Please tell me you regret voting for Gray

[Anonymous]

Honestly, did you really think old school DC is what we needed? I'm sure Fenty is feeling pretty smug this morning, hopefully he will stick around and run again..

[Anonymous]

I voted for Gray, as much as a vote against Fenty/Rhee as a vote FOR Gray.

I am disappointed, yes. Even if what has been reported is not all accurate, it still smells bad and he/his people shoud've done better.

this however does not mean that I certainly think Fenty's shenanigans smelled so much better. They did not and shiny playgrounds don't remove the problem.

[Anonymous]

11:18 again -- Caucasian Ward 3 voter here.

[jsteele]

I agree with 11:18. I am embarrassed by what is happening. My regret is that we didn't have better choices.

[Anonymous]

I was and am a Fenty supporter. I am a native and a veteran of DC politics. I saw this coming. I know exactly what old school DC business as usual does to the city's school system and to its infrastructure. I knew that Gray supporters would be playing right into the hands of right wing Republicans who would shackle our city with claims that we cannot manage our city in an efficient manner. I knew that Gray would provide adequate fodder for those that would turn this city back into a plantation with a "house negro" figure head mentality. I don't buy into those stereotypes, but believe me, the powers that be on the Hill do. I knew that our schools would return to their decline, both in test scores and in general downtrodden attitude, our children would suffer at the hands of older ineffectual, burned out teachers. I knew that Gray's white supporters were deluded, bitter, or misinformed at best.

I am disgusted by the turn of events in the Gray administration. I am not the least surprised by any of it. It will only get worse. DC had a chance to break forward and really lead by example with Fenty and Rhee. I have been virtually mute about the politics of this city since the election because I am grieving still. Gray supporters selfishly sacrificed and derailed the momentum of a great progressive movement in education.

Such a colossal waste.

[Anonymous]

Agree completely with what was said by 11:46. I'm in a situation where we may have to move (after 20 years in DC) because the schools in my neighborhood stink and will not be getting better anytime soon. Fenty and Rhee were making tough but necessary choices.........and because of this they were unpopular with a lot of folks. But when a system is as broken as DCPS, you have to be tough, make sweeping changes and take on the union.

I could care less about Fenty's attitude, except for the fact that it cost him the election. He is young, energetic, and and athlete who actually got stuff done. DC needs someone like this. His parents are small business owners in DC and I feel like he was connected to the city and interested in moving it forward in a way that Gray is not. Yeah, I know that he did some questionable stuff and spent a lot of the surplus. But he was moving DC forward and improving city services. As a 20 year plus resident of DC, I saw the improvements myself and felt like things were finally turning. I actually felt this way during the William's administration but more so with Fenty.

It was so obvious to me during Gray's campaign that he was not going to keep the momentum going. He is almost 70 years old .....how can he have the same level of energy/enthusiasm and new ideas as Fenty? Say what you will, Fenty got results. He made the hard decisions that Gray would/will sidestep. He wasn't perfect, but a much better choice than Gray.

To repeat the person above.......SUCH a colossal waste.

[Anonymous]

Nope.

[Anonymous]

this however does not mean that I certainly think Fenty's shenanigans smelled so much better. They did not and shiny playgrounds don't remove the problem.

And by "shiny playgrounds" of course, you mean "effective governance". I'll sum up my position this way: I'd much rather city contracts be given to the mayor's "fraternity brothers" and have the actual fucking work done, than have city contracts be given out to cronies and politically connected donors who cannot, in fact, make the fucking trains run on time. Which is where we were 20 years ago. And where it looks like we're headed again.

Buy, y'know, who cares if shit gets done--the important thing is that the fat contracts are going to *campaign* contributors who can't deliver rather than folks with a personal relationship who can.

Progress!

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

this however does not mean that I certainly think Fenty's shenanigans smelled so much better. They did not and shiny playgrounds don't remove the problem.

And by "shiny playgrounds" of course, you mean "effective governance". I'll sum up my position this way: I'd much rather city contracts be given to the mayor's "fraternity brothers" and have the actual fucking work done, than have city contracts be given out to cronies and politically connected donors who cannot, in fact, make the fucking trains run on time. Which is where we were 20 years ago. And where it looks like we're headed again.

Buy, y'know, who cares if shit gets done--the important thing is that the fat contracts are going to *campaign* contributors who can't deliver rather than folks with a personal relationship who can.

Progress!

You have no idea where contracts are going to go. First of all, there's no money for big contracts so there may not be any. What we are talking about with Gray are a couple of jobs and the people who we have been complaining about are out the door already. Fenty also appointed unqualified people to important positions. That's the nature of the game. It just didn't end up on page 1 of the Post when Fenty did it.

[Anonymous]

Really? Jerk < Corrupt liar?

[Anonymous]

You have no idea where contracts are going to go. First of all, there's no money for big contracts so there may not be any.

Um.. What's the budget for next year? Zero dollars? Of course there will be big contracts. Money will be spent. That money's going somewhere. Leaving aside the issue of who went to school where, or was a member of which fraternity, I want that money to be paid in exchange for the work actually getting done.

My feeling on this is that we are given a choice between three options, in order of desirability: effective government that has a whiff of nepotism, ineffective government that has no nepotism, and ineffective government with nepotism.

Frankly, you're never going to get effective and clean government at the local level. It's too easy for political opponents to gin up controversy--there were perhaps one or two borderline cases under Fenty, and the rest was smoke and mirrors (e.g. "Oh NOES! They sold a firetruck to St Kitts!!!"

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:
Frankly, you're never going to get effective and clean government at the local level. It's too easy for political opponents to gin up controversy--there were perhaps one or two borderline cases under Fenty, and the rest was smoke and mirrors (e.g. "Oh NOES! They sold a firetruck to St Kitts!!!"

This is a defeatist attitude used to justify second-rate governance. When people say, "you get the government you deserve", it is people like you that make the statement a reality. Of course you can have effective and clean government. Also, only the uninformed would suggest that ethical transgressions under Fenty amounted to no more than one or two borderline cases.

[Anonymous]

Fenty is a moron but he was a hard worker, had big ideas and was not a crook. Gray is scum.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone else think it's kind of funny that this involves a Mr. Gray, a Mr. Brown and a Ms. Green? We need Mr. Orange to step into this somehow. It's like a game of Clue!

[Anonymous]

rankly, you're never going to get effective and clean government at the local level. It's too easy for political opponents to gin up controversy--there were perhaps one or two borderline cases under Fenty, and the rest was smoke and mirrors (e.g. "Oh NOES! They sold a firetruck to St Kitts!!!"

I think you are VASTLY understating the level of nepotism/corruption in the Fenty administration. As someone has already said, Sinclair Skinner alone far surpasses Sulaimon Brown.

However, Gray's only been at it two months. If he really applies himself, I'm confident he can attain the heights of corruption to which the Fenty administration rose.