There are 15 — 15! — people running for two open At-Large Council seats, from the Democratic incumbent to progressive organizers, ANC commissioners and almost everyone in between.
With so many candidates in the running, the race hasn’t gotten as much detailed attention as perhaps it would have in previous years. The Washington Post’s Mike DeBonis interviewed 13 of the 15 candidates, and below are responses from selected questionnaires that may help inform a last-minute decision.
Anita Bonds, Democrat
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: “I am seeking to introduce legislation to create a consolidated data-sharing system of the files regarding youth (ages 6-24) into one system so that all the information can be shared across agencies and platforms.
Accountability must be the top priority of the government. The multiple administrative mishaps leading to the disappearance of Relisha Rudd – a resident of the DC General Shelter, student in DC Public Schools, and a Medicaid enrollee in the DC healthcare system, might have been avoided if such a data-sharing system were created and utilized by government agencies affecting service delivery to our youth population.”
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: 97
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: ” I co-introduced the, ‘Minimum Wage Amendment Act of 2013,’ which increases the minimum wage in the District to $11.50 in three annual steps, and requires the minimum wage to increase with the cost of living, by the rate increase to the Consumer Price Index. It is important that our minimum wage workers are not put in a position that traps them into poverty and that they are able to earn a wage that will aid them in caring for their family and elevate themselves to a more prosperous future. I would not be opposed to looking into the fiscal and policy ramifications of increasing the minimum wage further.”
All Walks D.C.: “Yes, I support the existing traffic cameras but I do not think installing additional cameras will yield a significantly different result.”
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 7.5
Michael D. Brown, Independent
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: “One of the first issues that I would like to address is the increasing drop-out rate among students in the DC public school system. According to the non-profit organization, College Bound, 11 children drop out of school every school day in the District. We consequently loose more than 2,000 students a year. In addition, the chronic truancy rate in some of our high schools in over 50%. To address these problems I would like to introduce legislation for early intervention with truants that would trigger additional support services for them and their families. I would also introduce legislation to increase the number of social workers and counselors in every DC high school.”
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: 100
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: No response
All Walks D.C.: “Yes, [I support the continued use of traffic cameras to enforce existing traffic laws.]
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 2
Wendell Felder, Independent
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: “I would introduce the Second Chance Youth Act of 2015 which is specifically for youth in the District that have been convicted of a non-violent crime and/or theft between the ages of (18-24). This law would expunge all misdemeanors from their records giving them a second change in society.
I would also introduce the DC Successful Youth Act of 2015 which is specifically for the DCPS and DC Charter School graduates between the ages of (18-24) who do not want to attend a traditional four year college/institution, but who want to attend a trade school (Art School, Music School, Culinary Arts, etc.) outside of the District of Columbia and need financial assistance.”
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: No rating
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: No response
All Walks D.C.: No response
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 3
Calvin H. Gurley, Indepedent
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: No response
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: No rating
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: No response
All Walks D.C.: “Yes, [I support the continued use of traffic cameras to enforce existing traffic laws.]
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 1
Graylan Hagler, Independent
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: “As a strong advocate of working for the public good, I will propose legislation to fund an internship for young people to intern within the city’s public sector to interest youth in serving the public.”
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: 100
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: “Last year I was a leader of the movement that resulted in raising the DC minimum wage to $11.50/hour over a few years. This resulted in a national movement of cities increasing their minimum wage to this level and even higher, and as you said Seattle and San Francisco are looking at $15. I believe that, having led the movement, we should now follow suit and go for $15 here in a reasonable time frame but ASAP. In addition, tipped workers are stuck at less than $3/hour; their minimum wage should be at least 70 percent of the minimum for other workers. I also firmly believe that the minimum wage should increase over time with inflation, so that we don’t find ourselves in this situation every decade.”
All Walks D.C.: “Traffic cameras may help with safety but they raise serious issues regarding the propriety of mass surveillance in a society that pretends to be democratic. In addition, many District officials, including some councilmembers, see the cameras as providing revenue rather than safety, while wealthy drivers may see them as a license to speed. Thus we should move back to human rather than mechanical enforcement of traffic laws.”
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 9
Brian Hart, Independent
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: “I would consider introducing youth-specific legislation in my first 100 days in office. However, my first priority would be to assess the performance of DC government agencies and budget allocations for youth expanded learning, disconnect- ed youth, youth workforce development, and youth homelessness. We must close the gaps in services, streamline responsibilities, and better coordinate our government agencies. My focus, whether through legislation or oversight, would be to integrate – with clear delineation of responsibilities – the government’s important role in supporting our youth.”
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: No rating
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: “DC should consider a higher minimum wage in the future. Under the current law, the minimum wage is set to hit $11.50 by 2016, or about $23,000 per year, with adjustments for inflation thereafter. When enacted, it was the highest minimum wage in the country. Given cost of living in DC, however, daily life remains a struggle for minimum wage earners. DC should reevaluate the minimum wage in the future.”
All Walks D.C.: “Yes, traffic cameras are effective tools in enforcing traffic laws, as long as they are used in a transparent, appropriate, and moderate manner.”
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 5
Eric Jones, Independent
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: No response
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: No rating
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: No response
All Walks D.C.: No response
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 0 with no questionnaire
Marc Morgan, Republican
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: No response
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: No rating
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: No response
All Walks D.C.: No response
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 2 with no questionnaire
Khalid Pitts, Independent
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: “The challenge of youth unemployment in Washington DC is especially concerning to me. As the only father in this race, I want to fight hard to assure that today’s children have real and meaningful opportunities—to provide a pathway of success as my children grow up. The challenge for jobs and unemployment isn’t simply neighborhood to neighborhood; it’s literally block to block—where the physical and psychological impact of crime and violence, despair, and joblessness has withered away effective protective factors and substantive hope for communities. We must be vigilant here–lever- aging not simply local dollars and assets, but federal streams—taking into account real issues like homelessness and addiction which continues to grow to epidemic levels among young people.
In Massachusetts, social service and non-profits organizations are working diligently with the Governor’s Office and philanthropic institutions to address challenges of youth “aging” out of foster and looking to deter recidivism of young adults (aged 16 to 24). I’d welcome consideration of a similar re-Engagement Center to serve a number of critical functions including: Gathering data to better define the District’s dropout population; Assessing educational and psycho- social needs of disconnected youth; Providing informed and up to date referral services to best-fit programs. Finally, I’d support consideration of investments in year-round workforce preparedness programming for young people not simply summer work experiences.”
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: 100
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: “At this time, there is no exact wage amount proposed that would move D.C. residents out of poverty. National studies have shown that full-time workers would have to make nearly $30.00 to pay for a two-bedroom apartment to consider a family of four. The discussion of raising the minimum wage is important but we must have a greater conversation about truly moving our residents out of poverty. We need to create ladders of success to help residents achieve the goal of economic success. We need to create and sustain jobs, supporting local businesses and demanding local hiring in our investments. Lastly,we should invest and further affordable housing so that DC isn’t out of reach for middle and working families.”
All Walks D.C.: “Yes, [I support the continued use of traffic cameras to enforce existing traffic laws.]”
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 5
Eugene Puryear, Statehood Green Party
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: “I would introduce a bill to establish a “youth re-engagement corp.” Such a grouping, which would be modeled on youth-led HIV/AIDS outreach, would put young people in the field both paid and volunteer to reach out to their disconnected peers. The goal would be to reach disconnected youth where they are and inform them of programs and possibilities and how to engage with them.”
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: 100
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: “The District should set its sight higher. Currently, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, a living wage in D.C. would be $13.26 for a single person. For a single person with one child, it would be $26.35. In other words, our minimum wage now and as scheduled to increase is still a poverty wage. We need to increase our wages while we decrease our costs in key areas like housing and childcare. I believe the minimum wage for all workers should be raised to $15.00 immediately.
A recent Urban Institute study regarding a raise in the minimum wage in the District stated very clearly: “We investigated the effects of a minimum-wage increase in DC and found little evidence to suggest that employment would fall. We also found that the vast majority of low-wage workers would see their earnings and disposable incomes increase. Based on these two findings, we anticipate that the legislated wage increase will improve the well-being of the District’s low-income working families.”
The study mentioned explicitly that this was the case even with a “substantial increase” to the minimum wage. This comports with national research In 2010, when the most rigorous study of minimum wage increases compared every set of neighboring counties with different minimum wages from 1990-2006 and found higher minimum wages did not decrease employment. Further, in 2012, (when the economy was clearly worse), the National Federation of Independent Business surveyed small business owners and found that wage costs were a relatively small concern, but that low sales were far and away their largest concern.
The Washington Post reported on Seatac, the Seattle suburb that increased their minimum wage to $15/hr, with the key takeaway being “the sky did not fall.” The same article went on to detail how Seattle’s $15/hr minimum wage did not seem to be deterring the opening of new businesses or relocation of businesses to Seattle.
While we continually hear about the negative effects of a minimum wage increase that is both substantial and immediate, these objections amount to conjecture. The overwhelming set of facts clearly demonstrate that an increase in the minimum wage will not dampen economic activity. Given the dire needs of low-income workers for a raise and the constant increase in the cost of living, as long as we are basing our policy decisions on facts, a raise in the minimum wage to $15/hr should be an immediate priority.”
All Walks D.C.: No response
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 4.5
Kishan Putta, Independent
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: “Transportation is one of the primary reasons cited by youth for not going back to school or the workforce. I believe I have the best record of all the candidates on improving transportation, including expanding bus service and capacity, and also improving the bicycle usage and safety.
If elected, even before taking office I would start working a package of proposals to improve the affordability and accessibility of transportation options for District youths. I would also work with Capital Bikeshare to lower their fees for youths (individual rides are free for 30 minutes of use) and make membership easier for low income and unbanked youths. Expanded bikeshare and protected bike lanes would also help youths overcome transportation challenges.”
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: No rating
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: No response
All Walks D.C.: ” Yes. While traffic cameras are not perfect, and the bugs in them need to be addressed to ensure that the technology is accurate and drivers are treated fairly, ultimately traffic cameras serve as an effective deterrent and make our city safer. Despite the population of the city continuing to grow, the number of fatal accidents in the city is rapidly decreasing due to the use of traffic cameras. The safety of everyone utilizing our streets and sidewalks has to be the primary concern of everyone working on traffic policy. But I do feel that we do not need to charge such high fees to have effective deterrence and safety benefits.”
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 6
Elissa Silverman, Independent
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: “I believe the most important piece of legislation the District passes each year is the budget, and when the Council session begins I will be focused on ensuring that the budget supports D.C.’s residents and spends our money on the things that matter most. I want to ensure that we are providing the resources necessary, and spending the money appropriately, to improve the quality of schools across the city, provide expanded learning opportunities for young people, train residents of all ages for in-demand jobs with good wages, and provide important services for disconnected youth, youth who are parents, and other young people facing significant challenges. Additionally, those first weeks of budget oversight hearings are a time to set the tone, with a new mayor and a number of new councilmembers, and I want to begin immediately digging into oversight on serious issues like our homelessness crisis.”
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: 100
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: “Yes, DC was a leader on the minimum wage, and we are quickly being trumped! But I don’t think we should minimize our success in getting an $11.50 an hour wage by 2016 and then indexed for inflation. I worked closely with DC for Democracy, the United Food and Commercial Workers union, and others last year to secure the increase that went into effect this July, and it was an enormous victory. Even in the progressive/labor community some were skeptical that we could raise the minimum wage legislatively, but thanks to tireless advocacy throughout the region, the wage increase eventually passed the D.C. Council on a vote of 13 to 0 AND was adopted in neighboring counties, raising wages for workers throughout the region. I’m very supportive of efforts to raise the wage further, and thrilled to see victories in other parts of the country that can serve as a model for D.C. over the coming years.
I’m proud of the approach we took, asking economists to analyze the impact of this wage level on the economy. When we get to 2016, I’d like to revisit that discussion.”
All Walks D.C.: ” While oversight is needed to ensure that our traffic cameras are being deployed effectively and accurately to increase public safety, traffic cameras have been successful in changing behavior and increasing safety, not only for pedestrians but for drivers and cyclists as well. I am concerned that we are overly reliant on revenue from the cameras to fund our needs — if they are working well, then they should change behavior and we should see a decline in revenue because people are driving slower and obeying our traffic laws. And that is exactly what we are seeing.”
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 8
Courtney Snowden, Independent
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: “As a member of the Council, in my first 100 days, I will layout legislation intended to increase investment into youth programs that promote the development of various skill sets with an emphasis in STEM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics).
The number of jobs within the tech sector is growing at a rapid rate, and many schools do not currently offer advanced education in these areas, denying many youth the ability to develop the proficiencies necessary to compete for ultimately employment in this fastpaced, well-paying job sphere. I believe identifying a partnership with a high-tech firm/company to help implement STEM curricula enrichment programs is an important step to ensure that District students are prepared for not only the jobs of today, but the jobs of the future.
Another important aspect of STEM enrichment programs should be to encourage stronger diversity by inviting young people to participate from every corner of our city to participate.”
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: 100
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: “I support an increase to the minimum wage to at least $13.00, and as a councilmember, I will work with key stakeholders – labor, business, advocates, and residents to ensure there is a clear path forward.
As we consider how to raise the minimum wage, we must figure out how to relieve burdens on business – particularly small businesses that work on very thin margins. Any discussion of an increase in the minimum wage must be a part of a comprehensive conversation about how to ensure that business can continue to do what it does best – create jobs for District residents.”
All Walks D.C.: No response
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 10
Frederick Steiner, Libertarian
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: “I would move to easy the purging of juvenile crimes from the records of adults, and to offer more treatment and rehabili- tation options for offenders. I would also increase the amount of youth internships and job opportunities for the youth. I would attempted to encourage trades such as plumbing and electrical as viable alternatives to traditional collage. I would remove state based restrictions on the freedom of movement for the youth such as curfews. That should come from families not the government. I would also remove restrictions on youth performances and adult performances to try and have lots of things for people to do. And I would work with neighborhoods to address onuses noise control laws in commercial and entertainment districts.”
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: 85
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: No response
All Walks D.C.: No response
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 0 with no questionnaire
Robert White, Independent
D.C. Alliance for Youth Advocates [PDF]: “My goals are to reduce the number of disconnected youth, including those who are homeless, unemployed and/or not in school, and to increase opportunities for life-long success. We accomplish these goals by improving education, creating jobs, and ensuring that government agencies are responsive and efficient. However, because effective, successful legislation starts with thoughtful analysis, I will pursue the following initiatives with the intent of future legislation:
– Expand trade and vocational opportunities to create career paths for youth who do not plan to attend college and those at risk of dropping out of school.
– Commission a study to explore expanded learning opportunities to create stronger academic and career opportunities for our youth.
– Fund emergency shelter space and supportive housing.
– Commission a study to examine streamlining services for disconnected youth to ensure that agencies and
organizations serving this population work efficiently and in concert.
”
The Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington Action Fund: No rating
D.C. for Democracy [PDF]: “Most of my family works hourly wage jobs and can no longer afford to live here. DC must have a minimum wage that allows people, including those who work in the service industry, to live here without living in poverty. Different states and advocacy groups have advocated for varying minimum wages, but these calculations differ from state-to-state. I will fight for the minimum wage that supports working people and working families in DC and allows people like my family to call DC home again.”
All Walks D.C.: “Yes, [I support the continued use of traffic cameras to enforce existing traffic laws.]
Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC [PDF]: 7.5
