Fenty heads to NYC to meet with chancellor

WASHINGTON -- It's Friday, do you know where your mayor is?

WTOP was first to report that D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty was headed to New York City Thursday night on "official business." It has now been learned the mayor is meeting with New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.

Klein's public schedule for Friday, April 3 reads as follows:

10:00 a.m.
Chancellor Klein visits PS 83 and PS 182 with Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson
*Q+A to follow
219 East 109th Street (enter at the corner of 109th Street and Second Avenue) Manhattan

"It seems to me that it would benefit (the Mayor) to say that he is meeting with Chancellor Joel Klein and see how other cities are doing," WTOP Political Analyst Mark Plotkin said.

"The Mayor has become very secretive about his expeditions both official and unofficial and private and public. He has a right to travel on private business, but it seems to me he has a responsibility to talk to the next in line, who is the chairman of the City Council, and tell him where he is going and when he will be back."

The issue with the mayor leaving town and not notifying the public or elected officials centers around public safety.

"There can be an emergency here (in D.C.), there can be some national security involvement and that's why we have dwelled on the story," Plotkin said.

In light of Fenty's recent trip to Dubai -- a trip in which he accepted money from a foreign government -- D.C. Councilmember Kwame Brown (D-at large) said new legislation may be required.

"If in fact there is money taken, it should be open and transparent," Brown said on the Politics Program with Mark Plotkin.

"Should you write legislation which bans the acceptance of foreign government money to the chief executive?" asked Plotkin.

"Yes," responded Brown.

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