1. The District spends $2.2B in healthcare annually, and despite a relatively low uninsured population at 10%, a 2008 Rand report commissioned by the D.C. government showed that one in five district residents has no regular source of healthcare and turns frequently to expensive and unnecessary hospital visits. What solutions do you recommend to insure that health care meets the needs of District residents efficiently and effectively?
Robust studies demonstrate that bad health is strongly linked to income inequality (see documentation at: http://www.statehood4dc.com/schwartzman/dcincomeinequalityhealth). Hence poverty must be eliminated in our community, starting with child poverty. The 30% poverty rate of DC children is a shocking reality, yet our Mayor and the Council have yet to effectively confront this human rights violation against our children. Here’s a start: lets create green jobs for our unemployed, especially our youth with apprenticeship programs in our high schools and community.
Raise the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefit to above poverty level, provide substance abuse treatment for all in need, job training for 21st Century Jobs. I urge the raising of the income eligibility for insurance by the Healthcare Alliance to above the current 200% of federal poverty (household) to include virtually all who can now go without health insurance because of inadequate income security. Such coverage must include substance abuse, mental health and dental (acknowledging revision with implementation of federal legislation). Provision of free community clinics would also be warranted. We should begin planning for single-payer health insurance in the District. Urban farming providing organic produce in the District should be encouraged especially in poor neighborhoods.
2. DC government has taken many actions toward a greener environment and energy independence – from a 100% hybrid / alternative fuel “Fleet Share” program to better utilize government vehicles, to greening rooftops, improving storm water management and reducing plastic bags in our waterways. What are the next steps to advancing the District’s environmental programs, the Green Jobs Council’s recommendations and energy efficiency?
First, strengthen the current public property protection in L18-0115 with further legislation mandating a robust Master Facility Plan process. We must preserve public property for public use, including community gardens and green space. Encourage, subsidize and support “Grow Food in DC Coops” in neighborhoods, especially those with high proportion of low-income residents who suffer most from bad nutrition, high food prices and lack of exercise. Focus on involving children, youth and the elderly in our urban gardening programs. Create apprenticeship programs focusing on urban agriculture, energy conservation and solar energy technologies in our public schools and community, partnering with non-profits, businesses and unions, improving the quality of life for all residents. Subsidize solarization of rental housing and the expansion of Solar Coops. End the childhood asthma epidemic by curbing air pollutants, carbon emissions in Metro DC, while expanding clean bus service, reducing Metro fares, with students, elderly, disabled riding free, paid for with congestion charges on car commuters (go to: http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org/testimony/2010_04_01_wmata_rate_hikes). Establish a DC Municipal Bank to leverage our tax revenue and fines into green economic development and affordable housing instead of giving our taxpayers money to Wall Street to invest (note the precedent of The Bank of North Dakota).
3. Chief Lanier’s community policing style has been credited with reduced crime rates in the City, however some areas have fared better than others and violent crime among youth continues to be a problem. What additional steps should be taken to address youth violence?
Reduced crime rates in DC are likely not the result of Chief Lanier’s policies, rather follow a national trend in urban areas. The criminalization of our youth must end. Juvenile crime in our community is largely a result of child poverty (now over 30% prevalence); see my recommendations to question 1. Substantial funding can be found: see answer to question 4. We can only eliminate the proven disparities in education across the District by eliminating poverty as we know it. A very insightful article on this subject by the late Tom Blagburn is found at: http://www.statehood4dc.com/schwartzman/hopefordcschools.
Finally, community-police partnerships are demonstrably effective. We need an independent Civil Review Board to hold our Police Department fully accountable for potential abuse and violation of civil liberties and rights, such as the unconstitutional Trinidad Blockades. I demonstrated and lobbied with DC ACLU to oppose using civil injunctions against alleged gang members and juvenile curfews. Funding for a comprehensive education-and-outreach approach should be restored. Existing funding to such groups as the Peaceoholics should be subject to full Council review to curb well-demonstrated abuse. The blatant politicization of the Peaceoholics by the Fenty campaign should likewise be investigated.
4. This year D.C. joined local governments across the country in grappling with budget deficits and increasing social needs. In what ways would you praise the current D.C. budget? In what ways would you critique it?
There is little to praise in the current D.C. budget, given the additional cuts in the so-called safety net (really a survival net). Here is an example of the Council’s misplaced priorities (Fenty’s proposed budget was even worse): they cut $1.3 million for Adult Education, $0.5 million for Child Care, $1.3 million for Emergency Rental Assistance and $6 million for Interim Disability Assistance in the FY2011 budget (compared to FY2010)— in a depression for so many residents no less — while they voted eight to five to defeat a very modest tax hike for wealthy residents (the Graham amendment) that would have avoided the new hurtful budget cuts and helped to partially restore the $50 million for affordable housing and other essential needs already cut in the FY 2010 budget. Both incumbent at-large council candidates, Mendelson and Catania, voted for no tax hike for wealthy residents but did vote for new regressive fees that have the heaviest burden on low income residents. Substantial funding can be found to restore and even expand our survival budget: curb corporate welfare and making our tax structure both progressive and more capable of funding essential needs (see my Tax/Revenue Plan at: www.dcstatehoodgreen.org/testimony/fairtax).
5. The Maryland Israel Development Center and the Virginia Israel Advisory Board have created thousands of new jobs in our neighboring states by enticing Israeli companies, especially those with pioneering security, biotech, energy or water management technologies to locate in this region. Do you have any positions or proposals with regard to partnering with Israeli business and if so what are they?
I expect to loss some votes in my answer to this question. Nevertheless, I will address this issue frankly and without equivocation. I stand with my Party, the Green Party of the United States and the DC Statehood Green Party for equal rights of all, Israelis along with Palestinians. As an American Jew, I must in good conscience oppose Israel’s illegal and inhumane Occupation and continued blockade of Gaza. Israeli policies with respect to the Palestinian people are atrocious violations of international and humanitarian law, including war crimes, well documented by human rights organizations such as Amnesty International. Therefore I am a strong supporter of the current BDS campaign, Boycott, Divest and Sanction Israel until its Apartheid-like policies come to an end with a just peace for all. BDS is a nonviolent global movement with this goal of bringing a final resolution of this conflict once and for all, (BDS: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/aug/12/besieging-israel-sie...). I initiated the divestment resolution my faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences, Howard University, passed in March, 2007 (see the Washington Jewish Week, Mar 22, 2007 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7768/is_200703/ai_n32186546/?tag=c...). Hence in the interests of social justice and peace I strongly oppose any current business dealings with Israeli companies.
6 Poverty in the District of Columbia is a persistent problem which impacts all of us, not just those who struggle with it directly. What would your top priorities be for reducing poverty in our city?
Please see my answers to questions 1, 2 and 4 which propose my top priorities, i.e., increase funding to the so-called safety net by tapping into our real tax base, most notably the under-taxed top 5% of District families, especially millionaires and curbing corporate welfare.
7. Currently 26,000 DC households are on a wait list for affordable housing, and one-fifth of DC households spend more than half their income on housing. How would you reverse this and ensure greater access to affordable housing for DC’s poorest residents?
The affordable housing/homeless crisis in the District is getting worse. Support for DC’s affordable housing programs is one third lower ($41 million) for FY2011 than in FY 2008. All major housing programs have been cut, including first-time homebuyer assistance, rent subsidies, and the Housing Production Trust Fund, the main program benefiting truly low income people, earning less than $30K a year, now down to less than four million dollars, with projects in the pipeline needing more than eighty million dollars (DC Fiscal Policy Institute). A critical obstacle to the provision of affordable housing to our low income residents is use of the Average Median Income (AMI) of the Greater DC Metro Area, $102,700, in existing laws and regulations. Many more units would be provided in District subsidized housing to our low income residents if the Median Income of $58,553 (2008) for the District itself were used instead. DC tax data shows that some 60 percent of District families (excluding elderly) fall below $57K per year (ITEP; go to: http://www.itepnet.org/state_reports/whopaysfactsheets.php).. Affordable housing must be provided for all in need! Fully fund the programs listed previously, with an immediate increase for Emergency Rental Assistance. Reopen Franklin Shelter for emergency shelter downtown!
8. One-third of working families with children live below 200 percent of poverty. What would you do to help working poor families increase their wages?
Besides implementing my progressive DC Tax Plan which would increase income security for low income residents, especially those making less than $60K per year, the living wage legal requirements must be enforced (see question 10). Unionization of the unorganized workers is imperative to raise their wages and benefits to at least the self-sufficiency level as defined by Wider Opportunities for Women. As a Councilmember I would use my office to introduce necessary legislation in consultation with organized labor as well as help organize this effort using available resources. Finally, the budget for adult education, bilingual education and job training should be substantially increased to meet the real needs of low-income residents.
9. Nearly 600,000 Americans here in our nation’s capital pay federal taxes, serve on juries, and defend our nation during times of war, but do not have voting representation in either chamber of Congress. If elected, what specific actions will you take to demand congressional action to end our second-class citizenship? DC Statehood is the only permanent way to gain these rights now enjoyed by citizens of the 50 states (I do not include retrocession to Maryland since that option would dilute our representation as well as fail to fulfill the historic struggles of the people of the District for their full civil and human rights). I have been active in the DC Statehood struggle since moving to DC in 1976, joining the DC Statehood Party. My testimony and articles on this issue include:
The Synergy of Struggles: DC Statehood and Human Rights (2002) (http://www.redandgreen.org/Information/Statehood_and_Human_Rights.htm);
THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL IMPACT OF DC STATEHOOD
(http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org/testimony/statehood_economic_impact) and
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org/testimony/51st_state_commission. The disempowerment of our residents driven by our urban structural adjustment programs in the last 15 years has been a major factor in weakening our longstanding struggle for DC Statehood. Therefore, the struggle for DC Statehood must be waged on multiple fronts, including challenging our District government to implement policies that empower our residents by enhancing their economic, social and environmental human rights (see documentation on my campaign website, www.davidschwartzman.com). Further, this struggle must be built on a national as well as international level, making the shocking denial of our human rights more widely known.
10. In 2006, the DC Council passed the DC Living Wage Act, which guarantees a living wage of $12.50 must be paid to workers on any significant government contract. However, a recent report by DC’s Auditor found that the law had never been implemented. How will you ensure that the living wage law is implemented?
I testified on this very issue to a City Council Hearing. A short selection: I recommend consideration of the following steps in new legislation to force compliance with First Source and Living Wage requirements:
1) Require shut down of active projects for developers not meeting these requirements until DC residents are hired at living wages in union jobs (an approach in other cities as mentioned by Councilmember Michael Brown).
2) Fine such violators at meaningfully high levels consistent with their multimillion dollar assets and target such fines to fund job training and adult education.
3) Prioritize First Source hiring in Wards with the highest unemployment (Now: Wards 7, 8 and 5).
For the rest of this testimony please go to: http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org/testimony/first_source_living_wage
