Dear Neighbors,
My name is Danny Smith and I am a write-in candidate for Advisory Neighborhood Commission in ANC 6A06. I am a Washington, DC native and attended Gonzaga College High School not far from where I am now. Currently, I work for the U.S. Senate for Senator Cory Booker as his deputy counsel.
I moved to my current location a little over a year ago not because it is a mile from where I work—although that is convenient—but because this area has a unique history, beautiful architecture, great people, and it is rich in diversity. In the foreseeable future, we will see tremendous growth on H Street and the area around it. There are over 1,000 units in the works for the H Street Corridor alone. While there are certainly upsides to this development, our community needs to be vigilant to ensure that those special traits I listed above remain constant a fixture in our neighborhood.
This year, in late August, I was speaking to a good friend and neighbor about wanting to get involved in my community. I mentioned to him that I was interested in perhaps running for ANC in two years. He asked me bluntly, “Why not now?” I explained to him that August 10 was the deadline to get my name on the ballot, which had passed, and I also wanted to immerse myself more in the neighborhood. He pushed me and again asked, “Why not now?” After several days of thought I concluded this: running for ANC will provide me with a great opportunity to meet many of my wonderful neighbors and get to hear about their concerns and their priorities. What better way is there to put your finger on the pulse of your community and understand the issues that people confront besides going door-to-door and talking to folks firsthand? I am running for ANC because I want to be involved in my community and I want to hear from you about how we can make our community better for everyone.
Here are just two ideas I would like to work towards implementing if you elected me as your commissioner. First, I want to explore new ways to engage members of the community to get involved. Whether it is looking into airing ANC meetings on Facebook Live or looking at other social media platforms and I want to make sure that people are not caught by surprise by future projects like many folks were with the announcement of the Maryland Ave. road diet.
Second, I want to work with law enforcement to engage with the community more. Building strong connections between the DC police and the community is critical to public safety. I don’t want people only to interact with law enforcement when something goes wrong or when they have a complaint. Rather, residents should know the officers that patrol their block and officers should know the priorities of people in the neighborhood. This takes organizing events where beat officers can spend time with community members in a more casual setting and get to know the people they serve.
I want to leave you all with one last thing. I want to applaud the other candidates who are also seeking this position. We need more people who want to be actively engaged in our community, not less. For me this race is not about running against someone, it is about running for something.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I want to be easily accessible to members of my community now and anytime moving forward. Thank you for your time and I hope I can earn your support.
Regards,
Danny Smith
Write-In Candidate for ANC 6A06
WriteInDannySmith[at]gmail.com
21 comments:
Lots of babble there with even less substance than usual in a political statement. Have you ever even attended a ANC 6A or PSA meeting?
What is this persons party affiliation?
All of the candidates are Republican or worse. They don't do anything for the greater community but yet all have nice homes, cars etc. Maybe they should spread the wealth first then run for something!
I just plan on writing in Kathy Henderson.
Wow, I have to disagree with the other commenters here. I appreciate your insight and honesty and I think you'll make a great candidate for ANC06. Definitely planning to write in your name on Election Day.
I have had the privilege to work with Danny Smith. He's an asset to the community, detail-oriented, someone who shares great family values, and a hard worker. Any organization is lucky to have him on their team.
Anon 2:16 -- a serious answer: ANC SMD elections are non-partisan. You don't run as a Democrat, a Republican, or a Monster Raving Looney party member.
Just another I want to be your first Governor candidate. In the old days, they ran for the school board as a stepping stone to higher office..
Looks like the kind of guy that would cater to long-time residents.
Yes. The great white man will save us all.
Look at all the disgusting racists coming out of the woodwork.
Dude, I told my friend I want to be a physicist. And he said "why wait!" He was so awesomely righteous I'm building a nuclear reactor in my kitchen. What?
The requirements for getting on the ballot are obtaining 25 signatures by August 10. That doesn't seem onerous to me. And it just might be a good idea to live in the community for more than "a little over a year" before trying to represent my interests. There are plenty of other ways to play a positive role in the neighborhood than run for ANC.
Give me a break.
He's a native Washingtonian who went to Gonzaga. If he's okay with Jesus, I'll support him. What's the big deal if he hasn't lived in the ANC district for decades? He's probably a Dem. He works for Sen. Booker. I think he's black.
Not Poo nailed it. "So my friend told me there was no point in trying to disguise my naked ambition for something greater and just told me to run now because I'm so completely awesome! It wasn't AT ALL my idea, you guys!" Lame. As first impressions go this is pretty cringeworthy. Maybe the blog admin will take it down if you ask politely?
But...but he's detail-oriented, someone who shares great family values, and a hard worker. Whatever the hell that means.
Ambition is horrible. He should live here for 30 years before doing anything.
That hairline says anything but black.
Did he even go to college?
checked out his resume on linkedin. he works for democratic senator cory booker and had joined a pro-obama group in 2008.
Danny has never attended a 6A ANC meeting as far as anyone knows. He likely just learned about the ANC as evidenced by his inability to get on the ballot in time. That's a major red flag people should consider. Being a commissioner is a lot of work and requires a commitment to local issues.
Our current Commissioner Stephanie Zimney takes her work very seriously. I appreciate Danny's enthusiasm, but I'd hate to lose someone as good, and proven, as Stephanie.
We need more professional politicians on the ANC. This new shiny empty suit will do just fine.
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