Jonetta Rose Barras, The Examiner
2008-03-20 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty loves east of the Anacostia River. Last year, he held at least 23 percent of his media events in either Ward 7 or Ward 8. Ward 2, where many District government offices are located, was the only area to top that number with 31 percent of news conferences being held there, according to the mayor’s Office of Communication.

When he talked about HIV/AIDS, he headed south. All three news conferences on the topic in 2007 were held in Ward 8. His “State of the District” address in 2007 was held in Ward 8; this year it was held in Ward 7. This week, he used Ward 7 as the backdrop for the release of his proposed 2009 budget for D.C. Public Schools.

The news conferences sometimes have the feel of a political drive-by. The mayor and his folks roll into a neighborhood, set up microphones, and point to a building, or some neighborhood, or highlight some public policy as the kind of thing they want to change or celebrate. Reporters ask a few questions, and in 90 minutes it’s all done. Everyone is on to the next new thing.

“He has what you call a rollout. It’s very slick packaging,” says one Ward 8 activist who requested anonymity. “But you focus more on that than what he’s saying. People are starting to get confused by it all.”

Carrie Brooks, the mayor’s director of communications, bristles at the criticism. She points out that more than 70 percent of the events have been held outside of Wards 7 and 8. She says Fenty likes having a visible presence in the community, and that the locations for news events are determined by their relevancy and “whether they make sense.”

“People tell me they like seeing him in the community,” Brooks says.

“I just think we have a difference of opinion about this,” she continues. “I think you are being unfair.”

No one begrudges the mayor’s neighborhood appearances. He built his reputation as the Ward 4 D.C. Council member by being on the scene — day or night. As mayor he has continued the practice, holding multiple news conferences daily and attending each week several civic association meetings. Rarely does he notify residents at those meetings of upcoming news events. He parachutes in with BlackBerry speed.

Asked whether residents near Moten Elementary School were consulted about the news conference staged there Monday, Brooks snaps, “It’s the mayor’s press conference. It’s not a community event.”

That’s the point. These media events feign community involvement. But too often residents are setting the stage for the Fenty show. If the mayor truly wants to create a government of the people, he may want to figure out a way to ensure more involvement by the people, especially when he visits their neighborhoods with television cameras and reporters in tow.

Jonetta Rose Barras is the political analyst for WAMU radio’s D.C. “Politics Hour with Kojo and Jonetta.”