Bowser Protects Slumlord Supporter

[Anonymous]

One would *think* Barry would have more concern over his constituents and public monies.

Oh well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. This seems like just the kind of thing to shake the supposed inevitability of Bowser. Will the Washington Post fall in line and endorse her with this hanging out there? Will the affluent NW people who think the Mayor of DC must be black vote for Muriel despite this?

Really? I hope so, but I'm not sure that anyone can shake it up except for an arrest / investigation by Machen. Anyone here able to put in a good word with him?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One would *think* Barry would have more concern over his constituents and public monies.

Oh well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One would *think* Barry would have more concern over his constituents and public monies.

Oh well.

Then one should educate oneself about Barry

[jsteele]

Bowser's defense (from her Facebook page):

When Muriel learned that this complex had been taken over by the government, she immediately came to the aid of Park Southern residents in order to get them the results they deserve - affordable, safe and well-maintained housing. She called the Administration, the building’s representatives and management to the table to find the facts and the solutions. And delivered this charge to Mayor Gray’s housing officials to get it fixed. Her top interest is ensuring that residents are not displaced and that units remain affordable.

Talk about a load of BS. What results do the residents deserve? Do they deserve to know where their $300,000 dollars in rent money went? Why didn't Bowser ask her supporter and contributor who can't account for it? Do the residents deserve to know why loan payments haven't been made for three years? Bowser didn't ask about that. Sure, Bowser called everyone "to the table". She leaves out that the Administration considered such a meeting unethical due to ongoing legal action. Bowser also leaves out that the Administration asked her to hold a hearing which she refuses to do. Bowser's only apparent issue was questioning the Administration's legal authority to takeover the building. So, let's just be clear that the only resident of Park Southern for whom Bowser showed any concern is the woman that helped her win the Ward 8 straw poll, who lives rent-free in the building, and who is responsible for the mismanagement and missing funds.

[Anonymous]

Getting "everyone to the table" is Bowser-speak for all talk, no action. It's one of her specialities.

[Anonymous]

I'm anxious to see the fallout from this Post article and if, in fact, it forces any action/reaction from Bowser. Right now it appears she's content keeping her mouth shut and staying out of sight for as long as possible and hoping that something else in the news captures the public's attention. Admirable - no, but a crafty political move nonetheless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm anxious to see the fallout from this Post article and if, in fact, it forces any action/reaction from Bowser. Right now it appears she's content keeping her mouth shut and staying out of sight for as long as possible and hoping that something else in the news captures the public's attention. Admirable - no, but a crafty political move nonetheless.

The greater odds are that this just gets worse. Investigations and maybe some indictments of the persons connected to this, who also have connections to here campaign. That odor will linger and it's hard to get rid of. Bowser's "brand" in the primary was that she was cleaner than Gray, but that's not clear in the case of this subsidized housing project scandal. Absent real answers, I don't think that folks will be satisfied with smooth-sounding platitudes like "Alice Deal for all" and "get everyone to the table."

[jsteele]

Bowser is now calling for the Inspector General to investigate Park Southern.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/aiming-to-quiet-critics-muriel-bowser-requests-investigation-into-park-southern/2014/07/15/0b77149a-0bc9-11e4-b8e5-d0de80767fc2_story.html

This is just one day after she rejected Catania's proposal to allow her to hold a hearing during Council recess (and months after she ignored the Administration's request for such a hearing). Conveniently for Bowser, the DC IG works very slowly, so the results of an investigation would be long way off.

It appears that Bowser does have one skill: she can delay and avoid like the best of them.

Some notable quotes from Catania:

"Why can’t she pick up the phone and ask two of her principal supporters what happened to the $300,000? She should be questioning the people surrounding her."

"She has known for three months that her campaign supporters and contributors have been alleged in mismanagement and she did nothing until it appeared in the paper."

[Anonymous]

Well gotta give Muriel some credit...
She's been campaigning like her shit don't stink but the second the press got wind of something foul she grabbed the Lysol QUICK!! Lol

[jsteele]

It turns out that the Park Southern situation had already been referred to the IG. So Bowser was doing anything other than damage control. In addition, the DC Attorney General and the IRS are looking into it. Bowser's East of the River coordinator, who is responsible for the missing $300,000 in rent money, has apparently started "accounting for", if not actually turning over, the missing cash. It's amazing that in three months, Bowser has apparently not shown any interest in these missing funds, despite her close association with Phinis Jones.

[jsteele]

It seems like every few hours the Washington Post is publishing more information about this. The latest comes from:

D.C. officials turn to Bowser supporter for answers in Park Southern controversy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-officials-turn-to-bowser-supporter-for-answers-in-park-southern-controversy/2014/07/16/9136947e-0d0a-11e4-8341-b8072b1e7348_story.html

This story focuses on Phinis Jones:

"Phinis Jones is a former property manager at Park Southern Apartments, a sprawling set of towers along the District’s southern border that has fallen into deep disrepair, with mold, broken pipes, a leaky roof and rodent infestations amounting to daily indignations for its 700 residents. The property has become the subject of scrutiny after a Washington Post report detailing the building’s dilapidated conditions and its owner’s default on a $3 million city-backed loan."

"For two months, Jones resisted requests by the D.C. attorney general’s office and Department of Housing and Community Development to relinquish the funds. On Wednesday, Gray and his housing director, Michael Kelly, announced that Jones had finally provided not the money but an accounting of how it was spent."

"Jones, eight companies he either controls or has a financial stake in, and an employee of one of those companies contributed a total of $20,000 to Bowser’s campaign."

I took a look at the Bowser's campaign finance records. I couldn't identify all eight of Jones' companies. I found six, plus his individual contribution. I think the pattern of giving money is interesting.

Over a year ago, Jones gave a personal contribution and CSMI, the company owned by Jones which is at the center of the Park Southern controversy gave maximum contributions on the same day:

Capitol Services Management, Inc./ Business 3200 MLK Ave SE Washington DC 20032 $2,000.00 5/2/13
Jones, Phinis/ Individual 1847 Woodmont Place SE Washington DC 20020 $2,000.00 5/2/13

Then, this past January, another of Jones' companies gave a maximum contribution (this was 10 days after Bowser won the Ward 8 straw poll):

Lorna Group/ Corporation 3200 Martin Luther King Washington DC 20032 $2,000.00 1/28/14

The primary was held on April 1. On April 2, the District government took over Park Southern. At this point, Bowser should have been aware that her close associate was involved in the controversy. Soon after this date, she began contacting Administration officials demanding legal justifications for the takeover and trying to arrange a private meeting (but failing to hold a hearing requested by the Administration).

In June, Jones bundled several maximum contributions from companies under his control:

Old Congress Heights Redevelopment Corporatio/ Corporation 3200 Martin Luther King Avenue, SE Washington DC 20032 $2,000.00 6/10/14
Independent Holding Corporation/ Corporation 3200 Martin Luther King Avenue, SE Washington DC 20032 $2,000.00 6/10/14
P & M Development Corporation/ Corporation 3200 Martin Luther King Avenue, SE Washington DC 20032 $2,000.00 6/10/14
3231 Martin Luther King Corporation/ Corporation 3200 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE Washington DC 20032 $2,000.00 6/10/14

Incidentally, the Old Congress Heights Redevelopment Corporation main undertaking was the redevelopment of the Old Congress Heights school into Imagine Public Charter School. Bowser held her primary night victory party at Imagine PCS.

So, just to be clear, Bowser accepted at least $8,000 from an individual that she knew to be involved in a housing controversy while she was chairing the committee responsible for housing issues. At that time, she was challenging Administration actions in the controversy, essentially siding with Jones against the 700 residents of Park Southern (and against DC taxpayers who were on the hook for a loan that hadn't been paid in three years). Counting money contributed before the takeover of Park Southern, Bowser received at least $14,000 from Jones or companies he controls. The Post puts the figure closer to $20,000.

This is the candidate who proposes to clean up the District in the wake of the Gray controversies.

[Anonymous]

Well the Post and reporter Aaron Davis seem to be doing their due diligence as far as trying to she'd some light on the issue. The question is how much needs to be brought to light for DC voters to give a shit. I mean let's be honest this city's track record of holding politicians accountable is pretty piss poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well gotta give Muriel some credit...
She's been campaigning like her shit don't stink but the second the press got wind of something foul she grabbed the Lysol QUICK!! Lol

The Post makes clear that there's a lot of stink out there, and it's all over her campaign. Jones' "accounting' of the $300K rent money is both troubling and laughable, as is the timing of his various shell companies' contributions to Bower's campaign. Bowser ran against Gray on ethics issues, but it seems she's cut from the same cloth. To use the PP's analogy, I think voters are tired of the same old sh#@ in DC politics. If you've had enough of the DC crony culture, pay to play, go along to get along politics, vote for Catania. And please get your family members and friends to do the same.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:It turns out that the Park Southern situation had already been referred to the IG. So Bowser was doing anything other than damage control. In addition, the DC Attorney General and the IRS are looking into it. Bowser's East of the River coordinator, who is responsible for the missing $300,000 in rent money, has apparently started "accounting for", if not actually turning over, the missing cash. It's amazing that in three months, Bowser has apparently not shown any interest in these missing funds, despite her close association with Phinis Jones.

Next Bowser will say that she is "shocked, shocked" that there were improprieties going on.