It Must be Election Season

Candidates have historically paid less attention to Eckington due to low voter turnout rates. We arent Brookland, and certainly not Palisades. However, you wouldnt know that based on the back and forth on the Eckington listserv.

A concerned citizen virtually posed 5 questions to ANC candidates.

1. The intent of the ANC legislation is to ensure input from an advisory board that is made up of the residents of the neighborhoods that are directly affected by government action. The ANCs are the body of government with the closest official ties to the people in a neighborhood. As ANC Commissioner, how will you determine the wishes of the residents of your SMD? Will you be an active participant in this listserv and local civic associations? Will you answer emails and phone calls from constituents? Of course if you choose not to answer this email, that would answer this question.

2 Many residents have become disillusioned with the process at the ANC meetings. It seems like what was supposed to be a community meeting for local residents to voice their opinions, has turned into a partisan spectacle with no dissenting views allowed or tolerated. I would like to know that I could go to a meeting and ask a simple question without being ignored or reprimanded. What would you do to make this more of a community meeting once again?

3. If there were a vote before the commission and your company, relative, or place of worship had a vested interest in the outcome of that vote, would you disclose your relationship and/or abstain from voting on the matter?

4. What is your position on the destruction of one of our few remaining historic landmarks namely the St. Martins convent and school?

5. Okay. You knew this was coming. What is your position on the proposed St. Martins housing project as it is currently planned?

Finally, I would like to thank all of the candidates for stepping up and volunteering. It is a difficult and time consuming job, but an important one. We need to all get out and vote in November for the candidate we feel will best represent our neighborhood.
To date only 2 candidates have responded to the questions. Stephanie White and Kris Hammond. However, responding doesnt seem to be enough for the tough Eckington crowd. More answers have been requested.

Will the other ANC candidates Farmer Allen, and Cleopatra Jones respond to these questions? If all of the candidates respond, I would like to post them here, along with a brief profiile.