THE NORTHWEST CURRENT-WASHINGTON INFORMER VOTER GUIDE QUESTIONNAIRE

2/28/2014

"The Washington Informer newspaper and The Northwest Current are teaming up to provide the official voters' guide for the Ward 5 race. Here are some questions you would need to answer."



WARD 5 COUNCIL CANDIDATE CAROLYN C. STEPTOE’S
RESPONSES TO CURRENT-INFORMER QUESTIONNAIRE Responses will be published in print newspapers

1) In Ward 5, there are some neighborhoods that have crime problems while others do not. What will you do as a council member to fight crime in the ward?

As an advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 5, I regularly attend monthly community meetings and stakeholder meetings wherein our Ward 5 residents address their public safety and crime concerns their ANC and the Fifth District Metropolitan Police Department. While varying in scope, type and degree, residents from all Ward 5 neighborhoods express concerns about specific crimes occurring in their neighborhoods. Whether robberies, assaults, disorderly conduct, theft, metro crimes, burglaries, shootings, and yes, even homicides, no Ward 5 neighborhood is exempt from crime. Recently, my own Brookland neighborhood made news for its snatch and grab ATM robbery and ranking as the most dangerous Metro station. Same as other wards in the District, Ward 5 has struggling communities and populations. Studies have found that those living in poverty and poverty-stricken areas have fewer options in life. They tend to have health and housing issues, high unemployment and education issues. They also tend to live closer to freeways and industrial areas, which are, themselves, traditionally areas of high unemployment. As long as our citizens’ basic needs are left unmet, unfortunately many will turn to crime to survive. However, I believe that, given the opportunity of decent-paying employment, affordable housing and quality education, these struggling citizens will become productive citizens.

As the Ward 5 councilmember, I am sensitive to our struggling populations and shall continue to help them out of disparate poverty and income and educational inequality. As one of only five recipients – citywide - of the 2013 Metropolitan Police Department Citizen of the Year award, I will build on the sustained, collaborative alliance and community partnerships already established with the Metropolitan Police Department. As MPD observes, I am not afraid to face community issues head-on and this is reflected throughout the community, businesses and citizens of my community. I will bring this same vigilance to all neighborhoods of Ward 5. Specifically, our city council must demonstrate its dedication to effective policing by its substantive budgetary allocations on behalf of District citizens and the MPD patrol offices charged with protecting and serving our residents. Appreciatively, the Fifth District Precinct, which patrols the majority of Ward 5, saw the greatest crime reduction in the city in 2013.

I will also structure a multi-faceted plan to create safer Ward 5 neighborhoods. We need smart investments in effective programs to reduce recidivism; the most serious crimes are committed by previous offenders. At a minimum, our returning residents need a high school diploma and we must invest in job training and apprenticeship programs that help put them on the pathway to a livable, career earning job. Studies show that a good education and a decent, wage-earning job is the best deterrent to crime.

2) Ward 5 has the third highest unemployment rate in the city. What will you do to see that unemployed Ward 5 residents find jobs?

The city is experiencing tremendous economic prosperity and economic dividends. Unfortunately, significant populations in Ward 5 are hurting and suffering in silence. Despite the city’s gentrification and revitalization policies, many Ward 5 residents feel left out, pushed out and ignored by leadership. Economic inequality, joblessness, unaffordable housing, poor schools, poor city services, homelessness and overall fear about day-to-day survival makes the District a tale of two cities for many. The economic and income disparity inequality gap in Ward 5 - same as in Wards 7 and 8 - was reflected in a 2012 census data report. This report was published by the DC Fiscal Policy Institute and showed that the District of Columbia has one of the highest levels of income inequality among the nation’s cities (“D.C.’s gap is one of the nation’s widest’). Only Atlanta and Boston showed higher levels of income inequality in 2010. The report stated that the disparity was the result of two vastly different economies in the District - one economy is populated by college graduates thriving in well-paying information and government jobs; the other is for people lacking higher education, scrambling for even low-paying work. In Ward Five, income disparity is stark and prevalent w/disproportionately high numbers of minority Ward 5 households live just at or below the poverty line, receive food stamps, TANF, are jobless and have low educational attainment.

Our city must substantively allocate funds to re-introduce job readiness (career wage earning trade and technical vocation schools) for our residents. In addition to creating accredited vocational and technical educational schools, I would elicit that local universities, public and private sector collaborative partnerships become re-established as a feeder gateway to ensure successful entry for our youth into living wage earning careers. Trade and vocational programs would range accounting to bookkeeping, automotive technology, nursing; computer information systems, welding, cosmetology, microcomputer support, digital media to graphic design. Our city has, historically, heralded and budgeted taxpayer dollars for trade and technical vocation training. To our credit, our wise city tax dollar investments proved a viable, sustainable benefit for all. We must enact legislation and policy which creates and promotes substantive technical and vocational educational training to ensure the successful workforce, living wage entry of our resident.

3) Ward 5 has the highest concentration of seniors in the city. What will you do to see that seniors can age in place and that the ward is more senior-friendly?

In the District of Columbia, reports indicate that about 11 percent of our city’s 630,000 residents are 65 or older; more than half of those residents live alone.

In recent years, our city budget has made significant cuts to key programs for our seniors. Thousands of older adults depend on services and programs funded by the District -- from home delivered meals to adult day health care. Lack of affordable housing is identified as the biggest challenge to uniting the city and the population grows. Yet our city continues to cut the budget for senior services. In 2013, hundreds of District seniors showed on a very rainy day at a council budget hearing urging the City Council to move $5.8 million from the mayor’s wish list for the D.C. Office on Aging onto the 2014 budget. Although the proposed budget for senior services is roughly $30 million, advocates note more is needed to support life in a city where basic necessities have become increasingly expensive. District seniors deserve what belong to them; they lived and remained in the city when no one else wanted to be here. Our seniors gave their time, money and their life to the District of Columbia and we must ensure they are able to live comfortably, fairly and respectfully in our city in their old age.

As councilmember, I will introduce legislation for more budget allocation to support senior programs. Programs such as transportation, health care and financial counseling for our seniors are necessities. Unfortunately, due to the recession, many senior advocacy groups are experiencing inability to further managing their senior programs. Ward 5’s Seabury, Washington Home for the Aged, the DC Chapter of AARP, Legal Counsel for the Elderly are but a few senior providers impacted by the recession. Since 2009 advocates note, seven nonprofit senior organizations have dropped as lead agency providers.

As councilmember, it is not unreasonable for our city to strongly advocate for substantive funding for our seniors. Our city must also retain its momentum to fund senior groups and senior programs. Seniors need community recreation rooms and recreation facilities to exercise and socialize. Many need senior day care centers and senior well centers. Ward 5 has such facilities but not in all Ward neighborhoods. As councilmember, I shall introduce budgetary legislation to support our seniors and their quality of life. Additionally, significant senior waivers, tax credits and tax abatements must be enacted to protect against erroneous tax liens, liabilities and high payments,

4) Ward 5 is changing demographically with new residents coming in and the more established ones feeling a bit threatened. What will you do to bridge this divide and unite the ward?

Gentrification in Ward 5 and the city has created a conspicuous schism - top down. As a current, 3-term advisory neighborhood commissioner in the Brookland neighborhood of Ward 5, I know first-hand the ongoing negative, domino effect, (including very divisive citizen wars) the city’s gentrification-as-a-key-revitalization strategy has on city policy, city legislation, budget allocation and city agency. In Ward 5 and throughout the city, new and old residents, black and white residents are, in real time, polarized and pitted against each other in response to city policies and city legislations derived from gentrification. Old residents feel ignored, shut out and left out as taxpayers. New residents feel entitled, expectant and deserving as taxpayers. Both simply want and deserve quality city services reflective of their individual life and needs.

Meanwhile, city policy and city legislation has created a real-time schism whereby households, individuals and populations in Ward 5 are suffering in silence. Our city is a tale of two cities - the haves and the have-nots - and this disparity is growing. City processes of fair and substantive redress for our citizens’ and their concerns about quality of life issues are typically minimized, marginalized or routinely ignored. In the face of the District’s prosperity dividend, issues involving inappropriate development in our neighborhoods, school closures and poor schools, loss of parks, diminished senior and health services, rising homelessness, reduced youth advocacy are all shuttled to the back to continue the frontal revitalization push of the city’s gentrification agenda, processes and policies. The divide created by the city is huge and the wedge is a reality of unfairness, disparity and sometimes animus. As ANC, the divide took very ugly turns in Ward 5 such that in the course of ANCs’ carrying out their duly sworn duties to provide a voice to the most directly affected residents about issues and projects, intense, mob-like anger, hostility, threats even court action from pro-gentrification factions ensued against ANCs. Such behaviors are an unfortunate residual reality of imbalance city strategies and imbalanced city policy.

As councilmember of Ward 5, brokering discussions and eliciting cooperative engagement among neighborhood stakeholders is tantamount to success. Nationwide, such discussions and dialogues continue, some in very public mediums. Thoughtful legislative sensitivity and substantive, balanced enactments on behalf of our District citizens must take precedence over legislative deference to big business and special interest goals.

As councilmember, since I do not accept any campaign contributions, I will not be beholden to special interest groups or business – only the voters of Ward 5 and their quality of life concerns.






Paid for by Candidate Carolyn C. Steptoe, 1257 Lawrence Street, NE, 2013 Ward 5 D.C. City Council candidate (D.C. Official Code §1-1102.10). A copy of our report is filed with the Director of Campaign Finance of the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (D.C. Official Code §1-1102.01(e)).

Carolyn C. Steptoe's Responses to WAMU's 2014 Voter Guide Questionnaire

WAMU will publish its 2014 WAMU Voter Guide candidate profile. The station will initiate a strong push to get WAMU listeners to the voter guide so they can read the candidates' own words, unfiltered by the media.

Responses will be published on WAMU website: www.WAMU.org.


STEPTOE'S RESPONSES TO WAMU VOTER GUIDE QUESTIONNAIRE
(Responses cannot exceed 1000 characters)

AGE: 54

FAMILY: Divorced. I have a very large nuclear family. I am one of twelve children; 8th child; 2nd eldest girl.

PHONE: 202-281-4362

LENGTH OF RESIDENCY: Somewhat transitory. I was born in Freedmen's Hospital (Howard University) and I am a 3rd generation Washingtonian on my father's side. My parents divorced when I was six and, being reared by my father, my siblings and I left DC with him and headed south. He was an executive so we landed in Houston, Dallas and Atlanta. I returned to DC when I was 14 but left again at 18 for undergrad (New Orleans). I returned in my late 20s and I have been home ever since.

EDUCATION: • Maple Springs Baptist Bible College and Seminary, MD – Doctor of Ministry (D.Min./candidate), Biblical Counseling • Keller Graduate School of Management, Bethesda, MD – Master of Human Resources Management (MHRM)• The University of the District of Columbia – Bachelor of Arts (BA), History • The Catholic University of America – Nursing• Dillard University, New Orleans – Social Work

OCCUPATION: I have worked my entire career in different capacities within various private sector corporate industries including legal, medical, higher education and telecommunications. I own and operate Twilight Legal Services, Inc., a boutique legal staffing company I started in 1992. Historically, Twilight primarily services D.C. area law firm clients.

ARE YOU AN INCUMBENT? No

WEBSITE: http://steptoe4ward5.blogspot.com

EMAIL ADDRESS: csteptoe@verizon.net

CAMPAIGN HQ ADDRESS: 1257 Lawrence Street, NE


What experiences do you have that qualify you for this position?

Most D.C. city council members are former advisory neighborhood commissioners. Since 2008, I have been elected in the last three consecutive general elections to serve as the Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner of my district. As an elected ANC responsible to a 2000 person constituency, I am entrusted, under oath, to consider a range of policies and programs affecting our District neighborhoods. Some of the policies and programs include traffic, parking, recreation, street improvements, liquor licenses, zoning, economic development, police protection, sanitation and trash collection, and the District's annual budget. As an ANC, I am the body of government with the closest official ties to the people in my neighborhood. I present positions and recommendations on issues to various District government agencies, the Executive Branch, and the Council. I also present testimony to independent agencies, boards, and commissions.

What are the three most important actions you would take if elected?

There are a myriad of important actions needed on the council but, three pressing actions I would take include: (1) Introduce legislation seeking D.C. Council to vote to repeal the 2010 D.C. Council Act 18-344, “Expanding Access to Juvenile Records Amendment Act of 2010.” (2) Introduce and push to enact three legislation: (a) Substantive voucher or subsidized housing/transitional discharge program for aged out emancipated teenage foster children (under age 21) as well as aged out foster youth (up to 25). This will help youth secure essential supports and services available to foster youth seeking to learn to live independently as adults; (b) Allocate substantive city funds to create not less than 1 emergency shelter per ward to provide services and safe haven to homeless youth; (c) Legislation and policy which creates and promotes substantive technical and vocational educational training for our youth and young adults.(3) Introduce legislation and push for D.C. council term limits

What are the key differences between you and your opponent(s) that make you the best choice?

My record of helping Ward 5 residents’ and communities is unmatched by my opponents. Whether private citizen or elected ANC, for almost 10 years, I am routinely asked by Ward 5 residents and communities to help them challenge city policy or city legislation they deem unfair or negative upon their quality of life. In spite of opposition, each time, I agreed to help. Some of the issues include: (1) Asked by Burroughs ES parents and teachers to function as key spokesperson to help stop neighborhood school closings and DCPS firings; (2) Contacted by Ivy City leaders to help fight city council efforts to dump nude strip clubs into their neighborhood; (3) Contacted by Trinidad community leaders to testify and help advocate against police checkpoints; (4) Initiated and led effort to successfully stop historic designation application proposed for Brookland; (5) Joined senior citizen property owners in their fight against a developer to protect their homes and quality of life.

Should council members have outside employment?

Council should be expressly prohibited from any outside employment unless it is as faculty or lecturer. Additionally, Council members should be expressly prohibited from simultaneously engaging in outside consultative or professional services, sitting on paid Boards or on Boards comprised largely of individuals or entities with matters pending before or doing business with the District of Columbia. Such concurrent employment is ripe for conflict of interest, influence peddling, graft, corruption, etc. The seriousness of crafting and implementing city laws, oversight of effective, thoughtful viable public policy for government agencies and legislation on behalf of citizenry, along with ongoing, proactive engagement with electorate is an all-encompassing and time-consuming responsibility. Elected public service is an honor. As such, council duties should be given the highest priority and most singular attention by elected council members.

How do you plan on creating an environment where all community members and activists can have their voices heard?

Accessible, collaborative partnerships are invaluable to create substantive dialogues and relationships. Within my first 100 days, I would convene meetings with all Ward 5 ANCs, civic associations, community groups, church leaders and business owners to begin what would remain ongoing, quarterly discussions. More importantly however would be my direct visibility and accessibility to Ward 5 residents. Residents desire an accessible and available councilmember in the community. With that, I would establish and staff a Ward 5 constituent office. This ward-based office would be centrally located in the Ward and I would work there at least one day a week. Residents would know my schedule and would have direct access to their councilmember, instead of travelling or calling downtown. Constituents believe accessibility is indicative of being heard. An unreachable, unseen ward councilmember does not engender confidence amongst residents, community members or activists.

Where do you stand on the development of the McMillan Sand Filtration site?

I attended the 2006, community meeting held by National Capital Revitalization Corporation at Catholic University. NCRC presented their plans for mixed-used redevelopment of the McMillan Filtration site. My position in 2006 was that NCRC redevelop the McMillan site in a manner that sensitively addresses the needs of Ward 5 residents, namely, that the surrounding McMillan site is a safe, open green space, accessible to all residents. I iterated then (as a 2006 Ward 5 council candidate) that Ward 5 has limited and restricted availability to open spaces and that most Ward 5 recreation facilities were neither spacious, green nor relaxing. My then-recommendation was that a substantial portion of the McMillan site, it not all of it, be maintained as a park, with bike and walking paths. Any development should be limited to low-density, low-to-moderate income housing. In 2014, my position remains the same.

What changes, if any, would you like to see to the current school boundaries and feeder patterns?

I would like to see that the current school boundaries and feeder patterns by the Chancellor do not further education inequality, perpetuate segregation of our children and manipulate our children as guinea pigs.

Do you support neighborhood preference for charter schools?

I do not support neighborhood preference for charter schools because I do not support charters. The charter school versus public school debate is flanked with questionable data and disagreement about charter performance - the majority of reports conclude charter achievement is indistinguishable from that of traditional public schools. Because charters are public funded, their autonomy, freedom to establish their own methods of operation and standards of conduct, it is not unusual that charters would not give preference to neighborhood children. Indeed, because the education outcomes of top tier charter schools results from selection bias, their idea to accept demonstratively dedicated students and families validates their existence. Charters can pick and chose who best suits their existence and survival. In the District of Columbia, many neighborhood children and their families are incompatible with this charter ideal.

Do you support campaign finance reform? If so, what reforms would you be in favor of?

Since I do not accept monetary campaign contributions from individuals or special interest groups, lest the prospect of beholden to person(s) other than those who elected me, I would wholeheartedly support DC enacted Arizona’s Clean Elections law. The Clean Elections law would provide public funding for legislative and statewide (DC) candidates who qualify and agree to forgo private fundraising. The law also contained “trigger matching funds,” which were issued to participating candidates who faced high-spending, non-participating opponents or outside groups. Such funds provided publicly funded candidates with additional grants when their opponents or third parties spent more than a threshold “trigger” amount against them. Trigger matching funds enabled states such as Arizona to provide publicly funded candidates with enough money to run in competitive races while avoiding the waste of public funds on uncompetitive races. The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU is a key CFR advocate.




Paid for by Candidate Carolyn C. Steptoe, 1257 Lawrence Street, NE, 2013 Ward 5 D.C. City Council candidate (D.C. Official Code §1-1102.10). A copy of our report is filed with the Director of Campaign Finance of the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (D.C. Official Code §1-1102.01(e)).

Steptoe's Responses to DC Alliance of Youth Advocates (DCAYA) Questionnaire

"The Campaign Trail Comes Through DCAYA. This year we are debuting our DCAYA Candidate Questionnaire. As advocates for the youth of DC, we recognize that one of the critical starting points of a youth-friendly city is educating potential policymakers and the people who vote for them.

This year we chose the Socratic method - ask the candidates basic questions about youth issues in DC and have them research, then articulate their answers in less than 150 words.

The candidates’ answers will be released on our website this Monday, February 24. They answered the five questions listed below."

View all candidate responses posted on DCAYA's website: http://www.dc-aya.org/resources/election-questionaire/4

www.dc-aya.org



CANDIDATE STEPTOE'S RESPONSES TO DC ALLIANCE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES' QUESTIONNAIRE--2/19/14

DC Alliance of Youth Advocates (DCAYA) is the citywide coalition that works to ensure policies, programs and practices within the District of Columbia that promote and propel youth into a productive and healthy adulthood.


In 150 words or less: - http://www.dc-aya.org/resources/election-questionaire/4

WARD CANDIDATES

1) WHAT YOUTH-SPECIFIC LEGISLATION WOULD YOU INTRODUCE IN YOUR FIRST 100 DAYS OF OFFICE?

I would introduce legislation seeking D.C. Council to vote to repeal the 2010 D.C. Council Act 18-344, “Expanding Access to Juvenile Records Amendment Act of 2010.” Prior to 2010 in the District of Columbia, the mere existence of law enforcement records for a juvenile could not be disclosed to the public. However, the new law makes changes to juvenile confidentiality. This disclosure applies if the juvenile is adjudicated of certain kinds of offenses. In addition, officials from the Family Court, the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS), or the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) can disclose certain information from a juvenile’s law enforcement records to school officials or mental health professionals if, in their professional judgment, they believe it will help the juvenile. Regardless of the offense charged, victims, eyewitnesses, or their attorneys may be permitted to access some information contained in a juvenile’s case records

http://beforeyouplea.com/dc, “Think Before You Plead: Juvenile Collateral Consequences in the District of Columbia.”

http://www.childrenslawcenter.org/sites/default/files/clc/Fact%20Sheet%20Juvenile%20Records%20Act%20(May%202011).pdf “FACT SHEET: Expanding Access to Juvenile Records Amendment Act.”

2) HOMELESSNESS IS A CLEAR AND PRESENT ISSUE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. HOMELESSNESS AMONG MINORS (UNDER 18), YOUTH (18-24), AND YOUNG PARENTS (UNDER 24) IS A PARTICULARLY ACUTE AND COMPLEX ISSUE. HOW WILL YOU ADDRESS THIS ISSUE?

In the face of the city’s prosperity dividend, far too many families live homelessness as an unfortunate daily reality. DC has seen a dramatic increase in homeless families over past several years. Yet, our city budget does not reflect additional assistance needed for homeless residents. A longtime provider of runaway and homeless youth services for District called out the city for falling short of its commitment to help homeless youth. With an estimated 1,880 homeless youth in D.C., recidivism of youth incarceration carries a hefty price tag for D.C. taxpayers. To address this issue, I would introduce and push to enact two key legislations: (1) substantive voucher or subsidized housing/transitional discharge program for aged out emancipated teenage foster children and aged out foster youth and (2) allocate substantive city funds to create not less than 1 emergency shelter per ward.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/19/sasha-bruce-youthwork-homelessness_n_2908568.html
http://www.dcfpi.org/guest-blog-dcs-prosperity-must-be-shared-in-by-all-its-residents
http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/homeless-and-runaway-youth.aspx
http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/homeless-and-runaway-youth.aspx


3) ONLY 13.2% OF 16-19 YEARS OLDS AND 42% OF 20-24 YEARS OLDS WERE ABLE TO FIND PAID, UNSUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT THAT THEY WERE QUALIFIED FOR IN DC IN 2011. WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO IMPROVE SUCCESSFUL ENTRY TO THE WORKFORCE FOR DC YOUTH?

Our city must substantively allocate funds to re-introduce job readiness (career wage earning trade and technical vocation schools) for our youth and young adult residents. In addition to creating accredited vocational and technical educational schools, I would elicit that local universities, public and private sector collaborative partnerships become re-established as a feeder gateway to ensure successful entry for our youth into living wage earning careers. Trade and vocational programs would range accounting to bookkeeping, automotive technology, nursing; computer information systems, welding, cosmetology, microcomputer support, digital media to graphic design. Our city has historically, long heralded and budgeted taxpayer dollars for trade and technical vocation training. To our credit, our wise city tax dollar investments proved a viable, sustainable benefit for all. We must enact legislation and policy which creates and promotes substantive technical and vocational educational training to ensure the successful workforce entry of our youth and young adults.

4) RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT QUALITY EXPANDED LEARNING IMPROVES DC YOUTHS’ COGNITIVE AND NON-COGNITIVE SKILLS. YET, EACH YEAR THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF DC YOUTH WHO REMAIN UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMS THAT IMPROVE ACADEMIC, SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL, HEALTH AND WORKFORCE READINESS OUTCOMES. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE BARRIERS? HOW WOULD YOU REMOVE THE BARRIERS YOU’VE IDENTIFIED?

The stresses of poverty — such as crowded conditions, financial worry, and lack of adequate child care — lead to impaired learning ability in children from impoverished backgrounds. The theory is based on several years of studies matching stress hormone levels to behavioral and school readiness test results in young children from impoverished backgrounds. If many so-called education reformers really want to close the student achievement gap (cognitive and non-cognitive), we must direct fire away from public school educators and take aim at the real issue—poverty. Substandard housing, lack of housing, erratic households, volatile neighborhoods, crimes, mental illness, addiction issues, unemployment, hunger, racism and overall life instability all directly affect cognitive progressive development during the infant-to-young adult stages. Tackling the effect of our city’s ongoing, institutionally disparate, residually entrenched poverty must be reflected as collective, dire importance in our city policy, legislative governance and budget allocations.

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/aug2012/nichd-28.htmhttp://www.naswdc.org/practice/adolescent_health/ah0503.pdf
http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/all/article/561654/Rising-Poverty-Effect-on-the-Youth/

5) IN DC, AROUND 14,000 YOUTH ARE DISCONNECTED FROM SCHOOL AND WORK. THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE TRYING TO RE-ENGAGE, BUT THERE ARE MANY OBSTACLES INCLUDING A TIME-CONSUMING CHILDCARE VOUCHER SYSTEM, COSTLY PUBLIC TRANSPORT, AND HAVING TO GO TO SEVERAL BUREAUS TO GET PROPER DOCUMENTATION. HOW WOULD YOU MOST EFFECTIVELY ADDRESS THESE BARRIERS?

As consistently posited throughout this questionnaire, I believe the District of Columbia MUST put its money where its mouth is – and financially budget support for the many dire facets of our most vulnerable population. Our current and continuing prosperity dividends afford us the responsible behavior to care for our historically neglected and marginalized.





Paid for by Candidate Carolyn C. Steptoe, 1257 Lawrence Street, NE, 2013 Ward 5 D.C. City Council candidate (D.C. Official Code §1-1102.10). A copy of our report is filed with the Director of Campaign Finance of the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (D.C. Official Code §1-1102.01(e)).

STEPTOE'S Responses to League of Women Voters' 411 Voter Guide

VOTE 411.ORG - ELECTION INFORMATION YOU NEED "Enter your address to find your polling place, build your ballot with our online voters' guide and much more! With our voters' guide you can see the races on your ballot, compare candidates' positions side-by-side, and print out a "ballot" indicating your preferences as a reminder and take it with you to the polls on Election Day. Disclaimer: All statements and videos are posted directly by the candidate, unedited by the League of Women Voters and do not express the views of the League. The League never supports or opposes candidates or political parties."


COMPARE CANDIDATE CAROLYN C. STEPTOE'S RESPONSES TO QUESTIONNAIRE - Published on LWV's vote 411 website: http://www.vote411.org



D.C. Ward 5 City Council

QUESTION: The Tax Revision Commission recently released their findings. What are your positions on the various tax code changes recommended by the Tax Revision Commission? How would you ensure that the tax code would protect less affluent taxpayers while continuing the revitalization of neighborhoods and overall economic development?

CAROLYN C. STEPTOE'S RESPONSE: In 2012, the DC Fiscal Policy Institute published its census data report about D.C.’s income inequality gap. DCFPI’s report indicated that the District has one of the highest levels of income inequality among the nation’s cities (‘income inequality gap in D.C. one of nation’s widest’), with the top fifth earning on average 29 times the income of the bottom fifth. Only Atlanta and Boston showed higher levels of income inequality in 2010. DCFPI’s report stated that the dichotomy was the result of two vastly different economies in the District. One is populated by college graduates thriving in well-paying information and government jobs. The other is for people lacking higher education, scrambling for even low-paying work. The Institute’s executive director opined that “it’s a sign of what a vital, attractive city this is, but that means the job market is really hard for anyone who doesn’t have advanced skills.” The report further notes that the gap in income levels in the District is particularly striking in comparison to the region as a whole.

In Ward Five, income disparity is stark and prevalent. In spite of published 2012 reports citing the average Ward 5 family income as $79,000, disproportionately high numbers of minority Ward 5 households live just at or below the poverty line, receive food stamps, TANF, are jobless and have low educational attainment. While I agree with DC Fiscal Policy Institute, Fair Budget Coalition and other advocacy groups that the recommendations are a bold step in the right direction to make DC’s tax structures more fair and progressive, unfortunately, the $40,000 base tax threshold applicable to both the (1) addition of two new middle income brackets to lower some income tax rates for moderate income residents and (2) give tax relief measures like raising the Earned Income Tax Credit for childless workers and raising the Personal Exemption and Standard Deduction to federal levels – may not provide significant or substantive relief toward income disparity need by the city’s large number of poorer residents and households.

In order to ensure the tax code protects the less affluent taxpayers and residents, I agree with DC Fiscal Policy Institute and DC Fair Budget Coalition that the increasing the tax rate at the top (and adding more top brackets) would both make the income tax structure truly progressive and help pay for tax relief measures for lower income residents.

QUESTION: What policies do you support to create more affordable housing?

CAROLYN C. STEPTOE'S RESPONSE: According to research, most policymakers consider housing affordable if it consumes less than 30 percent of a household’s gross income. If housing costs are higher than that, families must choose between shelter and other basic needs and will struggle to weather financial setbacks. Due to the city’s high income disparity, with the average median income now calculated in 6-figures, I wholeheartedly support the D.C. Zoning Rewrite Process on The Board of Zoning Adjustment Rules on the Inclusionary Zoning: Redefining Affordability in DC.

Specifically, the District must structure inclusionary zoning programs to pick up where rent control ended. The goal must be to preserve and protect affordable housing options for DC’s residents. Currently, with over 70,000 persons on the affordable housing wait list and with many reports showing because of the very hot housing market which is driving up rents and taxes at seemly uncontrollable rates in the District, there is very serious displacement impact for these residents. Indeed, a very significant population of most impacted District residents are seniors, elderly, families with children and individuals on fixed, limited and/or restricted income. With that, the D.C. Zoning Rewrite. The D.C. Zoning Rewrite is an excellent opportunity for the city to fix the current inclusionary zoning regulation problem by amending the existing zoning definitions of affordability that are based on incomes with at least two of the wealthiest counties in the Nation called the Area Median Income (“AMI”). The AMI metric includes incomes of households in the counties of Fairfax, VA and Montgomery, MD as required per federal HUD calculations which is not only unpredictable, as it fluctuates yearly, but because of its relation to VA and MD, AMI cannot truly paint a real picture of DC’s unique affordability needs.

An additional policy I support is that the Zoning Commission amend the DC Municipal Regulation 11-2601.1, which defines affordability eligibility for low and moderate income households, and dispose with an unpredictable and unreal AMI metric, replacing it with a metric more solidly based on a percentage of annual federal minimum wage (“AFMW”).

QUESTION: What improvements would you support to improve the election process and increase voter participation?

CAROLYN C. STEPTOE'S RESPONSE: I wholeheartedly support term limits for all D.C. elected officials. Our city needs council reform and we must limit the number of terms a councilmember can serve. It is an affront to D.C.’s limited self-governance of balanced representation that elected councilmembers can remain in office indefinitely as career politicians backed by political machines of big money and lobbyists. We know District of Columbia voters have, for some time, been disheartened with their status quo, if not self-serving, elected officials. A frequently heard refrain is that DC’s politicians do not care about the citizens who placed them in office and that, ‘you only see and hear from them when they are up for re-election.’ Low voter turnout is attributable to the belief that long-term councilpersons get re-elected and simply continue the same non-productive legislative decisionmaking contrary to District residents and District taxpayers. DC elected officials must engender confidence from our voters. Officials must demonstrate commitment to the residents who live and pay taxes in the city and must cease priority accommodation to businesses who receive taxpayer perks off the backs of our residents. Our career politicians have lost sight of the citizens who put them in office. Voters all too frequently continue to see big money lobbyists and campaigns contributors as priority of DC politicians. Our city has seen insider trading equivalents, councilpersons’ inability to work together, fiscal irresponsibility and overall taxpayer-funded benefits and perks our DC elected leaders enjoy - all while we struggle. Term limits may reduce the number of (1) career DC council politicians, (2) public perceptions of pay-to-play conflicts of interest and (2) vested lobbyist and special interest corruption in our government by our elected leaders. Term limits may likely both birth a newly elected officials not prone to exploit the system for personal gain and also an elected leader skeptical of lobbyists & special interests. Restricting the career service of our elected officials with term limits prevents those career politicians from amassing too much power and becoming too alienated from constituents. Our city must remove the intense focus on politics and instead return to policy for our citizens. Our city needs council reform and one major change to our election process to ensure increased voter participation is term limits.

What is the major issue facing our charter schools and the major issue facing our traditional public schools? How would you address these issues?

CAROLYN C. STEPTOE'S RESPONSE: While the charter school versus public school debate, one key question always lingers: Do children in charter schools learn more than kids in traditional public schools? Research is highly mixed—in part due the complexities of comparison and wide performance differences among charters. According to a 2013 NPR report, there has been years of disagreement over charter school data. The 2013 26-state study by Stanford University's Center for Research on Education Outcomes for example, concluded that children in most charter schools are doing worse or no better than students in traditional public schools. About a third are doing better and that is a big jump from four years ago. Does the reality of charter performance match this study? Not according to the Center for Education Reform. They claim Stanford manipulated data and made conclusions about policy based on 'un-credible' data. Additionally, Change.org noted numerous studies confirm that charter achievement is indistinguishable from that of traditional public schools. Some are successful, some are troubled and struggling, and the rest are somewhere in between just like traditional public schools. Because charters are publicly funded institutions that operate under their own standards of conduct and curriculum, they are given the freedom to establish their own methods of operation, similar to how many private schools are able to operate their instructional and social practices. Yet, despite these freedoms, many experts argue that the charter schools are under-performing in comparison to public schools. On the other hand, supporters of charter programs argue that the data used to draw negative attention to charter school scores is misleading, biased, or falsely computed. Further, some observers say that charters, by virtue of their autonomy, can be vulnerable to financial problems and mismanagement. Outside of managerial concerns, some critics have charged that, on a school-by-school basis, charters are more racially segregated than traditional public schools, thus denying students the educational “benefits associated with attending diverse schools.” To address these issues, education policy must require certified educators, empirical data, tangible innovative successes and budgetary funding allocation to meet these very challenging issues. City policy must ensure that our students are not used as test cases or experiments nor relegated to second-class status.

Select this Candidate




Paid for by Candidate Carolyn C. Steptoe, 1257 Lawrence Street, NE, 2013 Ward 5 D.C. City Council candidate (D.C. Official Code §1-1102.10). A copy of our report is filed with the Director of Campaign Finance of the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (D.C. Official Code §1-1102.01(e)).

2013 D.C. Metropolitan Police Department's "CITIZEN OF THE YEAR"

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014

As a Valentine's present, I rec'd notice yesterday that DC's Metropolitan Police Department has nominated me as Citizen of the Year. I have no idea how or why I was even nominated but, it is a tremendous honor. I can only assume the 2013 leadership at the Fifth District Police Department (Commander Andrew Solberg, Captain Morgan Kane and Lieutenant Edward Bernat, all of whom I work very closely) - submitted the nomination.

I will receive this award at the 2013 Metropolitan Police Department Awards Ceremony. The Ceremony will be held on Thu, Feb 20 at Gallaudet University from 7PM-9PM.

This MPD annual awards ceremony is sponsored by the DC Metropolitan Police to recognize DC MPD's many accomplishments and successes. There are only a few non-police categories; one is Citizen of the Year. You can view last year's program and citizen of the year descrip. on page 15 at http://mpdc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mpdc/publication/attachments/13th%20Annual%20Awards%20Program_FIN.pdf (Thanks to one of my sisters for checking into this.)

I have a doctorate class this Thu evening but instead plan to certainly attend this amazing ceremony. I also attended last year. Hopefully, my professor will understand my missing this Thu's class ... hopefully/LOL!

What an honor... very humbling!

/cs



From: Bernat, Edward (MPD)
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2014 1:27 AM
Cc: Porter, Dierdre (MPD)
Subject: FW: Awardee Notification

Ms. Steptoe,
Congratulations!! Please see below, you deserve it.

Thank you,

Edward R. Bernat
Lieutenant



From: Bernard, George (MPD)
Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2014 1:54 PM
To: Bernat, Edward (MPD)
Cc: Cummings, Christopher (MPD); Porter, Dierdre (MPD)
Subject: Awardee Notification

Please have Ms. Carolyn Steptoe notified that she has been selected to receive the Citizen of the Year Award at the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Fourteenth Annual Awards Ceremony. The Awards Ceremony will begin at 7:00 pm on Thursday, February 20, 2014, at Elstad Auditorium, on the campus of Gallaudet University, located at 800 Florida Avenue, Northeast. To facilitate the program, please advised her to plan to arrive by 6:00 pm to receive her seating assignment and other instructions. (For check-in purposes, please remember the category of award you are receiving). Civilian employees and community members are asked to wear appropriate business attire.
Please have her contact Lennie Moore at: lennie.moore@dc.gov, or call him on (202) 727-0517 to RSVP her attendance and the number of guests who will accompany her.

Sgt. George Bernard
Human Resource Management Division
Metropolitan Police Department
300 Indiana Avenue, NW Suite 6061
Washington, DC 20001



EXPRESSIONS OF CONGRATULATIONS

"Congratulations Commissioner! And thank you for all you do for the residents of the District of Columbia." -Anne P.

"Carolyn, Please forgive me for being tardy, but I wanted to congratulate you on being selected as the Citizen of the Year. It's a great honor for a job well done! All the best to you as you continue to fight the cause of justice in Brookland and Ward 5. Continued success to you in the future!!" -Hazel T.

"Hey Sweetie!!!!!!!!!!Congratulations and very well deserved!!!!!!!!!!!! City couldn't have made a finer selection. Much love and God's blessings always!!!!!!!!!" -Mason

"Congratulations, Commissioner Steptoe! Job well done. Truly an honor. I look forward to seeing you next week at the ANC meeting." -Elliot T.

"Good Morning Commissioner, To GOD Be The GLORY...For The Great Things He Has Done!!!!! Congrats! on your nomination. This is the start for more good things to come!" - Sheila H.

"Commissioner Steptoe, Congratulations on your nomination! Well deserved!" - Dawn Q.

"Wonderful News Carolyn… so well deserved... Congratulations." -Elmer H.

"Congratulations!" -Fredericka S.

"Congratulations! Well deserved. I am going to try and be there." -Marsha C.

"heartiest congratulations on your "Citizen of the Year" nomination - wow!" -Barbara K.

"Congratulations Ms. Steptoe - Just sending out A Big Congratulations to you ("Citizen of the Year") you deserve it ! I wish you the best in the Ward 5 Primary the for Democratic Candidate." -John C.

"Congratulations "Boo" ;). Well it really is something that you deserve" -Antony S.

"Congratulations, Carolyn! Well deserved, indeed!! Best," -Anna D.

"CONGRATULATIONS Ms. Steptoe: I am sure you most highly deserve the award that has been given to you. I pray that you continue to be the fine Councilwoman that you are for Ward 5 and the entire District of Columbia in whatever capacity you serve." -Carol F.

"Awesome!!! You definitely deserve an award like this for all you do!!! I am truly glad that you were recognized!" -Rob R.

"Congratulations. !!!!!! Well deserved. Good choice they made!!!" -Angela A.

"Carolyn, This is awesome! I am so very proud. You are absolutely so very deserving.
I'd like to attend. Is that possible? Lots of Hugs," -Jeannette F.

"Carolyn, Congrats on your Citizen of the Year Award. Continue the good work." -Barbara W.

"Congratulations! You deserve the recognition. You really try to keep the community aware, of what is happening around the city." -Vanessa K.

"Congratulations!!" -Karen W.

"Commissioner Steptoe, Heartiest congratulations!" -Richard H.

"Congratulations!" -Mary C.

"Many congratulations." -Leslie S.

"Congratulations! And thank you for your service!" -Sevan, Keri, and kids

"Congratulations, Commissioner. As a true ally to the MPD,you deserve the award." -Andy S.

"This is great!" -Julie B.

"Congrat's to you! You are a shining star in Brookland and the Nation's Capital! We celebrate your great work in our communities! Happy Black History Month," -Fred J.

"Hot diggidy dang! Congratulations on your award!!! Gallaudet at 6pm next Thurs. This is so great! Working for the people!!" -Jennifer B.

"Congratulations Commissioner!" -Dierdre P.





Paid for by Candidate Carolyn C. Steptoe, 1257 Lawrence Street, NE, 2013 Ward 5 D.C. City Council candidate (D.C. Official Code §1-1102.10). A copy of our report is filed with the Director of Campaign Finance of the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (D.C. Official Code §1-1102.01(e)).