If Fenty Wins...

[Anonymous]

It’s hard to argue against a second Fenty term when he can point to improvements in DPW, DMV, DDOT, and the school system.

Its obvious Gray plans to fire Rhee, so why won't he stand up and say as much? Probably because such a decision is incredibly myopic and cynical, given all the progress the DCPS has made during her tenure. Is this what you want in a mayor? A man who is unwilling to commit, despite the fact that his position is obvious? A man who would sacrifice progress for politics?

If Fenty Wins, the DCPS and services will continue to improve.. and if he loses, well, Gray (someone who has been in politics forever and yet has not made a name for himself) will be busy trying to please the adults instead of focusing on the needs of the children.

[Anonymous]

Reminder: Fenty didn't tell voters he'd flipflopped and supported taking over the schools until the day after the primary four years ago.

[Anonymous]

Fenty is going to lose, and Rhee is going to quit.

[Anonymous]

Michelle Rhee, like every one of us, has professional strengths and weaknesses. If we judge her record on her own terms (test scores), results have been mixed.

I find her to be an admirable person in many ways, and I believe that she wants what's best for DCPS students. But despite her strengths, she may/may not have the requisite skills to best fulfill the mssion of improving DCPS curriculum and training DCPS teachers.

Chancelor Rhee may stay or go whatever the results of the election...and if she leaves DCPS, there are other professionals qualified to guide stage 3 (Janey having launched stage 1) of DCPS reform.

So I do not think that this sort of fear mongering is called for. What"s the point?

[Anonymous]

What is this career in politics with respect to Gray that OP speaks of?

Gray has been on the Council for 5 years, 2 as the Ward 7 representative and 3.5 has the Chair. He spent 4 years administering the DC Department of Health and Human Services in the Kelly Administration. Other than that, he has been running large non-profits etc. He is 67 yeaers old. Your assertion is wrong.

I would also add that Gray has made no announcement. However, Rhee has already stated she will not work for Gray. So much for having confidence in your program and desire to see it through - for the kids. Rhee is a relatively inexperienced administrator whose record to date is mixed.

She is not a panacea.

I would also add that the Mayoral election is about more than just DCPS. There are a large number of unanswered questions about the Mayors oversight of the budget and contracts awarded to friends and fraternity brothers who were unqualified to administer said contracts and yet have pocketed tens of millions of dollars of DC Taxpayer money.

Please, do not underestimate the scrutiny of the average DC voter who gets this.

One could argue that the Fenty supporters are simply drinking Rhee flavored Kool-Aid at the expense of any other issue.

[Anonymous]

Here's the thing.

Fenty is losing the race right now, DESPITE his accomplishments. That says a lot about the man, and what it says is not good. It's hard to piss so many people off when you are making progress. But he has managed to do it.

Unfortunately, he has only begun to acknowledge this problem when the polls showed him behind. So if he wins the primary, what's to say he won't go back to ignoring it again?

A lot of good politicians are brought down by a critical flaw. Fenty's is that he does not listen to his constituents. I think that he believes that listening equals pandering to them, or failing to get anything done. It doesn't. You can listen and still lead. He does not have the experience to understand this.

It's a terrible shame. I voted for him, and I had high hopes despite his lack of experience. But this has really done him in.

[Anonymous]

I'm going to be actually happy (sad really) when Gray wins and starts rolling back all the Fenty reforms. You want the One City etc, you'll get it. 1995 here we come.

[Anonymous]

Yep, Fenty's not very good at kissing ass. That's the kiss of death in local politics. Regardless of who wins the election in a couple of weeks, Fenty/Rhee will have forced through a new WTU contract, and fired a ton of dead-wood in DCPS.

That's pretty much a fait acompli, so even if Gray turns out to be a disaster, we'll have four years of consolidation before he's thrown out by the growing base of middle-class voters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to be actually happy (sad really) when Gray wins and starts rolling back all the Fenty reforms. You want the One City etc, you'll get it. 1995 here we come.

One of the things you hear over and over is that "some folks are being left behind" because "not everyone's getting their fair share". Perhaps the best thing to do would be to modify city funding so that funding is allocated to each ward in the same proportion as revenues taken in.

Surely that's the only way to make sure everyone gets their fair share.

[Anonymous]

What that means is that in a city that has the highest tax rate in the region, we will raise taxes even higher. Ward 2,3,4 get ready to pay even more to keep Ward 7 & 8 afloat. 3% unemployment in Ward 3 20% in ward 8. They blame Fenty for this, when we all know it's due to decades of "one city" Marion Barry politics.

[Anonymous]

Can someone please tell me what all of these "accomplishments" are that Fenty is claiming? Having spent my career in the corporate world, I am unfamiliar with his "CEO" style and his treatment of employees. I have never seen such blatent disrespect for employees. My husband works for the city. Despite what people think, these are extremely hard working people. I'm not suggesting that everyone is perfect - you have lazy people at large corporations also, but for the most part, they want to do a good job.

As for Michelle Rhee, I agree with a previous poster, she is a mixed bag. In addition, what about the very weak State Superintendent of Education that no one has ever heard of? Every federal dollar goes through OSSE. What does Victor Reinoso do?

To suggest such doom and gloom if Gray is elected is silly. The one thing that leaves me with a better feeling, is that his friends have already made it. Fenty's friends are begging for contracts all over the place. This is their time to make money. I don't see Fenty as being any different than Marion Barry when he was young. He made all of his friends rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Michelle Rhee, like every one of us, has professional strengths and weaknesses. If we judge her record on her own terms (test scores), results have been mixed.

I find her to be an admirable person in many ways, and I believe that she wants what's best for DCPS students. But despite her strengths, she may/may not have the requisite skills to best fulfill the mssion of improving DCPS curriculum and training DCPS teachers.

Chancelor Rhee may stay or go whatever the results of the election...and if she leaves DCPS, there are other professionals qualified to guide stage 3 (Janey having launched stage 1) of DCPS reform.

So I do not think that this sort of fear mongering is called for. What"s the point?

Well put, pp. A much more balanced response to the fear mongering OP than I would have written. Thank you.

Since when does a professional like Michelle Rhee become St. Michelle, the only entity capable of saving DC public schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm going to be actually happy (sad really) when Gray wins and starts rolling back all the Fenty reforms. You want the One City etc, you'll get it. 1995 here we come.

This is such a tired argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What that means is that in a city that has the highest tax rate in the region, we will raise taxes even higher. Ward 2,3,4 get ready to pay even more to keep Ward 7 & 8 afloat. 3% unemployment in Ward 3 20% in ward 8. They blame Fenty for this, when we all know it's due to decades of "one city" Marion Barry politics.

Ha ha -- wondered how long it would be before we see Marion Barry referenced!

[Anonymous]

Of course Michelle Rhee isn't good for DC schools. She's not Black, is breaking up the useless teachers union and forcing change. These people would rather have bad schools that educate 12th graders at a 5th grade level and get free handouts from the govt. It's much easier than having to actually work hard and pay taxes like the rest of us. Lazy. There I said it.