At-Large Councilmember David A. Catania has introduced two bills that will empower the chronically unemployed and draw on the power of the District government's procurement process to create employment opportunities for more District residents.
While the "Worker Assistance and Gainful Employment Support Act of 2011" (WAGES Act of 2011) increases the financial stability of low-income workers and incentivizes transferable skills training, the "District Workforce and Business Fairness Act of 2011"strengthens resident employment requirements for certified business enterprises.
"While the District, as a whole, has fared better than most, some of our communities are struggling with upwards of 30 percent joblessness and growing levels of poverty," said Councilmember Catania. "The two pieces of legislation I proposed today will get more money into disadvantaged workers' pockets, provide real financial incentives to hire and train District residents, and harness the tremendous economic power of our procurement dollars in a way that more fully benefits District residents and businesses."
First, the WAGES Act will expand eligibility for the District's earned income tax credit. Experts agree this credit is one of the most effective anti-poverty programs ever enacted. As it is currently configured, the credit remains unavailable to many residents who could benefit most. Young workers ages 18 to 24 – who are not claimed as a dependent on another's return or do not have children of their own – are ineligible for the credit. The WAGES Act will expand access to the District's Earned Income Tax Credit to all residents ages 18 and older who meet the income requirements for the Federal credit and are not eligible as a deductable child on another individual's tax filings.
Additionally, the WAGES Act expands eligibility of non-custodial parents of all ages who provide financial support for their children through a court order to claim those children as deductions toward the District's earned income tax credit. Under current law, only individuals below the age of 30 can qualify despite the average age of a non-custodial parent being 34 years old. The WAGES Act removes the age limit entirely for non-custodial parents who pay child support through a court ordered program, increasing the credit amount available to those taxpayers.
The "District Workforce and Business Fairness Act of 2011" would make it mandatory that at least 50 percent of the employees of a business enterprise be District residents in order for that business to be certified as a Local Business Enterprise.
Current law gives Certified Business Enterprises (CBEs) a massive 12-point benefit in the District government's procurement process. The Act will ensure that the preference given to CBEs is reserved for true District businesses that actually employ a significant percentage of District residents. Under existing law, a business may claim the benefits of being a certified LBE without employing a single District resident. As a result, the current certification requirements erode the value of being a true local business. The Act would also require a cost assurance program wherein the winning bid of a CBE may not be greater than 12 percent above the cost of the goods or services in the commercial market.
"The District government procures hundreds of millions of dollars of goods and services every year and thousands of individuals are employed by District contractors and subcontractors," said Catania. "With unemployment still a major problem in the District, it is time that our procurement process place a premium on ensuring that District residents are put to work."
Daylight Savings Time (DST) ends on Sun., Nov. 6, and citizens are reminded that when they move their clocks back one hour (preferrably before retiring to bed Saturday night), that they also provide a fresh battery in their smoke alarms.
Having a working smoke alarm increase the chances of surviving a fire by 50 percent; and no smoke alarms were present in 43 percent of home fire deaths.
The Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department, as well as every fire department in the National Capital Region has a free smoke alarm program. For more information, call 301-864-SAFE (7233).
Chyna Cambell,12, was honored by the Prince George's Fire Department for her calm demeanor while notifying a 911 operator about an apartment fire./Photo Courtesy of Prince George's Fire DepartmentA 12-year –old girl in Forestville, Md., has received praise and a prestigious honor from the Prince George's Fire Department.
Chyna Campbell, a 7th-grader at Freeman Middle School, was presented with the “Fire Chief's Award ” on Tuesday (Oct. 31) by Chief Marc S. Bashoor for her life-saving actions nearly a week ago.
On the afternoon of Oct. 27, Chyna called 911 to report a fire in her building at 2718 Lorring Drive in the Doral Apartment complex. Campbell calmly explained that a family was trapped on the balcony.
Fire officials said it was her calm demeanor and precise instructions to the 911 operator, which provided firefighters with information that enabled them to quickly rescue the family and extinguish the fire.
Chief Bashoor and EMS personnel from District Heights Station 826 along with Campbell's family visited her class for the award presentation, and during their visit the recording of Campbell's request for assistance was played to provide students a lesson on how to properly make a 911 call.
A congressional panel looking into unethical practices aligned with Mayor Vincent Gray's 2010 campaign, has determined that Sulaimon Brown's claim that he was promised a high-paying District government job in exchange for his public rants against then-Mayor Adrian Fenty, lacks credibility.
According to a published report, while Brown appeared to have received money from members of the campaign, there was no evidence to support his allegation surrounding the job he abruptly lost in January after Gray's administration began.
A congressional panel has determined that Sulaimon Brown's claim that he was promised a job for his loyalty to the Gray campaign lacks credibility./Courtesy Photo
The report also states that other findings contained in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform would be released on Oct. 31.
The panel, which based its findings on interviews and documents provided the City Council and Gray's office, also reportedly described Brown as having a "poor grasp of the facts."
"While there is some circumstantial evidence that may support Brown's allegations, including cell phone records, internal city e-mails and copies of text messages between Brown (and members of Gray's campaign), overall the evidence is insufficient to support Brown's allegations," according to information contained in the published report.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Mayor Vincent C. Gray has joined Adrianne Todman, executive director of the DC Housing Authority, in kicking off a new homeownership program for public housing residents.
The announcement was made at the grand opening of Elvans Court, DCHA's totally renovated, "green" townhome community in Ward 8.
"DCHA is not only fashioning a new physical landscape for Ward 8, it is also carrying out this administration's commitment to One City by empowering our citizens to achieve self-sufficiency and take advantage of economic opportunities," Mayor Gray said.
"Achieving Your Best Life (AYBL) is the first program designed specifically to prepare public housing residents for homeownership," Todman explained. "Families who qualify for the program have up to five years to purchase a home. The rent that the head of household normally would pay as a public housing resident will be deposited into an escrow account. When a family is ready to graduate and purchase their own home, they will receive the escrow funds to use toward their down-payment."
At-Large Council member Michael Brown, chair of the DC Council Committee on Housing and Workforce Development, and Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry spoke at the opening, that was also attended by Lee Jones, a new resident at Elvans Court and participant in the AYBL program.
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