At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown had a gigantic truck at the July 4 Palisades parade. (Photo by Michael Grass)

After leaving the post-parade festivities at Palisades Park, complete with free hot dogs and moon bounce, City Desk surveyed the remains of the parade along its MacArthur Boulevard route. Parts of it were quite malodorous. (Who wants to have some dinner on Kemble Tavern's patio?) But it wasn't necessarily trashed like last month’s Capital Pride Parade. And no unclaimed free condoms on the sidewalk, either!

All the candy that Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans and his supporters showered on parade-goers seemed to be snapped up. The children of Ward 3 certainly love their sugary treats! City Desk wonders if Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh, fresh off her legislative victory to mandate healthy school lunches, will soon start a push for a Healthy Parades Act. Will someone not think of the children and their dental health?

Cheh, meanwhile, had her supporters pass out miniature copies of the U.S. Constitution, not particularly exciting as a freebie but quite fitting for a George Washington University professor specializing in constitutional law.

Some savvy politicians targeted parade-goers with implements to beat the heat. The campaign of D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray, who is challenging Mayor Adrian Fenty in the September Democratic primary, passed out miniature fans. Team Fenty, meanwhile distributed water bottles and green towels, to which DCist’s Martin Austermuhle remarked via Twitter: "Not very soft, like the candidate!" (When City Desk touched a Fenty towel, it was indeed quite abrasive—a mix between sandpaper, chamois and ratty gym towel. Did Hizzoner not test the hand-out on his bald head prior to distribution?)

Fenty and Gray "[b]oth did a good job keeping people cool," said Nate Bennett-Fleming, who is running for D.C. shadow representative and passed out around 1,000 Nate-branded bottles of water.

Campaigning has never been an especially environmentally friendly activity, with all the signs, stickers, Mardi Gras beads, pamphlets and the like that generally have a short life span before being trashed.

One resident of MacArthur Boulevard, hosting a July 4 parade-watching party on her front lawn, told City Desk that she wished Mayor Fenty’s Green Team would’ve been more green with the parade freebies.

"I support him on school reform. But these water bottles—look, they're everywhere!" The woman, who said she would be voting for Fenty, didn’t want to disclose her name. "I know not to criticize the mayor. He rides his bike up here."

The mayor, to his credit, did have his trusty Smart car at the parade, which was dwarfed by the monster truck At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown, who is running for D.C. Council chairman, had at the parade. City Desk was concerned that the gigantic vehicle would not be able to navigate some of the tight turns of the parade route, especially at Edmunds Place and Sherier Place where regular traffic jams developed as the parade snaked its way into Palisades Park.

The campaigns of Gray and former Ward 5 Councilmember Vincent Orange, who is running for D.C. Council chairman, did the best job at preemptively claiming all the good sign space along MacArthur Boulevard. (And on the lot in front of Palisades Park that once was home to the Jesse Baltimore House.) Four years ago, Fenty's mayoral campaign had the best ground game. This time, Gray bested the incumbent and had an excellent post-parade sign-collection operation. Two hours after the parade started, you would have had difficulty knowing that Gray was even at the event. (We pity the sign-collecting Gray campaign supporter that City Desk spotted walking all the way to his car parked out in front of the German Chancery on Reservoir Road, but not as much as the overheated Bolivian dancers who were weighed down by pounds of colorful costumes!)

Perhaps City Desk missed him, but we were hoping that Orange would be cruising MacArthur Boulevard on a Segway passing out candy and beads, just like he did during his ill-fated mayoral run four years ago. There were reports, however, that Orange was busy stumping for votes at an ice cream truck. Orange, known for his larger-than-life personality, seemed to be no match for Brown’s behemoth truck, which was a regular topic of conversation at the parade. (Orange, to his credit, had an aggressive signature-gathering operation.)

"This is the Washington, D.C., parade," said Patrick Mara, the school board candidate from Ward 1 who is better known for knocking off longtime At-Large Councilmember Carol Schwartz during the 2008 Republican primary, therefore depriving Palisades parade-goers of seeing Schwartz in her eye-popping yellow TransAm convertible. Even if Ward 3 voters—who form the core of the Palisades parade turnout—can't vote in your race, "you need to have a good showing here," said Mara, who had 20 supporters working the parade and post-parade party. "It says something about the strength of someone’s candidacy."

In that case, City Desk nominates the "Millwood Mob" for something, but we aren't sure what. Millwood Lane NW, a short street connecting Loughboro and Glenbrook roads, year after year fields a very organized showing at the parade, complete with its own queen. Imagine if the Millwood Mob would form its own political party! Watch out Mary Cheh!

Because of the hot weather, At-Large candidate Clark Ray, who was wearing a white sleeveless shirt, may have been the wisest person at the parade—though this writer’s recently deceased great aunt, a feisty, opinionated longtime Palisades resident, would have likely scoffed at any politician displaying bare shoulders.

But Team Ray was out in full force and was warmly received by the crowd, along with incumbent Phil Mendelson.

The one person who was missing was Don Peebles, the big-time developer and would-be mayoral candidate who kept political watchers on edge for months as he weighed a challenge to Fenty. (Through artfully crafted language, he decided not to run.) City Desk thinks Peebles should have teamed up with Matthew Lesko and his question-mark mobile—a perfect way to continue to toy with the populous!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: "Tampering Charges Tossed, But Conspiracy Case Goes Forward," "Outcast Psychic Eyes Bethesda Comeback," "World Cup Roundup," "Defense Expert Disputes Knife Evidence In Wone Case," "Court Sides With Protesters In DPW Poster Removal Case," "Fatal Shooting In Brentwood"

Good Morning. So just how bad is Mayor Adrian Fenty doing against D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray? He lost the Ward 3 straw poll—the results of which were released late yesterday. If Fenty is to have any hope of keeping his job, he's got to dominate that ward. LL is stunned and thinks maybe this is some kinda joke. But it must be true since there's a Gray campaign press release in my inbox: "According to results released tonight, Gray was named the winner of the Ward Three Democratic Committee Straw Poll with 174 votes to 168 for Fenty. The straw poll was conducted one week ago as the candidates faced each other in a candidates’ forum sponsored by the committee, but ballots were not counted until this evening. The straw poll was open to any registered Democrat living in Ward Three. The Ward Three Democratic Committee also voted tonight on whether to endorse a candidate for Mayor. While no candidate received the required 75% needed for an endorsement, Gray handily beat Fenty among the delegates by a margin of 40-15 (or 64% of the vote to 24%)." More coverage via WaPo.

AFTER THE JUMP—Virginia at war with itself over Metro, Don Peebles rides the fence, bad record keeping found at Adult Protective Services agency, and much, much more!

METRO MESS: WaPo editorial board refers to Virginia's threat to withhold Metro funds as "blackmail." The board writes: "This is not a dispute between Virginia and Metro, or even between Virginia and the other two Metro jurisdictions, Maryland and the District. This is a dispute between Virginia and Northern Virginia. And resolving it would not require redrawing the rules governing Metro's board. As things have stood for years, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, a regional body representing Fairfax and Arlington counties and Alexandria, has named two voting members to the Metro board to match the two voting members named by the District and the state of Maryland. (Maryland's seats have for years been controlled not by suburban governing bodies but from Annapolis, which also provides the state's subsidy.) When Virginia was asked to pony up $50 million a year in funds to match the federal dollars, state officials started pressing the commission to allow them to name one of the two voting members (plus an alternate) for Virginia. The Northern Virginians declined.... State officials point out that they are chipping in about 52 percent of all Virginia dollars going to Metro; the remaining 48 percent comes from Northern Virginia localities. State officials are also right that the Metro board would be well served by having Virginia represented by a full-time transportation expert, not part-time politicians, no matter how conscientious and well-intentioned." Best line: "But Metro is not a political trophy to be squabbled over; it's one of the busiest and most critical transportation systems in the nation. Northern Virginia needs to recognize the state's legitimate interest and contribution, back down and allow Richmond a vote on the Metro board. Richmond should negotiate without holding the system hostage. This internecine skirmish must not be allowed to jeopardize funding for transit in the nation's capital."

IT'S NOVA VS. THE REST OF VA: Meanwhile, the Examiner's Kytja Weir reports that two Virginia Congressmen called the funds threat "budgetary blackmail." Weir writes: "Reps. Gerry Connolly and Jim Moran, both Democrats, wrote a letter to Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell stressing 'serious concerns' about the proposal to give two of the four Virginia board slots to political appointees instead of elected officials from Northern Virginia. They specifically disputed the McDonnell administration's claim that the commonwealth deserved half the positions as it was contributing 52 percent of the overall $249 million in state and local subsidies for the pending $2.1 billion Metro budget, which starts July 1. They argue that Northern Virginia riders' fares and parking fees are not included in those numbers, thus underestimating how much local residents are contributing. Furthermore, Connolly told The Washington Examiner, that the $50 million the state is threatening to withhold comes from revenue paid by Northern Virginia drivers through the 2 percent gas tax. 'I know who pays the bills. It's local taxpayers, not Richmond, not the commonwealth,' Connolly said. 'This is our own money that Virginia is suddenly laying claim to.'"

HOPEFULLY, THE LAST DON PEEBLES LINK EVER: WaPo's Mike DeBonis writes that the developer has finally, sorta, maybe made up his mind on whether to run for mayor:

"The D.C.-born developer, based in Florida for more than a decade now, appeared on Jonetta Rose Barras's WPFW-FM show Thursday morning, promising to answer whether or not he'd challenge Mayor Adrian Fenty — a decision he's been openly pondering since last fall.

Not surprisingly, no hard answer came from Peebles, who has pledged to inject as much as $5 million of his own money into the race and has relished the attendant public attention. But it's clear the public's patience is nearing an end. Barras started by asking Peebles the big question: Will you or won't you?

'I continue to get an outpouring of support asking me to run for mayor,' he started, before launching into an extended monologue on the problems of Washington today — ranging from jobs to fiscal management.

Barras finally pressed him to answer the darn question. Even that didn't get a clear yes or no.

When he had agreed to come on the show, Peebles explained, he intended to announce he'd run for the mayoralty as an independent — that is, in the general election, after Fenty and Vincent Gray had duked it out. But Peebles said that earlier this week he'd learned that his mother-in-law's cancer had significantly worsened.

So, he said, 'at this point right now, I cannot be a candidate for mayor.'

Barras then asked if the 'door is closed' to a mayoral run. Said Peebles, 'You never say never.'"

Peebles has a great back story and can talk passionately on the subject of job creation. But why would anyone vote for this guy after all his indecision? More coverage via WBJ.

SHADY RECORD KEEPING: The Examiner's Alan Suderman reports that paperwork concerning some of the District's most vulnerable residents wasn't kept secure—the IG has found: "Sensitive information of some of the District's must vulnerable residents, including abused and neglected elderly and disabled citizens, was left in a haphazard and unsecured mess at a city office, the D.C. inspector general has found. The District's Adult Protective Services division is tasked with 'investigating reports of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of frail, elderly and disabled adults,' according to the inspector general's report. But the APS's case files — which include clients' statements, Social Security numbers, health records, and the names of those who reported abuse — were left 'unorganized lying on unattended desks, in open boxes, and in carts waiting to filed' in a storage room," the IG found. And the storage room was often left open and unlocked because it was used by city employees "as a thoroughfare" to reach exits and restrooms. City employees from a different department and who weren't authorized to look at the records had easy access to the files, according to the IG. The report is the third the inspector general has issued in little more than a year that details how a city agency has failed to safeguard city records."

9:30 CLUB VS. LIVE NATION: AP reports: "The owner of Washington's 9:30 Club has filed a lawsuit against Maryland to prevent the state from giving Montgomery County $4 million to build a music venue. The lawsuit was filed this week by the music club's parent company, IMP Inc., and that company's co-owner Seth Hurwitz. It says the county hasn't provided enough information about the project's costs as required by the General Assembly. The county is contributing $4 million to build the venue. A spokesman for the county executive says the county has met the assembly's conditions. The Live Nation venue would be built in downtown Silver Spring and serve about 2,000 standing patrons. Hurwitz has said his company could create a music venue in Silver Spring without public funds."

FENCED IN: WaPo's Ann Marimow updates on Vincent Gray's controversial fence: "The clock is ticking for Council Chairman Vincent Gray to do something about his fence. He has 30 days to relocate or lower the black aluminum fence that surrounds his Hillcrest home, according to a letter dated June 9 from the District's Public Space Committee. Last month, the committee ruled that Gray had not provided sufficient justification to exceed the District's height limit on fences built in the public right of way. The panel, charged with protecting the character of the city's neighborhoods, gave Gray two options to act by July 9: lower his 67-inch fence to the limit of 42 inches or move the fence back to the property line. Rulings by the obscure but powerful committee are final. Gray is consulting with his attorney, but has "not yet made a decision on whether he will move the fence or decrease the height," his campaign spokeswoman Traci Hughes said Thursday."

METRO MESS PART 2: Metro workers will be disciplined over ten-car train.

HOLDOUT HORROR STORY: One landlord who refused millions to sell during downtown's development boom now probably regrets that decision.

REQUIRED FATHER'S DAY READING: WaPo's Petula Dvorak profiles a father who adopted two neglected boys with the help of the Children's Law Center.

GRAY'S HEALTH: The Examiner's Bill Myers reports that Gray had a bit of "a sniffle" this week.

CRUISERS: Three cop cars were hit by an SUV.

EMAIL OF THE WEEK: From Keith Jarrell on campaign sign wars:

"For more than a month I have had a Vince Gray for Mayor sign in my yard. Proudly I might ad, and at my request. This evening after attending a CAC meeting at 4th District I came home only to find a Fenty for Mayor sign in the middle of my front yard, completely unauthorized!

Where does the dirty, over bearing side of Fenty STOP?

I am open to no excuses from the Campaign on this heinous act. If they even begin to suggest that the person that installed the Fenty sign maybe didn't see the Gray sign then I am going to suggest that they get their eyes checked. They would have to have practically walked over the first sign to put up the second one.

I have left a message for the Fenty Campaign manger giving him until 8Am tomorrow morning to have the sign removed.

Keith Jarrell"

MAYOR'S SCHEDULE:

9:30 a.m. Remarks
Ribbon Cutting for Marvin Gaye Park
Location: Marvin Gaye Park
Minnesota Avenue and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE
(Don't you feel like he's already cut a ribbon at Marvin Gaye Park?)

D.C. COUNCIL SCHEDULE:

11 a.m.
Committee on Aging and Community Affairs (Hearing)
Bill 18-235, the "Veterans License Plates Establishment Act of 2010"
Location: John A. Wilson Building, Room 412

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT—"Defendants Often Left Door Unlocked, Ex-Housemate Testifies In Wone Case," "Friendly Card Game Leads To Homicide At Salina Restaurant," "Witness Recalls Defendant in Wone Case Talking About Blood Evidence," "Ellwood Thompson's Opening in Columbia Heights In January-ish," "Applying For Permits? Budget Accordingly."

Howdy. After an extended break involving a trip to Upstate New York and a move to Takoma—still in D.C., Thank G-d—the Original Substitute LL is back with the morning links. Let's get to it. WaPo's Bill Turque reports that DCPS' teachers' union ratified the new contract yesterday, voting in favor of the deal by a wide margin. After all the wrangling, the vote wasn't even close on the contract which expands Michelle Rhee's powers to remove teachers and places an emphasis on classroom performance over teacher seniority; the contract also provides teachers with a significant salary bump. Turque provides the details: "Members of the Washington Teachers' Union approved the pact 1,412 to 425 after a two-week voting period. The agreement now goes to the D.C. Council, where it is expected to be swiftly approved. The contract, a product of nearly 2 1/2 years of contentious negotiations, combines a rich traditional financial package with unorthodox initiatives historically resisted by unionized teachers. It includes a five-year, 21.6 percent increase in base pay that will boost the average annual salary of a D.C. educator from $67,000 to about $81,000 and gives the city's public school teachers salaries comparable to those in surrounding suburban districts, according to a union survey. The payday stands out amid a wave of deep school budget cuts across the country. New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said Wednesday, for instance, that his city will eliminate raises for its public school teachers and principals over the next two years to avoid deep job reductions. Although the contract breaks new ground for the District, the extraordinary pace of change in national education policy has in some ways overtaken the document. When negotiations started in late 2007, the concepts embedded in Rhee's contract and evaluation proposals — performance pay linked to test score growth, weakening of seniority and tenure — were far more politically polarizing." Key Comment: "Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, who shared negotiating responsibilities with Parker, was less effusive. She said she was pleased that after months of divisiveness, the two sides found common ground in 'wanting teachers to be the best they could be' with provisions for increased professional development and classroom resources.... 'At the end of the day, this is still one of the industrial model contracts where a lot of the authority is reposed in the chancellor herself,' said Weingarten, adding that the union was able to incorporate checks and balances into the contract that lend more transparency to Rhee's power."

The Examiner's Leah Fabel calls the pay-for-performance plan the "most robust" in the nation. More coverage via WTOP, NC8, WUSA9, WashTimes. Statement from D.C. Council Chairman/Mayoral Candidate Vincent Gray: “Today’s vote has been almost three years in the making and I believe it’s high time we seal the deal. Therefore, I will urge my colleagues on the Council to follow the teachers’ lead and give final approval as soon as possible. In the coming days, the Council will engage in an open, transparent approval process that aims to restore the public trust in the ability of its government to implement the contract effectively and fund it within the existing Council-approved DCPS budget without any indirect cuts that negatively impact other areas of the school budget."

AFTER THE JUMP: New York Ave. water main break, Fenty checks BlackBerry during mayoral forum, Don Peebles is still a tease, Chesapeake Bay meetup, and much, much more!

MAYORAL FORUM: The D.C. Wire's Tim Craig has the scene from last nights mayoral forum: "If Wednesday night's D.C. for Democracy candidates forum had been televised, viewers would have seen Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) looking annoyed, distracted and uneasy. The mayor had a vexed look on his face during much of the forum as he fumbled with his BlackBerry. At one point, he picked up the BlackBerry and handed it to an aide so she could take an incoming call for him. But viewers also would have heard a mayor who is starting to sharpen his message about why he thinks he's a better candidate than his chief rival in the September Democratic primary, D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray....In response to a question from the moderator, Gray and Alexander criticized the Fenty administration's record on affordable housing. Fenty hit back. 'As you can tell the gentleman on my left and the gentleman on my right are really big critics,' Fenty said, referring to Gray and Alexander. 'If we were electing a chief critic for the District of Columbia, I would probably recommend either of them. But we are electing a chief executive officer and that means we need someone who can get things done.'"

YOUR COMMUTE MAY HAVE SUCKED: A water main break on New York Avenue NE caused a huge traffic tie-up yesterday. WASA officials had hoped to fix the busted old pipe but now say the break could still cripple the morning rush hour. NC8 reports: "When WASA crews reached the 79-year-old pipe they realized there was no quick fix. Their goal is to get the lanes re-opened by the morning rush hour, but Wednesday night there was still a huge gaping hole as crews worked to replace more than 30 feet of pipes. Digging around gas and electric lines by hand, WASA's crew knows exactly what to do. two years ago, a similar split happened a quarter mile up the road. 'You don't want to be tying up New York Avenue on a work day. We understand that and apologize to the residents that's we've impacted,' stated Charles Kiely with WASA. A total of four businesses lost water Wednesday, including a Comfort Inn Hotel." More coverage via WTOP. WaPo has more from DDOT: "John Lisle of DDOT said the surge of water early Wednesday damaged a pair of traffic signal control boxes. He said one was replaced and the other repaired so that all lights would be functioning when the road is ready to reopen."

MORE ON TEACHERS CONTRACT: WaPo columnist Robert McCartney wonders if the ratified contract signals a new era of cooperation between the teachers' union and Michelle Rhee: "Both Rhee and the union will have to shed their mutual hostility to make it work, but the rewards would be great. If they succeed, it would make the District a national showpiece for successful school reform. In particular, it would demonstrate that teachers unions can become allies of change rather than obstacles to it. 'I feel like we're finally moving out of a hole in D.C. It seems like we've improved scores, and if Chancellor Rhee and the union can work together, then we really have a chance to move forward and keep that momentum,' said Steve Aupperle, who coaches middle school teachers at Truesdell Educational Center in Northwest Washington and is a former member of the WTU's executive board. Although critical of Rhee's approach in some ways, Aupperle stressed that the union had to cooperate, too. 'If the union kind of goes back to old-fashioned tactics of fighting at every junction to get control [of work processes], it's just not going to work,' he said."

PEEBLES WATCH: WaPo's Mike DeBonis has taken on the task of hounding Maybe Mayoral Candidate Don Peebles until he finally makes up his mind on whether to make a run for D.C.'s top elected office. DeBonis offers and timeline of Peebles' waffling and writes: "While us full-time D.C. residents are trying to stage a nice, tidy, exciting, mano a mano mayoral race this summer, Peebles and his potential self-financed $5 million war chest wait in the wings. Get in or get out — the moment sure isn't going to get any riper."

While you wait, maybe you should skim Peebles' book. It's awesome. In fact the book is so awesome, it has even received praise from Steve Jobs Sunglass Hut Founder(!!) Dr. Sanford Ziff: "This book is a brilliant example of entrepreneurship, creativity, and principles. Peebles walks you through many of his successful deals, from their inception to their completion. Once you start the book you won't be able to put it down until you've finished the last page." LL's fave chapter title: "North Capitol and G Streets: Carpe Diem."

AREA UNEMPLOYMENT DROPS: Jobless claims fell dramatically in the Metro region, WaPo reports: "In April, the region's not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 5.9 percent, compared with 6.6 percent in March, according to the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The region gained a net 5,800 jobs during the 12 months ending in April. Local economists had predicted that the increase would be as high as 20,000. Still, 5,800 represented the largest net gain of jobs among major U.S. metropolitan areas and marked the first time since October 2008 that the Washington region added more jobs than it lost."

CHESAPEAKE CLEANUP MEETUP: Today, Mayor Fenty is meeting in Baltimore with Gov. O'Malley and Gov. McDonnell to discuss the on-going restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, WaPo reports: "The gathering in Baltimore comes after decades of failure to meet goals set to cleanse the bay, and after a pair of potentially significant developments that will put additional pressure on state and local governments in the 64,000-square-mile watershed. An Obama administration initiative rolled out two weeks ago requires that each of the six watershed states and the District come up with its own restrictions on farmers, developers, homeowners and others to curtail the flow of pollutants into the bay. The Environmental Protection Agency is at work determining what's called the Total Maximum Daily Load that bay waters can absorb if water quality is to improve. The TMDL will be apportioned to the states. A second fresh element in play when Maryland's Martin O'Malley (D) and Virginia's Robert F. McDonnell (R) meet with Fenty (D) on Thursday is the settlement last month of a lawsuit brought against the EPA by bay advocates. That agreement leaves the federal agency legally vulnerable if it fails to enforce new limits on nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment flowing into the bay."

FIREWORKS BUST: A Northeast man was busted with a huge cache of professional-grade fireworks. WUSA9 reports: "The man says authorities are overreacting to the Times Square car bomb and just picking on him. But federal agents say they found some 20 cases of explosives in [the suspect's] vehicle. 'With that amount, it would have almost been a large vehicle bomb... like a truck bomb.'" Authorities do not believe the man is a terrorist or had plotted to do anyone harm.

COMMUTER NEEDS: Amtrak says it will continue to offer free wi-fi service on its trains.

IF ONLY 'LAW & ORDER' HAD BEEN RENEWED: The AP reports that a Virginia charged with murdering his wife is claiming that a lethal mix of steroids and Starbucks coffee were big, mitigating factors: "Philip Kingery pleaded guilty Wednesday in Franklin County Circuit Court to second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of his wife Rose. He also pleaded guilty to use of a firearm in commission of a felony. Defense attorney Tony Anderson said Kingery had 'diminished capacity' at the time of the slaying last year because of steroid abuse and an addiction to coffee, particularly Starbucks coffee. Judge William Alexander sentenced the 48-year-old Kingery to 40 years in prison on the murder charge but suspended 18 years. Kingery received a three-year sentence on the firearm charge."

ROBERT WONE: A rundown of the 11th day of the trial.

FENTY SCHEDULE:

7:10 a.m. Guest
Fenty on Fox
Location: Fox 5

11:00 a.m. Remarks
Annual Executive Council meeting of the Chesapeake Bay
Location: Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum
1417 Thames St, Baltimore, MD 21231

COUNCIL SCHEDULE:

4 p.m. Committee on Health (Round Table)
Implementation of the Youth Sexual Health Project
Location: John A. Wilson Building, Room 123

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT—"Prosecutor: Wone Suspects 'Did It For The Family,'" "Defense: Cops Prejudiced Against Wone Suspects"

Howdy. A big day in D.C. Superior Court with the start of the Robert Wone conspiracy trial. It's been several years since Wone was murdered in the Dupont Circle home of the three defendants. That's a long time to speculate, theorize, and comb through the evidence. No one has been more attentive to this case than the men behind the website Who Murdered Robert Wone? The site offers up strong Day One coverage that included opening statements and the testimony of Wone's widow. The bloggers picked up on a few interesting details:

"It’s clear the defense is ready to take full advantage of any and all previously admitted government and law enforcement errors, reinforcing their message that this was a flawed investigation from the beginning. Said Ward counsel Schertler, the government '…tried to create evidence to fit a preconceived theory…'

Interestingly, all three defense attorneys took pains to paint Robert and all of the Swann Street three as good friends…and that friends simply can’t murder friends. A close reading of the defendants’ interview statements, and comments today from Kathy Wone, raise some doubt about those claims.

Looking back, in his opening statement Kirschner seemed to hit his strongest stride referencing W-5 and Joe’s statement to him that he pulled the knife from Robert’s chest. This, after being interviewed for hours that he found the knife lying on Robert’s chest..an inconsistency that Kirschner hopes to demonstrate the 'vacuum' of truth in statements by the defendants."

More coverage via WaPo, NC8, the Examiner, WUSA9, WTOP.

AFTER THE JUMP—More bad news for CFSA, introducing the Fake Don Peebles, Maya Angelou pens supportive note to Fenty, and MOCO schools get in hot water over religion.

BUDGET WATCH: Yesterday, LL cheered the restoration of funds to several Child and Family Services Agency programs that had been cut by Mayor Adrian Fenty's proposed budget. But LL failed to provide a clearer picture of the cuts that are still set to take effect. You can find a full breakdown of the cuts in the Human Services Committee report (PDF)–which include hefty slices from foster parent subsidies, rapid housing, along with a cut to the grandparent-caregiver subsidy program, and the gutting of the parent advocacy program. The safety net still needs a lot of patching up. The D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute provides a fact sheet on the budget mess. Meanwhile, Save Our Safety Net is organizing a Human Safety Net around the Wilson Building tomorrow morning. The press release has the details:

"District residents and advocates will build a safety net around the John A. Wilson Building at 8:30 am Wednesday, May 17, 2010. The demonstration is being organized in partnership with the Fair Budget Coalition and Save Our Safety Net (SOS-DC)....Harry Thomas, Michael Brown, and other Councilmembers will join hundreds of DC residents

FAKE DON PEEBLES: The big question from yesterday: Was Don Peebles now using Twitter? The answer turned out to be no. But the Fake Don Peebles is still pretty awesome. Favorite tweets include this one from May 16: "There has been much speculation over my intent to run for mayor of DC, for inquiring minds: I am still giving it serious consideration." And this one from May 12: "I like thinking big...If you're going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big." I don't know about you but this substitute LL is going to be following the Fake Don Peebles at least until the election.

MAYA ANGELOU STICKS UP FOR FENTY: Remember that controversy last summer revolving around the Fenty Administration's attempt to boot out Cora Masters Barry from the tennis center? Remember the reports of Fenty dissing Dorothy Height and Maya Angelou? Fenty had failed to meet with the famous women, who were intent on lobbying on Barry's behalf. On NC8's NewsTalk last week, Fenty addressed the controversy. During the interview, Fenty mentions receiving a letter from Angelou as evidence that there were no hard feelings. WaPo has a copy of the letter: "In the September missive, Angelou writes, 'I know that my name has been used in varying ways, but while I am a friend of Mrs. Cora Masters Barry, and a supporter of her great efforts, I in no way meant to be a threat or a negative figure to you in this matter....I want you to know that I have not spoken to the press and it was never my intent to bogart or jam you against a wall.'" We applaud the poet for her use of the word "bogart." I'm sure Fenty totally understood the term.

VINCE GRAY CAMPAIGN WATCH: D.C. Wire's Mike DeBonis (the name sounds familiar...) reports that Gray is playing catchup on a number of fronts: "Gray's nascent operation has to contend with a well-established, well-organized Fenty election apparatus, the vaunted 'Green Machine,' which prides itself on identifying friendly voters and making sure they get to the polls on Election Day. Already, Fenty works from a list amassed in the course of his 2006 landslide win, and his re-election campaign continues to collect names on street corners and from door-to-door canvassing. Without divulging the actual length of the list, Fenty consultant Tom Lindenfeld says that the campaign 'has been counting and mining the voters for an extended period of time.' Gray, on the other hand, starts pretty much from scratch. This weekend, his campaign started making headway on that front, phoning thousands of District voters to ask for their support. 'In a sense, it is catching up,' Gray campaign spokesperson Traci Hughes said Monday. 'We've got someone who's been essentially running for office for three years, and we're just joining the race.'"

MOCO VS. GOD'S PLAYGROUND: A MOCO school canceled a series of field trips to Bethesda's With Me Playseum for its kindergarten classes after the museum's owner apparently dropped the G word on her website. WaPo reports: "The owner of the fledgling business, Gina Seebachan, bought tiles so each child could make a handprint to take home as a keepsake. She organized books by authors the children were reading for story time. If the trip went well, Seebachan thought, business might really take off. Then, without warning, Westbrook Elementary School, which all four of Seebachan's children have attended, canceled the trip. All because, Seebachan says, she mentions God on the Playseum Web site. Last month's canceled school visits were just the latest in what some friends and neighbors call an unsubstantiated whisper campaign that has gone viral, with Web postings accusing Seebachan, an evangelical Christian, and the Playseum of being less about creating a play space for children and more about saving their souls. In a well-to-do, liberal community, where separation of church and state is virtually a religion, Seebachan's references to God, and the use of the politically loaded word 'life' on the Playseum Web site, coupled with the echo chamber of the Internet, made for a combustible mix." Key graph that makes the owner look a little kooky: "She indeed plays her iPod Nano at the Playseum, meaning that children hear '80s hits such as 'Tainted Love' but also some Christian rock. She says she did once sing a catchy ditty that included some hallelujahs while she made apple pie in the play space's bakery. But, she says, she hasn't sung anything with religious content since then. All the other things people are saying about her, she says, are 'utter lies.'"

COMMENTARY: This morning, Children's Law Center's Executive Director Judith Sandalow provides a commentary on WAMU concerning Mayor Fenty's child-abuse prevention plan. Here is an excerpt:

"Four years after he called for a District-wide plan to prevent child abuse and neglect, Mayor Fenty quietly issued a press release announcing the plan had been completed. It wasn’t worth the wait.

The inconspicuous nature of the announcement speaks volumes about the District’s lack of commitment to actually prevent child abuse and neglect. Indeed, the plan itself is all talk and very little action.

I just don’t understand the Mayor’s lack of urgency.

Our child welfare system is overflowing. Almost 4,000 children were abused or neglected in fiscal year 2009 alone. There are more than 2,000 children in foster care at any given moment and another 2,000 children whose families are monitored by our child welfare agency. With the troubled economy sending thousands of additional families into poverty, we can only expect this number to increase.

The suffering behind these numbers is almost unspeakable."

HORSE PLAY FOLLOW UP: WUSA9 has video of the wild horse romp through NW from this past weekend.

APOLOGIES TO RON MOTEN: Early in LL's short tenure, he quoted FOP honcho Kristopher Baumann stating that Peaceoholics received city funds to locate and return juvenile absconders. This is not true. Ron Moten tells LL that his organization had received no such funding. Juveniles charged in the Brian Betts murder had escaped from DYRS supervision. All three defendants had attended a Peaceoholics retreat just prior to the killing. Moten says he did not know of their issues with DYRS. "We would have made them turn themselves in," Moten says. "They have to be willing to accept responsibility for what they've done." Moten adds that the retreat did help many of the other kids in attendance. Of the 47 children who participated, 16 have since found employment. It should be noted that Baumann promptly contacted LL to correct the error.

It's high time that somebody pounced
And Vincent has all but announced
So long on the fence (oh hey, speaking of...)
The man got some sense (still needs more cents though)
And now let's just see who gets trounced

From nothing, it seems there are two
As Don joins the hullabaloo
Right 'fore his vacation
The man's inclination?
Towards joining the mayoral queue

D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray is reportedly announcing a mayoral run tomorrow, and if you think that R. Donahue Peebles—his main company in the will-he-run-or-won't-he-run derby—will be standing beside him offering an endorsement, think again.

Continuing a pattern that's played out several times in recent months, just when it seems Peebles might fade into a behind-the-scenes role, the deep-pocketed developer makes it perfectly clear that he thinks he's the best man to take on incumbent Adrian M. Fenty, end of story.

"My inclination is to run," he said this evening. "I will be a very competitive candidate, and I will win."

Such self-confidence notwithstanding, Peebles says he has not made a final decision. That will come this week, as he joins his family for a Spring Break excursion to the Caribbean. When he returns next week, he says, he'll have a decision ready—based on, he says, what's best for his family and his business, in that order.

And if that means Peebles plays spoiler, so be it. Or so he says.

"I am a big believer in giving voters as many choices as possible," Peebles said. "Back-room deals, smoke-filled rooms, they don't turn out the way people want them."

The "smoke-filled room" line refers to discussions—both alluded to by Gray and caught on camera—that Peebles and Gray would come to a gentleman's understanding that only one of them would run for the mayor's spot on the premise that Fenty could only be defeated in a head-to-head battle.

Peebles happens to reject that premise out of hand: "I'm confident [a three-way race] doesn't mean an Adrian Fenty victory," he tells LL. "I think when you try to engineer the race, voters see through that." He even cited some history: The 1990 race between stalwart politicos Dave Clarke, Walter Fauntroy, and John Ray, where Sharon Pratt came from nowhere to win a term as mayor.

Peebles, in fact, is quite conversant with historical precedent, citing mayoral races in 1978, 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2006 as proof that little-regarded candidates can enter late and/or under-resourced and/or underestimated and still finish triumphant.

In a 20-minute conversation this evening, Peebles spoke fluidly but hewed to a well-refined set of talking points: that the city is economically divided; that economic development is needed in underserved neighborhoods; and that that he's the best candidate to make that happen.

He also made the case that he's the candidate best equipped to take on the well-financed, energetic incumbent. "Adrian Fenty is a great campaigner," said Peebles. "I would not underestimate him. It's about who is willing to work as hard or harder than Adrian, who has the capacity to finance a campaign like Adrian Fenty."

That line encapsulates the conventional wisdom doubting a Gray run: that's he too old, at 67, to run again Fenty, 39; and that he doesn't have the fundraising muscle to match up with Fenty's $4 million war chest.

But that veiled slam is as far that Peebles is willing to go in criticizing Gray—which, in LL's mind, leaves the door open for a late-race reconciliation. "I have nothing but great respect for him," Peebles said, adding that "I'd prefer to see him remain as chair of the city council and be a good partner." (Since Gray appears not to be doing so, Peebles already has a preference for his replacement: "Kwame Brown would make a great chairman," he said.)

Gray, in recent months, has been similarly unfailingly complimentary of Peebles, albeit with an eye toward fostering a one-on-one race.

Peebles confirmed that Gray had recently asked him to run and to endorse his campaign; he refused but didn't in turn ask Gray not to run, he says: "It's a free country, as I've said all along. Right now, the only candidate I'm prepared to support is me. The only candidate I'm prepared to finance is me."

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

This much is clear: If developer R. Donahue Peebles runs for mayor (and it doesn't seem to be a very big if), that vein in Adrian Fenty's forehead will be doing a lot of popping.

Last night, as a guest of the D.C. Federation of Civic Associations, Peebles delivered what was, for all intents and purposes, a mayoral stump speech. In his remarks before a friendly crowd, Peebles lambasted Fenty's record, attacking the incumbent on education, crime, and economic development. And, at times, he got rather personal.

Notably, Peebles delivered his strident remarks minutes after D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray occupied the podium inside the old council chambers at One Judiciary Square. While Gray decried divisions in the city and got quite animated about D.C. voting rights, he did not challenge the current leadership of the city as directly as Peebles did. (Keep in mind that Gray was there to deliver brief comments before installing the organization's new officers.)

It would be unfair to compare and contrast the would-be candidates, but one thing's clear to LL: Peebles has the taste for the political jugular that Gray does not.

Peebles read from a prepared text (available below). His particular spin on the rags-to-riches story—grandson of hotel doorman becomes hotel owner—won him applause and grunts of approval from the crowd. He got even more applause when he started his broadsides at the Fenty record—noting that murders went down last year, but only "for the first time...since Adrian Fenty walked into office" and playing down rises in school test scores as modest. Like Gray, he indulged in the old "tale of two cities" line, which launched him into the meat of his attack, skewering Fenty for "economic neglect" and closing social-service offices while unemployment is at an all-time high. In another ripped-from-the-headlines riff, Peebles decried the overcrowding at the city's youth detention center.

On the night of the State of the Union address, Pebbles also deployed a classic SotU tactic, quoting a resident named Renarda House to testify to the plight of the city. Her testimony: "Fenty is not in touch at all with this community." (House appeared not to be on the premises.)

That segued into another Peebles crowd-whipper—the recent CoStar tax-abatement deal: "I wonder how Adrian Fenty would feel, how he would explain to her and the hundreds of others, how he chose to close two service centers to save $1 million while at the same very time, he flew back from a junket from Las Vegas, Nevada, and sat in first-class next to the owner of a company called CoStar and cut a deal to give him $7 million to move his business from Bethesda, Maryland, to Washington, D.C.—a deal that would not create one new job, not spark any new economic development in our community."

After wrapping up his prepared comments, things got really interesting.

After one woman in the audience of several dozen rose to urge him to run, Peebles, citing his mother-in-law's terminal cancer, said he wasn't running "at this particular time." He added: "I do intend, whether I'm a candidate or someone else is, to help support change in the city."

With that, the Fenty slams notched into high gear. For one: "I don't dislike Adrian Fenty. I mean, you know, he's probably a good athlete. But I am angry at the job that he's done as mayor and the level of disrespect and the lack of compassion."

On his economic development record: "I, at 27 years old, with $20,000 in the bank have built more buildings in Ward 8 than Adrian Fenty with $9 billion in the bank."

Peebles went on to call him "vindictive" and retaliatory toward those who don't support his political campaigns. He pivoted to address a key ant-Peebles talking point: "People have been going around telling the media that I'm just trying to buy the mayor's race. But I want to answer that for those of the media that are here: I am. I'm gonna buy it back and give it to you." Big applause for that one.

And then things got personal, apropos of the Cora Masters Barry eviction saga. As predicted, the Fenty administration's attempt to oust the estranged wife of Marion Barry from her space at a city-funded tennis center became prime campaign fodder, prompting this vein-popper: "Does he think he's gonna be mayor forever? One day his wife will be the former first lady. Then I realized he probably doesn't have much respect for her." Yikes.

And that, of course, gave way to Fenty's related snub of civil rights icon Dorothy Height and poet Maya Angelou, who wanted a meeting with Hizzoner in order to stump for Cora. "Who the hell does he think he is?....If it weren't for Dorothy Height, he wouldn't be running the city; he'd probably be working at the cleaners."

In closing, Peebles alluded to the parks contracting mess and a well-worn reference to old Howard Beale: "The reality is, I hope you all understand, Adrian Fenty doesn't care....We have got to say enough is enough...stand up and say, 'I'm mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore!'"

Peebles' prepared remarks:

Thank you, Robert, for the kind introduction.

Washington, DC is the greatest city in the world.

One of DC's greatest attributes is its community-focused and compassionate citizens.

The DC Federation of Civic Associations not only encapsulates the diversity of this city,

It unites associations from every corner of the District to support one another in a comprehensive and action-oriented manner.

I am grateful to you ALL for your civic devotion and commitment.

And am confident that through the tenacity and passion of your respective associations, our city will unite.

And, once again, offer a worthy and pleasant quality of life for all of its citizens and provide opportunities to those committed to success.

After all, our nation's capital has been luring people here for generations.

Take my family for example:

My great grandparents moved here in the late 1920s from the segregated south in hopes of providing their children with a better life.

My grandfather secured a job as a doorman at what is now Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

He held the position for 41 years.

Supported his family of 5 daughters, all of whom attended DCPS, and instilled in them the philosophy of limitless opportunity.

Today, his grandchildren are doctors, accountants, educators and real estate entrepreneurs.

I actually now own a Marriott Hotel downtown.

Washington, DC enabled my family to go from hotel doorman to hotel owner in 2 generations.

While I feel extremely privileged my family has thrived here for 4 generations, my story is certainly not unique.

I imagine many of you have taken advantage of opportunities presented to you in D.C. and in turn, celebrated some of life's greatest moments here.

I have fond memories of attending high school at the Library of Congress and interning as a page on Capitol Hill.

I met my wife here; my son was born here; established my business here; built my first building here in Anacostia.

As a matter of fact, it was the DC gov't which provided me with my first development opportunity.

Our city has evolved since my childhood and adolescence, from the hardships of the 1960s and the riots of 1968, to the momentous passing of the Home Rule Act in 1974.

I remember the overwhelming pride I felt as a young Washingtonian watching the swearing in of our first elected mayor and city council in 1975.

However, over the course of recent years, especially the last 3, our city has grown increasingly divided.

It is astonishing that in a city where the average personal income is more than $55,000, the highest in the country,

More than 19% of residents live in poverty, the 2nd highest behind Mississippi.

Amidst such inequality, the DC government exacerbates such challenges by being unable to provide even basic services to ALL residents EQUALLY.

The disparity of services provided in Ward 8, for example, versus those provided in Wards 2 and 3, is unacceptable.

Public safety, education and employment opportunities should NOT be determined by your zip code.

As many of you know, homicide in major urban cities decreased last year, as it did here in DC, for the first time since Fenty took office.

We should note the most significant decrease in recent years was actually during Mayor Williams' 2nd term.

From 2003 to 2006, homicides went down by 32%, or 79 deaths.

When Fenty took office in 2007, the downward trend ended and during his first 2 years of office, homicides went up.

Essentially, the city took two steps BACK and ONE step forward.

Despite the decrease in murders in 2009, robbery, theft, arson and property crime all went up here in the District.

The disparity in education can also be plotted on a map with the better schools being west of the Anacostia River.

Schools in affluent neighborhoods not only have higher test scores than schools in Wards 7 and 8, parents are able to supplement budget cuts and provide amenities such as teacher aides, field trips and other enriching elements.

Children in every ward, in every school should have the same exposure and the same amenities.

Reality is, less than half of DCPS students graduate from high school.

Yet 46% of people 25 and over who live in the District, have at least a bachelor's degree, higher than any other state.

Until this disparity significantly improves, it is inappropriate to celebrate such marginal changes as publicized in December.

The fact that 8th grade math scores went from last place to second to last, slightly ahead of Detroit, is nothing to boast.

Especially since Detroit was not part of the previous study.

Fortunately for Michelle Rhee, Detroit DID decide to participate otherwise Washington would have remained last!

And now 4th grade test scores are ranked 14 out of 18.

Both grades are lower than the scores for public school students in other major cities.

I fail to see the cause for celebration.

Just imagine, if we continue at this rate, our 8th graders will not reach the national average for at least another decade, and that is assuming the national average does not increase.

As someone keenly aware of the correlation between economic development and job creation in urban communities, DC's unemployment rate is inexcusable

The economic neglect of large portions of the city, especially east of the river, caused DC's jobless rate to hit 12.1% in December despite the addition of 600 jobs.

Think about that: our nation's capital is more than 2o% higher than the national unemployment average.

DC's unemployment rate is the highest level since the US Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking rates in 1976.

The most unsettling part is in the eastern part of the city, the unemployment numbers are quickly approaching 30%.

As a native Washingtonian, a successful business person and a compassionate citizen, it is inconceivable for me to believe such staggering realities exist in the capital of the United States of America.

Our priorities should be centered on leveling the playing field and creating a positive environment where each and every citizen is provided an opportunity to succeed.

And during times of economic hardship, the government MUST extend a helping hand to those in the greatest need.

The amount of compassion, respect and integrity each of us exhibits should be present in our homes, our neighborhoods, our schools and our government.

If we work together and remain resolute in our expectations for comprehensive equality,

o We can have safer streets for our children to play,

o We can have better schools for our children to learn,

o We can have a favorable environment for entrepreneurs to flourish,

o And we can have elected officials who act in the best interest of the people, not of themselves.

We cannot risk continuing down the wreckless path of the current administration.

We owe it to ourselves, our children and most importantly, to the children who are not blessed with a strong support system.

As a parent, it is heartbreaking to know there are children at District youth detention centers, housing more than 156 juveniles in quarters meant for no more than 88.

These kids are unable to access the guidance and mentorship needed for them to find their way to a promising future.

Today's Washington is not the city I grew up in and not what residents want.

Today's Washington is a tale of two cities; one of affluence and great opportunity and the other of economic despair and staggering unemployment.

I bet during the course of the week, you hear a story about a teacher losing their job, a neighbor's house going into foreclosure or a friend getting laid off.

On Tuesday, my heart sank as I opened the Metro section of The Post to see a photo of my building in Anacostia with hundreds of people, bundled in scarves and winter coats, in a line stretching around the corner awaiting entrance to the Income Maintenance Center.

It was infuriating to read the Class-A development I built 20 years ago, was now a dreaded venue where people like Renarda House, wait days on end in hope of receiving governmental assistance.

Ms. House "blames the city" and feels "Fenty is not in touch at all with this community."

We cannot and will not become a great city if we have social service centers turning away hundreds of residents every day who wait for as long as 8 hours for food stamps, medical assistance or emergency cash payments.

I wonder how Adrian Fenty would explain to her and the hundreds of others how he closed two service centers to save $1 million while negotiating a $7 million deal to lure a Bethesda-based company to the District.

A deal which will not create ONE new job nor spark ANY new economic development for our community.

With such insensitivity from the highest level, the increasing economic divide will certainly lead to further separation, hopelessness and anger.

We cannot condone such lack of compassion and poor management.

We must demand additional resources be deployed to the hardest hit areas.

We must fight for the best interest of those being ignored, unheard and abused.

It is in everyone's best interest to strive for economic parody.

We can do better and we must.

Thank you again for your dedication.

Please feel free to express any comments you may have or ask me any questions.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

In a lengthy statement released this evening, Peebles explains that due to personal concerns—including the recent death of his mother and his mother-in-law's serious health concerns—he "cannot enter the race at this time."

You'll note more than a little wiggle room in that verbiage. His spokesperson, Kendall Pryles, says the decision should not be taken as a final decision not to run in 2010.

"The door is still open," she says.

Nor should it be taken, Pryles says, as any indication of Vincent C. Gray's electoral plans. This decision, she says, was about family, not politics.

Full statement after jump.

As many of you know, I have been giving serious consideration to entering the 2010 race for Mayor of the District of Columbia. As a second generation Washingtonian and father of a third generation Washingtonian, I have a great love of this wonderful city and profound compassion for its citizens.
 
For nearly a century, Washington, D.C. has provided life-changing opportunities to four generations of my family. Dating back to 1935 when my grandfather, Thomas Willoughby, came from segregated North Carolina in search of a better life, this city embraced him with open arms. He secured a job as a doorman at what is now the Wardman Park Marriott Hotel and held the position for 41 years. He married my grandmother, Mamie Newsome Willoughby, at First Baptist Church and they had five daughters, all of which attended D.C. Public Schools and went on to college. After a prolonged illness, Mamie passed away while my mother and her sisters were young and my grandfather took care of his five daughters, his mother-in-law and his own mother by working around the clock.
 
He instilled in each of his daughters the importance of family, the belief that anything was possible in America and no dream was unattainable. His daughters instilled these same principles in their children. As a result his grandchildren have gone on to become doctors, accountants, educators, and entrepreneurs. It was this philosophy and the great opportunity provided by this city which served as the foundation upon which I evolved from a real estate appraiser into one of the most successful African-American developers in the country. In two generations, my family went from hotel doorman to hotel owner. Today, I own a Marriott Hotel in the very same city where my grandfather worked for over four decades. For the opportunities Washington, D.C. has afforded my family and me, I am eternally grateful.
 
Having spent much of 2009 in Washington taking care of my ailing mother, my desire to give back to this great city increased. As I drove through the streets of my hometown, conversed with friends on the current direction of the city, it became clear to me this was no longer the Washington I had grown to know and love. I spent the latter part of the year restructuring my company with an understanding and acceptance of the professional sacrifices needed to shift my focus to public service.
 
Sadly, after a prolonged illness, my mother passed away 40 days before her 69th birthday. In addition, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with a terminal illness and is receiving aggressive treatment and care. While we continue to pray for a miracle, the immediate outlook on her recovery is not promising. As you can imagine, we are doing our best to get through this difficult time with God’s help, the love and support of our families as well as countless friends.

My dedication to realizing the potential of Washington remains steadfast and my desire to work aggressively to bring about change will always be unwavering.  However, my vow as a husband and my responsibilities as a father to support my wife and children during the rough path ahead must supersede my desire to be Mayor.  However, I want to be clear that my commitment to seeing change in Washington, D.C. remains stronger than ever.

While I had initially advised many of my key supporters I would make a decision on my potential candidacy by the end of the year, I have concluded it will not be possible for me to support my wife and our family during this difficult time while aggressively campaigning for the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia. Nor, under these circumstances, could I ask her to join me on the campaign trail as we take our message of change to the neighborhoods of Washington, D.C.
 
Therefore, as much as it disappoints me and the many friends and supporters who have encouraged me to run for mayor, I cannot enter the race at this time.

“I don't need anyone to finance my campaign for me. I'm gonna eliminate this environment of pay-to-play."

—megadeveloper R. Donahue Peebles, Dec. 16

In the early weeks of 2009, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty looked all but invincible. His Jan. 31 campaign finance report showed nearly $2 million in the bank—a staggering sum for a race 18 months off, sure to scare off any legitimate challenger. But in the year’s waning weeks, Fenty is looking shockingly vulnerable. His quizzical behavior and softened poll numbers have attracted a guy who isn’t afraid of his massive war chest. Peebles, a 49-year-old D.C. native who parlayed his 1980s Barry connections into a coast-to-coast real estate empire, has committed as much as $5 million of his personal fortune to a campaign. And Peebles has thus far demonstrated an active mouth and a penchant for needling Fenty—boding well for the best quotes of 2010.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

More from LL's Quotes of 2009

Spotted this morning power breakfasting at the Metro Center Marriott: D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray and megadeveloper R. Donahue Peebles—both pondering challenges to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.

LL was sent these photos this morning—12 days after Peebles said he'd announce a decision on entering the race in seven to 10 days.

Pic of the pair at the buffet after the jump.

R. Donahue Peebles is starting to sound more and more like a man who's running for mayor.

On the same morning that Washington Times reporter David C. Lipscomb revealed that several Peebles-related Internet domains have been quietly snapped up, the megadeveloper appeared on WTOP's Politics Program this morning to address the mayoral scuttlebutt.

Under questioning from host Mark Plotkin, Peebles said he was "giving some serious consideration" to announcing a mayoral run, and that he'd have a decision in seven to 10 days.

If there's any doubt in Peebles' mind, he certainly did not express it. He also committed on the air to spending as much as $5 million out of pocket to finance his bid.

Peebles tried out some campaign rhetoric and answered some of the tough questions he'll be hearing often over the next 10 months.

Asked why he left the District for Florida in 1998, Peebles said that he "needed some consistency" for his young son, who was starting his schooling at the time. He then deployed this line to defuse any claims of carpetbaggery: "I never left D.C. I continued to do business here, creating jobs and economic opportunity for D.C. residents....Washington, D.C., is my home; I believe in Washington, D.C.; I love Washington, D.C."

Expect to hear that line a lot, and this one, too, which hearkens back to his roots as a local developer and close 1980s ally and appointee of Marion Barry: "I want to serve. I owe the city a great debt. It gave me a tremendous opportunity to build an exciting company and I'd like to pay it back."

Peebles' top issue: Jobs. WTOP reporter Mark Segraves tried a bit of a gotcha exercise, getting Peebles to admit that he did not know the District minimum wage. But when he asked whether he knew the unemployment rate, Peebles was prepared with the facts and embarked on a long spiel on getting D.C. residents ready for employment and getting local employers to hire them.

The WTOPsters pressed hard to get Peebles to slam Fenty, and the billionaire indeed obliged. He pointed out that he was at yesterday's jobs summit hosted by President Barack Obama. "I was there discussing the District's interests," he says, in a not-so-subtle jab at Hizzoner

"I chose to attend the jobs forum. I made it an emphasis of the types of activity I want to be involved in," Peebles said, contrasting that with Fenty's attendance at last month's White House state dinner, where he was "actually photograhed with" the party-crashing Salahis. (Under Plotkin's questioning, Peebles admitted he wasn't actually invited to the dinner.)

Peebles went on to claim that he is in fact an erstwhile Fenty supporter who has been "very disappointed in the way he's run this city and the lack of attention to our neighborhoods," then embarking on an extended "two cities" riff.

The hosts tried to pin Peebles down on Fenty's signature issue—education. The candidate-in-waiting proceeded to attempt an outflanking maneuver: "I don't think school reform is been moving efficiently, and I don't think there's been enough education reform." He added that he's "heartbroken" about Fenty's treatment of the University of the District of Columbia.

Asked whether he'd keep Michelle Rhee as schools chancellor, Peebles said, "We can't have education reform if you're fighting the teachers, the unions, the council, and the parents....She should be given the opportunity to run this school system on her own with the direction of being told that the has to work with these stakeholders."

Later, he said, that "she would not be consistent with the style I'd have running for mayor so I would not ask her to stay under those circumstances."

A caller solicited his view on gay marriage, and Peebles attempted to thread a needle, saying he believes that "marriage is between a man and woman." But, as a matter of "basic freedom, to have a choice to do what you want," he supports the council's vote in favor of it.

Behind the scenes, Peebles has been in the process of assembling a campaign team.

LL hears rumors that veteran political consultant Marshall Brown is among the likely team members. Such a development augurs a split in the coalition of business and union types that supported Linda Cropp against Fenty in 2006. Brown, father of At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown, also said to be mulling his mayoral prospects, was Cropp's field operation chief.

Brown denies he's on board, because Peebles "hasn't decided."

"I certainly think that if he did declare that he would be a formidable candidate," says Brown, who has known Peebles since his years as a political hand to Barry. "If he decided to do it, I would take it under consideration."

Kendall Pryles, a spokesperson for Peebles, declined to name any campaign hires.

"There are a lot of people excited at the prospect of Don running," she said without naming names, except to say that her boss has met with "community activists, elected officials, CEOs—it's really across the board."

Photo by Darrow Montgomery

When you’re done Googling that, check out the new property lines feature on Google Maps. The Georgetown Metropolitan did—and seems a little put out that a select few properties in that tony part of town are (shocking!) bigger than the rest.

Peebles rumors (wouldn’t that be a great band name?) are confirmed: The Washington Business Journal reported yesterday that real estate mogul Don Peebles is considering running against Mayor Adrian M. Fenty in the election next year. City Paper's own Loose Lips writes: "A real race? Be still LL's heart!"

The blog New Columbia Heights asks: “Is your power out?” Some 400 residents in that neighborhood reportedly went without electricity from Monday night through yesterday afternoon—and according to Pepco's outage map, a few are still sitting in the dark. Unfortunately, we don't know about them, because they can't read this.

Someone wrote to Prince of Petworth concerned about the amount of water being used to hose down the sidewalks every day. Online commenters came up with 10 million alternatives. And I still got sprayed this morning on my way to work.

Finally, don’t forget to clear your calendar for the annual 17th Street Halloween High Heels Race next Tuesday. The crowd this year is estimated to reach 15,000, but true drag-lovers can sit VIP for $40. Interested in tickets? Google it.