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DC Residents - whatever you do please don't vote for Sekou Biddle
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Anonymous
| He is Kwame Brown's boy and will prove to be just as unethical and self serving as his mentor. If you truly want change, vote for one of the outsiders. PLEASE!!! |
Anonymous
| I'm voting for Weaver. |
jsteele
Site Admin Online
Site Admin Online
|
And, just to cover all bases, Maryland Residents should not vote for Vincent Orange:
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2011/04/19/the-crucial-maryland-vote/ |
Anonymous
| Sweet. DC politics just gets better and better. Vote early and often! |
Anonymous
Wow. This is just embarassing. Maybe we do need Congress to take over. Evidentally, we really can't govern ourselves. |
jsteele
Site Admin Online
Site Admin Online
No, as long as Orange keeps losing elections, we are doing a pretty good job of governing ourselves. |
Anonymous
Can you give some examples of how Biddle will be prove unethical and self-serving? |
Anonymous
There are things about his campaign that have turned me off, so I would not urge anyone to vote for him. But I would not urge people to vote against him either, and I don't think the above accusations are well-grounded. Guilt by association also turns me off. |
jsteele
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It is fairly difficult to provide examples from the future. While I am not a Biddle supporter, I don't think he will be unethical in the sense that term is normally used. On the campaign trail, however, he has proven to be fairly flexible with his positions. He once said he would consider tax increases, but then became an opponent of tax increases. Biddle has been wish-washy on vouchers and he has tried to have it both ways. In multiple articles, the Current newspaper reported that Biddle supported merging Coolidge and Roosevelt High Schools. Yet, at the Ward 4 Democrats forum, he insisted he supported no such thing. This despite one of the Current articles being quoted on Biddle's own website (with his support of the merger included in the quote). At another forum, Biddle said that when his campaign challenged the nominating petitions of other candidates, his staff checked each signature they challenged on a spreadsheet of registered voters. However, his campaign challenged 30 blank lines in Weaver's petitions and Biddle's own signature. That makes Biddle's claim hard to believe. In my mind, this doesn't add up to being unethical, but rather someone who engages in politics as usual. I like Sekou and if he is elected, I think he will be a decent Council Member. But, I don't expect that he would do anything that diverges from the status quo. In particular, he will do nothing to change the fairly corrupt environment that exists in the Wilson building. Indeed, Kwame "Fully Loaded" Brown is his friend and mentor. There are other options on the ballot for those who are interested in changing the status quo. |
Anonymous
| Mr. Steele, you continue to duck the only obvious solution to this problem: write in Jeff Steele. How many votes do you really need to win an eight-way, off-year special election? 20k? 40k? |
jsteele
Site Admin Online
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I wouldn't be surprised if this election could be one with 10K votes. But, sadly, even Vincent Orange would be a better choice than me. |
Anonymous
Oh, I don't know. Running DCUM is likely a way harder job than anything most of the candidates have done, as far as I can tell. Prosperous local internet businessman goes to, er, Washington to clean house. I like it. DCUM community--you know what to do, and to get your friends to do. |
Anonymous
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Your absolute bias against Sekou Biddle has been obvious for months. You haven't examined his record, nor have you considered his endorsements by other individuals and groups, such as Tommy Wells, David Catania, Getrude Stein Club, DC for Democracy and many, many others. You've narrowly focused on your real problem - other leaders in this city.
You haven't shared with your readers that Sekou stood up against leadership, calling for the chairman to pay the ENTIRE cost of his SUVs. He also introduced legislation requiring all leased vehicles to be accounted for every year. No other candidate has as much experience (18 years) tackling the city's number one issue - education. He's also been a teacher for 8 years and taught in some of the toughest classrooms in the country. He helped bring KIPP DC to Ward 7, which is now the highest performing middle school in the District. This is why so many people support Sekou. Unlike his opponents, some of whom have been lobbyists, he's not trying to cut political deals for himself. Vincent Orange was the one who voted to raise Council salaries to $140,000 right before he become a lobbyist for Pepco. What kind of leadership is that? Sekou called for councilmember salaries to be cut. There are other candidates in the race who have commendable qualities, but no candidate can match Sekou's depth of experience and commitment to the District. I hope that you'll consider taking your negativity and turn your energy instead to giving more thorough information to your readers. It's irresponsible to do otherwise. |
jsteele
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Site Admin Online
I am not sure what part of "I like Sekou and if he is elected, I think he will be a decent Council Member" was difficult for you to understand. Yes, if you want a Council Member who will immediately be welcomed to the club, Biddle is your man. Personally, I think the club is not working out. Obviously, Orange would be even worse. But, Weaver -- who I support -- Mara, or Lopez would all be less likely to engage in business as usual. I have said repeatedly that if you like the way things are going in the city, vote Biddle. If you want change, you have better choices. |
Anonymous
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Sekou Biddle is independent, despite the support he has received from Kwame Brown. His knowledge of education reform issues and
his commitment to education reform is the reason I am voting for him, and urge others to do the same. Eve Brooks |