Responses to League of Women Voters questionnaire

1) ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MAYORAL RESPONSIBILITIES IS SELECTING PEOPLE TO HEAD THE DISTRICT'S GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. HOWEVER, THE NEW MAYOR 'S CAPACITY TO FULFILL THIS RESPONSIBILITY IS UNCERTAIN IN LIGHT OF THE CONGRESSIONAL TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY FOR MANAGEMENT OF NINE MAJOR AGENCIES TO THE CONTROL BOARD (AS PART OF THE 97 REVITALIZATION LEGISLATION). WHAT WILL YOU DO IF YOU FEEL THAT ONE OR MORE OF THE HEADS OF THE AGENCIES UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE CONTROL BOARD IS NOT THE BEST PERSON TO HEAD THAT AGENCY?

Clearly, as a result of congressional mandate, the control board's authority encompasses the oversight of nine vital District of Columbia agencies, to include confirmation of agency heads. Without reserve, I am a proponent of restoring home rule to the District — immediately. However, realizing the criteria for regaining self management and its timeline, as Mayor I would work closely with the control board to ensure selection of the best-qualified individual for the job. Under the Revitalization Act, the mayor retains the important responsibility to submit candidates for department head positions (when necessary) to the council. This duty still allows the Mayor a great opportunity to have key involvement in the selection process. I would only submit candidates possessing relevant experience and obvious competence. In my view, this would eliminate and possible conflict over candidate inadequacy. During my 33 years of service to the citizens of the District of Columbia, I have consistently demonstrated an optimistic, can-do attitude. As the next Mayor, it is incumbent upon me to demonstrate first to the District's citizens and then to the federal legislative and executive branches of government, sound leadership qualities and judgement; negating the control board's necessity.

2) ONE OF THE AGENCIES WITHOUT A DIRECTOR IS THE TROUBLED DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. WHAT KIND OF A PERSON WOULD YOU BE LOOKING FOR TO HEAD THIS AGENCY? SUPPOSE YOU FIND A PERSON WHO HAS A REPUTATION FOR TURNING TROUBLED HEALTH AGENCIES AROUND AND WHO IS READY FOR ANOTHER CHALLENGE, BUT THIS PERSON SAYS TO YOU, “ANYONE WHO TRIES TO ADDRESS THE DISTRICT’S HEALTH PROBLEMS WITH THE CITY’S INADEQUATE HEALTH BUDGET IS COURTING DISASTER.” WHAT WILL YOU DO TO FILL THIS CRITICAL POST? WHAT IS YOUR TIMETABLE FOR SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING DEATHS FROM PREVENTABLE ILLNESS IN THE DISTRICT? HOW WILL YOU MAKE SURE THAT SCARCE MEDICAID DOLLARS ARE SPENT EFFECTIVELY? IN RECENT YEARS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE DISTRICT HAS HAD TO CLOSE NURSING HOMES BECAUSE USE OF NEGLECT AND EGREGIOUS MISMANAGEMENT. YET IT RANKS 8TH IN THE COUNTRY IN USING MEDICAID FUNDS TO PROVIDE HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES FOR FRAIL AND DISABLED PATIENTS.

At a minimum, the Director of Health should be a physician with substantial proven experience in managing an organization of comparable size and resources. The candidate I identify for this position would welcome the challenge of restoring our health system. The District’s Medicaid program should receive a reimbursement ratio comparable to that afforded other jurisdictions with similar client populations. I would assist the Health Care Finance Agency (HCFA) and the Director of the Department of Health in helping the Health Care Finance Administration in lobbying the federal government to correct this inequity. As mayor, I pledge that my administration would remain vigilant in the budgetary and healthcare areas, to include the needs of an oft overlooked national resource — senior citizens. One tragedy, to whatever degree and regardless of circumstance, is too many.

3) ANOTHER TROUBLED AGENCY WITHOUT A DIRECTOR IS THE DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER & REGULATORY AFFAIRS (DCRA). THE IDEA OF REGULATORY REFORM APPEALS TO MANY PEOPLE. SOME OF WHOM ARE ADVOCATES OF REDUCING OR ELIMINATING REGULATIONS. OTHERS FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT REGULATIONS NEED TO BE ENFORCED WITH GREATER EFFECTIVENESS. THE DCRA VACANCY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO OBTAIN THE LEADERSHIP THAT THE DISTRICT NEEDS TO MAKE OUR REGULATORY SYSTEM WORK FOR THE CITY. WHAT KIND OF A PERSON WOULD YOU LOOK FOR TO HEAD THAT AGENCY? DO YOU BELIEVE ANY OF THE RECENTLY PASSED “REGULATORY REFORM” MEASURES WILL MAKE THE AGENCY MORE EFFECTIVE? IF YOU CAN’T IDENTIFY SUCH A MEASURE, WOULD REGULATORY REFORM MEASURE OR MEASURES WOULD YOU INTRODUCE? UNDER YOUR ADMINISTRATION, WHICH NOW IGNORED REGULATIONS WOULD BE VIGOROUSLY ENFORCED? IS CURRENT FUNDING FOR DCRA ADEQUATE FOR ITS MISSION?

I think that the next Director of the DCRA should be more than simply a manager; perhaps an attorney with a background in regulatory law would be an appropriate candidate. Whoever that person is, I would insist that the person has had experience in streamlining organizational processes. Ma,king it easier for our citizens to access city services is a key plank in my campaign platform. The most crucial step that must be taken with all of our city agencies is to bring them all on-line technically. No matter how brilliant a manager is or how creative that person is, if we don't give our managers the tools they need to run the agency then we are programming them for failure. Ultimately, we are going to have to spend more money throughout the government to provide the technology and the training for workers in order to run our government. I think the need for money to upgrade the technological capability in the government is not an issue that should be dealt with agency by agency.

4) PRESENT YOUR APPROACH TO MAKING A MAJOR DISTRICT AGENCY MORE EFFECTIVE. START WITH THE KIND OF PERSON YOU WOULD BE LOOKING FOR TO HEAD THE AGENCY. THEN EXPLAIN THE STRATEGY YOU WOULD EXPECT THE OFFICIAL IN CHARGE TO USE AND LIST THE ACHIEVEMENT MILESTONES THAT WILL BE REACHED IN EACH YEAR OF YOUR FIRST ADMINISTRATION. SELECT AN AGENCY OTHER THAN THE DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH AND CONSUMER AND REGULATOR Y AFFAIRS. DO NOT SELECT THE METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT UNLESS YOUR APPROACH DIFFERS SIGNIFICANTLY FROM CHIEF RAMSEY'S. ALSO, EXPLAIN WHETHER THIS AGENCY TURN-AROUND WILL REQUIRE AN INCREASE IN FUNDING, AND IF SO, STATE THE APPROXIMATE INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES FOR EACH YEAR OF YOUR FIRST ADMINISTRATION.

The agency I will discuss is the Department of Parks and Recreation, as it is one of the few departments still under the direct jurisdiction of the mayor’s office. The leader of such an agency must be a qualified and experienced manager who is committed to making the department as efficient and cost-effective as possible, while also recognizing the department’s stated purpose as “principal provider of recreation services to District residents.” The new director would be expected to institute a reform program, with the objective of improving the quality of the facilities and programs the agency provides while keeping costs constant. This can be accomplished by paring unnecessary expenditures, then redirecting those funds towards technological improvements.

In Fiscal Year 1999, the Department of Parks and Recreation was budgeted $26,160,000. Almost $4,000,000 of this sum was devoted to the Director’s office alone. Two thirds of the budget, $17,461,000, were directed towards so-called “special populations,” i.e., the young, handicapped, and elderly. Undoubtedly, some of this money was well spent, resulting in programs that improved the quality of life in our city. It is also clear, however, that much of this money has been wasted. More waste is evident in the maintenance portion of the budget. The department devoted $4.8 million to the upkeep of our parks, yet many have never been in worse condition. In many facilities, tall grass, rusting equipment, and decrepit buildings have transformed our parks from places of recreation into public health hazards. Once again, it appears that no correlation exists between expenditures and results.

I would charge the new director with organizing a detailed inquiry into all Department expenditures. The purpose of the inquiry would be to highlight and eliminate unnecessary expenditures and faulty programs. Parallel with this initiative, the director would create an atmosphere in which individuals were accountable for their actions. This intra-department evaluation, of both finances and employees, will be difficult, possibly requiring the first two years of the administration, but is absolutely essential. Without serious introspection, the fundamental structural problems of the agency will remain, while any reforms will be cosmetic.

The task of the final two years would be redirecting mismanaged funds towards improving the technological infrastructure, or lack thereof, in the department. The department currently lacks touch-tone phones, computer networks, or any form of electronic communication. This situation cannot continue. Funds must be appropriated, within the budget, for high-technology office equipment. Once the machinery of the department has been updated, it will be able to perform its own duties, and coordinate with other departments, more smoothly. None of this will come to pass, however, unless the new director enacts the reforms outlined above.

5) SHOULD THE CHAPTER OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BE REVISED? IF NOT, WHY NOT? IF SO, HOW? WHAT ACTION(S) WILL YOU TAKE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN?

The strong-mayor form of government put into place a quarter of a century ago, when home rule was enacted, is not the problem. In any organization — business or government it is the quality of the leadership that determines whether the structure succeeds or fails. City managers, per se, are no panacea. Miami had one and failed abysmally. New York has a strong-mayor form of government and has succeeded. The Home Rule Act addressed the need for a top-notch manager when the position of city administrator was written into the ACT. I would use the city administrator to run the day to day operations of he city. That person would report to me as mayor and be accountable to me and the citizens who elected me. Any decision about the form of government we have in this city should be made by the citizens of the District of Columbia. First and foremost, I believe in democracy for all whether the citizens live in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, D.C.

6) WHAT WILL BE YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE FEDERAL AND FEDERALLY MANDATED POWERS THAT BE? IN THE SHORT TERM, HOW WILL YOU WORK WITH THE CONTROL BOARD? WHAT, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD BE YOUR RESPONSE IF THE CONTROL BOARD TOOK AN ACTION YOU OPPOSE? WHAT DO YOU THINK THE DISTRICT’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD BECOME? WHAT STEPS WILL YOU TAKE TO ACHIEVE THAT RELATIONSHIP?

I understand the reality of the financial control board. I am confident that in the coming year, with new control board leaders who recognize the importance of restoring true home rule, all of the District's elected bodies will be able to work more productively with this appointed body. As mayor, I intend to effectively manage our fiscal affairs, so that there will no longer be a need for its existence. I will continue to pursue the same approach toward the control board that I have adopted as a Councilmember: collaboration when appropriate and in the interests of the citizens, and firm opposition when I feel the board has exceeded its authority.

As a Councilmember, I have protested the use of the District of Columbia as a social laboratory by federal lawmakers who would never dream of trying to impose the policy decisions they impose on District residents on constituencies in their own jurisdictions. I have characterized the control board as another intrusion into home rule and self-governance.

I held governance hearings this year to permit open discussion of the electorate’s views on how they want DC governed. As mayor, I will continue to seek the advice and counsel of the residents of the District of Columbia on all issues that affect their lives. I will continue to urge strong and consistent oversight of our District’s finances by our elected officials in an effort to end the control board’s reign and return responsible, elected government to the District.

Residents of the District of Columbia should have the same relationship with the federal government as every citizen of the United States. I think that we should be fully represented in the Congress, like every other citizen in this country. Until we have full participation in our democratic system, I will poke, prod, urge and use whatever means necessary until federal legislators, the executive branch and the federal courts let DC citizens decide their own fate.

7) WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES FOR THE FIRST 100 DAYS?

During my first 100 days, I plan to organize a staff who will aid me in achieving the following objectives: Quality education. Safe streets. Adequate housing supply. Good pay and training for our workers. Shelters and drug treatment centers for those who need them. Jails for those who prey upon our citizenry. Cooperation with the Council and with the communities to achieve our goals. Retaining federal jobs in the city. Economic development, genuine shopping opportunities in our neighborhoods, not just liquor stores, but clothing stores, shoe store and barbershops. Jobs and training for those jobs — real training for real jobs. We need fair taxes and I am committed to reducing the tax burden on our citizens. I want to ensure that citizens and businesses alike feel they are getting their money's worth for the taxes they pay. I want a transportation system worthy of the nation's capital and that serves the city's residents and visitors well. I want to see the “City of Trees” regain the right to that title. Finally, I want to ensure that every resident, visitor, and worker can take pride in Washington, D.C.

8) HOW WILL YOU DO A BETTER JOB THAN MAYORS BARRY AND KELLY DID OF PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF DISTRICT GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING THEIR RIGHT TO BARGAIN COLLECTIVELY, WHILE HONORING THE RIGHTS OF D.C. VOTERS AND TAXPAYERS TO HAVE A QUALITY WORK FORCE?

I have expressed in many forums that recruitment and retention policies need to reflect those in the private sector. District employees need to be given adequate training and promotions based on performance. I believe in collective bargaining and employees rights to do so. As part of my platform, I advocate work force enhancement. Preparing District employees for 21st century challenges is essential.

9) UNDER YOUR ADMINISTRATION, HOW WILL THE MAYOR, THE CITY COUNCIL, THE ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSIONS AND OTHER CITIZENS PARTICIPATE IN SHAPING THE CITY’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? SHOULD THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BE A FACTOR?

As Mayor, I will strive to build bridges between the Council, the ANC and all citizens of the District of Columbia. This is what democracy is all about — inclusion. An inclusion that has not been addressed by the current administration. Economic development is a city-wide proposition, not just downtown development.

10) THE CITY’S APPROACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE PAST HAS BEEN A FOCUS ON DOWNTOWN AND SUCH BIG TICKET ITEMS AS THE ARENA AND CONVENTION CENTER. DO YOU THINK THAT APPROACH SHOULD BE CONTINUED FOR THE MOST PART? HOW MUCH ATTENTION WOULD YOUR ADMINISTRATION GIVE TO THE CITY’S BLIGHTED NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL STRIPS? HOW? WOULD YOU LOOK FOR A PERSON TO HEAD THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WHO HAS A STRONG TRACK RECORD IN NEIGHBORHOOD ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION OR WOULD YOU EXPECT THE NEW NATIONAL CAPITAL REVITALIZATION CORPORATION TO TAKE THE LEAD IN REVITALIZING NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL STRIPS?

l want a booming downtown and economic revitalization in our neighborhoods not just liquor stores, but businesses that make our neighborhoods livable like cleaners and clothing stores and beauty and barbershops. I was the first to bring the idea of enterprise/empowerment zones forward in 1988 and will continue to push to get federal funding to bring the zones to fruition. Since many jobs are in the suburbs, I will coordinate efforts (including transportation and training) to get unemployed and underemployed District residents to where the jobs, are. As Chair of the Committee on Local, Regional & Federal Affairs, I recently held a Regional Workforce Development Hearing to begin making that match of our 9 % unemployed with the suburban jobs.

In order to achieve more prosperous economic development program, I will streamline the process of doing business in the District. I talked about one-stop shopping for business in my first mayoral campaign in 1986. It has yet to become a reality. We must lower our business taxes to be competitive with the surrounding jurisdictions. An essential and vital component of my economic development plan is job site training and workforce development.

Empowerment/enterprise zones, as mentioned above, is also an essential component of my new business recruitment strategy so that small and mid-size companies can afford to do business in the District. Not only will I recruit new businesses, but I will also put together a program for retention of existing companies here in the District as other successful jurisdictions have done.

Recently, I co-sponsored legislation for tax increment financing, which passed the Council. This Act will be an essential component of my plans for economic development in those neighborhoods where there is grave need for it. My legislation to provide free parking on Saturdays and evenings is now law and took effect in July. That should help in retaining and bringing more businesses and customers to the city. l will also explore establishing a Beltway Business Authority with Maryland and Virginia similar to the working relationship enjoyed by New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

The mayor must and should take the lead in developing economic development policy for this city which includes seeking out the very best talent for all top-level positions. Obviously,- the person selected to head the Department of Housing and Community Development should have a strong track record in neighborhood urban development.

We need economic development. We need the taxes, jobs, and services it provides. Give me an opportunity to be your mayor and I will show it can be done — the right way, and will benefit all neighborhoods in our city.

11) HOW WILL YOU INITIATE EFFORTS TO MAKE D.C RESIDENTS MORE EMPLOYABLE AND TO DEVELOP JOBS?

I am concerned about the 9% unemployment rate — triple the national average and as high as 22% in some areas of our city. Creating jobs would be a high priority. I would adopt a more business-friendly attitude. Procedures for opening and maintaining a business should not alienate but support business. There should be a “one stop” shopping licensing, permits and information on financing possibilities such as tax increment financing. Our taxes also must be competitive. I attempted to reduce sales taxes ten years ago and will continue to push for business tax reductions. My bill to provide free parking on Saturdays and evenings passed the Council and takes effect in mid-July. I want a booming downtown and economic development in our neighborhoods — not just liquor stores, but clothing stores, shoe stores, and barber shops. I was the first to bring the idea of empowerment zones forward in 1988 and would push to get federal funding to bring it to fruition. Since many jobs are in the suburbs, I will coordinate efforts (including transportation and training) to get unemployed District residents to where jobs are — and hopefully more of them will be here in the future when I am Mayor.

Education and training a work force to be able to compete for jobs in the hightech market is also on the agenda.

12) WHAT ROLE WILL YOU AS MAYOR PLAY IN MAKING SURE THAT THE DISTRICT’S PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM PREPARES THE CITY’S YOUNG PEOPLE TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES ADEQUATELY AND TO TAKE THEIR PLACE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY WORK FORCE? HOW WILL YOU CARRY OUT YOUR ROLE? WILL THE UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BE INVOLVED? IF SO, HOW?

More than anyone else in this race, I understand the D.C. public schools and how they work. I served two terms on the Board of Education at a time when DC schools showed significant improvement both in policy and test scores. As the former vice chair of both the Education Commission on Time and Learning and the National Advisory Council of the Education of Disadvantaged Children, a former teacher, a former consultant to the US Department of Education, a parent of public school educated children, and myself a product of the public school system, I am fully qualified to promote the education needs and concerns of the District of Columbia. During my tenure on the School Board, I championed the concept of magnet schools and was instrumental in establishing Banneker High School, an academic high school. I pushed for reinstitution National Standardized testing, which had been abandoned. I showed my own commitment to public education by educating all three of my children in the District of Columbia's public school system. As mayor, I will demand that system once again provide the quality education that I know is possible for every student in the District of Columbia.I believe that education is a continuous process. It does not begin and end at the classroom door. We must return educational achievement to the high priority that it once held in our city and in our nation. For if we do not we will never be able to achieve the economic, social and technological goals that we all want for our city. As mayor, I will use the office as a bully pulpit for education.

13) WHAT ROLE WILL YOU AS MAYOR PLAY IN AL4KING SURE THE CITY HAS AN ACCESSIBLE MASTER PLAN FACILITIES PLAN?

As Mayor, I would divide the Master Plan into an annotated document so that ward leaders and citizens could view interrelated segments. The document as published, is cumbersome and abstract making it an ineffective tool for the real business of government - serving the people. An informed public can optimally utilize the facilities and resources that the District has to offer.

14) WHAT ROLE WILL YOU AS MAYOR PLAY IN MAKING SURE THE SCHOOL BUDGET SPELLS OUT WHAT THE TAXPAYERS ARE GETTING FOR THEIR $545 MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC EDUCATION?

Our school budget is in drastic need of reform. Our per student expenditures, $7,400, are among the highest in the nation, yet our facilities languish in disrepair and our students have only the barest resources. With our schools in such a chaotic state, should it come as a surprise that our students consistently underperform on standardized tests? As mayor, I would strive to remedy this enormous disconnect between what we pay for And what we receive.

The introduction of personal accountability into all levels of our school administration is a critical first step in the process of restoring financial efficiency to our education system. It is evident that our children are not seeing the benefits of the vast sums of money we spend on their education. All too often, the money appropriated to schools is lost in the recesses of our muddled bureaucracy. Supervisors and Principals must be made to realize that inefficiency and mismanagement, for so long associated with our schools, are no longer acceptable. As mayor, I would initiate a comprehensive review of all school employees, removing those few individuals who inhibit the improvement of our schools, while retaining those teachers and administrators who have consistently formed the foundation of our education system.

15) UNDER YOUR ADMINISTRATION, WHAT STEPS WILL THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TAKE TO IMPLEMENT WELFARE REFORM. WILL SUCH SUPPORT SERVICES AS CHILD CARE, TRANSPORTATION AND APPROPRIATE ADULT EDUCATION BE A AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE TRYING TO MOVE FROM WELFARE TO WORK?

As Mayor, I will diligently address the issue of welfare reform. Job training is essential for welfare to work citizens in the District of Columbia. I will coordinate efforts to ensure that District residents can get to where the jobs are. As I have mentioned in several other questions from your organization, training for high tech jobs is critical.

A necessary component is forming partnerships with the business community to train and hire citizens. This will be achieved by creating a business-friendly climate and forming public and private partnerships. I will coordinate efforts to ensure that District residents can pursue employment opportunities throughout the metropolitan area. I know and understand the need for training and again, high tech skills are critical. The District’s welfare population is better educated than in most other urban areas. We need to build on that strength. The need for safe and affordable child care for all working women in the District cannot be minimized. As Mayor, I hope to expand the availability and number of public and private day-care slots.

16) Part A. ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF HAVING A PRISON IN THE CITY THAT WILL HOUSE DISTRICT RESIDENTS WHO HAVE FELONY CONVICTIONS?

It is clear to me that the both fiscal and psychic cost of housing our citizens in faraway places who have committed felonies could become enormous. Therefore, I would support having a prison facility in the District, especially one that would house female prisoners if there is community involvement in the process. We know that without the support of families and the community, recidivism is much more likely. It is important to provide prisoners the opportunity to maintain links with children and families in particular female prisoners since they are more likely to be heads of household. Children must continue to bond with their parents, no matter what the condition under which this bonding takes place.

However, our entire community must be involved with this decision. While it is an unfortunate fact, we must not lose sight of the jobs that would be created and the fiscal impact that building a prison in the District would have on our economy — the surrounding jurisdictions certainly have not.

Part B. IF SO, WHERE? UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS? SHOULD IT BE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE? IF PRIVATE, SHOULD THE CITY HAVE A SAY IN SELECTING THE CONTRACTOR AND IN MONITORING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CONTRACT?

Where the facility is built depends on land availability, and the impact it would have on the community where it is placed. Certainly, we must come to some consensus on this issue before a facility could be built. Ward Eight Councilmember Sandra Allen has already taken the lead in this issue by bringing a Task Force from her Ward to discuss the pros and cons of building a facility in Ward Eight and to discuss possible sites. I would like to see similar approaches taken in other Wards. The District’s Department of Corrections, in coordination with federal authorities and private agencies having experience in operating a correction facility, would review options and best practices.

Privately run prison facilities is a fairly new option. I am not entirely convinced that this is the best way to go. Our experience in Youngstown, Ohio certainly has shown that privately run facilities are no panacea.

If we decide to build a prison in D.C., with the concurrence of the community, I will take an active role as mayor in selecting the best contractor and monitoring the contractor’s performance.