Carol Schwartz for Mayor Committee

1005 Seventh Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 393-7300 - Fax (202) 639-8738

DC Mayoral Candidate and At-Large City Council member Carol Schwartz delivered the following statement today at the Sumner School:

We stand in the historic Sumner School, the perfect picture of DC's rich past and future. Sumner was the first school built by the District for African-American children. In the late 70s — I'm not quite sure what city my opponent was in then — but I stood right outside in front of bulldozers that were about to demolish this beautiful building. It was through an innovative public-private partnership that I saved this building at no cost to the District. Now look at it. Sumner school is the snapshot of our roots and our renewal. It is a symbol of all our city can and will be under my leadership. And it is only one of a long list of accomplishments in our city over 33 years for which I am very proud.

It was Bobby Kennedy who said that the future belongs to those who blend passion, reason and courage in a personal commitment to ideals. I have lived my life and my career that way. And you know what? You reap what you sow. Everywhere I go, people know me, people trust me. People remember and history counts. And so, to my opponent I say respectfully: without knowing our past, there is NO way you can know our future.

My opponent looks at Washington and sees numbers on a spreadsheet. I look at our city and see faces and people. People I know and care about. People who trust me. And not only that. I know their parents. Their kids went to school with my kids.

Today I put forth my plans for bringing back home rule and finally getting true democracy for the nation's capital — for bringing it home. Charles Sumner wrote in a letter to Lincoln in 1864 that "freedom once given cannot be reclaimed." But the freedom of home rule that we fought so hard for HAS been reclaimed.

Democracy is not some bonus that the federal government can giveth and taketh away. It is a basic human right sewn deep into the fabric of our nation. Yet we the people who live at the very seat of democracy are denied the rights conferred upon every other American citizen. We are the only citizens who pay federal income taxes without congressional representation. We have the same representation as Guam and Samoa. And they don't pay federal income taxes. We are the only American citizens whose hard-earned tax dollars are administered by unaccountable outsiders. It is a violation, an outrage — and it will change under my leadership. We the people of the District of Columbia fought too hard for self-determination to continue submitting to a government of outsiders and by outsiders.

In the coming days and weeks, I will put forth detailed plans for our city's renewal: for economic development and public safety, for education and housing, for recreation and our seniors. But any discussion of the future must include the swift return to self-rule and accountability. Far too many of our good citizens are confused — and rightly so. "Who is running our city," they ask. "A control board? A management officer? accountant?" And while some out there think we have gotten used to our loss of power, that our nerves have been deadened to the interference of outsiders. They are wrong, and this election will prove that. My candidacy is a people's coalition of brave citizens all across DC to take back our city — to bring it home.

Folks, campaigns can be big shows. . . and we all know that after all is said and done, more is SAID than DONE. But there has NEVER been a gap between my words and deeds. I was elected to the School Board in the first home rule election in 1974, and have been an unrelenting voice of reason and reform ever since. My support for local democracy is not simple rhetoric. I have voted in each and every election since 1968 — when District residents were first permitted to vote in the presidential election.

My opponent, of course, could not be bothered to vote in 4 of the last 5 elections — and that's after he was forced to move into the city from Arlington less than 2-1/2 years ago. Perhaps he thought he didn't need to vote, because while I was fighting to keep power with our voters and elected officials, he was on Capitol Hill trying to wrestle away more power for himself.

Let's be clear: My opponent may be an able accountant, and I respect him for that, but he has never been accountable to one voter except when we was in college — not in Missouri, not in Massachusetts, not in Arlington, not here, not one voter. Being an accountant and being accountable are two entirely different things. And governing is about being accountable.

Some still say — and I'm telling you fewer and fewer each day — Carol how can I vote for a Republican. Again, let's talk straight. I have shown a lifelong, progressive commitment to our people most in need. My opponent, on the other hand, set about slashing programs for education and our seniors. He blindly fired hundreds of people without due process and had them police escorted out of their offices in spite of no accusations of wrongdoing. Why? So he could bring in outsiders to make six figures. Let's be honest. I may be a Republican, but this guy is more conservative than I am.

And despite what the Barry-Williams campaign would have you believe, I am not — nor have I ever — taken any money or help from the national party. I don't mind being criticized, but please let it be about something real — not some absurd conspiracy theory.

And speaking of something real, my opponent and the media cannot paint me as part of the problems of the past. When I was on the City Council from 1985-1989, I was a lone voice of fiscal restraint. I fought for accountability. Had my warnings been heeded, we would not have hit insolvency and would not have lost our limited home rule. After leaving government due to personal circumstances, I could not watch our government fall to its knees. I ran for mayor in 1994 and then won back my seat on the Council. In the year and a half that I have been there, we have put our financial house in order and have started down the road to renewal.

In the plan I put forth today, I spell out my position on self-governance and detail my approach for bringing back home rule, which includes voting rights in Congress and giving authority back to elected officials.

Bob Marley sang, "Don't know your past, don't know your future." I can tell you this right now. I know our past and I know our future. Some look at DC and see blight and despair. I look at DC and see all that it can and will be under my leadership. Let the people's campaign begin. Let's bring it home!