BENNETT-FlEMiNG From page V2 gy.” On affordable housing, Bennett-Fleming said he would reduce resale restrictions on affordable units. Whereas they currently cannot be sold at the market rate for 15 years, he would support enabling owners to sell them at this rate after a decade.
WEllS From page V1 continuity between mayoral administrations. However, he said would seek to make several policy changes. Concerning teacher evaluations — criticized in some circles for placing an undue burden on educators — the council member said, “The IMPACT assessment should focus on building capacity rather than just on punishment.” He believes evaluations should do more to measure student progress, in addition to achievement pegged to grade-level standards. “The most important measure of a school is where do parents choose to send their children,” Wells said. Asked for his opinion of federal programs like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, the council member said federally mandated standardized testing had “gone too far,” but he insisted he
He also said he wants more enforcement of the number of affordable-housing units set aside under inclusionary zoning rules. “It is not adequately enforced right now,” he said. “There is petty fraud.” To solve this problem, Bennett-Fleming would require owners of the set-aside apartment units to report their tenants to the Department of Housing and Community Development on a quarterly basis. Finally, he would continue efforts to fight
would be able to finesse the requirements as mayor. “I’ll have the bully pulpit — right down the street from the [U.S.] Department of Education,” Wells said. With regard to public transit, Wells would continue to build the city’s streetcar system, connecting neighborhoods throughout the District. He would also seek to link streetcars with the DC Circulator buses. In areas that cannot support either mode of transit, he supports adding shuttle systems. The council member insisted these services would be inexpensive for passengers, although he acknowledged they would probably require additional taxpayer investment. “I would look to a potential half-cent sales tax increase to fund the operating cost of city’s transit system,” he said. As he discussed his vision, Wells pushed back on the idea that he is waging a “war on cars,” saying the intent of his plan isn’t to
homelessness. “Our shelters are packed,” he said. “We have to create more options and laser in on homelessness under age 18.” Bennett-Fleming is a graduate of Morehouse College and attended law school at the University of California at Berkeley. While in law school, he won a Harvard Public Service Fellowship and studied as a graduate fellow in public policy at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2008 and 2009. He is single with no children.
replace the automobile. “It just manages our growth,” he said, describing how population increases will likely make D.C.’s roadways increasingly congested. As far as youth investment, Wells has proposed a $100 million annual initiative to fund afterschool jobs for adolescents. The program would start with the District government, paid for with new revenue and by repurposing existing budget funds. “Every city agency should have as a part of its mission a youth engagement initiative, which may include internships, apprenticeships and tutoring clubs,” the council member said. “We have 30,000 city employees. Part of their workday or volunteer time should be given towards promoting healthy outcomes for youth.” Wells wants to engage private companies to provide similar experiences. In the meantime, he plans targeted case management
interventions for at-risk families. “This initiative will serve children from the northwest corner of the city to the farthest southeast corridor,” he said. “I believe we can cut the number of crimes committed by teenagers in half in two years.” With fewer adolescents on the streets, the council member predicts the initiative could bring higher graduation rates. Wells, who is married with no children, holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and philosophy from the University of Alabama. He also received a master’s degree in social work from the University of Minnesota and a Juris Doctor from Catholic University. He previously worked as executive director of the Consortium for Child Welfare. Wells served as an advisory neighborhood commissioner and a member of the former D.C. Board of Education before joining the council in 2007.
NaDEau From page V3 set by the council and D.C. law, from not reporting offered bribes to him and his staff and for violating ethical standards of the [Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority] board, the D.C. board of accountability and ethics and the council itself. … For his action, he was reprimanded by his council peers and stripped of some leadership capacity.” Nadeau said the city should ban corporate contributions to political candidates and shift to a public-financing model for elections. She also said she would push to “reform our contracting processes and remove the council from the process of approving public contracts. The council should still have oversight,” she said, and the substitute approval process must be transparent. “I would also end ... constituent services funds as they have been abused,” she said, saying she was concerned about a lack of detail on some of Graham’s spending. Also problematic is that the accounts are “largely funded by special interests,” according to Nadeau. She also advocates a ban on council members accepting “free or discounted entertainment or professional services.” Born in Michigan, Nadeau graduated from Boston College, where she majored in political science, and she holds a master’s degree from American University in public policy. She works in public relations for a D.C. communications firm.
Perhaps the greatest right that we Perhaps theUnited greatestStates right that we all have as citizens all have United citizens isas the rightStates to vote!
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.
and then exercise your right to vote in the upcoming elections. Giant is commited to continuing our long-standing
Giant is commited to continuing our long-standing tradition of being an involved corporate citizen of this tradition of being an involved corporate citizen of this community. Please join us in becoming involved too! community. Please join us in becoming involved too!
See the polls! See you you at the at polls! M-6 /MARCH 2014 /
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