ANC Commissioner Holly Muhammad - Refuses Request to make Traffic Safety Assessment Priority Until Another Prior Request is Met, Puts Childrens lives in danger.

"Before moving forward on another project since you note below that requests are prioritized with ANC support.  I need a response on the request that was submitted last year for the traffic light near the intersection of 18th and Minnesota Ave SE.Further, Tyon Jones is a fellow Commissioner on ANC 8A and should not be assigned to this project.  It is a conflict. When you can provide me information regarding the previous request then I can move forward with another." Commissioner Holly Muhammad in an email to ​Lisa Gee Robinson Communications Specialist with the District Department of Transportation.  ​

Now I don't know anything about this traffic light - however I do know a little about this request of mine for a traffic safety assessment around the new Lawrence E. Boone Elementary and my request of Commissioner for a letter supporting the assessment which would give the assessment a priority status.  Sadly, the Commissioner has responded out of emotion and dislike for myself, a white, 39 year old, business owning resident of over six years in Ward 8.

Lets rewind to last summer, July 17, my first interaction with the Commissioner.  There was a construction project at 22nd and Fairlawn SE.  Ms. Muhammad arrived on scene with an attitude of being in charge and demanding.  As time went on and I watched I noticed her attitude with people like the fire department - the very people trying to assess and assist become unprofessional, and then there was a verbal altercation with my neighbor.  I didn't know any of these people this was the first in about five years that a situation warranted neighbors coming out gathering to see what was happening.  All of a sudden I hear the Commissioner begin to yell at Ms. Keisha Mims, who at the time was the Chief of Staff for the office of the Deputy Mayor of Education.  Ms. Muhammad was giving Ms. Mims a tongue lashing and I mean yelling and screaming that Ms. Mims was not using her influence within the Mayors office to shut down this project.  Ms. Mims responded by saying that as a citizen living across the street from the construction site that she was doing all she could which was clearly not enough for Ms. Muhammad.  Now I've dealt with a lot of people, at 18 I began working for Wal-Mart as an Assistant Store Manager I've dealt with a lot of difficult people over the years and have seen a lot.  Sadly, this was my first impression of Ms. Muhammad - and when I thought that this verbal altercation was going to get physical I was glad to see neighbors come in between to break it up.  I was astonished to see when Ms. Mims stepped back several times Ms. Muhammad stepped into her provoking the situation and frankly making several of us concerned for Ms. Mims.  In the back of my head I was thinking this is a politician? 
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I kindly offered the Commissioner some of the photos I took to help illustrate her concerns. The next morning around 4am I got an email inquiring getting the photos to her.  I responded asking if she had got my email - she did and then sent me another email asking if I withdrew her access to the photos as it seemed she no longer had access to them (of which I didn't she was just having issues or maybe lack desire to use the program I upload photos and video to which I use all the time for my photography clients).   Now over the course of a few days the Commissioner called my home office prior to 7am several times, a true respect of others so early in the morning.  I finally had to tell her not to do it again.
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Now to Sept of last year.  My concerns over the change of entrance from Minnesota Ave to the corner of Prout and 22nd St rose so high I sent an email to Ms. Muhammad and others expressing some police assistance in traffic until the community got use to the entrance being moved.   She responded supporting a crossing guard and saying that this new entrance was the "preferred entrance for the students vs the "liquor store entrance"  my response was "My understanding is that yes, the only entrance for the students for now.  I think the intention is to open the front entrance closer to the completion of the project.  Frankly, law enforcement maybe a good start till folks get use to it as we almost had an altercation one morning last week.  People got real heated with each other" to which she replied (sept 14th) . "This is the preferred entrance period for the students. We do not want them attending school through an entrance in front of a luquor store.  The front entrance was deemed for the staff.  I am not requesting law enforcement.  We don’t need law enforcement to deal with our people at every level of a problem.  This issue can be resolved WITHOUT law enforcement.  All that is neede is a crossing guard like they have at schools west of the riverr. Have a good day"  I left it go without a response until October 22nd and no response from anyone nor any assistance helping the school.  Oct 29 - still no response so my email to the group got much more aggressive and the sense of frustration elevated especially since we are talking about children’s safety.    So I sent this note:

It has been a week since I have expressed my disappointment regarding the lack of action when it came to the intersection of 22nd and Prout.
 
I understand my email was direct however no matter what your thoughts are on my email as a small business owner and resident living directly on this corner, I’d like to receive a response and update on the matter I genuinely am very concerned - I’d appreciate your attention to this and the respect of a response.
 
Is there someone who can offer me an update on this matter?

And then her response.... 

​Mr. Donohue,
 
Here is your response.  I ignored your email because I have told you once before not to talk to me in this manner.  Since you claim you have lived among us for 5 years then you know that you had at least 4 years to attend SIT meetings at the previous Orr, (Boone) as we did prior to its rebuilding to express any concerns about the design if you were genuinely concerned.  There is going to be traffic at this intersection.  If it can be improved it will.
 
Don't think because you live among us that you can address me in any kind of manner.
 
I'm not going to be pulled into your beef with DCPS regarding your cancellation from their payroll.
 
I have no respect for people who come into our community and feed on the condition of our community and pretend to be community conscious while all along their motive is to get DC contracts for their business.
 
Further, I am not seeking your respect or approval of my work.  I have been working to uplift Black people and our communities long before I became a Commissioner.

Now let me mention a few things:

She thought I was lying when it came to how long I lived among her here in Ward 8?  (My lease is signed Dec 2, 2013) Maybe she should stop skipping over my building when she visits as I know she did the night before the election when she even refused to say hello to me while passing out her vote for me advertisement.

I know I live among a mostly African American low income community.  I live and breathe respect here.  I also have  a lot to learn and I've been lucky enough to have earned respect from my direct neighbors.  I can relate to many of them, I've been homeless, I am HIV+ and as a low income person myself I face some of the same challenges my neighbors do.  I don't know what impression she has or where her info came from however I have never not once had a beef with DCPS nor have I ever worked for them, applied to work for them - or any other district entity.  She may have gotten confused with a conversation I had with her about a project I proposed to the construction company working on the Orr Elem project, I just can not get over the way she treats people.  Her general attitude is deplorable.  Even If I had solicited work from a dept within the district, what’s wrong with that?  I do need to work and working pays my rent.

I have no words for her statement on what intentions I may have had based on her false information.  I was sincerely insulted and to this day she continues to be rude and downright unprofessional towards me.  Her final comment about working to "uplift Black People and our communities long before I became Commissioner" made little sense to me as I've never questioned how she represented black people?  You can read the full text of the emails here
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Now to current day. Since Sept I have been trying to address the dangerous traffic behaviors/patterns that directly threaten the lives of children and parents attempting to drop off their kids.  I even made a video to remind the community:

I even went to my first public meeting it was about traffic in order to help bring light to my concerns since all of emails to the Commissioner fell on deaf ears.  I finally connected with Emily Dalphy Transportation Engineer, Vision Zero, Division, Office of the Director District Department of Transportation who asked me to complete a traffic safety questionnaire and send it back to her and if I was able to ger my ANC Commissioner a letter of support it would give it a priority and since this deals with children I figured there'd be no way she wouldn't support it.  Well I was wrong.  I don't know what my request has anything to do with hers however in a childlike tantrum where one doesn't get her way she refused to support giving priority status of my traffic study request because she got no response from a previously submitted request of hers.  

*shrugs* oh I love how she ended her email back to me "I have been advocating for Black people long before I accepted this "voluntary position".  And once again, I am not seeking your approval"   Well Ms. Muhammad, you may not be seeking my approval however you might be seeking my vote next time you run for office and if you continue to behave this way you just might see my name on that ballot seeking to be your replacement.  I don't have any problem and I would  seek the approval of all of my neighbors.  Try opening your heart and eyes to all of us and start listening to all of your neighbors, white or black we all make up our neighborhoods and having a good relationship with us all could for sure help keep your position as ANC Commissioner or help elevate you to higher office should you wish your neighbors support for that one day.

Now I can't help you with your prior traffic light request, however I am very very concerned about the traffic patterns and behavior around Boone, heck they don't even have a crossing guard - how about putting your opinions about me aside and help us with a letter of support and your voice in getting a crossing guard ASAP?

Video Footage from April 9th

Camera in upper left corner: Prout Street looking towards Pennsylvania Ave
Camera Lower Right:  22nd Street Traffic heading towards intersection of Prout and 22nd Street.  This is a oneway street startiong at 22nd and Prout
Main Camera:  Intersection of Prout Street SE and 22nd Street