Five investigations involving Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s administration or his 2010 campaign have been started since the beginning of March. The scandals have cut Gray’s approval rating to 31 percent, according to a recent poll by Clarus Research Group. The legislative branch has been in the same funky soup: Two agencies are probing the actions of Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas Jr. The Office of Campaign Finance is examining Council Chairman Kwame Brown’s handling of a quarter-million dollars in contributions during two previous campaigns. Brown’s approval rating, according to Clarus, is at 27 percent.
Other legislators, including Michael A. Brown and Marion Barry, have been accused of violating the city’s code of conduct that mandates employees, including elected officials, refrain from engaging in activities that “would adversely affect the confidence of the public in the integrity of the District government.”
Meanwhile, a new wave of mayoral cronies has infested the government. Although mediocre, they have received exorbitant salaries and a few chauffeur-driven cars.
The city has a $322 million budget deficit for fiscal 2012. Unemployment is at 9.5 percent. The District’s rate of new HIV infections has been compared with that of Third World countries. The number of active-duty police officers has been dropping. Youth violence has risen — particularly on the Metro. Many public school students have continued to score below proficient on standardized tests.
The city has run out of super trash cans. Cavernous potholes riddle streets in nearly every ward. And, while the theme of the Gray administration may be “One City,” an ethnic balkanization of city parks apparently has begun, instigated by Department of Parks and Recreation Director Jesus Aguirre.
What is the state of the District? A certifiable mess.
Don’t expect Gray to say that, however, when he delivers his State of the District speech on the topic at Eastern High School on Monday evening.
Proving himself a disciple of the accentuate-the-positive philosophy, he will focus on so-called “achievements.” These include the creation of a couple of a commissions, including one on AIDS; the healthy-living initiative he recently started; and the appointment of Kaya Henderson as acting chancellor — which he says establishes his bona fides as a true education reformer. Gray also will talk about job creation and preview his 2012 budget proposal, asserting he has reduced spending and retained many important safety-net programs without raising taxes.
It’s unlikely he will offer insight into how the things he has done connect with what he intends to do and what it all means for the city’s potential. Gray has been averse to providing a plan — 100-day or otherwise. That’s too bad. If he had offered such a document, perhaps his cronies would have been less narcissistic.
It’s not too late to reset.
If Gray wants to persuade folks he’s up for the job, he could have a frank conversation Monday about his mistakes. Then, he could provide residents a thoughtful, cohesive plan for the next four years, helping to direct their attention to the future — not the past.
Jonetta Rose Barras’ column appears on Monday and Wednesday. She can be reached at [email protected].
