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Spencer J. Hollis, Independent Candidate for
Ward 2 Councilmember in
November 7, 2000, General Election

Statement of Purpose

Dear Neighbors —

My name is Spencer Hollis. You probably don’t know me, but, if all goes well, soon you will. I am running for a seat in the DC City Council, representing the hopes and goals of our fellow neighbors in Ward 2.

My story is a common one—common for residents, but not always for people running for office. I haven’t lived in DC for very long—only 18 months, actually. But, because I haven’t lived here as long as the other candidates, I haven’t grown as complacent toward the many problems that have, unfortunately, become characteristic of our city. Unlike some of the people in office, I simply can’t tolerate terrible road conditions, high crime, mismanagement of public funds and poorly performing schools. Saying,"It’s the District," is no longer an excuse for the unacceptable performance of people in public office. It’s time for action.

Since Mayor Williams assumed office, a strange and wonderful thing has happened; people have begun to move into the city from the Virginia and Maryland suburbs. My wife and I fit this description. We felt isolated when we moved into the ‘burbs nearly three years ago. We wanted to move to the Capital of our Nation. We looked forward to seeing the monuments during our rush-hour commutes and we get a kooky, patriotic thrill when writing "Washington D.C." as our return address. I admit, it’s corny, but we’ve become patriotic saps—the City just has that affect on its residents.

This is "America’s City," "America’s Home Town," and "The Most Powerful City in the World." People across the country and around the world should dream of living in this city. This is the basis of my candidacy for City Council. Washington D.C. should be a model of civic pride, civic engagement and civic action.

I believe that we who choose to live in the Capital of our great nation deserve conditions that exceed those of Maryland, Virginia or anywhere else in the nation. We should have a Capital City that compares favorably to London or Paris even when you step away from the National Mall. Unfortunately, while city services have improved drastically during the past two years, we still have a long way to go. I am still pained by every pothole, by every graffiti-tagged street sign, bridge and building. I am saddened by the nearly daily articles in the morning paper about acts of violence that take place in Ward 2 or any neighborhood in our city. Traffic is getting worse, the performance of our schools continues to lag far behind the rest of the nation, and the DMV, while much improved, still managed to lose my registration sticker when I renewed on-line.

Our taxes are too high. Not necessarily because the amount of tax that we pay is too high (although a good case might be made), but rather because we are not seeing value for our higher tax dollars. We pay higher taxes than the residents of Virginia or Maryland. We should receive better city services, more frequent and predictable trash collection, better roads and sidewalks, better schools…(you get the idea). I’m not promising that, if elected, I’ll lower taxes. What I am promising is to get to the bottom of where our tax dollars are being squandered and to find ways to make each dollar go farther.

City Council has become a society for argument. I harbor no ill feelings toward our current representation—they have all proven themselves to be, for the most part, honorable public servants. But it is time for the Council to work with the Mayor and with the Federal Government to bring prosperity to our city, rather than fight these representatives over issues of political party alliances and special interest groups. It is for this reason that I am running without the backing of a major party. City Council should not be a grounds for partisan bickering, but rather, a group of people who work together to improve the lives of the people they represent. As an independent, I can steer the attention of the debate away from party squabbles, to an action plan for civic improvement—where the Council’s attention belongs.

I know this is not traditional politics, but it’s time for a change. Leading up to the November 7 election, you will see no campaign posters of mine littering our streets. I will not ask for any of your money and I wouldn’t take it if you offered it to me. You will not see me hosting elaborate news conferences in front of city landmarks. These are the things that career politicians do. Instead, you will see my friends and me in your neighborhood, perhaps with my wife or beagle, asking about the priority of improvements that you would like to see in our great city. When elected, I will continue to foster this personal relationship with my neighbors, because, in the end, the members of Council are your employees and it’s essential that we honor the trust of the people of the District.

One of the only "traditional" political cliches that I believe in is that we, the people, are the government. It is the job of every citizen to work towards a better community. Together, it is possible to make every block on every street in every neighborhood a national treasure—not just the National Mall. This is admittedly a huge endeavor, but I propose a series of direct funds to the ANCs from the Federal Government to provide public gardens, community clean-ups, recreation center rehabilitation and other projects to enhance the communities’ appearances. Additionally, I’d encourage each neighborhood to organize pride days where local businesses work with residents to create events that unite communities and raise appreciation for the blessings to be found in the city’s diversity.

I hope I have the chance to talk with you before the election. I invite you to send me an e-mail message (mshollis@usa.net) at any time to share your hopes and concerns. I’m interested in discussing your ideas to make the city a better place for all of us. I am also looking forward to hearing from you if you are interested in working on a landmark political campaign—no campaign posters, no campaign financing, no party backing, just concerned citizens looking to make a difference.

No matter where your support lies this election year, I encourage you to learn about the candidates and the issues under debate and, most importantly, to vote on election day. For generations, people have given their lives to protect this basic freedom and we honor their struggle by casting an educated vote.

Sincerely —

Spencer J. Hollis


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