Politics
Council At-Large: this Democrat's voting for Mara
I've never voted for a Republican in my life. Of course, growing up in Massachusetts, then living in Northern California, New York City, and Washington DC, there aren't so many Republicans to choose from. I've been a lifelong Democrat and see no way, for any federal office, that I could in good conscience support any Republican, no matter how good, since they will inevitably support the most extreme right-wing leaders.
Patrick Mara. Photo from the candidate's campaign site.
But on Tuesday, I'm going to vote for a Republican for the first time: Patrick Mara, for City Council At-Large.
Mara could have (and perhaps should have) run as an independent. After all, he's not much like today's national Republican leaders at all. Mara supports gay marriage and abortion rights, for example. He's a moderate Republican in the old sense, a disciple of Rhode Island Senator John Chafee. Mara grew up in the Ocean State and came to DC to work for Chafee on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Mara pursued his interest in the environment at DOE and later as a consultant on renewable and clean energy.
Mara doesn't own a car, and hasn't since high school, in fact. He commuted by bicycle from his Columbia Heights home to his energy consulting gig before he started running full-time. Mara believes DC's future rests on raising the population back to the 800,000 we had around 1950 (today, DC has only about 588,000 residents). Quite simply, there's no way we can fit 212,000 more cars (or even half that) in the city. There's not enough room to park them and no more road capacity to move them about. Instead, most of the new residents will have to get around by Metro, bus, walk, or bike.
Mara would like to see more bus service, streetcars, and an expanded Metro within the District. He believes in building more trails, and keeping Klingle Road shut. He supports measures to improve bicycle safety, like the three foot rule in Graham's recent bill. Like all the Council candidates, Mara is not yet sold on performance parking, saying, "We don't want to scare people from coming into the District if they do have cars." Most performance parking advocates don't want to scare people either; performance parking could make it less scary by removing the need to circle for hours. I believe he's more open to this and similar ideas than many of the candidates. In keeping with his fiscal conservatism, Mara does lean toward letting the market decide how much parking to build; his first-hand experience with many of the overbuilt, underused garages in Columbia Heights drive that home.
Education is Mara's top priority. He says he decided to run for Council after mentoring three young children, one east of the Anacostia River where dropout rates reach 50%, and seeing the way our education system is "letting kids down in a big way." Families who don't "win the lottery to go to a charter school" have to either pay huge sums for private school, move to Virginia or Maryland, or suffer under a bad system. He's a strong supporter of Fenty's education reform efforts (as are all the candidates I spoke to).
If we'd heard of a candidate running as an independent or even a Democrat with Mara's "socially liberal, fiscally prudent" values, nobody would have bat an eyelash. As it turns out, that might have given Mara a higher chance of success in the general election. Mara's original game plan was to win the Republican primary (check), then get most of the city's Republicans and enough others to win. Carol Schwartz' quixotic write-in campaign complicates the equation, but it's still anybody's race, though Michael A. Brown is probably the favorite for the second seat (incumbent Democrat Kwame Brown is sure to win reelection).
But Mara really does believe that one day the Republican Party will stop being so ruled by intolerance and hate, and I respect his loyalty. His Republican beliefs center on fiscal issues, like cutting waste in the DC government. Mara opposed last year's paid sick leave bill, which he made the centerpiece of his primary victory. His stance won him many Republican votes, key endorsements, and a lot of money (though he says he's not necessarily against any paid sick leave, just against that bill which passed before enough analysis was done on the effects).
To me, having one candidate with whom I disagree on some bread-and-butter Democratic issues matters little. The Council has eleven Democrats, the maximum number permitted by law. Even if Mara is on the opposite side from me on, say, health care or workplace safety (not that I know how Mara would vote on any particular such measure), if seven of those eleven can't agree on a bill, I'm not sure how good it really is. Besides, we've had a Republican in the past, and a much worse one for transportation, gay rights, and many other issues.
Coming up: My interviews with some of Mara's opponents, Michael A. Brown and Mark Long.
 | David Alpert is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Greater Greater Washington and Greater Greater Education. He worked as a Product Manager for Google for six years and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He loves the area which is, in many ways, greater than those others, and wants to see it become even greater.   |
Comments
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by Ben on Oct 30, 2008 11:35 am • link • report
Oh, and Michael Brown is a scumbag.
by Nolan on Oct 30, 2008 11:48 am • link • report
by Steve on Oct 30, 2008 11:52 am • link • report
by David Alpert on Oct 30, 2008 12:04 pm • link • report
by David Alpert on Oct 30, 2008 12:10 pm • link • report
by tom veil on Oct 30, 2008 12:13 pm • link • report
So my question is, does Mara get good urbanism? He seems hip to the tip on transportation, but does he also understand land use and design matters? For instance, for DC to add residents, the city is going to need to add density to those areas that can support it. Will he support those projects? And does he recognize the need for affordable housing to be more scattered throughout the city than confined to certain geographic neighborhoods?
I have never gotten the sense that most of the DC Council understands good urbanism and the city's key advantages. And thus, I really want to support someone who finally does. Is Mara the best of the At-Large pack on these issues?
by Mark on Oct 30, 2008 12:27 pm • link • report
by KCinDC on Oct 30, 2008 12:44 pm • link • report
Mara is a good guy, by the way. Republican or not.
by sg on Oct 30, 2008 1:03 pm • link • report
by Bianchi on Oct 30, 2008 1:20 pm • link • report
The issues that don't break along party lines include transportation and smart growth, while the party line issues aren't in any danger of going all Republican with just one Republican and one ex-Republican.
by David Alpert on Oct 30, 2008 1:33 pm • link • report
by sara on Oct 30, 2008 1:38 pm • link • report
SG, it would be easier to believe that Mara really is a good guy if he hadn't run as a Republican scumbag in the primary.
by KCinDC on Oct 30, 2008 1:45 pm • link • report
by Jazzy on Oct 30, 2008 2:34 pm • link • report
I'd think it take a certain activist streak to register as a statehood/green in the first place, because you voluntarily give up your vote in the most significant of the elections, the democratic primary. So, when it became clear that Schwartz faced a significant challenge in the primary, why weren't the statehood/greens out in force? Nobody's knocked on my door, nobody's handed out literature at Metro stations, nobody's given me a call.
It doesn't seem like they're even trying to win. Life on the council isn't particularly easy: to get things done takes compromise and leadership, there are endless civic groups asking for your time, there are hundreds of issues to learn about and there are budget realities and unintended consequences to deal with. Rather than face up to all that, the statehood/greens seem to prefer to sit on the sidelines and complain.
by thm on Oct 30, 2008 4:38 pm • link • report
by Lance on Oct 30, 2008 4:39 pm • link • report
So, officially, the choices are (in this ballot order):
Michael A. Brown (I)
Mark H. Long (I)
Dee Hunter (I)
Patrick Mara (R)
Kwame R. Brown (D)
David Schwartzman (Statehood Green)
You can vote for (up to) any two, and/or up to two write-ins. The top two vote getters become elected. If more people write in Carol Schwartz than the second place finisher, then Carol is elected. If more people write in your name than the second place finisher, then you are elected.
Michael Brown, Long and Hunter are all in a sense Democrats, but not officially. They are not registered as Democrats and won't appear on the ballot as Democrats. You don't need to ensure that one of your votes is for a non-Dem — everyone except Kwame Brown is technically a non-Dem.
by David Alpert on Oct 30, 2008 4:53 pm • link • report
The relevant provisions are that a party can't nominate more than one candidate for the general election and that "Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, at no time shall there be more than three members (including the Chairman) serving at large on the Council who are affiliated with the same political party."
by KCinDC on Oct 30, 2008 5:14 pm • link • report
by David Alpert on Oct 30, 2008 5:20 pm • link • report
by KCinDC on Oct 30, 2008 5:30 pm • link • report
by David Alpert on Oct 30, 2008 5:34 pm • link • report
by KCinDC on Oct 30, 2008 5:43 pm • link • report
I haven't heard from any of the at-large candidates.
However, I have received at least one blast email endorsing Schwartzman.
I sometimes feel frustrated too about the statehood greens, but you gotta hand it to them, they have made lots of progress.
Will they be a SERIOUS party, remains to be seen, but I like a lot of their stances, and I hope they continue to do well.
A real third party is needed. (Or rather, an alternative to the Democrats.)
Did not know that about Norquist and Mara.
Did anyone ever verify if that is true?
by Jazzy on Oct 30, 2008 7:09 pm • link • report
You think we could get one in place by next Tuesday? I feel like special interests have bought my party out from under me!
by Lance on Oct 30, 2008 11:22 pm • link • report
Again, I still like Schwartz who is alone oftentimes in looking out for the least among us (Mendelson occasionally does). And it is a good time to really consider the greens.
Vote Schwartzman! (But you don't sound like you would even consider it..)
by Jazzy on Oct 31, 2008 7:51 am • link • report
To: DC Voters
From: Edward Cowan
October 24, 2008
What The Candidates Said
The Scene: Forum for Candidates for At-Large Council Seats
Time: Thursday, October 23, 2008
Place: St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, 42nd and Albermarle Streets NW
It wasn’t the first such forum (readers of these Reports will recall one took place in Cleveland Park on October 11) and it won’t be the last before election day, November 4.
Former council member Kathy Patterson (Ward 3) moderated with flair, moving the questioning along briskly. Questions came first from a panel of three citizens—Jerome Paige, George Clark, Dorothy Brizill—and then from the audience (submitted in writing on cards and read by Patterson).
Much of what the candidates said was their standard stump stuff, and won’t be repeated here. Instead, a selection of highs—and lows--follows:
*The acting Attorney General, Peter Nickles, whose nomination is pending before the DC council, “won” a confirmation vote among the seven candidates (two incumbents seeking re-election, five challengers), 4-1. Voting to confirm Nickles were Patrick Mara (Republican), Carol Schwartz (Independent—write-in), who seeks a fifth four-year term, Dee Hunter (Independent), Mark Long (Independent). Voting no: David Schwartzman (Statehood-Green). Undecided: Kwame Brown (Democrat), who seeks a second term, and Michael Brown (Independent).
Several candidates opined that the Attorney General should be elected, not appointed by the mayor.
*Equivocation: the prize goes to Michael Brown. The question was, if elected, will you give up outside income and devote fulltime to your council duties. Brown, a lawyer in private practice, said he would consult with council members Mary Cheh (Ward 3) and Jack Evans (Ward 2) to see how they “balance” official duties and outside work. Cheh has continued to teach constitutional law at George Washington University since her election two years ago. Jack Evans has reported significant income from his affiliation with the Patton Boggs law firm. Leaving the door open to continuing to practice law, Michael Brown said that, if elected, the council would be “my number one priority.”
*Spurious apology: again, the prize goes to Michael Brown. He said “I apologize for the robo calls.” They will stop, he said twice, on November 4, election day.
*Patrick Mara scored tops in three categories:
--Best slogan: “fiscally responsible, socially progressive.”
--Facile remedy: to trim the budget, he would take away cars and drivers from department heads.
--Misguided remedy: to prevent further embezzlement like the fraudulent issuance of property-tax refunds (which candidates fell over themselves deploring), Mara would “require all financial transactions to be online,” so that they could be “monitored by the public and the media.” Like my income tax refund? Or yours? How about creating strong internal financial controls within the Office of Tax and Revenue? Or replacing a culture of corruption with a commitment to honesty?
*Most naïve solution: David Schwartzman, proposing higher taxes on high-income residents, declared that District government should “eliminate child poverty.” As if government alone can do that.
*Repudiation of one’s party: Carol Schwartz, who has been elected to council four times as a Republican (and ran for mayor four times as a Republican), appealed for write-in votes from the audience of Democrats by declaring, “I’ve never been a partisan person.” She said that “nine-tenths of my staff are Democrats” and that she “married a Democrat and raised three Democratic children.” Schwartz, 64 years old, was herselfl repudiated by Republican voters when she lost the September 9 primary—and the nomination—to Mara, 33.
*Easiest question: Brizill asked Mark Long, an avowed Fenty supporter, if he would look at the mayor’s proposals “with a critical eye.” Blasting that pitch into the bleachers, Long declared, “I’m not a Fenty loyalist. I will be very critical.”
*Least audible candidate: Kwame Brown, who repeatedly dropped his voice and his handheld microphone.
*Least modest answer: Carol Schwartz, citing her long service and her accomplishments, cited stronger parking enforcement, improved service at DMV and better trash pick-up. “I take a lot of credit—and deserve a lot of credit.”
*Least equivocal answer: “No,” said David Schwartzman when asked if he would accept corporate contributions. Nor would the Statehood-Green party, he added.
*Bleat of the night: “I didn’t get any baseball tickets.” Kwame Brown, trying to show that he has been independent of Mayor Fenty, who controlled distribution to council members of free tickets to Nats games. (Brown’s allotment was eventually reinstated after Chairman Gray went to the mat with the mayor.)
*Spotlight on an issue barely within the consciousness of residents west of the park: Dee Hunter’s observation that, as residents of Wards 7 and 8 have told him, the District does “a terrible job” helping ex-convicts rejoin the community.
*Best advertisement for self: Patrick Mara, noting—twice—that he had been endorsed that very morning by the Washington Post.
Note: Voters may vote for two candidates. One of the two At-Large seats to be filled is reserved for a nonmajority candidate, which will mean one of the six candidates other than Kwame Brown, one of 11 Democrats on the council now. []
by Lance on Oct 31, 2008 5:35 pm • link • report
This kind of race (select two from the field) requires not only double endorsements but double um, what's the opposite of endorsement? If I could vote against two candidates they would be Schwartzman and Hunter. Schwartzman because his idiotic anti-growth policies -- if god forbid they were enacted by the full council -- would drive me and countless other middle class families to the suburbs in a heartbeat. Take taxes, for instance. I pay my 9.5% income tax with a great deal of civic pride in what we can do with the money to reform education and provide basic services. But start trying to squeeze more and I'll move a few miles up the red line to Silver Spring or Takoma Park, MD and kiss high state income taxes goodbye. I won't be the only one. Then the city will have even less money to combat poverty. Nice.
Hunter because he's a creep who couldn't even do a decent job representing the single member ANC district in 1B04. He's simultaneously running for ANC SMD as well as city council at-large. I'm surprised he didn't get on the Presidential ballot too while he was at it. His campaign office misleadingly shows a picture of himself with a cardboard Obama cutout as if they were running mates. His understanding of policy issues from every discussion I've had with him on the street and around the neighborhood can only be described as shallow and opportunistic. I hope he comes in last place and limps back to his ambulance chasing legal practice full time.
by U Street Denizen on Nov 1, 2008 1:58 am • link • report
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