Tonight the Democratic Party is holding its "Meet the Candidates" forum at Minnie Howard School, 3801 West Braddock Road from 7 to 10 PM.
If you want to know where the candidates stand on hot issues for Parker-Gray like the Braddock Road plan, development, BRT, public housing, and crime, wend your way to the West End and make sure your questions are asked. Of course, whether you'll get an honest answer is an entirely different matter!
The Democratic primary is scheduled for this Saturday, June 9 from noon until 10 P.M. at Minnie Howard school.
Coincidence or Strategy?
And speaking of the primary, the Growler is intrigued to see that Lenwood H. "Lenny" Harris is one of the Democratic candidates in the field of five.
Mr. Harris is a businessman and activist who has worked closely with City youth and organized a variety of outreach programs, including Operation H.O.P.E. He is a former member of the Community Services Board, where he served with development attorney Harry "Bud" Hart in FY 2006. While on the CSB Mr. Harris also functioned as liaison to the school system's Substance Abuse Education & Violence Prevention Advisory Committee.
Some readers may not realize it, but it was Mr. Harris who, at the conclusion of the Mayor's walk last year, expressed public dismay that the picnic tables were removed from Hunter-Miller Park. It seemed odd at the time that a Del Ray homeowner would come over here and take such an interest in the park. It's even more peculiar that a youth advocate would not be alarmed that the tables in a park designed for children were being used by drug dealers, the reason the police removed them in early 2006.
Since then, we've seen Mr. Harris assume a higher profile. He was interviewed by a leading magazine in his profession, and the article indicates that he meets regularly with Mayor William D. Euille, who is also known for his interest in young people.
And when the Alexandria Democratic Committee site published the candidates' answers to a series of questions, Mr. Harris's answers emphasized affordable housing as well as youth issues.
Now it doesn't appear to the Growler that Mr. Harris has much of a chance in the primary race, given the fact that the Mayor and Council swiftly backed Justin Wilson's candidacy the minute the ink was dry on Vice Mayor Andrew Macdonald's resignation letter.
But read yesterday's Growler posting and ask yourself if it doesn't look like Mr. Harris is being positioned by the Mayor and his chums to be the ideal person to reclaim the old identity of Parker-Gray and deliver the neighborhood for the Dems and developers?
The Code of Justin-ian
The Growler found this old comment from candidate Justin Wilson on Council Member Tim Lovain's old campaign site:
The heart of our quality of life is the character of our neighborhoods. We need to ensure that traffic plans, development and redevelopment don’t endangerSo if elected will Mr. Wilson respect the quality of life in all neighborhoods, including ours?
that character.
28 comments:
I'm planning to attend the forum tonight. Growler, do you have any hint as to the format? I really would like some answers about how the candidates stand on public housing, ARHA bailouts, Res 830, fair share, and crime, but I'm worried about getting an opportunity to be heard.
I attended a candidates forum before the last city council election. We were required to write our questions on little index cards and then a moderator read them to the candidates. I asked about crime and public housing then. They "ran out of time" before getting to my questions, and never did address either topic. Just mostly prattled on about soccer fields, etc. It was very frustrating.
Good lord, but why is Justin Wilson's first goal to double the Dash fleet? I live on one of the routes and those Dash buses roar past my house at regular earth-shattering intervals, mostly 3/4 empty, except at rush hour. The last thing I want is to spend my tax dollars for more empty buses to roar by.
Trust me, take it from someone who lives it. Those of you on Rt 1 DO NOT want BRT. Not that you needed convincing. I've drawn a line thru Justin's name on the ballot already, unless he promises to put a Dash route down his street.
"ask yourself if it doesn't look like Mr. Harris is being positioned by the Mayor and his chums to be the ideal person to reclaim the old identity of Parker-Gray and deliver the neighborhood for the Dems and developers?"
Blacks, a Bud Hart connection, can Glenn Hopkins be far behind? Hopkins testified in favor of affordable if not low income housing. Once Hopkins testified, ker-plop, Diamond Properties gave $10,000 to Hopkins House. Hmmm, a Harris Hopkins partnership. So how does Mr. Harris financially benefit? Who is bankrolling Harris' campaign? Euille, Carter? What tangled webs they weave. And then there's the money the city gave to Mr. Levy's nonprofit housing agency. PU!
Cut and pasted from Mr. Harris answers:
"6. Do you think it is possible to engage more Alexandrians in the community life of their city? If yes, give one suggestion for creating a stronger sense of community for all Alexandrians.
Yes. Encourage to mobilize and to equalize in order to provide a stronger sense of community."
Yep, public housing will be championed and preserved. The Dems have annointed a new Black leader. Bill Cleveland gets my vote.
"Who is bankrolling Harris' campaign? Euille, Carter?"
If Carter is the same Carter buying and selling inner city property, he's no minister and he profits from at least three neighborhood boarding houses. The police raided one just recently.
Jim Lay's brochure came in today's mail. In part it says: "Development must be balanced with preserving Alexandria's character. Open spaces and historic resources are at the vital heart of Alexandria's quality of life. While development is unavoidable and desirable, it must be managed to ensure it doesn't destroy the fabric of our neighborhoods.As a member of the City Council, planning for infrastructure, affordable housing, public transit-oriented density, and creative local transportation soultions will be among my top priorities." Does this mean Lay is for us or against us?
I wish that there were a Web site or some other way to contact Mr. Harris. His ideas seem good, and it will only take a couple of car loads of primary voters to determine the winner. Turnout will be low and the winner will get less than 1000 votes.
I do know that Justin will be a lot better than Tim Lovaine who never saw a developer he didn't love.
"it will only take a couple of car loads of primary voters to determine the winner."
We fight for democracy in Iraq then come home only to depend on a couple of car loads of primary voters. What's wrong with this picture?
"Does this mean Lay is for us or against us? "
I have no idea - That's why this is so frustrating. None of the candidates say anything substantive on their websites. I hope we can pin them down tonight.
If not, perhaps we can assume from Lay's background as a prosecutor that he won't be as bad as the others when it comes to issues such as public housing and crime. I think law enforcement types tend to be more realistic when it comes to public housing and its problems than the utopian head-in-the-cloud la-las currently on the council.
Have no idea how Lay stands on density. Maybe someone should ask tonight if he likes Monarch and if he would have voted to approve it?
All that said, he looks the most promising to me. Justin Wilson is a definite no, given that he's obviously in bed with the current council. They've done jack for us so far.
The odds are none of the candidates will care much about PG unless they live in or near the area. Think about it, how hard would any of us fight against the power plant or asphalt company?
When I saw the complaints against the asphalt company, my first thought was "why did they move next to an asphalt plant?" The people who don't live here probably think "Why did they move into the middle of an area surrounded by housing projects if they don't want housing projects?" Replace "housing projects" with any of our other issues and the song remains the same.
So we would need a local candidate is my guess. Which one of the current ones would that be?
Election news or election gossip? That is the question, Mr. Harris has been in the trenches of the community and is touch with the pulse of the city. The city's plan for urban redevelopment is not just a guise for what I would call urban removal. Alexandria has a history of getting rid of unwanted elements in order to keep up with it's neighboring communities at what cost? Who's tangling a web Mr. Carter, yes I would agree that his motives are questionable? Boarding houses go bad every day when your catering to a population of the community that no one really cares about. The friends of Mr. Harris are supporting him. The face of Alexandria needs an uplift, that's for sure.
Harris, Carter, etc...all relics of a past that no longer exists except perhaps in Euielle's imagination. The African-American community of Alexandria diversified and spread around to all parts of the city, but the Mayor for Life seems intent on keeping it real rather than bowing to reality.
Just read this story ot get a sense of how out of touch the mayor is:
"The red-hot Alexandria hotel market got another jolt of luxe this week, with Carr Hospitality's $100 million purchase of the Radisson and Holiday Inn & Suites of Old Town.
The new hotels will be managed by InterContinental Hotel Group -- one of the world's most luxurious hotel operators, with locations in 100 countries.
The Radisson at 901 N. Fairfax Street will be converted to a Crowne Plaza hotel, but it is unlikely that the Holiday Inn at 625 First Street will be re-branded. The hotels will have a combined total of 431 rooms and approximately 16,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. "
Yes but they forgot to mention that hotel guests will have to walk through the mayor's ghetto to get to their hotel from the metro.
Is he proud of this? Does he care how much this hurts economic development?
I am making sure to bring this up to Kramer....
"We fight for democracy in Iraq then come home only to depend on a couple of car loads of primary voters. What's wrong with this picture? "
Thats simple...its because Dems in Alexandria dont want to bow to the reality that they have begun to lose touch with the rest of the City. We should have gone to a ward system years ago...this whole "we dont want to disenfranchise minorities" excuse is a joke, since thats exactly what this "all-city" approach has done.
When voters realize they are not being represented by their handpicked councilmembers, then they give up and dont vote.
TRF,
thats a good point except you expose the hypocirsy of the city. There is this common assumption that complaining works in this city. It just doesnt work when it comes to pet local Democratic issues.
Mirant residents get hearings and City legal help when they complain. Virginia paving residents get a hearing and restrictive rules on the plant when they complain. PG residents get called racist and told that Resolution 830 and public housing is wonderful when they complain.
I forgot for a second that I even pay taxes to fund this public housing nightmare of bailouts and dysfunction.
From Justin Wilson's website:
He will:
• "Implement the transit recommendations of the Ad Hoc Transportation Program & Policy Committee—including the creation of a state-of-the-art transit system serving the identified transit corridors of the City"
- such as BRT down Route 1? He ain't getting my vote!
I've seen N. Carter and Harris together many of times, why has this become a shock to anyone now?
I'm suprised no one has made the Carter to Harris, Harris to Euille connection which is why nothing could or ever will get done with about his homes.
"I do know that Justin will be a lot better than Tim Lovaine who never saw a developer he didn't love."
I seriously doubt it. It reads more like bus-lovin' Justin is vying for Lovain's transporation clientele. I do not favor BRT and am offended that the city thinks it can tax me for the privilege of running bus lines from the Pentagon to Belvoir by way of my front door.
Ghetto? every city has one like it or not. Having had a variety of life experience. Alexandria should be commended on the ability to walk through these neighborhoods and not be robbed at gun point, for real Alexandrians really don't know what crime looks like and if they were to be hit with reality it would be a devastating blow.
Plutocracy? Shifting the demographics of the the community is not the answer. Just see what will happen when those residence are relocated to Glebe Park?
Then we will see a real ghetto in action.
"Plutocracy? Shifting the demographics of the the community is not the answer."
Plutocracy is government by the wealthy, right? If public housing residents are organized as suggested then it will be domination by the poor. It's more like Euille trying to organize the Queen Street blacks into a business group. No more complicated than the Mayor is at it again. Too bad Cleveland lost the Mayor's race.
"Boarding houses go bad every day when your catering to a population of the community that no one really cares about."
It's called profiteering not catering. The monthly rent per person is high, gouging by some standards, and no one stays long. Undoubtedly there are better programs available to ex-offenders.
Went to the debate, the cue-card questions failed to impress me as Braddock again got the short shrift.
I went to the debate, too. Every candidate, save Harris, said (in their smarmy politiciany way) they would be in favor of dispersing public housing. Comforting for those of us in PG.
The biggest surprise, I thought, was Wilson. I can't imagine why he has so much support. That whole doubling the Dash thing he kept pushing seems like a freakishly bad idea for so many reasons - cost/benefit, pollution, etc. It was also kinda scary how robotic he was - a Stepford wife-like creation of the dems.
"Shifting the demographics of the the community is not the answer. Just see what will happen when those residence are relocated to Glebe Park?"
Thats Melvin's solution. Most people in PG want to shift demographics by implementing the recommendations of the Fair Share Task Force with dispersal of public housing around the City and the reevaluation of Resolution 830 to see if it is causing the City to make bad decisions based on a law that doesnt work.
If we don't get more busses, how do we expect to get around? We need nice, high-end, clean fuel, european style busses and transport. The rest of the region is growing around us. PG should be a community where people don't need cars. We need the services (retail and transport) to enable that to happen. Yes, we all may need to take a car trip or two now and then, but the goal should be to reduce our need for cars. Arlington car use at its metro sites is very, very low compared to PG. Not having to rely on my car is why I chose to live near a metro. But we don't yet have the services to make a real walk-able lifestyle a reality.
Wilson told me he isn't sold on BRT on the full length of Rt. 1 and wants to consider other routes in order to maximize usage as well as impact on Rt. 1 residents.
does anybody know any more about the city-wide look at ARHA properties that was mentioned at the debate last night?
"Most people in PG want to shift demographics by implementing the recommendations of the Fair Share Task Force with dispersal of public housing around the City and the reevaluation of Resolution 830"
Yes, Yes, Yes!!!
Glebe Park is a smoke screen, out of the entire city their answer to dispersing some of the units in PG is to put them at Glebe Park, which already has some concentration of public housing. HUH?
How about moving DISPERSED housing to some of the other established neighborhoods in the city. Has the city considered, would it really be so bad if HUD took Glebe Park back rather than dumping more money into it?
"PG should be a community where people don't need cars...Not having to rely on my car is why I chose to live near a metro. But we don't yet have the services to make a real walk-able lifestyle a reality."
Well goodie goodie for you. I second the poster who like us has to live through the constant pre-dawn noise of empty buses that wake little people at all hours of the day and night. Not everyone in this neighborhood moved here for public transportation, many of us moved here for the convenience of being close to DC, having a shorter commute--in our cars--or for a variety of other reasons.
The future of this neighborhood shouldn't be determined with transit as the primary motivator. Metro, BRT, etc. doesn't rule my life, quality of life issues are far more important and those center around my children, not on whether I should take yellow or blue today.
"If we don't get more busses, how do we expect to get around?"
For starters, WMATA is on the record stating that metro can absorb all of the transporation needs of the new development. It the rhetoric changes we're prepared to nail 'em. This is about the Base Closing Act and the need to provide adequate bus service from the Pentagon to Belvoir. You are being duped if you think the buses are for locals.
I have a car and will not give it up. But, most of the time I'm using a scooter around town. It's a no-brainer.
If you don't like getting stuck in traffic, use a scooter (with a good lock) for your local errands, including your trip to our not-so-nearby grocery stores. They're easy to park, cheap to buy, cost almost nothing to run - and they keep up just fine with the near-gridlock pace in our overbuilt neighborhoods.
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