC’s funding comes form the hotel occupancy tax.

Mr. Kabel is right: Mr. Fenty should not be using tax dollars to advertise his family’s business. He could easily have worn a T-shirt with the District’s logo. He could have even gotten cheeky with a “Taxation without Representation” shirt.

For an astounding lack of judgment, Mayor Adrian Fenty is the Knave of the Week.