Photo by aperryproductions

Mayor Vince Gray’s State of the District Address was long—roughly 6,000 words—and full of facts, figures and policy proposals. We got the majority of what he said here and here, but here are a few of the things we missed.

>> The speech was laced with baseball metaphors: big-league city, grand slam, home run, game changer, major league, and scoring runs among them.

>> While Gray name-dropped the Nationals, he refused to mention the ‘Skins by their longstanding (and racist) name. “Over the past year, both our baseball and football teams had breakthrough seasons – and have become great examples of teams coming into their own. Both teams showed sustained excellence and brilliance that got them to postseason play – for the first time in franchise history for the Nationals, and for the first time in what seemed like an eternity for our football team,” he said. Last year he commented that if the ‘Skins want to return to D.C., they’ll have to consider changing their name.

>> D.C. is the place to build, it seems: “And that growth shows no sign of stopping. The District has just 11 percent of the region’s population – but over the last two years, we’ve had 54 percent of the region’s housing starts!”

>> Along with homicide tallies (really low!), the number of cranes dotting the city’s skyline (really high!) is a predictable talking point for just about every elected official. According to Gray, there are currently 55 cranes operating in D.C.

>> More on the homicide rate: “Moreover, this plummet in homicides comes at a time when our population is growing rapidly. And although the District’s falling homicide rate is consistent with national trends, it is dropping at a pace nearly 20 times faster than the national average.”

>> Consider this a mayoral promise, and hold Gray to it: “We’ve tackled head-on the task of reforming our taxicab system to make it more convenient, responsive, and safer for customers and drivers alike. And, yes – by this summer, you will be able to use credit cards in every cab!” (Emphasis included in original text.)

>> If we don’t get credit card payment options in cabs, we will get statehood, right? “The District of Columbia won’t even be the District of Columbia anymore – because it will be the state of new Columbia!”

>> There was little mention of transit, with only one mention of streetcars and none of bikes. According to Gray’s office, the speech originally had a “meaty mention” of Capital Bikeshare’s expansion that had to be removed to due space and time considerations.