D.C. mayoral hopefuls see how snow can set your legacy
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Bystanders help a stuck car downtown on Monday after the weekend storm. Photo: Heather Diehl/Getty Images
For candidates running to succeed Mayor Muriel Bowser, last week's snow-sleet-ice conflagration was a crash course in mayoral politics: Showing up still counts.
Why it matters: Today's mayoral hopefuls saw what happens when the city's chief executive stumbles on the most basic of municipal duties — clearing the streets.
Zoom in: Bowser, who isn't seeking a fourth term, seemed flat footed as snow shifted to ice and settled into "snowcrete."
- Initially Herroner's comms shop sounded defensive about its efforts. Under mounting pressure, the admin kicked into high gear over the weekend. Five days after the storm, Bowser activated the National Guard to clear sidewalks, began distributing salt to the public, and resumed trash pickup.
Early on, the leading mayoral candidates rushed in.
- Vowing "bold leadership," former Council member Kenyan McDuffie's campaign launched a volunteer "Fight and Deliver Snow Removal Strike Force" to dig out snowed-in neighbors, especially seniors and small businesses.
- Not to be outdone, Council member Janeese Lewis George had volunteer snow shovelers in purple hats fanning out across neighborhoods.
In a 10-part social-media post, Lewis George said the city must be better prepared — from investing more in sidewalk clearing to emulating Baltimore's public salt boxes to ensuring "tax dollars are spent efficiently."
- The message: "DC must learn and do better," Lewis George added. (We'll all be watching if the council fulfills its watchdog duties and holds the administration's feet to the fire.)
The big picture: Snow politics, of course, is about a lot more than snow. The city is at a crossroads, where residents want the basics to work. That includes a live snow plow tracker that's actually accurate, but also things like better customer service when you go to get a business license.
- It couldn't be more important at a time when money is tight, and ambitious policy programs from the progressive left are under threat of being overturned by the Republican Congress and Trump administration.
💠Town Talker is a column about money and power in Washington. Tell me about the talk of the town: [email protected]