Reading Between the Lines of DC’s Mayoral Candidates | Politics

Reading Between the Lines of DC’s Mayoral Candidates | Politics | Washingtonian

It's interesting that David Catania is in the position non-incumbent independent and non-establishment parties are always in: first he had to petition to get on the ballot; his main opponent refused to debate him until he had ballot status; and she continues to not want to debate him, since, should he actually be able to raise an issue (beyond saying people able to buy a house in a good school district will absolutely be guaranteed access to that school, and the rest of the city can eat cake) it can only diminish the ease with which she can coast to victory in a one party town.

Of course being an incumbent he gets much more media attention and money than most independents usually do. As usual, he and Bowser will spend many times more dollars per vote for each of their votes than any of the other candidates. It's often a factor of 10-20 times as much per vote received. Without donations from developers, corporations, and unions on whom they confer benefits, establishment candidates would have a lot more trouble. It's interesting that so many of the debates are sponsored by organizations, like American University (and WAMU) that benefit hugely from what is done with zoning laws and the tax code by the DC government.

It will be interesting to see what they differ on, or what issues they can even articulate, should they ever start debating or even campaigning. And DC journalists seem to be happy to ignore the fact that neither are articulating any solutions to our problems - our failed schools, our thousands of young men marked with scarlet letters that make them unemployable by the drug war, etc. - and treat the campaign as a sports tournament. Just as DC journalists were largely oblivious to corruption in DC, just as all the people in the local Democratic Party and on the city council were willing to turn a blind eye, until private citizens like Tim Day or outside investigators like the FBI paid attention .

Housing Prices - DC Zoning Laws Unchanged in Over 50 Years

It's not surprising that DC zoning law has not changed in over 50 years.  DC's rent control laws are the last vestige of Nixon's wage and price controls, that is their origin, when the city had no local government and was still managed completely by the federal government.

Posh perks for Muriel Bowser and other city council members - at your expense

Frederick Steiner in this week's Current Newspapers

The Current Newspapers, distributed in northwest Washington to every door step, are not available on line.  This week features an article on Frederick Steiner's campaign:

Libertarians run full slate in D.C.

Libertarians in D.C. are now running a full slate of candidates, for Mayor, Delegate to Congress, Wards 1, 3, 5 and 6 city council seats, At Large city council, city council chairman, and both Shadow seats.

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The final edition is Preston Cornish, an Eckington resident who was born in Washington, D.C., for Ward 5 (Eckington, Brookland, Edgewood, Woodbridge and other NE neighborhoods).  Mr. Cornish supplied the following statement for the Voter Guide that DC mails to every voter in the city:

Ward 5 needs a Councilmember who is steadfastly dedicated to improving the lives of its citizens—not a politician who will spend the next term angling for even higher political office.

To improve government functioning, I will fight for competitive contracting, reduced waste, and elimination of unnecessary function. To better the lives of our citizens, I will press for greater parental control of education. And, I will seek to block policies that impinge on the individual freedom of residents. 

I was born in DC, and I will work to earn your vote.

Preston Cornish
Cornish4Council@gmail.com

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Pranav Badhwar, Libertarian for Ward 6 city council, supplied this statement for the November Voter Guide

"My wife and I are devoted to this city where our children were born and attend school. Our politicians today offer failing middle schools despite spending almost $30,000/student, exclude the poor from opportunity through excessive licensing, and viciously but ineffectively and expensively prosecute non-violent drug users. With less spending and based on already successful policies, my plan creates thriving schools, generates opportunities for the neediest, where men and women can thrive as small business owners, reduces the cost of housing and transportation, and creates a safer city by re-focusing police attention on violent, not victimless, crime."

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Kyle Walker, Libertarian for city council chair, provided the following statement:

As City Council Chairman I will work to make it easier for DC parents to choose the best school for their children, DC property owners to provide affordable space for renters to live and work, and DC entrepreneurs to create valuable products, services, and jobs here in our city. I will never vote to restrict your personal freedom to live how you choose, and I will work to erase nonviolent-victimless crimes from the books. Unnecessary laws, regulations, and bureacracy prevent us from living and working how we see fit, and such policies offer insiders and cronies the opportunity to gain personal advantage at the public's expense. By focusing on the well-being of all DC residents rather than special interest groups looking for favors from the public or looking to legislate virtue, I believe we can make DC a freer, safer, and more prosperous place to call home.

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Bruce Majors, Libertarian for Mayor, also updated his Voter Guide statement from the one that appeared in the primary Voter Guide in April:

I am running for Mayor to shift the discussion of issues in DC.  Or since David Catania and Muriel Bowser have spent the year NOT debating issues and NOT proposing any solutions beyond minor tinkering with our existing failing schools and programs, perhaps I should say to RAISE issues.  Libertarians want more choices for DC residents -  more school choice and more freedom to take jobs - from driving a cab to braiding hair to running a school or daycare - without being blocked by government.  Freedom to work!  (We want to shift the Overton window, in political science terms.)