Council Cries Foul Over Fenty's Distribution of Nationals Tickets

At about 4:40 p.m. yesterday, the tickets arrived for the Nationals' 7:10 p.m. game against the Florida Marlins.

"The tickets are here," said Dawn Slonneger, Gray's chief of staff, grinning and holding an envelope that contained two tickets for Gray.

Minutes later, aides to other council members came by with envelopes. "United we stand, divided we fall," said Donna Rouse, an aide to Marion Barry (D-Ward 8).

Carrie Brooks, the mayor's spokeswoman, did not return phone calls or respond to e-mails seeking comment. Abe Pollin solved last year's Verizon battle by giving the council a suite of its own.

Mendelson, chairman of the council's Committee on Public Safety and Judiciary, has a theory. He said the council members who did not receive tickets chair committees that are not receiving cooperation from Fenty's office. "Certain council committees are not getting witnesses from the executive," said Mendelson, a frequent Fenty critic.

Schwartz, chairman of the Committee on Workforce Development and Government Operations, chided Fenty in February for offering buyouts to employees without obtaining council approval. Schwartz said yesterday that she was simply "sad and mad" about being left out. Brown, who could not be reached for a comment, recently disagreed with Fenty on issues in his economic development committee.

Alexander, who does not head a committee because she is one of the most freshmen members, said she was "just confused" as to why she did not receive tickets?

"I haven't the slightest idea," she said. "I'm not the most avid baseball fan, but my constituents, nonetheless, would love to have tickets." Alexander and the three other excluded members received parking passes for the season, as did their nine colleagues.

The parking passes could be useful, Gray said. "We drive up to the garage, turn on the radio and listen to the game," he said.