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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Fenty, Nickles, DeBonis, Oh My! Why Team Thomas Matters Jim Graham Salmon Treat
Good morning sweet readers! It’s a beautiful Friday before a three-day weekend, otherwise known as the most productive workday of the year. News time:
Mayor Vince Gray‘s public schedule has only one event today: presiding over the grand opening of the city’s outdoor pools for the summer. The question everyone wants answered is whether Gray will cannonball into the pool like former Mayor Anthony Williams? LL would prefer to see a full gainer.
AFTER THE JUMP: Redistricting Brings Out the Best in Barry; Kwame Makes Deals; Here kid, snack on an onion…
Redistricting Mess: What’s gotten into Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry lately? He called Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander a damned liar in public, made at-large Councilmember Phil Mendelson so mad at the end of Wednesday’s legislative meeting that LL thought a vein in Mendo’s neck was going to burst, and yesterday aggravated at-large Councilmember Michael A. Brown at a committee meeting to the point that Brown threatened to recite his ABCs just to prevent Barry from talking. “You want to look silly? Act silly,” was Barry’s advice. The subject of yesterday’s hilarious bout of Barry bickering was a council subcommittee’s proposed redistricting plan, which does not suggest expanding Barry’s ward across the Anacostia, as he wishes. TBD has the footage, which is worth watching just to see Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans‘ reaction. You may recall that LL made the not-very-bold prediction in October that there would likely be a lot of hurt feelings by the redistricting process. Check and mate. Though Barry’s getting the most attention, it’s Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells whose ward is most upset, because his ward is seeing the most changes. Perhaps Wells can get some relief by drawing upon the large reservoir of goodwill he created with Council Chairman Kwame “Fully Loaded” Brown after screwing over Brown’s plan to buy back a new tax on out-of-state municipal bonds. Or not.
Deal Maker: Speaking of Kwame, his victory lap continues today with the Post‘s Mike DeBonis calling Brown the “Picasso” of legislative deal-making for getting enough votes together to get rid of Gray’s proposed income tax increase for the rich. And all it took was giving Barry a few earmarks, err, tax abatements for churches in his ward. And the fact that the mayor didn’t seem to care one iota about whether the tax increase was included in the final budget probably didn’t hurt either.
In Other News: Only 24 more days until the end of spring, when Attorney General Irv Nathan said he hoped to have the Team Thomas investigation wrapped up. DCPS students given onions as snacks; see what you’ve done, Mary Cheh? Don’t let your babies sleep in your bed, former Fenty council staffer tells Harry Jaffe. Gray seeks approval of school security contract he once did not support. D.C. contracting with Medicaid providers the feds say are no good.
Council sked: 11 a.m. roundtable led by Cheh.