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For all you might complain about how fast Mayor Vince Gray has moved on this or that, you can’t really accuse him of personal laziness. The man keeps a busy schedule even on most weekends, and his Navigator is parked behind the Wilson Building both early in the morning and late at night.
Putting in the hours is also probably the reason for which Gray most often praises his colleagues and aides. To wit:
- On now-Council chairman Phil Mendelson: “You’re not going to find anybody more hard-working than Phil Mendelson. Many people know my work habits, which are, uh, late into the night. There were many nights when I left that building as a chief council member, as a council chair, and now as mayor, that Phil Mendelson is still in that building working.”
- On not-Council chairman Vincent Orange: “He seems very diligent, he’s very hard working,” also making note of the presence of Orange’s SUV late at city hall (it’s the best way of measuring attendance).
- When they do events together, Gray and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor Hoskins invariably compete to call each other more hard working than the other. At the recent launch of a new economic development study, Gray called him “indefatigable,” and then mused upon the epithet. “I love that word, indefatigable,” he said. “Everyone know that word?”
Of course, working hard doesn’t always mean working smart. But it sure makes you look good (and you can always say you tried).
Photo by Darrow Montgomery