Vote David Schwartzman

Alright, so election day is coming right up! And for those of us voting in the District, not only will we have the opportunity to right the sinking ship this country has become, but we’ll also be choosing the City Council members who’ll be ruling over our city with an iron fist for the next four years.

In many ways, local officials are more relevant to our day-to-day lives than national pols (D.C.’s crappy Congressional oversite situation notwithstanding). They’re the ones who guide development, fund social programs, provide executive over-site, etc.

We here at District, Schmistrict recommend a vote for David Schwartzman for one of the At-Large Council seats. As the D.C. Statehood Green Party candidate, Schwartzman is surely a lefty, and that’s exactly why we like him. Yes, the Council is already full of Democrats and is likely more liberal than, say, the Davenport, Iowa city government. Some would argue that the Council doesn’t “need” a push to the left.

But we’re not the type of people who are see striving for ideological balance as a desirable goal. We’re liberals because we think liberal ideas are the right ones. We believe in progressive taxation, equal rights, a social safety net, etc. So of course we want a left-wing Washington. And Schwartzman is right there with us. Like most lefties, he’s definitely pro-transit, but unlike, say Patrick Mara, he hasn’t taken Grover Norquist’s asinine pledge.

Now, we don’t agree with Schwartzman on all the issues. His call for lowering Metro fares, for one, is not realistic given the funding state of WMATA. And it’s probably true that at the current moment, the budget isn’t there for all of Schwartzman’s ambitious agenda. But we’re voting for Schwartzman because we want someone who will unabashedly throw his weight behind the progressive cause. Liberals, be proud of who you are!

Plus, check out his awesome campaign picture. That’s a dude who knows how to have a good time.