John --

Thank you for your ongoing support. It is thanks to supporters like you that I won the Democratic nomination for D.C. Council Chair this June, and now, I look forward to working with you to win the general election on November 8th.

Throughout the primary, I often discussed my record. I am a proven leader who has delivered progressive victories for families across D.C. like passing universal paid leave and giving early childhood educators a well-deserved raise. But I am also looking to the future and working to make D.C. safer, more affordable, and more equitable for all.

To inform voters about my vision for D.C.'s future, I plan to send a flyer to residents in every neighborhood of the District. But putting together a mail piece will take resources. Will you visit my website today to make a contribution?

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Here are my top priorities for the D.C. Council:

Improve Public Education:

- First up, changing the way we fund our individual DCPS schools so they no longer have to fight the bureaucracy each spring to protect their budgets. My "Schools First in Budgeting Act" will do just that: require that schools - not Central Administration - get funded first.
- Focus on education fundamentals: literacy, academic achievement, school climate, more autonomy for each school's education leader.
- Support charter schools, and when they innovate - such as improving attendance - push other DCPS and charters to follow.
- Increase resources at all points along the public education spectrum: from early childcare/early educator to the University of the District of Columbia.

Provide More Affordable Housing:

- Add funding for programs such as emergency rental assistance, local rent supplements (vouchers), permanent supportive housing, and tax credits for the construction of lower income housing.
- Utilize new tools because the affordable housing crisis can be solved only by pursuing multiple strategies. I will lead the city to do more with affordable housing covenants, community land trusts, inclusionary zoning, and innovative financing schemes.
- Reform the emergency rental assistance and rapid rehousing programs to reach more people while achieving a higher rate of success. For instance, employing case workers to help tenants regain stability.

Strengthen Public Safety:

- Improve the case closure rate. Most offenders commit multiple crimes; getting them off the street prevents more crime.
- Restore School Resource Officers who are specially trained to work with kids. A specially-trained SRO is a better responder than a regular cop when there's a violent incident in a school.
- Pressure the U.S. Attorney, who prosecutes all of our felony cases, to be more aggressive about pursuing prosecutions. For instance, other cities have gun prosecution units that get more and quicker convictions. We should, too.

Ensure the New Department of Buildings is a Success:

After 35 years of failed bureaucracy, I blew up the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) and created a smaller, more focused Department of Buildings in its place. Beginning this year, the Department will have almost double the number of inspectors. I will work to see that the new Department keeps these resources and gets what it needs to be successful.

- For tenants, this means more effective enforcement of the housing code.
- For homeowners, this means less illegal construction that damages their homes.
- For builders, this means a faster and less arbitrary permitting process which, in turn, keeps down costs.

I hope you agree with my vision for D.C.'s future. If you do, please consider contributing to my reelection campaign to help me spread the word about these priorities.

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Phil Mendelson
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Mendelson for Chairman - 1239 E Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003, United States ",Benjamin Young Treasurer.
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