Can we start a Pragmatic Progressives party in DC?

[Anonymous]

People also try to claim these kids have no role models... they do, but they move out. The DMV is chock full of wealthy UMC black families with mcmansions, kids in private schools and top universities, and driveways and garages with Mercedes parked in them.

These kids need to hear from them, to learn they made it by staying in school, through hustle and hard work, staring a business and so on. They DID NOT get there by stealing cars, selling weed, or half-assed mumbling rap that lacks bar, flow, or much of any kind of talent. Nor did they get where they are by playing the victim, broadly gesturing around blaming redlining or systemic racism or whatever else. These delusional kids and their enablers need a reality call.

[Anonymous]

take the word "progressive" out. that is the problem. Maybe "common sense democrats" or "common sense centrists"- I am so fed up with out leftist extreme our council is. They are so out of touch with the core issues affecting their constituents. Nadeu may be the most clueless. Her focus is on legalizing all the crap vendors on 14th street who store their shit in tree boxes, block sidewalks and sell crap like detergent and deoderant. It looks like a homeless encampment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People also try to claim these kids have no role models... they do, but they move out. The DMV is chock full of wealthy UMC black families with mcmansions, kids in private schools and top universities, and driveways and garages with Mercedes parked in them.

These kids need to hear from them, to learn they made it by staying in school, through hustle and hard work, staring a business and so on. They DID NOT get there by stealing cars, selling weed, or half-assed mumbling rap that lacks bar, flow, or much of any kind of talent. Nor did they get where they are by playing the victim, broadly gesturing around blaming redlining or systemic racism or whatever else. These delusional kids and their enablers need a reality call.

The people you are describing hate inner city blacks in a way you could never possibly understand.

[Anonymous]

The entire system seems broken. Last week we had a DC Superior Court judge bemoaning DYRS not having capacity to house a juvenile she felt was unsafe to release, now this. DYRS is under the mayor, the Council exercises no effective oversight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People also try to claim these kids have no role models... they do, but they move out. The DMV is chock full of wealthy UMC black families with mcmansions, kids in private schools and top universities, and driveways and garages with Mercedes parked in them.

These kids need to hear from them, to learn they made it by staying in school, through hustle and hard work, staring a business and so on. They DID NOT get there by stealing cars, selling weed, or half-assed mumbling rap that lacks bar, flow, or much of any kind of talent. Nor did they get where they are by playing the victim, broadly gesturing around blaming redlining or systemic racism or whatever else. These delusional kids and their enablers need a reality call.

The people you are describing hate inner city blacks in a way you could never possibly understand.

Yeah many of them are full of resentment because they grew up side by side with those inner city blacks. But who better than to set the inner city blacks straight than the ones who got out of that life?

They sure as hell aren't going to listen to some white progressive egghead who grew up somewhere other than DC, who's trying to peddle their misguided "savior" syndrome

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you expect to perform such a sea change in the city with regards to job accessibility, which is key for the type of economic success and cultural transformation you want to see in COC, without addressing how people can safely travel this city without a car? You single out bike lanes for ridicule when in fact more bike lanes - or more accurately simply closing most streets to vehicles altogether - is the number one thing that would increase access to jobs and reduce crime and violence.

You are totally clueless how to fix this city.

I don't get the "job accessibility" argument. This city is full of jobs, and businesses are hiring Salvadorans who ride in from Falls Church or wherever else yet people try to claim that black kids in DCHA housing can't find a job. That's bullshit. The problem isn't lack of jobs, it's that these kids think jobs are for chumps and that instead they are going to make it by trapping, by rapping, they are living in delusional freecar culture and don't understand regular jobs and hustle. The sea change needs to happen in the community itself. Figures in that community need to step up and be disruptors, it's not going to happen from some bunch of eggheads pontificating in Council chambers.

1) DCHA has strict rules around illegal activity in their dwellings. You have NO idea what it is like to live in one of their properties when the kids with drugs show up. Suffice it to say, the police get those people out quickly, or as quickly as they can. they are not residents and the residents don't want them there.

2) the "eggheads" are providing money to get opportunity to those "trapping and rapping" kids you are complaining about. They need to see that there is a way out other than turning to crime.

3) there are plenty of white people dealing in drugs and guns all over the country. I don't see people like you complaining about them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Pragmatic progressive" is an oxymoron.

They used to be called traditional liberals. People who espoused liberal ideas but knew you couldn't blow up the world to get what you want. They took an incremental approach that was easier to implement, and generally more successful.

This. It's the Hilary Clinton approach, as compared to Bernie Sanders. Genuinely believe in progressive ideals, but cynical enough about people to know you are never going to convince a majority to choose progressive policy all at once-- you have to walk them into it slowly, convincing them it is in their self-interest as you go.

Yes the Hillary approach. Then kill all of the people around you who have dirt on you and Bill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you expect to perform such a sea change in the city with regards to job accessibility, which is key for the type of economic success and cultural transformation you want to see in COC, without addressing how people can safely travel this city without a car? You single out bike lanes for ridicule when in fact more bike lanes - or more accurately simply closing most streets to vehicles altogether - is the number one thing that would increase access to jobs and reduce crime and violence.

You are totally clueless how to fix this city.

I don't get the "job accessibility" argument. This city is full of jobs, and businesses are hiring Salvadorans who ride in from Falls Church or wherever else yet people try to claim that black kids in DCHA housing can't find a job. That's bullshit. The problem isn't lack of jobs, it's that these kids think jobs are for chumps and that instead they are going to make it by trapping, by rapping, they are living in delusional freecar culture and don't understand regular jobs and hustle. The sea change needs to happen in the community itself. Figures in that community need to step up and be disruptors, it's not going to happen from some bunch of eggheads pontificating in Council chambers.

1) DCHA has strict rules around illegal activity in their dwellings. You have NO idea what it is like to live in one of their properties when the kids with drugs show up. Suffice it to say, the police get those people out quickly, or as quickly as they can. they are not residents and the residents don't want them there.

2) the "eggheads" are providing money to get opportunity to those "trapping and rapping" kids you are complaining about. They need to see that there is a way out other than turning to crime.

3) there are plenty of white people dealing in drugs and guns all over the country. I don't see people like you complaining about them.

1. Get on social media, look at where the shootings are and so on, and you will find that many of the neighborhood crews are based in places like Syphax Gardens etc, and have been for years. Anyone who thinks that's not the case is clueless.

2. The eggheads think they have the answers but don't, they throw money around without coordinating, without really looking at outcomes, and without actually trying to use things that actually worked in other communities.

3. Yeah there are white dirt bags brewing meth and running guns and everything else, but we're talking about DC here. Failed deflection without a real point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you expect to perform such a sea change in the city with regards to job accessibility, which is key for the type of economic success and cultural transformation you want to see in COC, without addressing how people can safely travel this city without a car? You single out bike lanes for ridicule when in fact more bike lanes - or more accurately simply closing most streets to vehicles altogether - is the number one thing that would increase access to jobs and reduce crime and violence.

You are totally clueless how to fix this city.

OP here. The fact that you think bike lanes are "the number one thing" to reduce crime and violence is exactly the kind of idiotic thinking I'm talking about. And I'm not anti-bike lane! I'm just freaking tired of arguing about them and I don't think they are the most important thing the city can do.

You're probably a troll, I don't even know why I'm engaging.

If you only want to hear people who agree with your foolishness and discard any discussion of genuine solutions, then you’ll just be talking to yourself. Enjoy your company.

One only has to look at other world cities without a car culture where bicycles are an integral part of the individual transportation nexus to understand that literally every single one of these cities has far lower rates of crime than DC.

Omg this is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read. And it’s exactly OP’s point. You really have no room to call anyone foolish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you expect to perform such a sea change in the city with regards to job accessibility, which is key for the type of economic success and cultural transformation you want to see in COC, without addressing how people can safely travel this city without a car? You single out bike lanes for ridicule when in fact more bike lanes - or more accurately simply closing most streets to vehicles altogether - is the number one thing that would increase access to jobs and reduce crime and violence.

You are totally clueless how to fix this city.

I don't get the "job accessibility" argument. This city is full of jobs, and businesses are hiring Salvadorans who ride in from Falls Church or wherever else yet people try to claim that black kids in DCHA housing can't find a job. That's bullshit. The problem isn't lack of jobs, it's that these kids think jobs are for chumps and that instead they are going to make it by trapping, by rapping, they are living in delusional freecar culture and don't understand regular jobs and hustle. The sea change needs to happen in the community itself. Figures in that community need to step up and be disruptors, it's not going to happen from some bunch of eggheads pontificating in Council chambers.

1) DCHA has strict rules around illegal activity in their dwellings. You have NO idea what it is like to live in one of their properties when the kids with drugs show up. Suffice it to say, the police get those people out quickly, or as quickly as they can. they are not residents and the residents don't want them there.

2) the "eggheads" are providing money to get opportunity to those "trapping and rapping" kids you are complaining about. They need to see that there is a way out other than turning to crime.

3) there are plenty of white people dealing in drugs and guns all over the country. I don't see people like you complaining about them.

OP here and wow you have never spent any time in housing projects, I guess. I have. You have NO idea what you are talking about. Drug use is extremely common, it's just that people know how to hide it or will keep it out of the apartments. It's true DCHA will "get people out quickly" but the way this often works is that some grandmother gets evicted because her grandchild brought illegal drugs into their apartment.

If the progressives on the council were doing such a great job providing "opportunity" to these kids, then why are the issues getting worse? What kinds of opportunities are they providing to unhoused people? People who need mental health treatment?

I feel that the main opportunity provided by the left wing of the DC council is a chance for UMC white progressive in the city to pat themselves on the back for having the right political opinions. That's not something I care about and it doesn't improve my quality of life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Pragmatic progressive" is an oxymoron.

+1. Why is the term “progressive” so important to you OP? It’s a turn-off to many of the people you’re hoping to attract. Are you so afraid to drop it, afraid that you will lose your cred with people you think you need to impress, and yet in actuality are the root of many of the city’s problems?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you expect to perform such a sea change in the city with regards to job accessibility, which is key for the type of economic success and cultural transformation you want to see in COC, without addressing how people can safely travel this city without a car? You single out bike lanes for ridicule when in fact more bike lanes - or more accurately simply closing most streets to vehicles altogether - is the number one thing that would increase access to jobs and reduce crime and violence.

You are totally clueless how to fix this city.

OP here. The fact that you think bike lanes are "the number one thing" to reduce crime and violence is exactly the kind of idiotic thinking I'm talking about. And I'm not anti-bike lane! I'm just freaking tired of arguing about them and I don't think they are the most important thing the city can do.

You're probably a troll, I don't even know why I'm engaging.

If you only want to hear people who agree with your foolishness and discard any discussion of genuine solutions, then you’ll just be talking to yourself. Enjoy your company.

One only has to look at other world cities without a car culture where bicycles are an integral part of the individual transportation nexus to understand that literally every single one of these cities has far lower rates of crime than DC.

Omg this is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read. And it’s exactly OP’s point. You really have no room to call anyone foolish.

The “individual transportation nexus” sounds like some bike consulting/lobbyist speak.

I don’t know, I think that we are just having some trouble with bridging the vertical communication silos…maybe we should take this offline and circle back next week to see if we can identify some low hanging fruit.