How to Vote
Dear Voters:
Again today, most of themail consists of endorsements and
condemnations of candidates. One more pre-election issue to go, which
means one more chance to convince your fellow themailers of the justness
of your cause.
Speaking of just causes, if you’ve been wondering what’s
happening with the fight against the slots initiative (of course, that’s
been at the top of the list of things you’ve been curious about, hasn’t
it), this story in Legal Times will bring you up to date: http://www.law.com/jsp/dc/PubArticleDC.jsp?id=1156769026542&hub=TopStories.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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The Washington Post reported that the Superintendent of DC
schools was looking into having year-round school in several failing
schools. What an innovative idea! If the children, don’t do their
school work anyway, let’s just keep them in school longer. It saves
the parents money on daycare in the summer, it pays the instructors more
for their time, and allegedly it will improve test scores. Dr. Janney
uses as his basis for this brilliant idea some study information that
purports that an extended school year will improve the students’
performance on a test. Let me add my own anecdotal thoughts into the
mix.
African Americans are descended from a people who either had no
school or substandard schooling, second or third hand books, no heat,
water or electricity, and we were able to develop brilliant minds like
Thurgood Marshall, W.E.B. DuBois, and John Henrik Clarke. We have come
from knowing that education was the only way out to thinking that
basketball is the answer. We have developed from a people who celebrated
intelligence to deriding each other for doing well in school. We have
come from a place where the community had a hand in building up our
young people to a place where “you better not say nothing to my
child.” Having a longer school day will have negligible impact on
schools where parents either cannot or will not participate in the HSA
or in the classroom, where parents are preoccupied with bread and butter
issues or are so concerned about themselves that their children are an
inconvenience. Having a longer school day will have no impact on a group
of children when the instructors don’t really care if the children
learn, or when they are more concerned about getting their paycheck.
Having a longer school day will have no impact on a groups of children
when instructors spend half the day disciplining the children and
therefore cannot teach the children. Having a longer school day will not
improve test scores if the children is not motivated either internally
or externally to learn and the instructors are not motivated to teach.
I am all for doing what is best for children, but our superintendent
and the present members of the school board do not have the stones to do
what is really best for the children. None of them really wants to hear
what the parents have to say. Perhaps that’s why public comments at
board meetings are limited to two minutes per person. How can real
concerns be addressed in two minutes? We, the parents, are an
inconvenience. They forget that the school board is not a stepping stone
to the city council; it is the most important job they will ever have.
Real changes need to be made, and until there is a comprehensive change
in the way we approach education, both internally and externally,
nothing will change and test scores will not rise.
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Do DC Statehood Candidates Support Statehood?
Anise Jenkins, Stand Up! for Democracy in DC Coalition, anisej@nifcomm.com
I was shocked, disappointed and angered when I read my newly arrived
copy of the “District of Columbia Voter Guide Primary September 12,
2006” booklet. Why? In reading the statements submitted by the seven
candidates (five Democrats and two DC Statehood Green) for the positions
of DC United States Representative or DC United States Senator only one
candidate mentioned the word “statehood”!
Don’t they know their history? As a result of the DC Statehood
Constitutional Convention held in 1982, the people of Washington, DC,
created the elected offices of two US senators and one US representative
to lobby Congress for statehood for the District of Columbia. In 1990,
three candidates were elected, DC Representative Charles Moreland and DC
Statehood Senators Florence Pendleton and the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
Their mission was made clear by the DC Statehood Constitutional
Convention held in 1982, two years after the people of Washington, DC,
approved a statehood initiative. These positions were created solely and
very specifically to lobby the United States Congress for DC statehood.
This method of lobbying to become a state had been used before. As then
Senator Jesse Jackson said: “Eight states have used the Tennessee Plan
. . . a plan to elect statehood senators to petition the government for
admission as a state. All eight states succeeded.”
Do these six candidates seeking these very important positions
believe in statehood? They had better, because they are mandated to
advocate for DC statehood by the DC statehood initiative voted for by
the people of the District of Columbia and ratified by Congress. It’s
the law, folks! Don’t they believe that the residents of Washington,
DC, are entitled to the rights to local self-determination, control of
their local budget without Congressional interference, locally elected
judges, a locally controlled court system, and full representation in
the United States Congress? If they do, the word “statehood” should
be in every sentence they speak, write, and think. Otherwise, why are
they running?
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A Few Thoughts on Next Week’s Primaries
Peter Orvetti, peterorvetti@gmail.com
Putting aside the negatives regarding Adrian Fenty that have already
been raised, I find myself wondering exactly what he intends to do as
mayor. I have been impressed by the stamina and organization of his
campaign, but I have found little in the way of specifics in his many
mailings, public statements, and advertisements. I also wonder why he is
in such a hurry. In many other cities, young pols run for mayor so they
can later run for governor, senator, or some other higher office. Due to
DC’s peculiar status, though, the mayor’s job is as high as it gets,
unless Fenty plans to run for president. So why not wait a few more
terms on the Council and get a bit more experience? The point is moot
now, with the vote a week away, but I’m curious why he’s in such a
rush.
In his recent statement opposing gay marriage, Vincent Orange said,
“If you believe in God, the Bible says, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’
I’m saying same-sex marriage is not condoned by the Bible.” Orange’s
assertion that believing in God and believing in the Christian Bible are
obviously the same thing might surprise the District’s Buddhist (4
percent of population), Muslim (2 percent), and Jewish (1 percent)
residents.
There are seven candidates on the Democratic primary ballot for
mayor, but only five are considered major candidates in most media
coverage. As a journalist myself, I’m not sure why this is. Sometimes
in an election there are too many minor candidates to merit coverage
(during the New Hampshire presidential primary, for example, there have
been as many as ninety candidates on the ballot), and occasionally a
candidate is an eccentric who believes her/himself to be the Messiah or
who is running to warn us about alien invasion. But Artie Milligan is
running a serious, issue-oriented campaign and, while Nestor Djonkam
offers fewer specifics, he is running a highly visible effort. (Djonkam’s
campaign is arguably more visible than Michael Brown’s at this point.)
Covering ninety candidates might be hard, but is covering seven much
harder than five?
“Senator” Paul Strauss is running for the DC council. I have
nothing at all against Strauss, and I don’t live in his ward, but
doesn’t his candidacy undermine any claim that the DC office listed as
“United States Senator” on the ballot is a legitimate one? US
senators don’t run for city council; it would be considered a big step
down. Should we take the office of “senator” seriously or not?
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For all Adrian Fenty’s talk about making education priority #1, it’s
worth pointing out that he hasn’t put his six-year-old twins in D.C.
public schools (http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20060905-093452-9758r.htm).
I hope voters take a moment to ponder how strange that is. The twins are
enrolled this year in the private Tots Developmental School. At West
Elementary School, the DC public school they would otherwise attend,
89.4 percent and 91.5 percent of students met DC proficiency standards
in reading and math. It may not be as good as a private school, but it’s
not terrible either.
I respect the right of ordinary families living private lives to make
their own educational decisions. But Mr. Fenty is not ordinary; Mr.
Fenty is not a private citizen. He wants to run the city. What to make
of the slogan, “Making Education Our #1 Priority” in light of all
this? Well, for starters, it rings a little hollow. It means that,
should a future Mayor Fenty fail to make education our top priority and
fail to make much progress, it won’t harm the Fenty children much.
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In my book, the recent article posted by the DC Special Libraries
Association (http://units.sla.org/chapter/cdc/cnotes/aug06.pdf)
provides an authentic portrait of how and why Adrian Fenty’s pavement
pounding will serve him well as mayor. The article, with photos,
describes an event at Coolidge High School in which students were
recognized for meeting the school goal by reading a minimum of twelve
books the past year, an average of at least one book per month. This was
no simple feat in a school where over 95 percent of the students tested
below grade level in reading on standardized tests. The program, called
“everyonereads@coolidgeshs.edu,” was sponsored by the Special
Libraries Association, which purchased books and provided members to
conduct one-on-one book interviews with students to discuss and thereby
verify their reading.
Adrian Fenty supported the program from the get-go. Each spring he
faithfully attended the awards receptions, presented students with
commendations and two-dollar bills, his “Small Steps to Success
Award,” and talked to students about the importance of reading. Each
year participation grew, at first doubling and in its final year leaping
by over 30 percent. His presence and support gave the program
credibility among students, parents, teachers, and the community,
counterbalancing the lack thereof from the school system, which
ultimately dismantled the only authentic teen literacy program in DCPS.
Based on my experience as an educator, Adrian Fenty has the wisdom
and insight to do his homework in the neighborhood schools, wherein lie
answers to the root causes of DC’s most intractable problems.
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Fenty, Police Service Areas, and ANCs
Lars H. Hydle, Larshhydle@aol.com
I have no recommendation on the Democratic nominee for Mayor, but I
would like to raise an issue about Fenty that I have not seen discussed
during the current primary campaign. In 2003-2004, the Metropolitan
Police Department was seeking to consolidate its eighty-some Police
Service Areas (PSAs) into a smaller number, initially the Williams
Administration’s forty-some “neighborhood clusters.” Others and I
thought the PSAs should instead use the same boundaries as the 37 ANCs,
so that the ANCs could give advice and oversight to the PSAs, enhancing
community policing. Eventually this was done with the Chevy Chase ANC
which includes part of Fenty’s Ward 4 west of Rock Creek Park. But in
Ward 4 east of the park, where there were four ANCs, the MPD had
proposed four PSAs whose boundaries haphazardly crisscrossed the ANCs,
so that each ANC had parts of two or three PSAs and vice versa, making
it impossible to hold PSA commanders accountable at the neighborhood
level. All four Ward 4 ANCs passed resolutions supporting the alignment
of the PSAs with the ANCs.
While Chief Ramsey did not like this proposal, it was clear at the
time that if council members wanted it, he would have agreed to it.
Indeed, at the time Fenty was harshly criticizing Chief Ramsey, even
calling for his firing, so obviously he was not in the MPD’s corner.
Fenty, a former ANC Commissioner, professed great respect for the ANCs
and was known for his populism. But he did nothing to align the PSA
boundaries with ANCs in Ward 4. I could not understand it. At times, I
have cynically wondered whether he was concerned that if the ANC/PSA
alignment succeeded in reducing crime, there would be fewer
opportunities for him to rush to a crime scene while speed-dialing media
members on his cell phone. A more benign interpretation would be that
Fenty, known for his constituent services but not his legislative
prowess, thinks in terms of fixing individual problems that are brought
to his attention rather than establishing institutions and systems that
forestall such problems or deal with them at a lower level.
That said, in fairness the other mayoral candidates who are currently
in the council, Cropp and Orange, did nothing about the ANC/PSA
alignment either. I still believe that it could help, at no fiscal
impact, with community policing and crime reduction.
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The Council Chairman Race
Lars H. Hydle, Larshhydle@aol.com
I don’t know Vincent Gray well enough to compare him overall with
Kathy Patterson and make a recommendation for council chair.
(Disclosure: I am a Republican, but there is no Republican candidate for
this position in the general election). I do want to share some concerns
about my Ward 3 councilmember, Patterson. In the spring of 2001
Patterson was one of a majority of councilmembers who voted to repeal
the two-consecutive-term limit on councilmembers and the mayor that had
been imposed in a 1994 initiative. The term limit was scheduled to take
effect in 2004, so the council majority could hardly say that it had
been tried and had failed. They did not claim that the public had
changed its mind about term limits, nor seek to urge their supporters to
repeal the term limits, choosing instead to repeal it by simple
legislation. Reasonable people can disagree over the merits of term
limits — they do limit the voters’ choices, but on the other hand
they guarantee more contested elections when the incumbents’ term
limits expire. But you cannot dispute two things — the repeal of term
limits in 2001 expressly substituted the council’s judgment for that
of the people, and there was one small group of people who benefited
from repeal — the incumbent councilmembers, including Patterson, who
voted for it.
In 2001, the council redistricted its own ward council boundaries.
Federal and DC law and court decisions impose certain redistricting
principles, such as equal population of the constituencies, respect for
natural boundaries, and neighborhood cohesion. But since the council,
empowered by the Home Rule Charter to pass election laws, was drawing
its own playing fields, the uber-principle was that Ward councilmembers
themselves should be happy with their wards. Ward 2 Councilmember Evans
wanted a smaller and more homogeneous Ward 2, so he rejected proposals
that Glover Park be transferred from Ward 3 into Ward 2, and he wanted
Foxhall Village to be transferred from his ward into Ward 3. Patterson
agreed, which meant she had to reduce Ward 3 population. She did so by
slicing Chevy Chase in half along Broad Branch Road, transferring the
eastern part to Ward 4, regardless of redistricting principles and the
strongly expressed wishes of Chevy Chase residents. So she placed her
relationship with her council colleague above her relationship with her
own constituents.
[With regards to the issue of aligning Police Service Area and
Advisory Neighborhood Commission boundaries covered in Hydle’s posting
above] Ward 6 Councilmember Ambrose proposed that the boundaries be
submitted to the council for approval, but Patterson, then Chair of the
Judiciary Committee, persuaded the council only to review the new
boundaries. She held hearings and sent word to me that she had decided
to take no action. She did not explain why. This was at a time when her
committee was criticizing the MPD for its conduct during a
demonstration, so it was clear she had no illusions about the MPD. I
continue to believe that we would be better off with ANC/PSA boundaries
and the community policing that would result. Vincent Gray was not in
the council when these issues were addressed, and to my knowledge he has
not said anything about them since becoming a councilmember. If readers
think any of these issues are important they may wish to ask Gray about
them, and/or take them into account when deciding whom to vote for
council chair.
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Kingman Park and Candidates and the SEED School
Linda Keyes, l.t.keyes@att.net
As Mindy Mitchell stated [themail, August 27], several politicians
have visited the Kingman Park Civic Association to ask for our vote and
to ask what our community concerns are. The SEED School wants to take
our park land (with the consent and acquiescence of the
soon-to-be-former mayor, who allowed a grand prix race to take place in
our residential neighborhood, and managed to give to a now-bankrupt
company money from the DC government in the form of the DC Sports
Authority to run that race) and build a residential facility that will
house six hundred students and staff. They did this by circumventing the
home rule process and going straight to Congress to have language
inserted in the Federal Land Transfer that required the city turn over
some of the RFK acreage to a DC public charter boarding school (the SEED
school) as a condition of the transfer.
Our councilperson, Vincent Gray, sent a letter in support of the
community demands that the wishes of the Kingman Park Community be
honored. Councilperson Patterson also visited a Civic Association
meeting, and stated that she and her community wanted Fort Reno Park,
which was also a part of the Federal land transfer, for athletic fields
for Wilson Senior High School — and that that the Seed School only
needed some of the acreage for the school. So, in order for Fort Reno to
happen, then the SEED school must be granted their request. For
Councilperson Patterson, it depends on which community you live in, and
in her eyes her community trumps our community.
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The Post,
Wrong Again
Ed T. Barron, edtb1@mac.com
From those folks at the Washington Post, who get it wrong
about half the time, we now have their endorsement for Kathy Patterson’s
opponent in the race for chairman of the city council. They have made
their endorsement on the basis that Gray can bring consensus to the
council. Have they forgotten, just in the past few months, that Kathy
Patterson brought consensus to the council on the contentious issue of
school modernization and funding? Kathy has done this many times in the
past by presenting facts and data on issues, making recommendations
based on these facts, not charm.
The Post has taken a very shortsighted view of what the
council chairman should be bringing to that position. Kathy Patterson
has far more experience and ability than her opponent and an enviable
track record over the past twelve years. Experience counts.
I’m not sure who the gurus at the Post are who made this
wrongful endorsement. I don’t know exactly where their heads were when
they made the endorsement, but I can guess.
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In Support of Cathy Wiss for Ward 3 Councilmember
Caroline Long, carolynlong@earthlink.net
I am writing in support of Cathy Wiss for Ward 3 City councilmember.
I have known Cathy as a friend and neighbor for almost twenty years.
During that time she has worked for the Ward 3 community as a volunteer
with the Friends of the Tenleytown Library, Janney, Deal, and Wilson
public schools, and St. Columba’s Church. In 1999 she founded and
became the first president of the Tenleytown Neighbors Association Inc.,
a 501(c)(3) organization concerned with land use and planning issues,
neighborhood improvement, education, and historic preservation. Since
2001 she has served as a commissioner on Advisory Neighborhood
Commission 3F, and is currently the chair of that ANC. Cathy works more
than full time at these (unpaid) jobs, giving meticulous attention to
every issue that is of concern to the neighborhood.
The Wiss campaign may not be as glitzy as that of some candidates,
but it is a real grassroots effort. The campaign team, from the chairman
to the people who stuff envelopes, put up street signs, and hand out
brochures, is made up entirely of volunteers. Cathy has received most of
her donations from Ward 3 voters, while candidates with the most
impressive “war chests” raised much of their money from corporations
and real estate developers. I see more Cathy Wiss signs in people’s
yards than those for any other candidate, indicating that Cathy has
strong local support.
Some of the other candidates claim to support Smart Growth and
Transit Oriented Development, but Cathy Wiss is the only one who has
been espousing those principles for years, working to resolve conflicts
between developers and citizens and making sure that legitimate
neighborhood concerns are taken into account while letting appropriate
development move forward. As president of Tenleytown Neighbors
Association Inc., Cathy negotiated a successful outcome to the issue of
an inappropriately massive development in the midst of a residential
neighborhood. It was feared that allowing this project would set a
precedent for the demolition of older houses and lead to rezoning of the
neighborhood. The outcome of Cathy’s efforts is the cluster of six
attractive homes now on the corner of Albemarle and Nebraska -- a result
that promoted desirable growth and at the same time accommodated
concerns over density, traffic, and the environment. More recently,
Cathy worked with the developers of the historically designated Sears
Building at the Tenleytown Metro to facilitate the building of four
stories of condominiums (207 units) atop the building, which now houses
the Best Buy, Container Store, and Tenleytown Ace Hardware. At the Ward
3 candidates forum held on September 5, each candidate was asked what
she/he had done to promote transit-oriented development on Wisconsin
Avenue. The others talked about what they would like to do, revealing
their lack of experience as to how growth should be carefully planned to
enrich the community rather than overwhelm it. Only Cathy Wiss could
point to a real, concrete achievement. Cathy’s long record of service
to and experience in the community speaks for itself.
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On September 12, DC Democratic voters will nominate candidates for
mayor, council, and US Senator (my family does not recognize a shadow).
The next mayor must have the energy and integrity to lead our city
without being controlled by the Board of Trade and wealthy developers.
He or she must recognize that our school system is failing and decaying,
teachers and aids are under stress and underpaid. Tony Williams has left
our public health care system in shambles and in the next four years
very few native Washingtonians will be able to afford to live in the
city. Thus it is not time to renew past mistakes; it’s time to step
into the future.
Adrian Fenty is Washington, DC. A native of our city whose parents
were struggling small business owners, his vision of Washington is
integrity, openness, attention to detail, and no-excuses type of
government. As mayor, yes, he will make mistakes and errors. However
making mistakes and ignoring them is not the same as making mistakes and
correcting them. In 1975, at the age of eighteen, and at the urging of
my mentor, Marion Barry, Jr., I decided to run for city council in
Prince Georges County, where I served as a young civil rights
activist/student organizer. Some voters were concerned whether an
18-year-old could legally sign legislation; my attorneys (all pro
bono) struck down that argument. The advantage of being a young
elected official is that people recognize you will make errors; that is
why veteran elected officials like myself must step forward to offer
Adrian our support during his tenure. And to the critics who say a young
mayor wouldn’t likely survive, Adrian is in his second term, and I
served six terms on the Prince Georges council. I believe in Adrian
Fenty, and I pledge to work hard over the next few days to recruit more
voters to help this exciting young leader.
In the Senate race, in 2006 I considered challenging the incumbent
Senator; however, when I heard my good friend and Ward 8 colleague Phil
Pannell was considering running, I knew where my support would go. As
our Senator, Phil Pannell will be extremely vocal and active in lobbying
for democracy for the people of DC. Very few people in this city can
match the record of activist Phil Pannell. I had the honor to serve with
this inspiring leader as Ward 8 Democratic State Committeeman, and DC
voters can rest assured that for the next six years Phil will be on the
front line fighting for our rights as American citizens and taxpayers,
and he will not be alone.
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I promise I won’t poor-mouth this again after today (it won’t be
relevant after next Tuesday anyway), but after twenty years of no
quality constituent service — short or long-term — I think most of
us in Ward 4 are reasonably happy with the so-called short-term fixes
Fenty has been accused of. Whatever happened to what I used to hear in
Poli Sci 101: “There is no Democratic or Republican (well, in this
case, other Democratic) way to fix a street, as long as it is fixed”?
By the way, speaking from under my professional (transportation and
transit-oriented development (TOD) planner) hat, not all of Fenty’s
fixes have been short term. (Assuming we’re all using the same
definition of “short term” here.)
There is, for example, the TOD project at Georgia Avenue-Petworth
Metrorail station (a site, let us recall, that Big Tony wanted for the
new headquarters of his motor vehicles department), Brightwood lofts,
his expediting the reconstruction and reopening of Brightwood ES (which
wasn’t supposed to be finished and reopened until AY 2007), and his
long-term community redevelopment plan for Riggs Park and North Riggs
Park, a third of which isn’t even in his ward. In fact, Fenty was one
of the original minority of councilmembers who, from Day One, insisted
that Andy Altman and Ellen McCarthy, do the Right (Planning) Thing and
literally rewrite the DC comprehensive plan from page one, instead of
simply massively editing the current plan and passing it off as
(hopelessly inadequate) update. Take it from a planner with thirty-two
years in the profession: it isn’t easy getting local legislators to
take the planning process seriously, much less concur that their basic
planning, zoning, and development blueprint should be thrown in the
recycling bin, even if it is twenty-odd years old.
Hardly short-term fixes, especially when we’re talking about the
Georgia Avenue corridor, which had seen something like ten (no misprint)
units of new housing, and perhaps a couple million dollars of
nonresidential development, most of it in an auto parts outlet and a
drugstore, in the prior twelve years.
You know, showing my age here: I really smell future shock in some of
what is now being written against Fenty. It really reminds me of the
“is this guy serious” put-downs that a certain M.S. Barry got from
some sectors of DC during his first run for mayor in 1978. I can unearth
critical posts and commentaries about him that are so similar that, to
update them, you need only change the name of the candidate at issue. I
mean, look at this guy: he is 35. He doesn’t come off as that polished
an extemporaneous speaker. He can’t (or is it doesn’t want to)
master the thirty-second sound-bite campaign style. And, what seems to
me to be his biggest problem, he can’t be neatly pigeonholed as a
Curry-Schmoke “New Look” African-American politician, as a throwback
to the old school of civil rights campaigners (Clarke, Barry, Doug
Moore, Polly Shackleton, et al.) or an a-racial self-described
nerd like Anthony Williams.
So apparently the sentence imposed on him is: since I can’t file
you, I can’t figure you out. Fenty has also been known to answer
really thorny policy questions with, “I don’t know. We’ll have to
work that one out once we have a better understanding of the problem.”
(Which, in this town, ought to be the kiss of electoral death, right?
Lord knows we don’t want someone in office — or, apparently, even
running for it — if he or she has the nerve to confess to incomplete
knowledge of, or the need to actually understand, a problem before
proposing a solution to it, right? Although, well, it did work, sort of,
for Robert Redford’s character in The Candidate.)
Being comparatively young and not having had any consequential
top-level managerial/executive experience wasn’t a disqualification
for Williams eight (or four) years ago. Or, come to that, for Sharon
Pratt (Dixon) sixteen years ago. So, what’s the noise now? Is it the
lack of experience? Or is it the person being found wanting because of
it? If you have problems with Fenty, don’t vote for him. But don’t
dress up your disapproval as some cosmic disqualification that makes
uninformed, mentally challenged Morelocks out of those who are inclined
to vote for him. If the man has feet of clay, it is largely because he
refuses to hide them, not because they were suddenly discovered by Linda
Cropp or whoever the Little Karl Rove is who is behind her past month’s
anti-campaign.
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The 2006 race for a new chair of the council of the District of
Columbia brings us an opportunity to really think out the process as
well as to envision what we feel is good solid leadership and
legislative effectiveness. True leadership comes with experience. With
experience comes the ability to form a vision and to garner support for
the right agenda. The right agenda, is promoting and pursuing the needed
legislative issues to sustain and improve the quality of life issues
that continuously plague our city. It also includes the necessary skills
to know and to use solid fiscal policy and procedures to assure the
District’s financial security. Given these important elements, there
is a simple choice this year for chair of the council of the District of
Columbia. Kathy Patterson stands heads and shoulders above her opponent.
Kathy has continuously made strides in areas of her chairmanships on
key committees such as government operations, judiciary, and education.
Clearly she has worked on issues that affect all residents. Kathy has
been and is one of our most effective legislators of record. She moves
with intensity on issues only after gathering solid information, and
then she gathers support by including her findings with her colleagues.
She has proven time and time again that she is a caring, concerned, and
informed member of our council. She has worked not only full time, but
tirelessly to ensure the residents of the District of Columbia that they
have a intelligent and caring friend on the council. Kathy is the right
choice to be the next chair of our city council, especially at a time
when so many new faces will be elected to leadership roles in our city.
Her abilities are second to none; her dedication amazes me.
As for Vincent Gray, one must wonder. His background includes
complicated issues. As a member of the Sharon Pratt Kelly
administration, as Director of the Department of Human Services, Gray
ran a department that was continuously plagued with bad leadership. Add
to that wrong decisions for the people of the District. He alone was
responsible for terrible mismanagement in areas of 1) not adequately
fighting AIDS, as well numerous deeds of negligent management in the
office on AIDS. 2) Leasing District property without first getting
competitive bids, not once but time after time. 3) Numerous pubic
employees that were named to his various departments were investigated
for such offenses as abusing government money. This list is frightening,
yet little was done to correct the problems. 4) While he was Director,
DHS offered limited Social Services the most needy families and
individuals in our city, yet Vincent Gray approved nearly $1 billion in
spending while cutting more than $3 million in services.
With all this and many more complications associated with his
background one would have to wonder why the Washington Post could
muster up anything positive to say about his candidacy. Surely they must
deem his inadequacies in leadership and management as only works from
Pratt Kelly herself. Yet in reality we all know it was his lack of
leadership that really brought on the serious lapse in services.
With Kathy Patterson, there is no lack of management and there is no
lack of ability. There is nothing in her background to force us to
ponder her intense devotion to doing what is right. She has made sound
decision after sound decision on how she has moved legislation to
include every resident of the District of Columbia in her vision for our
safety and welfare. She is a qualified leader that is and should
continue to be on the forefront of leadership for our city. I strongly
encourage readers to read the past Washington Post articles on
both of these candidates background and history as public servants and
make an educated decision on who they vote for as the new chair of the
council of the District of Columbia. That is something the Post
editors should have done themselves. Once you’ve done so, you’ll
realize easily that Kathy Patterson deserves all of our vote. We need to
secure our future and our city’s future by electing her to the office
of chair.
###############
This last weekend, seventeen-year-old Cynthia Gray was buried. She
was someone’s daughter, grandchild, and friend. Cynthia was shot in
the head, execution style, in front of witnesses. Still no suspects, no
motive and no arrests. A month earlier, in the same neighborhood, the
life of her seventeen-year-old boyfriend, Ronnie Garner, was ended in
much the same way. When will their deaths matter? I ask this question
because I didn’t read or hear about Ronnie until Cynthia was murdered.
How does this happen? We’ve all read story after story about Rosenbaum
— who he was, where he worked, and the botched handling of his tragic
case. Why did Ronnie’s death warrant no mention? He too was a living,
breathing human being, once capable of giving and receiving love. I’m
beginning to think the only reason Cynthia’s death was even covered
was because of her heroic actions before she was hit by that fatal shot.
Remember? She was the victim who pushed her godson under a parked car
moments before she was murdered. Now what does that say about us, that
we only pay attention when the murders are sensational? Labor day
morning, I came across a 4th District police officer on patrol riding a
Segway. It was a reassuring sight seeing one of our finest working the
beat, standing upright, riding that futuristic two-wheeler. The officer
told me, “The Segways are a pilot program in the District. So far
there are two each in Wards 1, 2, and 3, and one in Ward 4.” Are you
thinking what I’m thinking? Who made that brain-dead decision? At a
time when war has basically been declared in sections of our city, Chief
Ramsey’s commanders put the latest crime-fighting tool in the safest
Wards. Please help me understand this logic.
The very next day the Washington Post didn’t surprise anyone
with their endorsement of Adrian Fenty. If their endorsement really
carried any weight, they would’ve given it months ago, instead of
waiting until the week before the election, as if to say the folks in DC
are just sitting around waiting to see whom the Post is going to
pick. Is that arrogance or what? Their coverage of the mayor’s race
has been slanted from day one. They have basically given Fenty a free
pass. What amazes me is that this is the first race that I can recall
that the Post has effectively turned a prerequisite like
experience against a candidate. The question should be, who’s best
prepared to be mayor? For whatever reason, the Post is willing to
endorse a candidate knowing full well that on-the-job-training will be a
necessity. There goes their credibility. If they are anything like their
counterparts in TV news, most of them don’t even live in the District.
So they’ve got a hell-of-a-nerve telling us whom we should or shouldn’t
vote for.
In spite of what happens September 12, a change is what we need most.
During these last few months, I have made a conscious effort to attend
as many debates, meet and greets, and straw polls as possible. I have
spoken to most of the candidates and looked forward to trading back
slaps, hand shakes, and friendly verbal jabs with their supporters.
Interestingly enough, I’ve found that we supporters have more in
common than differences. Yes, we hail a city that is separated by
region, economics, race, religion, and sexual orientation; but we still
have a common thread — safe streets. Yes, we want an end to the
nightly war on our streets. Yes, we want our children to have options
that only education can offer. And yes, we, the nearly 600,000 citizens
of the capital city of the free world, demand full voting representation
in the House and the Senate. Our democracy, or lack thereof, is a matter
of human rights. Anything less is unpatriotic. We all made a conscious
decision to make the District our home, but at no time did we ever sign
away our birthright as Americans to democracy. Our constitution must be
amended to address this glaring hypocrisy.
On the 13th of September, we will all exhale and reflect on the night
before; a night of celebration for some and anguish for others. Then we
must come together, because our children need us. But first, we have to
be honest and ask ourselves some difficult questions. Why does it take a
single death in Georgetown to prompt a crime emergency? Our young people
are killing each other because they lack any real hope of ever attaining
anything better. In most cases, there’s dysfunction in their homes.
The school system and government safety nets have failed them.
Therefore, if your everyday existence is hopeless, and the alternative
messages you constantly receive are either the celebration of the thug
life culture, or the lifestyles of the rich and fabulous; then it
becomes easier to pull a trigger. Beyonce, Tiger, and Paris Hilton are
the few who are either born with it or born into it. The message not
relayed is these phenoms represent one percent of our population. The
overwhelming majority of us are average people trying to make an honest
living in order to leave a little extra for our families through
education and hard work. Unfortunately, that message is lost in the
media’s fascination with the bling bling lifestyle. Last week, I
participated in a street wave for Cropp at the intersection of Kansas
and Georgia Avenue Northwest. I noticed a teenager on his way to school,
and I extended my hand. He grabbed it, but wouldn’t give me any eye
contact. I ask him to look me in the eyes. He complied. Then, I asked
him asked how old he was, and if he were looking forward to the day when
he could vote. His smile said it all. Here I was, a stranger, validating
him. Our young people need positive engagement. They crave it. As he
walked away, I told him one more thing, “. . . and pull up your
britches!” He did that also with a smile.
I’ve grown weary of excuses. Like everyone else, I’m ready for
solutions. Over the months, I’ve addressed several of our hot-button
issues — the National Capital Medical Center, the absence of
vocational education, affordable housing, jobs, and institutional
racism. These issues aren’t just critical east of the park, or in the
far corners of Southeast. These issues should resonate with us all. It’s
time to raise the ante . . . because we all have a stake in the outcome.
###############
DC Voters Guide and Toucan Printing
Joan Eisenstodt, jeisen@aol.com
Thanks, Dorothy, for pointing out what happened and why the precinct
listed was so strange [themail, September 3]. If this company has twice
(that we know of) printed information incorrectly, why is the District
still using them? Did the District get its money back? And if the
District’s voter database is being used, how could Toucan change the
labels? (OK, I know, it’s DC and these are silly questions, but I had
to ask.)
###############
Response to Alexander’s “The Mad Scramble”
Sylvia C. Brown, sylviabrown1@verizon.net
Mr. Alexander used the appropriate term [themail, September 3] when
he described individuals switching their campaign allegiance as
“defectors.” A defector definitely has a negative connotation that
summons the image of a fickle and fair weather person. If the mayoral
election is a game that rides on a wave of popularity, Marie Johns or
any other candidate, frankly, is better off without the baggage. Instead
of finding fault in the candidate, supposed supporters need to look
inward and ask themselves, what they could have done better and more
innovatively? If voters cannot vote their convictions and stick with
that, then their decision to defect is on them, not necessarily the
candidate.
It makes no sense for Marie Johns to endorse another mayoral
contender when no other contender has the plans or background she has.
Marie Johns was the first out the box proposing universal preschool,
vocational education, and common sense solutions to the challenges
facing the city and our neighbors. The other contenders picked up on the
impact and appeal Marie Johns’ proposals had on the public and
“borrowed” the plans. It is disappointing that Mr. Alexander is so
matter-of-fact in his characterization of DC voters as selfish and
shallow; that is a disservice to the intelligence of the electorate and
slanderous to the democratic process.
###############
Mary Cheh Will Be a Full-Time Councilmember
John Henry Wheeler, wheels-dc@att.net
Mary Cheh has said that if elected she will be a full-time
councilmember. She will become a part-time faculty member, teaching no
more than one class per semester, just like many full-time judges,
lawyers, and government workers.
I attended the George Washington law school more than twenty-five
years ago, and had several classes taught by people who worked full-time
elsewhere, one of whom I later worked with at the USEPA. I can say that
neither his teaching or his full-time job suffered from this
arrangement.
The idea that Mary Cheh plans to continue to teach full-time is based
upon a letter "signed" by an anonymous professor at GW. This
is untrue and most likely a dirty trick by someone favoring another
candidate.
###############
Live With It
Ed T. Barron, edtb1@macdotcom
To those who have criticized me for expressing my opinion on Mary
Cheh in her run for the DC council seat in Ward 3 ("City Council Is
Not a Part-time Job," themail, September 3], let me make a few
points. First, themail is a forum for expressing one’s opinions. I do
so frequently and offer rationales for those opinions as well. As for
not criticizing other councilmembers who treat the seats they hold on a
part-time basis (e.g., Evans, Catania, et al.), I may not like
their positions but I don’t vote for them. I vote for the person
running for the council seat in Ward 3. My choice of Bob Gordon was on
the basis of his commitment and his area of expertise, as I noted in my
posting. Live with it.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
A Neighborhood Demolished, Your Politicians, and Baseball
info@materialcinema.org
In these critical final days preceding the mayoral primary, we hope
you can come to this exceptional, two video expose dealing with the
Nationals Baseball Stadium story and the neighborhood that has been
cleared. Both videos do what the media coverage didn’t, be it the
local TV news or The Washington City Paper. They tell the on the
ground story of the troubling treatment of the affected residents and
businesses, accompanied by the hard facts that never made the news. And
yes, some of our city council representatives and mayoral candidates are
painted in a less than glorious light. Even without the stadium story,
this is a fascinating neighborhood to be discovered. Thursday, September
7, 7 p.m. Free admission. Modern Times Cafe (basement, Politics and
Prose bookstore), 5015 Connecticut Avenue, NW.
The videos: Baseball’s High Tide for Capital, directed by James J.
Schneider (video, one hour). In 2006, three square blocks of residences
and businesses in southeast Washington, DC, were cleared to make way for
the Nationals baseball stadium. This is that story as seen and heard
through the perspective of a dozen members of the diverse and
charismatic people who lived and worked there for decades. Going beyond
their personal stories, High Tide investigates the larger issue of
eminent domain. It also paints a disturbing portrait of the surreal
carnival atmosphere and air of corruption surrounding DC politics, with
several of the 2006 mayoral candidates showing their true colors. And as
several of the neighbors point out, and excerpts of the television
coverage confirm, the true story behind the stadium deal was muffled.
This video is only part of making this story and these voices heard.
“The End of O,” produced by Mary Wright, directed by Richard
Blakeslee (35 minutes, 2006). We decided to document the alteration of
the generally overlooked area as it grew into a much anticipated
entertainment complex. While taping, we learned the evolving
neighborhood had been home to a few residents and a variety of
businesses: an asphalt plant, several warehouses, a sanitation transfer
station, a Tri-Met bus parking facility, auto repair shops, a sculpture
studio, one historic house lately renovated as a bed and breakfast. It
also held a thriving collection of gay nightclubs, which for twenty
years occupied a block of O Street, SE. We soon discovered that most of
these businesses felt they would be poorly reimbursed by the city for
their forced removal. Most, too, saw difficulties ahead as they tried to
relocate.
###############
Guy Mason Class Registration, September 9
Toni Ritzenberg, taritzdc@aol.com
Summer is almost at an end, and that means that it is time to
register for fall ‘06 classes at the Guy Mason Recreation Center (3600
Calvert Street, NW) beginning Saturday, September 9, with most of the
classes starting the week of October 2. As always, you can keep your
creative juices flowing and maybe make your own holiday gifts when
taking art, china painting, pottery and/or copper enameling. This season
beginning knitting is being offered. Doesn’t everyone need a pot
holder?
To prepare for your next trip or to just learn another language,
beginning Irish is back on the schedule, as are French and Spanish. As
we are always looking to expand the types of classes being offered, this
session there will be a course in all aspects of digital photography
(just in time for those holiday photos) and if you have considered using
photography as a journalistic tool but need some pointers there is
photojournalism. Bridge is still twice a week, year round, and the
wonderful ballroom dancing class is on Tuesday evenings from 7-9 p.m.
Though an adult center, there are two classes especially for young
people accompanied by a parent/adult. Abrakoodle is an art program for
children, and music together is for children from birth to four years.
Remember, this program is one of the best bargains offered by the
city. For specific program start dates, visit the Center’s web site at
http://www.guymasonstudioarts.com.
To register online, visit http://www.dpr.dc.gov, click on Activities
Program, and follow the instructions. For further information and/or to
register in person, visit the Guy Mason Recreation Center at 3600
Calvert Street, NW, Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. and Saturdays
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., or call Robert Haldeman/Caryl King at 282-2180.
###############
Felix Grant Jazz Archives Open House, September 19
Michael Andrews, mandrews@udc.edu
The University of the District of Columbia will celebrate the
renovation of the Learning Resources Division and the expansion of the
Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives and host an open house on Tuesday,
September 19, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Learning Resources Division,
Building 41, 4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW. The campus is easily
accessible on Metro’s Red Line, Van Ness/UDC station.. The public is
invited to attend this celebration. The Learning Resources Division
manages the University’s collections and provides information access
to the University community. The Division’s Center for Academic
Technology Support maintains the University’s learning portal and
provides technology support to students and faculty. In addition to
remodeling and refurbishing areas within the Division, spaces have also
been redesigned to increase teaching and study areas, improve services
and support, and provide a better environment to its users. For more
information about this event, call the University’s Learning Resources
Division at 274-6370.
The renovation of the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives — the University’s
stellar resource and research center -- has provided a state-of-the-art
facility for one of the greatest treasures at the University. The
Archives houses several major collections including the collection of
Felix Grant, the internationally renowned jazz authority and radio
personality, and an ongoing collection of materials that document the
history of jazz at the University of the District of Columbia. The
evening will also feature the unveiling of an exhibit showcasing the
trombone of Calvin Jones, a legendary figure in the Washington, DC
community, who was professor of music and director of the University’s
Jazz Studies Program from 1976 until his death in 2004.
Two art exhibits will highlight the celebration. African Perceptions
is a limited edition of serigraphs inspired by African art and created
by the acclaimed Argentinean artist, Eduardo Mac Entyre. Mac Entyre is
the recipient of many international awards and his works can be found in
major museum collections in Latin America, Europe and the United States
of America. This exhibition is made possible by the collaboration of the
Collección Campomar, Buenos Aires. The Sculptures of Allen Uzikee
Nelson, a former faculty member in the University’s School of
Engineering and Applied Sciences, will complement the graphic display.
Uzikee’s sculptures can be seen around Washington, DC and are designed
to bridge the gap between African ritual and abstract art as well as
African and Western culture. An exhibit of the 2000-2006 winners of the
Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Awards will be
also on display. The University’s Jazz Studies Program will join the
Open House festivities with a performance by the UDC Jazztet that is
sure to spread the celebratory spirit.
###############
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