Fenty Versus Gray Thoughts of the Day

Are you still undecided between Adrian Fenty and Vincent Gray? Between now and the election we present occasional Fenty versus Gray thoughts to help you decide whom to vote for to be the next Mayor of the District of Columbia. These quotations come from various sources, including Twitter, neighborhood listservs, endorsements, articles, and the campaigns themselves. As with all political pronouncements, how you evaluate these statements is up to you. You're welcome to add your thoughts in the comments section below.  And if you still can't figure out whom to vote for, use our handy Fenty-Gray decider.


For Gray:

We must continue smart education reform, and make it sustainable. We cannot afford to turn back the clock on the important reforms of the last few years. Vince will work closely with a strong Chancellor and the community in pursuit of innovative reforms based on research and best practices. Vince will empower the Chancellor to make tough decisions while remaining involved in the way those decisions are made. -Gray campaign

Fenty's war chest for his first run as mayor was filled nearly to the brim by real estate developers and the business people who comprise the Federal City Council. One of Fenty's first acts as mayor was to spend the day with the Federal City Council. His deputy mayor for education, Victor Reinoso, was plucked from the Federal City Council, where Reinoso was COO. It's clear Fenty's been paying back his financial backers with closed school campuses and other public properties. -Neighborhood listserv

For Fenty:

And there’s so much more that the Fenty administration has done. Crime is down, city services are reliable, potholes are repaired quickly, it is easier to bike in the City—and to take a taxi, and strong women leaders are making smart decisions (Police Chief Cathy Lanier, Deputy Mayor Valerie Santos, Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Housing and Community Development Director Leila Edmond to name a few.) I could go on and on with reasons to re-elect Fenty, but I’ll stop here. -Posted by a supporter on the Fenty blog

Being that this is the real world, and not a fairy tale, the man that has been leading this effort is flawed. Mayor Fenty, despite displaying impressive energy and commitment to the task at hand, is not as perfect as we would like him to be. I have to admit, that I was pretty disappointed with the way Fenty behaved on a number of occasions. He is a man of action, and like many a man of action, he could be a little more elegant in the way he goes about doing his thing. But, you know what?  He has continued to deliver for the city, and, although I wish he behaved differently from time to time, I believe he deserves to be supported in his continued efforts to take on the daunting task of reform of this city. Let's help him get the job done. 

-Neighborhood listserv