Politics
Should urbanists be nervous about Vince Gray? Part 5: Who would Gray hire?
Adrian Fenty says he focuses on the big picure and hires "A+" people. I'd say some are A+, some A-, a few B- or C. Would Vince Gray hire A+ people? Would he keep some of Fenty's on? Would he hire even more A+ people than Fenty has?
Photo by WABA on Flickr.
I wish Gray would come up with a list of cabinet appointees now, because it would make the decision of who to vote for for Mayor much easier. Keep Harriet Tregoning, Gabe Klein and Michelle Rhee while sending Peter Nickles back to Great Falls? Skies are looking sunny with Gray!
But if they're all out and their successors lack the boldness and vision to really make DC better, choosing instead to always take the safe road, electing Gray would cast all the bright progress DC has made into shadow.
This is the real question which has been on many of our minds, including Dan Malouff's.
Gray has steadfastly refused to talk about appointments, except for assuring everyone that he would fire Peter Nickles. That's probably the smart move from his standpoint; Presidential candidates refuse to talk about Cabinet appointees too. However, it also complicates our task of choosing.
At least we have a pretty good idea of who would run departments if Adrian Fenty is reelected, though it's worth keeping in mind that we don't even know for sure that Fenty will keep all his people. Traditionally, all members of the cabinet resign after a mayor is reelected, so he can select his new cabinet members. We have no reason to think he'll replace anyone in particular, but he might.
Most discussion here has revolved around Harriet Tregoning, Gabe Klein, and Michelle Rhee. I'll try to read the tea leaves for you on all three.
When we spoke, Gray had glowing things to say about Harriet Tregoning. And no, I don't think he was just telling me what I want to hear, since Gray has said similar things in the Council. His description of Tregoning's strengths also resemble many of the qualities he's said he wants in a cabinet appointee, so there's a good hope he might try to keep her on.
In fact, maybe he could promote her. What if Gray made her the deputy mayor for planning and economic development? She's doing a great job with planning. Her agency already meets the gold standard on process, which Gray would insist upon, but they also still achieve tangible results like Fenty touts. I believe that results and inclusive, communicative process needn't be mutually exclusive; today's OP is living proof of that.
Gray has made positive comments about the work Michelle Rhee has done, though he's also said school reform has to be bigger than any one person. That's probably true, though changing horses could also introduce opportunities to derail reform. Gray might well ask Rhee to stay but only if she's willing to work a little on interactions with the public. Edited to add: Rhee has said she wouldn't stay if Gray were elected, but it's not clear whether that's just an empty threat meant to help Fenty, or not.
One Gray staffer familiar with the Fenty cabinet suggested that perhaps Rhee has learned some of her more controversial behaviors, like refusing to meet with people, from the Mayor himself. Rhee was new to high-level government work when she joined the Fenty Administration (as was Gabe Klein), and therefore, this person noted, she hasn't had other role models. Might Rhee (and maybe others) be becoming more arrogant than necessary under Fenty's tutelage?
Speaking of Gabe Klein, what about DDOT? There, we have less to know as Gray hasn't worked directly with Gabe Klein much. Commenter jeff worries that Sarah Campbell could become DDOT Director. She replied that she doesn't want the job.
Of course, even if she's not DDOT Director, she might end up with a role over budgets, like she has today, including over transportation. However, Gray is pretty unhappy with how the streetcar saga played out, which will hopefully influence that decision. Plus, she's not a one sided caricature; she's done some good work on the Council's budgets and pushed for some good outcomes along the way as well.
Others on Gray's staff, like legislative counsel Rob Miller who also represents Gray on NCPC, are excellent, and should be part of a possible Gray administration. Another official not affiliated with Gray pointed out to me that if Gray gets elected, people like Rob will also be in a position to mentor the new Council chairman's staff, most of whom will be new and might not see very strong leadership from the new chairman himself.
Unfortunately, the potential Gray appointments have to remain a big question mark. We know who we'll get with Fenty, some good, some not so much. We have a few hints about who we might get with Gray, but we'll have to vote without solid knowledge.
I titled this series, "Should urbanists be nervous about Vince Gray?" Ultimately, I would say we should not be. There are some unknowns, but there are also many promising signs. The race is very close, and if Gray should win, I am optimistic that he would continue the progress DC has made.
Therefore, we have two candidates who would maintain forward momentum. Which to vote for? Next week, I'll talk about Adrian Fenty and my conversation with our incumbent Mayor.
 | 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 jcm on Aug 19, 2010 12:50 pm • link • report
by charlie on Aug 19, 2010 12:53 pm • link • report
by Allison on Aug 19, 2010 12:55 pm • link • report
We have no idea who Gray will hire since he obviously won't tick off any interest group by saying who he'd put into his Cabinet.
But we can rest assured he'd hire great people because he's said so. Maybe!
And Michelle Rhee staying on under Gray?! Huh? Unless I've missed something, it's been pretty clear for many months that there's no way Gray would keep Rhee nor is there any way Rhee would stay. Gray's hard-core supporters absolutely hate Rhee; no way in heck would he tick them off by keeping her.
And what makes you think a Chairman Kwame Brown would keep Rob Miller in that position, rather than putting in his own person?
In next week's installment: What sort of pet would Gray have and what does his choice say about his views on urbanism and Smart Growth?
by Fritz on Aug 19, 2010 12:59 pm • link • report
Though I am not sure where this came from, his web site says his office is open from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
But regardless, the implication seems to be that Vincent Gray is not accessible? But by all accounts, Gray works all the time and is more than willing to meet with anyone who wants to meet with him. Can the same be said of Fenty, regardless of what you claim there respective "office hours" might be?
by Jamie on Aug 19, 2010 1:08 pm • link • report
Doesn't this quote pretty much sum up the entire election?
by Steven Yates on Aug 19, 2010 1:13 pm • link • report
This is a word game that people in politics have played for ages. It's often followed up by the person "reluctantly" accepting the position in question "for the good of the people."
by Phil on Aug 19, 2010 4:09 pm • link • report
Kind of sums up just about any election, doesn't it? One guy's the incumbent, and has holding the office for at least one term. The other isn't.
by Jamie on Aug 19, 2010 4:13 pm • link • report
I mean more so than other elections. There don't seem to be huge gaps in policy, so you aren't so much deciding between two conflicting ideas.
by Steven Yates on Aug 19, 2010 4:33 pm • link • report
1 and 2 combined are what Fenty (and Williams before him) have been focusing on and it's worked so far.
Not pefect mind you, but I remember DC 10 years ago..big difference!
Rhee is a boon to the school system (in my view) and I've witnessed the revitalization of neighborhoods like U St corridor and Columbia Heights that I'm not so sure would have happened without policies that are pro-business and growth.
That's my view.
I know there are those complaining about gentrification, but let me tell you, it's much preferred to crack houses and drug dealers on the corner.
by Stefan Sittig on Aug 19, 2010 4:41 pm • link • report
We need a chancellor who not only knows how to reform the system, but understands how to work with others. If she means what she says about doing what's best for the kids, she won't just take her ball and go home. She'll find a way to work with Mayor Gray.
Another scenario is that she does take her ball and goes home. She is not the only person in America who is capable of carrying out aggressive system reform. Chairman Gray recognizes this so I doubt that he's worried whether she stays or goes. Neither am I.
by Ward 1 Guy on Aug 19, 2010 6:25 pm • link • report
by Rich on Aug 19, 2010 7:31 pm • link • report
by David desJardins on Aug 19, 2010 8:00 pm • link • report
It is time for some grown-ups to run this city again. The real backsliding to the Barry years is happening under our noses - look at the reports about the surplus that the Fenty team has depleted, look at the cronyism. Really, can we tolerate another four years of this?
by William on Aug 19, 2010 9:12 pm • link • report
by Ward 1 Guy on Aug 19, 2010 9:24 pm • link • report
Absolutely. I certainly wouldn't suggest that people vote for Fenty just because he's a known quantity. However, the thesis of this series of articles seems to be that Fenty and Gray are similar as far as we can tell, except that we're more confident of what Fenty is like as mayor than what Gray will be like as mayor. That seems to me to suggest exactly the opposite of the conclusion above, i.e., it would make sense to be more nervous about Gray.
by David desJardins on Aug 19, 2010 10:12 pm • link • report
Several years ago, Fenty proposes to the council that Allen Lew (the schools re-builder) take construction over from the Parks Department b/c he knew what he was doing and got things built on time.
Tommy "Tommy" Thomas got all pissy about it and said no, because that was essentially the only leverage he had as the council chair of the Parks Dept committee. He threw a hissy fit about lack of oversight, blah, blah, blah, even though Allen Lew's office was overseen by the council's Committee of the Whole, overseen by Vince Gray.
So the Fenty folks decide to be "creative" and utilize the DC Housing Authority and the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development to make sure the parks and rec centers are built fast and on time.
Enter the frat brothers who get some contracts. Now, no one has accused the frat brothers of engaging in Barry-era shenanigans of getting paid to do no work. These guys actually built what they were hired to build, although there's valid issues with how much they charged for it.
Tommy "Tommy" THomas and several other councilmembers then say they're shocked - shocked - that Fenty was building the parks and rec centers without them being aware of it - even though they were all attending the ribbon cuttings and were promoting the faciities to their ward constituents.
So then we get a Council "investigation" that lasts about 2 years, still isn't done, and isn't likely to find anything illegal.
Oh, and what else did the Council quietly decide to do?
They agreed with the years-old Fenty proposal to move the construction responsibility from the Parks Dept to Allen Lew's office.
Had Tommy "Tommy" Thomas not thrown a hissy fit about his own ego and supposed Council authority several years ago, Allen Lew would have been re-building the parks and rec centers, the frat brothers wouldn't have been involved, and the Council wouldn't have wasted several years of everyone's time on meandering, never-ending investigations.
And had Vince Gray shown some leadership on the issue several years ago, he wouldn't have let Tommy "Tommy" Thomas get away with his hissy fit.
And, rather than David having posted this rather meaningless post, I wish he had spent some time and research looking at who Gray has hired - and fired - on his own staff, who Gray has appointed to various Council positions, and who Gray has appointed to various city Boards and Commissions. That would give us far greater indication of his thinking process, rather than the blind speculation that he may keep Tregoning and Rhee.
by Fritz on Aug 20, 2010 7:12 am • link • report
by Fred on Aug 20, 2010 8:06 am • link • report
Silly me, I thought the appointments to boards and commissions were the responsibility and privilege of the Executive Branch? Why would Gray be appointing anyone to these posts?
I know three people who are direct reports to Gray. They are all smart, well qualified people who have longstanding ties to the District and who are professionals through and through. Obviously 3 is a small sample size.
On the broader premise, I agree, that Harry Thomas screwed the pooch, but the LEGAL course of action would have been to obey the law and run city contracts over $1 Million through the Council and not bypass it by putting it in the Housing Authority, with virtually no oversight.
Then, there is this:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/11/AR2010061102735.html
In November, after the arrangement was publicized and Slover learned more details about the parks work, he moved to end the authority's involvement in the contract and send it back to the mayor's office.
Some DCHA board members with ties to Fenty, including Deputy Mayor Valerie Santos, objected, and the proposal was tabled. The following week, Slover says, he spoke to City Administrator Neil O. Albert and said he would continue pursuing the resolution. Four hours later, he received a call from Fenty's boards-and-commissions director telling him he'd been removed as chair.
So you have an upstanding longtime DC Resident and Fenty fanboy who tried to do the right thing by DC Taxpayers, and got canned. This is the epitome of bad DC politics - Barry era DC politics. In the meantime, the Housing Authority has overspent for the Parks and Recs contracts by at least $82 Million.
Is this what we want for four more years?
by William on Aug 20, 2010 8:42 am • link • report
"I have said it before, but the success of the Fenty Administration to bypass the Council by illegally funneling money through the Housing Authority to sole source contracts to Fenty fraternity brothers who were and are unqualified to administer the contracts; Ron Moten and the unaccounted sole source contracts to Peaceaholics and the propaganda around Rhee and the schools system (when the modernization was in place thanks to Williams and Fenty voted against school reform when he was on the Council) are enough for me to believe that a Gray administration would carry forward the policies that many who read Greater Greater Washington support, but without the drama and BS that this administration has overseen."
No offense, but this makes no sense - or rather, it's incomplete. You cite a litany of complaints about Fenty (many of which I agree with), and from that conclude that Gray would "carry forward the policies" readers of GGW would support (many of which Fenty has himself supported), but without the things you don't like about the Fenty Administration. Why? What makes you believe that about Gray? Reduced to its most simple, your argument seems to be, "Fenty is bad, therefore Gray will support policies with which many GGW readers will agree." But the conclusions you draw have nothing to do with the predicate facts you cite.
by dcd on Aug 20, 2010 8:53 am • link • report
While the majority of appointments to Boards and Commissions are done by the Mayor, the Council Chairman, pursuant to various statutes creating different boards and commissions, also gets to make appointments.
A good indicator of who Gray would appoint to his Cabinet would be a review of who Gray has appointed to the various boards and commissions where he has the statutory authority to make the appointment.
And you're absolutely right that the process of the parks contracts was less than ideal. Yet had Tommy "Tommy" Thomas not thrown his original hissy fit that was based on nothing more than his own ego, it never would have happened. That's where Gray could have exercised some leadership, rather than bowing down to Thomas' childish preening.
Also keep in mind that the Council's astonishing earmarks explosion occurred during Gray's watch. Someone should ask the DC Historical Society about their experience in getting shafted out of their traditional earmarks a few years back, and then how they were able to get the earmarks back by coddling councilmembers.
Fenty no doubt deserves whacks for his fiscal choices. But Gray approved each one of Fenty's budgets, all the while allowing his colleagues to pad the budget with tens of millions of dollars in earmarks and sweetheart giveaways. The only reason Gray stopped the practice was because of the City Paper's story on Barry's earmarks shenanigans involving his girlfriends and his staffers.
Had Barry never gotten arrested by the Park Police a few years back for stalking his ex-girlfriend, there's absolutely no reason to think that Gray would suddenly have found his best practices religion and ordered a stop to the earmarks practice.
by Fritz on Aug 20, 2010 9:58 am • link • report
I base it on my personal interaction with the candidate, with position pieces I have read (see parts of the Economic Development paper on the campaign website), and with items such as the series David has posted on this blog.
I think it is clear that Gray understand what makes a livable city. I was VERY hesitant after the midnight streetcar fiasco, but having spoken to members of his staff personally, I understand what happened, and also understand that at the core, Gray supports streetcars, supported funding for the lines "east of the river", has been to Portland at least twice to see how the system works there, and more importantly how the system has helped catalyze the city.
He has stated on a number of occasions, most recently this past Tuesday, that he strongly supports bike lanes, improved mass transit, etc, that he understands and embraces the connection between transportation systems, public health and economic opportunity.
At the same time, I see Fenty and his administration as a runaway train, particularly where our budget is concerned. I do not know if it is arrogance or stupidity, but the current regime has squandered our resources at an alarming rate while installing 'yes men' to facilitate the waste and abuse at the hands of DC Taxpayers.
I honestly do not think this city can tolerate four more years of the financial mismanagement this administration has bestowed upon us.
by William on Aug 20, 2010 10:05 am • link • report
by Jason on Aug 20, 2010 11:15 am • link • report
that effect to my knowledge.
I've listened to debates between the two and the vagueness about Rhee is mirrored in pretty much everything Gray says.
If anyone has heard or read Gray offer a tangible policy proposal that is significantly different than Fenty, please send it over. I have failed to find anything.
If you look at their websites it's like night and day. Fenty's website is full of tangible achievements while Gray has a bunch of generalities.
Re: squandering the budget surplus, DC has been in a recession and unemployment is at 10%+. Of course tax receipts are going to be down. What I do know is that this is not the time for the local government to hoarde money. I would also like a source link for this so-called 'runaway spending' I keep hearing about.
Also, the argument that US presidential candidates refuse to answer questions about who they'll appoint means little. All that says is that there's little accountability of presidential candidates in the US. This is not the case in Europe. If you look to the UK for example, the opposition has an entire shadow cabinet in place for years.
Finally, some food for thought: If someone is on the DC Council and knows they will be running for mayor, wouldn't that be an incentive for them to potentially NOT want to work together with the incumbent mayor? Especially if they wanted to site a 'lack of cooperation with the administration'? Just sayin...
by Simon on Aug 20, 2010 11:40 am • link • report
"Increased student test scores by as much as 11%, the largest gain in the nation" -- coincidentally, using a completely new testing procedure, and also followed by losses even using that procedure. And further, follow similar gains that predated him.
"Preserved or created 11,000 affordable housing units" - how many of these were due to initiatives that Fenty (not Williams) began?
"Outpaced the nation with a 7.2% reduction in violent crime from 2008 to 2009" - really? Sounds like that about mirrors the national numbers.
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2010/05/25/110166.htm
"All four violent crime offenses — murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault—declined nationwide in 2009 when compared with 2008 data. Robbery dropped 8.1 percent, murder decreased 7.2 percent"
"Provided summer jobs to a record 18,000 youth in 2009"
I think even the most ardent Fenty supporter would have a hard time saying that the Summer Jobs program has been anything other than a massive debacle.
Almost everything Fenty takes credit for either have nothing to do with local policies, were not initiated by him, or are highly debatable as far as the "accomplishment" actually being something positive.
by Jamie on Aug 20, 2010 11:49 am • link • report
It's truly pathetic to me that the guy who's 30 years older and has been in DC politics far longer has little in the way of tangible achievements on the biography of his campaign website. Feeds the all talk little substance perception.
by Jason on Aug 20, 2010 1:02 pm • link • report
Most of Gray's career was running non-profit organizations in human services. What was Fenty's career? Oh ya, mismanaging an elderly clients estate as an attorney.
by William on Aug 20, 2010 1:27 pm • link • report
I've been frequenting Eastern Market area for four years and lived near there for 2 now. Eastern Market itself has definitely gotten better (arguably the fire forced them to renovate) as has the surrounding neighborhood.
I believe the change from zones to meters on taxis was a Fenty measure and I am in favor of that also (I know many long-time residents liked the old system better however).
I'm not sure if Fenty initiated it, but the Payday lending law is also something I support: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/12/AR2007121200991_2.html
The Yes! grocery store across the river on Pennsylvania IMO is also a good thing.
There are many things that have improved, though of course there's more to be done. As I said, my main issue with Gray is that he's not really offering an alternative on substantive policy, and as such I see no compelling reason to vote for him.
by Simon on Aug 20, 2010 1:54 pm • link • report
That's fine, if that is how you choose to make your decision.
Things have certainly gotten better, generally, in the last few years. But if you'd been around a bit longer, you would realize that the difference between 1995 and 2005 is night and day, whereas the difference between 2005 and 2010 is incremental progress which is really in no way attributable to Fenty, but rather the continuation of Williams basic development strategy and realization of projects he started.
Fenty's primary new initiatives are schools, parks and bike lanes. The jury will be out for a long time yet on schools, and there's plenty of reason to worry about the direction he's going. Parks -- I think that's great. I wonder if we could really afford it? Or the upkeep? Has that really been budgeted for? Bike lanes, well, that's certainly controversial. I think it's good we've taken action, I think it's bad that we've done so with so little reflection or analysis. But it's not really a major campaign point anyway.
What you are ignoring about Fenty, though, is his character. His administration has systematically withheld information from the public, made numerous high-level appointments to close associates and old friends regardless of qualifications, appointed and stood behind an AG who even the most ardent Fenty supporter would have a hard time agreeing represents the interests of anyone other than Adrian Fenty, and of course many, many mini-scanadals that come up again and again.
It's not just an abrasive personality that is the problem. It's what is behind the curtain that has been kept so tightly drawn that concerns most.
So let's say that Gray's platform is basically do continue Fenty's most popular policies with some minor adjustments, but to try to find a better way to address his most controversial ones though better planning and inclusion of stakeholders.
No, he's not looking to shake things up. Why is it necessary for him to take the city in a dramatically different direction if most people are generally happy with the direction things have been going? The concern is not that we think the momentum Williams started and Fenty has continued is bad.
It's that Fenty's style and approach to everything SINCE then has been divisive, controversial, secretive, and he's basically unwilling to discuss it with anyone.
Anyone could have seen the fruits of William's work (as well as the results of a nationwide trend towards returns to city living, and the booming economy up through 2005) in the last 4 years. But to go the next step in a city whose demographics are changing rapidly, you need good planning and not just wild, broad strokes with little analysis or thought. Rome was not built in a day, you know, but Fenty seems to think he can rebuild DC in a day. I, and many others, don't think that is the right approach because it will result in many mistakes. He leaps before he looks.
We won't really know the long-term outcome of all the things Fenty has been spending money with such abandon for some time -- or the price we will pay down the road for everything we are buying (but can't afford) now. But he certainly does not seem to be a man of the kind of character that most people would want to put their full trust in when so much is at stake. Gray, on the other hand, does.
by Jamie on Aug 20, 2010 2:13 pm • link • report
As for the price of what we are paying for, it is my understanding that DC budgets in the past few years have been pretty stagnant from year to year. Per DCFPI the 2011 fiscal budget is increased by 1%: http://www.dcfpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/Summary-of-Final-FY-2011-Budget.pdf
I agree that we need good planning. When I see Gray's plans, I can make an assessment. But right now there is little to go on, unless I am missing something.
by Simon on Aug 20, 2010 2:43 pm • link • report
Anyone else remember how the Post ran an op-ed asking whether Anthony Williams was "black enough"?
Or how various members of the Council lambasting Williams for his gentrification policies?
Or Williams being roundly criticized for closing down DC General Hospital and "clearly" hating poor people?
Or the heat Williams took for the baseball stadium deal and its extraordinary cost, which could have been used for social services rather than developing the dead zone around South Capitol Street?
Or the shenanigans that occurred under Williams' MPD and Fire Department chiefs? Or the shenanigans with ballot signatures? Or the shenanigans with DC real estate officials and Jemal?
Or the fact that even under Williams, DCPS schools did not open on time, with teachers being properly paid, and with all the kids having their books?
I'm all for nostalgia, but the rose-colored glasses many Gray supporters are using when looking back at the Anthony Williams era is much more about downplaying Fenty's administrative accomplishments than it is about historical accuracy.
by Fritz on Aug 20, 2010 3:02 pm • link • report
Have you seen Fenty's plans from '06? Check out his web site
http://web.archive.org/web/20061008154012/www.fenty06.com/vision_for_dc.htm
Education plan (7 pages). Some of the items are hilarious in retrospect!
The very first thing that the "Deputy Mayor of Schools" (now: Chancellor Rhee) is supposed to do is:
"Maintain a direct working relationship with the Board of Education, the district of Columbia Public schools (DCPS), the DC Public Charter School Board, the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program and the University of the District of Columbia."
Ummm... yeah.
That "direct working relationship" is kind of like the relationship between Tiger and Elin right about now.
There's lots more there like "Provide high quality early childhood programs" which Gray actually has said he wants to do now, and Fenty supporters keep saying "where will the money come from?" Guess they forgot Fenty had already promised them that. Better question: Where is the money going now?
His second primary platform is affordable housing. How did that work out?
Then there's his environmental platform:
"My Administration will be a diligent steward of the environment, working with all residents to promote clean and healthy neighborhoods by reducing litter, improving the quality of our air, cleaning our rivers and conserving energy"
This is the guy who raided the Bag Tax fund because the general fund had been overspent.
At the end of the day, Fenty ran on a pretty boilerplate platform of "I'm going to do everything that's good" and outlined a bunch of bullet-point goals, few of which he accomplished, and in many cases went in totally different directions.
Vincent Gray's policy positions on his web site are not as specific. Which means, frankly, that he's not interested in throwing together a bunch of unachievable campaign promises without thinking about them, and ending up where Fenty is today: not doing what he said he would.
Again: I would much rather have a candidate who wants to create a comprehensive plan through actual planning and not through just whipping up a giant wish list of things that will mostly not be accomplished and can never be paid for.
by Jamie on Aug 20, 2010 3:04 pm • link • report
Better? That seems, itself, a fairly optimistic view. My experience of politicians, especially those who are more established, is that "inclusion of stakeholders" generally means resistance to reform and progress, and catering to special interests rather than the general public interest. I don't know if that will happen here, or not, but nothing in this series of articles has done anything to remove it as a concern.
by David desJardins on Aug 20, 2010 3:06 pm • link • report
Williams ruffled feathers all right, but he ran a pretty tight ship. It's the leaky ship that's the problem with Fenty.
by Jamie on Aug 20, 2010 3:06 pm • link • report
So I guess you disagree with everything on this list, which basically does not at all describe Adrian Fenty.
21 management lessons from successful politicians
Though he does have #11 down: "Recognize your supporters."
by Jamie on Aug 20, 2010 3:14 pm • link • report
@Jamie: You realize that Williams has endorsed Fenty?
@David: Really, this continues to be "Candidate talks to David, tells him what he wants to hear" which appears to result in, "We have no idea what he will do, but I think these two are equally supportive of our issues".
by John on Aug 20, 2010 3:52 pm • link • report
The list looks like a useless pile of crap to me, and it doesn't describe Fenty any more or less than Gray anyway.
by David desJardins on Aug 20, 2010 3:52 pm • link • report
I am a big fan of David Alpert and what he has done with this site, but this series of articles unfortunately does feel to me like what I see with a lot of people who manage to get into a position where they have contact with influential politicians and get charmed up by them and come to be much less objective about them.
by David desJardins on Aug 20, 2010 3:54 pm • link • report
Of course I do. Does that fact give any more or less weight to anything I've said? I think Williams had much more integrity than Fenty did. He can endorse whoever he wants, but that doesn't have anything to do with what he did while mayor or what Fenty claims he has done.
"exact same people who were shouting "Oreo" at Williams"
Nobody but you brought race into this conversation. All I said is that Fenty is claiming credit for William's accomplishments. Do you dispute that?
by Jamie on Aug 20, 2010 4:00 pm • link • report
Uh...did you read Fritz' post before taking that shot?
by John on Aug 20, 2010 4:05 pm • link • report
What exactly makes you so offended by this article? What has he said that makes you think he's been "charmed"?
Perhaps, quite the opposite, it's inconceivable to you that, after a long conversation and reflection, someone could find that the opponent of your chosen candidate is not a stupid, anti-urbanist, backward oaf?
David has provided you with information and his impressions of the man from a conversation. Apparently, the your definition of "objective" would be only that his conclusion matched your own preconceptions, even though David has the benefit of an actual interview with the man, and you do not.
Before dismissing what is, I think, a pretty neutral and even-handed editorial, why don't you at least see what he has to say about his similar conversations with Fenty next week?
by Jamie on Aug 20, 2010 4:08 pm • link • report
by Jamie on Aug 20, 2010 4:09 pm • link • report
I'm not "offended", but my objection to the series of articles is that he's not answering his own question. The answer to the question, "Should urbanists be nervous about Vince Gray?" has to be, "Of course." It's insane not to be nervous, given the pretty obvious ambiguity about what he would be like as mayor.
the opponent of your chosen candidate
Huh? I haven't "chosen" a candidate. And I'm not a DC voter, so I probably won't. Where did you get that idea? Anyone who disagrees with anything you say, must have dishonest motives, is that what you think?
I think we know more about what Fenty will be like if re-elected as mayor than what Gray will be like if elected as mayor. That's it. If you want to argue that, based on what you know about Fenty and Gray, you're more inclined to take a chance on Gray, that seems perfectly reasonable. But to argue there's no reason to have any concern that we aren't sure which of his several constituencies Gray will support the most, well, that makes no sense to me. Regardless of how much he can charm people. And public positions are more of an indicator than private assurances, it's too easy for a politician to say one thing to one group and a different thing to a different group.
by David desJardins on Aug 20, 2010 4:46 pm • link • report
I suppose if I was sufficiently outraged at the Fenty administration, then a protest vote against the incumbent might be appealing enough to me that I would not require many assurances from Gray. However I'm not impressed by the charges against Fenty and find them to be over-hyped.
So if Gray wants my vote, he'll have to be a little more specific on how he would be an improvement over the current administration. So far they both appear to be in favor of the same policies, therefore I see no reason to take a chance on someone else.
by Simon on Aug 20, 2010 6:28 pm • link • report
by another native on Aug 20, 2010 11:59 pm • link • report
by Eric Scharf on Aug 20, 2010 11:59 pm • link • report
I don't tell anyone how to run their city.
by David desJardins on Aug 21, 2010 12:12 am • link • report
by David Alpert on Aug 21, 2010 9:45 am • link • report
But whatever the reason, of course I think those opinions should be welcome and are interesting for exactly that reason, they offer another perspective. But they should be understood to be from that perspective.
by Jamie on Aug 21, 2010 2:12 pm • link • report
Let's see.
I grew up in the DC area.
I own property in the area.
I have relatives in the area.
I know David Alpert from Google and have an interest in what he is doing here.
I have an interest in national politics in general, and DC politics I think is important nationally even though it doesn't get national attention in part because of the lack of representation in Congress.
That seems like plenty, to me, to be interested. Again, I don't think I have ever told anyone what they should do.
by David desJardins on Aug 21, 2010 2:42 pm • link • report
by Eric Scharf on Aug 21, 2010 3:40 pm • link • report
Or maybe only those who were here in the misery of the Marion Barry go-go days of the 1980s can offer valid opinions. Because it's not like any "newcomers" have valid concerns about how their city is being managed and what their elected leaders are up to.
by Fritz on Aug 21, 2010 6:41 pm • link • report
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