Why I am running for Delegate to the House of
Representatives,
DC Statehood Party Primary
My priority constituency: those most hurt by the ruthless budget cuts of the last few
years, DC’s children and youth,the poor, homeless, elderly, and disabled. I am urging
a protest vote thereby sending a message to Eleanor Holmes Norton: when you return to
Congress change course by seriously confronting our priority issues! I believe the
Priority Issue facing DC residents to be the Violations of our Political, Economic and
Social Human Rights. Our Delegate to Congress should make these violations an
international issue, exposing the hypocrisy of U.S. government all over the world. This
attention combined with the mobilization of DC residents could provide the leverage to
force the President and Congress to address this issue.
What is the “crisis” in DC?
There are two ongoing wars in the District, the war against democracy and the war of
corporate interests against the poor and “middle class”. The latest assault on
what is left of Home Rule tells the world that residents of the capital of the United
States have no right to elect leadership with powers comparable to that of any
jurisdiction in the U.S. Federalization of our prison and criminal justice system treats
us as colonial subjects. The budgetary “relief” provided by the Congressional
Plan signed by Clinton in 1997 has not restored funding for essential programs cut out of
DC’s budget by the Control Board. Our obligated but already inadequate federal
payment is being phased out.
The “misery index” for many of our residents is increasing:
- About one half of DC’s children live in poverty
- 1 in 4 DC children under 12 years old are either hungry or at risk of being hungry
- Infant mortality is still twice the national average
- AIDs and TB infection are spreading like wildfire in our community as a result of the
racist drug war and cutbacks in preventative health care.
- Many District residents lack health care and must rely on understaffed emergency room
treatment.
DC has the highest income inequality of any state in the nation. DC’s ratio of the
top fifth to bottom fifth of average income of families with children is 28.2 to 1,
compared to the U.S. ratio of 12.7 to 1 (New York Times, 12/17/97). We have been subject
to budget cuts with ferocious impacts on our children and youth, the poor, elderly,
disabled, and city workers. Since 1994, over $100 million/year in hurtful budget cuts have
been forced by DC government and Control Board and more cuts are included in the 1999
“consensus” budget arrived at behind closed doors by the Control Board, City
Council and Mayor. Combined with the implementation of the national welfare law, these
budget cuts will have very serious consequences for DC's children. Cuts in AFDC (now TANF)
benefits began in the fall of 1994 with the Council's 10 to 1 rejection of a cost of
living increase in spite of the fact that the benefit level at the time was below the
poverty limit. Maximum welfare benefits had by 1996 declined 46% from 1970, adjusted for
inflation (P.T. Kilborn, New York Times, 12/8/96). So what has the Council done, under the
pressure of the Control Board? Cut the benefit level even further (three times in 7
months)! This drop in income security for the poor, and the institution of workfare is
bound to pull down the wages of low and middle income workers.
Other cuts have resulted in reduction of shelter capacity for families, subsidized
child care slots, drug treatment, closure of public health clinics and recreation centers
and elimination of the chore aide program for seniors and disabled. The cuts in TAP
(Tenants Assistance Program) will affect nearly 3000 people. The list of hurtful budget
cuts goes on and on. One of the cruelest was the elimination of emergency assistance for
rent, mortgage, utility and furniture payments for families at the edge of eviction.
Totally unacceptable cuts have been made in the budget for the University of the District
of Columbia resulting in loss of faculty, staff and decline in quality of academic
programs. In DC public schools, teachers and staff in “expendable” areas as
sports, music and art education have been fired. The Control Board has forced
anti-educational policies on our school system, bypassing our elected School Board.
Municipal workers are losing their benefits or being fired with no provision for
retraining or job placement. Once unemployed, these individuals find that the maximum
unemployment benefit has been cut even though the fund is perfectly solvent. Now the
Control Board has recommended further cuts in workmen compensation and unemployment
benefits. The elimination of rent control is on the agenda of the Control Board.
An example of misplaced priorities: The Control Board commissioned the anti-rent
control Holland Knight report for $800,000 while the chore aid program for seniors and
disabled, costing $500,000 was cut out the budget!
Summary of hurtful budget cuts:
Closure of Public Health Clinics and Recreation Centers
Elimination of Emergency assistance for rent, mortgage, utility payments for families at
edge of eviction
Cuts in Drug treatment, Child care, Homeless shelter spaces
Aid for Dependent Children (now TANF) cut
Crippling UDC, cutting benefits, firing municipal workers with no provision for
retraining/job placement
Documented Violations of Human Rights in the District
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in particular, articles 23, 25 and 26
outline each person’s right to housing, food, education, health care and a job at a
living wage. Recent federal and state welfare reforms violate these economic and social
human rights. In 1996, the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations issued General
Comment 25, which held that the status of the residents of the District to be a flagrant
violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (see Timothy
Cooper’s article in Legal Times, 5/26/97). The U.S., along with 136 nations ratified
this Covenant. The lack of full congressional representation of DC residents and
destruction of home rule are direct violations of the Covenant’s Article 25 which
guarantees the right of every citizen to participate in national and local government
through elected representatives. It holds that every citizen has the right to “take
part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen
representatives”, to vote and to be elected by “universal and equal
suffrage” and to have access to public service on “general terms of
equality”. The U.S. government , its instrument the Control Board with the
acquiescence of DC government now stand in clear contempt of the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child (signed by U.S. on 2/16/95; the U.S. along with Somalia are the only
nations in the world which have still not ratified this Convention!). This Convention
asserts the following:
“The child has a right to the highest standard of health and medical care
attainable. States shall place special emphasis on the provision of primary and preventive
health care, public health education and the reduction of infant mortality...Every child
has a right to a standard of living adequate for his or her physical, mental, spiritual,
moral and social development.. The child has a right to leisure, play and participation in
cultural and artistic activities.”
All of these rights have been systematically violated as a result of DC budget cutting
and implementation of the national welfare reform. Finally, the threatened reimposition of
the death penalty in DC by Congress is contrary to internationally recognized standards of
human rights. The violation of these human rights is objectively and profoundly racist
since its worst effects are borne by African Americans, Latinos and other people of color,
first of all children, but the rights of all DC residents are being violated!
Why is there a Control Board?
The Control Board, which exercises immense powers over our budget and school system,
was put in by Congress on the pretext of eliminating a large budget deficit. But the real
agenda of this unelected body has
been to lubricate the wheels of finance capital, by weakening income security for workers
and the poor, increasing economic inequality and the “misery index”. This
restructuring of the political economy of the Metro DC area is in sync with neoliberal
policies of big capital globally (see Greider’s “One World, Ready or Not”);
growing polarization of rich and poor.
Why was there a deficit in DC’s budget?
Two main reasons:
1) NOT BEING A STATE, without Congressional approval, DC cannot:.
- Tax income earned in DC by non-residents (a reciprocal tax of 2% would give $470 million
per year
- DC has never received full compensation for services provided by the federal government
and the non-taxability of federal property. A fair federal payment: about $1.9
billion/year.
2) The lack of financial accountability of DC government.
The Washington Post (7/20/97) has documented savings of some $300 million a year. This
analysis should be looked at critically, but clearly “something is rotten” in
conducting business as usual! Whose fault is it? We elected our Mayor and Council, but
with few exceptions, big corporate campaign donations and corrupt contracting have insured
their election and reelection. As a result the Board of Trade and Federal City Council has
generally set the agenda for DC and our one party system of government.
What should be our budgetary priorities?
The DC budget for this fiscal year has a projected multimillion dollar surplus as a
result of the recent economic “boom” and hurtful budget cuts. It is a crime
against DC’s children, the poor and elderly that this money is not being used to
restore the safety net eroded by past budget cuts. Future surpluses, now projected to be
hundreds of millions of dollars yearly (Washington Post, 3/8/98), should be used to
restore
and increase the safety net, providing income and health security for low income people,
restoring benefits to city workers, not giving tax breaks to the wealthy
- Number one, our children's well being: No balancing the budget on the backs of children
and the poor!
- Rollback all hurtful budget cuts affecting children, the poor, the elderly, disabled and
our University, UDC
- Stimulate economic development that will provide long term employment at livable wages
for financial security of families and individuals (for example, promote investment in
energy conservation, solarization)
- Stop privatization giveaways of public property and resources
How should our budgetary priorities be funded?
Without Acts of Congress we still can:
(1) Revise our tax code
Local taxes are worse than “flat”. The lowest fifth and middle income families
paid 9.5 to10.5% of their income, while the richest (average $1.8 million family income)
paid 6.4% in 1995 (Citizens for Tax Justice study) Make our tax system more progressive by
providing: Tax relief for low and middle income residents, tax relief for small business!
The Council should repeal of the onerous Arena and Convention Center taxes affecting small
businesses. A frequency articulated myth is that DC residents have been
“overtaxed” compared to surrounding jurisdictions. While combined state and
local tax rates in 1995 were slightly lower in Virginia than in DC and Maryland, DC’s
rate for the lowest 20% income group (less than $31,000) was 10.5% compared to 10.8% for
Maryland. The $111,000 to $567,000 income bracket of DC residents actually paid a slightly
lower rate than the corresponding bracket for Maryland (Citizens for Tax Justice study).
Modest reduction in the Maryland income tax rates has occurred since 1995. Therefore, tax
relief for low and moderate income DC residents should be on the agenda. Commercial and
residential property tax rates should be raised on the highest assessed property (and/or
assess those properties, especially commercial property, at their true market rate, an
objective of Initiative 51, passed overwhelmingly by DC voters). SEIU Local 82 economists
estimated two years ago that a 0.5% increment in the big commercial property tax rate
(making it comparable to other major cities) would generate $166 million in revenue a
year. Fair assessment alone would provide some $40 million a year in additional revenue.
The Council has postponed the implementation of Initiative 51, in line with their craven
posture to the Control Board and Board of Trade (the Control Board was considering
recommending the nullification of Initiative 51 but apparently for political reasons left
the dirty work for the Council). We should demand the immediate implementation of
Initiative 51!
Higher taxes for the wealthy, those most able to pay! In 1996, those filling federal
tax returns with adjusted gross incomes over $100,000 had a taxable income of $3.66
billion, those over $200,000, $2.04 billion! If those with adjusted gross incomes over
$100,000 were taxed an extra 4%, $150 million a year in revenue would roll in. (Source:
IRS, Statistics of Income Bulletin v.17, No.4, Spring 1998) Rather than the so-called
“tough love” for the poor (equals callous indifference) we need tough love for
the wealthy, sharing the wealth to meet human needs in the District. Luxury spending is
booming in the Metro DC area. Is another European vacation or Lexus this year really worth
children going hungry, the poor not receiving health care, our youth not getting the
higher education they deserve? It is no accident that the United States has the greatest
gap between rich and poor families and the highest child poverty rate of practically all
industralized countries (Washington Post, 3/29/97). The "dirty little secret" of
economics is that concentration of wealth at the top leads to poverty and misery at the
bottom.
But wouldn't raising taxes on the wealthy drive them out of the District and erode our
tax base? On the contrary, the benefits of living in the District (shorter commuting,
cultural opportunities etc.) attracted these residents in the first place. Commuting time
and costs will increase in the next decade (Washington Post, 3/27/97). The more affluent
have been moving into the District for the last decade, buying houses, while low income
renters have been moving out (Washington Post, 3/3/97).
Reducing the "misery index" in the District would of course benefit the
wealthy as well as the rest of the community by reducing crime, stimulating consumer
spending and reducing class and racial polarization. And if the wealthy don't like the
idea of paying higher taxes, they should join in and lobby for the long-term solutions to
our budgetary crisis, our crisis in meeting basic human needs, requiring Acts of Congress,
which include the following:
a) a fair federal payment for nontaxable property and services provided by the
District, roughly 3 times the payment of $660 million per year made prior to the passage
of the Economic and Tax Incentive Package
b) a reciprocal income tax with surrounding jurisdictions (a 2% tax on non-resident
income would bring in $470 million per year). A reciprocal income tax should be structured
to be progressive, without penalizing low and moderate income workers living in Maryland
and Virginia, who would then pay their state income taxes to DC only.
c) Payments in Lieu of Taxes ("PILOTS") from federally-chartered tax exempts
(Sallie Mae, National Geographic etc.) would bring in some $150 million per year
d) Making Fannie Mae pay income tax ($300 million per year)
e) Statehood, democracy, not dictatorship by the Control Board Junta.
The Clinton’s Economic and Tax Incentive Package and proposals such as the Norton
"progressive" flat tax are seductive nonsolutions to our crisis which combine
long discredited "trick-down" economics with continued neocolonial status for
the District. Only real self determination in the form of statehood and sharing the wealth
of our community can measure up to the needs of our people (See Sam Jordan's article in
the April 1997 PeaceLetter; write to DC Statehood Party, 1518 Kearney St. NE, DC 20017 for
a copy).
2) Improve management, eliminate waste and inefficiency in DC government
But only an elected body not beholden to corporate interests can accomplish these
objectives! (Note the Control Board’s record of cost overruns, delayed procurements,
wasteful duplication of previous studies and Becton’s school management fiasco)
How do we get democratic self-rule and financial accountability of our government?
Resist the Junta, the antidemocratic Control Board and its instruments
Reenergize the movement for DC statehood
Open up our political system so that low and middle income residents are represented. Get
the big money out of politics. This means campaign reform. The answer is more democracy,
not less!
Mobilize for a humane budget and sustainable economic development
We all now face a critical choice in our future
Do we want a community with the continued erosion of quality of life for all, but
particularly for our children, or do we want a diverse and united New Columbia that
insures meeting basic human needs? While recognizing the reality of dictatorial
powers of the Control Board, we should not accept the legitimacy of this antidemocratic
“Junta” which has imposed devastating budget cuts impacting on children, the
poor, elderly, the disabled, municipal workers and our university UDC. We should resist
its authority and its instruments by both mass mobilization and legal challenge, by
organizing a progressive political movement and majority coalition independent of the
Democratic and Republican Party machinery. The budget deficit has been used to explain the
necessity of these hurtful budget cuts. For the last two years the
Control Board and most on the Council have told us there is no alternative to voting for
these budget cuts since we must balance the budget under Control Board legislation.
However, we have been "sold a bill of goods". The Council and Mayor have
consistently maintained that their “hands are tied”. This is only true if our
elected leadership continues to submit to the Control Board dictatorship, the
“junta” — the alternative is resistance, with our elected officials,
including our delegate to Congress giving moral and political leadership.
The Mayor/City Council can send forward its own recommended budget to Congress,
restoring funding to essential programs for children, the poor, elderly, disabled, and our
youth (e.g., the University of the District of Columbia), while balancing the budget, a
requirement of the Control Board legislation if this body is to be eliminated after 4
years of balanced budgets (it is unclear whether Control Board rule will continue even
longer, as DC indebtedness exists via bond issues such as for the Convention Center). Of
course, until DC achieves statehood, all legislation is subject to Congressional review.
But here is where real leadership from a future Delegate to Congress and progressive City
Council and Mayor comes in, building a broad coalition of labor, child advocates, churches
and their allies, a coalition that could mobilize
militant direct action, “lighting a fire” under the Control Board and Congress.
The office of our Congressional Delegate should be an organizing center for this activity!
We should fight for a more progressive DC tax system, tapping the more than adequate
resources of our most affluent residents, that provides the necessary revenue to roll back
hurtful budget cuts and guarantee a real safety net for our residents while promoting
sustainable economic development that creates long-term employment. We should fight for a
fair and obligated federal payment, and a progressive reciprocal commuter tax that will
promote the same objectives.I am convinced that fulfilling this agenda will make our
community more liveable for all our residents whatever their income or neighborhood.
As a candidate for Congress I am taking positions on all these issues since our
delegate should be a forceful advocate, a “tribune of the people” given the fact
that all legislation passed by DC government must be approved by Congress until we achieve
statehood
DAVID SCHWARTZMAN
Candidate for Delegate to House of Representatives
District of Columbia
Phone: 829-9063 E-mail: dwslichen@hotmail.com
Professor at Howard University (on faculty since 1973)
Geochemist, environmental scientist
Relevant experience
DC Resident and Statehood Party member since 1976, DC Statehood Party Central Committee
member, Tax/Budget Deputy; Active in civil rights and peace movements since 1950s;
Sentenced to 6 months probation for anti-war activity, Providence, R.I., 1966; Arrested,
fined for demonstrations at South African Embassy (anti-apartheid) and Israeli Embassy
(protest against Israeli repression of Palestinian rights) Active in campaigns focused on
human rights violations in DC, including cuts in DC Budget affecting children, poor,
disabled etc, regressive tax structure in DC. Testified on these issues several times at
City Council since 1995. Active in Fair Budget Coalition, demonstrations at Control Board
protesting lack of homeless shelter space and other budget cuts, Homeless Initiative,
Bottle Bill Initiative.
Statehood Party members, remember to vote in your Primary, September 15!
Tough Love for the Rich: Make them pay their fair share of DC Taxes! Class War on the
Rich, Not the Poor! Living Wage or Living Income! Don’t Balance the Budget on the
Backs of the Poor! Strengthen Rent Control, don't phase it out! No Convention Center at
Mt. Vernon Square! |
