20 July 2010

Is This Bizarro World?

I don't even know what to think about this bit of news.
Former Mayor Anthony A. Williams joined Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Council member Jim Graham Tuesday morning in Columbia Heights for the unveiling of a commemorative plaque in honor of all three of them and the nonprofit that helped make DCUSA possible.

But the event in the lobby of the building anchored by Target resembled a campaign endorsement of Fenty (D) and Graham (D-Ward 1).
I admit that Mayor Fenty has done some fine work during his tenure as mayor. He also has some worrisome errors in judgment and ethical missteps that paint a troubling portrait for the future should he be reelected. The only thing Gray detractors say against him is that we don't know enough about him to know how he will actually lead the city should he be elected ... that we still have too many questions about him that need answering.

And, yes, we don't really know how Mr. Gray will behave, should he be elected. Will the improvements started during the Williams Administration continue to move along smoothly, or will they be weighted down by consensus-building? Will the city government go back to the days of corruption and ineptness? Will the District become the Crime Capital of the nation once again? Will the public school system fall back to its pre-Williams days? Will the city become the model for public transportation or will needed improvements like bike lanes and streetcars be scuttled?

Mr. Gray needs to continue engaging "new media" folk and continue making himself available to the public in order to make himself more real to the voters. Because, as a friend put it to me recently, the city will "vote for the known evil".

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