“More shaming street signs”

by Prince Of Petworth February 14, 2017 at 12:30 pm 31 Comments

bowser sign

Thanks to a reader for sending from Takoma. I don’t know if I’d call this a “shaming street sign”, and c’mon you can do better, but it could be an interesting question – who do you think have been the worst and best mayors for DC?

While I’m no historian…

JohnH

At least laminate your hard work people.
Peter Orvetti

My ranking:
Williams
Fenty
Bowser
Barry 1st term
Washington
Gray
Pratt [Dixon]
Barry 2nd-4th terms
- Mojotron
  
  Generally agree with this but I’d put Gray as mayor several notches higher. Gray as campaigner on the other hand….
  - Q-Street
    
    The flaws of Gray the campaigner were the same as Gray the mayor. If viewed under the most charitable of lights, he was so disconnected from the running of his own campaign/Mayoral office, that perhaps he did not personally oversee the corruption, cronyism and nepotism that was happening all around him. The Council’s 6 month investigation and report on the Gray Administration did not paint a pretty picture. The competencies in his Administrations are as much a consequence of the culture that Fenty instilled in the Bureaucracy as anything.
- erahk
  
  I think Barry’s term (i was there) was more effective than Bowser’s – so that would be the only change I’d make to this ranking.
jcm

I don’t see how she’s any worse than Fenty or Gray. They’re all beholden to developers, but she hasn’t been indicted/investigated like Gray, and she hasn’t pissed as many people off as Fenty did. The trash gets picked up, the snow gets shoveled, etc.
.
Also, my taxes haven’t gone up. They’ve actually gone down, though I don’t think that’s anything to do with Bowser.
- dcd
  
  I am as surprised as anyone to be saying this, but I think Gray was a pretty good mayor.
  - jcm
    
    Policy-wise he was ok, but I can’t (and won’t) get past the incompetence and/or corruption he demonstrated in the campaign.
  - soozles
    
    Yeah, I was going to rank him second after Williams.
- also anon
  
  “the snow gets shoveled, etc” but at the cost of sending the city into $40 million of debt and hundreds of thousands in credit card fees.
  
  https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dcs-credit-card-was-shut-off-and-that-wasnt-the-worst-of-snowzilla-audit-finds/2017/01/11/5b84921a-d7f9-11e6-b8b2-cb5164beba6b_story.html
  - textdoc
    
    Yeah, that story was pretty damning.
  - jcm
    
    Sure, that was a debacle, but if overspending on snow removal after a giant freak storm is the worst thing the mayor does, then we should count ourselves lucky. It certainly doesn’t make her worse than Barry or Pratt Kelly.
    .
    I’ll be interested to see how her police chief and schools chancellor do. To me those are the most consequential decisions she’s likely to make this term.
- [rrrrr]
  
  Yeah taxes have been going down because of the 2013 (or was it 2014) Tax Commission. In fact they are scheduled to go down again through the “Tax Triggers” which some are now campaigning to reverse, given that we might want to ramp up some spending if we see significant cutbacks on the Federal level.
dcd

I’m guessing the author of this is a 20-something who remembers Marion Barry as an aging grandpa who represented Ward 8 and had some trouble with his taxes, but was otherwise harmless.

Because, c’mon.
ParkViewneighbor

It’s cute. I am sure that, if Bowser or anyone of her clique actually cared about your opinion, they’d be devastated
- Buildy McBuild
  
  We don’t
Q-Street

I think I have a mildly positive opinion of her. She’s not the hard charging reform&progress Mayor that Fenty was, or the impressive fixer Williams was. She’s also not the corrupt and incompetent political caricatures that Gray & Barry had become. She’s a competent administrator of the status quo.
.
Still mad about her Admin shifting $50+m of school funding from Shaw to her old Ward. She won’t get my vote until that money comes back, unless Gray is running against her or something. All politics being (hyper) local and whatnot.
Michael Pierce

Tony Williams was probably the best. The city made great strides under his leadership with little controversy. Fenty was really good at getting things done and would’ve been better remembered if it weren’t for his miserable personality. He was among the least personable people ever to be elected to public office. Never before nor since was it possible to dislike someone so much yet be so happy with what they’d accomplished. His arrogance and vanity pretty much doomed his career as a politician.
samanda_bynes

https://cdn.meme.am/instances/50319509.jpg
also anon

Have taxes gone up under Bowser? I thought the city had a budget surplus so taxes were being lowered for 2017-18. Not that I agree with much of what Bowser has done but I don’t think higher taxes aret one of them.
Mr. Magoo

I hope that there is a statue of Tony Williams outside of the Wilson Building someday. He wasn’t the typical extroverted politician, but he helped put the city back on track after many years of utter mismanagement. He also deserves some recognition at Nationals Park. I think the ballpark is his most enduring legacy, but you would never know it by visiting the place. Fenty (who was a vocal opponent of baseball until it became a success) was mayor when the park opened, so the recognition on the dedication plaque went to him. Prove me wrong, but you will search Nationals Park in vain for any tribute to Williams, which is unfair.
- zindc
  
  Actually I believe you are wrong. Go to the homeplate entrace of Nats Park. Once inside you’ll see the list of Councilmembers and Mayor Williams on a metal plaque.
  - bruno
    
    Tony Williams was tops. Put the city back on sound financial footing. Saw him once at Whole Foods. Intense gaze.
    - DC Denizen
      
      And he rode/rides Metro. He lives down near Nats Park somewhere and I see him on the train once in a while. Best mayor. We need more mayors and council members who ride Metro and walk.
Mr. Magoo

Thanks, I will look for that. I’m glad to know he’s honored somewhere in the ballpark.
dc_wanderlust

once i realized bowser took money from multiple members of the trump family, i lost all respect. i’d prefer the money was given back as a matter of principle. it’s obvious the trump family was buying influence to protect their interests in dc (primarily the trump hotel) overall, dc has had a lot of lackluster mayors. my votes for people who did the most are fenty and williams.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bowsers-9000-in-trump-change/2016/07/29/a6acbfe2-5509-11e6-bbf5-957ad17b4385_story.html?utm_term=.b27101bc94c9
- What what?
  
  I > i
bruno

Sharon Pratt Dixon/Kelly was pretty bad. She lost interest in the post shortly after her election, it seemed. Bowser fits that mold, somewhat. Somewhat.
Vered

The person who put up that sign must be a newcomer who doesn’t remember the Barry years.
MCH

Williams is hands down the best. Fenty and Gray had a lot of pluses and at least 1 big minus. I would put Bowser pretty low because she seems unwilling to take a stand on even mildly controversial issues, and she doesn’t hold those people below her responsible for anything. When she was an ANC, her constituent services were great. Now, I can’t figure out what she does, and if she is even engaging with anyone. Just as an example, look at the streets in DC. They have never been great, but they have never been worse (IMHO). Massive potholes. Major thoroughfares that desperately need to be revamped. And it makes you wonder what is going on at DDOT. Yeah, the Council bears some responsibility. But ultimately, the responsibility falls on the Mayor to hold those under her responsible. And she hasn’t done that.
Brett M

Sorry but crack and whores are personal matters. When it came to the job, Barry did what was in the best interest of DC residents, and was key to redeveloping downtown.

But my rankings are:

Williams
Barry
Gray
Washington
Fenty
Bowser
Pratt

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