Frumin Stresses Education and Infrastructure
Matthew Frumin, a candidate for the April 23 at-large special election to permanently fill the D.C. Council seat vacated by Phil Mendelson, wants to ensure that every child in the District receives a quality education at a school in their respective neighborhoods and that the city's infrastructure remains sound for years to come.
Frumin, 55, who serves as an advisory neighborhood commissioner for 3E in Northwest, said he recognizes Ward 3 has the highest per capita income but he wants the District to become far more inclusive – in terms of jobs and opportunities.
"I want to bring people together and I have a record of getting things done," said Frumin, an international trade lawyer. "I have a record of activism on school issues and I believe that the schools citywide should have the same amenities and there should be a great local school on every corner."
Frumin is credited with being a force in the modernization of Woodrow Wilson High School in Northwest, a process that took years of persistent activism, he said.
Over the years, he's attended meetings hosted by the Ward 7 Education Council and also showed up to hear D.C. school officials make presentations in Ward 8 to discuss the challenges schools face east of the Anacostia River.
"On the D.C. Council, I want to be the guy from Ward 3 who understands that the best schools cannot just be in Ward 3," he said.
Frumin is a member of the Mayor's Taskforce for Undergrounding Power Lines and said that improving the city's centuries-old infrastructure will benefit all residents.
"The work on our underground power and storm-water system will create jobs for residents, particularly those who live in Wards 7 and 8 and returning citizens," he said.
Frumin said that he's learned a great deal about the problems returning citizens face because of his son Jophie's internship with D.C. Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8), and by talking with residents throughout the city.
"A lot of people in my part of the city don't get this issue but I do," he said. "I believe that you must give a person another chance and you can do that through job training and job creation. I am the gray, middle-age White guy who will be an advocate for returning citizens on the D.C. Council," he said.
Redd is Ready to Lead D.C.
Statehood Green candidate Perry Redd wants better and more ethical government for District residents and that's why he is a candidate for the at-large special election on April 23 to permanently fill the position on the D.C. Council vacated by Phil Mendelson, who is the chairman of the legislative body.
"I am running on the Statehood Green ticket because we are in the midst of one-party rule in this city," said Redd, 48. "We have corruption, mismanagement and non-inclusion on our city council. I will work to see that people are included and that we have a government that is transparent and accountable."
Redd, a fourth-generation Washingtonian and a graduate of H.D. Woodson High School in Northeast, has served in the military, pastored a church and hosted a television show.
Currently, Redd works as a community organizer. He is also the only candidate who is a returning citizen and said that he will focus on their specific issues.
"Things such as the bill that legalizes clean-hands certificates, where ex-offenders have to present papers to perspective employers that say they are safe to hire, is reminiscent of Jim Crow-legislation," Redd said. "Returning citizens deserve to be treated fairly and accorded their human and civil rights."
Redd also supports D.C. statehood, saying that "voting rights in the U.S. Congress is not sufficient" and "we want full representation not a one-third representative," the Northwest resident said.
