Responses of Baruti Jahi ("BJ") to
GLAA 1998 Questionnaire for Council Candidates
1. If elected, what will you do to encourage the Council to exercise its powers more responsibly and thereby facilitate a speedy return of home rule powers to the District?
First, as your representative on the city council, I will provide effective leadership in order to demonstrate that a return to home rule will be a return to responsible and effective leadership. Second, I will advocate for the removal of the Control Board as the main governing entity for the District of Columbia. Third, through the representatives from my Ward One Summit Series, I will push for citizens of my Ward and the District of Columbia to lobby Congress and the D.C. delegate for the successful and speedy return of home rule powers.
I believe that home rule requires more than just placing the management and governing responsibilities back into the hands of D.C. elected officials. Home Rule should be a synonym for responsible, effective, and accountable leadership. As your Ward One Councilmember, I will push for a more accountable city council in order to guarantee that all aspects of home rule are being met.
2. The Council has seldom aggressively exercised its 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 government's administration. What will you do to improve the Council's performance of its oversight responsibilities?
There are a number of initiatives that I will introduce in order to improve the Council's performance of its oversight responsibilities. First, I am going to provide a direct channel of communication for the community so that they can monitor the council and ensure that it exercises its oversight responsibilities. Within the first 90 days of my term, I will implement the Ward One Summit Series. This will bring together the heads of various D.C. government agencies, religious and community-based organizations, business leaders, and university representatives. These representatives will develop a strategic plan that can serve as a blueprint for the improvement in the quality of life for the residents of Ward One and our city. More importantly, this blueprint will have specific proposal recommendations that will be submitted to the each councilmember that will highlight specific ways that they can go about engaging in these oversight responsibilities.
Furthermore, within the first 60 days of my term, I will request audits of the major service delivery departments within the District. This is imperative in order to understand how our existing resources (fiscal and human) are being utilized. Based on these audits, we will determine what courses of action need to be taken, as well as what oversight responsibilities need to be acted upon.
3. Do you support passage and full funding for the new civilian complaint review system to be established by Bill 12-512, the "Office of Citizen Complaint Review Establishment Act of 1998"?
I support the passage and full funding of a civilian complaint review system whose decisions will carry full authority and not be overturned by internal police grievance procedures. I recommend that a 9 member panel participate in conducting this civilian complaint review system. This panel should consist of two retired police officers, a retired judge and other representatives from community organizations, including a representative from the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender community.
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 porches without fear of arrest?
I do not support any bill that will allow underage residents of the District of Columbia to drink out in public. Also, I do not support any bill that allows residents to drink in front of abandoned buildings, public housing developments, or street corners.
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 & 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?
No, I do not agree that this attack on adult consumers is "utterly unwarranted." I believe that pornography is an issue that we all must be concerned about. But, I do not support the zoning regulation instituted by David Watts. I believe that it will be too difficult and almost impossible to monitor and evaluate all District video stores in order to determine if they comply with the 15% cap of their revenue. In addition, I believe that this will infringe upon certain rights that are entitled to adult consumers and business owners.
6. Will you support legislation to authorize and regulate the issuance of liquor licenses to establishments (in designated nonresidential commercial districts) that want to offer nude dancing as entertainment?
Yes, I will support this type of legislation.
7. Do you support Initiative 59 (or similar legislation) to legalize the use of medical marijuana when a patient's doctor recommends it as a means to combat some effects of AIDS, cancer, and other diseases?
Yes, I do support Initiative 59 to legalize the use of marijuana "only" when a patient's doctor recommends it as a means to combat some of the effects of AIDS, cancer, and other diseases.
8. The New York State Legislature recently passed legislation saying: (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?
I do oppose legislation saying that doctors must report the names of people who test positive for HIV to public health officials. But, I do support legislation that says that health workers musts attempt to identify the sex or drug-use partners of those who test positive for HIV.
9. Do you support an increase in District government funding to combat AIDS in line with the continuing increase in the caseload?
Yes, I do support an increase in District government funding to combat AIDS 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?
I support any program which after careful research has successfully and responsibly demonstrated that it can effectively combat the spread of AIDS.
11. Do you support the legal recognition of marriages between partners of the same sex?
No, I do not support the legal recognition of marriages 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?
Yes, I support the current District policy, sanctioned by a court ruling, of allowing adoptions by unmarried couples. However, my primary concern is what is in the best interest of the child. Children that are in foster care and the social service system need stability in their lives. Individuals that have not made the commitment to marriage run a greater risk of separating and therefore cause greater disruption to the lives of the children they have adopted. It is important that when these children are adopted or placed in homes that stand the greatest probability of providing that needed stability. Again, I am concerned about the best interest of the child and placing the child in the most stable environment possible.
13. Do you support both an increased budget for the Office of Human Rights (OHR) so that its heavy case backlog can be eliminated, and the reestablishment of OHR as an independent, Cabinet-level agency whose Director has direct access to the Mayor?
I support any District agency that effectively defends the human rights of all District residents. I support both an increased budget for the OHR and its reestablishment as an independent, Cabinet-level agency whose Director has direct access to the Mayor.
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?
I support legislation that guarantees that all forms of discrimination receives equal treatment in the District of Columbia. I believe that all discrimination based upon race, gender, sexual orientation, and discrimination against those with AIDS should receive top priority treatment from the Office of Human Rights.
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?
Yes, I will oppose any legislation authorizing vouchers for religious schools.
Sincerely,
Baruti "BJ" Jahi