Crime, education and affordable housing.

Ask a candidate for public office in the District what their campaigns are focusing on, and chances are that they’ll spit out any combination of the three issues listed above. And while there is little doubt that many residents are concerned about crime, education and affordable housing, few of us really know what matters most to whom and why. The D.C. Appleseed Center for Law and Justice is looking to change that.

At midnight tonight the organization is launching an initiative called “Solving D.C. Problems: Campaign 2006” whose centerpiece will be a new Web site on which both residents and nonresidents can submit their comments, complaints and solutions on and for any District issue. Those comments then will be organized by issue and by the commenter’s place of residence. This will allow the site’s visitors to see what others are concerned about, whether they are neighbors worried about the liquor store on the corner or strangers from across the city angry at the lack of police presence on their block.

To spur interest in the initiative, D.C. Appleseed will allow users to vote on their favorite comments, and the winner will take home $5,000, the runner-up $2,500 and third place $1,000. Since computer access may be a factor limiting participation, D.C. Appleseed will do outreach through community organizations and it will accept written comments. The contest will run until May 5, and all the comments will be compiled and submitted to government officials and candidates for office.

We’re a big fan of the idea, and we’re curious not only to see what people have to say about the District’s problems, but what solutions they may have.