Legislative Priorities Part 2

Neighborhood Revitalization
Wards 1 and 2 are undergoing development that started several years ago. A new convention center, new condos, and apartments have consistently been added. With plans underway for a waterfront development project and hotels, the future
is bright for some parts of DC. However, we have not found a balance in providing affordable housing in parts of Ward 4.
Long-time DC Residents have been forced out of our community.

Additionally, many of DC’s poorest neighborhoods have not shared in this revitalization. Wards 7 and 8 suffer from continued economic disinvestment, crime, and a declining housing stock. Yet, our neighbors in these areas continue to bring energy and creativity to our city in the face of intractable urban problems. The city and Ward 4 have an economic and moral obligation to partner with them. When we lose neighborhoods in any part of the city we lose more than housing and citizenry: we lose a vital cultural link to this city’s past. In saving our neighborhoods, we are saving our Ward and our city.

A city councilman has the responsibility of bringing community leaders, bankers, developers, and government together in order to develop a strategic plan that ignites true rebuilding of all inner city neighborhoods. There are great events happening in DC, in which all residents should share, indulge, and benefit from.

Healthcare
The National Capital Medical Center (NCMC) will provide a carefully selected range of acute inpatient, specialty outpatient, emergency and trauma services, drawing upon both community-based and University physicians. NCMC is being designed with state-of-the-art medical equipment and the highest quality of patient safety and clinical information systems. It will be an efficient and attractive health care environment that will be both patient and provider-friendly.

Today, there is only one hospital east of the river and 29 private providers of healthcare. West of the river, there are 7 hospitals and more than 600 private providers. There are approximately 140,000 citizens in this area, many of them children, who do not have access to proper healthcare. There is an inequity in the delivery of healthcare in the city and it is in the best interest of the City that all residents have access to good healthcare so that they can maintain good health.

My legislative priorities will be to work with the Mayor and city council to set a public policy that makes healthcare accessible and affordable to ALL of it residents.

Economic Development
For any economic development plan to work, it must consist of three interlocking components: business, residents, and government. When there is no balance between these components, there will be a higher unemployment rate, no investment or disinvestment, and high levels of poverty.

Progressive economic development is basically assured for Wards 1 and 2. As far as the other wards, economic development is not so guaranteed even though there are current disposable incomes to support the investments. It is essential that we must develop in all wards. If this does not occur, we stand the chance of turning healthy communities into unhealthy communities simply because certain wards become more attractive than others. This is unacceptable.

Milligan will work with the council and businesses to bring more economic development to the main arteries and corridors of Ward 4. Milligan will also provide incentives for new and existing businesses to invest in Ward 4 thereby creating jobs in the community and improving the quality and standard of living.

The City must create a ground swell of skilled workers to attract businesses to the city. DCPS ended GED preparation and Vocational Training in the 1990’s. The Council did not fill this gap when these programs ended which explains why two-thirds of the jobs have gone to people who do not live in DC. Some of the side effects are poor road conditions, fewer shops and stores available to city residents, and high crime areas.

As your Ward 4 councilmember, I will ask the Council to help me pass legislation that provides permanent funding to GED preparation and Vocational Training. Using these tools, the city will provide a pool of rich talented candidates for businesses to employ who already have marketable skills.