Endorsements
Dear Endorsers:
Most of today’s issue of themail consists of endorsements and
condemnations of candidates. The time for you to convince your fellow
themailers of the justness of your cause is growing short; if you want
to jump into the fray, please hurry — there are only two more issues
of themail before the September 12 primary.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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Caution District Voters
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com
Last week, the DC Board of Elections and Ethics mailed the District
of Columbia Voters Guide to the household of every registered voter in
the District. The guide, which contains important and useful
information, including sample ballots, candidate statements, and voting
instructions, also contains a major error that every voter should be
aware of. In the address printed on the guide, the first line is
supposed to direct the voter to the location of his or her polling site.
However, in most instances, the Guide directs the voter to the wrong
voting precinct.
In a press release issued last Thursday, the DC BOEE indicated
“that some of the District of Columbia Voter Guides that were mailed
this week have the incorrect precinct numbers on the label. The Board
provided correct and accurate precinct information to Toucan Printing
and Promotional Products, Inc., the contractor responsible for the
production and mailing of the Voter Guides.” Toucan is the same
company that printed the District’s income tax booklet and forms
earlier this year, and failed to include information that the Chief
Financial Officer’s office had instructed them to include about how
taxpayers could contribute to the District’s Statehood Delegation Fund
on their 2005 DC individual income tax returns. In January 2004, the
BOEE’s Voter Guides were mailed so late that they arrived at most
households on or after the day of the presidential primary. Later that
year, the Guides that were mailed for the September 14, 2004, primary
election also had mailing labels that directed voters to the wrong
polling sites.
Voters who want to verify their correct polling sites can call the
Board at 727-2525 or visit the Board’s web site, http://www.dcboee.org.
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Miller Might Get Loan for His Private Project
at the Ballpark
Ed Delaney, profeddel@yahoo.com
From http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/31/AR2006083101450_pf.html:
“Gandhi wants to know whether the city has the legal authority to
execute a land disposition agreement if the terms go beyond the council’s
cost cap. Among other questions, he’s also asking for a legal ruling
on whether the city has the authority to lend funds to Mr. Miller’s
group to help with excavation or other underground work.” Stuck in the
September 1 Post editorials is the continuation of its
praise-laden lovefest with the Chief Financial Officer. This lovefest is
a little more tolerable since it has to do with questioning the fiscal
and legal aspects relating to Herb Miller’s “Yuppies and Yugos in
the Outfield” boondoggle, but it begs the question of where the
investigative reporting is on this matter. For instance, the editorial
refers to “grumbling in the John Wilson Building about the CFO’s
rigid stance,” but the Post has yet to report that in any
detail in any accompanying story. The Post refers to Gandhi’s
letter to the city attorney general on the matter, but has yet to report
anything but the AP feed on the subject.
The editorial leaks a key detail of the letter previously unreported
anywhere: that a developer like Miller might incredibly come begging for
a loan to help with excavation or other underground work for his
completely private project! How this couldn’t have come out as a
banner headline, let alone how it could be kept out of print until a
late-arriving editorial, is unthinkable, if the Post is in the
business of keeping the public informed. The mind reels at what else the
CFO might be asking the city attorney to clarify, especially in the
midst of the council’s apparent cap-dodging intent, as with the sale
of city assets for parking overruns via the Miller boondoggle and with
Jack Evans’ revelation of the DCSEC’s seeking ways to cover the
escalating environmental costs at the current site. If you want to know
how the cut-rate joke of a ballpark project ended up at a completely
unworkable site and at a point where a private monopoly calls all the
shots while getting all in-stadium revenue and forcing the city to pay
every dime of stadium cost on an insanely tight timeline or face massive
financial penalties, agenda-driven reporting or nonreporting of key
stories like this that has played a considerable role.
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[Re: Negative Campaigning, themail, August 30] I am of the view that
there should be no place in DC politics for the kind of negative
campaigning that we are currently witnessing in the mayoral campaign. I
believe that the candidates should promote themselves based on their own
records. The politics of personal destruction does nothing to advance
the discussion of critical public policy issues and only serves to
discourage people of good will and intentions from running for political
office. With respect to Mrs. Cropp, she has thirty years of valuable
public service that she has rendered to our community. Mrs. Cropp and
her supporters can draw on this rich history to demonstrate to voters
why she is the best leader for our city at this particular moment in
time.
With respect to Mr. Fenty, he, like all of us, has made mistakes in
his life, and he has acknowledged and accepted responsibility for these
errors. Irrespective of his earlier failings, Mr. Fenty is a focused,
hardworking, young leader of this community who wants to make a positive
difference in our community, and he deserves kudos for his
accomplishments to date. In truth, who among us would not want a son, a
brother, or a friend with such admirable qualities? And such energy,
accomplishment, and lofty goals in our youth -- especially in the public
sector where lack of effective succession planning has historically
caused discontinuities in local leadership -- must be encouraged.
Further, as one who has grown up in Washington, DC, and has witnessed
the premature demise of many, many young African-American youth,
particularly males, I am ever mindful that Mr. Fenty’s rise in the
political arena also serves as a powerful, inspiring example to other
Washington, DC, youth of all races and genders that each of us can make
a positive difference in the communities where we live.
As you observed, the negative advertisements in the mayoral campaign
that we are witnessing today smack of smear tactics commonly used in
national campaigns. Although distasteful, such smear tactics may be more
palatable in national campaigns where many people do not personally know
the candidates. However, in a local election such as this one, such
tactics are considered by many to be very offensive. After all, we are
all neighbors and these are our neighbors who are being disparaged. We
may not all agree on public policy issues and approaches, but none of
the individuals involved are bad people. Their intentions are all good,
they deserve admiration for entering into the public arena, and they and
we should be able to agree to disagree in a civilized manner and treat
each other with respect and dignity. Let the record reflect that I
support Adrian Fenty for mayor of the District of Columbia. Irrespective
of my political leanings, however, I stand on these principles. Thank
you for challenging us, as a community, to think about what kind of
qualities we want to see in our leaders and how they and we will treat
each other as we move forward together to tackle the difficult issues
ahead.
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Negative Campaigning
Sylvia C. Brown, Deanwood (Ward 7), sylviabrown1@verizon.net
There is a difference between negative campaigning and decreasing
your opponent’s positives to weaken support and increase the undecided
voters. Chairman Cropp is in the latter category. She is reporting on
truthful issues, not fabricating news or skewing the situation to fit
her purpose, which are characteristics of negative campaigning. The
incidences Cropp highlights happened and should be a factor in voters’
consideration for a mayor. There are a number of new DC voters who were
not around or paying attention when the Fenty malfeasances happened.
Consequently, these new voters and voters in general need to be educated
on what they might get in “Mayor Fenty.” Chair Cropp is not
denigrating Fenty; instead she is, in my opinion, educating voters in
the absence of scrutiny from the DC media outlets.
Disclosure: I am not supportive of either Cropp or Fenty. My
candidate of choice is Marie Johns. It is important to note that Marie
has remained above the sniping and focused on the issues throughout the
campaign, even garnering, albeit grudgingly, respect and likeability
from Fenty and Cropp staffers. Alice M. Rivlin, the former chairman of
the DC financial control board who recently endorsed Marie, said it very
clearly, “Marie has run a positive campaign. She’s not trashing
anybody, and nobody is trashing her.” That says a lot about Marie and
her message. Ms. Rivlin, like many DC voters, realizes that the mayor
cannot promise the moon, cannot pander to voters, and should not be
flash and no substance. Marie offers different leadership, real
solutions, and a better city for all. Neighbors and fellow residents
vote your convictions. When you vote for Marie, she will win! Go to www.johnsformayor.com.
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I am tired of watching politically seasoned people act like pandering
Pollyannas because someone has the guts to ask questions about a
candidate’s public record that pundits choose to ignore. I hope it is
apparent to readers that the reason candidates ask the tough questions
is usually because the media refuses. Remember, young Mr. Fenty was the
only one to raise his hand when the panel of candidates was asked who
thought they were being treated fairly by the media. If pundits like Mr.
Imhoff are so concerned with negative campaigning, logically they should
consider character an important issue. Herein lies their hypocrisy: Mr.
Fenty allies himself with Sinclair Skinner (see www.dumpskinner.com);
he was sanctioned by the DC Bar (talk to any member of the bar; it is a
big deal); he claims it was not his responsibility to attend meetings as
an advisor to a charter school that lost $15 million taxpayer dollars
(aren’t advisors supposed to attend meetings of boards they advise?);
he has no legislative acts to champion; and, as the public record shows,
he abandoned the one piece of legislation he did offer instead of trying
to work through filling the financial hole it created. Those are four
illustrations of the character Mr. Fenty appears to bring to the office
of the mayor. If you notice, and this is what concerns me greatly, he
has not refuted any of it. It seems to me that, without any credible
illustrations of leadership, policy, or managerial skills, all that
young Mr. Fenty’s supporters are doing is crying over some
not-really-negative advertising. So far, neither he, his supporters in
the press, nor his advertisements showing him walking around
uncomfortably have given me a concrete reason to vote for Mr. Fenty.
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Brotherhood Saves the Fenty Campaign
Victoria McKernan, victoriamck@mindspring.com
I plunged this year, for the first time, into both agriculture and
politics. Both have let me down. Having for the first time a scrap of
land and lust for heirloom tomatoes, I dug with glee, augmented as
advised, cosseted the young plants, watered diligently, and thrilled to
the vigor of my plants as they grew flagrantly and well. Here were
sturdy stems (well staked) and fragrant leaves, perky little blooms, and
visions of all my friends in chin dripping tomato orgies. But the blooms
have proved fruitless. The Post gardening column has absolved me
of blame (floods, drought, heat, oh my), but I am a toddler in this
realm and, so, inconsolable.
Right now I fear a similar outcome in the mayoral race. I have voted
in this city for twenty-five years but it was always an acquiescent nod
for the not-as-bad-as fill-in-the-blank) This year, I was actually
getting jazzed for Fenty. I dug with glee, etc. I was excited to vote
for someone, not just against someone. The experience issue didn’t
bother me. (There was in fact, a very experienced captain at the helm of
the Titanic.) I liked that Fenty was consulting with other successful
mayors. (Hello? Why is that a bad thing?) Mostly I loved that he voted
against taking money from bus drivers and starving artists (like me) to
give to rich baseball owners in the stadium debacle. Like any new
relationship though, hints of a fatal flaw began to rise — in the form
of Sinclair Skinner. I dismissed all the talk at first as the usual
hyperbole of campaign rhetoric, tinged with all the sad racial baggage
that taints everything in this city. I never went to the dumpskinner.com
web site, precisely because I didn’t trust anyone who went to that
much trouble to “dump” anyone. But the City Paper article
raised issues that were impossible to ignore. It appears that Skinner
has a racist, divisive agenda and, to put it most generously, an unquiet
spirit. I feel betrayed that Fenty has neither distanced himself from
Skinner nor even addressed the issue.
For me, Linda Cropp is clearly someone to vote against. She was on
the school board for ten years and the schools are crap; why ever would
I trust her to run the city? But I don’t want to just vote against
someone. I can still choose not to buy horrible factory-farm tomatoes,
but I can’t choose not to have a mayor of the city I love. Then a
friend turned me on to the new Showtime series “Brotherhood,” which
brilliantly portrays the ugly side of political machinations. After a
few episodes, my eyes were opened. I highly recommend it to all
disillusioned Fenty supporters. With Skinner dangling like the albatross
around Fenty’s neck, it looks like the best we can do right now is to
understand that there are no “brief and shining moments” out there
in government; just, if we’re lucky, a better path through the crap.
We can keep hoping for great things, but may unfortunately have to
accept the devil’s bargain.
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Fenty would have us believe that door-knocking is hard work! Show me
where in the handbook of how to run the $8 billion enterprise that is
the District of Columbia, it mentions door-knocking and returning all
E-mails and phone calls as requisite skills. Linda Cropp did us a favor
by revealing how abysmally he failed as a lawyer. Words like fraud,
incompetence, and professional malfeasance comes to mind to describe the
conduct he was cited for. Presenting the facts is not negative
advertising. It’s providing the citizens of the District of Columbia
with information they need to make an informed decision. If Mr. Fenty
could not learn how to be a good lawyer after three years of law school
and five years of actual practice, how long will it take him to learn
how to run the large, complex, diverse, and dynamically interactive
systems that make the wheels of this city turn?
Linda Cropp has already gone up the learning curve. She’s at the
top of her game, with all the depth of knowledge, sophistication,
network of relationships, and negotiating skills that will enable the
District to hold its own and prevail from Congress to Wall Street, or in
any arena where its interests are at stake. I know that many of my
friends are excited about the potential that Mr. Fenty has, as am I. We
are fortunate indeed to have him committed to public service in
Washington, DC, and he will become even more valuable are he becomes
more experienced. But no matter how much you love him, you would not put
a two-year-old behind the wheel of a car. Neither should we put Mr.
Fenty in charge of the $8 billion dollar enterprise that is the District
of Columbia. The mayor of Washington, DC, is not an OJT opportunity!
Washington, DC, has all the ingredients in place for a bright future.
What we need to realize this potential is wisdom -— not change for
change’s sake! I am supporting Linda Cropp for mayor because so many
of the issues facing our city are both subtle and complex. We are one of
the wealthiest regions in the country, yet many of our citizens live in
poverty. We are a richly multicultural and racially diverse city, yet we
are plagued by a palpable racial divide. We have many of the same
challenges faced by other American cities — housing, education,
congestion — but we are the nation’s capital. Under wise leadership
we will have the opportunity to show the nation what it means to be a
truly American city, inclusive in all its dimensions. I believe that
Linda Cropp demonstrates that kind of wisdom. I volunteer or the Linda
Cropp campaign, and I approved this message!
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Why We Are Supporting Marie Johns
Sally and Peter Craig, Cleveland Park, sallybcraig@aol.com
We refuse to buy into the media invention that the race for mayor is
a two-way proposition. In the interest of full disclosure, I, Sally, am
the Ward 3 Coordinator for the Johns campaign, but I am also a 37-year
resident of Cleveland Park, and hope I have established my “street
cred” in our community. I worked for several of our past mayors,
Williams and Barry, and have been involved in many campaigns over the
years. My husband, Peter, on the other hand, has eschewed politicking
and toiled in the vineyards of civic activism for almost fifty years,
helping to keep freeways out of our neighborhoods, stopping McLean
Gardens from becoming like Crystal City and, most recently, winning a
class- action lawsuit on behalf of all citizens about the unfair way our
property taxes are assessed.
So why are we supporting Johns? And why am I volunteering full-time
on her campaign? Quite simply put, we believe she is the most qualified
candidate — with her years of executive experience, albeit in the
private sector, as well as her long record of civic involvement, from
raising money for the Girl Scouts, to founding a home for boarder babies
in the 1980’s, to serving as a trustee of Howard University. I could
go on for paragraphs about her involvement in every part of our city’s
life. Alice Rivlin’s endorsement is unimpeachable and independent, as
are the Current newspapers’ endorsement.
In addition to her experience, Johns has the temperament and
personality that are eminently suitable to the rough and tumble of
elected office. She is an inspiring and gifted leader, as witnessed by
many of her former employees (from Verizon/Bell Atlantic) volunteering
on her campaign and hundreds of excited Team Marie members. She knows
how to motivate people. She is grounded, smart, focused, and
unflappable. And she is incredibly hardworking. She is the only
candidate who sought a one-on-one briefing on the property tax
class-action lawsuit from Peter. She brought along her husband, who ran
the affordable housing initiatives at Fannie Mae until his retirement
last year. And finally, we don’t think that voting for Johns will be
wasting your vote. Her campaign continues to gain momentum and win
support. She can win if all those who believe she is the most qualified
vote for her.
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Through all the negative campaigning, there have been two major
themes. Fenty says Cropp is part of the problem. Having been head of the
school board means that she is in large part responsible for our lousy,
expensive school system. Having been council chair means that she is in
large part responsible for our lousy, expensive city government. Cropp
says Fenty’s lapses in taking care of pro bono clients are
telling. August 31’s Post story describes an able, energetic
campaigner, with very little conviction or knowledge about substantive
issues.
Maybe both critics are right. Disclosure: We hosted a meet-and-greet
for Marie Johns Tuesday night. Everyone who heard and met her was
impressed by her talk, which was long on substance, short on rhetoric,
and totally lacking in pandering.
The issue hangs about, however, is a vote for Marie a wasted vote? My
answer: why not vote for the best candidate? Neither of the other two
shows much promise, and the downside of a "wasted" vote is not
terrible, for neither of the other two would be a disaster as mayor.
Vote for Marie Johns.
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Last Few Days
Norman L. Blumenfeld, Nlblum@aol.com
I am troubled more than ever by the “accomplishments” set forth
to publicize Adrian Fenty. He rings door bells, he takes care of
potholes, he runs marathons. Some people say he has platforms. Well,
they all have platforms. Then I look at his legislative record: he
introduced some legislation, but according to the council staff with
whom I spoke, the other councilmembers had to shape his introductions
into something that would be financially workable and that would get the
votes of the other councilmembers. For the most part, what he introduced
was poorly written. Then I checked his attendance record. Over the last
two years he was out ringing door bells and not doing the business of
the people. Finally, he does not have the respect of most of the
councilmembers, who find him playing with his Blackberry rather than
listening and participating in council hearings and conferences.
And his Ward 4 constituents praise his “short fix” responses, but
not his attention to complex issues. OK, some are not in favor or Cropp
or thrilled with the others. And it is easy to attack a person who has
been around for a while and done some good and made some mistakes. But
Fenty has done so little of substance (except some constituency
services) that he does not have a record to attack, except voting
“no” a lot.
Frankly many people are scared to turn our city over to such an
immature person. I know that I am. If he played with his Blackberry
while working for a company he probably would have been fired. I am as
liberal as my liberal friends, but I do not want a person with a very
short attention span when it comes to details regarding complex issues
to be our next mayor. It is not his age: it is fixation on his
Blackberry and not reading the lengthy documents that come before the
council (some of his comments at hearings reveal he has either not read
or understood the document); it is spending way too much time walking
from house to house and not attending to council business (I know he
likes to run and to walk, but as mayor his rear end must be on desk
chair a lot); and it is not being able to work with fellow
councilmembers (they criticize him for this). He looks like a deer
caught in the headlights when he does not have a prepared answer to a
question. (He just repeated the same nonresponsive answer to Tom
Sherwood when asked and then asked again and again a question that Fenty
did not want to hear). He has shown no ability to solve major problems.
He is not ready to be mayor.
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Why I’m Not Voting for Cropp or Patterson
Bryce A. Suderow, streetstories@juno.com
This is not a note arguing for any particular candidate. Instead it’s
about why I will not vote for two particular candidates, Kathy Patterson
and Linda Crop.
I have a friend who lives near Potomac Avenue Metro. Behind his house
there’s a court with roughly nine or ten lights. Half of them are
burned out. He learned that this was because the underground wiring,
installed in the 1960s, was deteriorating. He was told that this was
happening all over the city and that it would cost two billion dollars
to fix the citywide problem.
This is a serious public safety problem, but it won’t be addressed
because we don’t have the money, thanks to Patterson, Cropp, and
others. Why? They spent it on the baseball stadium.
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Beware the Conciliatory Style
Ed T. Barron, edtb1@macdotcom
This week The Northwest Current endorses Kathy Patterson for
chairman of the city council based on her past performance. The Current
also says that if you want an engaging, conciliatory style you ought to
vote for Vincent Gray. Yes, Gray has charm and style. He’s a double
for that cad, Snivley Whiplash, who exudes charm and guile, a truly
political animal.
Kathy Patterson, on the other hand, is basically nonpolitical. Kathy
does not waste words or time charming people. She spends her time
analyzing issues and making recommendations based on what is in the best
interests of DC and the taxpayers. A very good example is the way she
established a consensus on the funding bill to improve the school
facilities in DC.
Kathy is known for making the right decisions for the right reasons.
She may not be charming in her style, but she is effective and a real
leader. I don’t want charm and conciliation in my council chairman. I
want results. Kathy is the best choice for chairman.
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Today, the Blade newspaper is reporting that A. Scott Bolden
is “surprised and upset” that he was ranked well below his opponent
Phil Mendelson (who scored a perfect 10) in the GLAA rankings of the
candidates. This despite the fact that, as the Blade reports,
Bolden told the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club he supported same-sex
marriage, saying the council he wants a seat on should pass a bill if
Congress can be expected not to overturn it while telling the Washington
Informer newspaper, “I don’t believe the government should be in
the business of sanctioning gay marriage.” This establishes a pattern
with Mr. Bolden. He complained about the Sierra Club and Friends of the
Earth endorsement for Mr. Mendelson, publicly whining he hadn’t been
given a chance in a press release, even though his record of active
opposition to the two organizations was well established and part of his
fundraising appeal. Then in May he complained to the Post about
labor donations to Mr. Mendelson’s campaign prior to an endorsement,
even though Bolden himself received a donation of $1000 from the
Laborers PAC on March 8, 2006, similarly without any endorsement (At the
time, the Baseball stadium debate was raging, with the Laborers in
support; Mr. Mendelson steadfastly opposed the worst baseball deal in
the country and Mr. Bolden’s position was considerably more
accommodating). When every progressive group in the city that makes an
endorsement does not endorse you, it is time to stop making excuses and
blaming them. Mr. Bolden has to realize that, unlike in court, in
politics you don’t get to build a new case with a new Jury each time;
in politics your record stays with you and the jury is never dismissed.
No matter where you stand on issues such as gay marriage, environmental
protection, or the baseball stadium, you get a clear sense that Mr.
Bolden is just too immature for a seat on the council.
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A. Scott Bolden for City Council At-Large
Paul McKenzie, McKenzieDC at gmail dot com
With the primary election fast approaching, people often ask me who I
am supporting for the city council at-large post. In my typical
enthusiastic fashion, I tell them about A. Scott Bolden. Bolden is the
one. A. Scott is the one who has gotten the Democratic party apparatus
moving in Washington. He engineered the first-in-the-nation primary and
raised money to help that effort and other Democratic causes. I have
worked with Scott over the years. I have come to the opinion that he is
fair, progressive, and a very worthy candidate. After seeing how hard
Bolden works on issues of importance, I have a good deal of respect for
him and he has my vote on September 12.
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Council Membership Is Not a Part-time Job
Ed T. Barron, edtb1@macdotcom
Mary Cheh defends her position that she can continue teaching at GWU
is she is elected as the Ward 3 councilmember. That means she considers
the council seat as just another part-time job. Part-time is not what I
want from my Ward 3 councilmember. We already saw what happened to the
two empty suits who treated their council seats as a mere part-time
place to show off. They got dumped in the last election and were
replaced with dedicated and hard working (full time) councilmembers.
My choice for the Ward 3 seat is Bob Gordon. I like the idea of
having someone with technical/engineering background on the council.
That’s expertise that is not there now.
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In just eight short days, the District of Columbia is set to
experience the largest shakeup on the political scene since
implementation of Home Rule. There will be a new mayor, council chair,
and possibly as many as four freshmen councilmembers in the posts of
at-large, and Wards 3, 5, and 6.
Historically, Washingtonians embrace the election cycle because this
is the only time, except when our pro football team is winning, that
there’s interaction between the social classes. If you’ve gone to
any of the meet and greets in the city, you’ll see people who would
normally never speak to some folks having long conversations about
voting trends, possible scenarios, and get-out-the-vote strategies.
Every four years, the city essentially divides into camps behind who
they think will win the mayor’s race. As the vote gets closer, some
supporters start questioning their allegiances by looking around,
checking the polls and making their own assessment of how the election
will tally. Is there anything wrong with that? No. It’s human nature
to look out for number one, especially when you find yourself supporting
a candidate with a single digit showing in the major polls without a
mathematical chance of winning. So it’s perfectly normal for a
supporter to seek greener pastures.
By this time, in most races, candidates would’ve reached out to one
of the front-runners whose platform most resembled theirs and negotiated
a public endorsement. For whatever reason, this hasn’t happened in
this year’s election cycle, so what you have is supporters doing their
own assessment . . . and cutting their own deals. Case in point, the Post
reported that Ward 4’s Deborah Royster and her husband Bob Malson,
once staunch Marie Johns supporters, are now defectors to the Adrian
Fenty camp. That’s what happens when candidates refuse to take an
honest look at their chances and insist on riding it out -- friendships
and egos are bruised and feelings get hurt. I have made no secret about
whom I support. My slate is Cropp, Gray, Bolden, Graham, and Pannell for
mayor, council chair, at-large councilman, president of the school
board, and shadow senator, respectively. In a perfect world, I’d love
to see Johns endorse Cropp. After the victory, Cropp would hire Johns as
her city administrator. Imagine that, a true public and private
partnership to benefit the entire city. In this scenario we all win.
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Ever since I began posting on themail and elsewhere, I have received
tons of E-mails demanding that I tell voters on themail and elsewhere
about whom I really am, and why I am the better choice for Ward 3. Well,
I will do that now, as there seems to be hostility directed at me from
persons whom I know are operating on behalf of some special interest
groups who are angry over my refusing to accept lunch, answer their
questionnaire, and for running my campaign opposite from tradition. My
name is Jonathan R. Rees and here are a few facts about myself.
I was born in southern Europe and came to the United States in 1958.
I grew up outside of New York City in Westchester County, in a small
town called Mamaroneck, which is well know for being a community heavily
populated by Sicilian immigrants. In 1979, I came to Washington, DC,
straight out of college, for a job with the World Bank/IMF. I have over
twenty years of business management and government affairs experience
through my employment with the Word Bank, SMS, Inc., Royal Ahold and
Institutional Dental Care, Inc. I am married to the former Mindy L.
Silverman of Pittsburgh, a former actress and manager of a children’s
theater off Broadway in New York City. I have three adult children: twin
daughters Antonetta and Anita, and son Jason. All currently live and
work in Europe.
I am considered a centrist Democrat because of my middle-of-the-road
views on most fiscal and social issues. The people of DC will not see
its schools improved upon, better government services, and the
widespread corruption DC government is known for ended until we chase
out the troublemakers; namely, special interest groups who have made
your vote null and void by the power they wield over your city council!
There are nine people running for the Ward 3 city council seat and all
of them but I have been former DC government officials or advisors. All
eight of my rivals have for years been part of the problems and not the
solutions and all of them are being financed in this election by special
interest groups who want to continue to steal the power of your vote.
Voting for me is a vote for new ideas. Over the past twelve years the
voters of Ward 3 have had a taste of what my rivals have to offer. This
is why we became the most expensive city on the east cost, with the
highest income and property taxes, a failing school system, out of
control rental/housing costs, and one of the worst-run governments which
provides substandard services. If you want four more years of what you
have been crying to get rid of, then vote for one of my rivals! If you
want the change you seek, then vote for me and you will see me fight
like nobody has ever fought for Ward 3.
###############
Give Kids Good Schools Campaign
Star Lawrence, jkellaw@aol.com
On Monday, August 28, Public Education Network (PEN) announced its
new Give Kids Good Schools campaign in Washington, DC. In conjunction
with the announcement, PEN released a new national poll in which the
American public said public education is the number one issue local
leaders should address, edging out health care, the economy, and fears
of terrorism at the local level. The same poll indicated that 84 percent
of the American public believes the quality of public schools has stayed
the same or declined over the past five years. Give Kids Good Schools is
a multi-year campaign aimed at achieving the goal of quality public
education for all children by building a constituency of Americans who
will use their voices and votes improve our public schools. A new web
site will help the public stay informed about issues that impact public
schools and provide ideas for taking action to improve public schools in
the community. The web site will be a central resource for information,
facts, and materials about public schools and will provide easy-to-use
materials for individuals. The campaign was featured in the August 27
cover story of Parade magazine (see item below). The stories
highlighted by Parade demonstrate that when individuals make a
commitment to their public schools and all sectors of the community are
engaged, schools can show measurable improvement. Please visit http://www.givekidsgoodschools.org/pledge
to sign the pledge to demonstrate your commitment to making sure that
all children in America receive a quality public education.
###############
Where Do Your Kids Go to School?
Ed Dixon, Georgetown Reservoir, jedxn@yahoo.com
The issue of being a DCPS parent as the measure of competent
candidacy is an interesting one. It is identity politics as we know it.
Identity politics focuses on the struggle to establish a foothold for
someone of a different background in the political realm. Leo Alexander
has raised the issue regularly in regards to non-African-Americans’
ability to represent African-American interests, particularly over the
issue of health care and a hospital on Reservation 13. One need not be
only an African American or DCPS parent to feel that a certain type of
representative is required in government to represent one’s own
self-interest. Reagan’s Interior Secretary made light of the idea by
talking about hiring persons of multiple backgrounds to cover all the
special interest groups. As cynical residents of Washington, we know how
the system works: create a pressure group and press the government.
I do believe politics is governed by self-interest. High flung
ideology is mostly decoration. The fact that someone believes in public
education is not the same as having one’s child in a public school.
The effects of this reality is easily measured by the behavior of the
Cropp council in ushering in the baseball billionaire bailout at the
cost to the city’s administration of the residents health care, public
safety, and, yes, public education. These systems were already broken
due to a bad economic deal in home rule and the intervention of the
control board. With not one member of the council with a special
interest (i.e., a child) in the public schools, all the promises made to
former Superintendent Vance were thrown out the window. If he didn’t
have the golden parachute that all superintendents receive, he might
have taken it a little harder.
The demand for a focus on the schools is because public school
parents have figured out how to act like a special interest group. They
should be commended for being able to do that in spite of a public
education system that is designed to disempower them and their children.
However, I do take issue with public education parents who wave the
issue of identity politics as a cure-all for Ward 3. The equation is not
that simple. It may work for a term on the council. But the majority of
school children in Ward 3 are in private schools and the paid men in
suits (i.e., business lobbyists) who wander the halls of the Wilson
building all day have other places for the city’s tax dollars to be
spent. Those two interests already have collaborated to get many of the
private schools in Ward 3 rebuilt with public financing. Many of these
parents have already decided they are not going to make an effort to
improve the public schools by investing in private schools. Many of the
business men and women have their kids in schools outside the city. The
improvement of a public school system that is expected to provide equity
of service to all, whether high quality or not, is a much bigger fight.
###############
Rest in Peace, Andale
Ron Leve, Dupont, theron@comcast.net
A slight correction to Angie Rodgers’ additions for a tour of DC (themail,
August 31). When I walked through Penn Quarter recently, Andale was
closed and shuttered.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library Restoration
Kickoff, September 6
Kandace Foreman, kandace.foreman@dc.gov
A kickoff event will be held on the steps of the Mt. Pleasant
Neighborhood Library to celebrate the start of an $878,750 exterior
restoration of the branch. This is the first stage of a multi-million
dollar total interior redesign and renovation of this Carnage library,
which was built in 1925. This milestone project also marks the beginning
phase of the library system’s 21st century transformation initiative.
The Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library contract was awarded to Garcete
Construction Company of Washington, DC, to do selective restoration work
to the exterior doors and windows, stone masonry, and ornamental
railings and grates. The contract also includes improvements to security
lighting, general landscaping, and site improvements. Wednesday,
September 6, 4:00 p.m., Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library, 3160 16th
Street, NW.
###############
DC Public Library Events, September 7, 11
Debra Truhart, debra.truhart@dc.gov
Thursday, September 7, 2:30 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial
Library, 901 G Street, NW, Room 221. Let’s Talk About Books,
discussion of the poetry of Stephen Dunn. Next month’s selection: A
Lie of the Mind by Sam Shepard.
Monday, September 11, 18, 25, 7:00 p.m., West End Neighborhood
Library, 1101 24th Street, NW. Qigong. A form of Chinese medicine using
movement, breathing and meditation techniques. Adults. The DC Public
Library is not responsible, nor does it endorse health information given
to participants during the program.
###############
Celebrating Crummell, September 9
Parisa B. Norouzi, parisa@empowerdc.org
Celebrating Crummell: The Heart of Ivy City, Past, Present, and
Future: A Commemoration of the History and the Future of the Alexander
Crummell School, will be held on Saturday, September 9, 12:00 p.m.-3:00
p.m., at Deacon Lewis W. Crowe Park, Capitol Avenue, NE, at Mt. Olivet
Road, NE, across from Bethesda Baptist Church (1808 Capitol Avenue, NE).
In case of rain, the rain date will be Saturday, September 16.
The celebration will feature presentations by Crummell School alumna,
Ivy City youths, and special guests about the life of Rev. Dr. Alexander
Crummell, memories of Crummell School, Ivy City history, and the vision
for the future. Sponsored by Crummell School alumna, Empower DC, and the
Historic Ivy City/Crummell School Revitalization Coalition. To RSVP or
for more information, call Empower DC, 234-9119.
###############
Jewish Literary Festival, September 10-20
Andrew Ratner, lmd@dcjcc.org
From September 10–20, the Hyman S. and Freda Bernstein Jewish
Literary Festival presents Madeleine Albright, Peter Beinart, Nora
Ephron, Harry Shearer, and many more of our nation’s most inspiring
minds. For more information about the festival, visit www.dcjcc.org/arts/literature.
On Sunday, September 10, 7:30 p.m., Familiar Streets: A Century of
Jewish Life in the City, theatrical readings directed by Derek Goldman.
Come experience the sights, sounds and soul of our cities. Acclaimed
local actors read from selected fiction, memoir and poetry of such
luminaries as Frank Rich, Grace Paley, and Phillip Roth. Winning stories
from the Familiar Streets Writing Contest will be honored at the
reception.
Tuesday, September 12, 7:30 p.m., Laurel Snyder and authors, Half/Life:
Jewish Tales from Interfaith Homes. Join in a lively conversation
with the editor and several contributors to this anthology about the
struggles and successes of growing up in a tough situation: as a
“half-Jew.”
Wednesday, September 13, 7:30 p.m., Marthe Cohn, Behind Enemy
Lines: The True Story of a French Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany. At the
French Embassy at 4101 Reservoir Road, hear the story of a Jewish woman’s
dangerous adventures inside the Third Reich — from the spy herself.
Thursday, September 14, 9:00 p.m., Peace Café open mic. Back by
popular demand, this night gives DC’s poets, musicians and spoken word
artists a chance to speak their minds on their hopes for peace. At
Busboys and Poets (14th and V Streets, NW).
Saturday, September 16, 8:00 p.m., Gerald L. Bernstein Memorial
Lecture presents Madeleine Albright, The Mighty and the Almighty:
Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs. Former Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright shares her insights, gained from a lifetime of
public service, on the interconnectedness of religion and politics.
Sunday, September 17, 5:00 p.m., The Chaim Kempner Author Series
presents authors from What Israel Means to Me: By 80 Prominent
Writers, Performers, Scholars, Politicians, and Journalists.
Washington, DC, area contributors to this anthology share their personal
connections to this unique, challenging land.
Wednesday, September 20, 7:30 p.m., Harry Shearer, Not Enough
Indians: A Novel. When a small town on the brink of bankruptcy
decides to go “native” and build a casino, hilarity and trouble
ensues. Don’t miss the always hilarious Harry Shearer whose voice you
may recognize from “The Simpsons” and “Le Show.”
For paid tickets, call (800) 494-TIXS or go to http://www.boxofficetickets.com.
Discounted price applies to JCC members, seniors, students, under 25,
and groups. For free tickets and information, call 777-3250, E-mail literary@dcjcc.org,
or go to http://www.dcjcc.org/arts/literature.
All events at the Washington DCJCC at 16th and Q Streets, NW, unless
otherwise noted
###############
Building for the 21st Century, September 13
Lauren Searl, lsearl@nbm.org
Wednesday, September 13, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Building for the 21st
Century: High Performance, Green Commercial Buildings. With forty
percent of US primary energy consumed by buildings, companies large and
small are implementing energy-efficient design and building strategies
to reduce energy consumption. Helping companies navigate the
complexities involved in making efficiency improvements is nonprofit
organization Southface Energy Institute. Southface has worked with
companies like IKEA and the Atlanta Community Food Bank, helping them
meet high performance green building guidelines. Dennis Creech,
cofounder and executive director of Southface Energy Institute, will
talk about the benefits to and strategies for improving building energy
consumption. He will also talk about Southface’s own headquarters, the
Eco Office, which will showcase the best “off the shelf” energy and
environmental technologies for small commercial buildings. Free.
Registration not required. At the National Building Museum, 401 F
Street, NW, Judiciary Square stop, Metro Red Line.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — FREE
Free to good home, Hoveround Scooter, barely used. You must pick up.
E-mail mizgwen@gmail.com or call
234-1754, 5 to 8 p.m.
###############
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