Mary Martin
Socialist Workers Party
Candidate in Special Election for Council ChairElection Date: Tuesday, July 22, 1997
D.C. Socialist Workers 1997 Campaign Committee
1930 18th St., NW, #3, Washington, D.C. 20009
Phone: (202)387-2185
Fax: (202)387-2178
Email: 75407.3345@compuserve.com
Response to GLAA 1997 Questionnaire
for DC Council Chair Candidates
1. Do you support legal recognition of marriages between persons of the same sex?
The socialist movement and my campaign seek to build a movement to defend civil rights for Gays and Lesbians including the right to marry whomever one wants to marry and to receive any benefits afforded to married couples by the state. I am opposed to all legislation termed "defense of marriage" acts. I am also in favor of divorce being a simple registration process when either party in a marriage declares their wish to end the union. Historically, marriage under the system of capitalism has a two fold aim -- to control the acquisition and transfer of wealth through regulation of ‘rightful heirs' etc. and to foist on the nuclear family the state's responsibility for socially necessary functions such as child care, care of the elder, and life long education.
2. Will you oppose efforts by Congress or other parties to stop the District of Columbia from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in Hawaii or other places?
Yes. Through the pages of the socialist newspaper, the Militant, through the public forums sponsored by supporters of the Militant, and by my participation in public protests actions against such discriminatory legislation, my campaign has always opposed the governments efforts to refuse to recognize same sex marriages. I will continue in this approach. The socialist movement has a long history in demanding that the state leave to individuals the right to decide whether and who they will marry, such as in the opposition to the racist and hated "miscegenation laws" of the Jim Crow system of segregation which was smashed by the Civil Rights movement in this country in the 1950s and 1960s.
3. Do you oppose efforts by Congress or other parties to outlaw or restrict adoptions by unmarried couples in the District of Columbia?
Yes. I believe the only guidelines governing adoption should be objective criteria relating to the parent's capacity for defending and providing for the child's welfare--not race, class, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, or personal wealth. This type of restriction is an attack on democratic rights that is being led by the Clinton administration and that is at the center of Patrick Buchanan's rightist calls for a "cultural war" to defend "family, faith, and country."
4. If Congress ever repeals the D.C. Health Care Benefits Expansion Act of 1992 that established the registration of domestic partnerships, will you vote to reenact the same law?
Yes. But only social movements can win substantial and enduring social change; merely passing legislation won't ensure that the gains of a social movement as registered by new laws won't be rolled back.
5. Do you support the reestablishment of the office of Human Rights as an independent, adequately-staffed, Cabinet-level agency whose Director has direct access to the Mayor?
No because I don't have confidence in any government agency under capitalism to defend democratic rights or to investigate their own abuses. I am for all measures that advance defense of democratic rights and the confidence and capacity of a social movement of working people and our allies fighting in our own interests.
6. Do you agree that the Boy Scouts of America is violating the D.C. Human Rights Law's ban on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation by excluding gays from participating either as scouts or as leaders?
Yes.
7. Will you vote to repeal the Armstrong Amendment, which allows religiously-affiliated private educational institutions in the District to discriminate against student clubs that promote equal rights for lesbians and gay men?
Yes.
8. It has recently been revealed that the District failed to spend $1 million of its own appropriated funds to combat AI DS in the last fiscal year. Such underspending jeopardizes the District's ability to receive federal funding under the Ryan White Act and contributed to the city's long delay in awarding a contract for an effective needle exchange program. What will you do as Council Chair to safeguard us against such fumbling by our health agencies?
Yes. I believe free and available heath care is a human right. This example again points out how voting alone cannot change society. The Washington Post recently ran an article about all the laws which are passed by the DC city council but never get implemented due to so called "budget constraints." Only a social movement that can bring to bear the weight of working people's conviction and willingness to fight for their rights can bring about substantial and ongoing change.
9. Do you support the legalization of the medical use of marijuana when a patient's doctor recommends it as a means to combat the effects of AIDS, cancer, and other diseases when more conventional treatments for alleviating symptoms fail?
I am for decriminalization of all marijuana use and for it being available for medical use as well.
10. The Metropolitan Police Department, the ABC Board, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, and the Fire Department have been neglecting their proper duties and instead have been coordinating a relentless and deliberate campaign of harassment targeted against gay businesses. What will you do to stop this systematic and discriminatory abuse of regulatory powers?
I am against all abuse of power by the capitalist agencies. For this reason I think capital should be overturned and a government of workers and farmers should be set up. In the meantime I call for prosecution and jailing of all cops, and other federal or local agents who abuse humanity including harassment of gay businesses
11. In 1995, the Council summarily abolished the Civilian Complaint Review Board, thereby allowing the Metropolitan Police Department to handle all public complaints about excessive use of force or abusive language by the police. Last year the Council failed to enact the Police Conduct Review Board Act of 1995, to establish an improved system for civilian review of such complaints against the police; the Council claimed there were no funds for establishing the new board. Will you vote to establish and fund the Police Conduct Review Board for FY 1998?
I don't believe the police can be regulated or reformed to serve the interests of working people, given their function to defend private property and am not going to vote for a police review board.
12. Will you support legislation to authorize and regulate the issuance of liquor licenses to establishments (in designated nonresidential commercial districts) that want to offer nude dancing as entertainment?
Yes, I oppose all forms of censorship.
13. The City Council has seldom aggressively exercised its oversight powers over the District government and has been too passive and reactive in addressing the mismanagement problems that routinely plague our city's administration. As Council Chair, what will you do to improve the Council's performance of its oversight responsibilities?
I would seek to involve the DC residents in a social movement that would defend workers. I would call for the immediately recall of all officials proven to be guilty of abusing the trust of working people.
14. Our own elected officials, past and present, bear much of the responsibility for the District's current financial plight because of their reluctance to make tough budgetary decisions, to establish priorities, and to demand maximum efficiency and productivity (rather than political loyalty) from all District government agencies and workers. As Council Chair, what would you do to turn the Council's corporate culture towards a more responsible stance?
Corruption and inefficiency should be answered with instant recall from office by the working people. Only a workers and farmers government can provide cheap and efficient administration.
15. As Council Chair, which programs of the D.C. government would you want to cut back or eliminate so that higher-priority programs can be adequately funded rather than be victimized by indiscriminate across-the- board budget reductions?
End all interest payments to the wealthy bond holders for DC; End all tax loopholes for billionaire businessmen and businesses in DC and beyond.
