Tuesday, August 15, 2006

IN-Towner selects Goulet, unkind to Rees and Rice

This from the August, 2006 edition of the In-Towner Newspaper excerpted below:

As readers of this newspaper know, we do not cover the news of all of DC; our primary focus is on those neighborhoods in Wards 1 and 2 that lie between Rock Creek and North Capitol Street and north of downtown. And, since the Ward 2 City Council seat is not up for grabs this year, only Ward 1 requires our main focus, although we will have something to say about the important at-large seat being contested as well as the Ward 3 race that calls for our comment
also.

...

Finally, a few comments about the Ward 3 race. Bill Rice is presumed to be the odds-on favorite; certainly he has received lots of good press, no doubt from having developed some close relationships with certain members of the press who have extolled his apparent (to them) responsiveness when he served as the DDOT spokesperson. Our experience, however, does run counter to what we have heard said by others. We have found that his attention span is short, frequently not even evident, that he has -- again, in our experience -- demonstrated a lack of follow-through or even a true get-up-and-go approach. He's a nice guy, but we don't think there's a lot there.

One thing we will say about Bill Rice is that if he is elected his personality is not such that he would be a destabilizing force. We cannot say the same about the most vocal and in-your-face angry candidate, Jonathan Rees. He has so absolutely polarized everyone he has come into contact with, has become infamous for his over-the-top rants, his personal character attacks on individuals who disagree with him, and worse that we fear his presence on the Council could completely destroy any hope for continued collegiality which is essential if it is to function effectively.

But there is one candidate that we believe would be able to make a significant contribution not only to the work of the Council but also on behalf of his constituents. We refer to Eric Goulet, possibly not a household name, but a candidate who the voters should take a serious look at. First off, he has the kind of personality and genuine intellect that will contribute greatly to the work of the Council; he is not only collegial, but he is patient and communicates well and is a true breath of fresh creativity. But beyond that, he knows his stuff.

One of his major strengths is his impressive knowledge and understanding of the complexities of DC finance, and has served admirably as clerk of the Committee on Finance and Revenue. He would bring another crucial voice of fiscal rationality that continues to be so desperately needed. In addition, thanks to his years of service as legislative counsel for health and aging issues when serving as a member of former Councilmember Sandy Allen's Committee on Health, he was immersed in a range of critical issues that require the attention of council members who truly understand the heath crisis affecting such a large portion of our citizens; he would bring to the table much needed insight and ideas. All we ask is that voters make an effort to learn more about him; they will be very impressed indeed."

No comments: