What's in a name?

What's in a name?

Tuesday, January 24, 2012


Voters in Ward 4 and frankly across this city should march forward with strong convictions when it comes to who they elect.  Who they consider and most importantly who we place our trust in.
Those that have earned our support and trust that we have elected lately have truly let us all down. They have done so by not being honest, open and fair in their dealings with us as residents and over issues that effect us and our lives. 
The District of Columbia has a delima built into our very progress toward voting rights in congress. That turmoil exists with the very stigma that we have put ourselves in by continuing to elect those that turn out to be less than good representatives.  In fact, they are failing to represent us. This failure continues to complicate the struggle for voting rights in Congress.  With a city so widely exposed for our elected having problems ranging from financial, taxes,embezzlement and taking major donations from those wishing to gain access.  We the citizens and voters are often left out when it comes to our voice being heard and respected.  
This disrespect is rampant here in Ward 4 under the currently elected councilmember.  Muriel Bowser has lost her touch to keep in touch with the very people that supported her in the past. 
Moreover, the very people that need representation and support within the structure of city agencies to get and keep services that they are dependent on.  Muriel Bowser has failed her constituents in every way possible.  The method behind the madness is nothing short of rude,arrogant and pathetic.  Bowser seems to have forgotten the very residents of her own ward.  
With a chief of staff that has never lived in Ward 4 and who surely doesn't drive into the Ward often enough to see problems and to offer assistance in a resolve to the many issues.   It is clear that Bowser isn't concerned about residents of Ward 4.  Instead she has set her sights on things like District wide politics.  City wide elections possibly? 
However, if you by default weaken you own base, and their respect of you, how can you then expect to win a city wide election?  Didn't being friends with Fenty teach her anything? Fenty was by all accounts a great councilmember,  his own Ward 4 constituents helped to get him elected as Mayor and then his re-election bid failed and failed big within his very own ward.   This accomplishment occurred because of arrogance, and rudeness displayed toward the very voters that he had relied on previously.  Failure hit him hard,  but due to his own fault.  
Ward 4 voters and residents now have to contend with the very same failures in our elected member to the Council of the District of Columbia.  Muriel Bowser depended on many of us for support and votes to get her into office.  Yet she has turned her back and her ear to our needs.  She has gotten overly sure of herself and her abilities.  Her staff fails her and the constituents miserably and people across this ward continue to talk about it. However as in any like situation, one must hold the elected to their promises and the responsibility of their offices.  
Muriel Bowser has been aware of the many failures from within her staff time and time again. Thus, without failure she must be held accountable.


Additionally, when ethics reform was begun it was a desire and a hope of many voters in this city that Corporate giving would be one of the many areas that Muriel Bowser would tackle.  In her position of Chair of the Government Operations Committee Bowser had a chance to show her constituents and city wide residents her intent to bring full disclosure to the campaign financinglaws. She had the ability to stop corporate giving and the way they buy their influence into city elections.  
Bowser did what serves herself, and didn't tamper with corporate giving.  Thus keeping the door open to a large portion of her own campaign fund raising. Her Chief Fund Raiser, David Wilmot must have  influenced her to not mess with the current ability for corporations and development companies to be able to give to candidates of their choice, thus buying their influence on future projects and in areas most likely to grow.  Casting a negative light on the very system that was designed to give one vote for one person.  Casting doubt on her very honesty and lack of integrity as a public servant. 

Muriel Bowser is now lost in the sea of unworthy servants that we have cast our votes for and placed out confidence in for representation in our government. The many failings that could be counted as simple oversight in her office structure and how her employees serve her constitutes  is something that could be corrected and frankly forgiven.  But the very lack of integrity in the very process that could have brought closure to a long and nasty task of giving those with big money to spend the influence over our neighborhoods and the very growth around us is unforgiving.  Muriel Bowser has now proven that she has no conscience. Clearly, she prefers the big money that corporations and developers have given her to the voice of her constituents. She prefers to have money to run a campaign to walking the streets and knocking on doors asking us for our support and our vote. Muriel Bowser has lessened the reality that we have an elected official downtown that cares for us and our neighborhoods. Remember if you will Bowser held out on her support for Harry Thomas Jr. until it was clear that he had to resign.  She then quickly ran to the media and gave a statement to position herself as among those calling on the ward 5 councilmember to resign. In reality she held out, silent like a child until she had no other choice. 
Yet she professes to be a fifth generation Washingtonian.  A story that I have never believed. But for a minute if it were true don't you think she would be comfortable relying on the very residents and the support that they could offer her rather than the big money she has chosen to use to attempt to remain in office?
It has been suggested that Bowser has Mayoral possibility.  Clearly, she'll have the money behind her but will she be able to engage enough supporters that have a vote to again invest their hopes in her to represent them again?
Ward 4 desperately needs to move forward and elect a councilmember that both cares and shows it. Someone that will represent us and our issues.  The quality of our lives and the services that are available to us. Not big corporations and the gain financially that they are all looking to achieve. Big corporations don't care for seniors,  they don't care about quality education.  They don't care about the services that our most vulnerable residents get.  They are out to make money on the backs of every resident in this city and every future new resident as they continue to over built, and over price many people from the ability to even live here.  Bowser clearly buys into this with her ineffectual move to not offer change to the campaign finance rules on corporate giving.
I encourage every ward 4 resident and voter to take up issue with this and push back the inclination to re-elect Muriel Bowser.  Stand on firm ground and bring change to our ward in a way that speaks to the very need throughout this city. The kind of change that every resident can see unfold before them with better services,  and the kind of development that will serve us, not those out to make a fortune off of our backs. 
You have to ask yourself, Who is Muriel Bowser listening to? And in doing so, listen to your conscience and vote for change. Stop this train and detour it now rather than experience another wreck in the future.  If we take actions now and do not re-elect Muriel Bowser to another term as Councilmember for Ward 4 we will stop her dead in her tracks to become mayor and continue the influence peddling in high elected office in this city. Additionally, we will return the voice to our ward that has been missing for far too long now.