|
ANC commissioner contemplating run says
code violations are out of control in Ward 1.
|
The little yellow Beetle so often seen around Ward 1 may soon need a tune-up for the upcoming campaign trail. DC Councilmember Jim Graham has announced that in 2010, he will run for a fourth term to represent Ward 1. Both and he and his Volkswagen bug, are ubiquitous in the community, and both will no doubt continue to traverse the streets of Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Petworth and Mount Pleasant over the next year as the incumbent makes his pitch to voters.
“There is more work to be done,” said the councilmember in a recent message announcing his plans to run again. Graham first came to the council in 1998 and has sought reelection in the past without a strong opponent. This time, however, he may have to shake off scandals that some in the ward say have tarnished his reputation.
Most recently, the councilmember’s chief of staff, Ted Loza, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on charges that he took bribes from representatives of the taxicab industry to push legislation before Graham that would be favorable to the industry. Although Graham later introduced legislation before the council that pleased these taxi cab industry advocates, he has said that there was no connection between the allegations about Loza and his introduction of a favorable bill. Graham so far has not been implicated in any wrongdoing.
Back in the summer, an intern in the councilmember’s office was charged with shooting an individual near the Columbia Heights Metro station. The youth was apparently involved in gang activity. Gang beefs, many resulting in shootings and death, continue to plague the Columbia Heights neighborhood.
So far, at least two opponents say they are exploring the idea of a run. But neither has made a final decision to take on the incumbent councilmember who is said to have a campaign chest totaling $200,000 for a race to represent the city’s smallest ward, at least in area.
One potential candidate, Bryan Weaver, an advisory neighborhood commissioner from the northern edge of Adams Morgan, says “a new focus and new energy” are needed to more effectively represent the city’s most diverse ward. “There’s been little to no progress in the areas of parks, schools, crime and affordable housing,” says Weaver.
Another candidate, Jeff Smith, who formerly represented Ward 1 on the school board and now runs an education advocacy organization called DC Voice, says, “Folks have approached me about a possible candidacy.” Smith says he has concerns around policing and the distribution of police in the ward. He also acknowledges that he doesn’t want to see Ward 1 become overdeveloped with big-box retail at the expense of small businesses. “And of course the schools,” he asserts, “we need to make them centers of the community.”
Too Many Press Conferences and Overdevelopment
“I’m bothered by a lack of prosecution of slumlords in the ward and also the unfulfilled promise of affordable housing,” Weaver adds. “In Adams Morgan, we have eviction by neglect,” the would-be candidate argues. He cites code violations like the one that resulted in the fire about a year ago at the Deauville, a large, older apartment building in Mount Pleasant, where the tenants lost their home. A more recent case, which occurred on Columbia Road, resulted in the death of a 9-year-old boy who was shot through his apartment door because someone followed his family into their apartment building through an unsecured front door, Weaver points out. “It has to go beyond the press conference to working to find a real solution,” he states. “If we continue to have 100 violent crimes in the ward each month, we must not be doing enough.”
Smith, who has a daughter about to turn 4 years old, admits that the need to offer better, more academically challenging schools throughout the city would be a driving force for him if he won a seat on the council. “Ward 1 has always been a community of opportunity for all kinds of people,” he imparts. “If we become so developed that only large, chain retailers occupy commercial space in the ward, what does that say to smaller, independent business-owners who bring creative and inventive businesses to our community?”
Both potential candidates have had a good look at the issues in the ward from a fairly close perspective, and both say they have energy and enthusiasm for a run. Both are also younger than Graham’s 60-plus years. Weaver is 39, and Smith is 35. But despite what could be considered pluses, both also agree that running against Graham could prove an uphill battle. “Yes, it may be a huge uphill climb to beat him,” Weaver acknowledges. “But if you believe in transparent government, parks, low crime and kids, issues that I believe in, then you would want to see them represented fully in the Wilson Building.”
“Anyone thinking about running for higher office has to search deep within his or her soul to determine if they really believe in themselves, what they stand for and what they can contribute,” Smith comments. “If I decide to mount this campaign, it will be about what I believe I can do for Ward 1 and not about my opponent.”
Both Smith and Weaver say they will take the Christmas holiday to mull over their decision regarding a run. Any announcement to challenge Graham would come after the New Year from either camp. Of course, with the election 12 months away, the field could get larger. Much could depend also on how the federal investigation of Loza plays out. |
