Posts about Politics

Garagiola continues to represent the values of smart growth and sustainable policies in Annapolis, most recently as State Senate majority leader. In 2006, Garagiola prevented the closure of 4 MARC stations, including 2 in his district. He established and serves on the blue ribbon commission which came up with transportation funding recommen­dations last year, including increasing the gas tax.

Garagiola has sponsored legislation establishing programs to encourage the use of solar energy and clean energy. He also supports the Corridor Cities Transitway, the Purple Line, and Montgomery County's Agricultural Reserve.

Many of his ideas are directly in line with policies advocated on Greater Greater Washington. He's also been endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club, as well as MoveOn.org and labor unions.

In contrast, Delaney has never run for public office, does not live in the new district, and has contributed $2,400 to Andy Harris, the Republican candidate who defeated one-term Democratic Congressman Frank Kratovil in Maryland 1st district in 2010.

While being or supporting a Republican does not disqualify anyone from receiving Greater Greater Washington's endorsement and we have endorsed Republicans in local races, the GOP leadership in Congress has lately demonstrated a strong hostility to urban living and any policies which help urban areas.

Delaney has, however, received two major endorsements. First, the Washington Post endorsed him last week, citing his business experience (and Garagiola's sponsorship of legislation supported by teachers' unions). Second, Bill Clinton endorsed him, after Delaney raised more than $800,000 for Hillary Clinton in the 2008 presidential race.

Based on Garagiola's record of advancing smart growth and sustainable policies, and Delaney's lack of a legislative record, we encourage Democratic voters in Maryland's 6th Congressional district to vote for Rob Garagiola in the primary on April 3.

This is the official endorsement of Greater Greater Washington, written by one or more contributors. Active contributors and editors voted on endorsements, and any endorsement reflects a strong majority or greater in favor of endorsing the candidate.

If you can't make it in person, I have arranged for someone to video record and webcast the forum. I'll post the live stream here on Greater Greater Washington, and then we'll have the archived video later this week.

How to write [blog posts] well, on Monday

Would you be interested in writing for Greater Greater Washington? We're always looking for people interested in becoming contributors, especially folks to write about issues in Northern Virginia, about education in DC or elsewhere, or many other topics. Or, perhaps you write, or want to write, for another blog.

Writing for a blog is not the same as writing a planning document, academic transportation paper, or many other things. Blog posts need to be short, to the point, and attention-grabbing. Greater Greater Washington editors work with many of our contributors to take raw material of posts and make them into good blog posts.

I'm giving a free talk on Monday, March 19th on how to write for blogs (and some lessons which help with other types of writing, as well). It's 6:30-8 pm at the West End Library, in the small meeting room.

If you're interested in contributing to Greater Greater Washington but can't attend, email us at info@ggwash.org. Thank you!

Reservation 13 public meeting

Mayor Gray promised residents on both sides of the Anacostia that he would come to a public meeting and hear from residents about his plan to give away DC's best opportunity for a new mixed-use neighborhood to a cranky and litigious billionaire football team owner for practice fields closed to the public.

He's just rescheduled that meeting to Thursday, March 22 at 7 pm. Local leaders are working on finalizing a location (they had a site for the original date, the following week). Check back on the Greater Greater Washington calendar for updates.

There's also an information meeting on Monday, March 19 to inform residents about the history of Reservation 13 and what the master plan actually says (which isn't necessarily the same as what Jack Evans says).

And more...

• Downtown DC Kids is having a meeting to organize for a downtown playground on Wednesday, March 14 at 6 pm.
  
• The forum on sexual harassment on Metro is on Thursday, March 22 at 7 pm.
  
• 3 local planners will discuss federal design at NCPC on Thursday, March 29 at 6:30 pm.
  
• There's more on our complete calendar.

Have an event for the calendar? Email it to info@ggwash.org.

The biggest beneficiary of Thompson's cash has been my opponent, Mr. Orange. Included in the last bundle from the special election was $26,000 in money orders, all over a two-day period from all over the country. These are mostly the very same "contributors" who gave to the Gray campaign in a two-day period in June 2010.

Sources have indicated in the press that this is likely why the feds are investigating Mayor Gray's campaign finances: the possibility that these were "straw man" donors, which is a criminal act.

We can't hope to solve the big problems until we have a government people can trust and believe in. As such, ethics reform must be the top priority. I fully support ending corporate contributions to local campaigns, eliminating constituent services funds, and prohibiting councilmembers from holding outside employment. The distorting influence is clear—you can read about it almost every day in the Metro section or on the editorial page of the Washington Post.

We also need greater transparency for campaigns and political action committees. As long as there is money in politics, we need to know where it is coming from and how it is being spent. It's unacceptable to have a system where those receiving huge government contracts are also funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars to councilmembers.

Jobs

Our city is also facing a jobs crisis. There is a stunning lack of urgency among our leaders on the topic of unemployment. With nearly 30% unemployment in Ward 8, we can't wait to act. This situation needs to be turned around quickly. But, this isn't just about jobs. This is about careers. This is about building a workforce in our neighborhoods.

Unfortunately, just as we have limited accountability with our city's economic development incentives, we have equally poor accountability regarding government support for non-profits. As the DC Fiscal Policy Institute's chart on the Department of Employment Services and related spending shows, there is no rhyme or reason to our job training efforts. We need to focus on specific industries such as technology, hospitality, and retail.

We need a strong workforce intermediary, a public/private/non-profit partnership that will be much more nimble and innovative in matching the needs of the employers with curricula of the non-profits and the skills of the population. And we need all of this right now. Giving people a way to make their own living, with a real career, is the best way to lower poverty, decrease crime and even improve public education.

Education

Of course, to get at the root of our employment problems we must improve education, both for children and adults. I agree with Chancellor Henderson that we are continuing to make progress in our schools. We can't let up, but we can't think of education as a standalone issue. All children in the District deserve access to a first-class public education system. We need to continue the drive for teacher development and accountability, and we also need to do the same for principals.

We have examples of great success, such as the DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative. But, we also need to understand where the Council's role best fits in education. I have no intention of micromanaging our schools, but I do promise to do everything I can to keep administrators and teachers accountable.

To this end, I am calling for a reinstatement of an Education Committee on the Council, instead of leaving education to the Committee of the Whole, where the issue becomes a political football. In a committee, members can dig deeper into the issue and collaborate and cooperate to provide the healthiest oversight for the system.

And more

Additionally, we need to do more to promote small businesses in the District. Small businesses provide jobs and drive economic growth in our neighborhoods. I support a comprehensive initiative to streamline our city's regulatory processes so we can help start more small businesses and help them grow. Starting a business is tough enough as it is and we don't need our broken bureaucracy making it harder or costlier.

We have a lot of work to do in the District. We have much left undone with respect to encouraging affordable housing development and implementing inclusionary zoning. I'm committed to bringing real progress on those fronts. I also see so much potential for building strong, healthy neighborhoods and creating great places, especially in parts of the city that have struggled to attract reinvestment and along our future streetcar corridors. We need to take a long hard look at how we can make these communities work better for the residents who live there. We have no excuses to not do so.

During my time on the Prince George's County Council, I helped champion the Gateway Arts District along Route 1. This was no easy task, and it involved spending a lot of time developing relationships and building trust with those in the community. It also meant focusing on getting results, and making sure all of the stakeholders felt represented, heard, and respected. As your at-large Councilmember, I will use this experience as a model for the District.

I believe that it is possible for a pragmatic progressive to win elections and achieve real results. I know this because I have done it. I know that it's vital to have legislators who can work with their colleagues, and also with those in the community. It's about cooperation and results. It's not about who can take credit.

The election on April 3 is our chance to reject the politics that have brought our government to a standstill. This is an opportunity to say no more to a Council that is petty, ineffective, and downright corrupt. We can send a clear message to those who would stand by and defend their fundraising while hiding the details and running from reporters.

The people of the District deserve better than that. We need leaders who are willing to lead for the sake of their constituents. With your help, and your vote, we can turn the tide and get the Council working again.

Learn more at Shapiro2012.com
Communicate at peter@shapiro2012.com and 202-640-1992
Follow me on Twitter @petershapiro
Like me on Facebook

Peter Shapiro is an at-large candidate for the DC Council. The views in this article are his and do not necessarily represent those of Greater Greater Washington. We invite all candidates running for the DC Council to share their views with our community, but reserve the right to edit posts to fit our content and format rules. If you are a candidate and would like to submit an article, please contact elections@ggwash.org.

Please suggest your questions in the comments, and if you really like another one, submit a comment saying so. Please think about how a candidate might answer or how they might avoid answering a given item, and see if you can design your question to push them to give a good answer. I'll pick some of the best ones for the forum.

Plus, I hope you can attend the forum on Tuesday! It's free and open to the public. It's mostly standing room, with some limited seating for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. An informal reception afterward with complimentary appetizers and a cash bar will follow at the nearby Café Saint-Ex, 1847 14th Street, NW.

The forum is cosponsored by Borderstan, the Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission, the Dupont Circle Citizens Association, the Dupont Circle Merchants and Professionals Association, Dupont Circle Village, Dupont Festival, Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets, the Logan Circle Community Association, the Meridian Hill Association, and the U Street Neighborhood Association.

Fearer and Brown are both part of the "51st State for Obama" slate. A number of candidates have formed slates, though slates have no official standing, and anyone is free to vote for whomever they like.

There are a few particularly recognizable names, but ones which voters should be wary of choosing: Councilmembers Marion Barry (Ward 8) and Jack Evans (Ward 2). They made some news yesterday with a controversial plan to bus supporters to the caucus.

There are delegate slots reserved specifically for elected officials, but these 3 councilmembers are also running against the masses, likely hoping to get into the convention without a fight over those other slots. Evans has been a delegate at all but one convention since 1992 and Barry is no stranger to the event.

Chuck Thies points out that sending Barry, in particular, creates a real danger of some sort of scandal distracting press coverage of the convention. That would remind national viewers of a side of DC that most residents would prefer not to emphasize, at a time when DC has so many positive aspects the delegates can highlight.

The national party conventions are a unique event that will surely be a thrill for those selected to attend. They will also provide a rare opportunity to tell DC's story and argue for full representation to engaged activists from around the country.

Ward 5 is home to massive big box development with large surface parking lots, fast-moving commuter roads like Rhode Island and New York Avenues, busy intersections, and has perhaps the least amount of bicycle infrastructure and Capital Bikeshare coverage in the city.

Yet it also has three Red Line Metro stops and the Met Branch trail, and room for new transit-oriented development. McDuffie also mentioned a priority of "solving traffic problems" associated with development. I hope that he, and other candidates in Ward 5, understand the benefits of changes which slow down cars but benefit travel by transit, on foot and by bicycle.

Ward 1 and Capitol Hill provide good examples of residential and retail density with bike infrastucture that create desirable destinations and connections between adjacent communities. The tree-lined streets of residential Ward 5 can have the best of both worlds—good urbanism while preserving a sense of suburban tranquility.

McDuffie has made education a key point of his candidacy, creating an education priorities page on his website. He says he will "tackle truancy," "prepare students for higher education," and "increase vocational programs."

At a recent meet-and-greet, someone asked about the disposition of vacant or underutilized DCPS school buildings. McDuffie gave what I consider the "correct" answer without hesitating: make sure that operators who have shown themselves to be effective at educating kids have a fair crack at the buildings, and if that avenue is exhausted, seek a deal that is good for the city in terms of generating the most revenue.

As with most campaign platforms, the lofty pronouncements may be on the right track but don't delve into as much detail. It's easy to promise to address big problems, but harder to specify exactly how, (or how to pay for any changes). The challenge for voters is to read between the lines and guess what the candidates will do if and when they sit on the council.

The education priorities page does not address school modernization, school funding, or the equity and adequacy issues raised in the recent DC Public Education Finance Reform Commission report (and covered in the Washington Post). It also does not address any of the various education proposals that Kwame Brown has floated in the past few weeks. Will McDuffie side with Brown or take a different approach? What about the other Ward 5 hopefuls?

I look forward to hearing more about the specifics of McDuffie's views, and what the other Ward 5 candidates and at-large candidates running in the April primary have to say. I hope they will write position papers on their website, post on this blog, and even engage with voters in comments.

I know I am not alone when I say I am embarrassed and frustrated by the current state of politics, or more accurately, the current crop of elected officials. I am in this race because I believe that strong leadership, connected to the citizens, can create pride and faith in our local government. But more importantly, I believe that we need strong leadership to address the challenges that face our city and its residents.

Regardless of ward, age, race or income what I hear from people is that we can do better as a city and a government. The conversations I'm having at community meetings, on front stoops, in the grocery store or at my boys' soccer games are the same ones that my parents were having 20 or 30 years ago about this city.

I am running because I am determined that my children won't have the same conversations 20 years from now.

Ethics

Continued ethics reform is a necessary part of moving our city forward. After the ethics bill passed in December it was clear that not enough had been done to remove conflicts of interest and potential for abuse. We must ban corporate contributions to prevent owners of multiple interests from skirting donation limits. All campaign contributions need stronger disclosure requirements particularly from individuals with contracts with the DC Government. If we really want to end pay to play we need to end constituent service funds as well.

Until we pass comprehensive ethics reform, we will be distracted from the other pressing issues facing the District. Issues such as education, affordable housing, public safety, and job creation are the keys to success in people's lives day to day.

This cycle of paying lip service to reform, improvements, and good government has to stop. We need to stop electing politicians who treat every vote like a zero-sum game assuming that we have to pit neighborhoods, income brackets, races, and native Washingtonian status against one another.

We have to start electing leaders who will work for all residents of the District and not their corporate backers hiding behind LLCs. We need proactive leaders who will both listen to the community and work to create a vision of where this city should be.

Education

We cannot lose momentum on education reform. The achievement gap between rich and poor, white and minority students, persists despite overall improvements in test scores. Where you live in this city unfortunately still often dictates the quality of education your child will receive. Education continues to be a major economic issue for the District. Good jobs and good schools go hand in hand.

The high rates of unemployment will not go down until we start to adequately prepare our children for the workforce through solid reading and math skills. Lack of literacy and employable skills continues to be a major impediment to many of our adult residents gaining meaningful employment. Too often we pour money into job training programs without evidence of success. Too many of our residents and neighborhoods are still burdened with chronic unemployment.

Affordable housing

We must ensure affordable housing is available to those who need it in the District. I regularly meet long time residents who face the very real prospect of moving out of the city. This is not just an issue that faces low-income residents, but also retirees and families whose property taxes on family homes have suddenly increased beyond their means.

The District's population is growing as more people realize what a wonderful place it is to live, and we should make sure that people of all income levels who want to live here can. To make this happen we must make investments in affordable housing, mixed-use communities, and enforce and support inclusionary zoning. This is essential to increasing our tax base as well.

I am running for DC Council at-large because these improvements and more will not happen until we have leaders who are focused on finding and implementing solutions for the challenges we face. I am committed to being one of those leaders.

I know improving our city will take more than just one elected official. I hope you join me on April 3 on this road back to electing a new, more responsive, government. Together, we can do better.

Learn more at www.sekoubiddle.org
Communicate at info@sekoubiddle.org and 202-213-9029
Follow me on Twitter @biddle2012 and @sekoubiddle
Like me on Facebook

Sekou Biddle is an at-large candidate for the DC Council. The views in this article are his and do not necessarily represent those of Greater Greater Washington. We invite all candidates running for the DC Council to share their views with our community, but reserve the right to edit posts to fit our content and format rules. If you are a candidate and would like to submit an article, please contact elections@ggwash.org.

However, Stroup was concerned with the fact that Peter Shapiro has more cash on hand with $73,652.94. How is this possible? Peter Shapiro has loaned his campaign $50,000. So if we are really talking about a fundraising advantage and gathering support, it is clear that Sekou Biddle is the one who has it.

Sekou Biddle also has more support in the District of Columbia. Donors from the District means votes in the District. 83% of Biddle's donors are from the District. Only 51% of Shapiro's donors are. Biddle also significantly outpaces Shapiro in the raw number of people who have donated to his campaign, in the District and overall. More than twice the number of District residents, 196 compared to 71, have donated to Biddle. Sekou also simply has more donors, 237 over 138.

So what does this mean? It means that Sekou has broader support in the District of Columbia. Many of the individual contributions are small, but that is because regular, hard working DC residents, not moneyed interests, are supporting his campaign. It also means his name recognition is higher and that people like what they hear enough to give. Sekou has also successfully won a seat for the State Board of Education in Wards 3 and 4, wards known for being rich in progressive votes.

Shapiro may have a history of public service in Prince George's County, and I applaud him for that. But in the District he has an almost complete lack of name recognition, financial support, record of service or record of voter participation to run on. That is not a situation that lends itself to a successful district-wide campaign in just under two months.

I am not asking Shapiro to drop out of the race and support Biddle. I am confident that our campaign organization and fundraising has us on the right track to win. But Stroup and others who think that we need to have only one progressive in this race might want to look at asking the candidate without grassroots support, name recognition, or a District record if he wouldn't mind stopping his efforts to buy an at-large council seat with his checkbook.

Over the course of the last two months, I have had the opportunity to sit down with both Biddle and Shapiro to discuss their respective campaigns. Biddle, who briefly held the at-large seat before losing in last April's special election, has simply not been able to put together a persuasive campaign.

During Biddle's last attempt, he proved unable to articulate a clear vision for DC and energize voters around his ideas. His campaign was also dragged down by endorsements from most of the DC political establishment at the same time the Sulaimon Brown and Navigator-gate scandals were breaking.

Biddle, to his credit, holds positions that are favorable to most progressives. He would be a solid vote in favor of many things we'd like to see, including stronger ethics and campaign finance rules. Unfortunately for Biddle, his campaign is mired with low fundraising numbers and internal problems. Recently, Biddle announced via email that his campaign manager—the former leader of the DC Republican Party—had departed.

He also still has not demonstrated a clear vision or solid positions, leaving potential supporters concerned he would repeat the mistakes of the last campaign. These factors, plus his tepid third place finish last April, show that he simply isn't positioned to defeat Orange.

Thankfully, Peter Shapiro provides an equally strong progressive candidacy, combined with fundraising and organizational prowess. Shapiro, who grew up in the District, served on the Prince George's County Council in Maryland before moving back to the District with his wife. Shapiro brings to this race years of experience both as a legislator, but also as an environmental activist and organizer.

Shapiro was tapped to join an ethics task force in Prince George's County, created in the wake of former county executive Jack Johnson's arrest on corruption charges. This experience gives Shapiro credentials for helping restore trust in the DC Council. Presently, Shapiro lives in Ward 4 and runs the Chesapeake Center for Public Leadership.

In a three-way race with 2 progressive candidates, Orange would very likely cruise to victory. While I don't doubt Biddle's commitment to improving the District, he has been unable to build a campaign that can win. It's time for Biddle to put the good of DC ahead of his own ambition, withdraw from the race, and support his fellow progressive.

Note: This is not an official endorsement in this race. Greater Greater Washington is an opinion site, and unless specifically designated as an endorsement, opinions posted here are the opinions of their individual authors and not necessarily of the site's editors or other contributors. We will likely post an official endorsement at a later point in the campaign.

Ward 8 residents have been disserviced for generations. Barry's policies keep the poor content with the status quo and few services that actually improve their lives. Ward 8 residents are tough, strong, and resilient, and they deserve a real choice in this election. I intend to give them one.

When I was elected Commissioner, many people thought that I couldn't produce change. They said I was too young. We proved them all wrong. Over 100 adults transitioned off of welfare and are now working and becoming homeowners.

We held parents accountable for their children's education by focusing on wraparound services and challenging our neighborhood schools to be creative in finding new avenues to get parents involved. Parents also took advantage of GED classes.

We repaved 60% of our streets and replaced 40% of our sidewalks. Zoning changes helped fix vacant properties and converted them to affordable housing. We helped unemployed residents find work and mentored young people.

In the past 7 years under this councilmember, we have moved backward. Unemployment has doubled to over 30%. We added 16,000 new families to TANF, and 26,000 families now received food stamps.

This is not progress or success and our ward deserves better. I believe in helping people get on their feet, but we need to encourage our residents with opportunities to become successful, rather than dependent.

There is no better social program then a good paying job with benefits, and when elected, my top priority will be getting Ward 8 working again. The potential we have in Ward 8 is undeniable. If DC can build baseball stadiums and give millions to Marriott to build hotels, then we can invest in putting our 17,000 unemployed residents to work.

Under my leadership as ANC chair, we led the fight in getting people working again. We were creative by holding neighborhood businesses accountable to hire locally. When Giant food wanted a liquor license, we mandated that they not only hire community residents, but train them continuously so that our residents can build their skills in this ever-changing workforce. Guess what? They did.

Under the Barry leadership, this government has made it too easy for people to get public assistance and harder to get a job. We will change that! We have made a career out of telling people what they want to hear and not what they need to hear. What is missing in Ward 8 is a public servant who will stand on their morals and values and character.

During campaign season you see people you never saw before. It's easy to talk now with the cameras and lights glaring, but where were many of these same people when we had our neighborhood cleanups, rallies, and organized for jobs.

For me, this race is about a better Ward 8. I was born and raised here, and I owe it to my community to give back, to make sure that children and families now have a better shot than when I was coming up.

It's time to create opportunity, by focusing on rebuilding our communities. Join me, because together we can move Ward 8 forward. If you stand or walk in Ward 8, you see the potential of our waterfront destination at Poplar Point. You see a ward where schools are being renovated, potholes are being refilled, police officers are walking the beat keeping our communities safe, and amenities are being brought to Ward 8.

You see that the future of Ward 8 is in front of us. We are the backbone of DC, from historic Anacostia to Congress Heights, from Garfield to Washington Highlands, and from Knox Hill to Bellevue, history lives here. Our best days lie ahead, and that is why when we stand together, the possibilities of what we can achieve are endless. Will you help us?

Learn more at www.darrellgaston.com
Communicate at darrell@darrellgaston.com or 202-656-4043
Follow me on Twitter @darrellgastondc
Like me on Facebook

Darrell Gaston is a candidate for the DC Council from Ward 8. The views in this article are his and do not necessarily represent those of Greater Greater Washington. We invite all candidates running for the DC Council to share their views with our community, but reserve the right to edit posts to fit our content and format rules. If you are a candidate and would like to submit an article, please contact elections@ggwash.org.