Happy Holidays from Mayor Fenty—and Don’t You Forget It
Today at the D.C. Armory, thousands of city residents are lining up for big holiday gift boxes. This large-scale act of civic goodwill comes thanks to the Feed the Children charity, the NBA Players Association, and the city government.
And, for Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, in this nascent campaign season, such an act of generosity could go a long way toward building voter goodwill—and he certainly means to take advantage of that.
Each of the gift packages consists of multiple boxes. Inside, there are USDA A Grade A turkeys, other food, coats, toys, and other items. One other thing about the boxes: They all sport at least one "Happy Holidays From Mayor Fenty" sticker, done in Hizzoner's trademark campaign color of kelly green.
That goes for more than the boxes, actually: Just about everyone in attendance sported one of the stickers. A staffer was planted at the front of the line handing them out to all who had come to collect the care packages—an estimated 10,000 of them.
In color and shape, the holiday stickers bear a terrific resemblance to Fenty's campaign stickers. LL's concern: Is the giveaway blurring the line between a helping hand from the government and a Fenty campaign event?
Mayoral spokesperson Mafara Hobson says the stickers themselves were paid for through constituent services funds raised from private donors.
Still, numerous city officials are staffing the event. Other event-related materials—including press credentials—carry Fenty's official government logo. The event, including a press conference this afternoon, was promoted to the press through the taxpayer-funded mayoral communications staff.
Hobson did not respond to questions about who actually affixed the stickers to the boxes—whether it was city employees, campaign staff, or volunteers—or how much was spent on the stickers and the rest of the event.
UPDATE, 5:15 P.M.: As to who actually did the sticking of the stickers, Hobson says it was a team effort between the event sponsors; the team did include mayoral staff. She also points out that Hizzoner has printed out similar stickers in his previous years in office and called them a "staple" of holiday giveaway events.
4:43 pm
What do DC residents need to do to be qualified to get a box?
6:29 pm
You know where else you see a lot of this kind of thing? Third world countries. You know - the kind dominated by corruption and seen as too hopeless to warrant investment or attention by the rest of the world; where politicians appeal to low-income residents with cheap gestures of solidarity while, at the same time, implementing policies that do nothing to address/exacerbate their economic circumstances.
Thanks for keeping us classy, Mayor Fenty.
6:39 pm
Fed Up Dude, you can also see this kind of political brainwashing in Chicago. "Da Mayor" Daley has his name on lots of signs coming into the city on various highways with the appendage in the lower right corner "Richard J. Daley - Mayor").
All the mayors of Chicago pull this stunt.
6:48 pm
This is how you got a package: 'The Mayor’s Office worked with local non-profit agencies, area churches, D.C. agencies and D.C. Councilmembers to distribute the tickets in advance to the participating families.'
Also told there was general admission once all the ticketed folks got their stuff.
8:42 pm
So DC government staff were taken away from their normal duties (which my taxes pay for) to put (campaign) stickers on boxes?????
9:14 pm
Recruits from DCFD were taken away from a training day to go to this function
7:18 am
They Mayor better have gotten a ton more of these stickers to make up for the dismal poll numbers he's seen lately.
9:46 am
It is going to take alot more than green stickers this time Mr. Fenty.
10:10 am
Is Adrian Fenty the mayor of Washington, D.C.? I didn't know that, WOW!
11:52 am
That's kind of disgusting.
12:54 pm
This is despicable, the vanity of this person has become too much for me to stand. I will do everything in my power to see he is not re elected to the position of mayor or any position in the DC Government. Charitable contributions should not be used as campaign materials. Did Adrian Fenty pay for these goods? Did he pay for the new sports field? He is putting his name on everything and giving very little to the people in DC.
At first the use of dictator was a nice jab at someone who seemed like he doesn’t care about his constituents. Now it seems like an accurate depiction of how he operates. Before all is said and done we may see statues (ok, maybe life sized cut outs) and he may have his own song like Saddam had.
7:04 pm
This man is TOO MUCH. HOW LOW WILL HE GO.
The DC workers were probably forced to perform these duties.
This is FENTY AT HIS BEST!!!
7:42 pm
Bald head, fraud ass DESPOT!
2:30 pm
Vote Anybody But Fenty in 2010!
10:52 pm
WELCOME TO THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - LAND WHERE
Adrian Fenty
Kwame Brown
Vincent Gray
&
Entire DC City Council Have The Following In Common:
*Taken developers’ money to force out DC residents and businesses.
*Ignored mass firings of DC residents from their jobs.
*Allowed 50,000+ undocumented immigrants to reside and work in DC.
*Pushed DC residents out of homes, apartments, and businesses.
*Making “One DC” of primarily the rich and powerful.
No Not Just Anybody DC.
Support Leo Alexander for DC Mayor in 2010!
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