Kwame Brown - Greater Greater Washington

And...

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 08:27:00 EDT

Bike commuters crossing Chain Bridge face a difficult path. (Post) ... Miami Heat basketball star Lebron James has been attracting media attention for his frequent bike commuting. (Sun Sentinel) ... Kwame Brown is opening a consulting business. (Post)

Comment

Weekend reading: "Taking my talents to South Beach" (Jul 18, 2010)
Live chat: Kwame Brown, DC Councilmember at-large (Mar 27, 2009)
Klingle rebuild probably dead (Apr 26, 2008)
National Harbor to cyclists, pedestrians: Drop dead (Jun 9, 2009)
Brown criticizes GGW but still has no believable explanation (Jul 13, 2011)

Kwame did some good, and voters enabled his wrongdoing

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 12:39:00 EDT

by Elissa Silverman

Now that Kwame Brown has resigned as DC Council Chairman in disgrace, he is being called "dim," a "tyrant," and all kinds of other unflattering things. Brown is a flawed man, but we cannot pin this all on him alone. DC voters bear responsibility for ignoring the red flags about Brown early on. At the same time, Brown did some things right that we should give him credit for and preserve for the future.

Photo (from Detroit) by Cave Canem on Flickr.

Perhaps Brown's most significant achievement was his role in elevating the DC Council's budget office from a bean-counting operation to a muscular, policy driven office that identifies priorities and takes a serious and comprehensive approach to budget oversight.

Brown made a good move in hiring Jennifer Budoff as the DC Council's budget director. Budoff's knowledge of DC's budget is actually breathtaking. She not only knows the numbers, but she has a deeper understanding of the programs reflected in the numbers. As a result, she has a clear sense of where the programs work well and where they fall short, and she budgets accordingly.

Budoff and Chairman Brown assembled a very good budget office team. Whoever replaces Brown to run the council—the temporary, interim and/or permanent new chairman—would be wise to keep Brown's budget office in place.

Brown also improved transparency and transported the council into the 21st century through smart use of technology. Under his watch, the council's website became easier to navigate. He put resources into digitizing legislation, so even archival bills are online.

All hearings are now available to view online and you can also sign up online to testify. Brown accomplished all this by collaborating with members of the public, and these significant advances make active participation in our government much easier. Brown and his staff deserve much credit for this too.

As residents, as voters, and as taxpayers, we should make good use of these tools Brown put into place to make our government better and more accountable.

Brown is our responsibility

We should also hold ourselves accountable to do a better job of picking our leaders. There were red flags about Kwame Brown from the very beginning of his political career. He wasn't truthful about his voting record, he embellished his resume, and he used politics as a way to employ close family and friends. This was years before his efforts to acquire a "fully loaded" SUV on the public's dime and even before we knew about his "Bulletproof" boat and the debts that ensued.

We should have seen these red flags waving, but Brown got a pass from voters in all parts of the city. We must learn to take a much more active role in the selection of our political leaders and to hold them accountable once they get in office. We shouldn't rely on the US Attorney to clean up the messes we helped make.

I first met Kwame Brown about this time of year in 2003, at a Jamaican restaurant on upper Georgia Avenue. I was then the Loose Lips columnist for Washington City Paper, and I came at the request of then Ward 4 Councilmember Adrian Fenty. Brown had largely adopted the Fenty technique, wearing out his shoe leather knocking on doors throughout the city in pursuit of an at-large seat on the Council. He was energetic and personable.

He was also lucky. The incumbent he was running against, Harold Brazil, had very severe ethics problems of his own that were made the front page of the Washington Post several times. Brown positioned himself as the reform candidate, even though it was a little unclear what he really stood for. Often, when questioned, Brown had a hard time figuring that out himself.

I had concerns he lacked a vision or an agenda. But there were other question marks as well. When questioned by reporters about his voting record—he had only voted once in DC before running for office—he tried to obfuscate. He had to clarify his academic credentials, after stating he graduated from Dartmouth's business school when he really attended a weeks-long executive program. Yet, even to me at the time, those missteps seemed more like misdemeanors, not signs of future felonies.

Yet, the red flags kept popping up around Brown. Yet again, DC voters kept voting him into office. After the 2004 campaign, reporters revealed unconventional campaign finance reporting from Brown's campaign. Then, in the midst of the 2008 campaign, the Post did a story about how his campaign funneled money to a political consultant, whose address was a shuttered pizza joint in Columbia Heights. Still, Brown ran unopposed.

During Brown's campaign for the council chair, NBC4 reporter Tom Sherwood broke the story about his significant financial debt, but voters largely chose to ignore it.

We're not being honest with ourselves when we say that we are "shocked" or "betrayed" or "disappointed" in Brown. His colleagues and interested voters knew his shortcomings.

We must get involved

Do we need better options on the ballot? Yes, of course. That only happens through the active participation of ourselves in our government.

There are many ways to accomplish this. Several months ago, a group of residents including myself formed DC Public Trust to put a campaign finance reform initiative on the November ballot. Money is a major barrier to getting good people to run for office in our city, and I believe Initiative 70 will help tear down that barrier and level the playing field. I urge my fellow residents to support this effort.

Even if you don't, please take an more active role in local government. DC needs you.

32 comments

No 2:00 am budget surprises please, Kwame Brown (May 23, 2011)
Ask Kwame to keep the West End housing deal affordable (Jun 1, 2012)
Breaking: Kwame Brown stripping transportation committee from Tommy Wells as retribution for SUV scandal (Jul 12, 2011)
Brown criticizes GGW but still has no believable explanation (Jul 13, 2011)
DC Dems should appoint a caretaker to Kwame Brown's seat (Nov 14, 2010)

Another shoe drops

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 08:40:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

In addition to bank fraud, Kwame Brown was charged with making an illegal campaign expenditure in the 2008 campaign, a local misdemeanor. He is expected to plead guilty today. (Post)

Comment

Klingle rebuild probably dead (Apr 26, 2008)
Schwartz to run as a write-in; at-large race gets more interesting (Sep 16, 2008)
Live chat: Kwame Brown, DC Councilmember at-large (Mar 27, 2009)
Breaking: Kwame Brown stripping transportation committee from Tommy Wells as retribution for SUV scandal (Jul 12, 2011)
Brown criticizes GGW but still has no believable explanation (Jul 13, 2011)

Brown resigns

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 08:21:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Kwame Brown resigned from the DC Council after being charged in with bank fraud for lying about his income on loan applications. He will likely plead guilty on Friday. (Post)

Comment

No 2:00 am budget surprises please, Kwame Brown (May 23, 2011)
Brown criticizes GGW but still has no believable explanation (Jul 13, 2011)
Brown and Orange talk parking tickets (Sep 4, 2010)
Schwartz to run as a write-in; at-large race gets more interesting (Sep 16, 2008)
Breaking: Kwame Brown stripping transportation committee from Tommy Wells as retribution for SUV scandal (Jul 12, 2011)

Reactions

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 08:21:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Mayor Gray is "shocked." Rep. Jason Chaffetz says it's "harder" to give DC autonomy with scandals. The police union's head suggests a federal control board. Bob McCartney notes it's not the same as in the Barry days. (DCist, Post, Washingtonian)

Comment

Time to shuffle committees?

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 08:11:00 EDT

by David Alpert

With Kenyan McDuffie on the council, is it time to recreate an economic development committee or make an education one? Kwame Brown says he has no plans to do this; maybe that means means he doesn't want to punish anyone who's crossed him lately. (Examiner)

Comment

Kenyan McDuffie talks education and growth (Mar 1, 2012)
Future at-large member will sit on important committees (Dec 22, 2010)
For Ward 5 Council: Kenyan McDuffie (Sep 10, 2010)
For Ward 5 Council: Kenyan McDuffie (Apr 11, 2012)
Live chat: Kwame Brown, DC Councilmember at-large (Mar 27, 2009)

Kwame divides, Brown unites

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 15:42:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Kwame Brown uses Chuck Brown's funeral to stoke divisiveness between longtime and new residents and use dogwhistle racial politics, while DC's historian notes that Brown united races rather than dividing them. (Post)

Comment

No 2:00 am budget surprises please, Kwame Brown (May 23, 2011)
Live chat: Kwame Brown, DC Councilmember at-large (Mar 27, 2009)
Breaking: Kwame Brown stripping transportation committee from Tommy Wells as retribution for SUV scandal (Jul 12, 2011)
Maps show racial divides in Greater Washington (Sep 21, 2010)
Ask Kwame Brown to maintain public access in downtown Ward 7 (Oct 1, 2009)

Ask Kwame to keep the West End housing deal affordable

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:13:00 EDT

by Cheryl Cort

Unless DC Council Chairman Kwame Brown reverses course, the long-awaited replacement of the West End Library and fire station will move forward without the originally-promised affordable housing. Please Tell Chairman Brown to fund West End affordable housing.

Rendering courtesy of TEN Arquitectos.

Long planned as a 52-unit project of very affordable apartments for those earning up to 60% of area median income (AMI), the fire station project is in danger of losing its affordability. If unfilled, a $7 million budget gap will leave a market-rate building with only 5 affordable units for people earning up to 80% of AMI.

Recently, Mayor Gray committed to the needed funds and asked Council Chairman Kwame Brown to add the budget authority to the Budget Support Act (BSA) which the Council votes on next Tuesday. Chairman Brown declined the Mayor's request. This is a mistake. The Chairman should reconsider his decision and seize this rare opportunity to provide very affordable housing in a job- and amenity-rich part of town.

Even with the additional costs of these very affordable units, the planned redevelopment that replaces these aging facilities and adds housing and retail is a good deal for the city.

While the cost of the affordable units isn't cheap, it's on par with similar efforts in the region. Moreover, its location is unparalleled. Rebuilding "One City" requires investing in rare opportunities like this one. Offering low income DC residents the chance to live in such a well-located mixed-use neighborhood builds a better future for our city, where everyone can share in the District's rising prosperity.

The West End and nearby Foggy Bottom are home to some two dozen large and medium-sized hotels, as well as George Washington University and its hospital center. These institutions are all major employers, in particular providing a concentration of entry-level and moderate-wage jobs, often filled by people who are likely to be eligible for very affordable units.

By committing to this project, the chairman can indicate that he recognizes the importance of giving low income households the chance to live and possibly walk to a nearby job in West End, Foggy Bottom, or even downtown.

With this project and future ones like it, we can help share the success of the city with those who find it increasingly difficult to stay and enjoy the new libraries, parks, schools that are made possible by DC's growing popularity.

We applaud Chairman Brown for restoring critical housing programs in the 2013 operating budget. However, this West End affordable housing project would be paid for through the capital budget and requires separate action. It is another essential part of ensuring our city's growing wealth gives better opportunities for the DC residents who are struggling to keep up.

With a waiting list of 20,000 for subsidized units, it's time for the District to make another major commitment to conveniently located, affordable housing.

Before next Tuesday, send Chairman Brown a message and ask him to include the budget authority in the Budget Support Act for the long-promised West End affordable housing deal.

41 comments

A new West End Library is a good deal for DC (Jan 6, 2012)
DC poised to relax affordable housing in Waterfront deal (Dec 20, 2010)
DC budget unfairly hits affordable housing and more (May 4, 2011)
Housing and a sense of place for the West End (Jun 13, 2008)
How will Gray's budget address affordable housing? (Mar 19, 2012)

Budget boosts housing, delays NoMa park

Tue, 15 May 2012 08:10:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Kwame Brown's proposed budget changes restore affordable housing funding, taking money from NoMa parks. It also allows later bar and restaurant hours but only around certain holidays, and avoids higher alcohol taxes. (Post, Washington Times)

Comment

Too much conflict and not enough

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:51:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Is Kwame Brown deliberately seeking confrontation with Mayor Gray, opposing parts of the Mayor's supplemental budget just to get headlines? (Georgetown Dish) ... Are Tim Kaine and George Allen being too cautious when many Virginia voters are undecided? (NBC Washington)

Comment

Kwame Brown pushing tax cuts over his prior promises (Jul 6, 2011)
No 2:00 am budget surprises please, Kwame Brown (May 23, 2011)
Streetcar passes markup, but under consideration for cuts (Dec 3, 2010)
How much government waste really exists and is easy to cut? (Aug 4, 2011)
Should urbanists be nervous about Vince Gray? Part 4: What the heck happened with the streetcars? (Aug 17, 2010)

Council vs. mayor

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:27:00 EDT

by David Alpert

The DC Council turned down Mayor Gray's proposals to spend DC's current fiscal year budget surplus. Kwame Brown and Gray have also increasingly sparred verbally as a rift between them grows. (Post)

Comment

Orange win would make DC Council most colorful in history (Apr 25, 2011)
No 2:00 am budget surprises please, Kwame Brown (May 23, 2011)
Filling DC�s newest revenue hole (Jun 24, 2009)
How much government waste really exists and is easy to cut? (Aug 4, 2011)
Streetcar passes markup, but under consideration for cuts (Dec 3, 2010)

CMs squabble over unseemly giveaway

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:26:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Some DC Councilmembers are whining about free tickets to Nationals games, saying Kwame Brown isn't giving them out fairly. How about not giving elected officials free stuff at all? (Post)

Comment

DC officials tweet, but with varying enthusiasm (Jun 24, 2011)
Klingle rebuild probably dead (Apr 26, 2008)
Three quick fixes to DC Council credibility (Mar 2, 2011)
Brown criticizes GGW but still has no believable explanation (Jul 13, 2011)
No 2:00 am budget surprises please, Kwame Brown (May 23, 2011)

Recall effort dies quietly

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 09:20:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

The nascent effort to recall Mayor Gray and Chairman Brown has been suspended. Organizers hope ongoing probes into campaign efforts might ultimately oust the two anyway. (Washington Times)

Comment

Most sitting councilmembers absent on campaign finance (Mar 7, 2012)
Orange win would make DC Council most colorful in history (Apr 25, 2011)
Vince Gray sits down with local bloggers (Jul 6, 2010)
Should urbanists be nervous about Vince Gray? Part 2: Getting things done (Jul 22, 2010)
Schwartz to run as a write-in; at-large race gets more interesting (Sep 16, 2008)

Some CMs pass on raise

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 08:43:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

Mary Cheh, David Catania, Michael Brown and Kwame Brown will all forgo legally-mandated cost of living raises this year. Tommy Wells, who does not have an outside job, says the move is just game playing. (Examiner, WAMU)

Comment

Tommy Wells gets transportation chair, WMATA Board (Dec 22, 2010)
Live chat: Mary Cheh, Friday at 1 pm (Apr 29, 2009)
For District of Columbia Council (Aug 31, 2010)
Brown criticizes GGW but still has no believable explanation (Jul 13, 2011)
Bowser, Bulger get WMATA Board, Wells gets planning (Jul 12, 2011)

At-large candidates talk about "livable, walkable" visions

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:57:00 EDT

by David Alpert

The Democratic at-large candidates for DC Council, incumbent Vincent Orange, and challengers Sekou Biddle, E. Gail Anderson Holness, and Peter Shapiro, talked about transportation, housing, land use and some social issues at last night's forum at the Black Cat on 14th Street.

Here is the full video from the event:

Small business: As in many forums, most candidates gave few specifics, and in most cases didn't sharply disagree with one another. For example, I asked all candidates to talk about a time they'd helped a local business directly. I asked this first of Vincent Orange, who often touts his work bringing Home Depot to the Rhode Island Avenue Metro area but when talking about small business, speaks much more in generalities.

Orange and the other candidates launched into generic, prepared statements about the value of small business. Sekou Biddle's answer, that he helps them most of all by patronizing them, was the most responsive. Orange was, however, able to name a lot of local businesses once pressed.

Affordable housing: Peter Shapiro had thoughtful recommendations for how to promote housing affordability, drawing on his experience with Arts District Hyattsville when he served in Prince George's County. Perhaps because of his experience as an elected official in the past, Shapiro gave more specifics about actions he has taken or policies he would implement on this and some other issues.

All candidates raised their hands when asked if they would restore the Housing Production Trust Fund; hopefully Orange, in this budget cycle, and whoever wins the race, in the future, follows through on that promise.

Ethics: Shapiro went the furthest on campaign finance reform, criticizing the current council for not taking stronger steps and arguing it should pursue a public financing system for elections. Biddle called for reforms to money order contributions, the source of the latest scandal.

Orange, as he has in the past, emphasized his advocacy for banning outside employment for councilmembers, but hasn't agreed to support limits on corporate contributions. He defended his decision not to cosponsor Mary Cheh's recent campaign finance bill as "self-serving," since Cheh holds other jobs as a law professor at GW and teaching bar review courses. (Tommy Wells, the one co-sponsor, does not have any outside employment).

Transportation: During a section on transportation, it came out that of the candidates, only Sekou Biddle is a member of Capital Bikeshare, and only he and Peter Shapiro subscribe to Zipcar. Biddle even pulled out his CaBi key, on his keychain, and his Zipcar membership card right on the stage.

I asked candidates about how we could help cyclists and drivers better understand each other's needs and concerns. Without being "gotcha" about it, I wanted to give Vincent Orange a chance to speak to what he had learned from the January 1st episode where he parked in the 15th Street bike lane, was called out on Twitter, and apologized. Orange said that he hadn't realized on which side of the white stanchions he should park, and that now he does.

Biddle proposed having driver education include information on how to deal with bicycle infrastructure and people riding bikes. This would only be a small start, since many DC drivers move in from other states, but it was a thoughtful response on the topic.

Biddle was also most able to talk about the role of buses in helping connect communities. I asked candidates to name a bus line that they feel works well in DC, partly to see how many could name a bus line at all. Orange gave an example of a bus line, the X2, but couldn't name it without help from a staffer who shouted it out unprompted.

Holness, marriage, and the Redskins: Dr. E. Gail Anderson Holness, generally considered a long-shot candidate, gave some reasons to appreciate her candidacy, but also some reasons for concern. As a resident of Ward 1, she lives in the most urban neighborhood among the candidates, and says she rides a bicycle and takes many forms of transit regularly. She was able to name many bus lines and talk about them in depth.

However, Holness was the only candidate of the four not to encourage Maryland residents to vote to keep the new same-sex marriage law. She also said on last week's WPFW debate that she supports giving land to the Redskins for a practice facility, on the theory that the master plan calls for recreational space.

The plan does ask for recreation space, but intended to serve local residents, not to be a fenced-off facility that only serves a professional team. I pushed on this issue, asking her why she would fulfill a neighborhood request in this way. She didn't have a good answer and seemed confused by the policy details.

The other candidates all reaffirmed their opposition to the practice facility. Orange said he would support bringing the actual team back and potentially using public funds, if it were part of a plan to create a "livable, walkable" community around the stadium as the District is doing at the ballpark.

"Livable, walkable" actually is a phrase Orange spoke at least 5 times over the course of the debate. It's a testament to the phrase Tommy Wells coined for his campaign slogan, and the policies behind it, that Orange has latched on. Hopefully this means he genuinely supports the principles of "livable, walkable" communities; either way, he clearly believes it's a growing political force.

Kwame's revenge: Speaking of Mr. "Livable, Walkable" Wells, the forum's most dramatic moment came near the end, when Orange suggested that Wells should have at least toned down his criticism of Kwame Brown's Lincoln Navigator scandal, to avoid losing his committee and his opportunity to advance his agenda. Shapiro quickly disagreed, arguing that Wells was right to speak up and that it shows the "dysfunction" in the current council that others did not come to his defense.

Did the forum help you make up your mind? What stuck out as most meaningful to you?

31 comments

Crowded at-large Council race could help Orange win (Jan 4, 2012)
What would you ask the at-large DC Council candidates? (Mar 7, 2012)
Sekou Biddle should withdraw and support Peter Shapiro (Feb 1, 2012)
Details matter when judging Biddle and Shapiro's fundraising (Feb 2, 2012)
Most sitting councilmembers absent on campaign finance (Mar 7, 2012)

Most sitting councilmembers absent on campaign finance

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:46:00 EDT

by Matt Rumsey

Campaign finance violations in DC have triggered numerous federal investigations and corrupted DC's political process, but the vast majority of sitting DC councilmembers still seem unwilling to risk cutting off their own sources of money to fix a serious problem.

Photo by athrasher on Flickr.

Amendments from Tommy Wells (Ward 6) on last year's ethics bill to ban "bundling" and corporate contributions failed on a 12-1 vote. Yesterday, Mary Cheh (Ward 3) introduced a bill to tackle these issues, with Wells co-introducing, but no other councilmembers agreed to co-sponsor.

None of the sitting councilmembers up for reelection signed onto a pledge by at-large candidate David Grosso to increase transparency in donations, and only Wells and Cheh have expressed support for a ballot initiative to ban corporate contributions. Having 11 of 13 councilmembers disinterested in campaign finance reform is unacceptable.

Serious flaws create serious scandals

Some of the biggest flaws in DC campaign finance involve corporate contributions. Corporate entities are allowed to directly give money to candidates in DC, unlike under federal campaign finance law. Worse, many corporate entities have multiple subsidiaries, such as developers who create a separate LLC for each project, and are allowed to donate up to the maximum from each of them separately.

This is very common in DC campaigns. The fact that so many incumbents garner much of their campaign cash this way may be why not a single other councilmember voted for Wells' amendments to ban the practice.

That's not the only problem with campaign finance, though perhaps the biggest legal loophole. There are also ongoing federal investigations into the campaigns of Mayor Vincent Gray and Council Chairman Kwame Brown. Prosecutors are reportedly looking into whether the Gray campaign accepted numerous money orders that weren't really from separate individuals.

The District was reminded of those investigations in dramatic fashion this weekend when the FBI raided the offices of Jeffrey Thompson, who owns Chartered Health Plans, the District's largest contractor. He is also one of the most significant donors to district politicians.

Thompson and related entities have given more than $700,000 to various campaigns over the years, including massive sums to Gray, former mayor Adrian Fenty, and at-large councilmember Vincent Orange. The raids also targeted a public relations consultant to the Gray campaign.

Proposals seek to mend the system

Several reformists have emerged with concrete proposals to make campaign finance in the district more transparent and effective.

When Tommy Wells introduced his doomed campaign finance amendments to last year's ethics bill it seemed like his might be the lone voice for reform on the council. But today he joined Mary Cheh as the only cosponsor on her "Campaign Finance Reform Amendment Act of 2012."

According to a statement by Cheh's office, the bill would "prohibit pay-to-play, require disclosure of external fundraising activities, and... ban corporate contributions."

Meanwhile, the DC Committee to Restore Public Trust, led by activist and former council candidate Bryan Weaver and Ward 7 ANC commissioner Sylvia Brown, is pushing a ballot initiative that would ban direct corporate contributions to DC campaigns.

Organizers must collect over 22,000 signatures from registered DC voters to place the initiative on the November ballot. Volunteers plan to gather signatures at every polling place during the April 3 primary.

The initiative has garnered some high-profile backers. Councilmember Wells is providing organizational support and, while announcing her legislation, Councilmember Cheh said that she "wholeheartedly support the efforts of the District residents working on" the initiative. At-large candidates Peter Shapiro, Sekou Biddle, and David Grosso, as well as Ward 8 candidate Jacque Patterson, also have voiced support.

Several candidates running for DC Council in the April 3rd primary, May 5th special, and November 6th general elections are taking an additional step to show their commitment to campaign finance reform. Grosso, who is running for the independent at-large seat up for election in November and currently held by Councilmember Michael A. Brown, has proposed a "transparency challenge" to all council candidates.

The challenge asks candidates to proactively embrace campaign finance reform ideals by pledging to post information on their websites about the directors, managers, shareholders, and corporate structures of any companies that they receive donations from. Additionally, the challenge requires candidates to disclose the names of people who collect multiple donations for them as well as information on each individual donor.

So far, candidates Max Skolnik (Ward 4), Jacque Patterson (Ward 8), and Peter Shapiro (at-large) have pledged to join the challenge. Although, as of March 6, only Grosso has posted his information online. All participants are challenging sitting incumbents. So far, no incumbents have joined the challenge.

Incumbents fail to speak up or act

Unfortunately, aside from Mary Cheh and Tommy Wells, most members of the DC Council seemed unconcerned with campaign finance issues and unlikely to act on reform before the upcoming elections.

Muriel Bowser, primary author of last years ethics bill and chair of the council's Committee on Government Operations, stated that she intended to take action on campaign finance. However, she has since defended herself for accepting corporate donations and argued against banning corporate money outright, making it unlikely that she will support Cheh's bill.

It seems even more unlikely that a majority of councilmembers will act on any sort of campaign finance reform. Several have spoken out against reform. Notably, yesterday morning Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) joked about his dislike of Cheh's legislation.

The rest of the council should work with Cheh and Wells to craft a bill that will reform the campaign finance system while still allowing participation from all engaged parties. DC should ban corporate bundling and strengthen disclosure rules, to make it more apparent who is donating and ensure that corporations do not skirt contribution limits. Contractors and other corporations that do business with the city should face even further restricted in order to avoid obvious conflicts of interest.

DC's politicians have proven all too willing to take advantage of weak campaign finance regulations. But it seems as though the city is becoming sick of it. The DC council should step up, fight against this culture of corruption, and bring corporate influence over elections back from the stratosphere and down to the height of individual influence.

7 comments

DC Council ethics: C'mon son, we can do better (Dec 22, 2011)
Tommy Wells will introduce ethics reform bills (Jun 20, 2011)
DC officials tweet, but with varying enthusiasm (Jun 24, 2011)
Real ethics reform goes beyond rearranging the deck chairs (Jun 15, 2011)
Crowded at-large Council race could help Orange win (Jan 4, 2012)

And...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 08:18:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

Kwame Brown released his school reform package, though DCPS and the Mayor aren't sold on the plan. (Post) ... Mayor Gray will lobby for statehood at the Republican and Democratic conventions, emulating Mayor Williams' practice. (Post) ... A video shows Las Vegas' sprawl growing over 40 years.

Comment

Mayor Gray should keep promises on education funding (Jan 17, 2012)
DCPS needs more than money to attract top teachers (Nov 8, 2011)
Anthony Williams should run for president for DC rights (Apr 10, 2011)
For Congress in Virginia and DC State Board of Education (Nov 1, 2010)
Does DC really need a Deputy Mayor for Education? (Nov 12, 2010)

Costco "beautiful," says Kwame

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:06:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Costco will soon come to Fort Lincoln. Kwame Brown praises the development because it'll "look beautiful" to look at the back of the store while driving in on New York Avenue. Really? (Post)

Comment

Navigatorgate drags on

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:23:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Kwame Brown still hasn't reimbursed DC for the cost of his Lincoln Navigators, as he promised. There's also still a dispute with one of the leasing companies, which is likely headed to court. (City Paper)

Comment

Growing government vehicle scandal envelops Wells (Apr 1, 2011)
Klingle rebuild probably dead (Apr 26, 2008)
Wells' lightning-fast SUV investigation finds violations (Feb 28, 2011)
Brown criticizes GGW but still has no believable explanation (Jul 13, 2011)
Knocked on our heels, it's time to broaden the urbanist tent (Jul 13, 2011)

Favoring local residents would undermine charter schools

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:51:00 EDT

by Steven Glazerman

Kwame Brown and Tommy Wells recently suggested that charter schools give special admission preference to families in the immediate neighborhood. While this may sound like a good idea at first, it would undermine the ability of many charters to be as successful as they are.

Photo by Elizabeth/Table4Five on Flickr.

The logic is this: if someone lives near a school, why shouldn't they be able to attend it? Isn't it good for kids to be able to walk to school? This makes sense for neighborhood schools, which are great for many reasons. But if applied to all charter schools, this would hurt their ability to serve all DC students.

Many charter schools were started to offer a unique curriculum or method of instruction, which is not otherwise available through DCPS. That very uniqueness means a charter school's appeal is not universal to all kids, nor is it neighborhood-specific.

Currently, charter schools by law must admit anyone who applies. If the grade in question has more applicants than seats, charters use a random lottery to determine which students get an offer of a seat. The only exceptions to the lottery are siblings and founders' children.

Neighborhood schools, by contrast, must accept all students living in their boundary first. Remaining spaces are filled through an out-of-boundary lottery, with preferences for siblings, and for families living nearby but outside the boundary.

Unlike neighborhood schools, charters have to struggle to find facilities as opposed to having the District buy and maintain them. This often forces charters to move or split into multiple campuses, where an elementary school feeds into a distant middle or high school.

Charters need families who are committed to the program, rather than just attending for the short commute. Otherwise, if the school moves or when a student graduates to another campus, many of those families will simply leave the school. Too much turnover interferes with building a successful school.

In addition, charters (or any school of choice) without attendance zones can help break the ugly patterns of race and class segregation that divide our city.

With only neighborhood schools, school segregation usually mirrors residential segregation. Open enrollment and a vigorous parent education campaign can help ensure that charters serve all families, including the District's most disadvantaged, regardless of home address.

Public school choice became popular in the late 1970s in places like Philadelphia and St. Louis, where people sought a voluntary alternative to forced busing as a way to reduce segregation. For example, the Minneapolis Public Schools created a vast array of school types to appeal to people in ways that would draw voluntary movement so that formerly segregated groups would mix.

DC now has that possibility too. When affluent families in Ward 3 and low-income families in Ward 7 both want to attend the same school in Ward 5 because its innovative curriculum, we should not stymie the families' efforts.

The only rationale for this policy is a non-educational one: minimizing commuting distance. Sure, we could save a lot of energy and kids' time if nobody had to commute more than a mile or two. It would help children's fitness and neighborhood cohesion if all students walked to school.

Educational excellence should trump these convenience factors. Even a long school commute within DC is around 5 or 6 miles, which is no farther than many typical suburban school commutes. And frankly, most families will voluntarily choose the shorter commutes and safe routes for their kids even without special preferences or government restrictions.

For those families willing to make that tradeoff because they feel so strongly about the quality of the school, they should have the opportunity, or at least the same opportunity as anyone else. (Chairman Brown, for example, drives his child from his home in Ward 7 to school in Ward 3).

One exception where neighborhood preference would make sense is if the charter school's mission involved serving a particular neighborhood, and that mission were made explicit in the charter. It would make sense to try to find a legal way to allow these schools to offer neighborhood preference.

Maybe DC wants a lot of charter schools with such missions. In that case, the District needs to work harder to help such schools locate permanently in the neighborhoods they seek to serve. If charter schools grow in number, this might very well become a priority of the Public Charter School Board, which authorizes new charter schools. Meanwhile, we can have both types of schools, neighborhood and specialty schools, under DCPS and the Charter School Board.

61 comments

Level the playing field for charters and neighborhood schools (Feb 24, 2012)
DC charter schools should centralize admissions (Oct 25, 2010)
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DC needs school choice, not vouchers (Feb 25, 2011)

Simmer down now, DC Council

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:37:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

The DC Council will consider requiring civility from its members. Chairman Brown introduced the bill after a heated exchange between David Catania and Marion Barry upset voters. (Post)

Comment

No 2:00 am budget surprises please, Kwame Brown (May 23, 2011)
Orange win would make DC Council most colorful in history (Apr 25, 2011)
Brown criticizes GGW but still has no believable explanation (Jul 13, 2011)
New Council structure announced; Wells joins key committee (Dec 24, 2008)
Create an independent ethics commission for DC Council (Apr 26, 2011)

Councilmembers who rarely walk block shoveling bill

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:27:00 EDT

by David Alpert

8 DC councilmembers tabled a bill this afternoon to enforce DC's law requiring shoveling sidewalks. This means that, for the umpteenth time, DC is doing nothing about the serious safety problem of unshoveled sidewalks after a snowstorm.

Photo by randomduck on Flickr.

Only bill authors Mary Cheh (ward 3) and Tommy Wells (ward 6), joined by David Catania (at-large) and Chairman Kwame Brown, voted against tabling the bill. Phil Mendelson (at-large) sounded like he favored the bill during the debate, but supported the tabling.

Listening to the debate, it was clear that many councilmembers just don't think there is a problem. Marion Barry (ward 8) said he has gotten few or no complaints about unshoveled sidewalks. Muriel Bowser (ward 4) spoke passionately multiple times about the burden on anyone for getting a ticket but said nothing about her residents' ability to walk to stores and the Metro.

Jim Graham also argued against enforcing this law, even though, as Mike DeBonis noted, he represents the (residentially) densest ward in DC. He introduced an amendment that would have restricted fines to only apply on streets which have already been plowed. One of the bill's supporters called the amendment a "poison pill." That sends the ironic message that if drivers can't get through a street, it's not important that pedestrians be able to either.

Kwame Brown, who did support the bill but also supported Graham's amendment, made the amusing comment that Mayor Gray has done a good job with snow clearance this year. We've had only 1.7" of snow this year, compared to an ~~annual average~~ average through January of 8.4" and the lowest in 124 years.

Graham insisted that he wants to do something about shoveling; he just wants to use incentives rather than fines. But he's never given a practical incentive-based proposal.

Many councilmembers opining on this issue would have more credibility if they actually walked to transit to get to work in a snow, or for that matter any other time.

During the years he chaired the council's transportation committee and sat on the WMATA Board, Graham came under periodic criticism for very rarely riding transit. He stuck up for low bus fares, but never addressed the problem of unsafe sidewalks after storm. Graham even bragged during today's debate about not moving bills like this one during his tenure as chairman.

Large numbers of DC residents have to get to work or school on foot and on transit after snowstorms, and unshoveled areas create serious safety hazards. Sidewalks are often completely impassable for people with disabilities or even just temporary injuries.

DC already has a law that residents and businesses have to clear their sidewalks, but it's not enforceable. The government has clear the sidewalk and then sue individual violators to collect up to $25. This bill simply makes the penalty for violating this law a straightforward ticket and fine, just like in most cities including Arlington, Alexandria and Montgomery County.

Cheh made many changes to the bill during the last few months to cut the fines even further from the original proposal, put in exemptions for poor and elderly residents, and more. Property owners get a warning before having to pay any fine until the end of 2013.

It's not clear if this law does enough to push the egregious violators, like the large parking lot in Mount Vernon Triangle, to actually take any action, but a majority of councilmembers have made clear that they don't really care to do anything about those problems.

The bill wouldn't have even taken effect until next winter. Now, we're likely to have to wait until yet another winter. If we get a real snow this year, will the councilmembers who voted to table this bill today try walking their neighborhoods and getting to work on foot or by transit? If they did, they'd very likely look at this issue very differently.

96 comments

Cheh, Wells try again to fix snow fines (Jan 4, 2011)
Enforce sidewalk shoveling, especially for large properties (Feb 9, 2011)
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Tensions mount over budget

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:40:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

Chairman Brown has accused DC's CFO Natwar Gandhi of concealing last year's $42 million budget surplus from the council "in cahoots" with Mayor Gray. Gandhi had shifted the surplus to another account, although insists it was a drafting error. (Post)

Comment

No 2:00 am budget surprises please, Kwame Brown (May 23, 2011)
Streetcar passes markup, but under consideration for cuts (Dec 3, 2010)
DC officials tweet, but with varying enthusiasm (Jun 24, 2011)
Orange win would make DC Council most colorful in history (Apr 25, 2011)
You did it! Streetcars restored... mostly (May 26, 2010)

Brown puts tax cuts first

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:59:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

DC's FY 2011 surplus now stands at $240 million. Kwame Brown wants to spend it on tax cuts, but Mayor Gray wants no such thing. (Examiner)

Comment

Streetcar passes markup, but under consideration for cuts (Dec 3, 2010)
No 2:00 am budget surprises please, Kwame Brown (May 23, 2011)
How much government waste really exists and is easy to cut? (Aug 4, 2011)
You did it! Streetcars restored... mostly (May 26, 2010)
Proposed Metro service cuts take more from DC (Feb 25, 2009)

No more spending

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:17:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

The DC Council doesn't want to spend the unexpected $42 million surplus discovered this year until 2013. Mayor Gray wants to spend the money on this year's shortfalls, including a $21 million school deficit. (Post)

Comment

Filling DC�s newest revenue hole (Jun 24, 2009)
You did it! Streetcars restored... mostly (May 26, 2010)
Mayor Gray should keep promises on education funding (Jan 17, 2012)
Streetcar passes markup, but under consideration for cuts (Dec 3, 2010)
Bike and ped safety fund is back, but will it survive? (Mar 31, 2009)

Drawing great teachers to bad schools

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:30:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

Through bonuses, tax credits and tuition aid, Chairman Kwame Brown wants to draw great teachers from great schools and into the lowest-performing DC schools. (Examiner)

Comment

DCPS needs more than money to attract top teachers (Nov 8, 2011)
Public officials choosing private schools: is it our business? (Jun 13, 2011)
DC Council and OSSE dragging feet on community schools (Jan 10, 2012)
National teachers' union being constructive on performance (Feb 27, 2011)
(Some) DC teachers want to vote; (some) NY teachers want to park (Oct 13, 2008)

DC Council and OSSE dragging feet on community schools

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:01:00 EDT

by Celine Tobal

When the DC Council gave control of the schools to the mayor in 2007, the law required DC to create community schools, but there has been little progress since. The Council can rectify this problem by passing a proposed law to create incentives for community schools.

Photo by Daquella manera on Flickr.

Community schools are schools that provide after-hours services to students and their families and communities. The idea is that schools, particularly those in disadvantaged areas, should address obstacles to learning such as student health and excessive unstructured time.

A hearing on the DC Community Schools Incentive Act that would finally implement the rest of the 2007 legislation was scheduled for December 14, and it looked like this missing piece of school reform would finally be implemented. However, the hearing was abruptly cancelled with only 3 hours notice.

DC Council Chair Kwame Brown said he had to cancel the hearing because the DC State Superintendent of Education, Hosanna Mahaley, cancelled that morning. When she skipped the hearing, national experts, grandparents, teachers and students who spent days memorizing their testimony showed up for no reason.

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is central to the creation of community schools, and Mahaley had confirmed before Thanksgiving that she would attend the hearing.

The Coalition for Community Schools defines a community school as a school that partners with community resources to "[integrate] academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and civic engagement."

Community schools are open 7 days a week during the day and evening to encourage involvement from families and the community.

Community schools are traditional schools that also offer programs and services for their students, their parents and the surrounding community. They may include: before- and after-school programs for their students, family-support centers and adult enrichment classes on topics, such as parenting, employment, and housing, and medical, dental and mental-health services.

Community schools report gains in academic and nonacademic areas, which impact academic achievement. Research also suggests that students in community schools have higher attendance rates and their families "show increased family stability, communication with teachers, school involvement, and a greater sense of responsibility for their children's learning."

One year after the passing of this act, OSSE would administer multi-year award grants to establish "no less than 5 new community schools (at public schools or public charter schools)."

OSSE would also establish and administer the Community Schools Fund "to fund the operation of the initiative, and to ensure the District of Columbia becomes eligible to receive federal and private dollars in support of community schools."

If DCPS and OSSE are committed to increasing educational outcomes for all children in Washington, DC, they need to further demonstrate that they support the passing of the Community Schools Incentive Act.

The DC Council hearing on the DC Community Schools Incentive Act has been rescheduled for January 31st at 4:30pm. Let the DC Council and OSSE know that school reform is not just about teachers and buildings, but is also about students and their obstacles to learning outside of the classroom.

7 comments

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