How can we make the District of Columbia truly “One City?”
Making genuine progress toward creating “One City” is the Mayor’s highest priority. Mayor Gray has said that One City “is the recognition that all District residents, no matter their differences, are bound together by a common destiny and a shared desire to make the city even better for the people who live here. Regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ward or neighborhood, we all want a vibrant, sustainable city, where all residents have an opportunity to provide for themselves and their families, where every neighborhood is safe, where every student goes to a good school, where every tax dollar is spent wisely on a government that works, and where citizens’ voices really count.” Yet the District government cannot achieve this goal alone.
We’d like your thinking on some of the specific questions that we’ll be wresting with at the summit:
- How do we grow and diversify the economy?
- What do DC government, businesses, and non-profits need to do to help people who aren’t currently job-ready get the skills they need to find work, especially in growing sectors of the economy?
- In order to have healthy, thriving infants and toddlers, what District government services and resources will be most important for our families and communities?
198 results found
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Persuade the White House to pay attention to the capital city
Persuade the White House to pay attention to the capital city. Since only an amendment to the Constitution will change the basic situation of Washington, DC (less than usual local municipal autonomy vis-à-vis Congress, despite trappings of home rule), and such amendments take endless time, it falls on the President and his staff to pay much more attention to the needs of the capital city, including especially the so-called remnants of the middle class here. For example, a totally new approach is needed for preparing DC youths for jobs. Also the street repair situation seems woeful – here all neighborhoods…
5 votes -
Persuade the Federal Govt to adopt policies less unfavorable to cities than current policies
Persuade the Federal Govt to adopt policies less unfavorable to cities than current policies. Scholars have identified several policy areas, , including transportation, that favor suburban sprawl or rural areas rather than more efficient urban life styles. The facts should be conveyed repeatedly and in a public manner to Federal officials and Congressional leaders. Any change here should benefit the District in retaining its population.
2 votes -
Explore economic benefits of creating Sister Ward ( City) relationships in building "One City" (example...ward 1&7...ward 2 & 8 ).
Sister Ward relationships with a shared vision could diversify our economic base and create job opportunities. Also......
• Attract businesses to wards that will provide employment opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed, diversify the economy, and offer salaries that will increase District of Columbia’s median income.
Assist existing businesses in wards accross the city with issues impacting their growth and development.
• Support international trade and investment opportunities for local businesses.
• Support small business start-up and development in all wards accross the city through the provision of information and technical assistance. Revitalize our neighborhoods and commercial districts.
• Encourage…
5 votes -
Exempt election workers from jury duty
You'd get a lot more volunteers this way.
1 vote -
Make parking signage clearer around Nats Park.
There are streets where there are multiple signs making it very confusing as to whether it's ok to park on certain days. ie..a red sign will have specific days when parking is not allowed during games days and right below it is a green sign exempting zone 6 permit holders. Having a zone 6 permit, I parked on one of these streets and got ticketed and towed. Perhaps by adding the words, zone 6 permit holders NOT exempted on the red sign would clear the confusion.
1 vote -
1 vote
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establish a training program for ex-affenders and we all could live safer
a training program for ex-affenders would give them the skills they need that will help them to seek gainful emplyment.establish a fund for professional vounteers of every career type .
they are human beings needing to be trated as such would give them the self dignity and the lively hood to help them focus positively and not be repeat affenders to the institution.putting them to work would show our city residents that their is hope for our city and the crime rate would also drop .better security training programs would be a excellent idea also .also establish a fund for…6 votes -
18 votes
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6 votes
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2 votes
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5 votes
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4 votes
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1 vote
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Pay for the Summer Jobs Program should be based on performance and not age.
Many 15 year olders did a good job in summer 2011 and now they will be only able to make $5.25 an hour just because they are 15, which is a pay cut. Let 14 and 15 year olds compete for Jobs paying $7.25 per hour and working 25 hours per week. There are 14 and 15 year olds who have better attitudes, work skills and commitment than many of the 16 -21 year olds. Or let the 15 year old youth who worked last year maintain their $7.25 pay rate.
154 votes -
Expand the Capital Bikeshare system with more stations to further reduce traffic congestion and parking shortages
Everyone complains about traffic congestion and lack of parking but real solutions to these problems are hard to come by. Increasing reliance on biking is a tried and true way to solve both problems.
The Capital Bikeshare program has been a huge success with a recent expansion bringing the total number of stations to over 140 stations, but membership and usage is still growing so fast there's often full and empty stations where and when they're needed most.
There are also many areas of the city without stations making the system unusable for those who live or work in those…
6 votes -
Maximize Public Wi-Fi
The landscape of public communications has changed, and those who have lower incomes are hobbled by the monopolies of our internet service providers. The city needs to continue to expand offerings for free and public Wi-Fi access across the city and outside the bounds of public buildings. Metro Stations, Bus Stops, and Public Parks are all places where people stop and wait and could be going online. But beyond that are DC resident homes who cannot afford the monthly service cost for internet access. By expanding public Wi-Fi we could give people an option to use the internet in the…
21 votes -
Raise the Library's Budget so that it's 1% of the City Budget
No city agency provides more bang for the buck in terms of providing access to the knowledge and technology that can transform the lives of DC residents. The library system is the largest provider of free internet in the city, and from computer classes, to literacy programs for people of all ages, and even help for job seekers, it's being asked to do more with less every year. Its budget is somewhere around 0.6% of the city budget -- let's raise that to 1% and get some real ROI!
40 votes -
My idea is that if more dc residents would come together, we can make the city a better place to live,
The residents of dc, if we could work together more, we could make the city a better place to live, also if you could put more officers on the streets, and put cililians in the stations, we all can have a job. thanks..
5 votes -
Save the primary Montessori program at Langdon Education campus
The toddlers (3,4 and 5 year olds) in Langdon Education campus' primary Montessori classes have been thriving since 1997. Our three year olds are learning to count, sound letters and work on their motor skills such as writing their names. By four, these kids are doing simple addition and subtraction, reading easy readers and writing simple sentences. It's particularly amazing when you find out this is happening at a school where the student body is 95% black and 71% receive free or reduced price lunch. Instead of strengthening this program, parents received letters indicating the primary program will be…
61 votes -
Levy a partial income tax on people who work in DC but do not live here. If NYC can do it, why can't we?
Of course, I know the reason why is Congress, but the problem with one proposed alternative -- a toll -- is that it will catch tourists as well, while an income tax for people who work in the city but don't live here will give us a better chance of recovering some additional income for the maintenance of services, streets, etc., that these people use on a regular basis.
12 votes