Montgomery County Council: District 5

Open Seat Attracts Newcomers with Vision and Enthusiasm

by Eric S. Townsend

Area residents can be sure of three things come Election Day: their next representative on Montgomery County Council will support construction of an inner purple Metro line, will continue revitalization efforts in Silver Spring and will push for more affordable housing.

What voters must decide is the question of how.

Five political novices vying for an open District 5 Council seat detailed their ideas regarding mass transit, commercial development and housing during a candidate's forum June 14 hosted by the Takoma Voice.

Democratic candidates Tomas Perez, Sally Sternbach, Cynthia Rubenstein and Susan Rich joined Republican Raju Charles for a two-hour discussion moderated by Voice publisher Eric Bond in the Takoma Park Municipal Building.

The forum was of particular importance for the Democrats, who participate in a primary election Sept. 10. The winner challenges Charles in the Nov. 8 general election.

Takoma Park and Silver Spring comprise the southeastern corner of District 5. Kensington and Wheaton are in the district's northwest quadrant.

The District 5 seat opened June 12 when three-term Democratic Councilman Derick Berlage resigned. Berlage stated in a letter to constituents last month that he wants to chair the county's Planning Board. Council appoints board members based on applications, which Berlage submitted in May.

Though candidates at the forum made no comment on Berlage's plans, all five criticized what they said was his lack of availability to district residents.

"People are not feeling like their voices are being heard," said Sternbach, who advocated regular hours in a district office.

Charles suggested the use of an e-mail or fax service to reach the community.

Perez pushed for additional talks with citizens before voting on large isss.

Rich said she would visit local restaurants like Mark's Kitchen where residents can approach her at leisure.

Rubenstein proposed the hiring of staff to address constituent complaints. She said she would also "keep knocking on doors" like she does during campaign season.

Candidates framed their responses to policy questions based on personal experience. Perez, 40, of Takoma Park, heads Casa de Maryland, an area non-profit agency that aids low-income Hispanic families. He worked in the civil rights division of the U.S. Attorney General's office under Janet Reno.

Sternbach, 59, maintains links to the Silver Spring business community through work at AT&T and on downtown revitalization groups. She lives in Silver Spring and has volunteered with the local YMCA and Collaboration Council for Women.

Rubenstein, 46, of Long Branch, has been active in various civic organizations around the district, including the Allied Civic Group, Long Branch Neighborhood Initiative and Silver Spring Redevelopment Steering Committee.

Charles, 50, of Takoma Park, is president of the human rights group India Forum for Liberty and Justice, Inc. Charles ran an unsuccessful bid in 1999 for Takoma Park City Council.

And Rich, , of Silver Spring, is current executive director of the Animal Protection Alliance of Montgomery County and a former elementary school teacher. Her one prior campaign was in 1998, when she lost to Douglas Duncan for county executive.

The four Democratic candidates said they supported "Living Wage" legislation Council passed last month, requiring for-profit companies with county contracts to pay workers at least $10.50 per hour if no health insurance is provided. Census 2000 figures indicate that more than half of all households in Takoma Park earned less than $50,000 per year in 1999. Of those, about half make less than $25,000.

The new legislation exempts contractors who employ fewer than 10 workers on a project, or with projects totaling less than $50,000. It also exempts non-profit groups and emergency contracts. Wages take effect July 1, 2003. According to Councilman Phil Andrews, the law affects 447 contracts totaling $388 million worth of business with the county.

"I believe it's a linchpin to broad-based economic development," said Perez, emphasizing what he called the "four pillars" needed for a higher quality of life: affordable housing, education, access to health care and good jobs.

Perez's party colleagues made similar remarks. Rich added that a new purple line Metro route could help move people without transportation to other areas of the county for work.

Charles voiced the lone reservation about a living wage and any attempt to broaden its coverage. He said employers forced to increase wages might drop workers from the payroll.

Candidates linked personal economic achievement with classroom success, or a growing lack thereof. Language barriers prevent some students from advancing through school, limiting the types of jobs available after graduation.

Census figures show that Takoma Park is 14.4 percent Latino, about 3 percentage points higher than Montgomery County as a whole. Salvadoran immigrants constitute a majority of Spanish-speaking residents.

"[Some] children aren't even learning their native language well," Rich said. "There has to be an approach where the whole family is involved."

Perez advanced the idea of stronger bilingual education in schools.

Charles promoted free meals for all students and a free junior college education to those who meet certain criteria.

Rubenstein reiterated the connection between poverty and education, stressing a need to train woman for childcare.

Sternbach said "hodge-podge" county bilingual education programs could be strengthened through consistent standards and training.

Silver Spring downtown revitalization received attention from candidates, all of whom believe the $1 billion spent in recent years to attract new business was worth the investment.

"[Downtown] was really in a death spiral for a while," Sternbach said.

Ideas for the future differ. Charles said revitalization funds should be dispersed throughout the county, while Perez signaled his intention to help Silver Spring business tenants purchase buildings in which they reside.

Rich, who acknowledged having little involvement in current development efforts, likened her vision of Silver Spring to the Rittenhouse Square section of Philadelphia, which thrives on small retail business and restaurants.

Rubenstein was the only candidate to advocate housing in the downtown area. Her counterparts did little more than allude to the need for more homes. "We desperately need good housing in downtown Silver Spring to enliven it and support the businesses," she said.

Housing issues have plagued county residents. Almost 57 percent of all homes in the county are valued above $200,000, and 30 percent of all households bring in less than $50,000 per year. The result, candidates claim, is that fewer families are able to afford their own dwellings.

"Everybody in this county should have a house," Charles said. "People have a kind of dignity in saying, OEI have a house.' " Charles called for government-subsidized low-interest loans to help families purchase property.

Perez wants to increase a $15 million fund that exists to aid families in need of shelter. Rubenstein and Rich said they want tighter requirements for new construction, where developers build a certain percentage of affordable housing units for every luxury home established.

Sternbach put forth a different spin. She said in addition to building new houses, some current dwellings can be converted into less expensive homes.

Traffic questions garnered similar responses from the candidates. All five participants support a purple inner Metro line that would run from College Park to points west, including Silver Spring and Wheaton. Candidates also pushed for improved mass transit facilites. Better bus shelters and increased bus service might alleviate traffic congestion throughout the region.

The forum was third in a series of four discussions hosted by the Voice. Nine candidates running for Council at-large seats spoke June 16. Candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives and for the Maryland House of Delegates addressed residents during the first two forums in early June