The Fenty Athletocracy
Earlier today at D.C. Wire, David Nakamura posted a list of the folks Mayor Adrian M. Fenty will be competing with in a 200-mile relay race next month in April. Allow LL to annotate the list (in itals):
- Michelle Harburg, elite triathlete
- Jeff Horowitz, trainer, coach, author ("My First 100 Marathons," Skyhorse Publishing 2008)
- James Byles, president of Byles & Associates, media consultant—and nominated by Fenty to Public Employee Relations Board
- James "Skip" Walker, real estate appraiser and developer—and nominated by Fenty to Board of Real Property Assessment Appeals
- George "Ty" Simpson, ironman triathlete and real estate developer—and nominated by Fenty to Public Employee Relations Board (withdrawn), D.C. Housing Finance Agency Board of Directors, and University of District of Columbia Board of Trustees
- Maya Ellis Brown, elite runner
- Lloyd Henry, ironman triathlete, coach and owner of On-Point Fitness
- William Walker, real estate developer—and nominated by Fenty to Water and Sewer Authority board
- Milani Hom, elite runner
- Steuart Martens, elite swimmer, gourmet foods entrepreneur
- Omar Nour, triathlete—and nominated by Fenty to Board of Elections and Ethics; also brother of Diaa Nour, nominated to Public Employee Relations Board
5:29 pm
Eventually Fenty & DC will get burned with some age & disabled discrimination lawsuits...
9:33 pm
Cronyism, the hiring/appointments of unqualified friends isn't new or uncommon in DC government, but what really gets me is Fenty's blatant I don't give a fuck attitude about doing it.
6:13 am
Byles's wife (Heather Prichard) has been nominated for the Board of Library Trustees. Why do I know this? When I googled her a few months back, the only explanation I could come up with, given her lack of credentials, was "she's the wife of one of Fenty's running buddies!"
10:10 am
I agree with Madness, cronyism and politics go hand in hand but with Fenty there's an arrogance a sort of 'what are you going to do about it' attitude. But I'm glad Mommy and Daddy are supporting his athletic efforts. (snark)