What DC residents can do for the city?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone here one of those brave people who landed here in the late 1980’s and worked to make it better? Many of you were gay and basically afraid of nothing and you got things going in the right direction. I am all ears on what you did if you don’t have the energy to run it back.

It was mostly waiting around for the crackheads to die or go to jail. The 14yo carjackers will be around for a long time.

Sadly, it will be worse. The decision to close schools for almost two years is going to have catastrophic impacts on an entire generation of AA kids in DC. Literally thousands of kids are so far behind now that there really is no academic path for them. We will all pay a price for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone here one of those brave people who landed here in the late 1980’s and worked to make it better? Many of you were gay and basically afraid of nothing and you got things going in the right direction. I am all ears on what you did if you don’t have the energy to run it back.

It was a confluence of circumstances. But see this entry about Mayor Williams: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_A._Williams

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone here one of those brave people who landed here in the late 1980’s and worked to make it better? Many of you were gay and basically afraid of nothing and you got things going in the right direction. I am all ears on what you did if you don’t have the energy to run it back.

It was a confluence of circumstances. But see this entry about Mayor Williams: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_A._Williams

He definitely helped but it started before him. I think the nadir was the Columbia Heights riots (circa 1991?) and things even got better a bit under Sharon Pratt Kelly. They really took off when he landed.

[Anonymous]

Be accountable for my kids and their behavior.

[Anonymous]

Vote for moderate councilmembers.

[Anonymous]

The thing is that all the gay folks who moved into Dupont and environs in the 90s and early 00s, and the other young professionals who followed, were actually willing to put up with a pretty high level of crime. I lived in Dupont in the early aughts and moved to the U Street corridor 2005ish -- Dupont was still a little dicy at that point and when I moved to U Street it was downright sketchy. Same with Columbia Heights, Petworth. Back when Popville was still just a guy living in Petworth, you didn't see families living there, but you did see young professionals, DINKs (both gay and otherwise) and others who liked being in the city, on the Redline, near a few bars, and didn't mind the violence that much because it wasn't directed at them.

And that demographic isn't going anywhere, by the way. Young single people with money to burn, and DINKs who like going out and living an urban lifestyle, are not fleeing to the suburbs. Sure, some people are choosing Ballston/Clarendon or Bethesda over Shaw and H Street, but that's ALWAYS been true -- there has always been a population of people who are afraid of DC east of the park, or can't handle the city at all.

What DC is losing now, in part because they never really had them? Families. Asking people to raise kids in this city is a different proposition. For a time, the argument was getting better and better every day. Now it's headed the other direction. And when people talk about money leaving the city... well, it not a bunch of DINKs. It's people in their 40s and 50s who are peak earnings, who have a couple kids and want to raise their kids somewhere that feels like a safe place for kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lets forget what your city can do for you and for a change focus on what you individuals can do for your city? Any ideas?

I would say, first is to get TV channels and newspapers involved then start district wide campaigns. For example, clean up sundays, when residents come out to clean up neighborhoods on first Sunday of every month. Yard Fridays, when on a spring Friday, people spruce up their yards. May be an yearly fall fence festival, when people fix up or paint their fences.

How about getting rid of a Mayor who can come up with a 10-point plan for bike lanes, restaurant zoning & e-bikes, but has no clue how to make the city safer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lets forget what your city can do for you and for a change focus on what you individuals can do for your city? Any ideas?

I would say, first is to get TV channels and newspapers involved then start district wide campaigns. For example, clean up sundays, when residents come out to clean up neighborhoods on first Sunday of every month. Yard Fridays, when on a spring Friday, people spruce up their yards. May be an yearly fall fence festival, when people fix up or paint their fences.

How about getting rid of a Mayor who can come up with a 10-point plan for bike lanes, restaurant zoning & e-bikes, but has no clue how to make the city safer?

Maybe, but what about those bozos on the Council? Several of them are loonier than a tune.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Neighborhood yard of the month signs to instill some pride in taking care of the yards.

Absurd.

People don’t have unkempt yards because they don’t have pride. People that are struggling do the best they can and if that means that their yard hasn’t been weeded of landscaped then so be it. Mulch costs money. Lawn services and mowers cost money. Your neighbors do not necessarily have the money to spend on keeping up appearances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lets forget what your city can do for you and for a change focus on what you individuals can do for your city? Any ideas?

I would say, first is to get TV channels and newspapers involved then start district wide campaigns. For example, clean up sundays, when residents come out to clean up neighborhoods on first Sunday of every month. Yard Fridays, when on a spring Friday, people spruce up their yards. May be an yearly fall fence festival, when people fix up or paint their fences.

How about getting rid of a Mayor who can come up with a 10-point plan for bike lanes, restaurant zoning & e-bikes, but has no clue how to make the city safer?

Those things are not related in the real world outside of your own mind. Bike lanes can be built while cities also tackle crime. Stupid political posturing like your comment is no help to solving real problems.

[Anonymous]

How about seriously vetting anyone you vote for?

How about making an effort to understand human nature and human character?

[Anonymous]

I'm not going anywhere. Crime is part of city living and party of the grit that comes with it.

I'll also continue voting Democratic because I enjoy city services and believe in things like late library hours, street sweepers, free lunch programs, homeless assistance services, DC TAG, street maintenance, parks & recs, summer youth employment etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not going anywhere. Crime is part of city living and party of the grit that comes with it.

I'll also continue voting Democratic because I enjoy city services and believe in things like late library hours, street sweepers, free lunch programs, homeless assistance services, DC TAG, street maintenance, parks & recs, summer youth employment etc.

How are city services like late library hours, street sweepers, TAG, street maintenance, maintenance of parks and pools, etc. working out for you? I haven't seen a street sweeper in our neighborhood in 5 years. Maybe you're talking about some place other than Dysfunctional City.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not going anywhere. Crime is part of city living and party of the grit that comes with it.

I'll also continue voting Democratic because I enjoy city services and believe in things like late library hours, street sweepers, free lunch programs, homeless assistance services, DC TAG, street maintenance, parks & recs, summer youth employment etc.

Which neighborhood? LOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop electing in idiots.

Exactly. The citizens job is to pay taxes and vote.