Mary Cheh backs Tricia Duncan for Ward 3 Councilmember

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How has Henry Cohen, the high school student in the race, been doing?

Once the initial novelty of his candidacy wore off, he became a non-entity.

[Anonymous]

So maybe you should run and try to beat her. The fact is, she is an elected official and has been re-elected, so people are pretty happy with her representation.

You seem bitter that she is supporting Frumin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So maybe you should run and try to beat her. The fact is, she is an elected official and has been re-elected, so people are pretty happy with her representation.

You seem bitter that she is supporting Frumin.

What makes you think I'm not supporting Frumin? An endorsement from Ruth Wattenberg doesn't raise him in my estimation. I don't penalize him for it since I view her decision as being informed by noise and little else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She has said she was only supporting a woman.

And the release is that she is voting for Tricia, but she made it clear it is not an endorsement.

Is there a political science major in the house who can explain that distinction?

It is distinction that is meaningless but meant to make her friends that didn't receive her endorsement feel better. We can all parse this language.

This is the most Mary Cheh thing ever. Will anyone miss her?

I will. I fought with Mary from time to time, but she always had integrity. She has character and was fit for office. Never worrying that some slimy scandal would ensnare her is worth a future, as voters will soon learn if they elect Eric Goulet. Goulet comes from the wing of DC politics with little care for the legality of actions/behaviors.

I will as well. Same as you, I disagreed with her often, but also immensely respected her and the hard work she always put into her job. Being the CM from Ward 3 is not easy, as you have to balance the interests of your wealthy, white ward with what is best for all of DC. Her focus on improving public transit, making DC more sustainable and green, and supporting public schools was really amazing, and she will be missed.

I don't agree entirely with any of the Ward 3 candidates running (just like I didn't with Cheh), but there are clearly worse ones and better ones. It would be disastrous to have Goulet win the nomination. I think I will be voting for Duncan, but the primary is still a month away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She has said she was only supporting a woman.

And the release is that she is voting for Tricia, but she made it clear it is not an endorsement.

Is there a political science major in the house who can explain that distinction?

It is distinction that is meaningless but meant to make her friends that didn't receive her endorsement feel better. We can all parse this language.

This is the most Mary Cheh thing ever. Will anyone miss her?

I will. I fought with Mary from time to time, but she always had integrity. She has character and was fit for office. Never worrying that some slimy scandal would ensnare her is worth a future, as voters will soon learn if they elect Eric Goulet. Goulet comes from the wing of DC politics with little care for the legality of actions/behaviors.

I will as well. Same as you, I disagreed with her often, but also immensely respected her and the hard work she always put into her job. Being the CM from Ward 3 is not easy, as you have to balance the interests of your wealthy, white ward with what is best for all of DC. Her focus on improving public transit, making DC more sustainable and green, and supporting public schools was really amazing, and she will be missed.

I don't agree entirely with any of the Ward 3 candidates running (just like I didn't with Cheh), but there are clearly worse ones and better ones. It would be disastrous to have Goulet win the nomination. I think I will be voting for Duncan, but the primary is still a month away.

Cheh's aloofness on the Palisades Trolley Trail issue - and failure to deal with Georgetown University's concerns - was very frustrating. And, strangely, it's an issue that all candidates - including Goulet - seems to agree on. But on most other issues, she did well. Her staff is great and they are genuinely motivated in solving their constituents' problems. I would take Cheh not just over any of the contenders but the entire field combined.

[Anonymous]

I agree that Goulet is an outlier among his fellow candidates. Supporting a football stadium, and being a shill for the Chamber of Commerce is a horrible look.

I will be supporting Frumin, because I think he has the most organic support in the Ward and has the best chance of ensuring that Goulet doesn't win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that Goulet is an outlier among his fellow candidates. Supporting a football stadium, and being a shill for the Chamber of Commerce is a horrible look.

I will be supporting Frumin, because I think he has the most organic support in the Ward and has the best chance of ensuring that Goulet doesn't win.

Frumin has solid credentials but his campaign has been disappointing to many who know him well and had higher hopes. He didn't lose a lot of time in pandering to the Foxhall NIMBYs by offering to pursue alternatives to Foxhall Elementary that he knows (or at least should know) have been tried and were found to be infeasible. The leader of the Save Hardy Park campaign had a Frumin sign on his yard before he replaced with a Goulet sign following their meet-and-greet last Friday. Then there's this silly stuff with the ice rink. Frumin's trying to be everyone to everybody, which makes it very hard to know what he would do if he was elected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that Goulet is an outlier among his fellow candidates. Supporting a football stadium, and being a shill for the Chamber of Commerce is a horrible look.

I will be supporting Frumin, because I think he has the most organic support in the Ward and has the best chance of ensuring that Goulet doesn't win.

Frumin has solid credentials but his campaign has been disappointing to many who know him well and had higher hopes. He didn't lose a lot of time in pandering to the Foxhall NIMBYs by offering to pursue alternatives to Foxhall Elementary that he knows (or at least should know) have been tried and were found to be infeasible. The leader of the Save Hardy Park campaign had a Frumin sign on his yard before he replaced with a Goulet sign following their meet-and-greet last Friday. Then there's this silly stuff with the ice rink. Frumin's trying to be everyone to everybody, which makes it very hard to know what he would do if he was elected.

I actually read Frumin's description of the Foxhall situation, and my sense is that he feels there are alternatives to wasting money on boondoggle facilities and splitting up Glover Park. If the Foxhall people, who all appear to be going to the Goulet camp, feel that is aligned, that is their perrogative, but in talking to him, it is clear Frumin was at that place long before Cheh even pulled out of the race. You can ask others in the Ward 3 education community, many of them oppose this solution.

And I am not sure what is silly about an ice rink in Friendship Heights. The closest sheets are at Cabin John or ft Dupont. For the number of kids who play hockey or families who would like to skate, it would be very well supported. I don't see that being all things to all people. It is a single, concrete suggestion for an area that is going to be totally remade over the next decade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that Goulet is an outlier among his fellow candidates. Supporting a football stadium, and being a shill for the Chamber of Commerce is a horrible look.

I will be supporting Frumin, because I think he has the most organic support in the Ward and has the best chance of ensuring that Goulet doesn't win.

Frumin has solid credentials but his campaign has been disappointing to many who know him well and had higher hopes. He didn't lose a lot of time in pandering to the Foxhall NIMBYs by offering to pursue alternatives to Foxhall Elementary that he knows (or at least should know) have been tried and were found to be infeasible. The leader of the Save Hardy Park campaign had a Frumin sign on his yard before he replaced with a Goulet sign following their meet-and-greet last Friday. Then there's this silly stuff with the ice rink. Frumin's trying to be everyone to everybody, which makes it very hard to know what he would do if he was elected.

I actually read Frumin's description of the Foxhall situation, and my sense is that he feels there are alternatives to wasting money on boondoggle facilities and splitting up Glover Park. If the Foxhall people, who all appear to be going to the Goulet camp, feel that is aligned, that is their perrogative, but in talking to him, it is clear Frumin was at that place long before Cheh even pulled out of the race. You can ask others in the Ward 3 education community, many of them oppose this solution.

And I am not sure what is silly about an ice rink in Friendship Heights. The closest sheets are at Cabin John or ft Dupont. For the number of kids who play hockey or families who would like to skate, it would be very well supported. I don't see that being all things to all people. It is a single, concrete suggestion for an area that is going to be totally remade over the next decade.

That he is spreading the lie that Foxhall Elementary will require Glover Park to be split up is disqualifying in itself. Do we really need to rehash that here?

And the Ward 3 education community consists of who now? Ruth Wattenberg and the Stoddert PTO? Please. This beggar-thy-neighbor walkable-schools-for-us-but-not-Foxhallers is incredibly lame. There was a CWG, in case you missed it, that endorsed Foxhall Elementary. I believe that comprised what passes for representatives of the Ward 3 education community.

An ice hockey rink is great for those who skate. But can we devote a whole lot of other precious land and money to other niche hobbies? How about an airfield so the kids who want to learn to fly don’t have to travel all the way to Manassas. It’s a lot further than Ballston and the very nice rink that is there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She has said she was only supporting a woman.

And the release is that she is voting for Tricia, but she made it clear it is not an endorsement.

Is there a political science major in the house who can explain that distinction?

It is distinction that is meaningless but meant to make her friends that didn't receive her endorsement feel better. We can all parse this language.

This is the most Mary Cheh thing ever. Will anyone miss her?

I will. I fought with Mary from time to time, but she always had integrity. She has character and was fit for office. Never worrying that some slimy scandal would ensnare her is worth a future, as voters will soon learn if they elect Eric Goulet. Goulet comes from the wing of DC politics with little care for the legality of actions/behaviors.

I will as well. Same as you, I disagreed with her often, but also immensely respected her and the hard work she always put into her job. Being the CM from Ward 3 is not easy, as you have to balance the interests of your wealthy, white ward with what is best for all of DC. Her focus on improving public transit, making DC more sustainable and green, and supporting public schools was really amazing, and she will be missed.

I don't agree entirely with any of the Ward 3 candidates running (just like I didn't with Cheh), but there are clearly worse ones and better ones. It would be disastrous to have Goulet win the nomination. I think I will be voting for Duncan, but the primary is still a month away.

Cheh's aloofness on the Palisades Trolley Trail issue - and failure to deal with Georgetown University's concerns - was very frustrating. And, strangely, it's an issue that all candidates - including Goulet - seems to agree on. But on most other issues, she did well. Her staff is great and they are genuinely motivated in solving their constituents' problems. I would take Cheh not just over any of the contenders but the entire field combined.

What do you mean "failure to deal with Georgetown University's concerns?" It was Georgetown that got DDOT to scuttle the trail in their 2019 feasibility study.

Goulet's wife works for Georgetown and is part of the team that is working on the trail issues. I'm sure the university's "concerns" will be dealt with if he wins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How has Henry Cohen, the high school student in the race, been doing?

Once the initial novelty of his candidacy wore off, he became a non-entity.

I always enjoy his participation in the online debates. But I'm not voting for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that Goulet is an outlier among his fellow candidates. Supporting a football stadium, and being a shill for the Chamber of Commerce is a horrible look.

I will be supporting Frumin, because I think he has the most organic support in the Ward and has the best chance of ensuring that Goulet doesn't win.

Frumin has solid credentials but his campaign has been disappointing to many who know him well and had higher hopes. He didn't lose a lot of time in pandering to the Foxhall NIMBYs by offering to pursue alternatives to Foxhall Elementary that he knows (or at least should know) have been tried and were found to be infeasible. The leader of the Save Hardy Park campaign had a Frumin sign on his yard before he replaced with a Goulet sign following their meet-and-greet last Friday. Then there's this silly stuff with the ice rink. Frumin's trying to be everyone to everybody, which makes it very hard to know what he would do if he was elected.

I actually read Frumin's description of the Foxhall situation, and my sense is that he feels there are alternatives to wasting money on boondoggle facilities and splitting up Glover Park. If the Foxhall people, who all appear to be going to the Goulet camp, feel that is aligned, that is their perrogative, but in talking to him, it is clear Frumin was at that place long before Cheh even pulled out of the race. You can ask others in the Ward 3 education community, many of them oppose this solution.

And I am not sure what is silly about an ice rink in Friendship Heights. The closest sheets are at Cabin John or ft Dupont. For the number of kids who play hockey or families who would like to skate, it would be very well supported. I don't see that being all things to all people. It is a single, concrete suggestion for an area that is going to be totally remade over the next decade.

That he is spreading the lie that Foxhall Elementary will require Glover Park to be split up is disqualifying in itself. Do we really need to rehash that here?

And the Ward 3 education community consists of who now? Ruth Wattenberg and the Stoddert PTO? Please. This beggar-thy-neighbor walkable-schools-for-us-but-not-Foxhallers is incredibly lame. There was a CWG, in case you missed it, that endorsed Foxhall Elementary. I believe that comprised what passes for representatives of the Ward 3 education community.

An ice hockey rink is great for those who skate. But can we devote a whole lot of other precious land and money to other niche hobbies? How about an airfield so the kids who want to learn to fly don’t have to travel all the way to Manassas. It’s a lot further than Ballston and the very nice rink that is there.

I was on the CWG and agree with this completely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that Goulet is an outlier among his fellow candidates. Supporting a football stadium, and being a shill for the Chamber of Commerce is a horrible look.

I will be supporting Frumin, because I think he has the most organic support in the Ward and has the best chance of ensuring that Goulet doesn't win.

Frumin has solid credentials but his campaign has been disappointing to many who know him well and had higher hopes. He didn't lose a lot of time in pandering to the Foxhall NIMBYs by offering to pursue alternatives to Foxhall Elementary that he knows (or at least should know) have been tried and were found to be infeasible. The leader of the Save Hardy Park campaign had a Frumin sign on his yard before he replaced with a Goulet sign following their meet-and-greet last Friday. Then there's this silly stuff with the ice rink. Frumin's trying to be everyone to everybody, which makes it very hard to know what he would do if he was elected.

And I am not sure what is silly about an ice rink in Friendship Heights. The closest sheets are at Cabin John or ft Dupont. For the number of kids who play hockey or families who would like to skate, it would be very well supported. I don't see that being all things to all people. It is a single, concrete suggestion for an area that is going to be totally remade over the next decade.

Any land big enough to support an ice rink would be better utilized as a new school. According to the Crowding Working Group the area west of Rock Creek needs a new high school, a new middle school and two new elementary schools. Even if Foxhall and MacArthur both get built we're still down two schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that Goulet is an outlier among his fellow candidates. Supporting a football stadium, and being a shill for the Chamber of Commerce is a horrible look.

I will be supporting Frumin, because I think he has the most organic support in the Ward and has the best chance of ensuring that Goulet doesn't win.

Frumin has solid credentials but his campaign has been disappointing to many who know him well and had higher hopes. He didn't lose a lot of time in pandering to the Foxhall NIMBYs by offering to pursue alternatives to Foxhall Elementary that he knows (or at least should know) have been tried and were found to be infeasible. The leader of the Save Hardy Park campaign had a Frumin sign on his yard before he replaced with a Goulet sign following their meet-and-greet last Friday. Then there's this silly stuff with the ice rink. Frumin's trying to be everyone to everybody, which makes it very hard to know what he would do if he was elected.

I actually read Frumin's description of the Foxhall situation, and my sense is that he feels there are alternatives to wasting money on boondoggle facilities and splitting up Glover Park. If the Foxhall people, who all appear to be going to the Goulet camp, feel that is aligned, that is their perrogative, but in talking to him, it is clear Frumin was at that place long before Cheh even pulled out of the race. You can ask others in the Ward 3 education community, many of them oppose this solution.

Saying there are alternatives without naming them is like Nixon's "secret plan" to end the Vietnam War.

In the debate over Foxhall, you have people on one side who say, "there must be a better location." These are people who haven't spent any time looking at alternatives, and many of whom have only the barest notion of how DCPS works or even what a neighborhood public school is. On the other side you have people saying "this location may not be great but it's the best we have." Those tend to be people who have spend years and in some cases decades working on public education issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She has said she was only supporting a woman.

And the release is that she is voting for Tricia, but she made it clear it is not an endorsement.

Is there a political science major in the house who can explain that distinction?

It is distinction that is meaningless but meant to make her friends that didn't receive her endorsement feel better. We can all parse this language.

This is the most Mary Cheh thing ever. Will anyone miss her?

I will. I fought with Mary from time to time, but she always had integrity. She has character and was fit for office. Never worrying that some slimy scandal would ensnare her is worth a future, as voters will soon learn if they elect Eric Goulet. Goulet comes from the wing of DC politics with little care for the legality of actions/behaviors.

I will as well. Same as you, I disagreed with her often, but also immensely respected her and the hard work she always put into her job. Being the CM from Ward 3 is not easy, as you have to balance the interests of your wealthy, white ward with what is best for all of DC. Her focus on improving public transit, making DC more sustainable and green, and supporting public schools was really amazing, and she will be missed.

I don't agree entirely with any of the Ward 3 candidates running (just like I didn't with Cheh), but there are clearly worse ones and better ones. It would be disastrous to have Goulet win the nomination. I think I will be voting for Duncan, but the primary is still a month away.

Cheh's aloofness on the Palisades Trolley Trail issue - and failure to deal with Georgetown University's concerns - was very frustrating. And, strangely, it's an issue that all candidates - including Goulet - seems to agree on. But on most other issues, she did well. Her staff is great and they are genuinely motivated in solving their constituents' problems. I would take Cheh not just over any of the contenders but the entire field combined.

What do you mean "failure to deal with Georgetown University's concerns?" It was Georgetown that got DDOT to scuttle the trail in their 2019 feasibility study.

Goulet's wife works for Georgetown and is part of the team that is working on the trail issues. I'm sure the university's "concerns" will be dealt with if he wins.

I know GU scuttled the trail. There is a case to be made that they did so shadily that Cheh could have done nothing about it, but she at least could have called GU out on their very shitty behavior. She hasn’t said a word about it.

I’ve Goulet propose the PTT as a solution to the access issues for MacArthur HS. I guess he’s waiting for their campaign donation.