The Current
The Current June 14, 2016 ■ PRIMARY election About the Voters Guide The Current’s Voters Guide for the June 14 primary election appears in The Current and The Washington Informer. It is also
available online at issuu.com/ currentnewspapers. The Current’s staff interviewed the three candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for a D.C. Council at-large seat, as well as the four Democratic candidates seeking their party’s nomination for the Ward 4 D.C. Council seat. Jack Evans, the incumbent Ward 2 D.C. Council member, does not have a challenger in the Democratic primary and is therefore not included; the same is true for D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and shadow U.S. Rep. Franklin Garcia. The Democratic ballot will also include three U.S. presidential candidates: Hillary Clinton, “Rocky” Roque De La Fuente and Bernie Sanders. There are no contested races in the Republican or D.C. Statehood Green parties. At-large D.C. Council candidate Carolina Celnik is the only name on the GOP ballot other than those seeking positions with the local party; in the D.C. Statehood Green Party, G. Lee Aiken is running for an at-large D.C. Council seat and Natale (Lino) Stracuzzi is seeking the party’s nomination for D.C. delegate to the House of Representatives.
About the election The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 14. To vote on Election Day, you must go to your assigned polling place; if you have moved and have not updated your address with the Board of Elections, you should go to the polling location serving your old address. Absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. June 14 to be counted. Early voting began May 31 at One Judiciary Square, 441 4th St. NW, and will continue daily from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through June 11. Satellite early-voting locations — including the Chevy Chase, Columbia Heights and Takoma community centers — are open June 4 through 11. Election Day will mark the first time D.C. voters will use a new voting system featuring an optical scan machine that tabulates ballots marked either by hand or by the accessible ExpressVote Ballot Marking Device. For details, visit dcboee.org or call 202-727-2525.
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Voters Guide
AT-lARGE SEAT D.C. Council
David Garber
Vincent Orange
V1
Robert White
Democratic primary
David Garber
Vincent Orange
Robert White
At-large D.C. Council candidate David Garber is a former two-term Ward 6 advisory neighborhood commissioner who has worked for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, for the Urban Land Institute, as a substitute teacher and as a U.S. Senate intern. He also served as co-chair of the Historic Anacostia Design Review Committee. If elected, Garber said, the three areas he would most emphasize are neighborhood safety, education and inclusive citywide growth. “We must make sure we have enough officers on the streets every day,” Garber said in an interview. “Right now, we have a deficit across the city that leads to forced overtime and less ability to handle crime.” He wants to “bring back localized street crime enforcement units, which were centralized last year. Officers need to have on-the-ground knowledge of the communities.” Garber said the city must address systemic poverty so there are economic opportunities for kids “other than crime,” in part by bolstering vocational training in D.C. schools. Garber spent 2 1/2 years as a substitute teacher in the public school system. Regarding education, he said that a priority must be closing “the opportunity gap for kids who do not come from strong backgrounds” in after-school activities. Schools in high-income areas frequently receive private funding from parents for sports and arts programs, funding that low-income areas do not receive, he said. He called on the District to use part of its surplus to fund these activities across the city “so the wealthy no longer feel they need to contribute.” The biggest need is for better middle and high schools, he said, which is “why we have such a robust charter school program. … Elementary schools have made improvements across the District.” He would like more language immersion programs throughout D.C. Regarding the need for more inclusive growth, Garber pointed to his See Garber/Page V4
Incumbent Vincent Orange is seeking re-election to the at-large D.C. Council seat he has held since winning an April 2011 special election. He chairs the council’s Committee on Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. A certified public accountant and an attorney, Orange previously served as the Ward 5 council member. He also has been chief financial officer of the National Children’s Center and a Pepco vice president. He has run unsuccessfully for mayor and council chairman. If re-elected, Orange said in an interview that he would focus most on education, transportation safety, and jobs and economic development. He hopes to serve on the council’s Education Committee, where he would push to ensure that the chancellor has a goal that 80 percent of thirdgraders can read independently, add, subtract, multiply and divide before they enter fourth grade. Orange called these abilities a foundation for middle and high school success and for being able to apply to college. He said that 60 percent of today’s D.C. third-graders cannot independently read. He also wants the chancellor to strive to achieve an 85 percent high school graduation rate, and to ensure that 75 percent of high school students apply to college. He favors eliminating tuition at the University of the District of Columbia’s Community College to ease the path for residents to obtain associate degrees. Orange said he hopes he will be allowed to serve on four committees, instead of his current three, so he will not have to give up one of them to join the Education Committee. Regarding transportation, Orange said he would support his council colleague Jack Evans, also chair of the Metro board of directors, in the effort to improve the safety and maintenance of the local subway system and to push for more federal funding. He also would like the system to prohibit knives, guns and other weapons on its buses and trains, and is generally supportive of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s plans to See Orange/Page V4
At-large D.C. Council candidate Robert White is an attorney who has served as community outreach director for D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, general counsel for D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and a clerk in the Montgomery County District Court. He is also president of the Brightwood Park Citizens Association in Ward 4. If elected to the D.C. Council, White told The Current he would concentrate on improving schools, creating more affordable housing and creating more jobs. On education, White believes the city needs “a solid turnaround strategy for each underperforming school” including multi-year budgeting. He favors more investment in early childhood development, improved nutrition for lowincome children and a better program of job retention for good teachers by including them in decision-making processes. White is particularly concerned about improving education for lowincome minority children, whom he feels have not really benefited from the school system’s progress. He agrees with the mayor’s plan to rebuild the District’s older school buildings on a complete basis rather than just fixing up dilapidated parts of buildings. Because many rebuilding projects are significantly over budget, White said he wants the council to hold oversight hearings on school modernization at least every quarter. Regarding affordable housing, White said the government should purchase affordable apartment buildings if they go on the market to prevent their conversion into condos or higher-priced rental units. These buildings should be subject to “a permanent covenant limiting rent on a share of the units, adjusting for inflation once they go back on the market,” he said. Such a strategy would be a less costly affordable housing approach than building new units, White said. He also wants the city to work with commercial building owners to convert under-utilized office structures into apartments with a large percentage of affordable See White/Page V4
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Wednesday, June 8, 2016
The Current
AT-lARGE SEAT D.C. Council
David Garber
Vincent Orange
Robert White
Democratic primary
Should you be elected or re-elected to the D.C. Council, what are the three areas upon which you would concentrate the most?
Neighborhood safety; great education options; an inclusive equitable citywide growth policy.
How would you differentiate yourself from your competitors?
I’m the only candidate unassociated with other officeholders. I have more community-level experience and will emphasize a community focus.
Ensuring third-graders can read independently and can add, subtract, multiply and divide; public safety in transportation, especially Metro; improving business opportunities in D.C. and making the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs more effective. I’m running on a record of achievement and providing results. I have a committee chairmanship, which they would not have for at least two years.
Should firms that do business with the city be allowed to make political contributions? How about their owners, spouses and employees? Would you support some form of public financing of campaigns? If yes, what form?
Yes, but I also support public financing of elections.
Yes, as long as it’s transparent and the Office of Campaign Finance can track all contributions.
No. They should play no role in fundraising.
Yes. If a candidate has raised a certain amount of money, individual contributions should be matched by the city up to a limit.
No. Public funds should be spent on safety-net needs such as free mobile shower buses for the homeless and free hygiene products for homeless women. Yes, as the public will do it by a referendum this November. The mayor’s legislation is $15 and $7.50 for tip wage. The ballot issue is a straight $15. Ours will be coordinated with Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. There is no evidence we’re losing jobs to Virginia.
Yes. I would support a contribution match. I’d look for successful arrangements nationally.
Should we raise the minimum wage in the manner urged by Mayor Muriel Bowser?
We should raise it, but ensure small businesses have an opportunity for success. I support a lower minimum for tipped employees.
Virginia’s minimum wage is currently several dollars an hour less than ours. Will the recent minimum wage legislation attract qualified lowpaid workers from Virginia that will reduce D.C. residents’ job opportunities? Should the D.C. Council pass the proposed paid family leave bill? Would it put some employers at risk? Do employees need its benefits?
I don’t believe it will have a meaningful effect.
People wouldn’t be paid as much as when they are on the job full time, so I don’t think it would be a major problem. I support its being all paid for by the employer.
Improving schools; creating and protecting affordable housing; creating jobs for local residents.
Strong character, I believe highly in transparency, and I have a significant policy background.
Yes, but use the savings from social services to help small businesses. They could apply based on need. Not if we implement a local hiring incentive. I would like to see a profit tax rebate for local hires
Not in its current form, as it can’t pass the economic impact or fiscal impact thresholds.
We should pass a version with 12 instead of 16 weeks. New York has one that is employee-paid. Would be open to having it partially employeepaid, but uncertain as I have not studied the economic model for it. Increase funding for schools, affordable housing It is a very good budget. Education dollars should be more goal-oriented and focus more on and job training. Can save a lot of money by early childhood education. Tuition-free looking at contracts such as the DC Trust’s. community college. No cuts.
In looking over the upcoming budget, what spending areas, if any, would you like increased? Which decreased?
Less toward major sports facilities; more going to economic development in neighborhoods that need it and for school building improvements and operating costs.
Some say that although D.C. receives little tax revenue from the high-tech sector, the city could recruit firms as the District is very attractive to potential employees. Would you support lowering D.C. profits taxes for this kind of firm to attract them from Virginia and Maryland? How about capital gains taxes for local owners? Should the sales tax include services such as gym memberships? What steps do you think the council should take to improve public education?
I support the city investing in startups that agree In the past, we needed to. The NoMa area is to stay in the District, like Maryland and Virginia attracting them as we have high disposable do. Would expand high-tech franchise tax relief income and a high influx of residents. from five years to 10.
We should have a separate capital gains tax, and a separate profits tax if it will beef up the businesses here.
No.
Yes.
Given the fact that many recent school modernizations are significantly over budget, are you concerned that the District might be overpaying or otherwise spending its money inefficiently? If so, what would you do about it? Some say recent improvements in test scores indicate the present system, while still having a long way to go, is making real progress. Should the council pass laws that the mayor might think would interfere with her ability to run the system? Some Ward 4 residents have said their children’s education quality will sharply decline when they lose their in-boundary status to attend Deal Middle School and Wilson High. Do you agree? If you do, what specifically should be done about it? If you don’t, how would you answer the residents who claim it will? Some charter school advocates claim the city government ignores existing laws by not giving charters first crack at all closed school buildings. Do you agree? If so, what if anything should be done about it? Do you support allowing a neighborhood preference for charter schools?
No. We should encourage a fit D.C. (especially since I’ve lost 65 pounds!). Encourage diversity such as language immersion The chancellor must be given realistic goals: across the District. Continue to invest in facilities Eighty percent of our children should be able to improvements. Better funding of sports, arts and read, add, subtract, multiply and divide before they enter fourth grade. The District should have other extracurricular activities, especially in a minimum 85 percent high school graduation neighborhoods with fewer resources. rate, and 75 percent of our children should apply for college.
Invest more on early childhood development and nutrition for low-income kids, and do a better job retaining good teachers by including them in decision-making. Develop turnaround plans for low-performing schools including multi-year budgeting, expand vocational education, and improve collaboration between public and charter schools.
Yes. I would work with Education Committee members to look at how we spend more money on facilities than private and charter institutions do.
I’m concerned. I support the re-examination of these projects to ensure that we’re getting what we desire in an efficient manner.
We’re definitely overspending and spending inefficiently. We need an at-large council member who will do a better job of oversight.
The council should always act in our best interests, especially if we think it would have a greater impact than what is now being done.
The progress is marginal. We need to put higher I don’t think we’ve made real progress for lowincome minority students. I would support any expectations on the system and on the chancellor. At a minimum, we should be equal to actions that would help our kids. the national results.
Redistricting always has a big impact. People do move to communities based on in-boundary schools. Still, redistricting should take place and it will lead to a stronger citywide system.
If new boundaries produce less than desirable schooling options, extra funding should help improve results for schools where students are reassigned.
I agree. I would work to develop specific turnaround plans for the Ward 4 schools, working with Deal and Wilson leadership.
All closed school buildings should be reserved for educational use.
I agree. Charters should have first dibs.
I’d enforce the law. I’d call for hearings and if necessary a lawsuit.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes, but not requiring it.
The Current
AT-lARGE SEAT D.C. Council
David Garber
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 Vincent Orange
V3
Robert White
Democratic primary
As long as Republicans control the House or the Senate, getting statehood is likely to prove difficult, as they do not want more Democratic senators. Also, Maryland and Virginia fear their residents working here would have to pay D.C. income taxes. Should D.C. try to get more home rule or should statehood remain the priority? Should the District seek territorial status under which residents and businesses would not pay federal taxes? What would you as a D.C. Council member do to improve Metro’s subway system?
We should continue to push for statehood. Nothing is hopeless.
We should move forward with statehood and follow the mayor’s plan.
It depends on the makeup of Congress. Should the Democrats control, we should push for statehood. With a Republican Congress, we have to take incremental steps.
No.
It’s worthy of consideration.
No. It would be a backward step.
Work with partners to increase long-term funding Call for Jack Evans, our representative on the and prioritize maintenance. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, to push for a strong maintenance fund and a safety program prohibiting guns and knives and other weapons on the system. I support Evans’ call for a $300 million infusion from Congress. Should there be a special tax that D.C. and the No. Everything should be considered. There are Virginia and Maryland counties served by Metro more than three parties. The federal government pay to support it? If yes, what should the tax be? is also a party. Should the District expand the streetcar Yes, if we learn how to do it better and more Yes. network beyond H Street NE? efficiently. Do you support the bus-only lanes planned for Yes. Not in its current fashion, as 16th Street is too 16th Street NW? narrow now. Do you support efforts to get the D.C. Public No. I believe it’s too late. The commission has the Service Commission to reverse its decision to sole authority according to our charter. approve the Pepco-Exelon merger? Would you have supported Mayor Bowser’s I’m supportive of the final proposal. I have no position. proposed terms for a settlement agreement? Would you support public funding for a new No. Residents surrounding that site would prefer I support the process put in place by Events DC football stadium at the site of RFK? mixed residential, recreational and commercial and want first to see its recommendations to be better informed. development. Would you support public spending for a new No. I support Verizon Center’s contributions to the hockey/basketball arena to replace the aging city. Events DC has proposed possibly moving it Verizon Center downtown? to the RFK footprint, and I would first want to see its proposal.
I’d use my federal connections to push for increased federal funding.
No, I don’t think we’ve justified the need as yet for a tax. Only if it can be done in a partnership with the private sector. Yes. Yes. No. No. Only if it were located in an economically depressed area of the city.
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is the right to vote!
Being an informed voter is important and we urge you to take the time to Being an informed voter candidates is important take and we you to take the time to review the review the positions onurge the myriad of issues that can help to improve our region both the local andthat the can federal As a our region positions candidates take on the at myriad of issues help level. to improve long-standing corporate citizen metropolitan Washington both at the local and the federal level. of Asthe a long-standing corporate citizenarea, of the we hope you will indeed and then exercise your right metropolitan Washington area,become we hopeinformed you will indeed become informed to vote in the upcoming elections.
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V4
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
The Current
AT-lARGE SEAT D.C. Council
David Garber
Vincent Orange
Robert White
Democratic primary
Charter school advocates also claim charters do not receive as much per pupil as does the public school system, as most have to fund their own buildings. Do you agree? If yes, what if anything should be done about it? Would you support undergrounding the city’s electric wiring beyond the amount that is now being done, which would be very expensive? If yes, how should it be paid for and what areas should be undergrounded? The D.C. Office of Planning favors mandating fewer parking places in new apartment buildings. Supporters say underground parking is expensive to build and forces increased rents. Opponents say it forces more cars on the street, depriving adjacent single-family homeowners of parking. Where do you stand? Should bicycle riders be ticketed when they go through red lights or stop signs? Do you support Mayor Bowser’s plan for eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2024? Are there elements of the plan that should be changed, such as the proposed very high fines for some traffic offenses? Do you approve of the city’s allowing recreational marijuana sales or possession in the face of opposition from Congress Do you approve of Mayor Bowser’s plans to locate new family homeless shelters in seven of the eight wards? Some have criticized the cost of the mayor’s shelter plan. What are your thoughts? The Washington Post reported that many of Mayor Bowser’s proposed shelter locations would benefit her campaign contributors. What are your thoughts? What could you as a council member do in response to charges that the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs has made it difficult to view construction permit information online despite city law? How can we improve job training in low-income areas of the city?
GARBER From Page V1 observations from living in Anacostia, Shaw and the Navy Yard area. “Seeing how important it is to have folks who work for their communities was my inspiration to get involved politically,”
ORANGE From Page V1 increase fines for disobeying traffic laws. Regarding jobs and the economy, Orange wants the city to cre-
I agree. I would look into city funding for capital costs for buildings.
There should be uniform funding. We should provide the available resources for the charters to be successful.
I agree with them. The council has the power of the purse, so we must make sure the funding is equitable.
Yes, especially in main streets and commercial districts, paid for by utilities during overhaul of street infrastructure.
Yes, but first complete the $1 billion project on the table. Once it’s completed, we can look at other areas, paid for by both Pepco and the District.
Yes, over time we should underground all of our wires, but pair it with other infrastructure needs like improving sewer and water lines. It should be used as a training program for resident workers. The compromises have generally been adequate, but we should encourage co-located parking for residential and commercial uses. When residents are gone, the business folks could park there.
The current compromises have been reasonable. If you build, you should build with appropriate parking. There should be at least one spot for every unit.
Yes, and that also applies for autos.
First issue warnings; then on the third issuance, they should receive tickets. I support her plan in concept. Some of the fines should be revisited.
I do support the goal. All fines must include a deterrence factor.
Yes.
We cannot violate federal law.
Yes.
I support facilities in all eight wards, but the city should own them in locations accessible to public transportation and with access to jobs. The city must own the facilities, where we can better control costs and get the homeless into humane living conditions as quickly as possible. Any real estate deal involving taxpayer money should be scrutinized to make sure we are getting the most possible and increase public trust along the way.
I agree with the concept. Some locations and the financing need to be revisited.
Yes. There should be shelters in every ward.
The financing had to be revisited. It was too costly.
The costs were not justified.
The developers own most of the land. I’m more concerned about the cost.
It creates an appearance of pay-to-play and may potentially sink this very important effort.
The agency must follow the law. I’m having an oversight hearing of DCRA operations and to ascertain if it is too big and needs to be broken up.
Get rid of Vincent Orange on the council, who has oversight of DCRA.
By creating a profile of the unemployed and under-employed, we can connect them to jobs we know are coming, as we did with Costco and the Marriott Marquis.
Ensure that programs get people into jobs and not just prepare a certificate.
Yes, I support the plan, but not the trap measures of some speed cameras on roads designed for higher speeds.
There is a lot that needs to be done to make the agency more transparent and efficient. We should increase oversight that is supposed to be done by Mr. Orange as chair of the Committee on Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Incorporate vocational training in our public schools and at the University of the District of Columbia.
he said. “Nobody was doing anything to cause positive change to neighborhoods that have been ignored.” Garber said there’s a surplus of cityowned vacant property east of the Anacostia River. “If we offered that for free or at low cost to local retailers and manufacturing, we could help boost neighborhoods,” he said.
ate a profile of its unemployed and underemployed residents and then connect them to jobs the city knows are coming. His proposed free community college would help prepare city residents for jobs, he added. Furthermore, Orange said, city
WHITE From Page V1 units. On jobs issues, White said the District should actively recruit restaurants and grocery stores to neighborhoods that need them to create more entry-level positions.
He also called for providing affordable housing in affluent neighborhoods, as getting wealthier people to the poorer neighborhoods “will happen on its own.” Garber also says there is a need to protect residents of poorer neighborhoods from being pushed out through property taxes as homes and apartment buildings increase in value, and that helping older
contractors would then have no excuses for avoiding the city law that requires a percentage of their employees live in the District — a regulation he favors being enforced more vigorously. Orange, 59, grew up in California and won a scholarship
To do so, White would use low- or nointerest loan programs, as well as tax incentives. He favors investigating a profits tax rebate for firms hiring local residents and wants employment training programs on large infrastructure projects, such as burying power lines. White also favors raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour and offering profits
Yes.
residents to age in place is essential. Garber, 32, was born in Colorado Springs, Colo., grew up in Northern Virginia and attended Alexandria’s St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes School and then Michigan’s Calvin College, where he majored in political science, geography and business. He also studied in London and Beijing. Garber is single and lives in Shaw.
to attend Colorado’s Fountain Valley School. He earned degrees in business administration and communications from California’s University of the Pacific, a law degree from Howard University and a Master of Laws in taxation from Georgetown University. He
tax rebates to businesses that make local hires to protect D.C. residents from Virginians seeking the jobs rather than lower-paid positions in their own state. White, 34, is married to an attorney with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and they have a daughter due in July. He resigned from his job in the attorney general’s office to run for the
has earned two certificates from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Orange is married to a recent retiree from the public school system and has three children and a daughter-inlaw. He lives in the Ward 5 community of Brookland.
council seat. White, a fifth-generation Washingtonian, is the only college graduate in his family. His mother died when he was 8, and he was brought up by his father. White graduated from Archbishop Carroll High School; St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where he majored in philosophy and political science; and American University’s
The Current
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 V5
V6
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Ward 4 SEAT D.C. Council
The Current Leon T. Andrews Jr.
Calvin H. Gurley
Ron Austin
Brandon Todd
Democratic primary
Leon T. Andrews Jr.
Ron Austin
Calvin H. Gurley
Brandon Todd
Leon Andrews works for the National League of Cities and is involved in various nonprofits. If elected, he said he would concentrate on helping seniors, improving education and strengthening economic development. “We need to increase the Office of Aging’s budget,” which faced a $700,000 cut under the mayor’s proposed 2017 fiscal plan, Andrews said in an interview. Meanwhile, housing preservation needs attention “so people can age in place.” On education, Andrews said the city should expand vocational training and teach tech students how to become entrepreneurs. He wants full funding to modernize Shepherd Elementary School, a project that the council defunded aside from $1 million for preliminary design work. Andrews also called for better resource alignment between public and public charter schools. For instance, he said, Paul Public Charter School serves middle and high school students even as nearby MacFarland Middle School will go after the same students. On economic development, he emphasized increasing affordable housing and revising affordability standards to help young families and seniors. Andrews said some housing should be reserved for those in various income brackets, ranging from 10 to 80 percent of the area median income. He wants to double annual funding for the Housing Production Trust Fund to $200 million. He said Ward 4 has four D.C. government-backed real estate projects in the pipeline, while Ward 6 has 17 — attributing the disparity, in part, to the “inexperience of our council member.” Meanwhile, Andrews wants to see more commercial corridors launch Main Streets programs to help them attract and retain businesses. Andrews serves as director of race, equity and leadership initiatives with the National League of Cities, as chair-elect of the National Recreation and Park Association, and on the boards of several nonprofits, as well as the D.C. Commission on African-American Affairs. He lives in the Petworth house where he grew up, with his wife and three daughters, who attend Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda. Andrews graduated from Gonzaga College High School and Howard University. He holds a master’s in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University.
Ward 4 D.C. Council candidate Ron Austin, a native Washingtonian who previously worked in various D.C. government roles, has chaired Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B for the last four years. If elected, he said he would concentrate on increasing affordable housing, fighting crime and improving education. Austin said he would encourage nonprofits and churches to develop more affordable housing, especially with churches for members of their congregations. His main goal is to assist people earning less than $50,000 annually, which he believes the District could tackle in part by developing certain city-owned properties into affordable housing. Regarding public safety, Austin highlighted his work as a member of the police department’s 4th District Citizens Advisory Council and said he has observed that police do not always have the resources or staff they need to fight crime. He believes police need far more community support. Austin said he is particularly concerned with the Kennedy Street NW corridor and areas in Petworth, and said blighted properties attract criminals and should be addressed. On education, Austin said he would try to make charter and regular public schools’ attendance areas “more uniform.” He favors geographic boundaries for many charters, because right now children living within a block or two of a charter school can’t necessarily attend it. Greater emphasis is needed for special education programs, Austin said. “We’re housing all of them at River Terrace,” he said of the school system’s program for students with the greatest needs. “There are too many special education students in one building. How could we get them out if we had an emergency?” Austin attended Whittier Elementary, Rabaut Junior High and Coolidge High. He attended but did not graduate from the University of the District of Columbia majoring in political science. Now 59, he got involved in politics at 14 serving on his local Neighborhood Planning Council, which oversaw grants for youth services and employment projects. He is retired after working for D.C. Public Schools and the Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as for Adrian Fenty — as constituent services director when Fenty was the Ward 4 council member and clean city coordinator when he was mayor. Austin lives in Chillum and is married with two grown daughters.
Calvin Gurley is a retired accountant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and a former president of the Takoma Civic Association. If elected, Gurley said he would concentrate on fighting crime, reforming public schools and increasing the city’s supply of affordable rental housing. To improve public safety, Gurley favors enforcing the summer curfew act whereby children must be home by 11 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on weekends from June to September. He said he would also push to finalize a contract with the police union, as police have worked without a contract for several years. Gurley said he would try to return the police cadet program to local high schools and provide more youth recreation programs during summer and after school. He encouraged residents to press Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier to cover more of the city with the summer crime prevention initiative, and to place more desk officers on street patrol. On education reform, Gurley said teachers “must have a signed negotiated agreement” and should receive retroactive cost-of-living increases. Schools must receive more resources, counselors and social workers, he added, saying he would push for more art and science offerings, reduced class sizes and a program to entice dropouts to return to school. Vocational schools should be established in wards 4, 5, 7 and 8 to provide apprenticeship programs in various fields, Gurley said, noting the under-enrolled Coolidge High School would be an ideal location. Coolidge’s non-vocational students could be shifted to Roosevelt or Cardozo, he said, and these programs could be financed by dedicating a portion of D.C. Lottery sales revenue to schools funding, as Maryland and Virginia do. On affordable housing, Gurley said the city should renovate boarded-up housing it owns to make it available for low-income residents. He advocates for offering subsidies to teachers, police and fire/emergency staff if they live in the District. He also said he would encourage a study to find better balance between landlord profit and affordable rents. Gurley, 56, lives in Takoma. Born in the District, he attended Eastern High School and Bowie State University, majoring in accounting. He has two children, and his wife is president of the D.C. office of the National Council of Negro Women.
Brandon Todd is the incumbent, elected last year in a special election to replace Muriel Bowser, for whom he had served as constituent services director. If re-elected, Todd said he would concentrate most on helping the elderly, improving education and providing constituent services. “Every agency across the government has to help people age in place,” Todd said in an interview. To help, Todd introduced legislation establishing a University of the District of Columbia law school clinic so students can offer free legal advice to seniors. The bill is funded in the 2017 budget. Todd favors amending real property and income taxes to help the elderly, as well as raising income limits for the “Safe at Home” program that provides help on home adaptations to reduce the risk of falls or improve mobility. On education, Todd said he visited every public and charter school in Ward 4 “to get an understanding of individual school needs.” He found them generally in “great condition,” but “we have a lot of work … to make sure we have great buildings and the best teachers.” Todd called for a program for graduate students in education to get 20 percent of their student loans forgiven every year they teach in lowincome schools, and said that he would work to keep Deal and Wilson boundaries unchanged. He said he formed an advisory committee to suggest policy initiatives. Regarding the recent de-funding of Shepherd Elementary’s modernization, Todd said he fought to restore funds for the project — either in full or in part — but was turned down by other council members except for $1 million for planning. Meanwhile, Mayor Muriel Bowser budgeted $59 million for Coolidge High School’s renovations, but the council reallocated $49 million of those funds for homeless housing facilities. Todd said he opposes “Ward 4 shouldering the burden for the entire city.” Regarding constituent services, Todd said he wants “every agency to deliver high-quality service” in Ward 4 neighborhoods, especially “ensuring maintenance of public facilities.” Todd, 33, is single, grew up in Hillcrest and lives in Petworth. An Eastern High graduate, he received a bachelor’s in communications from Maryland’s Bowie State. He earned a master’s of business administration from Trinity Washington, specializing in organizational development.
The Current
Ward 4 SEAT D.C. Council
Leon T. Andrews Jr.
Ron Austin
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 Calvin H. Gurley
V7
Brandon Todd
Democratic primary
Should you be elected or re-elected to the D.C. Council, what are the three areas upon which you would concentrate the most? How would you differentiate yourself from your competitors?
Seniors, education, economic development.
Housing, crime, education.
Crime, school reform, affordable rental Aging in place, education, constituent housing. services.
Independent leadership not beholden to the mayor or a single contributor. Lots of national and local experiences provide an understanding of what works and doesn’t in cities across U.S.
My experience in the community. I’ve been serving people since I was 14. I’ve lived in the same location for 59 years.
I am the only candidate who has stood I am the incumbent and have the up for residents throughout the years. experience to deliver. I fought to fine Pepco for unreliable service as did Montgomery County.
Should firms that do business with the city be allowed to make political contributions to local candidates? How about their owners, family members or employees? Virginia’s minimum wage is now several dollars an hour less than ours. Will the recent minimum wage legislation attract qualified low-paid workers from Virginia that will reduce D.C. residents’ job opportunities? Should we raise the minimum wage in the manner urged by Mayor Muriel Bowser?
No. Contributors should be banned from city contracts for at least two years after the contribution.
No.
Only if they make it in a pool going to all candidates equally in a particular race.
Research shows it is not a problem. It will push Virginia to increase its minimum wage.
It could be a problem. It’s a possibility. Yes, so we should provide funds to train less skilled District residents so they can compete.
I don’t believe it will be a problem.
No. Raise it immediately to $15 an hour.
Yes, but complement increase with stronger rent control policy.
Yes. Doing it over time is the right approach.
Yes. It would put some employers at risk. There should be some form of tax incentives for employers that have problems with it. Increase spending on schools, recreation, police and programs for seniors. Reduce taxes. We have a big surplus in our rainy day fund. No spending cuts are needed, but I would look at cutting fringe benefits.
Yes, but it would put some employers at risk. Employees do need its benefits, but government should contribute as in Europe. Increase school spending, especially for music and sports; police, fire and emergency medical personnel; job training; affordable housing; senior housing; and school renovation. To pay for expenditures, decrease council constituent services fund, use lottery revenues, and allow and tax heavily a Las Vegas-style grand casino hotel.
No. I support paid leave but our chief financial officer can’t tell us how much it will cost.
No for profits taxes, yes for capital gains taxes.
Yes to both, to lure them here.
Yes, as they employ lots of people. It would increase our tax base.
Better funding. Now it’s according to the number of kids in a school. Schools with lower numbers should have higher per-pupil funding so they can provide needed programs. Continue to rebuild them.
Improve teacher salaries; include more arts and sciences; reduce class sizes; add more counselors, social workers and teacher aides.
Work with chancellor to quickly implement her recommendations.
We should renovate the older ones, but not rebuild them.
Absolutely, until all are done.
Yes. We need better oversight of the budget and contractors, and more audits.
I am concerned. I would hold people accountable.
Yes. Contractors are taking advantage of the city.
A reason for starting the Department of General Services was to get better estimates and stay within them for school modernization.
We’re now teaching to the test. There is insufficient investment in arts, technology and science to allow our young people to be competitive.
No.
The council cannot establish policy. Its No. only control is through the budget.
Yes. It could cause a decline if we don’t fully invest in educational resources we need in our ward. The council is cutting Shepherd’s resources when we need more.
I agree. I would work to help them keep their in-boundary status.
We must improve all schools. We should keep the current boundaries.
As long as I’m the council member, I will do everything possible to keep them within the boundaries.
I don’t know if it’s true.
I don’t agree.
I’m unfamiliar with the issue. The community should have first right as to what to do with the building.
We have done an excellent job in Ward 4 at ensuring charters get to take over unneeded school buildings.
Raise it sooner than she proposes and include cost-of-living increases, but give small businesses extra time to get to $15 an hour. Yes, for 16 weeks. There are models in Should we pass the proposed paid other cities that work. I would look at family leave bill? Would it put some employers at risk? Do employees special support for small businesses need its benefits? when a key employee is affected. In looking over the upcoming budget, Increase Shepherd Elementary what spending areas, if any, would modernization budget (which was cut you like increased? Which decreased? by $12.4 million), Office of Aging, senior wellness centers, bus routes, housing and Main Street designations. Look at reducing very excessive costs of temporary housing shelters based on deals with Bowser contributors (as the council ultimately did). Some say that although D.C. receives I favor lowering profits taxes for them little tax revenue from high-tech firms, as well as capital gains taxes. it could recruit firms as the city is very attractive to potential employees. Would you support lowering District profits taxes for this kind of firm to attract them from Virginia and Maryland? How about capital gains taxes for their local owners? Capital improvements, expand options What steps do you think the council should take to improve public such as vocational training, offer education? technology courses. Should we continue to rebuild our older school buildings? Given that many recent school modernizations are well over initial budgets, are you concerned that D.C. might be overspending? If so, what would you do about it? Some say recent improvements in test scores indicate the present system, while still having a long way to go, is making real progress. Should the council pass laws that the mayor might think would interfere with her ability to run the system? Some Ward 4 residents say their children’s education quality will sharply decline when they lose their in-boundary status to attend Deal Middle and Wilson High. Do you agree? If you do, what should be done about it? If you don’t, how would you answer residents who claim it will? Some charter school advocates claim D.C. ignores existing law by not giving charters first crack at all closed school buildings. Do you agree? If so, what should be done about it?
Yes.
Yes, they should be allowed to do so.
More for transportation infrastructure, education and senior support. Nothing decreased; unsure what I would cut to pay for the increases.
V8
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
The Current
Ward 4 SEAT D.C. Council
Leon T. Andrews Jr.
Calvin H. Gurley
Ron Austin
Brandon Todd
Democratic primary
Others say providing closed schools in such cases would be wasteful when they occupy extremely valuable real estate. Do you agree? Charter school advocates also claim charters do not receive as much per pupil as does the public school system, as most have to fund their own buildings. Do you agree? If yes, what should be done about it? Would you support undergrounding the city’s electric wiring beyond the amount that is now being done, which would be very expensive? If yes, how should it be paid for and what areas should be undergrounded? The D.C. Office of Planning favors mandating fewer parking places in new apartment buildings. Supporters say undergrounding parking is expensive to build and forces increased rents. Opponents say it forces more cars on the street, depriving single-family homeowners from parking near their residences. Where do you stand? Should bicycle riders be ticketed when they go through red lights or stop signs? Should bicycle riders be allowed on sidewalks?
No, I don’t agree.
Yes.
It depends on the circumstances.
It should be on a case-by-case basis.
I think they are correct. We need better oversight of their locations and quality.
I’m uncertain.
I understand the disparity. It must be prioritized with the current capital school budget.
I will continue to work to ensure that all public schools get the support we can provide. No specific suggestions.
Yes. We need to carefully investigate how to do it.
Yes for some residential areas and where there are health facilities. I would pay for it through money that is set aside for special funds and some of the city surplus.
No. It’s too costly.
We should prioritize areas where service is unreliable, paid for jointly by the District and Pepco.
It’s not a huge issue in Ward 4. The current rules are fine.
I think it forces more cars on the street. Apartment builders should have to provide free parking.
With amenities come costs. I do not like the reductions in apartment house parking requirements.
We have to approach parking with great balance if we are to have 1 million residents. In some cases they get it right; in some cases not exactly.
Yes. I’m an avid cyclist and I follow the Yes, and they should be tagged and rules. have insurance requirements.
Yes.
Yes. They should follow the law just as motorists must.
No, except for young children.
Only the very young.
Yes, except downtown. The current law is fine.
Should the tickets for bicycle riders who break the law be increased to the same level as autos? Do you support Mayor Bowser’s plan for eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2024? Are there elements of the plan that should be changed, such as the proposed very high fines for some traffic offenses? Do you approve of recreational marijuana sales or possession? Do you approve of Mayor Bowser’s plans to locate homeless shelters in seven of the eight wards? Some have criticized the cost of the mayor’s shelter plan. What are your thoughts?
Yes.
No, but it should be a reasonable amount.
Children should ride on sidewalks. Riders who know they are able should be on the street. Uncertain; needs research.
I don’t think increased fines or more speed cameras are the answer.
No.
I support some provisions, but oppose increased fines.
It never came before the full council for a vote. It has been amended, with fines reduced drastically. I approve of the revised version.
Yes.
No.
Uncertain.
No.
Good idea, bad execution. Locating a family shelter in a major commercial corridor in Ward 4 is questionable. It’s way too high. We haven’t negotiated effectively with the developers. We should own the buildings, rather than have short- or medium-term leases.
Not the way she proposed to do it, renting from developers. We should develop city-owned properties. It should be examined to see who is being benefited. If abuses exist, somebody should go to jail. It’s why developers shouldn’t be allowed to contribute to political campaigns.
Yes. No. Homeless families should be integrated into the community and not housed in one location. It’s too costly. The city should own the The council has changed the plan buildings and not lease them. considerably. I voted for the changes.
The Washington Post reported that many of Mayor Bowser’s proposed shelter sites would benefit campaign contributors. What are your thoughts? Supporters of the plan fear the effort to create new shelters could lose steam if the issue becomes bogged down in questions on costs. What are your feelings? What would you as a D.C. Council member do to improve Metro’s subway system? Should there be a special tax that the District and the nearby Virginia and Maryland counties served by Metro pay to support the transit system? If yes, what should the tax be? Do you support the bus-only lanes planned for 16th Street NW? What could you as a council member do about charges that the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs has made it difficult to view construction permit information online despite city law?
There is evidence of that. In Ward 4, the developer made a contribution to the current council member. There is evidence of pay-to-play. I don’t think so. We want to make sure we’re getting it right.
It seems as though it is. And it’s why we shouldn’t use those facilities.
It’s business as usual in D.C.
No comment.
I don’t feel we’ll get bogged down on costs. We should use city-owned property.
There should be accountability and cost estimates to make determinations and contract agreements.
Yes, I fear it could create delays in closing D.C. General.
We need to expand the number of rails and hold regional partners more accountable for the investment. It could be a good option. Maryland and Virginia should first agree to do their fair share.
Work with Metro to get the funding sources they need and monitor how it’s spent. No.
I would ask the federal government to pay the maintenance costs. No.
We’re going to have to find $70 million from each jurisdiction, including Maryland and Virginia. No.
Yes.
No. The street is not wide enough. It would increase congestion. It’s a long-term problem. We must work together to improve it.
I have to research that.
Yes.
The council should request that the agency director put the information online or else it will affect its annual budget.
We should ensure the requirement is fulfilled.
I would work to see they put it online.
It should be reviewed by the appropriate council committee.