The Chevy Chase Advisory Neighborhood Commission unanimously passed a resolution supporting D.C. voting rights at their bimonthly meeting Monday night.
Chair Gary Thompson proposed resubmitting the resolution from 2007 to Congress that asked for full representation in Congress. “Nothing is more important than the right to vote,” said Thompson.
Thompson said that ANCs are allowed to present any view to any government agency they wish to. He said that he did not see a reason why the Chevy Chase ANC, which represents Ward 3 and part of Ward 4, should not take a stance on D.C. receiving voting rights in Congress. Commissioners Henry Griffin, Jim McCarthy, Carolyn Cook and Allen Beach all agreed that the commission should make their voices heard in Congress.
Individuals attending the meeting questioned the wording of the proposal and thought that it should be border and be closer to the proposed bill in Congress. The original wording of the resolution indicated that the ANC supported having full representation, meaning two senators. Individuals at the meeting thought that the ANC should take a stance that only demanded partial rights because they said that full rights are out of the picture.
“Do we take it a little bit at a time or demand justice?” said Thompson. The ANC compromised and decided to send the resolution with the changed wording of “up to two senators,” instead of “two senators.”
Former Chair Jerry Levine asked the commission to take a strong stance on a certain aspect of the voting rights bill to get Congress to take the ANC’s proposal seriously. He suggested that the commission look at the gun amendment to the bill that restores second amendment right to D.C. and abolishes all gun laws in the District. However, the commission decided not to take a strong position on the gun amendment because they did not want to be controversial and simply want Congress to know that they believe D.C. should have representation.
Before discussing the D.C. Voting Rights Bill, the commission announced that they are accepting applications for their Spring Grant Program and will review applications during their next meeting on April 13. The commission gives grants to individuals and community groups twice a year (fall and spring) for amounts up to $1,000. Individuals and groups that receive that grants must use the money on something that will benefit the Chevy Chase community or the children of Chevy Chase. Commissioner Beach said that this will be the first year the council requires grant receivers to submit a statement of purpose.
The ANC heard a presentation from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs concerning vacant properties and the importance in making sure they are registered with the D.C. government. The D.C. government believes that vacant properties not only affect the property values of neighborhood properties, but also the welfare of families that live near the vacant property.
At the beginning of the meeting, students from the Higher Achievement program, who were invited by the ANC, performed their poems. Higher Achievement is a program that targets children during their middle school years to direct their energy into positive activities. The program helps students after school with homework and also holds a poetry contest every year. The two students who performed their poems where finalists from their school and performed their poems about love. The Higher Achievement program asked the ANC if they would be willing to write and letter of recommendation and work with the program in the future. The ANC agreed to both requests and commended the students on their poems and calm presentation.
The commission voted 5-0 to sign a letter asking the D.C. government to pay for sign language interrupters, at the end of the meeting. ANCs are responsible for finding and paying for sign language interrupters who can translate their meetings for deaf community members. Thompson stressed that is it very important for individuals to have full and equal representation in ANC meetings. He said that without sign language interrupters this is not possible. The letter asked the D.C. government to either find and pay for interrupters or let ANC’s find and pay for interrupters and be reimbursed by the D.C. government.
Commissioner Beach reported on a meeting he had attended by the Alcohol Beverage Control Board. “Alcohol is not a problem for the ANC, the problem is a behavior problem,” said Beach. He said that there is some concern over clubs that close late in other parts of D.C. that release rowdy patrons at early morning hours. Beach said that when restaurants with liquor licenses in the Chevy Chase Area come due, the ANC will definitely be active in how those licenses are renewed.
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