Become an ANC Commissioner!

If you are thinking about running for a seat on your local Advisory Neighborhood Commission, there's now a very helpful website set up by Cleveland Park resident Keith Ivey (thank you, Keith!), which lets you look up who your current ANC Commissioner is, find out if your Single Member District has been affected by redistricting, and see who has already picked up petitions to run for the seat in November:

RunforANC.com/

There's more useful information about the ANC election in the message below, originally published on the Cleveland Park Listserv.

Peggy Robin
Publisher, All Life Is Local

The Cleveland Park Listserv
Former ANC-3C commissioner (in the '80s)

----------

Election Information for Prospective ANC Candidates - Early Start in 2012!

In past years nominations petitions for ANC positions were not available until the first week of August. This year the petitions will be due at the end of the first of week August.

Beginning Monday, July 9th, the Board of Elections will give out nomination petitions for the next ANC elections. Interested candidates will then have until close of business on Wednesday, August 8th, to return the petitions with the signatures of (at least) 25 registered voters who also live in the Single Member District (SMD) that they wish to represent. And on November 6th, Election Day, the voters will make their selection. The winning candidates will take office after noon on January 2nd once they are sworn in.

Candidates must go to the Board personally to pick up their petitions, or send a representative to pick them up. (If you send a representative, you will need to give your representative a letter authorizing them to pick up the peititions on your behalf.) In addition to the petitions, the Board will also give the candidates a list of the registered voters who live in their SMD and a map of the SMD's boundaries. Candidates will also need to file a "Declaration of Candidacy." You can file this form when you pick up the petitions, or you can file it when you turn in your petitions, but you must file it before the August 8th deadline if you wish to have your name on the November 6th ballot.

The Board is located on the second floor of 441 4th Street NW in room 250N. Their phone number is (202) 727-2525. You can also pick up a lot of useful information by visiting their website at http://www.dcboee.org.

There are a few simple rules governing raising and spending campaign funds by ANC candidates. The Office of Campaign Finance provides information about the rules on their website http://ocf.dc.gov/pdf_files/anc_brochure.pdf .

Finally, the qualifications for running for ANC are also quite simple. You must be a registered voter and have lived in your SMD for 60 days before submitting your nomination petitions (in other words you must have begun living in your SMD by June 9th of this year.)

Bob Maudlin

Still Life with Robin: About the Election -- But Not About Politics

by Peggy Robin

All week long you’ve been reading about the election. Pundits weighing in on the meaning of the results. Talking heads analyzing the trends till they’re blue (or red, depending on their slant) in the face. Well, here’s more about the election, but this time it’s not about the meaning of the vote.  It’s about the actual physical act of voting. I’m talking about what it’s like to walk into your neighborhood polling place, sign in, get a ballot, and mark it. There are things I love about this activity, things that I think could be better, and things I definitely don’t love.

Let me start with the things that make me love Election Day. I vote at John Eaton School, precinct 27. For the past few years the parents of the Eaton Home & School Association have run a “cantina” -- a table set out with lunch foods, coffee, tea, sodas, pastries and desserts -- so that voters can stop off and pick up some good food (much of it homemade) and support the school at the same time. After buying myself a midday snack, I head for the check-in line, where I'm greeted by name by the election clerk.  All the poll workers at the table are longtime neighbors and they seem to know almost everyone who votes at Eaton. And if they don't know someone by sight, they say hello and chat and start to get to know them, so that next election, they can greet them by name.  It's been like that at this polling place for all the decades I've been voting there. The poll workers are very quick to offer assistance to anyone who might it (and with the older demographic in my neighborhood, that's no small percentage). As I’m sure they are underpaid for their efforts and underappreciated, the least I can do is to give them a grateful nod in this forum:  Thank you, election workers, for your friendly efficiency on this and past elections. 

The Dark Side of Robocalls

Robocall season is over. Political robocalls may be the one thing that's more annoying than leaf blowers. Robocalls are also implicated in efforts to thwart people from voting on election day. But until this election season, robocalls had never brought a phone network to its knees.

In parts of New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts, a flood of robocalls the night before the election overwhelmed Comcast's telephone system, according to the Boston Globe. A Comcast spokesperson said, "Comcast is experiencing severe call volumes on the evening before the election due to auto dialing activity that is generating a massive number of inbound political phone calls to our network. As soon as we were made aware of the congestion this was causing, we began to reroute traffic around it." Other phone carriers may have had their phone systems disrupted, too.

Another good reason to put a stop to this unpleasant political intrusion.

It's Still Gray vs. Fenty, But with a Smile

Overheard at a polling place in Ward 7, and reported on the Hillcrest Listserv. It's good when election day is accompanied by good humor:

A funny thing happened on the way to the election poll today. A group of citizens were about to enter the door and the older woman said, "Remember that's FENTY with a Y and not an I." One of the younger ladies responded, "Dah...I know it's written all over my purse a million times...FENDI."

Kwame Brown Speaking at St. Columba's Church, Thursday

Prospective DC Council Chairman Kwame Brown will be the guest speaker at the Ward Three Democratic Committee meeting on Thursday, October 28 at 7:15 PM at St. Columba's Episcopal Church, 4201 Albemarle Street, NW. Also speaking will be DC Watch's Dorothy Brizill who will talk about the problems with the DC elections process experienced during the Primary Election. For more information, visit the Ward Three Dems website.

Election 2010: DC's Fringe Candidates

It arrived as a nondescript piece of mail. But inside the District of Columbia's Voter Guide is something more interesting than I could ever have imagined. Some of the lesser-known candidates for various offices, from Delegate to the House of Representatives to Mayor are fodder for The Colbert Report; others are so extreme as to make Tea Party candidates seem like mild  decaffeinated tea. There's certainly no lack of diversity of opinion on the November 2 ballot. Here are some excerpts from the DC Voter's Guide.

I am here for my babies kidnapped by kat sabilous department of social services and the department of children and family services in Hollywood, ca. I am Queen GIVE ME BACK MY KIDS Noble, I have 994 trillion law suit active in the us supreme here in dc against this government currently aiding and abetting smith’s kidnapping of my kids in this stolen country. Prima Facie discovery Evidence is proof of target victimization for life and robbed of my family. -Queen Noble, candidate for Delegate to the House of Representatives, H.E.R.O.S.H.E.R.O. Party 

I believe the purpose of elected office -represent the people who elected you! Not pawns/puppets of special groups/ friends. I am determined: Make DC government -of the people, by the people, for the people” -bringing REAL transparency. My cabinet will have members: democrats, republicans, private and government. -Carols Allen, candidate for Mayor, Independent 

As working people and youth in the District are coming to understand we are living in the opening stages of capitalist depression and social crisis. We need to break with the capitalist parties and organize a labor party based on fighting unions to fight for full employment, and end to police brutality, low cost housing, and real education. In the final analysis working people will have to organize a mass revolutionary movement to take power out of the hands of the billionaires and replace it with our own state power. -Omari Musa, candidate for Mayor, Socialist Workers Party

I am a 28 year DC resident who lives in Ward 6...My wife Stacey and I have founded a nonprofit, ULTRA Teen Choice to provide abstinence centered HIV prevention for at-risk youth. I am for marriage between one man and one woman only; DC Voting Rights, including the right to vote on the definition of marriage; funding Youth Empowerment programs that teach youth to say no to sex before marriage, and no to drugs and alcohol and for an elected school board and removal of Chancellor Rhee. -Richard Urban, candidate for City Council at Large, Independent

Cheh Versus Hedgepeth, Ward 3 Candidates Debate Oct. 20

Hear Ward 3 City Council incumbent Mary Cheh (a Democrat) debate her Republican challenger, David Hedgepeth in Woodley Park.

Ward III City Council Member Debate
October 20th, 2010
7:30PM
Bing Stanford/The Robert M. and Anne T. Bass Center
2661 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Metro: Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan

This event is moderated by Mark Segraves of WTOP Radio, and sponsored by the Woodley Park Community Association and the Cleveland Park Listserv in cooperation with the Cleveland Park Citizens Association.

Questions can be submitted ahead of time to Peter Brusoe at PWBrusoe at Gmail dot com (please substitute the @ sign and period in the email address).

Fenty Running as a Republican Was Always a Myth

Although Adrian Fenty won the Republican primary for Mayor, it turns out that it was never going to be possible for him to run as a Republican, DCist reports. Even if Fenty had wanted to cross over to the other side, he would have had to have sold his soul to the Republican party by registering as a Republican before the primary. Fenty received 822 write-in votes.

It was only after it became apparent that Fenty could win the Republican nomination for Mayor that the DC Board of Elections issued a legal opinion that he couldn't run as a Republican. The full story is on TBD. At least the DCBOE didn't spoil all the speculation and fun before primary day.

Fenty may be returning to private life, but Michelle Rhee's fate is still undetermined. You can vote in our poll:  Should Michelle Rhee stay or go as DC School Chancellor?

Wednesday's Special Weather Forecast

We spotted this forecast on the Hillcrest listserv.

Good morning, here's the latest weather forecast for Washington, DC brought to you by this Ward 7 resident. Sunny and bright with a high of 53 percent chance of winning. Primary winds, southeast-northwest blowing arrogance away at the speed of lightning. Despite last night's heat wave, humidity dropped seven points and we can all breathe again. Barometric pressure has risen to the task and Visibility and for our future and transparency for our government is as clear as the nose on your face. No more chance of corruption or Peter Nickles. All future predictions are that Hurricane Michelle, having left a devastating effect on our schools, will no doubt be Rhee-routed to the outer banks of Sacramento, CA with no possible chance of Rhee-turn.

DC, our outlook is "Gray-t!" From Jeri Washington, your resident political meteorologist....Enjoy 'cause it's going to be a bright, bright, sunshiny, Gray Day!

It's Gray!

Vincent Gray Has Won the Democratic Primary for Mayor of the District of Columbia

Election Results Starting to Come In

10:47PM...

The DC Board of Elections has started to show results for the various races. Visit the DCBOE's website for the lastest election results for the entire city, by ward and by precinct.

10:30PM and No DC Election Results Yet

There is nothing wrong with your television. There are no election results for the District of Columbia yet as of 10:30pm. Nothing. Zero. I can't recall any recent election with no results from any ward or precinct this late in the evening.  If you want to go to the source, visit the DC Board of Elections' website. They'll have the results...eventually.

What Matters Is Cupcakes

Overheard on Primary Day in the District of Columbia:  "Long voting lines in Georgetown. Oh wait, that's just Georgetown Cupcake."

Post-Vote Reports: Fenty Versus Gray

Here's how voting works these days:  Vote, tweet, post on Facebook. Perhaps instead of expensive exit polling, news organizations should count tweets by voters. But regardless of whether these tweets accurately reflect the actual way the election goes (and we'll know in a few hours), they do reflect what's on some voters' minds. Here is what some District of Columbia residents are thinking on Twitter:


For the record, I voted for Fenty. Like many women, I have a complicated relationship with men who are high-achieving jerks.

DC Voting in Progress

A snapshot outside of a Ward 3 polling place. Some campaigners look very happy. Do they know something we don't?

Fenty Versus Gray: The Last Thoughts of the Day

Are you still undecided between Adrian Fenty and Vincent Gray? This is the last of our daily 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.  If you still can't figure out whom to vote for, use our handy Fenty-Gray decider.

Some Fenty Supporters Voting for Republican David Hedgepeth for Ward 3 City Council

Some Ward 3 Democrats are so upset with Mary Cheh's endorsement of Vincent Gray for Mayor that they're supporting the Republican candidate for city council, David Hedgepeth, who has endorsed Adrian Fenty. While Hedgepth doesn't stand a chance of unseating the popular councilmenber in the general election in November, Democrats voting for Republicans in the District of Columbia is like dogs and cats mating: it never happens, it can't happen, it's against God's plan for it to happen. But it is happening. That's DC politics. Anything can happen, but what happens may not matter.

Fenty Versus Gray Thoughts of the Day

Are you still undecided between Adrian Fenty and Vincent Gray? Between now and the election we'll 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 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.

For Fenty:

Four years ago, Adrian Fenty promised change. He has delivered for you and your neighbors by raising test scores, lowering crime and improving city services. Fenty is the competent leader we need to continue the progress. --Fenty campaign

Under Mayor Fenty's leadership, Chancellor Rhee has been able to turn DCPS around in three years; not the five-to-seven that she thought it would take when she signed on. --Neighborhood listserv

For Gray:

I'm willing to give Gray a chance. As I see it, the elementary schools relative success is an anomaly, the issues are really zoning, parking, crime, and the qualities that affect life beyond raising elementary school aged kids. --Neighborhood listserv

Vince not only championed K-12 school reform efforts on the Council, but also led the efforts to expand and improve pre-K. In just over 18 months, under his leadership, the District has added just under 2,000 slots and has nearly reached its goal of free, voluntary pre-k for all children, making it among the first states in the nation to achieve universal pre-k. --Gray campaign

Poll: Fenty or Gray?

The Democratic primary is around the corner, and if you're undecided, well, you're either going to have to make up your mind or let somebody else choose for you.  We're keeping the poll simple, because, barring a category 5 political storm, none of the other candidates has a chance.