Photo by Matt Cohen.
Ever since Maryland Representative Andy Harris introduced an amendment to defund D.C.’s marijuana decriminalization bill, local residents’ message to Harris has been clear: Stay the hell out of D.C.’s affairs.
“The issue, for me at least, isn’t really marijuana decriminalization,” Stephen Watts, a D.C. constituent visiting Harris’ office, said, “it’s government efficiency.” This morning, dozens of local constituents gathered in front of Harris’ office in the House Longworth Building as part of “D.C. Councilmember Andy Harris Constituent Service Day,” which was organized by DC Vote. “He’s shown a strong interest in the District of Columbia,” James Jones, Communications Director of DC Vote told DCist earlier this week, “so he should help out with constituent problems.”
And did he? No.
According to Harris’ Chief of Staff, Kevin Reigrut, Harris was booked up with meetings all morning up until the House vote at noon. Instead, Reigrut took complaints from constituents all morning to deliver to Harris. Both longtime and new D.C. residents filed in to his office one by one to air their grievances.
Though constituents told Reigrut about problems ranging from bike infrastructure in D.C., to the many problems plaguing D.C. General, to concern about the foam containers used in the House cafeteria, their underlying message was uniform: If Harris is going to meddle in D.C.’s affairs, he might as well run for a Council seat, or else stay out.
Steven Cenname, a recent graduate of Salisbury University, which is part of Harris’ district, said that he was there to remind Harris to worry about the problems plaguing his district, rather than D.C. “He voted against the Sandy Aid bill,” Cenname said. “We gave him a chance to come and help work on some homes destroyed by [Hurricane] Sandy in Crissfield, and he never came.” 
Cenname says that, in addition to a lack of aid for residences damaged by Hurricane Sandy, there’s a serious lack of jobs for recent graduates on the Eastern Shore. “Students don’t stay in Salisbury after graduation,” he says. “There’s no jobs.”
So why is Harris trying to defund D.C.’s marijuana decriminalization law? “I think he’s trying to troll, I don’t think he cares about what we want,” says Catherine Cavander, Development Manager of DC Vote. “If he honestly cares about D.C. citizens and wants to hear our concerns and help our city, then he should spend more time getting to know us. Otherwise, worry about your own constituents.” Indeed, those opinions were echoed by most of the local constituents who gathered at Harris’ office.
“When I first heard [about his amendment], I called his office just because it upset me that he would get involved in something that’s not his jurisdiction,” says Deb Stone, a five-year D.C. resident. “It’s just sad that Andy Harris can come in and mess with [this] law and none of us have a say in it.”
One angry constituent, a lifetime D.C. resident named Julian, simply wanted to know “why” Harris is doing this. “I’m not necessarily sure I want to get into an intellectual debate about the issue,” Reigrut replied. “But I’m happy to relay any message you may have for him.”
