aT-larGE SEaT D.C. COuNCil
anita Bonds
Nate Bennett-Fleming
pedro rubio
John Settles
Democratic primary
Last year, no D.c. public school students were named National merit Scholars, while quite a few District private school students and suburban public school students did win the scholarships. What, if anything, should be done about this? What line items, if any, should be altered in the school budget?
charter school advocates claim they receive less per pupil than the public school system does, as most charters have to fund their own buildings. Do you agree? if so, what can be done about it? Undergrounding the entire city’s wiring would be very expensive. Should we encourage more undergrounding and if so how would you propose paying for it?
I don’t know what the government can do except raise standards.
Create more special magnet programs for the very bright and have more test prep for potential National Merit Scholars.
Smaller class sizes and more afterschool programs.
We need to invest more in our highperforming students and create more gifted and talented programs in the summer.
Add free breakfast and lunch; reduce size of classes in under- performing schools; offer more enrichment activities, art and music; look at cutting administration.
Decrease administrative costs in central office; increase school security and funding to prevent truancy; use school buildings for social services and other community resources.
No reductions; increase after-school programs; reduce class sizes.
Make sure facilities budgets are better spent; increase budgets on security and arts programs.
I agree. Use empty schools for charters.
There should be equal funding, but it’s not always an apples-to-apples comparison.
Payment must be equitable. But charters We must take building costs into should be under the same scrutiny as account in terms of expenditures. D.C. public schools. We should encourage it. Government should pay a part of the costs as should the utilities.
Should the city’s advisory neighborhood Yes. commissions have the right to approve a neighborhood’s undergrounding so long as that neighborhood’s electric bills are raised to pay for it? I favor parking in buildings. Perhaps the the D.c. office of planning has been first floor should be used for parking and both praised and criticized for favoring fewer parking spaces in new apartment housing would start at a higher floor. buildings. Supporters say underground parking is expensive to build, forcing higher rents. critics say it would result in more cars parking on the street, depriving residents of nearby singlefamily homes of convenient parking. others say there have been reasonable compromises in the agency’s proposal. What is your position? It’s adequate. is the present level of enforcement for quality-of-life offenses such as public urination and graffiti generally adequate, too heavy-handed or not tough enough? When they are convicted. Should D.c. turn over citizenship information to the U.S. immigration agency when suspects are arrested and booked for alleged criminal activity? When they are convicted? Just when convicted of a violent crime? or not at all? How would you get better enforcement It’s an area we must examine. of laws on jaywalking, bicycle riders ignoring moving vehicle laws, and drivers ignoring yield signs, using cellphones and blocking the box, or would you eliminate some of these laws? Do you think we have an adequate Yes, so long as we remain at full number of police officers? capacity. Should the fines for bicycle riders who violate traffic regulations be substantially increased? Should riders be allowed on sidewalks? Should D.c. allow 17-year-olds to vote? Should D.c. allow residents to set up self-taxing districts where residents agree to pay extra taxes to receive more services, like the business improvement districts in D.c. and municipalities in maryland? Should D.c. have runoff or instant runoff (where voters mark second and third choices) primary and general elections to ensure the winning candidate receives at least half of the vote. Do you approve of allowing legal recreational marijuana sales?
Yes, but do it over many years. Finance it Encourage it. Dedicate parking ticket through a small increase in taxes on receipts to pay for it. electricity.
We must underground them due to power outages in some neighborhoods. Encourage it by piggybacking when streets are dug up for other purposes.
No.
No.
They, in conjunction with council members, should have input, but the Public Service Commission should decide.
We don’t need a one-size-fits-all policy. Different neighborhoods are different and need different policies.
Remove parking requirements in denser The city has done a poor job of planning. communities, but retain the requirement We must separate zoning from parking in less dense communities. management. We have to get cars off the street by reducing the cost of transportation options.
Generally speaking adequate.
Adequate.
The laws are adequate but enforcement needs improvement.
Just when convicted of a serious violent crime.
When convicted.
When convicted of a violent crime.
Return human enforcement to its former Increase the police force. level. Increase awareness of laws.
Increased camera utilization will solve much of it. Increase fines from $25 for cyclists and jaywalkers and make sure officers enforce them. Reduce speed camera fines for cars.
No. We need an increase.
Yes. We need better deployment. Officers should not do desk jobs civilians could do. Yes to raising fines; it’s only $25. Do not allow riders on sidewalks.
No.
The fines should be equal to cars as it’s No to increased fines. Continue to allow a safety issue. Adult riders should not be them on sidewalks outside the allowed on sidewalks. downtown area.
Don’t increase fines. Allow them on sidewalks except where there are bike lanes.
No. Business improvement districts should be allowed to expand into residential areas with residential approval.
Yes. No. It would make things too complex.
Yes. Yes.
Yes. Yes, with residents’ approval.
No.
Yes for runoffs.
Yes for instant runoffs.
I like the instant runoff idea as it is more efficient.
No, but I support decriminalizing marijuana possession. In years to come, I probably will vote to approve the sales.
I would consider legalization.
No, just for medical use.
I don’t approve of recreational use, but we should lower the fines and make them misdemeanors.
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/ MARCH 2014 / M-15