What Does Jeffrey Thompson's Guilty Plea Mean for the Suburbs?

For two years DC prosecutors have been building a methodical case against the people involved in funding a shadow campaign to help Vincent Gray unseat incumbent Adrian Fenty in the 2010 mayoral campaign.  Today, the key architect of the scheme--businessman Jeffrey Thompson--pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy.  Prosecutors allege that Thompson spent upwards of 600k on the campaign, and that Gray, despite protests otherwise, knew about it. 

So, what does all of this mean for MoCo and other suburban jurisdictions of the DMV?  In the immediate, not much.  But, there could be some long term consequences if Grey doesn't win the primary.  (Remember, DC really doesn't have a Republican Party--at least not one organized enough to win elections--so the winner of the Democratic primary is the presumptive winner of the general election.)   

The most important long-term implication concerns the District's housing policy.  If Grey is out, the current policy could change.  It is too soon to know how it would change, but let's hope it changes for the better.  Under Gray, low income housing has suffered, and that has effects in the suburbs.

Gray's first mayoral campaign slogan--One City!--was on the face of it all about unity.  But, it was interpreted by many citizens as a comment on gentrification and its divisions.  Indeed,  the city's poor and minority populations saw the changes under former mayor Adrian Fenty as favoring whites and wealthy citizens.  At candidate forums in 2010 primary campaign, citizens on the eastern side of the city frequently complained about dog parks and bike lanes, which were, as Washington Post columnist Colbert I King noted at the time, code for "white influence." 

When Gray got elected, however, he didn't do much to preserve (or build new) low income housing.  In fact, a lot of people who thought he'd be an ally were deeply disappointed.  The result of Gray's approach to low income housing is that the city has been 'exporting' its poor and working class citizens to neighboring suburban districts.  People displaced by gentrification have to go somewhere, and many choose to stay in the area even though they leave the city.

The other side (the backlash if you will) of Gray's housing policy is growing homelessness.  The number of homeless families has been skyrocketing in the District.  Although no one knows exactly why--the numbers are higher now than they were at the start of the recession--we do know that among its neighbors DC has the most generous housing policy for homeless people during cold weather.  When the weather gets below freezing, homeless citizens have a right to overnight shelter.  This winter was really cold, so more people needed, and could demand shelter.  The Gray administration has struggled to find temporary shelter for all those in need of it.  It has also publicly complained that the city is housing homeless people from suburban jurisdictions. (This complaint is rich given that some of those people probably lived in the District not long ago...but I digress).     

Poverty and its negative side effects don't respect municipal borders.  So, if someone besides Gray wins election, DC's housing policy could change.  And, that will effect all of us, whether we live in the city or the suburbs.