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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Create a committee, independent of the IG's office, to provide oversight on all agencies which award contracts.
There have been too many instances, both past and present, when contracts have been awarded to unqulaifed contractors for myriad reasons. I propose creating an entity which is independent of any existing government agency (ie, Inspector General, Contracting) whose only purpose is to perform quality control of all contracts prior to them being awarded.
41 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 -
Do not close DCPS schools in our nieghborhood.
Keep DC schools open.
33 votes -
Restructure taxes and fees for jobs, affordable housing & smart growth.
Without losing revenues, taxes & fees can be restructured to promote job creation, affordable housing, transportation efficiency and smart growth. Performance-based parking pricing is one approach. Transforming the property tax into a value-capture user fee is another approach.
32 votes -
Keep all libraries open maximum number of hours!
Sundays are when kids do their homework assignments, special projects, research, etc. And that's when adults can search for better jobs.
32 votes -
Survey and map what outreach programs DC houses of worship have - so we know what help is available and where. Work on what is missing.
We could use city resources where they are most needed, if we knew what kinds of help - such as tutoring, mentoring, job training, senior programs, ESL, etc. - are already available, and what isn't therel. Mapping helps us see unmet needs and make good plans to fix them.
30 votes -
Providing FREE monthly networking opportunities in DC at noon on Sundays, build on meetup.com/onecity/
Support the volunteer grassroots initiative to provide FREE opportunities for people from all the wards to come together each month to share, collaborate and followup to take joint action on their ideas to build ONE CITY. Once people have connected in person at the free networking community event, they have been able to followup. This has been effective in bridging cultural, digital and other divides.
29 votes -
Re-establish trade schools and open new facilities for training adults who are not college bound.
I believe we should re-open many of the trade schools that used to exist in the District. All high school aged children are not college material. By doing this, it can encourage more enterpreneuership. We also need to consider providng more free training facilities to teach adults a manual labor skill, such as brick masonry, carpentry, roofing, etc. These individuals could be trained and put to use in turning some of the abandoned properties in this city into usable, viable living space for themselves as well as low-middle income individuals and families. This way you are instilling a new work…
29 votes -
If you are in DC illegally, you are not entitled to any benefits.
There are people who have made it past border patrol and think just because they got here they are entitled to live free. They keep coming because they know once they get here, DC will feed, clothe, house and educate them. We have to change our immigration policies.
27 votes -
Improve parking so that residents will spend their dollars in the city.
Better signage at meters, longer parking (more than two hours), reduced rates for residents in shopping areas and more parking spaces. Shopping in MD and VA is a very enjoyable experience because parking is inexpensive/free and plentiful.
26 votes -
Have a "One City Summit" that brings a wide range of DC residents together every single year.
This seems like a great way to start bridging the divides and generate public policies that reflect the public's priorities. The city should institutionalize this process and make it a regular event, putting one on every year or maybe every other year (no matter who the mayor is).
25 votes -
Cut out the parking zone permit program as it exist. I live in Ward 6, if I want to visit Ward 4 I should not be treated like some tourist.
Ward parking is ridiculous. If I live in Ward 6, I should not be treated like a tourist if I want to park in Ward 4. District residents should be permitted to park in any Ward they desire irrespective of their home Ward. Seems quite ridiculous that tourists from other states are treated the same as residents who visit Wards other than their home Ward.
25 votes -
Create a city-wide movement for federal representation
In the latest census Washington, DC increased their resident base to near 600,000 people. This is more than the entire state population of Wyoming, who gets 2 senators and 1 representative. And yet, DC residents fall in the Constitutional black hole where they are federally taxed but get no representation on the federal level. Some could argue that DC voting rights is one of the oldest civil rights issues to date and lack of substantive change comes from poor leadership and lack of public will to make these changes. To make DC truly "One City" I would like to see…
23 votes -
Co-create Asian American destination in Chinatown DC...
Help students, seniors, local residents, community builders, mentors and others plan the next steps for the fulfillment of the vision of Mayor Gray and the Chinese/Asian community for Chinatown DC as a unique Asian American destination. Make available funding to provide resources for this worthwhile project.
23 votes -
There has got to be a better solution for the New York Ave and Florida Ave and North Capitol Street corridor.
Since the re directing of the traffic, it has gotten much worse to get through this area.
I think the O Street need to be open and florida ave should be reopen to both directions.22 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 -
20 votes
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Create a publicly owned DC Partnership Bank for DC government accounts and to invest capital in our economy
A publicly owned, publicly accountable bank in D.C. would, in partnership with local financial institutions, delivers quality, sound financial services to promote jobs, sustainable local businesses and affordable housing in Washington, DC; enhances the financial health of the city’s general fund; and establishes the District of Columbia's sovereignty over its fiscal and monetary policies.
It is modeled after the Bank of North Dakota, with a 92-year history of safe, secure and highly profitable banking. North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate in the country; and in 2009, when other states were floundering, it had the largest budget surplus it had…
20 votes -
RECREATION CENTERS THAT KEPT OUR YOUTH AND OUR YOUNGSTERS OFF OF THE STREETS
MY IDEA IS THECONCERN FOR OUR YOUTH AND YOUNGSTERS. WHEN THERE WERE REC CENTERS, OUR KIDS WERE KEPT BUSY,CREATING,COMPETING,LEARNING LIFE SKILLS, AND SOCIALIZATION SKILLS. WHAT A DIFFERENCE IN OUR CITY.
NO IDLE TIME ON THEIR HANDS, INSTEAD USING THEIR BRAIN.18 votes -
Quality vocational programs for unemployed and underemployed residence.
One could start in high school. Implementing quality vocational programs such as Heating/Cooling, Plumbing, Electrician, office assistance/clerical, retail, and a host of other vocations that will earn a living wage upon successful completion and job securement.
18 votes