Style Is Substance
Dear Stylistas:
Several DC reporters and pundits have weighed in recently on the DC
mayor’s race, all with the same message. They haven’t endorsed Mayor
Fenty, not exactly, but they have all scolded those DC voters who, they
believe, prefer Council Chairman Gray to Fenty on the basis of their
personalities. On Friday, Kojo Nnamdi, the host of the Politics Hour on
WAMU-FM, made a rare revelation of his personal political preference in
defending Fenty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7gokGONqw4&feature=player_embedded):
“In Fenty’s case, the hatred is so vitriolic that his detractors
will tell you that they know for certain that he’s done something
worse than kicking a dog, and that Cathy Lanier got to be a police chief
by promising not to tell . . . even though they have absolutely no
evidence. . . . In a city where we can’t summon the passion to get mad
as hell and face down the Congress over our lack of voting rights,
blacks can get mad as hell over Adrian Fenty’s arrogance in the same
way that whites were mad as hell over Marion Barry’s arrogance. I
guess we may be united after all. We all seem to choose style . . . over
substance.” In reporting Nnamdi’s remarks, Mike DeBonis of the Washington
Post expressed some bewilderment over voters’ disappointment with
Fenty (http://tinyurl.com/2bsf23n):
“Why is it that Fenty has generated such deep anger in some parts of
the city? Why did Tony Williams and Sharon Pratt get pretty much the
same reaction (if not quite as vitriolic). Why can’t he claim credit
for the new facilities in majority-black parts of town? Why is he
getting booed? Is it all personality, or is it policy, too? On that last
question, keep this in mind: Marion Barry, for all the love he
engendered among black voters, was during his 1980s heyday absolutely
beloved in the development community — the same folks Fenty foes sneer
at for supposedly wagging the dog.”
Tom Sherwood, who reports for WRC-TV, writes a column for the Current
Newspapers, and cohosts the Politics Hour on WAMU-FM with Nnamdi,
wrote in the June 16 issue of “Tom Sherwood’s Notebook” (http://tinyurl.com/29sls6m)
about the Ward 3 Democrats candidates forum: “Gray is supposed to be
the nicer guy who would be just as good a mayor as Fenty, just more
pleasant to be around. But Gray was loud, stalking Fenty, pointing
fingers and scowling too much for some uncommitteds in the audience.”
Jonetta Rose Barras, a columnist for the Washington Examiner, has
come close to endorsing Fenty several times, never closer than in April
when she addressed the personality issue most directly (http://tinyurl.com/233onaj):
“A warm smile and a soft touch can camouflage a rogue, my grandmother
warned me. Despite her admonishments, there were times when, blinded by
exterior attributes, I ignored substance. Her advice came to mind again
as I listened to the collateral chatter about the differences between
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and DC Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray — a
newly announced mayoral contender. Pundits, civic leaders, and others
have complained the incumbent executive isn’t warm and fuzzy. They
have said he’s arrogant, remote and secretive. African-American
respondents in recent opinion polls have said they don’t trust him.
Gray, on the other hand, has been characterized as more inclusive and
friendly. . . . The District has made great progress during the past
decade. But, it faces significant challenges over the next four years.
You can bet those won’t be solved with charisma, glib talk, and
glad-handing.”
All of these reporters and commentators seem sure that voters should
choose candidates on the basis of their positions on issues, that
politicians’ personalities are superficial and not worthy of
consideration. They have it wrong, especially in this mayor’s race. As
I’ve been saying for months, there is almost no political issue on
which Fenty and Gray differ sharply; neither has yet named a policy
disagreement that defines a difference. Even in races in which there are
sharp differences on issues, voters know that the issues that are in the
news today will be gone tomorrow, and other issues will take their
place. Voters have to judge politicians on how they believe that
politicians will make their judgments on unknown future issues — in
other words, on politicians’ character.
This is where style is substance. “Personality” isn’t
superficial; it is the essence of a person. It is the same thing as
character; when we want to take it seriously, we call it character, and
when we want to trivialize it, we call it personality. We try to predict
how politicians will act in the future on the basis of how they have
acted in the past — on the basis of their personalities, their
characters, of who they are at heart. Does the politician make friends
or enemies; does he listen to the voters or ignore them; is he open or
secretive; does he deal with all people equally or practice favoritism;
is he honest or not? The pundits who claim that voters shouldn’t judge
between Fenty and Gray on the basis of their personalities have it
exactly wrong. Personality, character, is exactly the right basis on
which to cast a vote.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
###############
Campaign Notebook: Straw Polls
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com
In any citywide election in the District, Ward 3 plays a pivotal
role. As of May 31, the ward has 54,535 voters, and it consistently has
the highest voter turnout of all wards. For example, 67.08 percent of
all Ward 3 registered voters cast a ballot in the November 2008
presidential election. Although it is possible to win a citywide
election and not carry the ward, in addition to the votes of Ward 3
residents, their campaign contributions are of great importance and what
they define as major issues can shape an election. As a result, any
candidate who polls well in Ward 3 has instant credibility and must be
considered a major contender.
On June 10, the Ward 3 Democratic Committee held a mayoral candidate
forum and a straw poll open to all Ward 3 Democrats. On June 17, the
votes in the straw poll were tallied and Vincent Gray, the presumed
underdog in the Ward, beat Mayor Fenty by 174 to 168 votes (Leo
Alexander got 4 votes and undecided 11 votes). In a separate vote of
just the members of the Ward 3 Democratic Committee, who are elected to
represent their precincts, Gray did even better. Gray received 40 votes,
Fenty 15 votes, Leo Alexander 1 vote, and no endorsement 6 votes.
(However, because Ward 3 Democratic Committee rules require a candidate
to get at least 75 percent of all the members’ votes cast to get the
Committee’s endorsement, the Committee will not endorse any candidate
in the September primary.)
In recent weeks, Gray has prevailed over Mayor Fenty in other straw
polls. Gray defeated Fenty by 59 to 49 votes in the Ward 8 Democratic
Committee’s straw poll on May 15. (Fenty won the preliminary results,
because of a large number of provisional ballots that were cast by young
voters who were organized by the Peaceoholics and Ron Moten to register
on the day of the straw poll; the Ward 8 Democratic Committee board
reconsidered the decision to allow provisional ballots, which overturned
the preliminary results.) The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club endorsed
Gray on June 14 after he received 63 percent of the votes cast by the
club’s membership. And, in a major citywide straw poll conducted by
the DC Democratic State Committee on June 12, Gray received 703 votes,
Fenty 190, and Alexander 75. Contrary to a lot of early media reports
and speculation, it seems that Gray has been able to put together a
formidable campaign structure and to out-organize Fenty, even though he
had a late-starting campaign and a disadvantage in financial resources.
###############
Jack Evans and Patton Boggs: Questions of
Conflicts of Interest, Part Three
John Hanrahan, johnhanrahan5@yahoo.com
The local press is obsessed with Marion Barry’s transgressions, as
it should be. But when a powerful council member other than Barry has
not one, but two, actual (or, at least, appearances of) conflicts of
interests over high-stakes deals that involve actual and potential
expenditures of hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds, that
strikes me as news.
When the issue of his outside employment (permitted under the DC
Charter for all council members, except the chairman) came up during his
2006 election campaign, Evans deflected it by saying he had only two
full-time jobs — on the DC Council and as a single father of three
children. I know of no one who disputes that Evans is a hardworking,
full-time council member and devoted father. And therein lies the
problem: what exactly does he do for Patton Boggs for his $240,000 —
$20,000 a month, almost $1,000 per working day? Is this some sort of
no-show job for which he is overcompensated by a high-powered lobbying
firm not known for expending large amounts of cash and expecting nothing
in return? Or do the Northrop and Marriott cases reflect a serious
intertwining of interests that give us a glimpse into what that private
job entails? Reporters with daily access to the council should be asking
Evans these questions.
As a former reporter for the Washington Star and Washington
Post, I frequently investigated and reported on conflicts of
interest and ethical problems in the Maryland General Assembly. I also
am the former executive director of the Fund for Investigative
Journalism. I think I have enough reporting experience to know when an
elected official appears to have crossed the line into a conflict of
interest and to point out that the local mainstream press is
inexplicably giving Evans a free pass on this issue. Over the last two
months I have sent this information to five reporters or editors at four
different news organizations, and have had no response thus far.
I believe all DC citizens want clean, open, conflict-of-interest-free
government, and many have been troubled as I have been by Evans’s
other past transgressions. These include the “Jack Pac”
investigation, which then-Post reporter Serge Kovaleski explored
so thoroughly several years ago. See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/09/AR2005100901584.html.
I hope I am proved wrong, but as of now it appears all the Serge
Kovaleskis have left the building.
###############
The Ward 3 Dems have me agitated with their inability to endorse a
mayoral candidate, but I’m not alone. Tom Smith, chair of the Ward 3
Dems, also appears agitated. If you recall the photos of the Gray
mayoral announcement, Smith’s face was almost as prominent as the
candidate’s. Now Smith says he’s on the fence about which candidate
to support. Actually, having him move to the Fenty camp would be the
best thing for the Gray campaign. There is no room for ego bloat in the
Gray camp — that belongs to the guys in the green hats.
Two recent straw polls have Gray as the winner. Too bad it’s not
the September primary, but that leaves time for residents to focus on
the mayor’s management style, his preoccupation with physical
training, and his inability to connect with anyone but a fraternity
brother. If there is any doubt how bad things have been, take a look
back at last year’s failed summer jobs program, the snow fiasco, the
parks and rec contracts, and the former agency heads who didn’t jump
fast or high enough.
While Smith is writing to Tom Sherwood about getting measured for his
green hat, his membership is casting about for the dynamic brand of
leadership that existed under the former Ward 3 Dems chair. Keep calm
until January when there will be new leadership in the Wilson Building
and less agitation in Ward 3.
###############
Washington Teachers’ Union Election
Tampering: Time to Impeach George Parker?
Candi Peterson, saveourcounselors@gmail.com
The June 16 E-mail below was sent to WTU President George Parker and
copied to me by an elected member of our elections committee. It
condemns Parker and his failure to hold union membership meetings as
promised and required under the WTU Constitution and by-laws. Thomas O’Rourke,
who is a teacher and building representative, notes that the elections
committees’ efforts to conduct our union elections have been impeded
by President George Parker’s failure to turn over the necessary
documents (i.e., membership lists and nominating petitions). This
correspondence reiterates what Claudette Carson, WTU Elections
chairperson, has been saying all along — that Parker’s refusal to
cooperate with the elections committee has effectively canceled this
years scheduled union election (due to be held in May, rescheduled by
AFT to June) and will prolong his term in office beyond June 30, which O’Rourke
notes is a “theft of our union resources.” O’Rourke states that
Parker deserves impeachment, which I believe is a constitutional remedy
for dictators like Parker. He (O’Rourke) demands an immediate
convocation of a trial committee to be formed to address the crimes
Parker has committed and believes that his E-mail to Parker will fall on
deaf ears, as he often ignores the requests of union members.
I can only imagine that our American Federation of Teachers’
national union President Randi Weingarten and Al Squire, AFT
representative, will continue to duck their heads in the sand, all the
while taking close to a million dollars in WTU dues monies, claiming
they don’t want to get involved in local matters.
O’Rourke’s E-mail to Parker reads: “You have either forgotten
to call a General Membership Meeting this month or never intended to do
so, in which case you were lying to us (again) at the last delegate
meeting. Your cynical manipulation and trampling of union democracy and
worker tradition is both sad and disgusting and is directly responsible
for the continuing decline of this union. In addition, your blockage of
the election committee’s duty to stage an election for officers, thus
prolonging your term in office is theft of union resources — unless
you take no salary between the official end of your term and
installation of either yourself or a new slate — for which you will be
held accountable. You deserve impeachment for these crimes against our
union, conviction of said crimes, removal from office, ouster from this
union and any and all working class organizations, and to be forever
seen as an agent of management and traitor to the cause of the unionism.
I am thoroughly disgusted with your crimes and demand a convocation of a
trial committee to specifically address these charges against you. I
know that, given the great amount of power under this Constitution you
have, you will likely ignore this E-mail and go on about your way, but
know this: I, and others will make it our business to let the entire
membership know of your nefarious conduct, your lack of accountability
or even shame, and your cynical lies. I demand your immediate action on
this demand of a trial committee or your resignation in which case, your
final, official action shall be to turn over the necessary information
to the election committee so that a democratic election be held
immediately.”
###############
Good public policy doesn’t emerge out of backhand mocking of an
agency management action, particularly if it fails to enhance public
knowledge. Lumping the rebranding of WASA with service charges,
treatment capacity, and water main breaks does a disservice to the
public’s need to understand the underlying basis for policy debate.
When I became a member of WASA’s initial board of directors and the
second chairman, other board members and I quickly realized we had been
handed a dysfunctional agency on the verge of collapse well beyond what
had been publicly revealed. The city council had seen fit not to raise
rates for fifteen years while costs escalated and the city was under a
plethora of EPA sanctions and Federal Court orders. Many water mains had
long passed their useful life, while even newer ones were subject to
fractures from sudden freeze and thaws and drop forges pounding away in
nearby construction sites. Blame could be thrown around with abandon,
but the challenge was policy change to set a course for correction. The
tragedy of the lead incident was the failure to provide an immediate
public alert and a corrective plan. When there is error, it is best to
admit it and deal with it. If the leadership can’t, then it should get
out of the way so others can.
The debate on rising rates is whether they reflect appropriate costs.
The matter of water main breaks is not whether they occur, because they
will, but how quickly you can mitigate them. Sewage treatment capacity
is a complicated matter of population, usage, and technology and the
agency’s responsibility is to explain the issues to the public so the
public can make appropriate priority decisions through the political
process. Name change is a “feel good” action, but won’t relieve
the agency of the need for honest public information. Let’s help them
by not trivializing the matter anymore than WASA is.
###############
Street Cars and the Future of the City
William Haskett, williamhaskett@hotmail.com
I find our own discussion perverse and without context: I recommend
that we start from a different base, suggested by the article by
Christopher B. Leinberger in the current Atlantic Magazine, “Here
Comes the Neighborhood,” http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/06/here-comes-the-neighborhood/8093.
Leinberger’s article is built around certain simple and factual
propositions. As the magazine summarizes the article, “Conventional
Suburbs are overbuilt, and out of favor. In cities and suburbs alike,
walkable neighborhoods, linked by train, are the future. Here’s how a
new network of privately funded rail lines can make that future come to
pass more quickly and cheaply — and help reinvigorate housing the
economy.” The argument is built upon certain explicit historical
facts: “In the early 20th century, every town of more than 5,000
people was served by streetcars. . . . Real-estate developers, sometimes
aided by electric utilities, not only built the systems but paid rent to
the cities for the rights-of-way.”
This last was not, of course, altruistic in the least. They were
paying for increases to their own property values, as access drove
increase in land values. Discussion would be welcome.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Department of Parks and Recreation Events,
June 21
John Stokes, john.astokes@dc.gov
June 21-August 20, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Hearst Recreation Center,
3600 Tilden Street, NW. Summer Soccer Camp for ages six through
thirteen. Opportunity for youth to learn the fundamentals of soccer;
Campers will learn the rules and regulations of the soccer and engage in
physical game play. For more information, call Malcolm Tito at 282-2207.
June 22, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Riggs LaSalle Recreation Center, 501
Riggs Road, NE. Chicken feast for seniors. Come enjoy a variety of
prepared chicken dishes. For more information, call Shirleta Settles at
576-5224.
June 23, 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Riggs LaSalle Recreation Center, 501
Riggs Road, NE. Ice Cream Social for ages six through twelve. Enjoy the
cool multiple flavors of ice cream and toppings. For more information,
call Shirleta Settles at 576-5224.
June 25-27, 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Wise High School, 12650 Brooke Lane,
Upper Marlboro, Maryland. AAU National Qualifier Meet. Athletes compete
in track and field events that qualify an athlete for the 2010 AAU
Olympic Games. In order to qualify for the AAU National Olympic Games
which are held in Norfolk, VA, each athlete must compete and place in
the top four in their respective events. For more information, call
Edgar Sams at 671-0314.
###############
Judge Mary Terrell at the NWDC, June 22
Patricia Bitondo, pbitondo@aol.com
On Tuesday, June 22, at the National Woman’s Democratic Club, 1526
New Hampshire Avenue, NW, the luncheon will feature the Hon. Mary A.
Gooden Terrell, Associate Judge, The Superior Court of the District of
Columbia, who retired in June 2008. She will discuss International
Judicial Training in the area of Alternative Dispute Resolution and
Judicial Assessment. Judge Terrell has traveled to Zambia, Malawi,
Uganda, Ghana, Tanzania, South Africa, and Mali to work with judges in
these countries. She has worked extensively through the African Judicial
Network she created with assistance from the US government’s Education
for Development and Democracy Initiative.
Judge Terrell is an active member of the community and has received
numerous awards and recognitions for her efforts. She is Past President
of the Washington Bar Association Judicial Council and a former member
of the DC Advisory Commission on Sentencing. She founded the High Tea
Society for elementary and junior high school at risk girls in DC. These
proteges learn etiquette, attend writing workshops, visit college
campuses, and go to Broadway plays and regular tea socials. Judge
Terrell has a distinguished career, including appointment by President
Clinton to the DC Superior Court in 1997, and served earlier as
Assistant United States Attorney. Judge Terrell received her Bachelor of
Arts degree from Howard University, Masters of Arts in Teaching from
Antioch College, and her law degree from Georgetown University School of
Law.
The bar will open at 11:30 a.m.; lunch will be at 12:15 p.m. Members
$25, nonmembers $30.
###############
DC Community Heritage Project Summer
Symposium, June 22
Elizabeth Hill, ehill@wdchumanities.org
Don’t miss the Humanities Council of Washington, DC’s, sixth
annual summer symposium, Tuesday, June 22, from 5:30-8:00 p.m., at the
Martin Luther King, Jr., Library, 901 G Street, NW, Washingtoniana Room.
The Nuts and Bolts of Creating a House History: Research, Documentation,
and Resources; History Goes Mobile: create a dynamic cell phone tour for
your home, neighborhood, or museum; and A Place of Faith: record and
share the story of a historic church, synagogue, or temple. Free;
reception from 5:30-6:00 p.m. RSVP 387-8391 or ehill@wdchumanities.org
###############
Multiple Sclerosis Involvement Group for Young
Adults, June 22
Megan Vanderbur, megan.vanderbur@gmail.com
My name is Megan Vanderbur, and I, along with Alyssa Lee, will be
starting a free involvement group here in DC for young adults, aged
eighteen to thirty, who have a parent or guardian with Multiple
Sclerosis. Our first meeting will be Tuesday, on June 22 at 6:00 p.m.,
at the National Chapter of the MS Society, 1800 M Street, NW, Suit 750
South, near the Farragut West Metro station on the blue and orange lines
and the Farragut North station on the red line.
Through our group, we hope to share our common experience, knowledge,
and strength with other young adults who have a parent with Multiple
Sclerosis, in order that we might feel greater support and more
empowered when dealing with the effects of the disease in our lives. Our
broader goals include: 1) providing information and discussions
regarding having a parent with MS, 2) providing support for our peers
who share the experience of having a parent with MS, and 3) providing
opportunities for involvement in the MS community.
We will be serving light refreshments. Future meetings will include
happy hours, volunteer work, and guest speakers. For information about
the first meeting and our group in general, individuals can call the
National MS Society at 296-5363 and select option 2 or visit the web
site at http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/DCW/index.aspx.
###############
National Building Museum Events, June 22-27
Johanna Weber, jweber@nbm.org
June 22, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Building in the 21st Century: Building
Materials and Sustainable Design. Peter Doo, AIA, LEED AP, examines the
potential for building materials to contribute to sustainable design
strategies, including passive solar heating and cooling. Learn more
about how the materials used in rain screens, solar shades, and more can
deliver sustainable solutions through design. Free; registration
required. Walk-in registration based on availability.
June 23, 6:30-8:00 p.m., House of Cars: The Future of Parking. James
O’Connor, AIA, principal, Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners;
Gabe Klein, director, District of Columbia Department of Transportation;
and Lisa Delplace, ASLA, principal, Oehme van Sweden Landscape
Architects discuss plans for green parking lots and structures, new
parking technology, and innovative designs for parking cars and bikes.
$12 members, free students, $20 nonmembers. Prepaid registration
required. Walk-in registration based on availability.
June 25-26, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., June 27, 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Museum Shop Warehouse Cash and Carry Sale. Get great deals on designer
items, accessories, books, and much more during a special sale in the
award-winning National Building Museum Shop. Cash only. Member discounts
do not apply to this sale. Prices apply to select items only. All sales
are final and all items are sold as is. All events at the National
Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW, Judiciary Square Metro station.
Register for events at http://www.nbm.org.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED
I am looking for a litigation-type person to analyze research and
write briefs for a pro se plaintiff.
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