Archive for the ‘Government Issues’ Category

Posted by Polly Clare-Rothe | March 1st, 2011

At the end of the day, the “Community Brainstorm: Building a Healthy, Hunger-Free DC” session provided interested attendees the opportunity to participate in a discussion about how to build a more just, nourishing food system in DC. As shown by the turnout at Rooting DC, countless nonprofits and individuals are involved in food politics in this city; this session offered space to think about collaborating and creating change.

The food system impacts the environment, the economy, and people, yet there is no centralized agency responsible for it; in DC, at least 13 different city agencies play a role in shaping our local food system.

Carl Rollins of Common Good City Farm pointed out that if we want to change the local food system, we need to get involved—there are currently too few players deciding on the policies, and most of them are non-profit service providers, not necessarily DC residents who have the most at stake. With many groups and nonprofits focused primarily on emergency food distribution, we aren’t always thinking about how to improve the system itself.

Alicia Cameden of the Capital Area Food Bank then explained the concept of a food policy council, which has the potential to improve DC’s fragmented food system. Food policy councils in other cities and states engage with government policy, grassroots projects, businesses and food workers. They serve as forums for the discussion of food issues and coordination between the various sectors of the food system, and can influence government policies.

We broke into four groups to discuss what a healthier, more just food system in DC would look like, and to brainstorm city-wide, grassroots initiatives that could address some of the current problems. At the end, each group shared just a few of their favorite ideas, which included these:

• Form a leadership council to encourage sharing of information
• Better utilize volunteers by developing a centralized volunteer bank
• Emphasize food sovereignty rather than food access; people should have a say in what food they eat
• Appreciate traditional wisdom; learn from individuals who already grow their own food
• Build communities around food; for example, happy hours, potlucks and block parties

Only an hour long, this Community Brainstorm was not intended to create answers but rather to gather interested individuals, begin ongoing conversations, and get ideas flowing. There will be many more chances to share ideas at future sessions, which will be hosted by these and other groups in the upcoming months. In addition, a survey is being created that will explore barriers to food access as well as some of the things that are working well in DC neighborhoods.

There are many ways to get involved, such as helping with the survey or attending or hosting an upcoming discussion. For more information, contact Allison Burket at aburket@breadforthecity.org.

The session was sponsored by the DC Food Justice Coalition, Bread for the City, SHIRE, DC Hunger Solutions, Common Good City Farm, Ecolocity, Groundwork Anacostia, Healthy Solutions, MWPHA Health Disparities Committee, ROC-DC, and others.

Posted by Kwame Boadi | February 24th, 2011

[Cross-posted from DC Fiscal Policy Institute's The District Dime.]

Does a highly profitable, high-end supermarket chain really merit an $8 million tax break to encourage it to open a store in a development-rich area of the District? That’s the question that will be posed to the DC Council when it considers a property tax abatement proposal, reported last week by the Washington Post, to bring a Whole Foods near Nationals Park.

The city should be investing in economic development to create jobs, attract businesses and residents, and revitalize neighborhoods. However, the District’s elected leaders have adopted a slew of tax abatements in recent years with no process to differentiate the worthwhile projects from the not-so-worthwhile. In the case of Whole Foods’ proposal, it’s perfectly reasonable to wonder why the project would need any subsidy in the first place, given the amount of development that has already been attracted to the area. And it is perfectly reasonable to ask what benefits the developer will provide the city in return.

Posted by Pete Tucker | February 23rd, 2011

[Cross-posted from The Fight Back.]

Listen to audio.

“Once they get their foothold in D.C. we can never go back,” said Gary Cha, owner of Yes! Organic Market, which has seven stores, all located in the District of Columbia. “Washington is a very small city to have four Walmarts… Having just one Walmart can have a devastating effect. I can’t imagine the lawmakers, the councilmembers, the politicians letting four Walmarts come to D.C.”

Gary Cha at Yes! Organic Market

The Washington Post noted, “Last fall, Wal-Mart announced initial plans to open stores in Wards 4, 5, 6 and 7, and it has followed with a carefully orchestrated campaign to win support and disarm critics. It says that its stores would create 1,200 retail jobs… and would generate an estimated $10 million annually in tax revenue for the city.”

Cha challenges Walmart’s claims: “For every job that they bring, one-and-a-half to two jobs are lost, so it’s not a net gain of jobs.” A joint study by Hunter College and Bill de Blasio, the New York City Public Advocate, reached the same conclusion: “Wal-Mart is trying to take advantage of the current economic downturn by promising an immediate infusion of jobs and investment dollars in city neighborhoods that have been hit hard by the recession. Considering the body of independent research that clearly demonstrates Wal-Mart’s negative long-term impacts on local economies, it would be shortsighted to allow this destructive retail monopolist to enter the New York City market via the Trojan Horse of ‘job creation.’”

Regarding the estimated tax revenue D.C. would reap from Walmart’s arrival, Cha said, “[While] they’re bringing [in] about $10 million a year [in] sales tax… if the sales mostly come from existing business, that’s not a new tax that they’re generating, it’s just simply shifting from what small business owners [are already] paying.”

In his store on Georgia Avenue, the movie “Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price” plays continuously. It’s part of Cha’s effort to help educate the community. “A lot of people have no idea what Walmart does… I didn’t know that much about Walmart until I started doing research and it’s very scary… I’m concerned not just for my stores, but [for] a lot of other people because this is where I’ve been doing business for thirty years. This is my home.”

Much of D.C.’s vibrant nonprofit community has remained silent on Walmart’s attempt to enter the District. The Washington Post noted, “Wal-Mart’s charitable foundation has provided grants and donations to D.C. nonprofit organizations in recent years, including more than $2 million in fiscal 2010.” Additionally, Walmart’s charitable foundation pledged $25 million for last year’s controversial D.C. teachers’ contract. Initially the contract stipulated that if then-Chancellor Michelle Rhee left town, so could the money.

Press coverage of Walmart’s effort has ranged from non-confrontational to nonexistent. Cha pointed out that, on average, Walmart spends more than $6.5 million a day on advertising. Washington City Paper noted on Feb. 14, “Last week, Wal-Mart execs met with writers and editors of the Washington Post. This week the editorial board writes an editorial how Wal-Mart would be a welcome addition to the District (which follows a similar-themed column from [Washington Post columnist] Robert McCartney). Put yourself in for a raise, Wal-Mart press guy!” The Post’s pro-Walmart editorial stated, “Unsubstantiated criticism should not be allowed to derail a private investment that, on balance, appears to be to the advantage of the District and its residents.”

“Being a business owner in D.C. since 1982, this is where I make a living, ” said Cha. “I care about where I do business and I hate to see not just my business, but other small businesses suffer because of allowing Walmart to come in [to D.C. and do] what they’ve done elsewhere.”

Posted by Allison Burket | February 15th, 2011

This post is the fourth in a series from Bread for the City intern Allison Burket exploring the basics of food, hunger, and politics in the District.

Posted by Allison Burket | December 20th, 2010

After the first round of votes last week, the DC Council is expected deliver the final to vote this Tuesday to approve the FEED DC Act, putting in place a program to support healthy food access across the district. Based on the public-private partnership programs designed to draw full-service grocery stores to underserved areas in [...]

Posted by Kristen Kozlowski | November 23rd, 2010

A recent announcement by the Washington Post that Wal-Mart is planning on opening four stores in the District has prompted concern from labor unions and advocates for food justice in DC.  The Washington Post described Wal-Mart’s strategy as “aggressive” as they aim to build four large stores across DC by 2012.  This “aggressive” strategy includes [...]

Posted by Joni Podschun | November 23rd, 2010

This blog post is part of a series on the importance of safety net programs and the need for a more progressive income tax, to pay for the investments our city needs. Find out more here.

When I think about money and my childhood, I remember my parents talking about their credit card debt and being told at McDonalds that our family could not afford Happy Meals. I knew we didn’t have money for the extras like weekly trips to eat out, but it was only as a young adult that I understood just how little my parents were working with.

When I took a few classes at the local public high school, my Mom sent me to the school office to ask about Free and Reduced Lunch. I brought home the income requirements and found out that we were well within the limits for Free Lunch. Then, when my parents became pregnant with my little brother, we signed up for the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program.

Our family had just one income by choice — my father worked and my mother stayed home to raise and educate me and my siblings. Despite our economic situation, I have a lot of privilege — I have white skin, we were considered middle class because of my father’s job, and I received a fabulous education, among other things.

I’m deeply grateful for the food programs that helped stretch our budget. Thanks to the WIC program, Free Meals, and — as a recent college graduate — Food Stamps, I had a healthy, happy, parent-filled childhood, and the financial support to get started in a new city. It’s been four short years since I graduated from college and moved to DC, and I’m in a job that I love, doing good work and contributing to the tax base. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share my privilege and help grow the investments that were made to get me where I am today.

Unfortunately, the support I received as a young adult is not guaranteed for all DC residents who need it. Funding has been cut for safety net programs like IMA Service Centers, where people apply for Food Stamps. At the same time, our income tax structure has stayed the same — the top tax bracket (8.5%) starts at $40,000/year. Save Our Safety Net and other groups are suggesting a better choice: the City Council should create a new tax bracket of 9.5% for income over $200,000. For less than the cost of a latte a day to most households in the top 5%, our city could bring in about $75 million in new revenue. If you agree that we need more investments in the safety net, take action by sending an email to Vince Gray today.

What kind of a safety net do you want to have, for yourself and your neighbors? What tax structure would help us make the public investments our city needs?

Posted by Allison Burket | October 24th, 2010

By Kristen Kozlowski and Allison Burket

“Why do we have food deserts?” asked Councilmember Mary Cheh during a public hearing on the FEED DC Act on Monday, October 18th – a bill aiming to improve access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food in DC’s underserved communities.

Introduced last July by Councilmembers Cheh, Tommy Wells, Kwame Brown, and David Catania, the “Food, Environmental, and Economic Development in the District of Columbia Act” has three main purposes: to improve access to healthy food for residents of DC’s food deserts; to support a clean environment and encourage green job growth in DC; and to create jobs for DC residents.

The impetus for this bill comes from multiple directions – the obesity epidemic in DC, economic inequality in the District, and the need for city government revenue. In particular, a recent report from DC Hunger Solutions highlighted the uneven distribution of grocery stores across DC’s neighborhoods -  for example, Ward 3 has five times as many full-service grocers per resident as Ward 4. This “grocery gap” disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color, and severely limits many families’ ability to access healthy affordable food. Families are forced to travel long distances or to rely on the cheap highly-processed unhealthy foods in corner stores, a phenomenon that contributes to the city’s obesity epidemic.

Hoping to address these concerns, the FEED DC Act will create a public/private partnership to attract and renovate stores that will sell fresh and healthy foods in underserved communities.

A “Grocery Store Financing Program” of grants, loans and tax credits would be administered by a “grocery ambassador” in the Mayor’s office, accompanied by a “Healthy Corner Store Program” to support and expand the ability of existing corner stores to serve fresher and healthier options. As part of this program, the District would help establish a commercial distribution system for fresh produce and healthy foods to corner stores. This “comprehensive, coordinated effort,” Cheh explained, will not interfere with the existing DC budget; it will largely be “reallocating resources we already have,” aiming to be fiscally and socially responsible.

Why are there food deserts?

Encouraged by Councilmember Cheh, each of the witnesses during Monday’s hearing returned to the question of why food deserts exist in the first place. Alex Ashbrook of DC Hunger Solutions had one answer: grocery stores tend to build in places where they can minimize their risks, which are typically high-income communities where they can be sure that customers have the money to purchase from them. Building on that interpretation, Tanikka Cunningham from Healthy Solutions noted that produce items tend to have low profit margins to begin with: “You aren’t going to turn around and have 100% profit on an apple.”

Most witnesses also highlighted the role of certain stereotypes that inform the perception that building grocery stores in certain neighborhoods would be higher-risk. Food For All contributor and community advocate Carl Rollins pointed to the role of racism and racist policies in forming today’s food deserts, which are primarily found in African-American neighborhoods. These neighborhoods suffered for decades under “redlining” practices in which banks would deny investment to certain areas with high percentage African-American.

Will FEED DC do the job?

So, how well will the FEED DC Act do in reversing these factors? The consensus of the witnesses at Monday’s hearing seemed to be that the bill’s first draft is a great start, but to ensure the programs will genuinely support healthy food access in the communities that need it, many important adjustments and expansions are needed. (Video of the hearing and full testimonies from each of the witnesses can be found here)

In particular, the bill could better target the program’s incentives towards the neighborhoods that stand to benefit the most. Ed Lazere of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute and other witnesses recommend using census data to determine eligible low and moderate-income neighborhoods with limited healthy food access, rather than offering subsidies to grocery stores within Public Enterprise Zones (which currently include parts of Chinatown and Columbia Heights).  The bill could also do more to guarantee that stores and companies receiving subsidies are equipped to accept SNAP and WIC benefits – currently less than 50 percent of the full-service grocery stores accept WIC benefits.

Furthermore, many witnesses pointed out that there many ways to improve food access and food security beyond brick and mortar stores (a concern raised when the bill was first introduced). Mark McCaffry of Capital Area Food Bank called for a more “comprehensive approach to food access” — one that recognizes and supports the diverse ways communities access healthy foods and work to improve food security. Farmers markets, food co-ops, food trucks, school and community gardens, and other forms of urban agriculture have a key role to play, but would receive no support from the bill as it is written. Many of these initiatives are already underway, but with insufficient support from the DC government, argued Tanikka Cunningham from Healthy Solutions, who emphasized that “in order for anything to have an impact on the community, the community has to have a stake in it.”

Such community-based programs and initiatives also have a key role to play on the “demand side” of the equation. Carl Rollins pointed out that despite the enormous success of the Pennsylvania programs, “I don’t believe that we have hard data on whether or not actual eating patterns have changed and health disparities have alleviated.” He called for a more “robust nutrition education program,” one that recognizes the role of “school gardens, public land for community gardens, and urban agriculture as a mechanism to teach proper nutrition and promote wellness.”

Farmers markets, which offer fresh and healthy foods in communities, also provide an important place for nutrition education and exchanging tips on fresh food preparation. Ward 8 and Georgetown Farmer’s Market Managers and witnesses from the Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association each argued that could stand to benefit from both fiscal and regulatory support from legislation like the FEED DC Act and called for a Farmers Market title, which Concilmember Cheh announced would be added to the bill’s final version.

All together, the FEED DC Act makes a strong start towards addressing many of the causes of food deserts. Food deserts in DC do not exist in a vacuum; decades of racist economic practices have left many predominantly African-American neighborhoods in DC without a strong business base or job growth. The lack of healthy foods in these neighborhoods has contributed to a public health crisis that costs the District of Columbia millions of health care dollars every year. A bill that supports expanding healthy food access points while also creating jobs for DC residents, creating revenue for the District, and hopefully leading to a better quality of life for thousands of people, is something to be excited about.

The updated version of the bill was recently released and is expected to include many of the proposed expansions or revisions. One final working group meeting on October 28 will solicit feedback on the final legislation – visit Mary Cheh’s website to learn more or to check for the latest updates. DC Food For All will also be posting more information and perspectives on the FEED DC Act, check back soon!