Morning Read: Washington City Paper Endorses Elissa Silverman for At-Large Seat

Note: This story has been corrected. The Washington Blade did not endorse a candidate; a column endorsing Mara in the paper was written by an individual columnist.

The editors at Washington City Paper endorsed Elissa Silverman in the D.C. Council at-large special election. Silverman is a former City Paper and Post reporter.

They wrote:

As editors, we worry the skills that made [Silverman] a dogged Loose Lips columnist for City Paper and a Post reporter would not make her an effective councilmember; aggressive skepticism isn’t a typical tool of consensus-building. No current City Paper editors worked with her, but we’re still wary of endorsing any former journalist....

But there’s no question Silverman knows the budget inside and out.... Her answers to questions in public forums are wonky but thoughtful, calling for high-quality pre-K in every school, affordable housing citywide, and sensible transportation policies. She understands the corrupting power money has in our city, which is why she fought last fall to ban corporate campaign contributions and isn't taking any this spring.

This is a big pickup for Silverman. The Washington Post, Northwest Current and Washington Blade columnist Mark Lee have all endorsed Republican Patrick Mara for the seat.

City Paper editors also called for residents to vote “yes” on amendment 8, which would allow the D.C. government to spend locally raised revenue without waiting for Congress to approve the budget:

Waiting for Congress to give D.C. more independence hasn't worked for the past 40 years. Let's not keep waiting for Congress to give us our own money back, either.

Read their full endorsement here.

IN OTHER NEWS:

* Mayor Vincent Gray announced new union contracts that would give 70 percent of the city’s union workers 3-percent raises. (News4)

* Virginia Attorney General (and candidate for governor) Ken Cuccinelli's financial disclosure documents reveal a $2,500 donation from a radio station in Fairfax that doesn't exist. (Decision Virginia)

* Before a nearly all-Republican crowd among the smallest in the Shad Planking's 65 years, Cuccinelli dismissed his absent Democratic foe, Terry McAuliffe, in this year's governor's race as a Virginia outsider and Washington insider. (Associated Press)

* Cuccinelli is releasing his tax returns and putting the pressure on McAuliffe to do the same. (Virginian-Pilot)

* If elected governor, Cuccinelli says he will not seek to overhaul the massive transportation funding plan passed by the General Assembly this year. (Washington Post)

* Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley’s office released the names of those scheduled to travel with him on an eight-day trade mission to Israel and Jordan starting April 20. (Washington Business Journal)

* Matthew Gallagher, O’Malley’s chief of staff, will be leaving his post to head the Goldseker Foundation. (Wall Street Journal)

* Why do we keep hearing so much about this non-existent war on cars in D.C? (Housing Complex)

* Parents and activists testified Wednesday before the D.C. Council, arguing that proposed budget cuts would undermine traditional schools that are struggling to improve and to compete with charter schools. (Washington Post)

* Opponents of Maryland's recently passed gun control measure say they will seek to overturn it in court, not on the ballot. (Associated Press)

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