Tag: mayor vince gray

Why D.C. Should Take Youth Court Program Off Life Support

WASHINGTON POST 05/14/14 By Michael Shank The Youth Court of the District of Columbia, one of the only organizations dealing with juvenile delinquency in Washington, is currently on life support, writes Michael Shank, associate director of legislative affairs for the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Here’s his post about why […]

Saving District of Columbia’s Youth Court

CDN 02/12/14 By Michael Shank and Erica Marshall WASHINGTON, February 12, 2014 —This April, when the District of Columbia begins its public debate over the draft budget for fiscal year 2015, there is an opportunity to give many of the District’s youth a second chance on life – literally.  All […]

Federal Minimum Wage War Outmaneuvered By Municipalities

HUFFINGTON POST 12/11/13 By Michael Shank and Ed Lazere As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pushes for a national minimum wage increase this congressional session — and as SeaTac, Washington, passes the highest minimum wage in the country at $15 an hour — the leaders of the District of Columbia […]

Minimum Wage War Reaches Tipping Point

WASHINGTON TIMES 12/09/13 By Michael Shank and Ed Lazere WASHINGTON, December 9, 2013 —As Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pushes for a national minimum wage increase this Congressional session – and as the Seattle area suburb of SeaTac, Washington passes the highest minimum wage in the country last week at […]

Why NFL’s Washington Redskins Needs Renaming

WASHINGTON TIMES 11/05/13 By Michael Shank WASHINGTON, November 5, 2013 —  The escalating conflict between the Washington Redskins football franchise, its owners and fans, and the growing community of concerned citizens, tribal leaders and District of Columbia City Councilmembers who want the football team to change its name is reaching […]

DC Defunds Youth Courts, Pushes Kids Into Criminal Justice System

HUFFINGTON POST 10/21/13 By Michael Shank A damning report, released this week by Opportunity Nation, says that 6 million young people – or 15 percent of American youth — are neither in school nor working. This shocking statistic has particular importance for Washington, D.C. This coming fiscal year, which began […]

Doing Away With Food Deserts in the District

WASHINGTON POST 05/17/13 By Michael Shank It’s hard to believe that so many in America — over 50 million people — live in food insecurity.  This is the unfortunate reality all too common in Somalia or Pakistan, but America? What’s worse is that this food insecurity is most apparent in […]

D.C.’s Separate and (Un)equal Driver’s License Plan

WASHINGTON POST 05/08/13 By Michael Shank and Lindsay Schubiner Mayor Vincent C. Gray(D) proposed a bill last week that would permit undocumented District residents to acquire driver’s licenses and identification cards.  D.C. is the latest in a string of states that have taken similar steps in response to immigrant rights […]

Immigration Debate: How DC Can Move the Conversation Forward

WASHINGTON POST 04/10/13 By Michael Shank and Lindsay Schubiner On Wednesday, thousands of immigrants, documented and undocumented, will gather in Washington, D.C. to rally for comprehensive immigration reform, hoping to tip the scales of Congressional bipartisan support. The city’s Mayor Vince C. Gray (D), if he chooses, will have an […]