Hey, who’s that good-government guy? You know, the one who ran for Councilmember Jim Graham’s Ward 1 seat in 2010 and then again in that special election for an at-large spot on the D.C. Council? Starts with a B or something.
That one, the guy who Twitter-savvy civic activists swoon over. He’s pretty clever with the YouTube campaign ads. Loves the District so much he got the flag inked on his bicep.
Why, just a couple weeks ago he proposed banning corporate contributions in D.C. elections. He joined forces with a Ward 7 advisory neighborhood commissioner to roll out a ballot measure that would bring D.C. in line with the 23 states that have banned corporate money in local elections. Just a concerned citizen trying get the money out of politics. What’s his name, Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-At Large)?
Brian u ban corporate contributions but u allow the same corporations that do business with the City have Councilmembers on their payroll?
— Vincent Orange (@VincentOrangeDC) February 2, 2012
That’s not right, is it? What say you, outspoken civic activists?
@VincentOrangeDC his name is spelled “Bryan” – please make a note of it. 🙂
— say ‘Eye Em Gōph’ (@IMGoph) February 2, 2012
OK, we all make typos. Heaven knows DCist contributors catch all kinds of hell for the slightest lexical slip-up. “Brian” and “Bryan” sound alike. Cut the councilmember some slack. Besides, Orange has a point about councilmembers holding down full-time jobs at companies that do business with the District.
Take two:
BYRAN, I challenge u to make a real difference. Enhance your initiative.
— Vincent Orange (@VincentOrangeDC) February 2, 2012
Um, Byran? Never heard of him. Also, “enhance your initiative” is a little weird. Almost seems like ad copy for some kind of vitamin supplement.
No matter. Brian, I mean, BYRAN, ahem, Bryan Weaver got the message, saying he’d gladly come on board with any ballot push to ban council members from having an outside jobs. It’s been a pet issue of Orange’s for some time—during deliberations over the recently-enacted ethics bill he pushed for language that would have restricted future members of the council from drawing secondary full-time salaries on top of what they earn from sitting on the council. (It would not apply to the four current members of the Council who enjoy dual paydays.)
And hey, until Weaver enhances his initiative, at least by the end of the conversation, Orange, who tweeted last night the most he has in a while, enhanced his spelling of Weaver’s first name:
Just making sure u r reading …LOL. Bryan, enhance your initiative and pick up more supporters! Do what the Council will not do.
— Vincent Orange (@VincentOrangeDC) February 2, 2012
