To the editor:
Every week during the political primary season, I reached for the Alexandria Times to see what surprising campaign twist made the front page. From early May to the final vote on June 18, the newspaper’s staff, aided by the Alexandria Journalism Project, published stories about a series of curious events involving City Councilor and mayoral candidate Alyia Gaskins and her campaign.
One story said placards endorsing a slate of seven candidates, led by Gaskins for mayor, were distributed around the city by the Unite Here union. A Unite Here canvasser told a resident the slate was chosen by Gaskins. She denied this. Veteran observers of City Hall agreed with the Times editorial: The fingerprints of someone who knew all the candidates were on this Unite Here slate.
By June 18, the union and its political action committee had given $75,052 to Gaskins in cash and in-kind donations. Why so much outside money? Perhaps an earlier Times story held an answer: A short three days after the Council in April approved the Vulcan Site development project on the West End, Gaskins took the initiative to connect the developer with Unite Here. The project will include a hotel. Hotel workers can join the union.
Judging from the quotes in the newspaper, in trying to knock down any question of impropriety, I think Gaskins protested too much.
Another Times story described how Unite Here workers distributed door hangers endorsing Gaskins and her slate in apartment buildings where soliciting is clearly forbidden. According to the reporting, this canvassing broke state law and Alexandria Democratic Committee rules.
By Election Day, I was eager to see if the Times’ sustained reporting on all of the campaigns would persuade voters to deny Gaskins a victory. She won the primary.
Yet these stories have raised serious questions, especially now that Gaskins will most likely succeed Mayor Justin Wilson. Did she fall prey to inexperience or bad guidance, or is she dismissive of restraints? As mayor, will she be guided fundamentally by what the voters want, or will she be transactional with outside interests?
I also wonder if she will be independent of Wilson’s enduring, heavy-handed influence. Will she run City Hall with a wisdom that is equal to her ambition? I certainly hope so.
The newspaper gave her and her rivals a column to tell voters why they wanted to be mayor. Gaskins said she would “bring government to the people” and audit city hall’s communications to “engage more people more effectively.” Her words should be a solemn commitment.
I lived and worked half of my life in New Jersey, a state that a top editor at The Newark Star-Ledger famously described as “a game preserve of corrupt politicians.” This kept prosecutors and reporters busy. I don’t believe Alexandria is like that. But city hall needs watching. It would be nice if The Washington Post, with its watchdog press tradition, devoted sleuthing resources to the city.
Until it does, I’m glad the Alexandria Times and the AJP are on duty.
-Philip Barbara, Alexandria
