November 7 - Election Day

Here are some pictures of my hard-working volunteers on November 7. Thank you to EVERYONE for your help! We couldn't have done it without you!

November 3, 2006 - Campaign Volunteers and Esprit de Corps

A political campaign is an experience like none other. As I look back on past experiences and memories, I often reflect on both personal and team accomplishments. In 1992, with a nagging knee injury, I would not have finished the JFK 50-Mile Ultramarathon if I had not been able to lean on the shoulder of my friend and roommate, Charles Meyer. In 2000, suffering from altitude sickness and temperatures 35 degrees below zero, I would have had extreme difficulty reaching Uhuru Peak on top of Kilimanjaro if I had not been teamed with two business school friends. Throughout life, I have found that it takes the individual to stand up and make things happen. But, it is the team that rallies behind the cause to make it successful.

The Will Cobb for Ward 6 Campaign has been an experience like none other for me. The campaign started with a discussion amongst neighbors at La Lomita in January 2006. Over time, it has grown into a spirited cause and crusade for increased accountability, transparency, and responsiveness in Ward 6 and throughout the District of Columbia. More and more people have joined me in recognizing the importance of what this campaign stands for, and how their voice really can count in Ward 6. I have been honored and humbled to be supported by so many committed, hardworking and honorable neighbors and friends. I am proud of the reputation this campaign has built through its inclusiveness, through its desire to serve, and our ability to lead a dialogue on real issues affecting neighborhood-specific issues along with challenges facing the entire ward and our city.



This was an unbelievable week. We received significant press coverage (The Hill, Hill Rag, Washington Post, Voice of the Hill), yard signs rolled out at an unprecedented pace, and volunteers stopped by more and more frequently to distribute literature and spread the word. With an army of volunteers, it is clear that we are building an incredible amount of momentum across the Ward 6 as we get closer and closer to victory. This evening, volunteers and I returned from door-knocking to witness Campaign HQ in an unprecedented state of activity. With yard signs being assembled, cars being decorated, literature being sorted, and our diverse army poised for the final days of this campaign, I could not be more proud and inspired. It takes good people to make things happen. I am proud to say that I have some of the best people Ward 6 could muster. I look forward to having even more of Ward 6 onboard as we work together to raise the bar for all of Ward 6 and the District of Columbia.

Thank you to the many volunteers that have made the Will Cobb for Ward 6 campaign possible. I will be forever grateful for everything you have done to make this possible.

In Eternal Appreciation - Will

November 3, 2006 - Eastern High Homecoming

Eastern High School is also known as "The Pride of Capitol Hill." However, it has undergone so many years of neglect, that it will take years to resurrect it at as a school for which we can all be proud. Today, many students that constitute the future of our great city fall further and further behind as EHS students. As a community, we must rally around EHS to ensure that all residents of Ward 6 feel vested in the success of EHS and its students. You can expect EHS and several measurements surrounding community involvement and ownership to be incorporated into my Ward 6 Strategic Plan. I see EHS success as part of the foundation required for a safe and economically competitive Ward 6.

Today marked homecoming at EHS. After synching up with one of my EHS mentees, I had the good fortune of watching as students, alums and assorted community members participated in the Annual EHS Homecoming Parade.

Enjoying the parade with friends

Eastern High Marching Band

November 2 , 2006 - Community Building

One of the most enjoyable parts of my campaign has been witnessing and participating in community building all across Ward 6. All too often, our residents don't know their next-door neighbors. One way to solve this problem is through the use of block parties. I have had the good fortune to attend countless block parties across our Ward, from Kentucky Avenue, to A Street, SE, to 4th Street, NE to Canal Street, SW. I am always thrilled to see neighbors coming together with their families to unify their communities and enjoy each other's company. This is just one very important step in bringing our Ward together. I am interested in exploring ways that our city can support our neighborhood block parties, by encouraging participation and streamlining the application process.




Will at a recent block party on the 1300 block of F Street, NE. Other attendees included Adrian Fenty and Phil Mendelson.

October 31, 2006 - Amber Alert & Public Safety

On my platform page, I mention the need to implement the amber alert system in the District of Columbia. I just returned from spending the evening at Eastern Market for Halloween. With our community teeming with young children, it seemed appropriate to raise the visibility of my call for introducing the amber alert system within the District of Columbia. I find that most Ward 6 residents are surprised to hear that the system is not in place. And, most agree that it is something we need. So, let's get to it. While this will not be the first piece of legislation I write and sponsor, it is high on my list of priorities.

October 26, 2006 - US Coast Guard & CFC

Federal Government employees have the opportunity to contribute to charities of their choice through the annual Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). While in the Coast Guard, I served as the CFC Officer for my ship, getting more than 98% of the ship to contribute. The CFC was an easy way to give and nearly everyone did it. In Ward 6, we have numerous charities working to better our community. They are to be commended for their outstanding effort and results.

However, there is no clearing house that facilitates easy and routing giving to provide many of our important charities with the dollars they need to sustain operations. Wouldn't it be nice if we were to add community giving measurements to the performance measures that we built into the Ward 6 Strategic Plan that we will use to guide our ward in the important years ahead? We could measure annual dollars along with the number of contributions, providing increased visibility to encourage others to contribute while allowing us to measure our success in lifting others from year to year.

While there are clear lines of demarcation between city government and charitable organizations, successful charities ease the demand for city services and can lessen city financial demands and obligations. Setting up a local charity clearinghouse could pay big dividends on a number of fronts; increased charity awareness, increased local giving, increased local involvement. This could be another way that Ward 6 could lead the way!

October 25, 2006 - Ward 6 at a Crossroads

In reviewing recent publications, one of my former strategic planning colleagues passed along an October 23, 2006 presentation by the Honorable David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States. It is extremely relevant to our community and speaks volumes to the leadership and financial crises looming for the Nation and this community.

I have often spoken about how we in Ward 6 must raise the bar. As Mr. Walker's report reads, "The greatest threat to America's future is not hiding in a cave in Afghanistan; it is right here at home. Despite contributing Bill Gates and Thomas Edison and countless other inventors to the world, we do not even rank in the Top 20 in math and science scores." Given that the District of Columbia has the worst science and math test scores in the country, we are not doing our part to lift the bar locally so that we can help nationally.

Mr. Walker also states that, "Real 21st century leaders need to focus on four key attributes: courage, integrity, creativity, and a commitment to stewardship." Throughout my career in the Coast Guard, in state government consulting, in education, I have regularly proven to be a pillar of each of those attributes. I am proud of my role as an independent democratic voice that cannot be compromised. I hope that you will join me and my volunteers as we issue in a new era of accountability, transparency and responsiveness in DC Government.

Please enjoy Mr. Walker's report in its entirety at http://www.willforthehill.com/Crossroads.pdf. I see it as a call to action, providing another validation point for my desire to develop a Ward 6 Strategic Plan, for our need to break free of the existing system, and our need to radically change course. The future of this ward and our nation depends on it.

October 24, 2006 - School Board Candidate Debate

I took advantage of the opportunity to see our school board candidates in action this evening at their H Street Playhouse debate. Over the last several months, I have had the good fortune of getting to know each of the candidates and I am confident that each is more than capable of representing our interests on the School Board. The photograph above is of me and Robert Vinson Brannum, the only candidate from Ward 5. The photo was taken immediately after this evening's event. Brannum offered a pointed contrast to the tenure of school board member Tommy Wells. "He has neglected Ward 5. That will not be my legacy." His comments during the debate served as another validation of what I hear day-in and day-out when out in the ward. Our schools have not had the representation they need and deserve from their elected representative. This is especially true as you get further and further away from Capitol Hill.

Congratulations to each of the candidates for putting in a good show. Also, a special thank you goes to VOTH for presenting our voters with another opportunity to judge and compare our School Board District 3 candidates.