Comments on Kwame did some good, and voters enabled his wrongdoing - Greater Greater Washington

Comment by oboe

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 09:23:55 EDT

Only the voters that supported Kwame Brown can say they are responsible for him and his actions. Some of us saw the red flags and worked for and voted for Vincent Orange.

Don't blame me! I voted for Kodos!

Comment by John

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 07:42:54 EDT

Only the voters that supported Kwame Brown can say they are responsible for him and his actions. Some of us saw the red flags and worked for and voted for Vincent Orange. That is what an election is all about. Carefully look at the candidates, listen to them, and vote for the candidate that will work towards improving the city for everyone. Pay attention to credentials, education and what they have done in the past as they will be repeating it in the future. Then you won't be surprised by the behavior of the elected official.

Comment by Geoffrey Hatchard

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 17:15:15 EDT

Agreed with everyone who points out that we consistently need better choices to vote for. I voted for Brown for chair last election because the alternative was FAR worse.

Comment by Rich

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 01:31:34 EDT

Beyond the initial "shock and horror", the media failed miserably with Brown. Perhaps it was his charm...Regardless, Silverman's former employers were, indeed, part of the problem.

As for race, etc., the DC Council is stuck with white legacies like Jack Evans (the developer's friend) and Jim Graham (whose erratic, often ineffectual style mirrors his mismanagement of Whitman Walker) and the soft racism of only focusing on crappy Black pols needs a correction.

If public funding would eliminate developer money and foster competitive races, I'd support it. OTOH, I'm too practical and skeptical to assume that anything (including David's pet "non-partisan" elections) would serve as a panacea. The best form of reform is competitive elections and it is neither an easy or linear path.

The discussion of Gray, etc, here misses something very important about him and his political experience...Gray's major govt experience was as director of social services for Sharon Pratt Kelly. Although different in origins and approach, Kelly was, in many ways, the proto-Fenty and her failure brought Barry back from the semi-dead. Kelly not only failed to reform things, but she (like Fenty) rolled into a cocoon and became impervious, if not paranoid, in the face of criticism. Gray ran a dept whose functions were largely under court supervision because of the Barry-I administration's mismanagement. It was his failure to make headway in getting out from under the courts rather than some dystopian fantasy about the Barry era that led me to reluctantly vote for Fenty, whose "reform" was often less than met the eye (case in point, Michele Rhee). Gray has proven to be the ineffectual leader he was during the Kelly era, which is pretty much what I expected. It takes a long time for political leadership develop and change, and this is likely to lag changes in DC's population, esp. given the transient nature of a big component of the population. Real reform means not only getting rid of people like Brown and Orange, but also people like Evans and Graham. And it's easy to forget that there was a generation of Black pols chaffing under the Barry administration's domination of politics in the 90s--the potential for change was there and undermining local control may actually have undermined the process of reform to some extent. Change isn't a linear process and DC is probably at least a decade away from really strong reformist leadership.

It's also helpful to put this in the context of the shortcomings of leadership in "tiffany" jurisdictions like MoCo. MoCo got rid of developer buddy Duncan (thanks to his higher ambition), only to get the visionless Leggett. Yes, the suburbs are no panacea, either.

Comment by W Jordan

Sat, 09 Jun 2012 08:14:38 EDT

Brown's value system, politics and ethical complexities basically reflect the New Urbanist value system which support Gentrification. It was really seen in the ambivalence of the New Urbanist movement toward the Occupy Movement. Similar irony of so-called smart growth being funded by the same banking system that ripped of the economy. They same system Brown took advantage of like many did. We are not responsible for Brown, we are Brown.

Comment by Sally

Sat, 09 Jun 2012 06:52:42 EDT

While I agree with your article and have already signed I70, I don't think it is fair to say DC voters deserve some of the blame. I did not vote for him and when I don't like my options on a ballot in DC I write someone in. I refuse to vote for someone that I find not to be fit for office just because they are looked at as being the lesser of two evils. So, you can say part of the blame belongs with DC voters voted for him not all DC voters.

Comment by spookiness

Sat, 09 Jun 2012 00:27:06 EDT

"But at the same time, why is there such a paucity of strong candidates?"

Mark Plotkin on the radio today said it was due to (lack of) DC statehood. But then again, that's his answer for any problem that ever happens in/to DC. Because politicians have a glass ceiling and thus cannot aspire to higher state and congressional offices, talented individuals are not attracted to low-level local positions because there is not real career path for them. Thus sayeth Mr. Plotkin, for the millionth time.

Comment by N.E. John

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 22:46:18 EDT

No, he deserves nothing but scorn! And I did not vote for him.

Comment by WRD

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 22:24:01 EDT

Breaking news, everyone! Politicians have mixed records!

Brown's record on the DC budget may be good but it doesn't reduce his culpability for his own illegal actions.

I hope he will be held accountable by other branches of government, who are themselves duly constituted with the power and responsibility to jail lawbreakers.

Comment by The Civic Center

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 21:37:55 EDT

I'm glad to see Kwame go. He was always eager to hand taxpayer money to corporations such as Northrop Grumman while leaving small businesses to struggle with high rents and fees.

Comment by Mark

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 19:14:19 EDT

Excellent post, Ellisa.
Well done.

Comment by Elissa Silverman

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 17:20:22 EDT

Thanks everyone for your comments. I'll be looking for all your names on our Initiative 70 petition sheets, but mr. hogwash, we'll need your legal name!
Thanks again.
Elissa.

Comment by HogWash

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 17:14:33 EDT

@Paulus, But, most voters chose to ignore the "red flags" and now the entire city is tainted, once again

Don't most voters have to be aware of something in order to ignore it? Let's travel a bit outside our comfort zone and stop assuming that every voter is well-informed. They're not..nowhere in the USA.

I find it ironic that "deadwood" refers to longtime/native DC residents. Ironic because the group who uses such terms swear that there is no animus directed at DC residents but feel victimized when the spotlight is on them. And then they feign shock that there are actually DC residents who don't have warm and fuzzy feelings about them. The "deadwood" comments are exhibit A and B.

Does DC vote on race and rhetoric? Well sure you could say that. It applies to all of DC...we learned that from pro-Fenty supporters who voted on race and rhetoric.

When will the dog-whistling end. Please, when will it!

Comment by Tom Coumaris

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 16:52:04 EDT

Hasn't anyone noticed how much money there is just running for office in DC, forget getting elected.

Kwame was accused of playing loose with several hundred thousand dollars of campaign funds and suddenly all his debts got paid. I heard Jack spent $88 per vote he got in his unopposed primary. Now candidates with absolutely no chance of being chair or mayor are talking of running and they'll be able to raise and spend loosely.

If you can raise money it doesn't matter if you can win. It's all about the money in the running.

A lot of the problem in the District of Corruption is there is too damn much loose campaign money raising and spending.

Comment by Rain17

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 16:36:25 EDT

This is probably the start of DC purging its deadwood. I fully expect Vincent Gray to face serious competition and lose in 2014. Another poster said it bluntly that DC votes on "race and rhetoric". What you saw in 2010 was the last gasp of the "older generation" of DC politics fighting back against the inevitable gentrification of the city. Rightly or wrong Gray represents that old mindset that permeated DC government in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2010 that electorate showed up but the long-term demographics aren't in their favor. Every year more young and affluent people move into the city, while that older generation leaves or moves to the suburbs.

Comment by SE Jerome

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 16:34:47 EDT

Kwame used to talk about Tupac during early council hearings.

Hey, brah, you ain't no 'Pac, keep his name out your mouth. Kwame been a scrub since before day one.

His response to some tweet about how he can't even name a go-go band/lead talker other than Chuck shows what you're working with; a clown who was never fit for office.

The writer is right. Kwame's scrubness is on the hands of the voters.

Comment by Richard Layman

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:47:12 EDT

FWIW, I was at the very first public presentation that Kwame Brown ever made, probably in 2003, but maybe 2004, and he was horrid. I thought, maybe I should run for City Council... So I never ever voted for him, except once, when Vincent Orange ran against him for Council Chair. Both choices sucked, but for a variety reasons, I consider KB marginally less worse.

This was about dynasty building. But when there is little there there, it's hard to build a dynasty. Anyway, my experience in failed nonprofits has made me come to believe that you are only as strong as your weakest link. When you have a bunch of weak links, you're ultimately going to fail.

So yes, as long as the electorate makes s***** decisions we're doomed.

But at the same time, why is there such a paucity of strong candidates?

Comment by Paulus

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:46:52 EDT

Kwame Brown's debt problems--while not evidence of wrongdoing per se--were common knowledge when he ran for council chair. It's the principal reason I didn't vote for him. In fact I voted for no one, considering his chief rival for the Democratic nomination was Vincent Orange. Ugh. The suits filed against him for non-payment of credit card debts were a matter of public record. A man with well-known debt problems, in a town awash in developer and campaign contributor cash. What could possibly go wrong, I thought. But, most voters chose to ignore the "red flags" and now the entire city is tainted, once again.

Comment by HogWash

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:29:43 EDT

I am consistently underwhelmed by the people who want to run for office in DC.

Really? Save for a few, I've always thought we had a pretty good crop. We had a good crop running for At-Large, they just cancelled each other out. The candidates for W5 seemed good.

I believe it's more a matter of perception than a real lack of quality candidates.

Comment by Cheryl Cort

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 15:19:01 EDT

I second praise for Jen Budoff, Budget Director for the Council.

Comment by leftie42

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 14:59:28 EDT

These are all good questions. A few more to add:

- When does Mary Cheh take responsibility for being Kwame's biggest cheerleader on the Council when he ran for Chair? I think he used her big time and she gets lots of the blame for helping him to get elected in the first place.

- Both choices for interim Chair (Mendelson and Orange) have taken checks from Thompson. VO took 50 and Mendelson 15. How do we know that whoever ends up as Chair won't be the next to fall considering the investigation into Thompson and his donor network? Mendo is far from squeaky clean and VO...well, is VO.

Comment by Joel

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 14:48:10 EDT

Superb piece, Elissa.

Comment by oboe

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 14:30:06 EDT

I just wish we had better candidates to choose from.

Exactly. "The voters bear some blame for picking Brown" sounds good out of context, but if I remember correctly, the race for council Chair was between Kwame and Vince Orange. Even knowing all that has come to pass, I still see Brown as the lesser of the two evils.

Hopefully as some of the old deadwood clears out of DC's political system, we'll continue to see decent candidates step forward so that the voters can make reasonable choices. (e.g. hopefully I won't end up having to eat my words, but McDuffie in Ward 5 seems promising.)

Comment by JustMe

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 14:10:25 EDT

I'm pretty sure that the general attitude toward's Brown's debts and lifestyle was, "I have those same problems, and in the same situation, I'd do the same thing that Brown did."

Comment by Ward 1 Guy

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 14:08:30 EDT

I just wish we had better candidates to choose from. I am consistently underwhelmed by the people who want to run for office in DC. Then when we have good candidates they all run against each other allowing someone terrible to win with a plurality.

Comment by Keith Ivey

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 14:05:33 EDT

Charlie, certainly we need a lot more than Initiative 70 to fix DC, but it's one simple step we can take without waiting for the council to somehow decide to act.

There are many reasons it's hard to get good candidates, but surely the corporate contributions that flow overwhelmingly to incumbents are part of the problem.

Comment by HogWash

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:48:39 EDT

This is info about Brown I didn't know.

Where I would disagree is the idea that voters should've been more judicious because of the red flags surrounding him. I disagree because it assumed that most voters were even aware. I had never read anything about him lying on his resume, employing friends (not that I take issue w/it) and especially lying about his voting record. This is the first and I consider myself rather politically connected.

This is a similar assumption shared by cable news talk show hosts or the Sunday talk shows. That is, well everyone is talking/knows about this or that when in fact, most don't.

I think most people realize that these people are human. What the media does is make them superhuman. Do americans really care that someone lied on their resume or about voting? Only if they aren't inclined to support the person in question.

Good article though!

Comment by Kesh Ladduwahetty

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:38:54 EDT

Very good, balanced analysis. But a key factor in the lack of engagement by the public is the absence of substantive coverage of DC politics by the media. There's plenty of coverage about scandals, but little about important decisions being undertaken at the Wilson building.

Until we figure out how to educate the public about substantive issues, we have little chance of engaging them.

And the best thing about Initiative 70 is the public education and engagement we must mobilize in order to pass it!

Comment by charlie

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:27:56 EDT

Funny, I remember being called a lot of bad things when I pointed about that Melissa Bondi was a flawed candidate and not suitable office. Hmm....

I think articles makes a lot of good points, but I'd suggest the cure "campaign finance reform" in only tangentially relateed the problem (bad office holders).

Comment by thestinkykoala

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:20:18 EDT

You forget, this is the city that elected Barry more than a few times after his assorted indiscretions, and whether we like it or not, votes heavily based on race and rhetoric and not much else.

Comment by David Alpert

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 12:57:46 EDT

Boomer: I think she's saying that if we keep electing someone who has obvious ethical and financial problems, and then he gets indicted for ethical and financial problems, we shouldn't be so shocked.

Comment by Boomer

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 12:49:39 EDT

"Brown is a flawed man, but we cannot pin this all on him alone."

What do you mean by "this" or "wrongdoing"? If it's the political culture and apathy that allowed him to be elected and re-elected despite his obviously unsavory character, sure. If it's his criminal activity, that one's on him. And the former is a straw man. Nobody is saying that our flawed political climate can be pinned entirely on Kwame Brown.