Responses of Benjamin Bonham to
GLAA 1998 Questionnaire for Council Candidates
1. If elected, what will you do to encourage the Council to exercise it's powers more responsibly and thereby facilitate a speedy return of home rule powers to the District?
When I am elected to the City Council, I will work to insure that government becomes more responsive to the community at large. I will work to insure that fairness becomes a vital element to consider when doing city business. The days of cronyism, and going along to get along are over. It is imperative that our city's leadership begin to be responsive to the entire city, not just the special interests. I will work to insure that the residents of this city receive the services they pay their taxes for. That their children receive the best education our residents tax dollars can provide.
2. The Council has seldom aggressively exercised it's oversight powers over the District government. Instead, too often it has been passive and reactive in addressing the mismanagement problems that routinely plague the District govern- ment's administration. What will you do to improve the Council's performance of it's oversight responsibilities?
As I said in question 1, the days of going along to get along are over! I am an activist board of education member, who was elected to bring reform to the school system. The control board pretty well interfered with the present board's ability to have any real input in the running of the school system. However, I have made it my business to insure that my ward has input with the superintendent's office, and are kept informed on issues affecting our young people. As a City Councilperson, I will be aggressive in pursuing those issues which I think are of importance to the citizens of the District of Columbia. I believe that government must, when possible, be proactive. We must enforce the laws and regulations on the books, and make new laws to cover detrimental situations which are foreseeable, but not regulated. First and foremost, I will provide leadership for my constituency. For a long time, thecouncil membership has just followed the Mayor. I am not a go along kind of person. I will exhibit leadership in those matters that are important to my constituency.
3. Do you support passage and full funding for the new civilian complaint review system to be established by Bill 12-521, the Office of Citizen Complaint Review Establishment Act of 1998?
I believe that the City Council did the residents of the District of Columbia a disservice when it abolished the Citizen's Complaint Review system without instituting an alternative system in 1995. Our community cannot afford to allow the police department to police itself. I wholeheart edly support the passage of Bill 12-521, and hope that the system is up and running as soon as possible.
4. Do you support Bill 12-612, the "Opened Alcoholic Beverage Containers Amendment Act of 1998" (a.k.a. the Chardonnay Lady Bill"), that would allow people to drink alcoholic beverages on their own porches without fear of arrest?
First, let me start out by saying that I do not drink alcoholic beverages of any kind, and I have an aversion to any public drinking. I cannot believe however, that this is such a widespread problem that it warrants legislation. I feel that this is a matter that can best be addressed by applying public pressure on the Mayor, Chief of Police, and City Council. I firmly believe that this problem is one of targeting a certain neighborhood and it's residents for harassment. What business is it of the police department if you are drinking in your backyard or on your front porch? But I think legislating this issue may bring about the less than desirable effect of promoting public drinking.
5. In an apparent effort to bolster his standing with some segments of the District community, the recently ousted chief of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, David Watts, instituted a zoning regulation earlier this year barring video stores from deriving more than 15% of their revenue from sexually-oriented videos. Do you agree that this attack on the rights of adult consumers is utterly unwarranted and that there should be no limits on the proportion of video store revenues derived from adult videos?
I do not feel that the city should be dictating to video store operators how much revenue can be derived from sexually oriented material sold in their outlet. If the community where the store is located has a problem with the selling of sexually-oriented videos, then it should raise these issues with the owner and it's elected representatives.
6. Will you support legislation to authorize and regulate the issuance of liquor licenses to establishments that want to offer nude dancing as entertainment?
No. I will not support such legislation.
7. Do you support Initiative 59 to legalize the use of medical marijuana when a patient's doctor recommends it as a means to combat some of the effects of AIDS, cancer and other diseases?
I support the legalization of marijuana solely for medical uses, as prescribed by a physician.
8. The New York State Legislature recently passed legislation saying that (1) doctors must report the names of people who test positive for HIV to public health officials; and that (2) health workers must attempt to have infected patients identify their sex or drug-use partners and then must notify those partners of possible exposure. Such measures are invariably counter-productive and discourage those most at risk from being tested and treated for HIV. Will you oppose any such legislation in the District ?
When I am elected to the City Council, I will oppose attempts by the City Council pass legislation to mandate identifying persons who are HIV positive to public health officials or, which encourages health care workers to pressure persons with AIDS to identify their sexual partners or drug-use partners. I strongly support protecting the privacy of the individual. The medical records of those infected with AIDS, and any information regarding those individuals should never be identified by actual name. It is imperative that those who suffer from this disease are not made victims of discrimination or retaliation.
9. Do you support an increase in District government funding to combat AIDS in line with the continuing increase in the caseload?
Yes, I support an increase in District funding to combat AIDS, which is in-line with the continuing increase in the caseload.
10. Do you support continued District government funding for the needle exchange program to combat the spread of AIDS?
Yes, I support continued funding for the needle exchange program to combat the spread of AIDS.
11. Do you support legal recognition of marriages between partners of the same sex?
I do not support legal recognition of marriage between partners of the same sex.
12. Do you support the current District policy, sanctioned by a court ruling, of allowing adoptions by unmarried couples?
I support the current policy which allows adoption by unmarried persons.
13. Do you support both an increased budget for the Office of Human Rights so that it's heavy case backlog can be elimi- nated, and the reestablishment of OHR as an independent, Cabinet-level agency whose Director has direct access to the Mayor?
I support additional funding for OHR for the purposes of eliminating it's backlog of cases. I would support making OHR a Cabinet-level agency. I do not support the re-cre ation of OHR as an additional independent agency, whose budget is funded by tax dollars.
14. Will you support legislation codifying OHR's current practice of granting top priority to discrimination complaints from those afflicted with AIDS or other life-shortening conditions?
Yes, I will support codifying the current practice of HR to grant top priority to discrimination complaints from persons suffering from AIDS or other life-shortening conditions.
15. Proposals for establishing a system of vouchers for private schools, whether here or elsewhere around the country, would funnel taxpayer dollars to religious schools controlled by denominations that frequently are aggressively homophobic. Will you oppose any legislation authorizing vouchers for religious schools?
As a member of the elected school board, I have publicly opposed establishing a system of vouchers which will funnel taxpayer dollars to any private schools. I believe that public education is made less effective by taking money out of the system and reallocating for use in private schools, religious or secular. Here in the District, there is a need to put more money into providing a quality education for our children. It is not the time to redirect those monies to private schools. Ultimately, the children left in the public system would be hurt by such a practice.
Benjamin W. Bonham, Jr.
Candidate for D.C. Council, Ward 6
Campaign Address: 1374 F Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002
Campaign Chairperson: Walter Smith
Treasurer: Ronald L. Williams