j_mills

Believe it or not, this is graffiti in Atlanta.

WAMU 88.5′s The Kojo Nnamdi Show and The City Paper collaborated on a poll of registered voters, asking them about the obvious (Mayoral candidates) and the not-so-obvious (“Mayor For Life” Marion Barry).

While a lot of the Twitterati are focusing on Vince Gray’s 50-39 lead over Adrian Fenty, I’d like to highlight this, from the WCP:

One question looked at yet another polarizing figure in D.C. politics: former Mayor Marion Barry, now a Ward 8 councilmember.

• 20 percent said Barry “should be respected as ‘Mayor for Life’ and celebrated as a civil rights hero.”
• 36 percent said Barry “should remain in politics as long as he likes and is re-elected.”
• 32 percent said Barry “should retire gracefully and go away from public life.”
• 7 percent said Barry “should still be in jail.”

5 percent weren’t sure what they thought of him.

I occasionally get asked (by my friends and family outside of DC) about Marion Barry and his inexplicable-to-them, enduring popularity. I’ll tell you what I tell them, because it’s what I heard from his constituents. “He takes care of his.” Whether or not it’s true or a fair characterization, that’s a perception of Barry which I’ve encountered repeatedly, throughout certain neighborhoods in DC. The loyalty that many D.C. residents have to Barry is something I’d love to unpack, in future blog posts on DCentric.

Mr. T in DC

Mr. T in DC's SmarTrip Card

Greater Greater Washington‘s founder, David Alpert, (who, incidentally, is the subject of a cover story on “Smart Growth” for the latest edition of the City Paper) is calling on readers to go over six possible alternatives to WMATA’s plan to no longer allow SmarTrip cards to have a negative balance.

WMATA raised the hackles of many riders when it announced SmarTrips would no longer go negative. Responding to the outcry, CFO Carol Kissal and her team developed six alternatives for handing the issue, which they presented to the Riders’ Advisory Council last night.

RAC members complimented Kissal and her team on presenting a number of options and seeking rider feedback. While it would have been better to get more feedback before the initial announcement, the followup garnered more praise. The WMATA Board will discuss the issue on September 16th.

Options include rebates, capping the negative balance, requiring a minimum fare to enter and three more possibilities which are laid out in detail at GGW. I’m not going to lie– my head was spinning a bit by the time I got through the post, but it’s an important read because Alpert is going to compile comments and send them to Carol Kissal. Have your say, here.

biblicone

Did you know the Post has its own zip code?

Look what I missed, while I was running around looking for my “Reporting for Dummies” book; after today’s debate at the Newseum, the City Paper’s Loose Lips got mischievous.

When Post Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli went over to Gray after the debate to introduce himself, LL couldn’t help but try and stir the pot, asking Gray what he thought of the Post’s editorial page. Which, in case you didn’t know, is very pro-Fenty. (And, also in case you didn’t know, a part of the paper Brauchli has nothing to do with.)

Gray laughed, while Brauchli quickly said: “I’m in the news department, technically.”

Gray stopped laughing to ask a somewhat uncomfortable-looking Brauchli, “Is there any obligation to have facts when you do the editorials?”

The Post’s Local Editor Emilio Garcia-Ruiz immediately intervened to introduce himself, but that didn’t help:

“We’re the news department, I think, you know,” Brauchli said. “Anyway, thank you for being here.”

Gray: “Okay. That was a non-answer you know.”

Brauchli: “It was.”

David Clow – Maryland

Michelle Rhee

Michelle Rhee is marrying the Mayor of Sacramento, California; it’s not surprising that DC residents are wondering whether that milestone could mean a cross-country move for the DC schools Chancellor. Considering how important our city’s schools (and Rhee) have been to the Mayoral race, it’s an issue worth addressing. Mayor Fenty did just that, when he met with the staff of the Washington City Paper today:

CP: There’s been some talk, mostly from people who are supporting your opponent, even if you win, Michelle Rhee will probably move. She’s getting married, etc. Do you and her have an understanding that’s she’s going to stay for your second term?

Fenty: We do. We do. And it’s not only an understanding that we personally have literally, almost verbatim….

I’m almost 100 percent confident that there’s no way she feels right now that she has done everything that she sought out to do. I think that is Michelle Rhee as a person knowing her both personally and professionally.

The City Paper also asked whether the Mayor made the cut for the newer, smaller, “more private” wedding list; he did, not that you were losing sleep over it.