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Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees International Union AFL-CIO, CLC 1219 28TH STREET N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20007 202-393-HERE 202-393-4373 FAX 202-333-0468 May 28, 2004 D.C. Board of Elections & Ethics Subject: "Jobs, Education, and Healthcare Lottery Expansion Initiative of 2004 Dear Members of the Board of Elections & Ethics: On behalf of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union ("HERE'), I write in support of the proposed measure "Jobs, Education, and Healthcare Lottery Expansion Initiative of 2004" and ask that the Board act on it positively and place the measure on the November 2004 ballot. This is an important Initiative that will generate new jobs and much needed revenue for the District of Columbia. If the Initiative is passed by the voters of the District of Columbia, it will result in one of the largest economic development projects in the last few years. The proposed facility, Capital Horizon Entertainment Center will house a 600-800 room hotel, several restaurants, banquet rooms, entertainment halls and other recreation facilities. It will generate and provide over a 1000 jobs, many of them in the hospitality and food service industry that are vital for our members. HERE represents approximately 265,000 hospitality industry workers through 111 affiliated Local Unions across the United States and Canada. Our members include room attendants, cooks, waiters, bartenders, desk clerks, and many others. They work in hotels, motels, casinos, restaurants, cafeterias, clubs, hospitals, schools, railroad dining cars, bars, airports, bus terminals, inflight kitchens, stadium concessions, and other hospitality, food service, travel, and tourism establishments. In addition to the job opportunities, I am confident a project of this magnitude can be a boon to the tourism industry in the city. The mix of business, dining, shopping and recreation facilities will attract visitors and tourists to a part of a city that is strategically located but has been neglected. It will also help clean up and improve New York Avenue and its surrounding areas, and generate additional revenues and jobs for the city. Therefore, I urge the Board to act favorably on this proposed measure and to move quickly so that the voters of the District of Columbia can cast a vote in the November election. Sincerely, RR:rcl TCCR Trinidad Concerned Citizens for Reform, Inc. May 26, 2004 Wilma A. Lewis Subject: "Jobs, Education, and Healthcare Lottery Expansion Initiative of 2004 Dear Chairperson Lewis: The Trinidad Concerned Citizens for Reform, the. ("TCCR") submits this letter in support of the `'Jobs, Education, and Healthcare Lottery Expansion Initiative of 2004" and its planned project, Capital Horizon Entertainment Center. The Initiative and its proposed development project will result in a major economic opportunity providing jobs and revenues resulting in enormous benefits for Ward 5 and the District of Columbia. As you are aware, for years TCCR has provided empowerment activities with extreme focus on youth development .in the Trinidad community and are expanding its services to include job training, placement and employnment retention. Most importantly, the project will assist in providing residents of the community with additional training and valued apprenticeship programs. I have met with representatives of the proposed Initiative and development to review and discuss their benefits, sharing the information with the community. The proposed project will bring much needed retail, recreational and other benefits to the community. Also, the proposed Center will also have a positive impact on the immediate and surrounding cormmecial area that is currently an eyesore and considered a no-growth area. TCCR believes the proposed development project will result in additional development along New York Avenue, resulting in more job opportunities for the residents of Ward 5 and more revenues for the District of Columbia, TCCR supports the Initiative and its proposed Center. We ask the Board to act favorably on this proposed measure and put it on the ballot for the voters of the District of Columbia to decide in November. Sincerely,
Copy: Board Members Wilhelmina Lawson May 26, 2004 D.C. Board of Electrons & Ethics Wilhelrnina Lawson Dear Board Members: Re: "Jobs, Education, and Healthcare .Lottery Expansion Initiative of 2004 I write in support of the proposed measure "Jobs, Education, and Healthcare Lottery Expansion Initiative of 2004" and request that the Board approve it for the initiative process I represent the Single Member District ("SMD") 5B06, which is the adjoining SMD where the proposed project, Capital Horizon Entertainment Center will be located. I believe the project will create many jobs and training programs for District residents, especially those who live in my SMD and the Ward 5 community. Further, it will greatly benefit the District because it will generate millions of dollars in revenue frown the Video Lottery Terminals and property, sales, payroll and retail tax. This section of Ward 5 has been neglected for many years and is lacking in the kind of shopping, eating. and recreational activities the proposed project will bring to New York Ave and Bladensburg Road, N.E. The Capital Horizon Entertainment Center, with its hotel, spa, restaurants, bowling alley, Kids' Zone, theaters and movie houses, will be an attractive addition to the area and will change the landscape of the neighborhood and surrounding areas and make it a more desirable community to live, Further, as a major entry into the District of Columbia, New York Avenue needs to be vastly improved and cleaned up. The Capital Horizon Entertainment Center provides this opportunity. Finally, since the early 1980s, District citizens have placed several gaining initiatives on the ballot, and there should not be an issue regarding whether this proposed measure is a proper subject matter of initiative. Indeed the existing lottery and daily numbers game is a result of a ballot initiative. The Board of Elections and Ethics should act favorably, move expeditiously and put this proposed Initiative on the November ballot. Respectfully, May 24, 2004 D.C. Board of Elections & Ethics Joan E. Black Dear Board Members: Re: "Jobs, Education, and Healthcare Lottery Expansion Initiative of 2004 On behalf of ANC Single Member District ("SMD") 5B09, I support the proposed measure "Jobs, Education, and Healthcare Lottery Expansion Initiative of 2004" and urge the Board to give it favorable consideration and put the measure before the voters on the November 2004 ballot. If the Initiative is passed by the voters of the District of Columbia, it will result in one of the largest economic development projects for Ward 5 and the city. The proposed project, Capital Horizon Entertainment Center will house a 600-800 room hotel, spa, Kids' Zone, bowling alley, several restaurants, entertainment theaters, and other recreation facilities. It will generate and provide over thousands of jobs for District residents; jobs that will create opportunities for my constituents and the Ward 5 community. Moreover, it will benefit the District as a whole by generating millions of dollars in tax revenues from the Video Lottery Terminals, property, sales, payroll and retail businesses. Equally important, I believe a project of such magnitude will have a positive impact on the city. Besides generating additional jobs and revenues, the proposed Center will bring an array of business, dining, shopping and recreation facilities to a part of the city that is strategically located, but has been neglected and underdeveloped. Finally, the proposed Entertainment Center will lead to the improvement and revitalization of the New York Avenue Corridor, a major gateway into the District of Columbia. I urge the Board to act favorably on this proposed measure and to move expeditiously so that the voters of the District of Columbia can cast a vote in the November election. Respectfully, D.C. Board of Elections & Ethnics Mr Robert Green III Dear Board Members: Subject : Lottery Expansion Initiative of 2004 On behalf of the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC-DC), I write in support of the proposed measure "Lottery Expansion Initiative of 2004", and ask the Board to approve it for the November 2004 ballot, This is an important Initiative that will generate new jobs and much needed revenue for the District of Columbia. Moveover, the proponents and investors supporting this Initiative are involving local and minority citizens and businesses at a level that is meaningful and significant. If this measure is passed by the voters of the District of Columbia, it will result in a major economic development project for the city. The proposed facility, Capital Horizon Entertainment Center will house a 600-800 room hotel ' several restaurants, banquet rooms, entertainment halls , underground parking and other recreation facilities . It will generate and provide between 1,500 to 2,000 jobs, many of them in the hositality and food service industry. NAMC-DC represents approximately 70 contractors and businesses in the District of Columbia, In addition to the job opportunities, I am confident a project of this magnitude can be a boom to the city's tourism industry and help create additional developments along the New York Avenue Corridor .The mix of business, dining, shopping and recreation facilites will attract visitors and tourists to one of the city's gateways that has been neglected for too long . It will also help clean up and improve New York Avenue and its surrounding areas, and generate additional. revenues and jobs for the city. Therefore, I urge the Board to act favorably on this proposed measure , Respectfully, Statement of Perry Queen Good morning. My name is Perry Queen and I am a Ward 5 resident. I worked with Councilmember Harry Thomas Sr. as his Campaign Manager for 12 years and his Special Assistant. One of Harry Thomas' goals while he was on the City Council was to develop New York Avenue and make it an attractive gateway to the city. The New York Avenue Gateway development was also a goal that former Councilmember John Ray advocated when he was on the Council. I was also on the New York Avenue Gateway Committee with former Councilmember Nadine Winters. The purpose of this Committee was to beautify every gateway into the city. And I am happy to say that we have started on one of them today. When I saw the community presentation on the project, I was elated to see the proposed facilities to be included in the planned development. I hope the Initiative will be approved by the citizens of the District of Columbia. From the jobs, revenue, and impact of the surrounding area, this project could be the most significant project in Ward 5 since Home Rule. It could be equal to, if not greater than the MCI Center project. Thus, I am here today to add my full support to this Initiative and the planned development. I ask the Board to act affirmatively and allow the process to go forward to place this matter on the November ballot. Thank you for your consideration of my comments. |
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