This morning was out talking to some neighbors and up the street comes a petite woman stepping lively wearing a red baseball cap walking up to houses and distributing yellow and orange fliers. Who could this be? Telemarketers? WASA? Barry Supporters?


Nope.
Commissioner Mary Cuthbert of ANC 8C.


Commisioner Cuthbert with a young man (also distributing fliers) comes up to our little group and walks right past me (in her defense I was wearing my invisibility cloak - Target $24.99 plus tax). With her back to me she speaks to the other two people (not quite a crowd) and doesn't even acknowledge me (really good cloak). When one of the neighbors introduces me and says "Have you met so-and so-".


I say politely, "Yes. Ms. Cuthbert and I met a few weeks ago".


Finally turning around to look at me (I suppose my invisibility cloak had slipped off) and after looking me up and down she says "No I haven't - I don't know you. You are mistaken - we haven't met".

(oooh...burn)


I say again (still chipper) "No... we met a few weeks ago"


She says "Where did we meet?"


Me (intentionally vague) "Around the neighborhood a few weeks ago."


She " I know faces and I don't know your face so we haven't met" turns away. (oooh..burn #2)


Then she walks off - without giving me any fliers (I'm sure that must have been an oversight). I had to specifically ask for the fliers which her assitant gave me before walking off. BTW - she tells someone down the block (less than a minute later) "I know exactly who she is - she thinks I don't but I do".


Wow - what clued her in that we have met before? The fact that I just said 1 minute prior "we met before" or the fact that she remembers me from a few weeks before? Matlock she's not.

"Why" do you ask was the reason for all the animosity?


A few weeks ago I attended a community/sales function at the new Savoy Court Condominiums on Oakwood Street. At this function Ms. Cuthbert was also in attendance. Being relatively new to the neighborhood (about 9 months) but no less interested or supportive I was very excited to be able to meet one of the ANC Commisisoners for my area because I wanted to learn more about my community as well as become actively involved in supporting my community.


I assumed (you know what they say about assuming) that reaching out to Commissioner Cuthbert was the right thing to do.


I couldn't have been MORE wrong.


In hindsight the signs (insert creepy M. Night Shyamalan music) were all there.


Normally you would think that when elected officials are attending events composed of their constituents (in this case new home buyers and potential homebuyers) you would think said public official would introduce themselves to the public. Perhaps notify them of the next meeting and garner their support for improving their community. Case in point, Charles E. Wilson one of the candidates for the Ward 8 council seat was in attendance and he mixed and mingled and overall made himself very available.


Mary Cuthbert does not prescribe to that school of thought.


What happened is that Commissioner Cuthbert distanced herself from the event. Opting to partake of the refreshments away from everyone else and speaking only to an event staff member.


In all honesty I paid no attention to that (perhaps she would introduce herself later - btw didnt happen). I was just really HAPPY to see her and to have the opportunity to discuss community meetings and resources.


The resulting conversation was brief and it was A-W-F-U-L. It was like watching a car accident in slow motion - horrific yet you are unable to turn away.


From the moment I introduced myself and explained that I along with other members of the street have formed a small (but determined) grass roots coalition to benefit our community she... went... off. She wanted to know "did you check with Resident X down the block before doing that" and when I (politely) told her "I wasn't familiar with that resident by name but where do they live" she was vague in the location just saying "The 400 block". When I kept asking her "where are on the 400 block?". She just kept saying the "400 block". All the while I am thinking "There are a lot of houses on the 400 block - which one?"


When I named a resident by name that I did know (thinking that perhaps was some secret neighborhood initiation my realtor failed to include in my new buyer's package) then she got more upset - why I still don't know (perhaps I forgot the secret handshake).


Overall, I got the message loud and clear "who do you think you are?! You are an outsider!"



Me ever the optimist (perhaps she was having a bad day) I tried to switch topics. I told her about a public meeting (that directly impacts our community) that I tried to attend but due to incorrect and outdated information that I was unable to attend. I'm thinking this is the type of thing that an ANC Commissioner would like to know - Wrong!


That led to Ms. Cuthbert not only telling me that "that never happened" and "you don't know what you are talking about" but then she proceeded to quiz me (obviously something else my realtor failed to mention).


Without getting into all the quiz questions (I would hate to encourage cheating) the question that stood out to me was this.


Her to me: Do you even know where you are? People move to this area and don't even know where they are.


Me (looking around for Candid Camera): We are in Congress Heights


Her: People think we are Anacostia and we are not - we have nothing to do with Anacostia - we are Congress Heights.


Me: Well... thanks for the information but I am well aware where I am - Congress Heights (score one for my realtor). BTW - aren't we all (Anacostia included) in Ward 8? Shouldn't we all be concerned about what happens in our community as most issues will effect us all? Shouldn't we all work together?


Her: *insert eye rolling* I am trying to school you!


Me: "You know what? I don't know what has happened here but I am going to leave. I came over here to talk to you because I was under the impression that you were here to help". I then walk away - baffled but MUCH the wiser.


Her (to event staff) : "I don't know what her problem is I was just trying to school her"


If by "schooling me" she meant discouraged me from caring and being active in my community - she succeeded, albeit partially . I was definitely discouraged, disappointed and distressed...for about 5 minutes. Then I got good and mad.


The worse thing about that incident was not the fact that she was rude (which she was) but that she was so very discouraging AND dismissive - the worse things to do any community members - especially new ones and especially community members you have been sworn to service.


Someone told me later " Well Mary is like that - she has been in that role for 30 some years - she is stuck in her ways - just let her talk."


That is NO excuse. If anything that makes it worse. She should be using her many years of experience in a POSITIVE way. She should be open and encouraging to her constituents (all of them) and she should be advocating for them - not belittling them. Not discouraging them from caring and participating because they haven't passed her personal litmus test (whatever that is).


In my opinion (and I know I am not alone in this) this is a big part of the problem over here in Ward 8. There are people who have been holding these positions for so long that they forget that their job is TO serve and not BE served. That their ears, eyes and hearts should be OPEN to the community - all members of the community and that if they are not prepared to do the duties entrusted to them that they should hand it over to someone who is willing and who can.


IT IS CALLED COMMUNITY NOT SENORITY.


Older communty members should be recruiting and encouraging younger members. Young people are going to be what is needed to carry the torch at some point. Young people will keep everyone relevant and who knows better to speak to young people but other young people? Who should young people look to for guidance? Older community members with experience and knowledge. The two will have to work together for a better tomorrow.


Before I approached Commisisoner Cuthbert I had no idea of her past history including any past complaints. She was a blank slate to me. I had no agenda and I had no bias. After doing some simple research (gotta love Google) and reading some very interesting articles (check out this one by the Washington City Paper, http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=27723) I came away informed.


The craziest thing about all of this is that there are residents, agencies and business owners that are actually afraid of Mary Cuthbert! People have described her as vindictive, power hungry and secretive. People have even taken to calling her (behind her back of course) Mary "Cutthroat" Cuthbert. If this was 1658 and she was a pirate I would applaud her but it is 2008 and she is an ANC Commissioner.


People have warned me in private to "be careful...don't ask too many questions" for fear that it will get back to her (and other members of her inner circle) and she will retaliate.


You would think we were talking about a Mafia Don and not a public official. Public officials should fear the community - not the other way around.


Well, enough of the back story. To bring you back to present. :)


It is REALLY nice to see Commissioner Cuthbert out in the community reaching out to residents (haven't seen her at any recent public meetings though). It's even nicer to see that she is finally using some of the ANC funds for the community. According to financial documents posted on the DC Auditors website the only money reported by ANC 8C as being spent for fiscal year 2007 by ANC 8C was $10,800 for rent and $3.67 in bank fees. There was not a single penny spent (according to the financial documents filed by ANC 8C) on copying, phone services (there isn't an office phone) , postage fees, office equipment, fax, not one single piece of paper.

How can you be doing all you can to support and advocate for a community when you are not spending available funds on neccessities? I've spent more money maintaining my linen closet.




One must ask themselves - how badly is an office (a $10,800 office no less) needed when there is NO phone, NO fax, NO computer, NO email, NO website and NO published office hours?

Is it possible that the $10,800 in rent could have had a better use? Maybe for the community?


Just askin'


Below please find the information that was on the fliers that were distributed today. One wonders if this sudden surge of activity from Commissioner Cuthbert has anything to with the activities of the Concerned Citizens of Oakwood Street and the attention from city agencies (including the Mayor's office and several media outlets) that CCOS was able to garner over the past 8 weeks.


Again - just askin'

• A notice on the public meetings for the Saint Elizabeth's Hospital Framework Redevelopment Plan (will post details about the public meetings soon). Contact is Geraldine I. Gardner (202) 442-8970 or email geraldine.gardner@dc.gov



• A postcard from OIC/DC regarding their Customer Service Training Certification programs. Contact info is http://www.oicdc.org/ or call 202.563.2104