Capitol Hill Corner Editorial:  Why I Didn’t Vote for Mayor Bowser

Capitol Hill Corner Editorial:  Why I Didn’t Vote for Bowser

by Larry Janezich

I voted early on Friday over at Sherwood Recreation Center.  I didn’t vote for Mayor Bower as I have  before, and here’s why:

Bowser endorsed and helped raise money for the campaign of an opponent of CM Elissa Silverman, apparently owing to Silverman’s critical government oversight activities and her support for a Bowser-opposed parental leave act.  Contributions to the opponent’s campaign skyrocketed after the Mayor’s endorsement.  A report on the donors to the campaign should make interesting reading. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/bowser-to-back-dionne-bussey-reeder-council-challenger-to-elissa-silverman/2018/09/19/ca77ef7a-bbb2-11e8-a8aa-860695e7f3fc_story.html?utm_term=.da5e212eca43

Bowser’s administration pressured the DC Department of General Services to award contracts to a Bowser campaign donor.  Former Admiral Chris Weaver chose to resign as head of DGS rather than carry out instructions from City Administrator Rashad Young to fire two DGS employees who failed to award a city contract for the St. Elizabeth Development to a Bowser contributor, Fort Meyer Construction.  https://capitolhillcorner.org/2017/07/22/editorial-bowser-on-dgs-firing-scandal-move-along-folks-nothing-to-see-here/

Bowser waved away criticism of City Administration Rashad Young and Deputy Mayor Courtney Snowden after they were allowed to bypass the DC school lottery system and place their children in desired schools.  (Seriously, how does Young still have a job in this administration?)  https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/after-favoritism-revealed-in-school-lottery-dc-parents-wait-on-apology/2017/05/21/8876c2da-3c25-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html?utm_term=.d240543d1ea9

The Bowser administration failed to reappoint watchdog Traci Hughes as Director of the Office of Open Government, apparently for being too good at her job.  https://capitolhillcorner.org/2018/02/12/whats-really-happening-with-director-hughes-and-the-dc-office-of-open-government/

Fresh PAC. Pay to play, pure and simple.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-mayors-allies-reluctantly-shut-down-controversial-pac/2015/11/11/63d48b32-884a-11e5-be39-0034bb576eee_story.html?utm_term=.308c243c1e57

One of the things that I learned when I first came to Washington in 1966 was, “If you can’t trust them on the little things, you can’t trust them on the big ones.”  Or maybe these are the big ones.