DC Government

Let’s Choose tackles school truancy this week

By Prince Of Petworth

DC might criminally charge parents whose kids miss school. Is that the right approach? What else should DC do about truancy? This week, Let’s Choose DC asked the at-large candidates this question:

Last year DC Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson said that DC schools are suffering from a “truancy crisis.” The DC Council is now debating a bill that would increase penalties on parents for kids who chronically miss school. Should parents be held to account for when their kids miss school? How can DC ensure that students attend school consistently?

View responses and vote here.

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Dear PoPville – Should DC Government Purchase Chevy Volt Cars?

By Prince Of Petworth

Dear PoPville,

I saw a dc issued chevy volt and i was surprised that the govt would spend that kind of money in this or any economy.

I understand that there is a federal tax credit that reduces the cost significantly but i would like there to be a discussion on “the consumer culture” in dc govt. Why are luxury purchases necessary to do a job? Wouldnt a sub compact fulfill that purpose with economic and environmental considerations taken into account?

Ed. Note: Looks like you can get a new Chevy Volt for $31,645.

Candidates take a stand on ethics proposals

By Prince Of Petworth

We’ve heard a lot of ideas for rules that will clean up DC’s political culture, from the backers of Initiative 70, from multiple DC councilmembers, and from citizen groups like DC for Democracy. What do our at-large candidates think?

This week, Let’s Choose DC, a partnership of PoPville, Greater Greater Washington and DCist, asked the candidates running in the April 23 special election to take a stand on 6 proposals from last year:

  • Ban or limit outside employment
  • Eliminate or constrain constituent service funds
  • Ban corporate contributions to campaigns
  • Ban “bundling” from multiple entities controlled by the same person
  • Ban contributions by contractors and/or lobbyists who do business with DC
  • Forbid free or discounted legal services, travel gifts, sports tickets for councilmembers

Continues after the jump. (more…)

Let’s Choose delves into driver-cyclist conflict

By Prince Of Petworth

Are bike lanes destroying DC by making it impossible for “real people” to move about? Are cars evil monsters that should be banished? If you ask the candidates for DC Council at-large on April 23, the answer is no to both.

Despite what you might assume if you listen to AAA’s Lon Anderson, Gary Imhoff’s introductions in themail, or certain Adam Tuss NBC broadcast segments, DC leaders of many ages and backgrounds just aren’t interested in more conflict concerning our roadways.

We asked the candidates,

Residents who walk and bicycle often feel our streets are not sufficiently safe for them. Others feel that projects to accommodate bicycles and pedestrians have impeded quality of life for those who must drive. Is there a way forward that can bring peace among all road users? What would you say to each of these groups?

You can vote on the candidates’ responses to this question until midnight Monday, February 18. Meanwhile, stay tuned for the results of last week’s question, on how to spend the surplus, later this week.

Mayor Gray Announces $100 Million Investment in Affordable Housing to Build and Preserve 10,000 Affordable Housing Units

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Sager!!!

From a press release:

Mayor Gray Announces $100 Million Investment in Affordable Housing to Build and Preserve 10,000 Affordable Housing Units

As part of his 2013 State of the District address at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, Mayor Gray announced that he would expand his commitment to affordable housing in D.C. by spending a portion of the District’s “prosperity dividend.”

“Since coming into office, my administration has completed the construction of nearly 1,500 units of affordable housing and broken ground on an additional 1,700 units. Last September, I announced $35 million in financing to create and preserve additional affordable housing. But we have to do more. And that’s why tonight I’m proposing a major affordable-housing initiative that will invest $100 million in building and preserving 10,000 units of affordable housing. This investment, on top of our existing and other planned affordable housing investments, will go a long way towards ensuring we remain the type of compassionate, inclusive city we want to be.”

In his address, Mayor Gray also announced his intent to provide raises to District employees who have gone years without an increase – some as many as seven years – as well as create the One City Fund, a $15 million investment fund that will allow non-profits to compete openly and transparently for one-year grants of up to $100,000 to help advance key city goals. Additionally, the Mayor announced that he will work with his Education Cabinet to articulate a clear education vision for the District while also tackling procurement reform to streamline the way the District buys goods and services.

Read the full text of the Mayor’s speech here.

How Would You Spend DC’s Surplus?

By Prince Of Petworth

The District’s budget has a $417 million surplus. If you were on the DC Council, what would you do with it?

Let’s Choose DC (a partnership of PoPville, Greater Greater Washington and DCist) asked the 8 candidates for the April 23 at-large special election. All replied except for Anita Bonds, and we have their responses online at LetsChooseDC.com.

But first, we’d like to know what you think. When you start voting on Let’s Choose DC, it will first ask you about a set of budget priorities, from the rainy-day fund to social services to tax cuts, which one or more candidates mentioned in their statements. After that, you can look at, and rate, individual candidate responses.

You can vote until midnight Monday, February 11. After that, we’ll do some analysis to try to not only figure out whose responses was most popular, but how people with different sets of budget priorities felt about the candidates.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for the results of last week’s question, on DC’s growth, coming later this week.

DC’s CFO Dr. Natwar M. Gandhi Stepping Down after Serving Since 2000

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo via DC.gov

From a press release:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray today thanked Chief Financial Officer Dr. Natwar M. Gandhi for his service in ensuring that the District’s finances experienced a dramatic turnaround over the last dozen years. Earlier today, Dr. Gandhi informed the Mayor that he would be stepping down after serving in the CFO position since 2000. Mayor Gray re-appointed him to a third five-year term last June.

“I want to express my profound gratitude to Dr. Gandhi for being an exemplary steward of the District’s finances for over a decade, and I am sorry to see him go,” Mayor Gray said. “In the time that he has served as our Chief Financial Officer, he has helped take us from the days of the Control Board to our just-announced $417 million Fiscal Year 2012 surplus.”

Mayor Gray continued: “I especially want to thank Dr. Gandhi for being a strong partner in helping me restore our crucial Fund Balance to $1.5 billion. Without his leadership, the District would not have experienced the extraordinary fiscal turnaround that we have seen in the last dozen years. Our city owes him a great debt of gratitude.”

Under Dr. Gandhi’s stewardship, the District has obtained a “clean” audit opinion from independent auditors in the District’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) every year since Fiscal Year 2000, which ended the city’s Control Period and facilitated the return of Home Rule. Under his leadership, the District has secured several rating upgrades for its general-obligation bonds from the major rating agencies, including an “A+” from Standard and Poor’s, a “AA-“ from Fitch Ratings and an “Aa2” rating from Moody’s Investors Service. The District’s Income Tax Secured bond ratings are “AAA” from S&P, “AA” from Fitch and “Aa1” from Moody’s.

Heads Up for New Vehicle Based Speed Cameras

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

From MPD:

The Metropolitan Police Department announced today the deployment of new photo enforced locations beginning on or about Friday, February 1, 2013.

The deployment locations for the Photo Enforcement Units will continue to be at sites with the highest number of crashes and injuries, calls for police service, and high speed volume. MPD also considered recommendations or requests from the Department of Transportation, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions and civic or citizen associations.

The thirty-day educational phase will commence on or about February 1, 2013, whereas violators will receive warning citations. On March 4, 2013, MPD will begin issuing live moving citations to violators.

The new vehicle-based photo enforcement locations are as follows:

1D – 1000 block Pennsylvania Ave SE southeastbound – speed limit 30 mph
1D – 1300 block Pennsylvania Ave SE northwestbound – speed limit 30 mph
1D – 700 block Maryland Ave NE southwestbound – speed limit 25 mph
1D – 1200 block Maryland Ave NE northeastbound – speed limit 25 mph
1D – 300 block H St NE eastbound – speed limit 25 mph
4D – 5100 block 13th St NW southbound – speed limit 25 mph
5D – 1800 block Montana Ave NE southeastbound – speed limit 25 mph
5D – 3000 block Rhode Island Ave NE southwestbound – speed limit 30 mph
5D – 1200 block Mt. Olivet Rd NE northwestbound – speed limit 25 mph
6D – 5400 block N H Burroughs Ave NE eastbound – speed limit 30 mph
6D – 5000 block Benning Rd NE northwestbound – speed limit 30 mph
6D – 3600 Jay St NE northeastbound – speed limit 25 mph
6D – 1200 block Branch Ave SE southbound – speed limit 25 mph
7D – 100 block Malcolm X Ave SE westbound – speed limit 30 mph
7D – 2300 block Good Hope Rd SE northwestbound – speed limit 25 mph

The new portable photo enforcement locations are as follows:

1D – 300 block 17th St SE southbound – speed limit 25 mph
2D – 2200 block K St NW eastbound – speed limit 25 mph
4D – 600 blk Missouri Ave NW southeastbound – speed limit 25 mph
4D – 7700 block 16th St NW southbound – speed limit 30 mph
6D – 3900 block Pennsylvania Ave SE northwestbound – speed limit 30 mph
7D – 2500 block Naylor Rd SE southeastbound – speed limit 25 mph

You can see a list of permanent speed camera locations here.

Results are in for the third question on Let’s Choose DC – Education

By Prince Of Petworth

Residents who voted at Let’s Choose DC, a project of PoPville, Greater Greater Washington and DCist, gave top marks to Matthew Frumin and Elissa Silverman for their views on the future of education in DC. Matthew Frumin slightly edged out Elissa Silverman in a close finish. John Settles placed third, followed by Patrick Mara, Perry Redd, and Paul Zukerberg much farther behind.

71% of voters gave positive reviews to Frumin’s answer, compared to 70% for Silverman’s.  Silverman had more people rating her answer “very persuasive”—38% versus 30%—but also fewer people thought her answer “fully” answered the question—46% versus Frumin’s 65%. 14% of voters said she did not answer the question at all, while only 1% had that reaction to Frumin’s response.

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