Who should I vote for for at large council member?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I voted for White and Grosso. Not sure how they stand on the issues important to you, but they support universal paid family leave and that's very important to me.

I love universal.family leave but I also love business staying in our city. Is it being excessive and the most generous in the country and enacted without any study of potential fall out (as per yesterdays WaPo editorial board condemning the process) also important to you? It is possible for these measures to hurt more than help when they are enacted as blunt tools just to make an ideological point.

PP, I've read a lot about it. Yes, there are businesses who are against it, and there are businesses who are for it, especially small businesses who would really like to offer this benefit but can't afford to pay employees directly during leave, but can afford to pay into an insurance pool. I think a more important question is can we afford not to have universal paid leave.

I understand what you're saying, but my question is can be afford to have it to the extent they are proposing? The MOST generous in the nation and DC businesses covering all the folks from MD and VA who work here..is that sustainable to business in dc to-do it to that extent?

Some jurisdiction has to take the lead like Mass did on health care. The US is so far behind every developed country on issues of family, maternity, paternity, and other leave.

Agree that Grosso and White are the choices for at-large.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I voted for White and Grosso. Not sure how they stand on the issues important to you, but they support universal paid family leave and that's very important to me.

I love universal.family leave but I also love business staying in our city. Is it being excessive and the most generous in the country and enacted without any study of potential fall out (as per yesterdays WaPo editorial board condemning the process) also important to you? It is possible for these measures to hurt more than help when they are enacted as blunt tools just to make an ideological point.

PP, I've read a lot about it. Yes, there are businesses who are against it, and there are businesses who are for it, especially small businesses who would really like to offer this benefit but can't afford to pay employees directly during leave, but can afford to pay into an insurance pool. I think a more important question is can we afford not to have universal paid leave.

I understand what you're saying, but my question is can be afford to have it to the extent they are proposing? The MOST generous in the nation and DC businesses covering all the folks from MD and VA who work here..is that sustainable to business in dc to-do it to that extent?

Some jurisdiction has to take the lead like Mass did on health care. The US is so far behind every developed country on issues of family, maternity, paternity, and other leave.

Agree that Grosso and White are the choices for at-large.

So DC resources will pay For MD. And VA. Most generous in the nation family leave policy? Huh. And DC businesses will be driven to those jurisdictions. And DC residents who are poor will have less work or not be covered as many are part time employees. It's just not adding up. Family leave is fine but the amount they're proposing and who receives it is absurd. Why don't we also volunteer to cover the full cost of refurbishing metro for MD and VA and welcome all their homeless as well to our promise of year round right to shelter the Mayor recently made? At some point the piggy bank will run out and long time DC residents like me would like to see basic constituent services addressed over taking the lead on national ideological liberal fronts. No to Groso, no to Silverman, no to Cheh, no to White and no to Mendhlson and no to the guy with that ridiculous toothless pay the criminals crime bill. I'd personally vote for anyone with republican next to their names just to send a message.

[Anonymous]

It's hard to know without one of them coming on DCUM and attacking the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's hard to know without one of them coming on DCUM and attacking the other.

this is a good point, PP

[Anonymous]

http://m.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Complaints-of-syringes-human-waste-rise-10459969.php

Vote for anyone who wont turn DC into this. Avoid Grosso, Cheh, Silverman, McDuffie, Mendelhson. Avoid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I voted for White and Grosso. Not sure how they stand on the issues important to you, but they support universal paid family leave and that's very important to me.

I love universal.family leave but I also love business staying in our city. Is it being excessive and the most generous in the country and enacted without any study of potential fall out (as per yesterdays WaPo editorial board condemning the process) also important to you? It is possible for these measures to hurt more than help when they are enacted as blunt tools just to make an ideological point.

PP, I've read a lot about it. Yes, there are businesses who are against it, and there are businesses who are for it, especially small businesses who would really like to offer this benefit but can't afford to pay employees directly during leave, but can afford to pay into an insurance pool. I think a more important question is can we afford not to have universal paid leave.

I understand what you're saying, but my question is can be afford to have it to the extent they are proposing? The MOST generous in the nation and DC businesses covering all the folks from MD and VA who work here..is that sustainable to business in dc to-do it to that extent?

Some jurisdiction has to take the lead like Mass did on health care. The US is so far behind every developed country on issues of family, maternity, paternity, and other leave.

Agree that Grosso and White are the choices for at-large.

So DC resources will pay For MD. And VA. Most generous in the nation family leave policy? Huh. And DC businesses will be driven to those jurisdictions. And DC residents who are poor will have less work or not be covered as many are part time employees. It's just not adding up. Family leave is fine but the amount they're proposing and who receives it is absurd. Why don't we also volunteer to cover the full cost of refurbishing metro for MD and VA and welcome all their homeless as well to our promise of year round right to shelter the Mayor recently made? At some point the piggy bank will run out and long time DC residents like me would like to see basic constituent services addressed over taking the lead on national ideological liberal fronts. No to Groso, no to Silverman, no to Cheh, no to White and no to Mendhlson and no to the guy with that ridiculous toothless pay the criminals crime bill. I'd personally vote for anyone with republican next to their names just to send a message.

I'm PP. I don't necessarily agree with paying criminals or "at risk" people to obey the law. I want to see more research on it. If it's done as a small pilot for research purposes I'd support it, because hey, our other ideas haven't been working very well so we may as well get creative. I wouldn't support widespread implementation at this point.

I agree with you that the way MD and VA residents are covered is potentially a problem, but it's a much larger problem. What really needs to happen is DC needs to be able to levy income taxes on people who earn money in the city, in the same way that NYC is able to tax the income of workers who come in from NJ and CT. DC may also at some point want to impose a commuter tax on MD and VA commuters who drive in to the District, to pay for public transit expansion and encourage its use. Unfortunately these sorts of things will not be possible until DC achieves some form of statehood.

But your characterization of 4 months of paid leave as some kind of extreme liberal ideology, give me a break. Canada has 12 months, Sweden has almost 3 years. 4 months is less than the 6 months of breastfeeding that is officially recommended by the American Pediatrics Association. In the developed world, and even in many developing countries, 4 months of parental leave is the bargain basement minimum, not some socialist fantasy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Catania had a "part-time" $200K per year job with MC Dean a provider of city services and infrastructure while he was on the council.

Suckers. Cheh makes $200K/yr. serving as an elected lobbyist for GWU. Call it what you want but call it corrupt.

She's a law professor, genius. And a tenured one at that so she's collecting that salary forever, regardless of GW's business model. People like you annoy the crap out of me. I would bet my right arm that you also complain about professional politicians. You can't have it both ways. Either they are pols for life, or they have jobs elsewhere. And guess who can afford to be a politician only? People who make lots of money or come from money or are married to people with money, which makes it hard to have representation that understands the needs of the diverse community in DC.

Very little in life actually fits into your simpleminded bumper sticker coffee with girls world view.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I voted for White and Grosso. Not sure how they stand on the issues important to you, but they support universal paid family leave and that's very important to me.

I love universal.family leave but I also love business staying in our city. Is it being excessive and the most generous in the country and enacted without any study of potential fall out (as per yesterdays WaPo editorial board condemning the process) also important to you? It is possible for these measures to hurt more than help when they are enacted as blunt tools just to make an ideological point.

PP, I've read a lot about it. Yes, there are businesses who are against it, and there are businesses who are for it, especially small businesses who would really like to offer this benefit but can't afford to pay employees directly during leave, but can afford to pay into an insurance pool. I think a more important question is can we afford not to have universal paid leave.

I understand what you're saying, but my question is can be afford to have it to the extent they are proposing? The MOST generous in the nation and DC businesses covering all the folks from MD and VA who work here..is that sustainable to business in dc to-do it to that extent?

Some jurisdiction has to take the lead like Mass did on health care. The US is so far behind every developed country on issues of family, maternity, paternity, and other leave.

Agree that Grosso and White are the choices for at-large.

So DC resources will pay For MD. And VA. Most generous in the nation family leave policy? Huh. And DC businesses will be driven to those jurisdictions. And DC residents who are poor will have less work or not be covered as many are part time employees. It's just not adding up. Family leave is fine but the amount they're proposing and who receives it is absurd. Why don't we also volunteer to cover the full cost of refurbishing metro for MD and VA and welcome all their homeless as well to our promise of year round right to shelter the Mayor recently made? At some point the piggy bank will run out and long time DC residents like me would like to see basic constituent services addressed over taking the lead on national ideological liberal fronts. No to Groso, no to Silverman, no to Cheh, no to White and no to Mendhlson and no to the guy with that ridiculous toothless pay the criminals crime bill. I'd personally vote for anyone with republican next to their names just to send a message.

I'm PP. I don't necessarily agree with paying criminals or "at risk" people to obey the law. I want to see more research on it. If it's done as a small pilot for research purposes I'd support it, because hey, our other ideas haven't been working very well so we may as well get creative. I wouldn't support widespread implementation at this point.

I agree with you that the way MD and VA residents are covered is potentially a problem, but it's a much larger problem. What really needs to happen is DC needs to be able to levy income taxes on people who earn money in the city, in the same way that NYC is able to tax the income of workers who come in from NJ and CT. DC may also at some point want to impose a commuter tax on MD and VA commuters who drive in to the District, to pay for public transit expansion and encourage its use. Unfortunately these sorts of things will not be possible until DC achieves some form of statehood.

But your characterization of 4 months of paid leave as some kind of extreme liberal ideology, give me a break. Canada has 12 months, Sweden has almost 3 years. 4 months is less than the 6 months of breastfeeding that is officially recommended by the American Pediatrics Association. In the developed world, and even in many developing countries, 4 months of parental leave is the bargain basement minimum, not some socialist fantasy.

You make good points. But remember, it would be the most generous policy in our country with our infrastructure. What is the tax rate in Canada and Sweden? I would love to see Americans enjoy more leave, family leave and daycare options. However, I think asking DC residents to fund incremental rather than pushing the envelope change , aligned with the businesses we need to support a tax base, might be sound. Even the WAPO is pointing out the extreme liberal new wave in our Council an the non transparent, rushed way in which they are pushing through ideological bills.

[Anonymous]

DC can't levy a commuter tax on MD and VA residents, alas. Congress won't allow it. I wish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC can't levy a commuter tax on MD and VA residents, alas. Congress won't allow it. I wish.

So can we on the other hand not pay for their most generous daily leave and drive business out of our city to them at the same time?

Vote no to the new wave liberals who think dc tax base and businesses are their ideological piggy bank.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I voted for White and Grosso. Not sure how they stand on the issues important to you, but they support universal paid family leave and that's very important to me.

I love universal.family leave but I also love business staying in our city. Is it being excessive and the most generous in the country and enacted without any study of potential fall out (as per yesterdays WaPo editorial board condemning the process) also important to you? It is possible for these measures to hurt more than help when they are enacted as blunt tools just to make an ideological point.

PP, I've read a lot about it. Yes, there are businesses who are against it, and there are businesses who are for it, especially small businesses who would really like to offer this benefit but can't afford to pay employees directly during leave, but can afford to pay into an insurance pool. I think a more important question is can we afford not to have universal paid leave.

I understand what you're saying, but my question is can be afford to have it to the extent they are proposing? The MOST generous in the nation and DC businesses covering all the folks from MD and VA who work here..is that sustainable to business in dc to-do it to that extent?

Some jurisdiction has to take the lead like Mass did on health care. The US is so far behind every developed country on issues of family, maternity, paternity, and other leave.

Agree that Grosso and White are the choices for at-large.

I can understand giving White a shot; however, the former is a do-nothing Charlie....

[Anonymous]

"Two at-large D.C. Council seats up for grabs
On the ballot:

G. Lee Aikin (D.C. Statehood Green Party)
Carolina Celnik (Republican)
John C. Cheeks (Independent)
David Grosso (Independent)
Matthew Klokel (Libertarian)
Robert White (Democratic)
There are six candidates on the ballot running for a four-year term as an at-large D.C. Council member. Voters will pick two.

David Grosso, who has served as an at-large council member since 2013, is one of two independents currently sitting on the council.

Democrat Robert White, who served as legislative counsel for D.C. congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton for several years, defeated former council member Vincent Orange in the June primary. White got an early start on the council — the D.C. Democratic Party voted in September to appoint him to Orange’s seat after the lame-duck council member resigned five months early amid controversy over a position he accepted with the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.

Grosso and White have far outspent the other candidates running for at-large seats.

As of Oct. 31, the White campaign had spent upwards of $175,000 on his bid, according to online campaign expenditure records maintained by the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance. Grosso had spent $146,000 on his re-election bid.

Online records show John Cheeks’ campaign had spent about $3,500 and G. Lee Aikin about $1,437.

Carolina Celnik, a D.C. lawyer who’s making a bid for one of the open at-large seats, has the distinction of being the only Republican on the ballot in D.C. — aside from Donald Trump and Mike Pence at the top of the ticket.

It has been more than a decade since D.C. voters last elected a Republican to the council — Carol Schwartz won an at-large council seat in 2004.

Celnik has spent about $8,300 on her bid."

I'll be voting for Carolina Celnik for at-large. She has spent a lot less than White or Grosso, and so won't be beholden to interests. We also haven't had a Republican since Carol Schwartz, as I recall did a decent job. DC has a lot of issues to wade through, be it metro, daycare, education or homelessness and I would like to see more diversity on the Council . It could equal some new and needed ideas and voices,

[Anonymous]

^^^ Thanks. I'll give Cellnik and White votes. Hopefully they'll actually do something productive.

[Anonymous]

Are there specific reasons you're choosing cellnik? Those reasons don't seem compelling to me.

[Anonymous]

Well, Grosso hasn't done a damn thing. So anyone would be better.