Ronald Moten, co-founder of Peaceaholics, ally of former Mayor Adrian Fenty and a long-time opponent of Mayor Vincent Gray, will formally announce that he is switching his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican in a run for D.C. Council. The Ward 7 seat is currently held by Councilmember Yvette Alexander (D), an ally of Gray. He spoke with The Georgetown Dish about his candidacy and D.C. politics.
Why are you running as a Republican?
Six years ago we started taking children to Alabama [to learn more about the Civil Rights era]. A lot of the people on those trips were Republicans. At first, I thought they were crazy. Over the years they told me they had their own businesses. They told me about their lives. I got to know them. I learned there were a lot of white people who supported us [during the Civil Rights era] that I didn't know about. That kind of changed my life. Marriage, building institutions, self-reliance -- these are all principles of the Republican party.
What do you think Martin Luther King Jr. would say about that?
I think you have to have a balance. Where have we gotten since 1964? I couldn't tell you. Martin Luther King was fighting the Democrats. I see who I'm fighting. I'm fighting who he was fighting.
What do you think of Adrian Fenty's term as Mayor?
It was sort of hard for me to see what happened to him. He wanted to make change, but the politicians in the Council weren't interested in that. It was old-school politics, where some of them care about perks and that you treat them a certain way than getting things done for the people.
What about your own controversies with the Peaceaholics and the fire truck donated to the Dominican Republic?
There was a lot of misinformation put out there. They said the fire truck was worth $150,000. It was worth $10,000. People said a lot of false things about me -- crazy stuff. It would make your stomach just boil up. But try to destroy me and you make me more powerful. It's the same thing they tried to do to Adrian.
Do you see any parallels -- in terms of campaign-related accusations -- with what has happened recently to presidential candidate Herman Cain?
No.
Why are you running against Yvette Alexander?
She hasn't done anything. There's just too much corruption in the Council. The same Council that asks for the audits -- they control the information.
How can you do better?
I think that first of all -- I speak out a lot. I went to the vigil for the guy who was killed in Georgetown. [Alexander] didn't show up. Here I am a guy who is financially destroyed by the government, and I showed up and I am helping the family. [Alexander] hasn't been responsive. She doesn't come out in the community. Nobody knows her. It's poor leadership. It's horrible.
What has Yvette Alexander done in Ward 7?
We have to go outside the ward for anything we want. We have gotten nothing in the ward. It's terrible. What she's done -- she's been a great failure. She has a pretty smile.
Should Councilmember Harry Thomas remain in office despite the settlement regarding his personal use of government funds meant for children?
He should have resigned. You're taking money when people have been killed? Out of respect for the community, he should have resigned some time ago.
What about Chairman Kwame Brown?
I've thought Kwame Brown was a decent guy. I know a lot of things he's done from his heart. But sometimes you're in a corrupt system and you get caught up. Politicians are like children. If you don't correct them, they destroy themselves, and then they destroy the communities they represent.
How did you meet Adrian Fenty?
We went to Alice Deal [Middle School] together. Everyone knew Ronald Moten in the school because I got called to the office every day.
You grew up in Petworth and other areas in the District. What was your favorite neighborhood?
My favorite was River Terrace. It was a quiet neighborhood. You had a park younger people, older people. It was close-knit, close to the highway. My next favorite now is Hillcrest, then Benning Terrace. It keeps me grounded. I'm the type of person that brings people together. I have friends from all different backgrounds.
What can you bring to D.C. politics?
I want to end the dependency that we've had. I want to bring back the values. I'm not intersted in having a lot of friends, I'm interested in being representive of my people -- people throught the city who connect together who are about the uplifiting of the city and where we're going. If we put the right systems in place, we can fix this. I hope people will support me to stand up to the lobbyists and the corruption.
More information about Ron Moten's campaign is here.
5 Comments For This Article
The expression of the dude behind Moten in this picture says everything you need to know. No need to read the fluff piece that only brings to mind a very intense sucking sound.
I am not sure what Ron Moten is doing running as a Republican. He may just be an opportunist or just making a bad judgement. But it is clear from everything that is going on in the Republican Party today that the policies they espouse are not the ones that will benefit the people of DC. You get tagged with the people you associate with and in November of 2012 the people of DC will be voting overwhelmingly for the Democratic Party.
"financially destroyed by the government". Is Moten referring to the Peaceaholics contracts that got canceled because of misuse, questionable spending and a complete lack of fiscal oversight? The contract the Fenty Administration tried to push through without council oversight?
WOW, Moten's hypocracy is painful to sit through. Let's be real. Peaceaholics existed because of chummy deals made with established politicians in DC. The man was given keys to a kingdom. He blew it, and the people who gave him those keys also took them away. Now that these folks turned their backs on Moten, he wants to dis them, call them corrupt AND run from a party that has shown little to no interest in the concerns of the African American community?
Okay Moten, I'll bite. You claim Yvette's brought little economic investment, $$ and jobs to Ward 7. So you justify a switch to the GOP why? Because of how much "civil rights republicans" have invested in Ward 7? PLEASE, point out to me all those businesses free market "civil rights republicans" have opened in ward 7. How many jobs have recent investments and projects from "civil rights republicans" can you point to? Did I miss that announcement where the Republican party has opted to host their next convention in Ward 7? Or the announcement from the DC GOP that they've opened up a satelite office in ward 7 to accomodate the "civil rights DC GOP"? There wasn't any, was there? Perhaps the Democrats take minority voters for granted. Isn't that better than being completely ignored or disrespected by the GOP? Maybe I'm missing something here.
Good for Ron Moten. The Democrats don't have a monopoly on helping the disadvantaged. In many cases, they have failed the people they claim to help. The economy under a Democratic president is failing the disadvantaged more than anyone. Is there anything wrong with trying new approaches? Is there anything wrong with investigating new programs that help disadvantaged people become self-reliant, rather then permanently dependent on the government? I believe sel-reliance is a good trait, and along with it comes self-esteem, another good trait.
Think about it: He'll be the only guy in the spotlight running as a republican against Alexander. Too many other people on the democratic slate that will divert away from the whole "Moten vs. Alexander." He wants to blast her and be heard. Without this move, he would be looked like all the other folks who run just for the sake of running. I just wish he would do a little bit more about the history of the republican party before he came out with his rationale of the switch.