About The Candidate

• Office Sought: D.C. Shadow U.S. Representative
• Occupation: Vice president, public affairs and emerging media, Grassroots Enterprise.
• Web site: http://www.mikepanetta.com
• E-mail address: mike@mikepanetta.com

Education

BA, MA, political science, American University.

Offices and positions held

Shadow representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, 2007-present; board member, American University Alumni Association; chairman and captain, D.C. Olympic Committee; member, DC Vote.

On the Issues

What is the most urgent problem facing your jurisdiction?

For the position I hold, and hope to be reelected to, the most pressing set of issues is those related to our lack of statehood, voting representation in Congress, and complete home rule. The fact that we are not a free and equal part of the United States affects all other issues in some way here in the District of Columbia and is something I have been working to end.

Why should voters elect you?

Since being elected, I've worked to raise both the awareness and the level of activity at the grass-roots level around the country surrounding our disenfranchisement.

What do you think about the Capital Gains experiment, Rhee's plan to pay some students for doing well in school?

I'm in favor of trying new things, and as a parent of a 2-year-old I have a vested interest in rapidly fixing our public schools. However, I think cash payments to students set a bad precedent. The desire to learn and behave in school isn't something that we should have to bribe children to do, and I feel this approach will breed a sense of entitlement at a young age. In lieu of cash, I would be in favor of trying some type of point-based incentive program where points could be accumulated over time and redeemed for material prizes that had some sort of educational value.

Do you support Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's plan to move the homeless into permanent housing?

We need to tackle the promise of chronic homelessness, and moving people to permanent housing is one of the best ways to do that. However, I feel it's critical to ensure that we have enough beds available to handle the immediate needs of the homeless population before transitions begin or before existing shelters are closed. It’s also more important to try to stop homelessness before it starts as it is much more effective – from a both a financial and emotional perspective - to keep someone in their home then putting their lives back together after a bout of homelessness.

How do you see elected officials helping residents through these difficult economic times?

When times are tough it’s especially important for residents to feel that their government is looking out for their interests and that it fundamentally understands the troubles and worries people are facing on an everyday basis. People in the District are worried about finding a job (or keeping the one they have), paying their bills, and providing for their families. Those of use who work hard and pay our fair share of taxes need to feel that the government is spending our tax dollars wisely and aggressively eliminating any waste, fraud, or abuse. We all need to have confidence that our leaders know what it’s like out there, and are working to make things better.

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