Anonymous wrote:Considering how ultra-privileged white guys with savoir complexes and disastrous, almost comically misguided policies on crime are getting drummed out of office these days -- see Chesa Boudin in SF -- it truly is a surprise that no one ran against Allen. Well, it's less of a surprise when you note how hard Allen worked to get his most likely challenger moved to Ward 7.

Anyway, read this article. You could easily subustitue "Allen" for "Boudin" and "D.C." for "San Francisco" and it would still ring true, because DC is well on its way to following SF down the path toward becoming a failed city.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/06/how-san-francisco-became-failed-city/661199/

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why Charles Allen is so well liked by progressives in Ward 6. He's such an empty suit. Not only would I like a ward rep who is actually willing to take about crime and schools (the two biggest issues for many city residents), I'd also like someone who will more vocally advocate for progressive values on the council. Allen is so passive. He's happy to cast his progressive vote and quietly lament that the rest of the majority of the council went another way, and then disappear. His constituent services are weak and he benefits greatly from the fact that Ward 6 has a lot of very community-minded citizens who pick up the slack. I honestly can't believe that guy collects a paycheck -- what does he even do?

I used to live in Ward 5 and really disliked McDuffie, who is IMO way too cynical and willing to cave to corporate interests. But Charles Allen is worse. At least McDuffie did actual constituent services and really would go to bat for ward residents on council issues, even if I didn't always like how he voted. Allen literally does nothing except offer bland progressive platitudes at public events and on Twitter.

I can't believe he's running unopposed. Why does anyone like this guy? Is it because Ward 6 now has so many rich people who many need/expect less from city government? I don't get it.

Anonymous wrote:If you folks were really serious about getting him out of office, then you should be thinking that the campaign to toss him out in 2026 starts today and the first thing you need to do is recruit someone to run against him.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dude, I’ve been in this city my entire life. I want to legalize all drugs, prostitution, keep abortion, protect the environment, and have taxes that are moderate, fair, but also don’t unduly drive business away. Most of all I want someone who isn’t a giant fking wuss on crime. It sucks, but we have to arrest and prosecute violent criminals. I’m sorry there are tons of teens stealing cars with babies in them and robbing people at gunpoint for puppies, so we need to actually put in strict deterrence measures. Restorative justice, no bail, slap on the wrist and release, youth rehab act, no prosecution type of stuff is clearly making the crime rise as evidenced by easily obtainable statistics.

The real issue is that we are in this era of progressive criminal justice reform as a result of the nationwide reckoning of the last few years. Arresting leads to disparate impacts on statistics and it’s just not popular to be vigilant on crime. Charles Allen knows that. He pays millions for violence interruptors which do nothing and is basically a shoe in for office each time he runs. He is okay on some issues, but his misguided views on crime, which help him get re-elected in this Uber liberal city, only exacerbate crime.

I find it so fascinating that structural racism, poverty etc factor zero in your figurings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why Charles Allen is so well liked by progressives in Ward 6. He's such an empty suit. Not only would I like a ward rep who is actually willing to take about crime and schools (the two biggest issues for many city residents), I'd also like someone who will more vocally advocate for progressive values on the council. Allen is so passive. He's happy to cast his progressive vote and quietly lament that the rest of the majority of the council went another way, and then disappear. His constituent services are weak and he benefits greatly from the fact that Ward 6 has a lot of very community-minded citizens who pick up the slack. I honestly can't believe that guy collects a paycheck -- what does he even do?

I used to live in Ward 5 and really disliked McDuffie, who is IMO way too cynical and willing to cave to corporate interests. But Charles Allen is worse. At least McDuffie did actual constituent services and really would go to bat for ward residents on council issues, even if I didn't always like how he voted. Allen literally does nothing except offer bland progressive platitudes at public events and on Twitter.

I can't believe he's running unopposed. Why does anyone like this guy? Is it because Ward 6 now has so many rich people who many need/expect less from city government? I don't get it.

I think it's because other candidates are scared of getting called racist if they offer a tough on crime position, even though I think it would be quietly embraced by enough folks to get that person elected.

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why Charles Allen is so well liked by progressives in Ward 6. He's such an empty suit. Not only would I like a ward rep who is actually willing to take about crime and schools (the two biggest issues for many city residents), I'd also like someone who will more vocally advocate for progressive values on the council. Allen is so passive. He's happy to cast his progressive vote and quietly lament that the rest of the majority of the council went another way, and then disappear. His constituent services are weak and he benefits greatly from the fact that Ward 6 has a lot of very community-minded citizens who pick up the slack. I honestly can't believe that guy collects a paycheck -- what does he even do?

I used to live in Ward 5 and really disliked McDuffie, who is IMO way too cynical and willing to cave to corporate interests. But Charles Allen is worse. At least McDuffie did actual constituent services and really would go to bat for ward residents on council issues, even if I didn't always like how he voted. Allen literally does nothing except offer bland progressive platitudes at public events and on Twitter.

I can't believe he's running unopposed. Why does anyone like this guy? Is it because Ward 6 now has so many rich people who many need/expect less from city government? I don't get it.

Anonymous wrote:I do not understand why Charles Allen is so well liked by progressives in Ward 6. He's such an empty suit. Not only would I like a ward rep who is actually willing to take about crime and schools (the two biggest issues for many city residents), I'd also like someone who will more vocally advocate for progressive values on the council. Allen is so passive. He's happy to cast his progressive vote and quietly lament that the rest of the majority of the council went another way, and then disappear. His constituent services are weak and he benefits greatly from the fact that Ward 6 has a lot of very community-minded citizens who pick up the slack. I honestly can't believe that guy collects a paycheck -- what does he even do?

I used to live in Ward 5 and really disliked McDuffie, who is IMO way too cynical and willing to cave to corporate interests. But Charles Allen is worse. At least McDuffie did actual constituent services and really would go to bat for ward residents on council issues, even if I didn't always like how he voted. Allen literally does nothing except offer bland progressive platitudes at public events and on Twitter.

I can't believe he's running unopposed. Why does anyone like this guy? Is it because Ward 6 now has so many rich people who many need/expect less from city government? I don't get it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


I find it so fascinating that you allege that structural racism is the cause when DC has had an AA dominated and controlled city government for over 40 years. A city government that in the 1980s under Marion Barry embraced a number of positions (endless city jobs for anyone who wanted one, the youth rehabilitation act, high taxes) that modern white millennial progressives somehow believe have never been tried before. Under those policies, DC became a city of vast income disparities because the middle class (first white, then AA) fled to the suburbs to escape the crime and failing schools.


Are you pretending that redlining never happened in DC? Are you pretending that racism never factored into hiring decisions in the federal government? Are you pretending that unconscious bias never existed in DC?

Are you ignorant of the fact that DC has had one of the highest rates of AA homeownership in the country for decades? Are you ignorant of the fact that the federal government has been one of the largest employers of AA in the region since the 1970s? Yes, there was redlining. Prior to the 1960s. After those covenants were outlawed, black homeownership in DC skyrocketed.

As long as there were some improvements we don't need full equality? That's a real interesting take, friend.