Some government managers appearing before the D.C. Council can attest to his thoroughness. The phrase most often repeated is “David does his homework.” They’re talking about At-large member David Catania, whose name is on the ballot in Tuesday’s general election.
Statehood/Green Party candidate David Schwartzman, incumbent Democrat Phil Mendelson, and independent Richard Urban also are on the ballot. Voters can select two.
Catania, an independent, arguably has been one of the city’s most thoughtful and productive legislators. What’s more, he doesn’t mind calling things the way he sees them, even if that means making a few enemies. I haven’t always agreed with his positions — his steadfast refusal to put same-sex marriage to a citizen vote, for example — but he has been very effective at creating support both within the legislature and in the community for those issues that bear his imprimatur.
Working with the executive, he can be credited with building the city’s cutting-edge health care system, including a government insurance program that is the envy of many local governments. His deep and expansive oversight of the Department of Health aided in the reform of an agency that had been so broken it couldn’t provide accurate data on the number of individuals with HIV/AIDS.
After exploiting racial and class divisions in the District, presumptive Mayor Vincent Gray has talked about creating “one city.” But, Catania may be the only legislator equally respected across all boundaries. Folks east of the Anacostia River praise him for his consistent attention to issues affecting the poor and working class. Residents in upper Northwest know him as an advocate of effective and cost-efficient government. He’s not a legislator whose first reaction to a budget crisis is to raise taxes.
That kind of record has some people asserting Catania is a good candidate for vice chairman of the council under Kwame Brown, who, despite his financial woes, is expected to be the legislature’s next leader. The chairman pro tempore subs for the chairman and helps whip up votes to advance the legislature’s agenda.
Ward 2’s Jack Evans has served as chairman pro tempore since 2001. He’s performed quite well. But even if he didn’t win the Democratic nomination for council chairman, Vincent Orange was right. The council needs a little shaking up: It might be time for a new pro tempore. Certainly, there should be fewer committee chairmanships and assignments should play more toward a legislator’s strength.
I’ll write more about this later this week. Suffice to say, the legislature has to position itself to be a solid check to an executive who was a former colleague and is sure to exploit past relationships to earn rubber stamps.
The thing to remember, for now, is that in Tuesday’s election darken the oval next to Catania’s name — even if you don’t vote for anyone else. Some people might wonder if I am promoting bullet voting. That may be one way for voters to send a strong message about the quality of legislator they want.
Jonetta Rose Barras’s column appears on Monday and Wednesday. She can be reached at [email protected].
