Ward 3 Council Member Mary Cheh Announces Fiscal 2018 Budget Priorities

[jsteele]

Each year around this time, Ward 3 Council Member Mary Cheh announces her budget priorities for the coming fiscal year. Today, she announced her FY 2918 priorities:

https://www.scribd.com/document/349335412/2017

I congratulate the Council Member on many of her creative ideas such as:

"Transfer $125,000 from the Department of Motor Vehicles to the District Department of Transportation for a new Safe Route to Coops Program to help backyard chickens safely cross the road. The District government has long wondered eggsactly why chickens cross the road. The Council bawks at a District where an inquisitive hen cannot cross a road without being cocksure of her safety."

"Allocate $5 billion to DDOT for an independent hot air balloon transit system from Anacostia to Georgetown because why the hell not? Potential names include HotAirShare, Lift, and The Balloondoggle."

"Transfer $750,000 to create a new Office of Russian Affairs. With the arrival of a new First Family, the Council recognizes that thousands of newly-hired White House and executive agency staff will be uprooting their lives in distant lands to move into the District. Therefore, a new office will be necessary to focus on the unique needs of this population, and to help them maintain the culture of their homeland."

"Reduce the DC Lottery and Charitable Games Control Board by $214 million and 72.5 FTEs, leaving $1 million and 1.0 FTE. The Committee expects that this generous salary of $1 million will lure back beloved Chancellor, Kaya Henderson, who can then just pick the winners."

"Paid Family Leave Act of 2017. This new variation on the original measure would, in fact, pay families to leave. In funding this innovative program, the Committee hopes this more literal interpretation of the bill will both sidestep the thorny issues associated with previous versions and solve the District's affordable housing crisis. Given the success of the pilot initiative involving Rep. Jason Chafetz, the Committee hopes the program will assist in the relocation of many of his other Republican colleagues on the Hill."

Most, if not all, of these ideas will contribute greatly to making the District a better place to live.

[Anonymous]

I was hoping she was also joking about sneaking in Eaton to the front of the line in the modernization schedule.

[Anonymous]

Cheh is also proposing a robust public process, with rigorous analysis of various options, on both the Ward 3 homeless shelter and the outdoor pool decreed for Hearst Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Cheh is also proposing a robust public process, with rigorous analysis of various options, on both the Ward 3 homeless shelter and the outdoor pool decreed for Hearst Park.

Ha! But funding for the latter got punted a year down the road anyway.

[Anonymous]

I especially like the one about Kaya picking the lottery winners!

[Anonymous]

Will we be seeding an Erdogan bodyguard defense fund as well?