Mount Pleasant DC Forum

[jack]

Two candidates have been certified by the Board of Elections and Ethics for the vacancy in 1D02 (the northeast corner of Mount Pleasant -- roughly, Oakwood Terrace, Brown Street, and north along 16th Street to the Woodner):

Mitchell Backfield, 3636 - 16th St., NW #B543 20010 703-869-9242
Karl S. Hoffman, 3440 Brown St., NW 20010 202-265-9124

I believe that both of these candidates will attend the monthly ANC business meeting tonight. We'll have to hold a special election to fill the vacancy. Preliminary plan is to have that special election on Saturday afternoon (to permit working folks to come vote), November 5, 3:30 pm, at the Mount Pleasant Library. Details will be set at tonight's meeting.

-- Jack

[jack]

ANC1D welcomes non-citizen voting as symbolic participants in special election

The Mount Pleasant Advisory Neighborhood Commission at its October 2005 business meeting established procedures for non-citizen residents of anc1d02 to symbolically participate in a special election for a new commissioner.

The election will be held November 5th, 2005, Saturday, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm in the Ground Floor meeting room of the Mt Pleasant Branch Library at 16th and Lamont Sts, NW.

This will be only the second time in DC's history that non-citizens have been invited to vote in an official election. Although the votes will be kept separate and not determine the winner, this is an important step to show the value to both DC and non-citizens of their participation in local issues. The boundaries for the district are at www.anc1d.org.

The first time for non-citizen voting was at this ANC's special election of a new commissioner, April 4th 2005. In that election non-citizens participated with turn-out at about the same rate as citizens, and with the votes for the two candidates in roughly the same proportion. In this historic first event, combining citizen and non-citizen votes would not have changed the results of the election.

ANC1D has petitioned the DC Council to allow it to include non-citizen votes in ANC1D special elections. The results so far show that there is not a great burden in handling the non-citizens, and that non-citizen voting behavior is very similar to that of citizens.

The rules for election, as used in April 2005 and modified for this election on November 5th, 2005, are as follows:

This official but symbolic election will be open to residents of 1D02 with legal residence in the US only. Potential voters must have a picture ID, and an envelope addressed to them at an address within 1D02 with a postmark within the last year, for example, a utility bill. Their credential will first be checked before receiving instructions or a ballot showing the names of the two Board of Elections-certified candidates.>>

The order of the names on the ballot will be alternating.>>

The polls will open at or about 3:30 pm, but credential checking and informal discussion of rules may start as early as 3:15 pm. >>

Voting will continue until the polls close at 4:30 pm. (Anyone still in line at 4:30 pm waiting to register will be allowed to vote.)>>

A separate ballot box will be used for non-citizens, clearly marked to be different than the box used for registered voters. (The candidates or their representatives may check both boxes before polling begins to assure that both are empty.)>>

Non-citizen voters will place their ballots into the ballot box clearly marked for non-citizens. >>

Counting of the non-citizen ballot box will commence at or about 4:35 pm. The box will be opened and the votes counted out loud by at least two impartial vote counters, who will also prepare the summary tally and give it to the ANC1D Chair.>>

When both the citizen and non-citizen tallies have been completed the ANC1D Chair will announce the results out loud, with the non-citizen tallies clearly identified as symbolic votes. >>

For further information, please contact Gregg Edwards at 234-6646, or Jack McKay, Chair ANC1D, at 462-8692.

Note: 1D02 includes the northeast section of Mount Pleasant, including Oakwood Terrace, Brown Street, Oak Street, and 16th Street north to and including the Woodner.

[Bill]

Jack,

Your annoucement of an ANC SMD election has me full of questions.

You advertise it exclusively as a symbolic election, yet nothing is posted about the candidates themselves. It seems that that your only interest is to make a point of a symbolic vote by those who can't vote, who probably can't even read this forum, yet you forget to provide any information to those of us that can vote and say nothing about who is running and why. What can you provide beyond the annoucement of a symbolic vote about these candidates?

I think that this audience would prefer more information on the candidates running since they will hopefully cast the ballot that counts.

For those who can vote---who is officially running?

Can you provide us information on the candidates? All we have is their names if it still remains the 2 names posted earlier in this forum.

Do any of these candidates have email to post something? Since you seem to know what's going on, can you contact these candidates and give the rest of us information on this forum or directl them here to post something?

thank you.

Bill

[Dwight]

FYI. This is a cut and paste from the Mt. Pleasant E-mail list serve forum thing. To join/quit this list, message [email address removed - log in to view] with name and address.

I have not seen anything from the other candidate.


###############
ANC 1D02 CANDIDATE - KARL HOFFMAN
Dear Neighbors; my name is Karl Hoffman, and I am a candidate for the
ANC
1D02 seat, which encompasses the northeast corner of Mt. Pleasant
(http://www.anc1d.org/map.html). For those of you who are in this
district,
I hope to introduce myself to you.

For seven years, I have been living in Mt. Pleasant at 3440 Brown
Street,
and I have seen many changes during that time. Brown Street alone has
seen
at least 50% of properties transfer ownership, and the conversion of
the
vacant lot into town home condominiums. And yet, despite the
increasing
affluence of the neighborhood, the diversity of the community remains a
keyand endearing feature.

I was born, bred, and raised in New York City on the Upper West Side.
I
moved to Washington in 1989 to attend George Washington University,
transferred to Georgetown the next year where I received my degree in
Government, and then spent two years at the University of Chicago
earning my
Masters degree in Public Policy. For the last six years I have worked
at
the investment advisory firm of Houstoun Capital Management, Inc.
located in
Bethesda. You can see me commuting to work on the H3/4/7 to Cleveland
Park
and then onto the Red Line. During my free time, I chair the Finance
Committee of The New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, an easy commute
via
the S2/4. When I’m not riding the bus, I’m on my bicycle adorned
either
with my faded blue Yankees cap or my new red Nationals cap.

My interest in serving on the ANC has been longstanding. I can
remember as
a new resident attending a packed meeting to discuss the proposed
opening of
Marx Café, now a neighborhood establishment.

If elected, I hope to use my time as your commissioner to further our
common
community goals. You will find me open to your ideas and opinions on
issues
affecting our community including traffic safety, crime, and quality of
life
concerns, all of which can greatly affect the livability of our
neighborhood. I hope to hear from you with your comments, questions,
and
concerns.

I would appreciate your vote during the election on Saturday, November
5th
from 3:30pm to 4:30pm in the basement of the Mt. Pleasant library. I
eagerly look forward to an opportunity to serve my fellow Mt. Pleasant
neighbors. –Karl
[email address removed - log in to view]

[jack]

[kashof]

I thank Dwight for posting my statement which I posted to the Mt Pleasant Forum. I would be glad to answer any more specific questions or fill in any details anyone felt were missing.

I am excited by the opportunity to serve my neighbors and invite you to contact me directly at [email address removed - log in to view]

Karl

[Dwight]

Karl: I believe there also is a Yahoo group for Mt. Pleasant that many residents also monitor. Greg Edwards is active on it. You may want to get your posting on it also. However, I don't have the address....

-- Dwight

[kashof]

Thanks Dwight. Found it.

Karl

[jack]

Mitzi Macias
WASHINGTON HISPANIC
28 de Octubre 2005, página 11

Elecciones simbólicas en Mount Pleasant

La comisión de consejería del vecindario de Mt. Pleasant (ANC1D), invita a la comunidad residente en su jurisdicción para que participe de las elecciones para elegir al nuevo comisionado. Esta será la segunda vez en la historia del Distrito de Columbia que los residentes no ciudadanos tendrán la oportunidad de participar de una jornada cívica, que aunque será de manera simbólica representa el interés de la comunidad residente no ciudadana de participar en la toma de decisiones que afectan a su comunidad.

Esta es parte de una campaña iniciada a comienzos del año 2005 con el propósito de demostrar al consejo de la ciudad de que es injusto que los residentes no puedan elegir a su representante del vecindario por no ser ciudadanos.

"Es terrible que los residentes de DC que tienen años viviendo en el area, trabajan, pagan sus impuestos, mandan a sus hijos alas escuelas del Distrito, no puedan elegir a su representante", dijo a Washington Hispanic Gregg Edwards, vice presidente de ANC1D.

La primera elección simbólica se realizó el pasado 4 de abril y quedó demostrado que los residentes tienen interés par participar civicamente en sus comunidades. "Según los resultados, el indice de ciudadanos que participaron de las elecciones igua1ó al número de residentes. "Con esto le mandamos un mensaje al consejo para que cambie su política para que permita votar a los residentes para una posición que no es pagada como es la de comisionado", explica Edwards.

"Este sería el primer paso, luego lucharíamos para que se extienda el voto y la posibilidad de ser electo a futuro", agregó Gregg Edwards.

Estas elecciones simbólicas también tienen como objetivo a largo plazo comprometer a los inmigrantes, en especial a los latinos, con todo lo relacionado a la participacion cívica. "Mt. Pleasant ocupa el segundo lugar con respecto a concentración de latinos en todo el Distrito de Columbia y debemos ayudar a romper la brecha que existe, y el ejercicio de la democracia es la mejor técnica para involucrar y relacionar a las personas", finalizó Edwards.

Las elecciones simbólicas se realizarán el sábado 5 de noviembre de 3:30 a 4:30 p.m. en el primer piso de la biblioteca de Mt. Pleasant, localizada entre las calles 16 y Lamont NW, Washington DC. Las personas interesadas en participar deben ser residentes legales y llevar una identificación con foto y un sobre con el sello de correo donde aparezca su direccion como prueba de residencia en Mt. Pleasant.

[jack]

Mitchell Backfield was elected to fill the vacancy in 1D02, by a seven to three vote. Mitchell also got the sole noncitizen vote.

I'm looking forward to having Mitchell on the ANC. And I hope that Karl Hoffman will continue to be active in neighborhood and ANC matters. These were two very good candidates for that vacancy.

-- Jack

[mbackfield]

Thank you Jack,

First, I want to thank the other candidate running for ANC of SMD 1D02, Karl Hoffman, for his efforts to improve our neighborhood. I look forward to receiving feedback from Karl while I am the ANC and it is my hope he will continue to participate in our important work.

To the individuals who voted for me, I want to thank you for your support and faith in my candidacy. I am honored and humbled to serve you. To my colleagues on the ANC Commission for Mount Pleasant, I am eager to work with all of you to address the needs and concerns of our constituents. To the residents of Mount Pleasant, I will do my best to communicate with you openly, honestly, and candidly about the issues relevant to the SMD I represent, Mt. Pleasant, and the District.

One of my first short-term goals is to increase the level of civic participation between ALL residents of Mount Pleasant; in particular, it would be great if more people participated in our ANC meetings. I will work hard to increase the level of participation amongst our numerous stakeholders, residents, and citizens (non-citizens included). Despite the many challenges our community faces, I believe strongly we can accomplish significant achievements if we work together.

In conclusion, my aim is to improve the quality of life for residents of Mount Pleasant and I believe we can always work toward continuing to make Mount Pleasant an enjoyable place to live and visit. I am optimistic we can accomplish these goals.

Mitchell P. Backfield - ANC for SMD 1D02