Adrian Fenty, We Deserve More Than This

Introduction to This Post: I originally wrote this post on April 6, 2009, but never posted it. In today's District Daily, Dave Stroup notes the similarities between the current procurement scandal in Fenty's admninistration, and a scandal faced by Anthony Williams in 2005. More importantly, he points out the stark hypocrisy of then-Councilmember Fenty's absolute condemnation of the situation and his calls for removal of the people involved.

Seven months later, reading Dave's post reminded me of this unfinished piece. I wanted to make a comprehensive list of all the missteps and scandals of the Fenty administration, and contrast the current party line to Fenty's idealism under which he campaigned for mayor. The events since then and the current scandal have only made this more relevant, so I decided to post this now.

This is by no means a complete list. I did not post it originally because I meant to research and fill it out more. Even so, and even with the recent hulaballo excluded, I believe I have put in one place a pretty good collection of links and quotes from the media over the last few years about many of the administration's policies, as well as some history from Fenty's time as a councilmember and mayoral candidate to compare. The picture that is painted is not that of an honorable man. Please read. The remainder of this post (with the exception of some minor editing) was written seven months ago.

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I have not written much about politics lately, but I feel like I need to make a serious post because I am ashamed of what is happening almost daily within our city government.

I enthusiastically voted for Adrian Fenty. He was young, energetic, and as a city council member, he was well respected for his tireless work on behalf of his consituents. His father, owner of Fleet Feet in Adams Morgan, is a well-known and well-liked member of the community. Fenty promised to bring a new hope to a city with a history of corruption and cronyism in government, a city that merely a decade ago had home rule revoked by the Federal Government. A city that was held in such poor regard by the leaders of our country that we were deemed unfit to manage our own business.

Anthony Williams, while controversial to many, carried DC out of cronyism and corruption of the Barry years. You remember those days. The days when the most common tourist tee-shirt you'd see street vendors selling said "Bitch Set Me Up." Quite a symbol of civic pride, that.

So it is with great disappointment that I have watched this government that took such great strides be dismantled piece by piece by Adrian Fenty. He has arrogantly and shamelessly violated ethical codes at every turn. I couldn't say if he's violated the letter of the law in many cases, since his administration reveals almost nothing of Fenty's day-to-day activities. In each case, when an activity is questioned - his acceptance of a gift, a consideration made to an associate, an extravagent trip, a cronyistic appointment, he simply stonewalls and says "the letter of the law has not been violated."

Adrian Fenty, this is not good enough. It is not good enough for you to walk up to the line of the law and spit on the other side with a cocky laugh. It is not good enough that you should expect us to take you at your word when the curtain is always drawn.

You apparently have taken the position that it is the job of the citizens to blindly accept that you are acting in our best interests. Quite the opposite - it is the job of our government to act in a manner that reassures us that you are doing so. It is known as transparency.

There is an old chinese proverb which states, "Never tie your shoes in a watermelon patch." The point of this proverb is that if you do not want to be treated like a thief then do not act like a thief -- since this action would appear to an observer to be that of stealing a watermelon.

Adrian Fenty may very well be on the level, though given the number and seemingly increasing frequency of his questionable actions, it doesn't seem bloody likely. But he is a public servant and as the people who trusted him and are paying his salary we deserve accountability. We deserve a mayor who adheres to the spirit of the law and not just the letter of the law as he decides it applies to him. So if you're not stealing watermelons then get the hell out of the watermelon patch.


Councilmember Fenty - Crime Then

7/20/06 - [Councilmember] Fenty Casts Lonesome Vote [opposing controversial crime bill]

I think people know that these are not ways to solve crime....
At the end of the day we will have voted on ... no more officers on the street, no more innovative ways of dealing with crime, no more aggressive prosecution, just a few feel-good measures.

Mayor Fenty - Crime Now

6/21/08 - Suit filed over NE checkpoints

It was an effort to keep people that didn't belong in Trinidad from driving into Trinidad," Mr. Nickles said. "That is not unlawful; it is not unconstitutional; and that's the end of it."

We don't think that [Police Chief Cathy L.] Lanier and Peter Nickles should be trivializing policing with these sort of photo-op police measures," [Partnership for Civil Justice spokesperson] said.

12/17/07 - DC Attorney General Abruptly Resigns

But all too often when the city's legal business was at stake--sources say it was Peter Nickles, the Mayor's appointed legal counsel and long time family friend, who sat at or near the center of power...

[Fenty] named Peter Nickels interim AG to replace her.... Sources close to the departing Singer told 9NEWS NOW that Nickles had no statutory authority to do what he was doing and that Singer has tried to bring her concerns up with the Mayor on several occasions to no avail.

12/18/07 - Attorney General Quits; Clash With Fenty Aide Cited

Singer Resignation "Does Not Bode Well For The Office"

In this instance I learned of Ms. Singer’s resignation from the Washington Post. - Counclimember Phil Mendelsohn

1/3/08 - Attorney For D.C. in Gun Ban Case Fired

"It's like committing hari-kari. We're in the middle of preparing for a Supreme Court case," Mendelson said, adding that he has heard "nothing but praise" for Morrison's work on the brief.

1/8/08 Boycott Set For Hearings On School Closings; D.C. Council Members Back Alternative Forum

Council members were initially angered about learning of the school closings from the media rather than from Fenty and Rhee.

Fenty's multiple gatherings, critics say, are an effort to minimize public input.... Rhee spokeswoman Mafara Hobson said yesterday that the chancellor is satisfied with the public comment process and does not plan to cancel the 23 hearings.

6/19/08 - Dismissal of 7 Attorney General's Office Lawyers Is Blocked

In an interview, he cited budget concerns and performance as the reasons... the lawyers who were fired said they were each given at least "satisfactory" performance evaluations and never told they were in danger of losing their jobs.

6/19/08 - Attorney General Peter J. Nickles Confirmation Disapproval Resolution of 2008

Mr. Nickles' tenure as Acting Attorney General is replete with actions and statements that show he regards his primary responsibility to he to the Mayor. If the past eleven months in which Mr. Nickles has served in this role -- six spent in an interim capacity and nearly five as the nominee -- are prologue to how he will operate in this role if confirmed, then the Attorney General for the District of Columbia will continue to operate in a capacity that is, essentially, the Mayor's attorney rather than the city's.

1/28/09 - D.C. Faces Contempt Hearing in Stalemate With CFSA Monitor

"It's a quite stunning move and a clear violation of the court order," said Marcia Robinson

3/26/09 - DC Mayor Takes Another Secret Trip

A spokesperson for Fenty refused to say where the mayor is today, whether or not he's in the country, or how long he will be gone.

D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray, who is first in the line of succession to the mayor and the second-highest ranking elected official in town, is in the dark.

4/3/09 - Still No Answers On Fire Engine And Ambulance Donation

It has been a week since news broke that a surplus fire engine and ambulance were sent to a resort town in the Dominican Republican and there is still no substantive answers from District officials about the deal.

4/6/09 - Mayor's Connection to Peacaholics

I’ve known [Peaceaholic's founder] Mo [Ronald Moten] since I was young,’ said [Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.

[Peaceaholics is the non-profic charitable organization to which the DC government donated two pieces of fire equipment.]

Mayor Fenty Questioned About Another Out-of-town Trip

New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein's public schedule for Friday, April 3 reads as follows:

10:00 a.m.: Chancellor Klein visits PS 83 and PS 182 with Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson
...

"Can you tell me who you're meeting in New York, what the business is?" asked Segraves [WTOP reporter]. "No," was Fenty's terse answer.