Hard to Believe

I am starting a new series here on The Batch' Blog called Hard to Believe, a blog series that will mention certain things I think are quite unbelievable in politics, on the internet, in the community, on television, etc. On March 13, 2011, this is what I believe is Hard to Believe.

Law and Order SVU: It's a Sunday, so I spent a considerable amount of time on the couch watching television (a break from the "keep going" mantra of Monday through Saturday). For the past 4 or 5 hours, I have been watching a Law and Order SVU marathon on the USA Network. I must admit, that episode after episode, I just have a hard time believing some of the plots of the episodes. From a 7 year old drug smuggler who accidentally shot one of his friends in daycare while trying to escape the grasp of his drug pimp to a former cop turned neighborhood watch captain who goes around the neighborhood murdering sex offenders, the plots just seem ridiculous. Now, don't get me wrong, I am very fond of Law and Order SVU, I just do not think I would go to work as a detective for the New York Police Department and be confronted with these outrageous cases. It's one thing to write plots that captivate your audience, but at least make them remotely believable.

ANC8C: I know I have already blogged about the decorum of monthly meetings of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8C, but I think it's very hard to believe how bad it is until you actually go and witness, just as I did on March 2. The monotony of the meeting was comforting early on, as attendees complained about the irresponsibility of Pepco in the wake of the snow storms and planning for the return of the Martin Luther King Parade this April. Then comes the talk about the finances of the ANC and all "heck" breaks loose. Between one commissioner asking another to "sit down and shut up" and another angrily banging her fist and yelling "sit yo' $!? down", we can say the meeting heated up a little. So, you say to me "that is very hard to believe that elected government officials would act in such a way, especially in a public meeting". Well, you just have to go yourself.

Second Semester, Senior Year: If someone comes to you in the last half of their senior year and says "Well, it's all down-hill from here. I'm living on easy street", you should tell them it is very hard to believe. The last semester of Senior year is one of the most stressful, busy, time-consuming semesters of anyone's entire educational career. By the 3rd week of the 3rd quarter, College Acceptance letters are still weeks away, extra-curriculars are gearing up, projects are getting heavy, you have to apply for scholarships, AP exams are right around the corner, Final exams right after, Senior dues are....due, letters on report cards mean more than ever before and every day moves by a little slower. Second semester, senior year: UNbelievable.

That's what's hard to believe.

Brownish-Gray: The Color of Dysfunction in Washington?

Two shades of Brown mixed with Gray: that seems to be the color of dysfunction in Washington, D.C. politics in the first 2 months of a new administration. I have to say, it is not a very attractive color and a lot of people are not too fond of having to see it painted all over the Wilson Building now-a-days: from the dais of the Council to the 6th Floor, closed-off, "office with a view" of our 7th Mayor, Vincent C. Gray.

The new administration wasted no time mixing up the dysfunction and it is very shocking, especially in an administration that preached more transparency, honesty, accountability, responsibility and everything that doesn't rhyme with "Fenty".

Now, "cronyism" and "quid quo pro's" are words circulating around the Wilson Building and around the city, even 2 months since "the root of all evil" packed up his cubicle in the bullpen. How did we get this nasty shade of dysfunction in Washington? Just mix two shades of Brown and Gray.

Brown: So, the first shade of Brown we will discuss is Sulaimon. Unless you have been under a rock for the past few weeks, we all know Sulaimon Brown as the former Mayoral Candidate who advocated more Gray during his campaign in 2010 than he did for himself. In fact, one of the most memorable quotes of this terrible candidacy for Mayor is "you can vote for Brown or you can vote for Gray; Just don't vote for Fenty". So why is this important months afterward? Well, it just so happens that this former Fenty-basher got a job in the administration, that paid close to $100,000 a year.

However, he was fired from this job about a week later, when the Washington City Paper published an article revealing criminal charges on Sulaimon Brown, including stalking a 13-year old girl. That is when the allegations of corruption broke wide open and this shade of brown began to smear the new government.

Brown made allegations that during his 2010 Campaign, he was paid handsomely by Gray Campaign to stay in the race and continue to bash then-incumbent Mayor Adrian Fenty. In return, he said he was also promised a job for him and his brother in the new administration. Now Mayor Gray, of course, denies these claims. So do numerous other upper-level Mayoral staff (who were, at the time, upper-level Gray for Mayor campaign staff).

However, the evidence is close to air-tight and it will be pretty hard for Mayor Gray to deny a quid pro quo (even though he already has). Brown has also alleged later that Gray fixed the September 2010 Primary election, but thats for another day....

Brown: The next shade of Brown is of course Kwame. I think we all know very well the fascination that our Chairman of the Council has with Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV's). We all know the infamous "Kwamemobile (a fully loaded Cadillac Escalade)" that the triumphant Councilmember has touted both in his 2008 and 2010 campaigns. And just because the Kwamemobile couldn't make it to the Wilson Building, that doesn't mean he shouldn't ride is style, right?

That is why weeks after the Chairman-Elect was elected in November, he ordered city officials to get him an all black (inside and out), fully-loaded Lincoln Naviagtor with a DVD player, power moon roof and polished aluminum wheels. Also, he wanted it ready and parked outside the Wilson on the day of his inauguration- January 2nd.

When the first one arrived, it just so happened to have a gray interior, not the black interior per Brown's request. Brown requested he have the one with the black interior sent to him. And it was: it was driven from Coldwater, Michigan to Washington at a cost of $1,500. However, there's another issue. The car with the gray interior cannot be returned until October, so the city taxpayers are footing the bill for both leases on both SUV's- both at $1,900 a month. And all while (get ready for this) the city is in a $400 Million budget shortfall.

The Chairman says that if he had known his request would be so pricey, he never would have ordered it. I'm sure he is even sorrier now, since Councilman Tommy Wells called for an investigation into the purchase, while a report says that the purchase may be illegal. The Chairman has returned the vehicle to the DC Department of Public Works while the Attorney General negotiates a cancellation of the lease.

So what is Kwame Brown riding around in now, you ask? The Batch' Blog spotted the Chairman right after Councilman Barry's State of the Ward Address being whisked away in an army green mail truck, similar to what he was pushing during his first campaign for Council in 2004.

Gray: Of course, we could not forget the last shade that makes this color most undesirable for the people of Washington: Gray. Mayor Vince Gray, at least according to the Washington Post, has had a bad start as Mayor of the Nation's Capital City. Though the jury (and possibly a federal judge) is still out on his relations with Sulaimon Brown, it is no secret that a lot of Gray's friends are getting the city's top jobs and it is very obvious they are getting paid a lot more than they are supposed to. In fact, many of the children of Gray's upper-level campaign staff have landed jobs in the new administration.

Many people are asking "What's Wrong with Vince Gray?". Mary Cheh, one of Vince Gray's most avid supporters, and his former Council colleague from Ward 3 calls the large amount of scandal coming out of the Mayor's office now-a-days "kind of depressing".

Let's also not exclude the Mayor from this whole SUV scandal either. Along with the two (now, unused) SUV's ordered by the Chairman's office, the Metropolitan Police Department order a "fully loaded" Lincoln Naviagtor for the Mayor and a Lincoln Town Car for his security team, at a cost of $1,941 and $1,785 a month respectively. The only difference is that there is no sign those will be going back any time soon.

This new District government has a long way to go in securing the public trust and getting city politics back on track.