Politics
Does Fenty believe enough in our issues? Does it matter?
Adrian Fenty has aggressively reformed education, made the city more walkable and bikeable, added housing, attacked crime and more. He's hired some great people (and some not so great people). Does he deserve reelection on that basis?
Fenty at Bike to Work Day. Photo by Chris DiGamo on Flickr.
One nagging thought in my mind is whether the Mayor's support for Smart Growth or sustainable transportation is really heartfelt or strong enough. In education, there's no question where the Mayor's heart lies. He's absolutely, 100% for education reform, and he stands behind everything Michelle Rhee does. The same goes for public safety and Cathy Lanier.
But in other areas, sometimes his commitment to this vision is tepid, and in other areas, the vision is itself poor. On education, he knows where he needs to be. On transportation or planning, he has people who can explain where he needs to be. On economic development, he doesn't have either.
It's okay for Fenty not to be able to articulate a vision in great detail, or be as policy wonkish as Vince Gray. But I'd prefer him to be willing to stand behind his "A+ people" who have that great vision. Mostly, he does, but sometimes, when the chips are down, he doesn't, and not necessarily with a good reason.
Look at the sidewalk debate, where he intervened to stop sidewalks in North Portal Estates when some residents complained. When he sat down with me for an interview, he said that if some blocks really don't want sidewalks, he didn't want to push them. "Everything in moderation," he said.
Everything except school reform, you mean. When Michelle Rhee fires a school principal, even if almost all the parents at that school protest the decision, he stands behind it. Why does he do that with schools but not sidewalks, I asked?
Fenty replied that while he sometimes gets involved in high-level policy issues in transportation or education, he leaves specific engineering details to the experts, and thinks like firing a principal are the equivalent of engineering. But then what about the Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes, where the experts designed an arrangement which the traffic analysis backed up, but then DDOT ripped it out before even launching it?
Well, that time, Fenty did intervene in engineering, but that's because the first draft hadn't taken everything into account, he explained. Maybe so. Though some people are pretty sure Michelle Rhee has made a few decisions that didn't take everything into account either.
Vince Gray says he's going to ensure everyone has a say in policies, though he will ultimately make the decision and go forward. Fenty is prioritizing action over participation. That's a legitimate style difference, and there are pros and cons to each, but why must Fenty be inconsistent and a bit disingenuous about it?
The starkest example of this was on inclusionary zoning, which his administration stonewalled for two years while numerous projects got built or got zoning approvals without any affordable component. Why did he do this, I asked?
"I'm a believer in the saying, 'measure three times, cut once,'" he replied.
Really?
His administration has done a great deal of good, but measuring carefully has not been the hallmark of his tenure. Again, some argue that it's better that way. But he doesn't defend moving quickly and the design-build process; he instead claims he only moves with great care... except when he doesn't.
So what if he isn't consistent? He's got cabinet officials who are feeding him stats and good policy ideas, and almost all of the time, he goes along. He often incorporates these good ideas into his speeches and his overall visions. Is that a problem?
What I worry about most is what would happen if, say, Harriet Tregoning left. Would the Mayor definitely replace her with someone equally committed to a similar vision? Or would he put in someone from DMPED who simply does the bidding of developers and wants to get as much done, regardless of what exactly is getting done or whether it's good?
A change in the head of a department can cause some pretty rapid change. Just look at DDOT after Gabe Klein came in or, even more starkly, NYC DOT after Janette Sadik-Khan. A DMPED lackey heading up OP might trigger a 180° turnaround in that quality of that department in no time.
Of course, we don't know who Gray would pick either, or how strong his commitment to these areas would be. On Smart Growth, I'm pretty confident. On transportation, his thinking may not be so clear, at least not yet.
And herein lies the issue. I could decide instantly whether to vote for Fenty or Gray if I knew exactly who would comprise their cabinets. But we definitely don't know for Gray, and while we know a lot more for Fenty, there's still some uncertainty. When the Mayor is really not as well versed in some of our issues as he could be, doesn't strongly stand behind the key principles, and has some bad people in related areas, it creates some doubt.
 | 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 charlie on Aug 27, 2010 9:00 am • link • report
by David Alpert on Aug 27, 2010 9:02 am • link • report
1). Do you feel an "urbanist" agenda is more driven by appointees rather than the mayor;
2) Are the appointees doing a good job? (Lanier is clearly popular although I don't like her. Rhee seems very unpopular. Klein probably has zero name recognition although the bike lanes seem what unpopular.). Their popularity of course has nothing to do with what they accomplish, but if building bike lanes results in Fenty losing, then it was all a waste.
3) DC is a majority black city, and having some many white/asian people be critical to the endorsement seems narrowly focused.
Of the three, I find #1 the most interesting -- perhaps "urbanism" is so technocratic that it doesn't really need democracy. However, pretending that for a lot of voters race is an issue also doesn't help.
Perhaps the equation: urbanists = having a few appointed white people run the place = plantation masters = wow, let's vote for the other guy/girl = long term loss for urbanist vision could be a recipe for disaster. And as I said, of the appointees the only one in the public's mind doing a good job is Lanier.
by charlie on Aug 27, 2010 9:15 am • link • report
I understand why so many bloggers and reporters dislike Fenty. He's an arrogant jerk, and he makes life difficult for people trying to cover the city. And there's no doubt Gray is charming, particularly right now when he's telling anyone who asks exactly what they want to hear. But speaking as a citizen who doesn't have to fight over FOIA requests, I don't know how you can look at the city and decide to fire the guy in charge, and replace him with Gray.
by jcm on Aug 27, 2010 9:25 am • link • report
Regardless, I find David's post a little confusing, which is fine, it's meant to stimulate thought. If Fenty gets reelected, there seems to be an assumption that Tregoning would not stay? I find that a little hard to believe. We know Rhee will stay, go if Gray gets reelected. We don't know with Lanier or Klein.
I actually find it reassuring that Fenty told David exactly what he thought, honestly. A Mayor only has so much political capital and time and energy. He is putting it into public safety and schools. He lets the Director's he puts in place do what they need to do for the most part with little intervention. This is a good thing. If he interjected into a debate on sidewalks or bike lanes with his opinion. This is bad?
On the other side, I don't think that people should assume that Gray is anti-urbanism. He will probably move much slower, and may appoint more "traditional" people to run the agencies.
So, I think the questions are much finer, less stark than being presented. What speed do you want to move, and do you like the administration and the direction the way it is? Or do you want a shift, somewhat unknown, but probably more deliberate, slower, less radical change. Mayor's like Newsom, Bloomberg, Fenty, are going to upset some people as thay make change obviously. I am torn. I do think with the problems this country is facing, we need to move much faster. I hope both candidates understand that.
by Jack Bentsler on Aug 27, 2010 9:30 am • link • report
Er... what?
That actually made me laugh. Isn't that, really, the crux of what some hope Gray will bring to the table that Fenty doesn't? Analysis, reflection, stakeholder inclusion before making big decisions?
People who measure three times (or even once) don't tear up bike lanes they just finished, or fire hundreds of teachers because of "budget shortfalls" and then suddenly realize there isn't a budget shortfall, or, well..
Anyway, agree or disagree with the Fenty way, it is most definitely not "measure three times, cut once."
by Jamie on Aug 27, 2010 9:35 am • link • report
I think it's fair to call her polarizing.
by jcm on Aug 27, 2010 9:37 am • link • report
And from what I can tell, the primary grumblings are Fenty's only accomplishments are dog parks and bike lanes.
As to JCM's point, I think there are a lot of voters in DC who are not sure DC is going in the right direction now. Granted they don't read GGW, but they do vote.
by charlie on Aug 27, 2010 9:39 am • link • report
There's an important distinction between intuitively knowing the right way to live, and knowing the reasons why so that you can explain it to others. I think Fenty's anchor is the former - his active lifestyle, the education he and his wife received, his intuitive sense of a good life in a city. Fenty sees that this life is not possible for most city residents, and he appoints people who can make this life possible for everyone. But he doesn't know how to deliver it in detail himself.
Notice, for example, that his speeches on education are no more explanatory than those on transportation or planning. Remember his concise answer to an education question in the last election? "Anyone who can talk about education and progress in the same sentence isn't paying attention." He intuitively knows that we should have much, much higher expectations of DCPS than we do, but he can't give a policy address on education. The same holds true for planning and transportation.
by Ken Archer on Aug 27, 2010 9:44 am • link • report
And this is the bottom line. Fenty's made three things the cornerstone of his term: they're basically embodied in Rhee, Klein, Lanier and Tregoning. These four may not be perfect in every way, but they're damn solid picks.
With Gray with got platitudes about consensus, blue-ribbon comissions, studies, etc, etc... But no particulars. Is it possible that Mayor Gray will fulfill all the nebulous promises of Candidate Gray? Of course. Could the fetishization of "consensus" lead to gridlock and "death by a thousand paper cuts"? Just as likely.
Setting aside the dedicated Rhee-haters who want revenge for teacher accountability, it seems even most Gray fans basically want the Fenty administration with a "nice guy" at the helm to replace Fenty.
Not good enough in my opinion.
by oboe on Aug 27, 2010 9:50 am • link • report
by charlie on Aug 27, 2010 9:52 am • link • report
by Rich on Aug 27, 2010 10:02 am • link • report
Not so sure I agree with this. They're both a pure expression of the politics of resentment, fueled mostly by racial head-counting.
by oboe on Aug 27, 2010 10:07 am • link • report
I'll take smart every day
by CitizenZ on Aug 27, 2010 10:45 am • link • report
1). Do you feel an "urbanist" agenda is more driven by appointees rather than the mayor;
I think the urbanist agenda is being more driven by appointees in Fenty's administration, yes. If Gray were Mayor, I think he would take a more direct role in that agenda. That might mean he'd do less, or it might mean he'd do more by making sure something like economic development is part of that urbanist gestalt instead of totally separate as under Fenty.
2) Are the appointees doing a good job? (Lanier is clearly popular although I don't like her. Rhee seems very unpopular. Klein probably has zero name recognition although the bike lanes seem what unpopular.). Their popularity of course has nothing to do with what they accomplish, but if building bike lanes results in Fenty losing, then it was all a waste.
I think Tregoning and Klein are, and probably Rhee and Lanier, though I'm less of an expert; I think Nickles and Santos are not.
I really don't care what race the appointees are. Fenty has appointed many white people and some black people are unhappy with that. I think all that matters is if he appoints the best people. It'd be great if some of those people were all kinds of different races.
3) DC is a majority black city, and having some many white/asian people be critical to the endorsement seems narrowly focused.
It's true DC is a majority black city. However, it's also a mixed race city with many white people and many black people. I think that politics needs to move beyond being about who is white and who is black and scrutinizing every decision, every opinion, etc. for a racial implication and just look at what's best for the city. I want this to be a better city for white, black, Asian, Latino, Native American, and all other residents.
As many have pointed out, the real divide in DC is between rich and poor, since we have a lot of very poor people and a lot of very affluent people. The affluent people are both black and white. The poor people are mostly black. Sometimes when people talk about how to help poor people it gets mistaken as a discussion about how to help black people.
The fact is that we do need to push policies that make the city better for poor people and other policies that make the city better for more affluent people. But it's not really about what people of a certain race need as much as what people of certain levels of income, levels of education, types of jobs, etc. need.
As for white and Asian people being critical to the endorsement, again it's not about the fact that they're white or Asian, it's just that they are the ones in charge of these issues.
Fenty and Gray are both black. Gray's campaign manager is white. Many of his staff are white. Some are black. Some of Fenty's people are black. Others are white. It just doesn't seem relevant to me. I haven't perceived any connection between the race of any of these people and the way they behave on issues that affect white or black people.
by David Alpert on Aug 27, 2010 11:00 am • link • report
As I said, I am mostly interested in the question of why the appointees are so important to the urbanist vision, as opposed to the politicians. The race issue is an unfortunate aside in DC.
Your argument for race neutrality is eloquent, and your point that in DC poor person = black person, but black person does not equal poor person is important.
But in politics, perceptions matter. Many of the things urbanists like (bike lanes, dog parks, bag taxes, high metro fees) aren't things that poor people like. And the poor black people have an understandable history and suspicion of white people telling them what to do. How many appointees does the Mayor have --30? Focusing on 4 or 5, and saying they are the linchpin of urban success, well, that does sort of sound like The Plan and you want to redevelop my house and get me to move to PG County.
Maybe that isn't a bad thing. Maybe urbanist visions are they way for the middle class to take back this city and get rid of those poor people once and for all. DC would be a safer and nicer place.
But as a political issue -- highly unpopular with the voters you have now.
by charlie on Aug 27, 2010 11:50 am • link • report
by Max B. on Aug 27, 2010 12:04 pm • link • report
Agencies are the ones that actually implement policy. Why is it hard to understand that agency heads are very important to that end?
Focusing on 4-5 directors - are you saying that all gov't agencies have equal sway on urban development issues? I sure don't think so.
by hmmmm on Aug 27, 2010 12:11 pm • link • report
by charlie on Aug 27, 2010 12:15 pm • link • report
I have a problem with your assumption that people will vote for candidates (or their appointees) of a certain race because they are the same race. Or that they will weigh their races as much as or more than their accomplishments. Yes, perceptions matter. But please give people some credit - most of them can, indeed, think independently and make rational decisions not based on race. I say this as a person of color - it matter WAY more to me what Fenty or Gray's people will DO than what color they are.
Secondly, urbanists are all about public transportation, so I'm not sure why you're saying they LIKE high metro fees. Also, I know some poor people with dogs that love dog parks. And lots of lower class immigrants that have no cars and like the bike lanes. I imagine people with SUVs and fancy cars in the city could care less about bike lanes. So, please don't generalize.
by poc on Aug 27, 2010 12:22 pm • link • report
So the installation of sidewalks in North Portals is somehow equivalent to education?
The poor original design of the Penn Ave bike lanes that caused confusion among drivers, cyclists and pedestrians is somehow equivalent to Fenty's support of Rhee?
Huh?
Some of Fenty's appointees get high marks here, but if no Fenty, there's very little likelihood of those Fenty appointees staying on in a Gray administration. And who will Gray appoint? Well, there's a whole host of Barry-era folks who are waiting in the wings for agency appointments.
The last posting on Gray and this posting on Fenty are just very befuddling in their logic and rationale.
It seems like there's a whole lot of faith that Gray will appoint really good Smart Growthers because he says he will versus the Smart Growthers who Fenty has already appointed.
by Fritz on Aug 27, 2010 12:25 pm • link • report
Also, if you see progress in the direction you are hoping for, why would you change courses. And finally, all anyone does is complain about government red tape and from everything I have read Gray will just add more red tape, you can never get a complete consensus, people will disagree, sometimes you just need to act.
by Ashley on Aug 27, 2010 12:26 pm • link • report
I do agree with Rich that Gray seemed to get the benefit of the doubt and Fenty did not. Perhaps with Fenty there is less doubt.
by David C on Aug 27, 2010 12:34 pm • link • report
by Rich on Aug 27, 2010 12:37 pm • link • report
, sFenty has done some bad stuff (contracting) and I guess I am in the 21% of white people who think that Rhee is f***ing things up big time, so none of Fenty/Rhee's efforts on education would sway me to vote for him.
Normally, that would make me more likely to vote for Gray. And I would, if it weren't for all the people in his corner, people who were key to the Barry years (David Wilmot, Fred Cooke, etc.) and a sense that a lot of people are disappointed in Fenty because they expected after the interregnum of Mayor Williams, that there would be the teat of the city (contracts, make work jobs, etc.) that they could suck from again, and he didn't do that, except for a few of his fraternity buddies.
Both choices, for different reasons, suck. I am likely to vote for Fenty because I think a return to the Marion Barry like past in terms of the people you bring into office is more likely with Vince Gray, despite the fact that he is whip smart.
And that scares the s*** out of me, even more than all the crap things that are happening now, under the Fenty Administration.
And I wonder why it is so hard to get a couple good candidates with limited baggage, out of 600,000 people living in the city.
by Richard Layman on Aug 27, 2010 12:38 pm • link • report
There are also a dozen (albeit less important) appointees who are clearly unqualified and received their appointments purely as a result of their association with the the mayor.
Lanier is probably the only person Fenty appointed who I'd say is objectively well-qualified for her position.
I can't think of any reason to assume that Gray, who is obviously a policy wonk, would do any worse than that, and it sure would not be hard for him to do better.
by Jamie on Aug 27, 2010 12:42 pm • link • report
For better or worse, this race breaks down to Gray being the candidate of long-time, black residents and Fenty being the candidate of more recent, white residents. And there's plenty of support for that generalization based on polls and news interviews with residents.
What many followers of the Gospel of Smart Growth don't seem to get is that many residents don't really care about streetcars or bike lanes. They're more interested in safety, jobs, and decent housing. We've seen examples of that like the Ward 6 community meeting where Tommy Tax Wells seemed to have been shocked that residents didn't automatically cheer the planned introduction of a bike lane. For a very large portion of residents, bike lanes really aren't anywhere near their radar.
And, I think, those folks also aren't fans of some urbanists' belief that their concerns are irrelevant when it comes to Smart Growth dogma.
For instance, folks here don't seem to understand why some residents don't support sidewalks in their low vehicle-intensity neighborhoods. In fact, not only do they not understand the residents' concerns, they simply don't care about the concerns and should get the sidewalks installed, local residents' opinions be damned. That sort of top-down, elitist, we-know-better-than-you is incredibly off-putting to people.
And, rightly or wrongly, many black residents attribute that same attitude to Fenty and are much more receptive to Gray's promises to be far more inclusive and concerned about local residents' input into decisions that directly impact them.
We can wish that voters don't vote based on race. But reality doesn't always work out that way. Just ask Tom Bradley and Doug Wilder.
by Fritz on Aug 27, 2010 12:44 pm • link • report
by Fritz on Aug 27, 2010 12:48 pm • link • report
by Lance on Aug 27, 2010 12:50 pm • link • report
I think the assertion that you can't tell if a person--who has been in a position for years--is doing a good job because they've got a thin resume to be, frankly, laughable.
You may not like the job they're doing, but come on.
by oboe on Aug 27, 2010 12:52 pm • link • report
1. Abraham Lincoln - President
2. George Washington - Commander of Colonial forces
3. Mark Zuckerberg - CEO Facebook
4. Walter Camp - Football coach
5. Sylvester Stallone - Director
6. John Marshall - SC Justice
To name a few. And I could make a long list of experienced people who were terrible flops (Steve Spurrier and Donald Rumsfeld come to mind). Experience is overrated.
by David C on Aug 27, 2010 12:55 pm • link • report
http://www.planning.dc.gov/planning/cwp/view,A,3,Q,639782,planningNav,|32384|.asp
@Richard_Layman, at least you are being honest, which is a lot for than the people who wish DC wasn't black. However, really what difference does it make it Barry-era people steal from the city, as opposed to Fenty's college buddies? Scale? Size?
I've read this entire series as a GGW sucking up to Gray incase he wins.
@JAmie; Rhee doesn't need to be qualified. She needs the support to eventually fire all the teachers in the city and replace them with people who can teach.
(Oh wait. The teachers happen to be black. Wait, some people think the proper role of government is to make sure we hire underqualfiied poor people and make sure can't fire them? That redistribution is more important than providing top-notch public service?)
For the record, I'm all for improving public service, and the best way to do that is fire people. However, the contra-view, which a lot of people in this town support, is also very real and one that people base their vote on. Amazing but true.
And those of you who don't think urbanists support higher metro fees, have you not been reading GGW for the past year? That's all I hear -- more fees, more expense. I try to argue against that - controlling costs and controlling employees can also improve public service.
by charlie on Aug 27, 2010 12:57 pm • link • report
by David C on Aug 27, 2010 12:57 pm • link • report
No, we get that. It's just that we also understand that, when folks like Wells' opponent claim that we should be providing jobs and free housing for everyone, "not spending money on backyard chickens and dog parks", it's pure demagoguery and should result in said opponent being laughed off the stage of public discourse.
As far as Richard's question as to why these two candidates are the best we can do in a city of 600,000, quite frankly, it's because the very first hurdle a candidate must clear is securing the all-important go-go endorsement.
At the national level, this dynamic plays out as 99 times out of 100, the presidential candidate must be a southerner, because while northerners will vote for a southerner, the reverse is not the case. In DC politics, whites will vote for a black, but the reverse is not the case.
There are countless black technocrats, but it's only once in a blue moon that an Anthony Williams overcomes the stigma of poor retail campaigning in Ward 8.
by oboe on Aug 27, 2010 12:59 pm • link • report
Absolutely. Yes. You've nailed it.
If the depth of Fenty pay-off is $50k to his frat brothers, but his administration puts a stop to $50mn embezzlement scandals, that's a total game-changer. I'll hold my nose and vote for that in a heartbeat.
by oboe on Aug 27, 2010 1:01 pm • link • report
To the Klein fans, it wasn't exactly a great career move for Gabe Klein to send his techno minions off on a head hunt when Chairman Gray found that there wasn't an adequate plan in place for the streetcar project development which would threaten federal funding. A notion that proved to be true when federal transit rejected the District DOT's application for 25 million in support funds while funding similar projects in other, better prepared, cities across the nation.
It paint's Klein as a spoiled rotten kid that is willing to throw electro tantrums if he doesn't get his way.
Certainly Klein knew that there was a possibility that Gray could win this race and to try and sabotage him in such a way would have consequences.
A point of correction, Klein is not the originator of progressive transportation in the District. Progressive transportation in the District has been in the works well before Klein became the DDOT director and they will continue on long after he is gone. In fact it was DDOT's first Director, Dan Tangherlini, that came up with the streetcar idea, as well as, the implementation of bike lanes in the city. Klein was still selling sandwiches from his carts when these projects began. It was Director Michelle Pourciau who moved the mantle on these and other projects strides forward.
Of all DDOT past Directors, Klein is the least experienced in any aspect of transportation operations and system maintenance and development. Meaning, he has NONE. Of course, you will find that to be "o.k.". Self described urbanist tend to find credentials and professional competence in a field of expertise to be a handicap. Particularly when they have an unnatural fascination with the individual.
The District will survive without a Gabe Klein. He, in reality, has never been the crux of transportation success. Even with snow, Klein was only the media face, but only the face, DPW Director Howland was the brains behind the operation and, of course, the press politely ignored that fact.
The question you should be asking, if you are truly interested in progressive transportation, is do we have the BEST. I think not.
Education reform was well on its way before her highness Michelle Rhee ever entered District government. The reform plan was crafted by Dr. Clifford Janey, who, at the time, assembled some of Americas best and brightest, to formulate a system for improvement that was not beholden to an individual. The improvements we see today in academic performance is as a result of the implementation of that system. So the question we should be asking in education is if Vincent Gray would change that system.
I see a Mayor Gray running the city government much like Mayor Anthony Williams. I have no fear of his hiring this mystical group of "Barry People" because they don't exist. I do, however, see him appointing a cabinet of those who have demonstrated credible competence in their field of expertise and in doing so, bring the best leaders possible to the nation's capital.
I can live with that.
by DCDem on Aug 27, 2010 1:10 pm • link • report
-The PA Bikelanes ooops;
-Sidewalks in Portals and other places around the city - either we have a sidewalk policy, or we don't, but for the Mayor to personally intervene is stupid;
-Tenleytown PPP - posterchild for horrible execution or community engagement;
-Streetcars - I am going to agree with Lance, this system has been on the books since 1997, yet there is too much infrastructure to simply "throw it at the wall and see what sticks;
Fenty has a Director of Planning and a Director of Transportation Policy at DDOT. On numerous occasions, he has trumped their voice for, who knows why? There are enough cases where data, logic and other base metrics were simply tossed out the window.
I think at some level, Fenty probably believes in Smart Growth, but has too many times fought against his own agencies, negating the professionally trained voices he is supposed to heed.
How is that for morale? Not so great.
How is that for citizen consistency? Not so great.
by William on Aug 27, 2010 1:14 pm • link • report
What I hear from the cranky old-timers is Barry's biggest sin was replacing all the white middle management in the city government with blacks, and turning city government into the joke it is today. Replacing a few people on top is good but you need a Rhee to do widespread firings.
Of course, those cranky old timers tend to be white, but places like Arlington and Mont County have governments that basically work, even if you disagree with their policies. It wasn't until very recently that any part of the DC govt. worked.
by charlie on Aug 27, 2010 1:15 pm • link • report
Mayor Anthony Williams, the pioneer of District of Columbia economic development, urban renewal and turning around government Customer Service, handed Adrian Fenty a billion dollar surplus. In one term Fenty has all but decimated it. During a time of economic recession Fenty has devoted tax dollars to cosmetic projects like high end dog parks while stealing away from the budget of energy assistance programs that serve the impoverished (during a record high summer), homeless assistance programs (to cover the overspending of a summer youth program ). During a recession he has funneled millions of tax dollars to friends and cronies for projects that they had not the talent nor credentials to complete. They served as no more than high dollar go-betweens. THAT's BARRYISH.
To be sure, Anthony Williams was everything that Fenty is not. He was contemplative, deliberate, transparent, and included the community in the decisions on projects he envisioned for the city (through citizens summits). This is the precise manner in which Gray has specified he would run the government and has run the council.
No, Gray is not a throwback to the Barry Days. Fenty has brought the Barry days back to the future. It will take a Mayor like Vincent Gray to resume the progress that Anthony Williams started in a manner that will benefit the ENTIRE city.
by DCDem on Aug 27, 2010 1:28 pm • link • report
Don't be ridiculous. Did you actually live here during the Barry years? Hell, have you paid any attention to Barry as a councilman?
by jcm on Aug 27, 2010 1:45 pm • link • report
I appreciate that Fenty has moved forward so boldly on so many fronts. Don't like the way he's done some (NOT all, just some) of the contracting? Ok. Don't like his active removal of the homeless population from downtown? Ok. I don't either. But what I do like very much is his interest in demonstrating progress. TODAY.
This city has so much potential to be extraordinarily great. It warms my heart to see our government actually making progress on so many aspects of living here every day. Progress is all the trials, failures and successes of DDOT and DCPS and DCOP. Progress is the incredible transparency of the Office of the Chief Technology Officer. Progress is the massive change at the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. None of this would have happened without the direction and approval of Adrian Fenty.
When I hear about "inclusiveness" and "due process" I hear "back to the bad old days of lots of bureaucrats having more fiefs than they have now and having very little incentive to make progress on the details of implementation that make or break policies and initiatives." If, as the commenter above suggests, Gray's strongest political backers are from the bad old days when famous comedians made legitimate jokes about how pathetic the District government was, then that's a huge problem. One example of how appointees are extremely important is the impact George W. Bush's appointees had on all of us.
Fenty's appointees have made a huge amount of progress. I don't like some of the things he does and how he does them, but in the end this city is a much improved place. For that I think Fenty should have another term as mayor.
Thanks everybody.
by pinkshirt on Aug 27, 2010 1:46 pm • link • report
Under Rhee's leadership:
Only eight (8) out of 87 DCPS Elementary Schools made AYP this year. Two (2) of the eight were 2 Special Education CentersÂ…Mamie D. Lee & Sharp Health Center.
Two (2) out of 34 DCPS middle and high schools made their AYP targets. The two (2) high schools are School Without Walls and Banneker SHS - (Honor High School).
No DCPS middle school made their DC CAS AYP targets for this school year. There has been a big INCREASE in the number of DCPS schools not meeting their DC CAS (AYP) targets over the past three (3) years.
The NCLB data (DC CAS) indicates that over 57% of our DCPS students are NOT proficient in math an also indicated that 56% of our DCPS students are NOT proficient in reading this year.
Again, there has been an INCREASE in the number of DC schools that have not met their (DC CAS) AYP TARGETS over the last 3 years.
This Rhee based reformÂ…. Teach For America, Fellows (Five weeks of training & then placed in DCPS classrooms) and New Leaders principals (1 year training) experiment is failing our students, parents and community.
This is the type of 'reform' that we can live without.
by DCDem on Aug 27, 2010 1:47 pm • link • report
The comparison is fiscal. The types of antics that Fenty engages in are the same type of antics that Barry engaged in.
Barry had a habit of steering contracts to friends and cronies in a, not so transparent, manner.
by DCDem on Aug 27, 2010 1:51 pm • link • report
Nothing happens TODAY as you state it. The hard work and labor to generate funding, developing the project plans, contracting them out, was done in the Williams Administration. Fenty cut the check. How brilliant.
by DCDem on Aug 27, 2010 1:54 pm • link • report
I know there are a lot of newer residents that seem to like what I call the NewYorkification of the city, i.e. more housing units in smaller places, less parking and harder to find a place to park as well as more expensive, dog parks, bike lanes, potentially a large streetcar network, etc. And to be fair, some residents already here like or may like those things too.
SOME....
Yet to please the gentrifying crowd, and led by an administration that is largely made up of those people, we see all these plans on the table.
I think it would be accurate to say on my side of the Anacostia River, the east side, the overwhelming majority of people do not want to those things, and while nothing is ever 100% the image is largely in Black and White. For a lot of these things, if you asked people to line up, you'd roughly see the same breakdown that will be seen at the Glenn Beck and Al Sharpton rallies this weekend.
Personally, I wont be voting in the Democratic Primary as I am No Party, and if I was in the Democratic Party I'd likely vote for Fenty over Gray. But if Gray is elected, I hope he does pull back, way back, on some of the transportation infrastructure plans that have been put in place since January 2007 and give greater emphasis on doing in a community what the community that lives there wants.
by Christopher on Aug 27, 2010 2:00 pm • link • report
by Miriam on Aug 27, 2010 2:08 pm • link • report
What would be wrong with people in a neighborhood deciding they don't want buses to pass through their neighborhood, or roads to connect, or trees along their streets, or streetlights etc...? These things serve the general public and so considering only the opinions of the people in the immediate area is to allow NIMBY to run the show.
by David C on Aug 27, 2010 2:10 pm • link • report
That is what I mean by an unnatural fascination with a public figure. It blinds judgment.
by DCDem on Aug 27, 2010 2:10 pm • link • report
And if all of Fenty's accomplishments are really attributed to Williams, will the same logic mean that in a hypothetical Gray administration, most of his accomplishments will likewise be attributed to Fenty? Or does the political hack logic not work that way?
@DC Dem: How many Fenty budgets has Gray voted against so that he would not allow all those fiscal horrors to occur? Isn't the answer: Zero?
by Fritz on Aug 27, 2010 2:15 pm • link • report
by Miriam on Aug 27, 2010 2:17 pm • link • report
That's the kind of elitist, we-know-what's-better-for-you attitude that's a huge turnoff for a great many people.
Oddly enough, it's only the Smart Growth issues that are entitled to have supreme infallible veto power over local neighbors' concerns.
For instance, David Alpert raises a ruckus above about the original DDOT bike lanes having been re-done b/c of all the confusion with their original layout. But, apparently because there wasn't any special interest group notification and approval, the re-do of the plan is to be condemned b/c it is undemocratic and was made by some bureaucrat who apparently thinks he/she knows better.
Irony.
by Fritz on Aug 27, 2010 2:26 pm • link • report
by jcm on Aug 27, 2010 2:27 pm • link • report
When Adrian steps off of Williams coattails and envisions, collaborates on, plans and funds his own benchmark projects, then you are right, the next Mayor should rightly give him his due.
by DCDem on Aug 27, 2010 2:37 pm • link • report
That said, because I express my opinion in an unadulterated manner and it doesn't meet your 'standard' of reasonableness I should modify the style?
Dream on. That is so snobbish.
by DCDem on Aug 27, 2010 2:42 pm • link • report
No, no it isn't we-know-what's-better-for-you. It's saying "what's better for you isn't better for the rest of us, so we're doing this over your protestations because we have to look out for the interests of the community at large." I fully recognize that this may be better for the people who don't want sidewalks, and while I'm sympathetic to that, in the end it doesn't trump the public good.
I also don't see any hypocrisy with this and the bike lanes and instead see a consistent policy.
Installing sidewalks universally is standard practice in the District based on laws passed by the District Council that represents all the people. So when Fenty uses his discretion to waive that in places - based only on the outcry of a minority - he ignores the will of the people as a whole (a power he's been given, but should be used wisely and for non-political reasons). David A opposed the way he used this power(as I recall).
The bike lanes had also been designed and vetted through a public process starting with the bike plan and continuing up to the time they opened. But again, Fenty pushed aside the process and will of the people to unilaterally change the design - over the objections of his engineers and experts. David A opposed the way this was done.
That seems consistent to me.
by David C on Aug 27, 2010 2:45 pm • link • report
by David C on Aug 27, 2010 2:50 pm • link • report
And yes, as I mentioned, Fenty should be given credit for projects that are of his own labor and design. The taxicab meters being one.
Fenty was one of Anthony Williams worst antagonists on the Council. It is true that he voted against nearly every Williams initiatives. Things that he now touts as "progress" and proof of a "world class city". Check his voting record. It's public.
by DCDem on Aug 27, 2010 2:59 pm • link • report
@DC Dem: How many Fenty budgets has Gray voted against so that he would not allow all those fiscal horrors to occur? Isn't the answer: Zero?
That's an important point, I think (if it's accurate). I don't know that Gray can claim the high road when he was an enabler/co-conspirator.
by dcd on Aug 27, 2010 3:07 pm • link • report
This. It boggles the mind. "I like what the Fenty administration has accomplished and the appointments he's made, so I think I'll vote against him in favor of an unknown quantity who's only position is, 'I'm not Fenty'." There's no rationale behind such positions, its just fashion - its become chic to hate Fenty.
by Asuka on Aug 27, 2010 3:32 pm • link • report
Thanks for giving DCDem a tap with the clue stick. I was going to point out the AYP thing is an unmeetable goal--practically by design.
The fact that he doesn't get that indicates he's either demagoguing the issue, or doesn't understand it.
by oboe on Aug 27, 2010 3:33 pm • link • report
However, there is 85 million dollars that the council approved to have allocated to D.C. Parks & Recreation that the Mayor's office illegally (according to Peter Nickles) had transferred to the quasi-public Housing Authority to be doled out in contracts without the required council review and approval. Unsurprisingly, they ended up being granted to friends of the Mayor who did not have the requisite talent or credentials to fulfill the scope of the work. They served as very expensive go-betweens on the taxpayers back.
This is what I would expect out of a Barry Administration.
by DCDem on Aug 27, 2010 3:34 pm • link • report
The Council has about 2 months to comb through the budget and make amendments. However, when the budgets submitted to the Council as so bad, there is only so much lipstick you can put on a pig.
Fenty has been deficit spending his way through 3 years of his administration. Yes he can show "progress", but it has been to the fiscal detriment of the city.
One of the reasons I respect Gray is because he could have simply taken another term as Council Chair, but he felt strongly enough about these budgetary matters that he felt it was worth risking his seat to take on Fenty for Mayor - at a time when no one else was willing.
I think that shows a strong ethical stand - an all or nothing proposition for the good of the city.
by William on Aug 27, 2010 3:38 pm • link • report
When asked about whether she would say, at least Cathy Lanier acknowledged, she works for the people of the District of Columbia and will continue to do so if they so desire.
by DCDem on Aug 27, 2010 3:42 pm • link • report
by hmmmm on Aug 27, 2010 3:47 pm • link • report
@DCDem, no he couldn't have canceled project under contract, but he could have killed the streetcars and ignored the bike plan for examples...
by David C on Aug 27, 2010 3:52 pm • link • report
Don't try to muddy the waters with context!
by oboe on Aug 27, 2010 3:54 pm • link • report
Yes he could have, but that wasn't remotely likely being that he selected Dan Tangherlini as his City Administrator. Remember, too, that Fenty initially said he wanted William's City Administrator Robert Bobb to stay on if he were elected Mayor. The chances of that happening was little to none.
Although other jurisdictions are deficit spending they did not have the leisure of a billion dollar surplus. Fenty did. Instead of rolling back spending to match the economic environment (and protect our reserves), Fenty moved forward with cosmetic projects that, though nice, are better suited for a better economic time. He allowed agencies to overspend their budgets 'creating' deficit situations. Our bond ratings are threatened. He has, generally, not been a very good steward of our tax dollars.
by DCDem on Aug 27, 2010 4:02 pm • link • report
I also don't get the criticism of Fenty spending down the rainy day budget. If the worst economic situation since the Great Depression doesn't qualify as a rainy day, then nothing does.
For the Graybots, what would they have done differently than spending down the rainy day fund?
Cut taxes?
Gray said he didn't support that - most recently even to maintain the reduced social safety net that he apparently feels is now important enough to bash Fenty.
Fire workers?
Gray has raised hackles any time city employees have been laid off for budget reasons, whether it was the Dept of Parks cutting their babysitting services or DCPS cutting teachers.
Increase fees?
Gray approved each and every Fenty budget fee increase. Which he then bashed for being bad for business. Yet he never said how he'd make the math work otherwise.
Cut spending on a $400k dog park?
Yes! Of course, how do you then deal with the remaining $99,999,600 deficit? Hmmm....
Refuse to allow the $85M parks contracts to Fenty's frat brothers?
Yes! Of course, they did actually get stuff built (as opposed to some of the Gray-approved earmarks to organizations controlled by Marion Barry that got money and had nothing to show for it). And Fenty originally wanted to have those contracts done by Allen Lew, although Gray went along with Tommy "Tommy" Thomas' hissy fit about not having oversight of that arrangement (and you'll recall that Gray finally agreed a few months ago to transfer the parks renovations to Allen Lew, which brings us full circle). But that still doesn't close any gap since that was capital spending.
Tax commuters?
Yes! That's the answer to solving our fiscal mess! We won't raise taxes or fees. We won't fire employees or cut services. We will seek statehood in order to tax commuters.
So, in essence, the Gray position seems to be that Fenty's budgets sucked, he voted for each of them, and he would have done them more fiscally responsibly, without saying how that's possible without either raising taxes or cutting spending and services and employees.
But at least he supports bike lanes. Maybe!
by Fritz on Aug 27, 2010 4:25 pm • link • report
1. You liked Mayor Williams
2. You think Fenty did things Williams started and hired Williams people to do Williams things.
Therefore, Fenty=Williams
So, shouldn't you be FOR Fenty?
If he didn't do what Williams would have, then he's different and so this "Fenty just rides Williams coattails" talk is all a bunch of hot air.
My point is who cares why he did what he did? Who cares that he only did these good transportation things because he hired Danny T? Doesn't he get credit for hiring Danny T? For listening to Danny T? Doesn't he get credit for following through on the good things that Williams started?
Which accomplishments exactly is Fenty (a) taking credit for (b) were started by Williams and (c) Fenty could not have stopped if he'd wanted to? You say that taking over the schools was started under Williams' watch, well doesn't Fenty get credit for finishing it? It seems like a stretch to say that he accomplished nothing over the last four years.
by David C on Aug 27, 2010 4:45 pm • link • report
David C: +1 to not seeing where DCDem is headed with these comments.
by pinkshirt on Aug 27, 2010 5:32 pm • link • report
Vince Gray has endorsements of every labor union in the city. In a city in need of reform I personally consider labor union endorsements a negative sign.
by Paul S on Aug 28, 2010 8:48 am • link • report
No. Adrian Fenty did not keep most of the William's folks who did the tough labor to create the vast changes that we see today in the District of Columbia. Instead, other than Dan T., the majority of those folks were terminated or just not asked to stay for a Fenty Administration. They were replaced with yes men and women. But progress had already began and those projects, those that are incomplete, continue. Development of projects was not a product of public employees but, rather, private contractors, it was Williams' public employees that provided the leadership and planning that brought those projects to life. Fenty and Dan T., it turns out, did not get along very well because he DIDN'T listen to Dan. A big reason why he took a pay cut and left the District Government.
You said: "You say that taking over the schools was started under Williams' watch, well doesn't Fenty get credit for finishing it?"
Yes I did say that. Fenty is a principal reason that this didn't happen. He vocally screamed from the dais that the Mayor had no business meddling in DCPS affairs. Then months later he, himself, sought the same authorities. I don't know if it was a good or bad idea, it is too soon to know, however, it shows his self-interest hypocrisy. I'd bet that we would be further along the way had Williams been given this authority, with Dr. Clifford Janey as superintendent, and allowed to manage the schools the way he managed the government. Fenty saw to it that this didn't happen.
@Fritz: You missed my point so I'll say it again.
"While you are correct that our District Council has the responsibility of reviewing, and modifying where necessary, the budget presented to them by the Mayor, getting all the members to agree to disagree on the many allocated provisions of it, and managing that process, is the Council chairs responsibility. He is not charged with re-writing the Mayor's budget. It just has to be balanced and the majority of them have to vote and approve it. With the egos he had to work with, getting that done was a monumental task. It always is."
The Council Chair is not charged to write the city's budget. The Council isn't given the time to do it, but each member does have their own constituent interests that they seek to protect in the budgeting process. The Chairs responsibility is to manage that process and make sure the budget is balanced.
Your comments about Gray earmarks to "Barry Organizations" is nonsense. If you don't recall, it was Gray that scrapped the entire earmark process. It was Gray that censured Barry. BUT, Barry is a sitting councilman who, when earmarks were a part of the budget allocation scheme, had every right to dip into the pot in the same manner as every other council person. It was Barry's constituents that gave him that right, NOT Gray. Gray caught holy hell from the non-profits for scrapping this city giveaway. Praise Gray for ending it.
It is interesting that you acknowledge that it wasn't OK for Fenty to illegally transfer 85 million dollars in public money and have it doled out in contracts to his "UNQUALIFIED" friends and cronies who had not the talent or skills to complete the projects, but you laud them for "getting the projects done". They in fact did NOT get the projects done, they sub-contracted, with a substantial markup, the projects to out of town engineers who DID have the qualifications. They were very expensive middlemen who, during a recession, should not have been a part of the process. But, since they were friends of Fenty, that was overlooked. That these projects didn't go to Allen Lew, whom I have great respect for, does not excuse the executive from finding an illegal workaround bypassing the council's oversight authority. That authority exists for a reason. (Namely: Marion Barry).
Despite urbanists unusual fascination and attachment to Fenty/Klein, Gray does in fact support both the street cars and bike lanes. He never once sought to scrap the projects and, in fact, moved them forward, both as councilman of ward 7 and then as chairman. Believe it or not, the projects remain poorly planned and the sooner the public understands this the better off they will be. We lost 25 million dollars in federal funding because of that poor planning. 25 million dollars that the local taxpayer is now going to have to pick up. I consider that cause for alarm.
So, I'll make it easy for you to see "where I am headed" with these comments. I am not so willing to overlook or minimize the deficiencies of Mayor Fenty or overemphasize his "accomplishments". His deficiencies and accomplishments get equal measure with me. (HIS accomplishments).
I believe that the city deserves a Mayor that can work within the confines of the law and get things done at the same time. We can have a mayor that will work with the Council Chair and citizens to keep the city moving forward.
That is how Williams did it, it is possible and that is how I believe Gray would run the city. Again, this phantom "Barry Old' Guard Waiting in the Wings" DOES NOT EXIST. It would be political suicide for Gray to even think about rolling back progress. His record on the council doesn't show that he would and that is what counts.
by DCDem on Aug 28, 2010 8:51 am • link • report
D.C. Wire: Williams supports Fenty and Graham
by Paul S on Aug 28, 2010 8:52 am • link • report
Williams endorsed Linda Cropp, too. At which time he said Fenty was "not ready for prime time".
by DCDem on Aug 28, 2010 8:54 am • link • report
President Obama was endorsed by the same national labor unions. An endorsement is not a promise to craft policy around their interests. They just believe that Gray is the candidate that will not IGNORE their interests.
by DCDem on Aug 28, 2010 9:12 am • link • report
If we want to interject speculative doubt about motives into the discussion I happen to think you're a Gray campaign plant.
by Paul S on Aug 28, 2010 9:43 am • link • report
As far as Anthony Williams endorsement, I say that because he absolutely abhorred Adrian Fenty. Adrian Fenty fought him at every turn. Even on those projects that Fenty claims makes the District a "world class city". You cannot ignore the fact that Anthony Williams works for Arent Fox who has a great deal of business before the city right now. That would be just naive.
I said I thought Williams was a great city leader, I did not say that he "thinks" for me.
by DCDem on Aug 28, 2010 5:34 pm • link • report
Apparently, you think by reposting what you posted earlier, that somehow covers that rather blatant omission.
I don't fault you for the sidestep; after all, Gray himself can't articulate what his budget would have looked like, other than it would have been better and more inclusive. That sounds nice. Like rainbows and unicorns.
So, since you're doing a fine job of regurgitating Gray campaign talking points, how about this simple question: What would Gray have done differently than Fenty in coming up with the budget?
If you can't answer that simple question - and by all indications, Gray himself hasn't give any specifics - then, well, it's rather pointless to engage in debate when all that's being cited to is the usual talking points about how Gray will lead to sunny skies and cute puppies for DC residents, whereas Fenty is likely the spawn of Satan.
by Fritz on Aug 29, 2010 8:02 am • link • report
by another native on Aug 29, 2010 3:36 pm • link • report
But no, we voted someone in on the basis of their youthful walking abilities. As Linda Cropp, his opponent last time around, put it 'Being a grandmother, unlike my opponent I can't be walking everywhere in the District' when referring to his campaign strategy to 'knock on every door' throughout the city. What she was too polite to say was that she was actually too busy doing her then job ... chairing the Council. But Fenty, who had only been in his job as a Councilmember a few months when he started campaigning for mayor, didn't let the requirements of that job stand in his way. I hear his attendance record as a councilmember was dismal. And when he was in attendance, he apparently spent his time there juggling two blackberries ... and not paying attention to the goings on. All this should have been enough of a warning to us voters. Well, at least it's almost over. And while the damage done will take many years to clear up, at least we'll soon be heading in the right direction. The poll released in today's Post shows he doesn't really stand a chance of getting re-elected. I think we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief.
by Lance on Aug 29, 2010 4:41 pm • link • report
If Gray campaign folks are going to be on here spitting out talking points, then at the very least they should be prepared to answer a basic question like:
How would Vince Gray budgets have been done differently than Fenty budgets if Gray has said he doesn't support raising fees or taxes and doesn't support cuts to services?
At this point, none of the Gray flacks have provided any answers to that basic question. Lots of sidestepping and dodging, but no actual answers to that simple question.
It's the answer to that basic question that is far more important to evaluating the candidates than is their favorite pet or whether wearing sweater vests means they're a bigger Smart Growther.
by Fritz on Aug 30, 2010 9:01 am • link • report
by William on Aug 30, 2010 9:18 am • link • report
by David C on Aug 30, 2010 9:42 am • link • report
by David C on Aug 30, 2010 9:44 am • link • report
Wait...so...was that a troll, or an official endorsement, or what? Something like, "I told you so"? Please clarify...
by oboe on Aug 30, 2010 9:55 am • link • report
by Lance on Aug 30, 2010 12:58 pm • link • report
Ah, here we have it: Gray voters secretly hope that he will ensure misery, so that no one dares live in anything better or with better aspirations than the most miserable neighborhoods in the city, which are more comfortable with the misery they're familiar with than any kind of structural improvements that might frighten them.
by J.D. Hammond on Aug 31, 2010 3:42 am • link • report
Precisely. He'll process it to death. He doesn't like doing things the way they do it in Portland, he likes the way things are done in Seattle: pouring decades and billions of dollars into studying and arguing and counterarguing a proposal, which eventually gets aborted.
by J.D. Hammond on Aug 31, 2010 3:44 am • link • report
You need to take some courses on cognition!
by J.D. Hammond on Aug 31, 2010 3:47 am • link • report
http://www.youtube.com/user/WeBelieveinFenty
We also created a poster for each Ward, where you can print, post and show your friends that the Mayor Believes in the District.
http://twitpic.com/photos/WeBelieveFenty
Vote FENTY – September 14, 2010!
by We Believe in FENTY on Sep 1, 2010 8:28 am • link • report
Nonetheless, you said, "How would Vince Gray budgets have been done different than Fenty budgets if Gray has said he doesn't support raising fees or taxes and doesn't support cuts to services?"
--------------------------------
Well, in short, you are wrong on taxes. The council did consider raising taxes. I reiterate, the D.C. Council is not a body of one. Like the executive. But of 13 all with differing, and sometimes competing, interests.
For instance, my councilman Tommy Wells, during a council hearing said this in a discussion surrounding raising taxes:
"People will deal with an honest budget, but this is not an honest budget," Wells said of Fenty's plan. "If we have to raise resources, let's be straight about it."
Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) proposed a 1-cent-per-ounce tax on soda, which would provide $6 million a year for an initiative to improve school nutrition and $10 million for other purposes.
Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) proposed increasing the District's income tax rate to 8.9 percent on taxable income of those making $500,000 a year or more.
Council member Michael A. Brown (I-At Large) proposed two new rates for high-income residents: 8.9 percent on $250,000 to $1 million and 9.4 percent on $1 million or more.
Both Council member Jack Evans and Council Chair Vincent Gray expressed concern that Fenty was depleting the city's emergency cash reserves to help balance the budget. Both said they had promised bond-rating agencies that the city would not dip below $900 million in reserves. And that if changes were not made to Fenty's budget proposal the city would have had $606 million in reserves in fiscal 2012.
In addressing his colleagues on the council about the Fenty Budget and their various proposals Chairman Gray said this:
"There are three ways to address it: You raise taxes, you cut spending or you go into the piggy bank. Well, the piggy bank is about depleted."
The Chairman of the council is not autocratic, like the executive. His decisions can be overruled by his peers. He is forced to manage the pathway to consensus. And, as numerated above, that pathway is loaded with hurdles and opinions that are just as valid as his. He presented them with the choices they, as a council, had, and managed the process of getting to an end product.
You suggest that a council chair creates city budgets. That is just not the case. So, it is impossible to answer your question because there is no intellectual basis from which to draw an answer. Chairman Gray did his job.
by DCDem on Sep 2, 2010 10:43 am • link • report
You said "You need to take some courses on cognition!"
___________________________________
Funny you say that, as it stands, although psychology was not my major, I did take a course in Cognitive Psychology as a general study core course requirement. I don't think the study on how people think, perceive, remember and learn is relevant here. As I recall it, the concept is very subjective because everyone is different, perceives the world differently and processes information differently thereby learns different lessons from the same source of information.
I know, you were being a smartypants, I just thought I'd take a different approach in my response to you. Best Wishes.
by D.C. Dem on Sep 2, 2010 11:19 am • link • report
by ZenCeo on Sep 7, 2010 7:57 pm • link • report
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