Pity the Politicians

Dear Citizens:

Your life would be happier if you paid less attention to DC politics and politicians. At least my life would be. The consolation is that it’s worse for our city’s politicians themselves. This year has been the worst for councilmembers since Council Chairman John Wilson committed suicide or since Council Chairman Dave Clarke died of a brain tumor. The criminal convictions of Council Chairman Kwame Brown and Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr., and the investigations of other councilmembers have led to a fractured city council, with no friends and no allies; only with rivalries and conflicting ambitions, dislikes, and distrust among its members and between its members and the mayor.

Is your workplace that bad? No? That’s something to be grateful for, isn’t it?

It’s near the end of the year and time for end-of-the-year roundups and summaries. What do you have to say?

Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com

###############

Loyal Republicans
Mary Brooks Beatty, mbbeatty@aol.com

In response to Gary’s comments regarding Tim Day’s departure from the Republican party [themail, December 16], there is a larger story that both he and Alan Blinder have missed. This isn’t about a single member of the party being disaffected, but an entire local party in disarray. Tim’s resignation from the DC GOP was requested by the incoming Chair, Ron Phillips, after he made several disparaging remarks about Pat Mara’s motives in the upcoming special election on Twitter. Tim, a good friend and loyal Republican, is actually hoping to shed light on how Pat Mara has worked against fellow Republicans, myself included, for his own ambition. Does anyone remember that Pat endorsed a Democrat in the April 3 primary for the at-large council seat while I was running for the Republican nomination?

So this is not about loyalty to Republican party principles. It’s more about a battle of egos for control of the party. As I said many times during the campaign, I don’t have a lot of ego. I approached my recent DC council at-large campaign as an attempt to serve citizens. (This was of course after I served my area as an ANC Commissioner for six years.) So having the national Republican party recruit someone who just wants to "present opposition," as Gary suggests, is just the kind of politics that I think most residents of DC and the country are sick of.

I suggest that if Gary really wants to encourage a two-party system in DC that he help close the loophole in DC election law that allows Democrats to change party on a whim to run for the two at-large council seats set aside by Home Rule law. As long as this law is circumvented by Democrats who declare themselves "independent," it is almost futile to run Republican candidates. With less than 10 percent of DC voters registering as Republicans, this is not a matter of Republicans being loyal to their beliefs, but of DC voters choosing candidates who reflect a different set of beliefs than those held by the Republican party. Blaming the candidates who are brave enough to step out under those odds is just the sort of thing that discourages good people from running. You’re left with Republicans who run for ego or personal self-interest . . . as in our upcoming special election.

###############

DC Republicans
Amanda Broadnax, abroadnax923@hotmail.com

I would like to suggest that rather than vote based on political party affiliation, look at a person’s record. In DC, too many incompetent people get elected based on what they say they will do rather than on showcasing what they already done. This is partly due to what I observe as very low expectations of the voters. Now combine that with the politicians’ willingness to shove jive turkeys and school back packs their way and alas inept councilmembers. Oh, people will rant and rave but, come election time, many do not vote. I am a Democrat because I feel their priorities and agendas are more closely aligned with who I am as a person. I have spent some time working on Capitol Hill and was blessed to work with Representatives and Senators who understood how to work across the aisle. Unless your party in the majority, you cannot expect a bill to pass, thus teamwork is a must.

Two DC Republicans that I believe embody this sentiment are Tim Day and Patrick Mara. They are active and engaged in the community, which is more than I can say for the other DCGOP members. I would invite anyone to recall what exactly has the DC GOP done for the citizens of DC, except to remind them during election that the Democrats don’t do much. Now I would not say the Democrats don’t do much, but I will assert they are not doing enough and I pray for improvement.

Anita Bonds is good at politics but show me her record on budgeting and creating policy, which I find lackluster at best. I have a huge issue with someone in connection with a company who gets millions of dollars in city contracts being my councilmember. Everyone knows the DCDSC is a joke and a byword, but they do twist arms to get their puppets on the dais. Just ask Sekou Biddle.

I think some politicians chose to align themselves with whatever party is going to shovel cash and endorsements their way. Two words why I have no respect for the DC GOP — Ronald Moten. The guy is not fit to fry chicken and could benefit from a few rudimentary English classes. Yet behold, under the two previous mayors, he received millions of dollars to help youth and create housing for them. Yet a lot of the youth he was supposed to help, have been cast aside and a few placed in danger. Once he saw a way to edge into politics, he left the Peaceaholics sham alone. He was a "political strategist" on Democrat Adrian Fenty’s campaign and got paid lots of money to produce go-go tracks, stage cookouts, publish The Otherside Media Magazine, and make some tacky T-shirts. Beside Adrian’s obvious gaffes of lack of listening and respecting all citizens, no wonder he lost by listening to motor-mouth Moten. So Moten is magically reinvented as a "civil rights republican," and the DCGOP touted him as the toast of the town. Yet Ronald could not spell legislation if you gave him a flash card.

So here is my advice to the DCGOP, why not become more involved with community at large, and you might find some Republicans who are surprise, engaged, well known in the community, and possess strong potential to be elected.

###############

InTowner December Issue Content Uploaded
P.L. Wolfe, intowner@intowner.com

The December issue content is now posted at http://www.intowner.com, including the issue PDF in which will be found the primary news stories, community news, letters to the editor, and museum exhibition reviews — plus all photos and other images. Not included in the PDF but linked directly from the home page are the new What Once Was feature (this month about Analostan, the General John Mason house on the island of the same name), which has succeeded the long-running Scenes from the Past, as well as Recent Real Estate Sales, Reservations Recommended and Food in the ’Hood.

This month’s lead stories include the following: 1) "Historical Society Resumes Library Service After Long Hiatus, Special Showing of Treasures Marks Opening"; 2) "First Baptist Church’s 17th and O Streets Lot Finally Getting Developed"; and 3) "New Entrepreneurial ‘Incubator’ Space Coming to 14th and Florida." Our editorial this month focuses on the inhumane visitation policy at DC jail (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 January 11 (the second Friday of the month as usual). For more information, either send an E-mail to newsroom@intowner.com or call 234-1717.