Cost is $40 per person; fee includes materials and refreshments. More information is in the event flier (PDF) (and below). Register here. (UPDATE: Link to flier fixed 1/31, 2p)
The bulk of the document contains agency by agency comparisons of FY 2012 and FY 2013 budget numbers. But the most interesting part is the very end, the general and specific assumptions that built the FY 2013 CSFL.
Chuck Bean, Executive Director of Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington, says this:
"Communications for DC Advocates" takes the guesswork out of writing testimony and planning events with elected and appointed officials and staff. This guide will surely become a go-to for nonprofits which engage DC government officials to make a difference.
The guide provides basics of and advanced suggestions and tips for advocacy communications. Buy it here.
The CAFR will be available on the CFO's website today or tomorrow if the OCFO follows its posting pattern for the report.
DCFPI's Jenny Reed was one of the advocates recommending this change so be sure to thank her.
Young people can access the application by visiting www.summerjobs.dc.gov. Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis and all applications must be received by February 17 in order to be considered.
SYEP will officially kick off today from 3:15 pm until 12:00 midnight at DOES HQ (4058 Minnesota Ave NE). Mayor Gray will participate and DOES staff will be on hand all night to assist youth and their families, and to answer any questions.
Note: The addition of the hearings to the main calendar happened because DCFPI's Jenny Reed and I, among others, asked for it.
Today, the DC Council held a roundtable on Mayor Gray’s proposed supplemental budget for this year. Why are we looking again at this year’s budget? Two reasons: Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi reported $42 million in additional revenue for this year, and certain programs need more money to operate, in what some like to call a "spending pressure."DCFPI’s take? Let’s not make rash spending decisions. We’re only four months into our fiscal year. Let’s put the additional money aside until we get a clearer picture of what our spending pressures will be for the entire fiscal year.
Any of you who have heard me speak recently have probably heard me talk about the fact that the District of Columbia is in a better financial position than any other city, county, or state in the country. Our finances remain strong and the development projects in our city are the envy of our neighbors.I have the firm belief, however, that we would be doing even better if we had a more straightforward business regulatory structure and took steps to roll back some of the substantial disincentives to those who consider relocating to the District to start a business and raise a family, or who consider moving out of our city when they reach retirement age. Therefore, in our next budget, I am recommending a number of specific proposals that I hope you will support.
First, our corporate income tax is a tremendous burden at 9.975%, much higher than the 6% Virginia charges and even the 8.25% levied by Maryland. Particularly when times are tight, how can we expect a business to choose to sacrifice an extra 2-4% of their already slim profit for the privilege of doing business in our city? I propose lowering this tax to 6%. Secondly, on a similar note, the District charges a tax of 9.975% on unincorporated businesses, while our neighbors do not. We should phase out this tax entirely.
Third, our income tax is too high and is based on bad policy. As I have said before, a member of the Council cannot claim to be in favor of small business and also of an increase in the income tax, which falls heavily on many small businesses. I propose to create a more progressive income tax structure by lowering them - those earning above $350,000 would pay 8.5% rather than 8.95%; those earning between $100,000 and $350,000 would pay 8.0% rather than 8.5%; those earning between $40,000 and $100,000 would be placed in a new bracket and pay 7.5% rather than 8%; and those earning between $10,000 and $40,000 would be taxed at 5.5% rather than 6%.
Fourth, the District made a mistake by decoupling our local estate tax from the federal estate tax. We should eliminate the District's estate tax to encourage our retirees to remain residents of the District, investing in our local economy and contributing to our civic and cultural life.
Fifth, we need to repeal the wrongheaded tax on formerly tax-free municipal bonds. As predicted, the implementation of this tax appears to be resulting in an administrative nightmare. For example, it is unclear whether taxpayers have enough information to determine whether a share held in an ostensibly grandfathered municipal bond mutual fund nevertheless has become partially taxable as the fund manager executes future trades. This unfortunately may be just the first onslaught of many where the supposed grandfathering provision could be chipped away.
Sixth, we must sunset the sales tax increase as promised and lower it from 6% back to 5.75%. Part of why I was so skeptical of the deal to grandfather current holdings of municipal bonds while taxing new purchases is that I have been in the government long enough to see promises like this made, and promises broken. The city promised it would sunset the sales tax increase this year, then broke this promise when the city decided it needed the money in order to pass the largest budget in our history. We are only a quarter of the way through fiscal year 2012, and the mayor is already projecting $45 million in government overspending despite having raised every tax on the books. This has to stop.
The briefing will be led by George Mason University's Dr. Christopher Koper, and will include the top experts in the firearms and crime research field including Anthony Braga, Catherine Gallagher, Jens Ludwig, Ed McGarrell, Glenn Pierce, Daniel Webster, Charles Wellford, and Garen Wintemute.
For more information or to register for this free event, click this link to the event page. Space is limited so register early.Mayor Gray's regular biweekly press briefing is today from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm in the Mayor’s Press Briefing Room (Room G-9). Can't make it down to the JAWB? Watch online.
Facebook's new "Subscribe" feature allows you to receive updates from FB users without friending them first. Luckie's post describes how to make this work for you. So check it out.
You can share your answers and address the highlighted issues (to be announced) at the February 11 summit. Attendees will participate in small group discussions with people from all over the city.
There's no time like the present to register for the Gray Administration's One City Summit February 11 at the Convention Center. For those with access to a computer, register online. You can also register using a printed form (English) (PDF) and Spanish printed form (PDF); this is perfect for registering clients, asking folks at community meetings to register, etc. Fax completed forms to Sheila Bunn at (202) 727-8527. You can also email the forms, scanned first, obviously, to onecitysummit@dc.gov.series of candid candidate forums designed to provide residents with a relaxed atmosphere to ask tough and pointed questions that will hopefully make deciding who the new Ward 5 CM is a little easier.
The forums will be focused on economic development, education and crime.
The events will take place on Tuesdays and run until the special election (May 15). The first forum is January 24. The forum before the special election will be a straw poll. The schedule for the first forum is on the Rhode Island Insider blog.
the Alliance for Justice will educate you and your organization about what actions are legally permissible during an election year, especially as you plan possible activities and opportunities to lift the anti-poverty frame. You’ll get AFJ’s advice about allowable activities during this election year and practical examples of things your organization can do.More info and registration are on the Coalition on Human Needs website.
What are the rules about? Fees.
This chapter establishes the fees and charges for filings, certifications, and reports submitted to or requested of the Corporations Division of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
Do you have something to say about the 31 fees proposed? If so, the instructions for commenting are in the notice (link above).
The second update concerns Mayor Gray's FY 2012 supplemental budget. Today we have the FY 2012 supplemental budget docs:
In other budget news, the Committee on Human Services has shared their oversight and budget hearing schedules. The oversight hearing sked is here:
The budget hearing schedule is:
The final budget news of the day is Mary Levy's Public Education Finance Reform in the District of Columbia: Uniformity, Equity, and Facilities (PDF). Also take a look at what WaPo's Bill Turque has to say about the Levy report. Turque has more, this time about charter schools' demand for equitable funding.
In addition to the awards presentation, the festive, spirit-filled evening will include music by FAPAC's own talented Marilyn Egerton and ensemble, dancing, and a silent auction. FAPAC hopes you can join them as they honor Roz and Harvey for their lifetimes of dedication to our children and their families. Tickets are available on the FAPAC website or by contacting FAPAC's Toni Carr at 269-9441.
Personal note: FAPAC's recognition of Roz is particularly meaningful to me. Roz was one of my supervisor's during my first internship at Lutheran Social Services. Roz challenged me to be and do better professionally and personally. She was tough and caring and I appreciate this more than she can ever know. Congrats Roz!
Baer recently summarized the U.S. Conference of Mayor's annual report Hunger and Homelessness Survey: A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America’s Cities, A 29-City Survey (PDF). Baer has given me permission to share her blog post here.
DC Reports 72 Percent of Emergency Food Needs Unmet
The headlined figure is erroneous and other D.C. figures doubtful. Brief explanation in the update at the end.
For the first time in at least four years, the District of Columbia is represented in the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ annual report on hunger and homelessness in America’s cities.
We learn some interesting — and disturbing — things about hunger in the District. We’ve already gotten more detailed (and more accurate) information on local homelessness.*
So here’s about hunger, with some prefatory remarks to put the figures in perspective.
About the Survey
The reported figures reflect the District’s responses to a survey that the Conference distributes to all cities represented on its hunger and homelessness task force.
This year, 29 cities responded — some very large, some quite small. And some very large cities, e.g., Miami and New York City, absent.
I mention this because, as the report acknowledges, the survey results aren’t necessarily representative of conditions nationwide — not even those in the Conference’s 1,139 members.
They do, however, provide some context for what the District reported about needs for emergency food assistance, i.e., requests for take-home foods at local pantries and meals at dining rooms for low-income residents.
These are how the survey measures hunger — another reason we should be cautious about conclusions.
Key Figures
Between September 1, 2010 and August 31, 2011:
Will Singer, former clerk to the DC Council Committee on Human Services and former budget director for Mayor Adrian Fenty has said this about my advocacy communications guide:
Susie Cambria has written an easy-to-use guide that allows readers to benefit from her experience and insight as an influential advocate. This valuable resource will help new voices speak with persuasive force on public policy issues. Even seasoned insiders will find useful notes and reminders here.
The guide provides basics of and advanced suggestions and tips for advocacy communications. Buy it here.
Committees may still ask their own questions before and following agency budget hearings.
Committee on Health Oversight
January marks the beginning of the Council’s Oversight season. As you may know, the Committee on Health has oversight responsibility for the Departments of Health, Mental Health, and Health Care Finance, along with the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, the various Health Professional Boards, and United Medical Center. The Oversight process allows the public and the Committee to ensure our agencies are running smoothly, producing desired results, and managing their funds in a responsible manner.Oversight season is your opportunity to communicate to the Committee what is working, what is not working, and what changes can be made to improve health programming in the District. If you have any suggestions for the Committee during Oversight, please reach out to the staff in the coming weeks. Your input is critical to ensuring a successful and productive Oversight season.
As for the projected $42.2 million fiscal 2012 surplus, Brown has suggested two possibilities — shift 50 percent of it into the District's fund balance, or set it all aside to offset the projected gap in 2013."Both of these alternatives represent responsible fiscal management tools that will maintain the District's financial strength," the council chairman wrote in a Dec. 21 letter to Gray.
Mayor Gray wrote back (PDF) and explained why addressing the FY 2012 spending pressures is the responsible and appropriate thing to do.
And remember to prepare for the summit so you can make the most of it for you, your neighbors, and the mayor.
Are you comfortable doing these things? Do you need help or guidance? You will find information about pre- and post-hearing activities in Communications for DC Advocates: How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years. The guide provides basics of and advanced suggestions and tips for advocacy communications. Buy it here.
Need help writing testimony or a statement for the record? Buy a copy of Communications for DC Advocates: How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years.
Following the COW is the Twenty-Seventh (Additional) Legislative Meeting. The agenda and link to the meeting are online.
Watch both the COW and leg meeting online. In my opinion, the best way is using OCT link to Channel 13 live.
OSSE is taking its plan on the road and soliciting input for the plan due to the feds in February. The plan targets schools that don't make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). And DC did not meet AYP in SY 2009-2010 (PDF) because only 38 of 64 indicators were satisfied in elementary and secondary schools. OSSE plans to change the city's school accountability system, redefine measurements of school success, and modify how OSSE allocates resources and supports to schools.
Learn more about OSSE's proposed plans in this presentation (PDF) and at a number of community meetings:
If you cannot attend the hearing in person, you can watch it online via OCT.
The March 2011 event—Ward 7 Transportation Summit and Listening Tour—provided the opportunity and space for transportation advocates in Ward 7 to focus and work together. Learn more about the event and what was accomplished (see second bullet, starting "In March".)
UPDATED: January 17, 8:20p.
Panelists include Cornel West, author and professor at Princeton University; Suze Orman, financial advisor and television host; Michael Moore, filmmaker; and Barbara Ehrenriech, author of Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America.
The conversation will rebroadcast January 16 - 18 on Tavis Smiley on PBS.
Are you prepared to attend and fully participate in the summit? Before the summit, prepare yourself. Think and talk about the topics before you arrive; you can do this around the dinner table and in a staff meeting. No matter where you do it, prepare and encourage others to attend. A bit more about preparing is in this make the most of the summit flier (PDF).
The overarching goal of the summit is to have a "frank and open conversation about what needs to be done to create Washington, DC as One City." Summit participants will vote on action items for the coming year, brainstorm ideas about how the government can work more effectively with residents, learn about current efforts to improve the city, and work in small groups to share and discuss ideas.
Remember, Communications for DC Advocates: How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years is available to help you prepare for the oversight and budget hearings. The guide includes tips and directions for preparing CMs and staff for hearings, writing and delivering testimony, following up, and much more.
 | Photo from Washington Council of Governments |
More information is in the event flier (PDF).
Mayor Vincent Gray's regular biweekly press briefing takes place January 11 immediately following the World Environment Day announcement at 10:00 am at Anne Beers Elementary School (3600 Alabama Ave SE). The briefing takes place in the library. (Parking lot entrance on 36th St SE, blue double-door entrance for media.)
Many apologies for any confusion this caused.
*You must be registered with a political party to vote in their primary election. In April, the so-called "major" parties in the District - Democratic, Republican and D.C. Statehood Green - will select candidates to represent their political party. No one is actually elected to office until the November election, when candidates of all parties appear on the ballot, along with independent candidates, and everyone votes. You can learn more about the difference between a primary election and a general election and check to see whether you are registered with a political party on our website.You have three choices of where to vote in April: at the polls, at your choice of eight early voting sites, or by mail. While the list of sites is not final, the Board expects to open voting locations throughout the week before the election at: Columbia Heights Community Center (Ward 1); One Judiciary Square (Ward 2); Chevy Chase Community Center (Ward 3); Takoma Community Center (Ward 4); Turkey Thicket Recreation Center (Ward 5); King Greenleaf Recreation Center (Ward 6); Dorothy Height/Benning Library (Ward 7); and the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center (Ward 8). You can vote at your polling place, at any early voting location, or you can vote by mail.
You do not need ID to vote in the District of Columbia. You do need to show proof of residence if you register for the first time by mail or during the two weeks before an election. The Board accepts proof of residence for up to ten days after an election. Acceptable proof of residence include a driver’s license, utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck, lease, college dormitory residency verification letter, homeless shelter occupancy statement, or any government document that shows your full name and the address where you live in the District.
Mayor Vincent Gray's regular biweekly press briefing takes place January 11 immediately following the World Environment Day announcement at 10:00 am at Anne Beers Elementary School (3600 Alabama Ave SE). The briefing takes place in the library. (Parking lot entrance on 36th St SE, blue double-door entrance for media.)
Mayor Vincent Gray's regular biweekly press briefing takes place January 10 immediately following the World Environment Day announcement at 10:00 am at Anne Beers Elementary School (3600 Alabama Ave SE). The briefing takes place in the library. (Parking lot entrance on 36th St SE, blue double-door entrance for media.)
Information about DC code changes
The District of Columbia requires every nonprofit corporation which operates in D.C. to register with the D.C. government, either when it incorporates or, in the case of a nonprofit incorporated elsewhere, when it first begins operations in D.C. Thereafter, the nonprofit must file a report with the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs ("DCRA") every two years to remain in good standing.
The D.C. Council recently overhauled the Nonprofit Code, effective January 1, 2012. The new Nonprofit Code makes several changes to the law governing nonprofits, including the biennial report. Under the new Nonprofit Code, nonprofit organizations now have until April 1 to file the report. This is a change from the old law, which required nonprofits to file the form by January 15.
What is your organization going to do with this information? One course of action is to talk with the mayor's budget staff about your budget and policy priorities. Another might be to talk with the appropriate deputy mayor's staff. No matter what you do, time is of the essence.
We can raise money in the short term by perpetually increasing taxes and fees, as my colleagues prefer to do, but when we create disincentives for new businesses to locate here we do more harm than good down the road.
Nothing about what Evans wrote is new, but it is early in the year and process.
So we read in the Washington Post Style Section that wonks are out, and tradesmen are in. We have a few other beefs with this year’s "The List," so if DCFPI’s wonk-dom is headed out of fashion, we plan on taking a few others out with us. So here’s our version…
OUT: SCHOOLS BUDGETS NO ONE EXCEPT MAYBE MARY LEVY CAN UNDERSTAND
IN: SCHOOLS BUDGETS EVERYONE CAN UNDERSTAND
Will 2012 be the year that parents, teachers and anyone else interested in school reform can finally read and understand the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) budget? We hope so, and we’ll be working collaboratively to help bring about needed transparency in this large and important area of our budget. The good news is that DCPS is aware of the public’s desire for more clarity and is working on changing how information is presented in the upcoming FY2013 budget. We’re also eagerly anticipating the recommendations of the Public Education Finance Reform Commission, which is chaired by our own Ed Lazere. The commission is taking on a range of critical issues facing DC’s public education system, including the rules and rationale behind the Uniform Per-Student Funding Formula and its impact on both DCPS and DC public charter schools.
OUT: SEEING THOUSANDS OF REASONABLY-PRICED HOUSING UNITS VANISH
IN: AN UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE HOUSING STRATEGY TO KEEP DC AFFORDABLE TO ALL
It’s been six years since DC last outlined a housing blueprint to tackle how to preserve affordable housing for low-income and longtime residents while still welcoming newcomers to our city. This year would be a good time to update our plans. Time is of the essence, given that the District is expected to add over 150,000 new jobs over the next two decades and could need nearly as many new housing units for workers that will fill them. At the same time housing costs continue to soar making it harder for low- and moderate income residents to stay or move into the District.
OUT: NOT KNOWING HOW WE SPEND OUR TAX DOLLARS
IN: USING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE DC BUDGET TRANSPARENCY
It’s always good to know the who, what and why’s of spending our public dollars, right? CFO Info is the CFO’s newest resource for online budget information. And while it is off to a promising start, it could be improved by providing additional spending details that cannot be found in published budget documents—namely, the ability to look at local and federal spending at the 'activity level' over time. This is where most of the programs and services that DC residents use are found.
OUT: SUBSIDIES ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE
IN: INCENTIVES TO JUMPSTART DEVELOPMENT IN AREAS WHERE IT IS MOST NEEDED
Our New Year’s wish for economic development is that the Tax Review Commission will take a comprehensive look at the effectiveness of DC’s "tax expenditures" — including exemptions, deductions, abatements, credits, and rebates — and develop frameworks for determining which should continue, which should be altered, and how and when new ones should be instituted. According to the most recent tax expenditure report by DC CFO Natwar Gandhi, DC currently has more than 100 tax expenditures that cost the city roughly $2 billion in foregone revenue each year.
OUT: TALKING ABOUT THE NEED FOR JOBS
IN: EFFECTIVELY USING RESOURCES TO TRAIN OUR RESIDENTS FOR JOBS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE
Mayor Gray’s One City One Hire is a good start, but this year we need to start tackling how we can best use our resources to help prepare our residents for the jobs that will be available in the future. We plan on working with the executive and legislative branches to review programs like our DC Works! Career Centers to effectively deploy local and federal monies to help our neighbors get and keep jobs.
Council Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development (CNHED) is offering a free five-week advocacy series to improve the skills of those advocating for increased affordable housing. The workshops take place on Wednesday evenings in January and February and attendance at all is required. More information in English and Spanish is on the Housing for All Blog (UPDATED: 1/5, 7 pm).
And of course there are the opportunities catalogued by Wild Apricot in their regular monthly list of free nonprofit webinars. The January 2012 list is here.
Youth Film Festival Seeks Entries by 11-18 Year Olds
The Pendragwn Film Foundation will hold its second annual Pendragwn Youth Film Festival on March 24, 2012 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.Students ages 11 to 18 years old can submit entries for the festival to "make us laugh, make us cry, educate us or give us hope but do it through film."
You may submit any of the following types of films:
- Documentary
- Narrative (live action or animated)
- Music Video
- Super-short
Films must be between 3 and 5 minutes and the Super-short must be exactly 30 seconds.
The deadline is February 10, 2012.
Get all the rules and FAQs answered here.
See last year’s finalists’ and winners’ films here and below is a highlight video from the 2011 Pendragwn Youth Film Festival: [Videos at Arts for DC Kids.]
Recap of January 3 leg meeting briefing
Drama surrounded the discussion of the vote on "Board of Ethics and Government Accountability Establishment and Comprehensive Ethics Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2012" (PDF). (NOTE: This is the version with the amendments made at the December 20, 2011 council session.) DC WATCH's Dorothy Brizill asked Ward 4 CM Muriel Bowser when the community would have access to the ethics bill including amendments approved at the December 20 council session. The response? The public will receive it when the mayor receives it to sign it into law. Council Chairman Kwame Brown jumped in saying that the public would have access to the legislation following circulation among council members January 3. Here is the emergency declaration (Word, .docx) related to the vote on the legislation.
The more tweeted about item was the bill Council Chairman Kwame Brown is introducing today that would require high school students to take the SAT or ACT and apply to at least one institution of higher learning. WaPo's Tim Craig summarized the legislation and reactions to it. The chairman's ed staffer Lisa Raymond jumped in with some additional information. (Note this Raymond's personal Twitter account.)
You can watch the legislative meeting today at 10:00am via computer.
CM Cheh has said "Taxis exist to serve the public", ergo the CM's opportunity for resident and stakeholder input. The survey is one way to collect information. Additional input can be made at a formal public hearing on taxi service reform legislation in early 2012.
One of the ways service providers and civic organizations can help improve service is to 1) share information about the survey with clients and members, respectively, and 2) provide opportunities for clients and members to take the online survey.
All CMs were invited to attend and participate; only four (Mendelson, Michael A. Brown, Cheh, and Bowser) had confirmed their attendance according to a media release January 2.
Starting in February, the media briefing will take place on the first Monday of each month at a location to be determined. Briefings will focus only on the major legislative actions to be taken at the next day's legislative meeting.
Comments may also be made at the OP-sponsored mayoral hearing on February 2 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at West Education Campus (1338 Farragut St NW).
Additional information on the draft plan and work done on the project so far is on the project page.
And what cannot be overrated is the value of nice.
Details about communicating with electeds and appointeds and their staff is contained in Communications for DC Advocates: How-to's and lessons learned over 15 years. The guide provides basics of and advanced suggestions and tips for advocacy communications. Buy it here.I’m writing to let you know that I’m moving on to a new opportunity. My last day with CFSA will be on January 6, 2012. Since joining the agency in 2007, it has been an honor to work with the many child welfare professionals here at CFSA and in the community who are so dedicated to ensuring the safety, permanence and well-being of the District of Columbia’s most vulnerable children. Thank you for your partnership and support. I wish you the best of luck in the New Year.Going forward, if you need assistance with CFSA related matters, please contact Yolanda McPhail-McKinley at yolanda.mckinley@dc.gov.
