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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?
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.
Phil Mendelson
http://www.mendelsonforchairman.com/
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