Why does the DC Mayor need to go to Cuba?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe they want to open a ballet charter school. That art form is really big in Cuba - exports dancers all over the world:
https://newrepublic.com/article/118945/rebekah-bowman-photos-national-ballet-school-cuba

Unrealistic? DC does have a boarding school charter school.

Gawd! The last thing DC needs is another Duke Ellington boondoggle (huge cost overruns, possible accounting fraud, no governance accountability).

With the money DCPS is wasting in Duke Ellington (poor guy, btw, to see his name defamed that way), they could buy half of Havana.

Maybe that's the plan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These types of trips are common for any mayor of a major American city, to develop trade and other relationships. That doesn't make it any less of a junket, mind you, but there are actual reasons.

What trade exactly? Does DC grow corn, wheat, soybeans to sell to Cuba? Fabricate advanced medicines? Manufacture anything that can be exported?

The only trade and relationships that the DC will form with Cuba will be the cronies and hucksters trying to wheedle "consulting" business there. Consider, for example, DC's strong trade relationships with Africa, forged over many taxpayer junkets.

Consulting is trade!

(I did write that it was a still a junket.)

Not consulting of the DeeCee variety. It's more like scamming. Have you read about ex Rep. Walter Fauntroy's "consulting" business in Africa and the Middle East, which is cover for basically being on the lam and not returning to the U.S. for several years? Perhaps we can send the likes of Michael Brown, Jeffrey Thompson and others down to Cuba.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These types of trips are common for any mayor of a major American city, to develop trade and other relationships. That doesn't make it any less of a junket, mind you, but there are actual reasons.

What trade exactly? Does DC grow corn, wheat, soybeans to sell to Cuba? Fabricate advanced medicines? Manufacture anything that can be exported?

The only trade and relationships that the DC will form with Cuba will be the cronies and hucksters trying to wheedle "consulting" business there. Consider, for example, DC's strong trade relationships with Africa, forged over many taxpayer junkets.

Consulting is trade!

(I did write that it was a still a junket.)

Not consulting of the DeeCee variety. It's more like scamming. Have you read about ex Rep. Walter Fauntroy's "consulting" business in Africa and the Middle East, which is cover for basically being on the lam and not returning to the U.S. for several years? Perhaps we can send the likes of Michael Brown, Jeffrey Thompson and others down to Cuba.

That's essentially what's taking place with this nonsensical Mayor trip -- and the White House is the enabler.