The Most Important Legislation of the Year
On Tuesday, May 30, the DC Council will hold its first vote on the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget, the single most important legislation the Council will pass this year. It is critical that DC4D members weigh in on this critical bill, which drives government policies for the coming year.
The Council needs to hear from every one of us via phone or email (and supplement with Twitter, if possible). At a minimum, contact your ward Councilmember, the Chairman, and the four At-large Councilmembers. Contact information is below.
SAMPLE PHONE/EMAIL SCRIPT
[Add your own introduction, with name, ward/neighborhood, and that you are a member of DC for Democracy, a taxpayer and a voter]
I urge you to vote for an FY18 budget that the serves the people of DC. The status quo of extreme inequality, gentrification/displacement, and concentrated poverty is not acceptable. The public expects the Council to address these problems through the budget.
If you vote to award $40 million in FY18 alone for estate and business tax cuts to the wealthy, Councilmembers are indeed out of touch with the needs of the public. Those funds are urgently needed for more important priorities, including: 1) repair of public housing, 2) rental assistance, 3) permanent supportive housing, 4) additional staff for the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs to hold slumlords accountable, and 5) full funding for the NEAR Act, including $6 million for the Office of Neighborhood Engagement & Safety. It is simply unacceptable for the Council to award high-income tax cuts in a city with the highest income inequality and an affordable housing crisis that has been exacerbated by government policy.
The Council also needs to fund the start-up costs for Paid Family Leave. DC has sufficient reserve funds to finance the additional $20 million needed to implement this program. It is also vital that the Council maintain its commitment to the legislation passed last year, and it is unacceptable to go back to square one at this point.
I will remember the FY18 budget when I cast my vote in 2018 and beyond. Thank you.”
CONTACT INFORMATION
Chairman Mendelson [At-large] pmendelson@dccouncil.us 202-724-8032
Anita Bonds [At-Large] abonds@dccouncil.us 202-724-8064
David Grosso [At-Large] dgrosso@dccouncil.us 202-724-8105
Elissa Silverman [At-Large] esilverman@dccouncil.us 202-724-7772
Robert White [At-Large] rwhite@dccouncil.us 202-724-8174
Brianne Nadeau [Ward 1] bnadeau@dccouncil.us 202-724-8181
Jack Evans [Ward 2] jackevans@dccouncil.us 202-724-8058
Mary Cheh [Ward 3] mcheh@dccouncil.us 202-724-8062
Brandon Todd [Ward 4] btodd@dccouncil.us 202-724-8052
Kenyan McDuffie [Ward 5] kmcduffie@dccouncil.us 202-724-8028
Charles Allen [Ward 6] callen@dccouncil.us 202-724-8072
Vince Gray [Ward 7] vgray@dccouncil.us 202-724-8068
Trayon White, Sr [Ward 8] twhite@dccouncil.us 202-724-8045
Copy and paste the at-large Councilmembers into your email: pmendelson@dccouncil.us, abonds@dccouncil.us, dgrosso@dccouncil.us, esilverman@dccouncil.us, rwhite@dccouncil.us.
Also, we’d love to see your email! Please cc: dcfordemocracy@gmail.com.
