Talib's Vision

Public Safety, Justice Reform & Educational Excellence

PRIORITY 1: A SAFE D.C.

Public Safety, Justice Reform & Educational Excellence

THE DATA (The Problem) We cannot celebrate a "drop" in crime when the data is manipulated, robbery rates remain structurally high, and our youth are failing.

The "Cooking the Books" Scandal: A House Oversight/DOJ investigation reveals MPD leadership pressured staff to manipulate crime stats, hiding the true danger residents face.

Structurally High Crime: Despite claims of a "drop," robbery incidents remain elevated (3,468 in 2023; 2,113 in 2024). D.C. has suffered over 130,000 theft incidents in the last 12 years. Retail theft (smash & grabs) remains persistent with over 13,000 incidents annually in 2023 and 2024.

Staffing Crisis: The force is currently under 3,400 officers—a deficit of nearly 700 from the target. At the current attrition rate, it will take 10 years to fill this gap.

The Foster Care Pipeline: Nearly 43% of children in D.C. foster care languish there for 2 years or more, significantly increasing their risk of entering the justice system.

The Education & Values Emergency: Our students suffer from historically low proficiency, and leadership has failed to teach critical values (morality, marriage, delayed gratification), setting youth up for failure.

THE SOLUTION: Tech/Data Driven Solutions

1. The "Public Safety Army" (10,000 Strong) We will stop relying on a depleted police force and build a comprehensive safety network.

Recruitment: Recruit 10,000 residents by partnering with JROTC programs and eliminating degree requirements. Character > Diploma.

Incentives: Free tuition at UDC and Howard University for recruits.

Tech Shield: Deploy an army of drones for rapid detection and apprehension to reduce bias and officer risk.

Funding: Paid for by drastically reducing the millions spent annually on overtime pay.

Four Strategic Divisions:

Community Patrol: Residents patrolling their own neighborhoods.

Violence Interrupters: De-escalation specialists.

Youth Mentors: Staffing "Violent Hours" (3pm–6pm) to keep youth engaged.

Enforcement: Armed officers for high-risk apprehension.

2. The "Smart D.C." Plank ($1 Billion Investment) We will stop chasing stadiums and start chasing brilliance.

AI Innovation Hubs: Invest $1 Billion to create AI-powered labs at Howard and UDC to fuel for-profit companies, social impact organizations, and hackathons.

Parental Training & "Parental Pay" (UBI): Require comprehensive training for all new parents before hospital discharge. Use the UBI App to pay parents for engagement (coaching, child's Honor Roll, winning hackathons).

Values-Based Education: Establish public All-Boys and All-Girls Academies and teach the "Success Sequence": honor, character, morality, and the economic power of marriage.

Social Media Ban: Protect youth mental health by banning social media for children under 16.

3. Justice Reform: Breaking the Pipelines

End the Foster Care-to-Prison Pipeline:

Eliminate CFSA: Replace the Child and Family Services Agency with the Department of Family Building and Support.

Preservation First: Stop shuffling children between homes (which increases justice system risk by 90%). Instead, fund the village that keeps families together.

Court Reform (Coaching vs. Separation): Eliminate mandatory 1-year separations in Civil Protection Orders (CPOs) that destroy families. Fund Mandatory Coaching and restorative justice instead to keep parents involved.

Fatherhood Bonus: End TANF rules that punish families for having a father present.

Hard Labor & Restitution: Prisons will be for work, not weightlifting. Inmates will learn vocational skills, and their wages will go to a Victim Restitution Fund.
Dignity for Families, Workers, and Owners

THE DATA (The Problem) Life in D.C. has become unaffordable. While inflation hit 18.8% over the last 4 years, wages only rose 7.5%, resulting in a 9.5% loss in real income for residents. Working professionals—including college grads—cannot find high-paying jobs despite openings, and basic costs are crushing the working class.

Skyrocketing Costs: Food prices are up 22.6% since 2020, with 64% of residents citing food costs as a major strain. Median rent stands at $2,210, which is 64% higher than the U.S. average.

The Insurance Penalty: D.C. has the most expensive auto insurance in the nation (~$3,708/year). Drivers with poor credit pay 234% more, punishing residents based on credit scores rather than safety.

Predatory Fines: Traffic camera enforcement has become a "poverty tax," penalizing working-class residents to generate revenue rather than improve safety.

Transportation Gridlock: It takes too long to get across the city. We must make D.C. drivable again while simultaneously encouraging public transit, biking, and walking.

THE SOLUTION: Tech/Data Driven Solutions

1. Workforce Development: "The DC Job Match" & Local Spending

Transform DOES: Create the Department of Workforce Development focused on placement, not just unemployment.

"DC Career AI" App: A city-run AI platform that matches residents to open jobs based on skills (ignoring credit scores). It will standardize pay targets (e.g., $110k base) and use AI to award performance bonuses objectively.

Signing Bonuses: Provide cash signing bonuses for residents who secure and hold jobs through the platform.

Economic Patriotism: We will mandate that at least 61% of the D.C. budget ($11B) is spent with local businesses to recirculate dollars in our city.

Small Business Set-Aside: Ensure small, local, and disenfranchised businesses receive at least 15% ($3B) of annual spending.

AI Data Labs: Invest $1B annually in AI-powered data labs to create new business opportunities and fund these projects.

2. Housing Stability: Rent Freeze, Owner Protection & Fairness We will implement a balanced approach that protects tenants without bankrupting small owners.

Rent Freeze: A temporary freeze on rent increases to stabilize families during this crisis.

"Ban the Box" for Renting: Ban landlords from denying housing based on credit scores. Proof of employment (45 days) is all that should be required.

Small Landlord Protection: Small property owners cannot afford long eviction delays. We will accelerate the eviction process for "abusers" (tenants acting in bad faith or damaging property).

Conditional Rent Relief: For struggling tenants, we will provide government funds to pay their rent, but this aid is contingent on responsibility: recipients must use the Workforce UBI App to secure work, attend financial coaching, or ensure school attendance for their children.

3. The Ownership Revolution: Land Banks & Gen Z Pathways

End Tax Sales: Cease the predatory sale of tax liens to private investors.

The Land Bank Solution (Married Families First): The government will acquire abandoned homes and make them available to first-time homeowners for free or capped at $100k.

Eligibility & Priority: To promote family stability and build wealth, eligibility is restricted to married couples earning under $300k combined.

"Need-First" Allocation: We will use a sliding scale where families with lower incomes receive priority selection over those with higher incomes, ensuring those who need help most get served first.

Land Bank Rent-to-Own: A 3-year program where rent payments count toward equity. After 3 years of residency and payment, the tenant owns the deed.

Gen Z "Future Owner" Units: Designate 20% of new development units as "Future Owner" units. 50% of rent paid for 3 years is held in escrow and released tax-free for a down payment.

4. Ending "Poverty Penalties" & Lowering Costs

Insurance Fairness: Ban insurance companies from using credit scores to set rates.

Utility Relief: Lower utility bills by supporting Battery Energy Storage Systems to handle AI data center demand. We will partner with developers to prevent cost-shifting to residents.

Solar Support: Replace sunsetting IRA credits with local funding to support rooftop solar for residential and commercial buildings.

Transportation Reform: Re-engineer the transportation system to reduce gridlock and end predatory camera ticketing that disproportionately targets the working poor.

5. The "Marriage & Stability Bonus"

Proposal: A $5,000 Union Bonus for couples who marry and complete financial training, plus a $1,000 anniversary tax credit to encourage family stability.
ENDING TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION: Make DC the 51st State

THE DATA (The Problem) "Taxation Without Representation" is not just a slogan; it is a financial and moral crisis.

The Financial Cost: D.C. loses $3.2 Billion annually in forgone revenue because we lack the taxing authority of a state. We pay more federal taxes per capita than any other state, yet we are denied the right to control our own money.

The Advocacy Gap: Despite this massive loss, the current government spends just $200k in grants for advocacy. This creates a power vacuum where our rights are undefended.

The Democratic Deficit: Currently, a "small elite" of 13 Councilmembers decides the laws for 700,000 people. Compare this to the average state legislature, which has over 150 members.

The Lobbyist's Dream: This small size benefits corporations, who only need to influence 7 people to pass a law. The people lose because the "price of influence" is too cheap for special interests.

THE SOLUTION: Tech/Data Driven Solutions

1. The "Legal Consortium" Strategy We will not just "ask" for statehood; we will fight for it with the best legal minds in the world.

The Team: We will invest in a Statehood Consortium led by D.C.’s law schools (Howard, Georgetown, GW, UDC, etc.) and our top-tier lobbying firms.

Dual-Track Campaign: This consortium will lead a synchronized assault:

In the Courts: Aggressive litigation challenging our disenfranchisement.

The Amendment: A massive lobbying push for a Constitutional Amendment targeting the White House, Congress, and State Legislatures.

Timeline: Our goal is to secure statehood within the first two years of the administration.

2. Defining the State of D.C. (Abolishing Wards, Empowering Neighborhoods) We will fundamentally restructure the government to return power to the people and justify our Statehood claim.

Transformation: From Wards to Charter Cities:

We will dissolve the 8 artificial "Wards" and replace them with 8–10 "Charter Cities" (or Boroughs) based on our historic neighborhoods (e.g., The City of Anacostia, The City of Capitol Hill). This restores the historic identity and power of our communities.

A New Legislature:

We will replace the 13-member Council with a State House of Delegates (51 members) and a State Senate (21 members). This dilutes lobbyist power and ensures working-class representation.

Efficient Governance: We will repurpose the ~$2.5 million currently spent on powerless ANCs to fund these new Charter City councils.

3. The Economics of Sovereignty

The Cost: Operating new state agencies (taking over federal functions like courts and prisons) will cost approximately ~$1 Billion.

The Gain: Gaining full taxing authority will recover the $3.2 Billion we currently lose.

The Net Result: A $2 Billion net annual gain for the people of D.C., which pays for the new legislature and investments in our communities.

4. The "Grand Compromise" for Statehood To pass the Constitutional Amendment, we will offer a guarantee of bipartisan representation (e.g., one Senator from a different party) in the new State Senate. We will prove to the nation that our fight is for Equality, not political power.

5. Sovereignty & Legal Aid (Protecting Our People) A state must protect its residents. We will use our new sovereignty to defend our workforce.

Sanctuary: We will shield residents from federal overreach and deportation threats.

Immigration Defense: We will invest in paying lawyers to help immigrants apply for visas and green cards, ensuring our immigrant workforce and their families can live without fear.