Jonetta Rose Barras, The Examiner
2007-05-31 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

District native Mary Spencer joins a line of adults, including three congressional representatives, who care about everything — land development in Anne Arundel County, meters in taxicabs and a homeboy’s desires — except giving children a quality public education.

She hopes to halt Mayor Adrian Fenty’s push to reform D.C. Public Schools. Last week, the Board of Elections and Ethics gave a green light to her effort to place a referendum before voters. She must collect 20,000 valid signatures of registered voters, and then persuade them to adopt her viewpoint in order to fully morph into a Jersey barrier.

Spencer is being portrayed as an innocent grandmother. She isn’t a member of the rocking chair brigade. When she and her supporters — Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now and D.C. Independents for Citizen Control — held a news conference earlier this week, she was pretty feisty, arguing that “D.C. residents have the right to vote” and asserting she is not trying to hurt children.

It’s fair to question Spencer’s motives. She is surrounded by the Sour Grapes Gang: individuals who unsuccessfully lobbied the D.C. Council against a mayoral takeover and political wannabes who can’t find an office for which District voters will elect them.

Robert Brannum, an on-again, off-again political candidate, appeared twice before the legislature when it held not one but seven public hearings on the mayor’s plan. Brannum twice tried to have the election board approve his effort to take the matter before voters. Then there is Dennis Moore, chairman of the anemic DICC, who ran against Fenty. Even ACORN, on whose board Spencer serves, wants to elevate its stature.

I’m all for residents seeking redress when facing a corrupt or unresponsive government. But the council gave the public ample opportunity to weigh in. Further, the mayor held town hall meetings before submitting his proposal to the legislature. This week, he started a new round of community sessions.

Fenty says he may fight the election board’s decision in court. No word on whether the council will join him. Chairman Vincent Gray did not return repeated calls to his office. Let’s hope he and his colleagues understand they also own the education reform bill.

Ultimately, Spencer and the Sour Grapes Gang may find their effort futile. The bill becomes final around June 12 — after a 30-day congressional review. Then, a referendum won’t mean a thing, as residents can’t simply repeal an act of Congress.

If the crew manages to secure the required valid signatures before the end of the congressional review period, that doesn’t guarantee passage. And the council could choose to repeal the measure.

Spencer wants the media to help her. I won’t. And residents, who put Fenty in office to reform the government, including the city’s abysmal public education system, shouldn’t hesitate to turn their backs on her.

Jonetta Rose Barras is the political analyst for WAMU radio’s “D.C. Politics Hour with Kojo and Jonetta.” She can be reached at rosebook1@aolcom