aT-larGE SEaT D.C. COuNCil
anita Bonds
Nate Bennett-Fleming
pedro rubio
John Settles
Democratic primary
What would be your three major areas of concentration as D.c. council member? How would you differentiate yourself from your competitors?
What steps with regard to political contributions should the District take to restore honesty among the District’s elected officials?
Reducing poverty; affordable housing; youth development
Education; jobs/economic inclusion; housing affordability
After-school programs; walkable, safe communities; affordable housing
Housing affordability; education; neighborhood development
I’m an experienced community leader. I listen to people and want my work to reflect their interests. I practice honest and results-oriented government.
I’m not invested in the status quo as it relates to pay-to-play. I have the skill set to be an astute legislator.
My passion is service to the community. I’m the only candidate who has mentored D.C. students.
My experience in the relevant areas facing the city, my nonprofit service, my business experience and my ability to be a unifier. I co-chair Hearst Elementary’s Local School Advisory Team.
Contributions are necessary to run a campaign. We must have transparency. I’m not opposed to corporate contributions, especially for nonincumbents.
We need public financing of elections and to close the LLC loophole.
End contributions from city contractors.
We must address the pay-to-play culture and the multiple donations controlled by one individual.
No. It might well invite a lawsuit we would lose. $2,000 cannot buy influence.
Yes. Several states outlaw them. They could still give indirect contributions.
No, just from those who receive government contracts.
Yes, especially if they do business with the city. I think we could write legislation that would have a good chance of passing court scrutiny. Did you support the proposed minimum I originally voted for it, but then voted to Yes. No. Walmart has created jobs and is a No, but I would have introduced a living wage increase for large nonunion uphold the veto. shopping location for local residents. wage bill affecting everybody. We had stores? actively recruited Walmart. You can’t go back on a deal. in looking over the upcoming budget, More funds for affordable housing, a Spend more on affordable housing and Increase education funding (especially Invest more in transportation, workforce services to homeless and other for after-school programs) and for the development, neighborhood what spending areas, if any, would you world-class educational system and like increased and which decreased? ending D.C. homelessness. Reduce vulnerable populations. Spend money on Office on Latino Affairs. I see no development and after-school programs. potential cutbacks. Save money by properly maintaining fire service duplication such as making the business incubators and start-up financing. Decrease parking vehicles. We must now pay $50 million recreation department responsible for maintaining school pools. There are enforcement. for a park in NoMa due to poor planning similar issues in the tax office. years ago. Decrease taxes for those earning up to Decrease income taxes for those making Do not increase any taxes. Increase the Which taxes would you like increased Lower taxes on incomes between between $30,000 and $80,000. earned income credit and the standard $85,000. Increase taxes for those and which taxes decreased, given our $40,000 and $100,000 and lower Increase standard deductions. No deduction for low- and moderate-income corporate tax rates. Possibly increase making over $350,000 by 0.5 percent. current budget situation? residents. Reduce the business profits increases. Cut property taxes for seniors making alcohol and tobacco taxes. Tax tax to help job creation and under $125,000. Index the homestead marijuana if it becomes legal. neighborhood development. deduction with cost of living. Ensure future hiring gives preference to Create more workforce housing so they We should hire more D.C. residents to fill Offer subsidies to teachers, police more than 60 percent of D.c. D.C. residents. I believe it would be legal. can afford to live here. officers, firefighters and nonprofit government employees live outside the these positions. workers to live here. Consider a tax on District, and as a result the District can’t people who work in congested areas as collect their income taxes. What, if in London. anything, should be done about it? Decrease property taxes for low-income Improve adult education and targeted We have to do things that benefit Some laws are on the books. Keeping What approaches, if any, should the D.c. government take to decrease the families in their homes is very difficult if everyone due to constitutional restraints. residents who have lived here more than workforce development programs. Increase affordable housing for low20 years. There is not much we can do there are financial problems, particularly Expand low-income housing likelihood of lower-income, long-term income residents. Give rental assistance requirements on developers when they for renters. for renters. The city should be a District residents being forced from priority to those here at least five years. their homes because of increasing real permanent landlord with units scattered purchase public land and have stronger Expand programs for senior renters. around the city. enforcement of current laws. estate values and taxes, or are the city’s current policies generally adequate? No. Our losses to Virginia are largely due Yes. We must lower business profits Yes, we should make them more Yes, the commercial real estate tax the District’s commercial real estate to the federal government moving more taxes. Business real estate taxes are not competitive, but not down to Virginia’s should be reduced and the profits tax and business taxes are the area’s offices there and companies wanting to the real issue; it’s the cost of the real levels. Make up lost revenue by looked at. In terms of making up the highest by far. Business groups say be nearby. estate. I don’t think there will be lost procurement reform. Virginia attracts many District firms due revenue, though we have speed revenue if we attract more businesses. cameras for public safety reasons, they to attractive tax rates. Should there be do generate funds for D.C. an effort to reduce them to better compete? if so, how would we make up the lost revenue? Should the sales tax include services Yes. No. No. Yes. such as gym memberships? Ban questions on prison history on initial We need training programs with a sixStrengthen anti-discrimination laws What additional steps, if any, should the I co-introduced a ban on questions on applications and offer more job training. month stipend for them to attend skillDistrict take to help former prison prison history on initial job applications. when hiring. Connect them with family enhancement programs. We need more centers to support their families. inmates find jobs? We should purge their records if they career counseling and affordable stay out of trouble for five years. Look at Promote entrepreneurship. Ban housing. questions about previous convictions on ending the ban on their living in public initial screening. housing. Greater collaboration rather than Provide more after-school programs, Strengthen the higher education What steps do you feel should be taken I am co-introducer of D.C. Promise competition between D.C. Public Schools including reading and writing tutoring; to improve public education? scholarship for graduating D.C. students pipeline; focus on teacher retention; and charters; expand number of highreduce class sizes; and offer more arts increase extracurricular activities; if income is 50 percent or less of the performing schools across the city; strengthen science and entrepreneurial and music. area median income, which is about create a middle school plan; provide education. $107,000. Reduce class sizes to wraparound services in schools with around 15 to 20 where possible to help high percentages of low-income kids. raise test scores. Have students use more modern technology in preparing reports. Yes. Yes. Yes. We should take a different approach. In Some educators say that per-pupil neighborhoods with high concentrations spending in areas where there is a great of low-income kids, we should offer deal of poverty ought to be higher than health care, social workers and other in areas where students generally come services. from affluent, well-educated families. Do you agree? Should the District ban corporate contributions? Would doing so invite a lawsuit the District would lose given recent Supreme court decisions?
M-14 /MARCH 2014 /
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