INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT TO WARD 4 VOTERS
I have been a voice for working people by fighting for
government workers as a shop steward for SEIU Local 668 and as an
active member of a federal government union at the NLRB. I have worked
tirelessly as a union lawyer for UFCW International for 20 years,
handling trials and arbitrations, advising negotiations, and supporting
organizing campaigns.
I have been a voice for growing my community here in DC by:
- Serving 2 terms as a DC Human Rights Commissioner,
- Helping to lead
the fight to save DC General Hospital,
- Working with the Fix Our
Schools Coalition for passage of billions of dollars to renovate and
build new public schools,
- Fighting for mandatory inclusionary zoning
to build more affordable housing, and
- Fighting to save unused public
property for public use, such as training centers, and not giveaways to
developers. I tutored homeless children and worked on projects to raise
scholarship money for college-bound DC youth.
As a fifth-year ANC Commissioner, I continue to be the voice
for my Single Member District. Since the beginning of my ANC service, I
have communicated with my constituents by preparing a monthly
newsletter on issues important to our community. I secured a voluntary
agreement with a Class C license holder to provide better maintenance
outside his business, sidewalk repairs, traffic calming devices, and
rodent control for many blocks; sponsored a health fair; convinced
businesses to remove graffiti from their store fronts; and pressured
DCRA to fix code violations throughout my SMD. I have also been
fighting to save Truesdell Elementary School and upgrade Rudolph
Elementary School. When I became Chair of 4D last year, I implemented
the first ANC-wide newsletter.
I will be Ward 4's full time voice on the DC Council. Based on
my experience as a civil rights investigator, 2-term DC Human Rights
Commissioner, and a union lawyer, I have the tools to be an effective
legislator. I know how investigate and analyze laws, draft legislation,
determine whether conduct complies with the law, and keep oversight
over agencies to make them perform.
The overriding issues for Ward 4 are Public Education,
Economic Development which benefits the public by providing family
sustaining jobs, affordable housing, and alternatives to criminal
activity, and more organized and effective Constituent Services.
Over the years, I’ve embraced causes I believe in. My guiding
principals are the advancement of my community and that government
should act solely to benefit the people, not big developers and
corporations. Mine is the community of working people–people like my
Mother and Father who worked all their lives to better their family as
well as the community at large.
When you elect me to Council, you won’t get a rubber stamp. My
undivided loyalty will be to Ward 4. You will have a Council Member who
will never take corporate contributions.
