Scribd
Upload
428 views

2016

A memorandum highlights The District's Fiscal Year 2017 budget recommendations. The recommendations are divided into Committee and NonCommittee proposals. The Committee recommends $1. Billion in capital funds for the construction of 24 additional streetcar lines.

Uploaded by

Martin Austermuhle
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
428 views

2016

A memorandum highlights The District's Fiscal Year 2017 budget recommendations. The recommendations are divided into Committee and NonCommittee proposals. The Committee recommends $1. Billion in capital funds for the construction of 24 additional streetcar lines.

Uploaded by

Martin Austermuhle
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION & THE ENVIRONMENT


MARY M. CHEH, CHAIR

MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:

Members of the Council of the District of Columbia


Councilmember Mary M. Cheh
May 10, 2016
The Districts Fiscal Year 2017 Budget

Tomorrow, we will begin our joint discussions of the Fiscal Year 2017 budget. As a
convenience to Members, this memorandum highlights the budget recommendations
from my office. The recommendations are divided into Committee and NonCommittee proposals, as detailed below.
Committee Recommendations
1.
Transfer $200,000 from the Department of General Services to the District
Department of Transportation to engage in community outreach on the best location
or locations for placement of the pathways to the middle class. Although residents of
the District have heard much talk about the Mayors plan to create such pathways,
thus far, no specific sites have been made public. To ensure that ANCs, community
groups, and others have a full and fair opportunity to weigh in, the Committee
recommends that DDOT perform this outreach. Issues to consider include whether
the pathways pass through All 8 Wards, give District residents A Fair Shot, or make
residents Safer, Stronger. Wherever the Administration ends up putting the
pathways, the Committee has no doubt that the Washington Post Editorial Board
will support them, unless the pathways are amended by the Council, in which case,
theyll be skewered. #pathwaystothemiddleclass
2.
Allocate $1.2 billion in capital funds to the District Department of
Transportation for the construction of 24 additional streetcar lines. After yearsand
we mean yearsof anticipation, the successful launch of the H Street/Benning Road
Streetcar Line has convinced Councilmembers that DDOT has the capacity and the
expertise to not only operate one streetcar line, but at least 25. DDOT plans to begin
laying down tracks on all major District thoroughfares in FY 2017 through FY 2045,
with plans to test the streetcars from FY 2046 through FY 2068, at which time
passenger service may or may not begin. The Committee is hopeful that future
Mayors, as well as the future Governor of New Columbia, will continue such capital

1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 108


WASHINGTON, DC 20004

funds in subsequent budgets to ensure that all projects will be completed in an


efficient and timely manner.
3.
Transfer $0.05 to the Department of General Services for costs related to
printing an invoice to Donald Trump for the construction costs of a YUUUUGE wall
around the new Trump International Hotel. Its going to be incredible. It will be the
most beautiful wall youve ever seen. Itll be fantastic. Were going to do a wall; were
going to have a big, fat, beautiful door on the wall. And were gonna make Donald pay
for it. Lets make Pennsylvania Avenue Great Again.
4.
Transfer $125,000 from the Department of Motor Vehicles to the Department
of Energy and Environment (DOEE) to change the name of the agency to the District
Environment and Energy Department (DEED). With the change in Mayoral
administrations, the agency formerly known as the District Department of the
Environment (DDOE) became DOEE, which better encapsulates its mission. The
name change, however, has created more problems than its worth. Councilmembers
and staff regularly trip over the new name, mostly because the new name sucks. The
Committee recommends changing the name from DOEE to DEED, which is also a
horrible name, but it has a great acronym. And isnt that what really matters?
5.
Recognize a transfer of $800,000 from Fire and Emergency Medical Services to
the D.C. Taxicab Commission to subsidize a new medical ridesharing service:
UberAmbulance (UberAm). Given the state of disrepair of FEMSs fleet and
increasing 9-1-1 call volume, Uber has agreed to partner with the District on
providing emergency medical service. The new UberAm app allows a patient to choose
with the tap of a button the level of service (Basic Life Support or Advanced Life
Support) that best fits their medical needs. And, during times of mass casualties,
consumers are advised to consider their medical event carefully, as surge pricing may
be in effect. Cost-conscious consumers can choose to share their ambulance with
others in need of medical attention via UberAmPool. At the end of the ride, both the
EMT and the patient will have the ability to rate the ride.
Non-Committee Recommendations
1.
Transfer $1.3 million to the District of Columbia Council to create a program
to pay stipends to at-risk Councilmembers. Although the District is not moving
forward with its controversial plan to pay residents not to commit crimes, the
Committee believes this idea still shows promise. As the Council sadly has a history
of criminality among its members while in office, the Committee recommends
creating a program that will identify those Councilmembers most likely to commit a
crime while in office and pay them additional compensation to engage in intensive
behavioral therapy, ethics training, and basic morality.

2.
Transfer $4 million to the Commission on Arts & Humanities to pay the cast
of Hamilton to put on a production of their record-breaking, Tony Award-nominated
masterpiece at the John A. Wilson Building. Thats not a joke. We should do this.
Seriously. Hamilton rules. Well put it on P-cards, itll be fine.
3.

WMATA.

4.
Recognize an additional $500,000 in unaccounted for revenue within the
Executive Office of the Mayor for the Fresh Pacs program. Following the successful
business model of HighSpeed, which combines lemonade and marijuana delivery, the
EOM will be selling Fresh Pacs, which bundles produce with government access. Each
Fresh Pac contains everything one could need for a hard day of lobbying for
government contracts: fresh fruits and vegetables, energy bars, Gatorade, and
unfettered access to the Executive. These refreshing packages can be purchased for
just five easy payments of $1,999. Earn rewards for each Fresh Pac purchased, which
can be redeemed toward the award of a government contract!
5.
$500,000 for a task force to study the current task force studying the licensing
of marijuana clubs. The money shall be placed in a contingency fund, as the Council
was first for the study, then against it, then for it, and then against it.
6.
Recognize a projected savings of $424,529 from the travel budgets of all District
agencies. Given the proclivity for bigoted anti-LGBT legislation, the Committee
expects that the government will have to ban travel to more jurisdictions than just
North Carolina and Mississippi. The Committee, therefore, proposes a new Budget
Support Act subtitle banning all government travel outside of the District. The
subtitle contains limited exceptions if an agency can document that the purpose of
the outside travel is to a) attend a gay pride parade; b) rescue refugees from an antiLGBT jurisdiction, or c) see a production of Kinky Boots.

You might also like