Posts Tagged ‘Vincent Gray’
The Vincent Gray Home Improvement Invoices
Earlier this evening, in his wrapup of D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray's televised response to allegation of misconduct, LL asked, among other things: Would Gray provide invoices for work done on his home by a subsidiary of megadeveloper William C. Smith & Co.?
To Gray's credit, he has [PDF].
The documents include a consolidated invoice issued by WCS Construction, the Smith Co. subsidiary, plus invoices from four subcontractors. The combined invoice was sent on Oct. 30; the first of the subinvoices was sent on July 30, the last on Oct. 28.
What do the documents mean? LL knows little of the contracting realm, so how about a little crowdsourcing? Have a look at the PDF above or image links after the jump, and let LL know if you see any matters that deserve further scrutiny.
Vincent Gray Calls Misconduct Allegations ‘Clearly Political’
D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray this afternoon described the motivation behind a pair of stories alleging improprieties on his part as being "clearly political."
The first, and more serious, story was penned by Jeffrey Anderson in this morning's Washington Times. It detailed various small jobs done on Gray's home by William C. Smith & Co., the politically powerful local development company. The second, a Washington Post story by Tim Craig, involved his use of council stationery to ask Comcast for a $20,000 donation to the local delegation to the Democratic State Committee. Gray addressed the controversies in an afternoon appearance on NewsChannel 8's NewsTalk With Bruce DePuyt.
Regarding the DNC allegations, Gray made the case that the fundraising effort was focused on voting-rights awareness, and thus kosher. Given that the check benefited local Democrats attending a political convention, it's awfully questionable distinction to make. But he gets points for this realization: "'If I had to do it over again, I certainly wouldn't have used the stationery."
As for the work on his Hillcrest home, Gray insisted "there was no impropriety that was involved."
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Graham Withdraws From Taxi Oversight
Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham has relinquished his oversight of the District's taxicab industry.
The move comes more than a month after his chief of staff, Ted Loza, was collared in a bribery sting where taxi-related interests are alleged to have paid Loza to influence cab legislation. Graham has had the D.C. Taxicab Commission under the purview of his public works and transportation committee since 2007, giving him great control over legislation affecting the taxi business, as well as the power to investigate the industry.
The timing, to say the least is odd. Both Graham and Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray came under fire from LL and others for not making this move sooner. And, earlier this month, the pressure had eased on Graham after federal prosecutors decided not to interview a pair of key staffers before a grand jury
Our Morning Roundup: A Metrobus Strikes Again
Prince of Petworth posts on the effort/petition to save the Black Rooster. One reader's response: "i LOVE the black rooster. if the peace corps really closes it down…i just…i might just not go to happy hour anymore, ever, anywhere. and that would make me terribly sad. save the rooster!"
Penn Quarter Living debuts a new column called High Rise Life. The first one is on elevator etiquette. It's not so much a column as bad comment bait of which I am sometimes guilty of. Here's a sampling from PQL's rookie effort on sharing an elevator: "Fob in and offer to push buttons or don’t offer and make sure others belong in the building? Remind neighbors that bicycles and their owners usually ride the freight elevator or zip it? Heel your dog or let him/her sniff around and be friendly? What is good neighborly elevator etiquette?" Fascinating.
Council Hosts CBC Reception Tonight
For the second year in a row, Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray is hosting a snazzy affair at the Park at 14th to celebrate the Congressional Black Caucus' annual legislative conference. Ultra-slick invites to this evening's event have been handed out to councilmembers for distribution.
Gray spokesperson Doxie McCoy confirms that the arrangements are the same as last year: Park at 14th owner and prolific campaign contributor Marc Barnes is paying all the expenses, with the understanding that he'll make them back in bar receipts.
There is one delicious political twist this time.
Why Did The D.C. Council Have To Pass An Ethics Code Now?
WaPo's D.C. Wire posted that the D.C. Council has passed a new ethics code via emergency legislation. Tim Craig writes:
The proposal, for example, states that council members need to uphold "unusually high standards of honesty, integrity, impartiality" and that the "avoidance of misconduct and conflicts of interest on the part of council members is indispensable." Some of those standards were already scattered through out city code, but Gray concluded the ethical policies dealing with the council were confusing and too dispersed.
In the Post account, Councilmember Marion Barry praises the ethics code as a big step forward and cites Chairman Gray for his "progressive thinking."
So the code must be full of loopholes?
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Vince Gray Talks Mayoral Prospects
Early last Sunday---like 6 a.m. early---D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray briefly discussed a potential mayoral run in response to a question on WRC-TV's Viewpoint program. Long story short, he's not ruling it out:
Barry Apologizes To D.C. Council During Private Meeting
According to three sources familiar with the closed-door meeting to discuss the ramifications of Marion Barry's July 4 arrest, the councilmember apologized to his colleagues. He even made sure to apologize to Councilmember Jim Graham, who was late to the meeting.
One councilmember says that Barry confessed his love for the District and said that he was sorry that he hurt the council. "It really, really seemed heartfelt," the councilmember says. "His colleagues were pretty damn pissed off at him."
"He apologized to all the members," says another source. The source added that Barry almost cried during his mea culpa.
But Barry was clear about who he would not apologize to: the public.
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D.C. Council Riled Over TV Airing of Fire Truck Testimony
The fishy fire truck testimony delivered last Thursday by Peaceoholics co-founder Ronald Moten before the D.C. Council was plenty dramatic, but the drama apparently did not end with the pound of the gavel.
Since then, a classic council-executive scuffle has broken out over broadcasts of the proceeding on city cable, with allegations flying that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty himself has become personally involved.
Because Thursday's proceeding was considered a "public deposition" rather than a council hearing (it was supposed to be behind closed doors until Moten demanded otherwise), the councilmembers heading up the fire truck investigation---Mary Cheh and Phil Mendelson---determined that its contents should not be disseminated. That's in keeping with the usual council practice on depositions, which are kept under wraps, so other witnesses won't change their testimony to make their stories consistent (Never mind that LL and other reporters already did plenty of disseminating.)
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New D.C. Lottery Bids: Woodson, Wiggins, Green Emerge as Local Partners
The new bids on the long controversial D.C. Lottery contract were due today at 2 p.m.; this is what LL has thus far been able to suss out.
Rhode Island-based GTECH, which ditched longtime partner Leonard Manning in May, has found a bevy of local partners with appeal across the local political spectrum. Long story short, their team has been meticulously constructed to ensure broad support on the D.C. Council, which derailed the last contract award.
From the Fenty axis, you have Darryl Wiggins. A local businessman, he's been a longtime political ally of Fenty's dating back to the his first council campaign. He also was a key member of Hizzoner's transition operation in 2006. He owns Document Managers, a business that's done a lot of business with District government and has experience in managing large tech enterprises, which is what running the lottery involves. (For further Fenty ties, his political guru, Tom Lindenfeld, has been hired by GTECH as a consultant.)
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LL’s 2009 Capital Pride Reviewing Stand
The next local election day might be some 15 months off, but Saturday's Capital Pride parade still had a political charge---mostly due to the recent heat on gay marriage, but also thanks to a mayoral campaign kicking into full gear and possible council challenger in the mix.
LL was there with camera. Behold!
D.C. Lottery Update: CAGE Is Out; Who’s With GTECH?
Two weeks from today, bids are due on the D.C. Lottery contract.
But who will step up?
The big question is: Which local business types will each of the three major global lottery equipment providers tap for a partnership? Tapping locals earns each company points in the procurement process and also helps grease the political skids.
Last month, LL ran down the possibility that Caribbean CAGE, an outfit backed by BET founder Bob Johnson and old D.C. politico Bob Washington, might pursue the potentially lucrative contract with big fish GTECH or Scientific Games.
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Compromise Set on DCPS Budget Squabble
Since he moved last month to hold $27 million from the D.C. Public Schools budget over an enrollment dispute, Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray has been pleading for an answer to a simple question: Where are the schoolchildren that DCPS is projecting will enroll this fall---more than 3,000 more than if longstanding trends hold---going to come from?
Now Gray's crowing, because he says DCPS Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee has admitted he has a point in a letter sent to him yesterday.
In the letter, Rhee cites the work of independent researchers in coming up with the projections, but writes, "I understand your hesitance to accept the projected increase in enrollment....Based upon the assumptions we outlined...we believe we have sound evidence and data to suggest that DCPS's enrollment of October 2009 will increase slightly....However, as I shared with you Friday, I cannot guarantee that this will occur."
Gray sees vindication therein: "Basically, what I think it says is [that] I think we'll be proven right on the number," Gray said this morning at the council breakfast meeting. "It says in a lot of words that they don't know where 3,073 people are coming from."
As for a modus vivendi, a compromise has been fashioned: The council will vote today to restore DCPS funding on the October 2008 enrollment figure---meaning DCPS is free to spend about $24 million of the $27 million that council had threatened to place in escrow. The remaining $3 million will be set aside pending an audit of the fall enrollment.
For next year, however, Rhee and Gray have agreed to work together to "develop a uniform method by which enrollment projections will be completed by both DCPS and the charter schools." That would aim to end the inequity in the mechanics of charter funding versus DCPS funding: Charters have to refund money accepted due to overprojections, but DCPS doesn't.
