DC Council 2012

[Anonymous]

A friend of mine (who posts on here now and then) pointed me to Colbert King's column (http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/do-they-deserve-to-be-on-the-dc-council/2011/07/08/gIQAEGGP4H_story.html) on next year's Council race. I'm curious what the rest of you think about the various races, and what you have heard about possible rivals for Alexander, Barry, Bowser, (Michael) Brown, Evans, and Orange. Brown, being an independent (in name, anyway), does not have to worry about the April primary.

I'm in Ward 4. I did not support Muriel Bowser when she first ran, but her energy, service, knowledge and poise have won me over, although I don't agree with all her positions. I have heard about four potential primary opponents, Renee Bowser, Baruti Jahi, Keith Jarrell, and Judi Jones. Renee, who is not related to Muriel, ran against her in the special election that put her on the Council. She ran as Statehood-Green that time, but I think she has switched to Dem. I like Renee a lot, but don't understand the rationale for the party switch -- as S-G she'd have a clearer shot at the anti-Muriel vote.

Brown and Orange are the other two I get to vote for (or quite probably against). I wonder whether Patrick Mara or Bryan Weaver will run at large again. If so, I suppose Weaver would ren against Orange in the Dem primary, and Mara would have a pretty clear shot at the GOP slot (unless Carol Schwartz stages a comeback). Any other candidates on the horizon?

Anyone heard anything about the other three seats?

[Anonymous]

Keith Jarrell would fit in nicely on the DC council. He is a shyster who also fails to pay his taxes as well. He owes the government more than 90k in back taxes. Keith is his middle name. I guess he dropped the Grover (first name) as that is the name all his legal problems are under

[jsteele]

Ron Moten is running against Yvette Alexander.

[Anonymous]

Thought this was interesting.

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11256/breaking-kwame-brown-stripping-transportation-committee-from-tommy-wells-as-retribution-for-suv-/

What a little shit this man Kwame Brown has turned out to be.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Thought this was interesting.

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11256/breaking-kwame-brown-stripping-transportation-committee-from-tommy-wells-as-retribution-for-suv-/

What a little shit this man Kwame Brown has turned out to be.

The vote to change committee assignments was 12-1 with only Wells objecting. That really says a lot about this Council (and none of it is good). I hope that Wells will see things for what they are and take this opportunity to begin building his own political movement. What we are seeing is a number of individuals beginning to focus on their own personal ambitions and putting the interest of the city's residents far down the list of priorities.

[Anonymous]

Well, I am not a supporter of Wells and I my support, if any, for Brown is less. I think the article is very light and the title misleading. Why would Brown single Wells out for retribution. There were others on the council who spoke out against the SUV fiasco, scandal, theft. Evans comes to mind. I think Evans said that Brown should return the money. Evans still retains power over his influential chair. I don't know. I think there is more than what the writer would have his readers believe. Besides, it isn't as if Wells was so great concerning trolley tracks that leads to nothing.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Well, I am not a supporter of Wells and I my support, if any, for Brown is less. I think the article is very light and the title misleading. Why would Brown single Wells out for retribution. There were others on the council who spoke out against the SUV fiasco, scandal, theft. Evans comes to mind. I think Evans said that Brown should return the money. Evans still retains power over his influential chair. I don't know. I think there is more than what the writer would have his readers believe. Besides, it isn't as if Wells was so great concerning trolley tracks that leads to nothing.

Ignore the GGW article altogether. It is clear that Wells had the chairmanship of the Public Works and Transportation committee taken from him against his will. He spoke out opposing the move before the vote. It is also clear that he was given chairmanship of one of the least desirable committees (the one previously held by Fenty-protegee Muriel Bowser who got that as punishment for supporting Fenty). So, Wells was obviously punished. The question is, "Why?"

Wells didn't just criticize Brown regarding the SUVs, he authored a report about the controversy. He also released that report in a manner that prevented Brown allies from watering it down. Wells is a potential mayoral candidate, putting him at odds with Brown and Mary Cheh. So, it serves Cheh's interest to see Wells knocked down a peg. Strangely, Cheh didn't take the WMATA seat that is traditionally held by the Transportation chair. That's going to Bowser.

Who knows why Brown decided to take out Wells. But, the one thing is clear is that Brown is unable to offer a logical explanation. It's very hard to see how today's changes will positively impact the District.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Besides, it isn't as if Wells was so great concerning trolley tracks that leads to nothing.

Is this just hand-waving, or do you have a point about Wells, and the H Street revitalization project. I'm asking, because usually when folks conflate the entire Great Streets streetscape rebuild with "trolley tracks", it's a sign that they haven't a clue what they're talking about.

[jsteele]

It's rare these days that I agree with a Post editorial, but they nailed it on this one:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-is-dc-council-member-tommy-wells-losing-his-transportation-post/2011/07/12/gIQAfCuPBI_story.html

"[Well's] reward — correction, make that his comeuppance — was to be summarily stripped of the chairmanship of the transportation committee by council colleagues too gutless to stand up to the petty politics of Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown (D)."

[Anonymous]

Kwame Brown has proving his worth to be on the Mt. Rushmore of DC along with Marion Barry, Harry Thomas Junior and others. This move is despicable.

Equally appalling is the lack of support from the other Councilmembers, including Mary Cheh (who I do not believe has any aspiration to an at-large seat or mayor).

Also, see the WCP article about the consolidation of the Northern and Western Bus Garages to Walter Reed. this is a fantastic idea and one, of course, the Bowser and Grey are opposing. I hope other Ward 4 residents will support a Councilmember who will be vociferous in their support for this consolidation.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:I hope other Ward 4 residents will support a Councilmember who will be vociferous in their support for this consolidation.

I am Ward 4 resident. So far, there are no credible alternatives to Bowser.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kwame Brown has proving his worth to be on the Mt. Rushmore of DC along with Marion Barry, Harry Thomas Junior and others. This move is despicable.

Equally appalling is the lack of support from the other Councilmembers, including Mary Cheh (who I do not believe has any aspiration to an at-large seat or mayor).

Also, see the WCP article about the consolidation of the Northern and Western Bus Garages to Walter Reed. this is a fantastic idea and one, of course, the Bowser and Grey are opposing. I hope other Ward 4 residents will support a Councilmember who will be vociferous in their support for this consolidation.

Native DC'er here - as much as I hate to admit it - I agree with this 110%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kwame Brown has proving his worth to be on the Mt. Rushmore of DC along with Marion Barry, Harry Thomas Junior and others. This move is despicable.

Equally appalling is the lack of support from the other Councilmembers, including Mary Cheh (who I do not believe has any aspiration to an at-large seat or mayor).

Also, see the WCP article about the consolidation of the Northern and Western Bus Garages to Walter Reed. this is a fantastic idea and one, of course, the Bowser and Grey are opposing. I hope other Ward 4 residents will support a Councilmember who will be vociferous in their support for this consolidation.

Native DC'er here - as much as I hate to admit it - I agree with this 110%.

I'm a Ward 4 resident, living not far from Walter Reed. My neighborhood and others around WR are in an uproar over the idea of dumping a bus garage on what we view as the best hope for the Georgia Avenue corridor. Getting these bus barns out of 16th St Heights and Friendship is an understandable goal, but why choose a residential area primed for mixed use development and put a large industrial block in it?

There is a federally mandated process for deciding what to put there, that process has been operating for quite a while, and this proposal was not one that was chosen. There will be another round of the process because DC is getting another chunk of land, and this proposal may come through again, but it's not a decision to be made by people looking in from the outside saying "Your backyard is the perfect place to dump this junk."