LISTEN TO SEKOU BIDDLE
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LISTEN TO PATRICK MARA
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Tomorrow is the special election for the D.C. Council (and the State Board of Education for Wards 4 and 8). TheFightBack has put the same ten questions to each of the candidates for at-large councilmember. The last two candidates to be interviewed are Councilmember Sekou Biddle and D.C. State Board of Education member Patrick Mara.
From The Current: “Sekou Biddle has been an interim at-large D.C. Council member since January. The Democratic State Committee selected him to fill the seat temporarily when Kwame Brown was elected council chairman. A former D.C. Board of Education member, Biddle previously worked as a regional executive director for Jumpstart for Young Children and directed community outreach for KIPP DC (Knowledge Is Power Program), which runs three city charter schools.”
From The Current: “Patrick Mara was recently elected the Ward 1 member of the D.C. State Board of Education. Mara heads his own political consulting group, which deals with small businesses and political and nonprofit fundraising. In the past, he worked as a contractor for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, working on clean transportation tools and electricity restructuring.”
Questions for Council candidates:
1. D.C.’s top income tax bracket begins at $40,000, so someone making $40,000 or $4 million pays the same tax rates as someone making far less. Are you in favor of taxing the District’s highest income earners in order to avoid further cuts to safety net services?
2. What are your thoughts on former Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s so-called school reform?
3. Do you support Walmart’s attempt to bring four stores to the District of Columbia?
4. D.C. taxicab fares are some of the lowest in the country. Would you be in support of making D.C.’s fares competitive with neighboring jurisdictions?
5. What is your position on the recently introduced taxicab medallion legislation?
6. D.C. councilmembers are the second highest paid city council in the country, according to a report by the Pew Charitable Trust. Yet, in addition to their $125,000 salary, councilmembers are able to earn outside income. If elected, will you commit to foregoing any additional income and stick to just your Council salary?
7. What is your position on the HPV vaccine, which is mandated for sixth grade girls in the District of Columbia and Virginia, and nowhere else in the U.S.?
8. What is your position on statehood versus voting rights for the District of Columbia?
9. Did you vote for Adrian Fenty in the recent mayoral election?
10. Is there anything you’d care to add?
For more information about voting in the upcoming election contact DC Board of Elections and Ethics at 441 4th St, NW, Suite 250 North, Washington, DC, 20001. Telephone: (202) 727-2525 or toll free at 1-866-DC-VOTES.
Related Links:
- http://patrickmara.com
- http://sekoubiddle.com
- www.dcboee.us
- http://martinaustermuhle.com/four26/?tag=dcist
Related Stories:
- April 26 Special Election: At-Large D.C. Council Candidates Vincent Orange and Joshua Lopez In Their Own Words
- April 26 Special Election: At-Large D.C. Council Candidates Alan Page and Dorothy Douglas In Their Own Words
- April 26 Special Election: At-Large D.C. Council Candidates Tom Brown and Bryan Weaver In Their Own Words