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July 15, 2012

Domination

Dear Friends:

Dana Milbank writes in his Washington Post column today that uninvolved and uninformed voters like him are the problem with DC government: “I refuse to register with a political party and therefore have no say until the general election, when the outcome in DC elections has already been determined. As such, I pay little attention to local government and expect even less from it. I accept that my car may be ticketed even if I have paid the meter, that my property tax payment may not be credited to my account, that the home inspector may never arrive to examine my renovations or that the dead tree across the street may not be removed before it falls. Evidently I’m not alone in my alienation. Turnout in April’s primary was 17 percent of eligible voters — and that doesn’t take into account all the people who aren’t allowed to vote because they refuse to register with a party,” http://tinyurl.com/7dgut7r.

Milbank identifies the problem with DC politics to be its domination by Democrats, the sole political party in power for decades. The solution he proposes is open primaries, in which political party primaries will be open to voters who are registered in other political parties, or who are registered in no party. That, of course, is no solution at all in a city like Washington, where 80 percent of all registered voters are Democrats. Republicans and independents wouldn’t budge Democratic primaries. The sheer weight of numbers would lead inevitably to the opposite result. Instead, any time that Democrats saw any potentially strong candidates emerging in Republican or Statehood-Green primaries, they could vote in those primaries to defeat the strong candidates, and Democratic one-party domination would be strengthened.

The solution to one-party rule is for there to be two (or more) political parties that have opposing political philosophies or strategies that appeal to broad groups of the public, not to allow voters who have no allegiance to or belief in the principles of a political party to determine that party’s candidates.

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One reader, who wanted to remain anonymous, commented on the list of possible mayoral candidates that Dorothy mentioned in the last issue of themail that, while she respects Robert Bobb and Stanley Jackson, she thinks that Deborah Royster “should run for city council and would make a great chairperson” and that “US Attorney Ronald Machen needs to keep his current position so he can continue to weed out the misfits.” Read the other comments below, and keep sending in your suggestions.

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

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Special Elections in DC
Dorothy Brizill, dorothy@dcwatch.com

Last week, the US Senate passed the District of Columbia Election Reform Act, HR-3902 (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr3902/text/eh), and forwarded the bill to the White House for the President’s signature. HR 3902 amends the District’s Home Rule Act, and gives greater flexibility to the DC Board of Elections to schedule special elections. Under the current law (until the president signs HR-3902), with regard to vacancies in the office of mayor, council chairman, or councilmember, the Board is required to “hold a special election in the District on the 1st Tuesday occurring more than 114 days after the date on which such vacancy occurs, unless the Board of Elections and Ethics determines that such vacancy could be more practicably flled in a special election held on the same day as the next general election to be held in the District occurring within 60 days of the date on which a special election would otherwise have been held. . . .”

Under HR 3902, the Board of Elections will be able to hold a special election to fill such vacancies “on the Tuesday occurring at least 70 days and not more than 174 days after the date on which such vacancy occurs which the Board of Elections determines, based on the totality of the circumstances, taken into account, inter alia, cultural and religious holidays and the administrability of the election, will provide the opportunity for the greatest level of voter participation.”

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Special Elections and Candidates, Part 2
Dorothy Brizill,dorothy@dcwatch.com

In the July 11 edition of themail, I suggested that District residents need to begin a public discussion about the current state of the District’s political leadership and begin to recruit and nurture viable alternative candidates. In that post, I offered a brief list of candidates that could possibly be drafted to run for office. Here are some other names to add to the list: Betty Noel, the former Peoples Counsel; Vivek Kundra, the former DC Chief Technology Officer and former US Chief Technology Officer; Marie Drissel, community activist; Marie Johns, a former mayoral candidate and currently deputy administrator of the US Small Business Administration; Robert Malson, president of the DC Hospital Association; Pierpont Mobley, Ward 5 civic leader; Mary Levy, expert on schools and education in DC; Michael Rodgers, former City Administrator under Marion Barry; Rick Powell, political-legislative coordinator at the Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO; and Nancy MacWood, ANC3C09.

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DC’s Mayoral Tsurris
Joan Eisenstodt, jeisen@aol.com

I voted for Mayor Gray thinking he would be the mensch some said he was. I wanted to believe that someone could lead the District in a way that would make us proud and ensure the District would be well-run and would enable us to function as a world-class city. I still wasn't convinced Gray was it, but against Fenty he seemed so.

With all that Congress holds against us already, Gray's administration being surrounded by scandal can do us no good. Most of all, it means we are not being led by someone of integrity like with the "leadership" of the (late) Ken Lay and Joe Paterno, led by someone who says he knows nothing while plugging his ears and saying "nah-nah-nah" so only some of the sound got through. It's time for Gray to go voluntarily, or for everyone to sign the petition to remove him from office.

Dorothy, thanks for the list of possible candidates. I keep, via Twitter, trying to persuade Newark's Mayor Booker to move and join us. So far he's not budging!

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All Generalizations Are False
Gabe Goldberg, gabe at gabegold dot com

Gary wrote [themail, July 11], ". . . Democrats charge that all opposition to President Obama is based on racial hostility" That's silly. Some Democrats charge that about some opposition statements, even then only with mixed accuracy. Some surely is racism-based, much surely isn't. Some (too little!) opposition is principled disagreement and much is blind/irrational opposition to what's disparaged (bizarrely, I think) as progressive thinking. Saying all opposition is based on racial hostility avoids the obligation to counter it.

[When will I ever learn not to make side comments that open the door to discussing national issues? Especially at a time when there’s so much to discuss at the local level, let’s not get distracted. — Gary Imhoff]

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Mayoral Candidates
Sharon Robinson, Huesrose@aol.com

How about Eric Price, former Deputy Mayor; Adrianne Todman, executive director of DCHA; Jeff Davis, Ward 3 organizer of AWARE; Tom Heir, Ward 3 Visions; Muriel Bowser; Natalie Ludaway, esq., former president of the DC Chamber of Commerce; and Eric Gray, vice president of Washington Gas.

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A Republican Candidate
Lars H. Hydle, larshhydle@aol.com

Dorothy, would it have killed you to name just one non-Democrat as a candidate for Mayor?

[Lars, the floor is open. Dorothy asked whom you would name. Well, who? — Gary Imhoff]

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InTowner July Issue Content
P.L. Wolfe, intowner@intowner.com

The July issue content is now posted at http://www.intowner.com, including the issue PDF. There will be found the primary news stories and certain features, including the popular Scenes from the Past (this month titled “Terrified Householders Were Bolting Their Doors in the Winter of 1893-‘94”) — plus all photos and other images; other features not included in the PDF, such as Recent Real Estate Sales, Reservations Recommended, and Food in the ‘Hood, can be linked directly from the web site’s home page.

This month's lead stories include the following: 1) “Bill to Amend ABC Laws Seen As Guaranteeing Due Process For Liquor License Holders”; 2) “Long-Simmering Hank’s Oyster Bar Dispute Awaits ABC Board Ruling Following Recent Rehearing Mandated by DC Appeals Court.” Our editorial this month focuses on the matter of the fallout due to our city council’s imploding thanks to the crookedness of the now former chairman and another member just a few months ago (From the Publisher’s Desk). Your thoughts are welcome and can be sent by clicking the comment link at the bottom of the web page or by E-mail to letters@intowner.com.

The next issue PDF will publish early in the morning of August 10 (the second Friday of the month, as usual). For more information, either send an E-mail to newsroom@intowner.com or call 234-1717.

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CLASSIFIEDS — HOUSING

Apartment or Room in DC
Karen Szulgit, freedcnow@gmail.com

This mature and responsible renter seeks a reasonably priced apartment or room in August or September. Please send word, if you've got any good leads.

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CLASSIFIEDS — HELP WANTED

Full-Time Legal Assistant
Jon Katz, july2012[at]katzjustice]dot]com

Legal Assistant. Silver Spring. Highly rated criminal defense lawyer seeks first-rate, experienced full-time assistant to join our team. Highly rewarding opportunity to help change people's lives, serve civil liberties, and learn powerful persuasion skills. Full details are at http://katzjustice.com/JOBS.htm#ft

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