Carol for Council

1005 7^th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 737-7337
Web site: www.carol2000.com
E-mail: carol@carol2000.com

Carol Schwartz’s responses to League of Women Voters’ questionnaire for DC Council Candidates, August 3, 2000.

Charter provisions in the District laws serve, at least in part, to restrict the Mayor and the Council from making structural changes in our governance without the consent of voters or the approval of Congress. While there may not be a particular Charter issue on the radar screen currently, issues related to the District’s self-governance and our ability to make laws for the benefit of our residents inevitably will arise. One example of an ongoing Charter issue is the need for compensation for services that the District provides the federal government and to thousands of commuters who work in our city daily. Charter provisions have effectively denied us the right to consider or impose a form of compensation for those services. While amending our Charter may not be the preferred means of addressing this issue, the situation illustrates the frustration of legislative operations within the confines of our Charter provisions.

Housing code violations must be aggressively investigated and enforced, especially to protect vulnerable tenants from unscrupulous landlords. In the past, I have supported increased funding for the housing enforcement division of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Further, I co-introduced the Tenant Protection Amendments Act that preserves the rights of tenants when their homes are condemned by the government. I co-introduced a water and sewer measure that gives tenants the right to petition a court for temporary assignment of a receiver when, through no fault of their own, their building faces an impending service shut-off for overdue water and sewer bills.

In the future, I think landlords should be held more accountable for the condition of their properties, perhaps by attaching a clean-hand process to their licensing requirement. In other words, a landlord should not be allowed to renew a business license unless the property at issue is free of housing code violations. I have asked that a study be conducted of our housing codes, some of which are outdated and ineffective, to determine how they can be improved to better serve tenants. It seems unfair to me that a landlord at any time can begin an eviction proceeding against a tenant, but a tenant does not have adequate recourse in court when there are serious housing code violations.

Of course, helping to provide tenants with the ability to purchase a home of their own is the most ideal solution. I have supported numerous programs established for the purpose of making homes affordable to prospective homebuyers. In addition, I recently introduced the Teachers Hiring Incentive Home Purchase Program Act (Bill 13-629) to attract new teachers and help them buy homes by making them eligible for low-interest loans through the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP).

The Council has implemented a number of reforms contained in the studies that were conducted by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) – a study that the Council had requested – and the DC Appleseed Center. One of the main recommendations made by both NCSL and Appleseed was that the Council strengthen central support services, and we have improved our capabilities in the areas of fiscal and budget analyses, legal services, and program evaluation. The Council has also modernized its legislative record-keeping and upgraded its technology to provide greater on-line accessibility to its offices and services.

In regards to Council staffing, I believe that to be a truly effective legislative body and provide strong, consistent oversight of city spending and productivity, the Council must be adequately staffed with committed professionals. We have always struggled to maintain an experienced professional staff because of high turnover, which is closely connected to the Council’s inability to match salaries offered by the executive agencies or the federal government. As a co-equal branch of the government, the Council must be availed of adequate resources to support its legislative and oversight responsibilities.

I would consider supporting an effort, as recommended in the NCSL and Appleseed studies, to redefine the requirements and classification of Council staff. Such an effort should take into account education and professional experiences of the staff, such as legislative assistants and committee clerks. As Chair of the Council’s Committee on Public Works and the Environment, I know how important it is to have a professional staff with strong institutional knowledge of the agencies under my Committee’s purview, and I am pleased that I have been able to attract and retain individuals who are devoted to this city and to improving its government’s delivery of vital services.

4. How would you provide health coverage for the uninsured citizens in DC?

I think that the best and most cost-effective way to provide insurance to the uninsured at this time is to strengthen the Public Benefits Corporation (PBC) as the safety net for the provision of health care to those who cannot afford it. The current administrative problems that the PBC is dealing with should not diminish its underlying purpose and importance. I welcome the current scrutiny of the PBC, and have myself asked tough questions during Council oversight hearings, particularly in regards to its managements staffing levels and salaries paid to top officials. While I might be open to some sort of direct health care coverage in the future – particularly if the PBC cannot get its act together – I believe that no uninsured residents should lack adequate health care if the PBC is well-managed, and if it is structured to provide primary care through its neighborhood and school-based clinics and urgent care through D.C. General Hospital. Further, it will also help the PBC if it is allowed, like any other non-profit organization in the city, to use the bond process for its capital funding.

Paid for by the Committee to Re-elect Carol Schwartz, Edward Hayes, Treasurer, 1005 7^th Street, N.W., Washington, DC, 20001.
A copy of our report is on file with the Director of the Office of Campaign Finance.