Alexandria city council

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why doesn't anyone like Alison silberberg? I've only heard good things about her.

She is, in effect, the candidate of the Old Town Civic Association. Opposed to the development that the City needs. Says nothing at Council meetings. In the debate about the Potomac Yard metro her only input was to call for "traditional architecture" in the buildings to be built there. The OTCA is led by old NIMBYs who flood the local papers with illogical letters and opinions. Generally they support the Republican candidates for Council, but insist that Dems show party loyalty by voting for Silberberg.

Silberberg won the primary only because the pro development, pro transit votes were split between Euille and Kevin Donley. And because registered Republicans from Old Town voted in large numbers, and because (it being a primary and an offyear) blacks voted in small numbers.

Just a point about this - Blacks in the City are becoming a minority minority. Last census, i seem to recall they had slightly higher population percentage than Hispanics, and I do not doubt that in a few years, they will actually be a smaller percentage than Hispanics so the Black vote is actually becoming less important.

Whites are still the majority in the City- 60% - and it's actually white liberals that I think support Euille more than non-white voters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why doesn't anyone like Alison silberberg? I've only heard good things about her.

She is, in effect, the candidate of the Old Town Civic Association. Opposed to the development that the City needs. Says nothing at Council meetings. In the debate about the Potomac Yard metro her only input was to call for "traditional architecture" in the buildings to be built there. The OTCA is led by old NIMBYs who flood the local papers with illogical letters and opinions. Generally they support the Republican candidates for Council, but insist that Dems show party loyalty by voting for Silberberg.

Silberberg won the primary only because the pro development, pro transit votes were split between Euille and Kevin Donley. And because registered Republicans from Old Town voted in large numbers, and because (it being a primary and an offyear) blacks voted in small numbers.

+1 to all this. I'm planning to write in Bill Euille, and I really hope he's putting together a solid write-in campaign. I haven't seen much evidence of it other than a few yard and road-median signs. Does anyone know what he's been doing? Outreach to black churches and other community groups? Other kinds of advertising? I'm worried that even though Silberberg's natural constituency is small (NIMBY Old Town types), she's going to win by default now that she's the Dem candidate.