Experience: 43 years in policy. Teaches legislators, agency & nonprofit directors, & future leaders the policy process and climate policy at the #1-ranked public affairs school in US. 3,000 students. 25 policy subjects. 140 courses. Mentored by two of the most effective congressmen in history: Charlie Rangel (D-NY), a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus and Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee. Claude Pepper (D-FL), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, Both were central players in improving health care coverage. Rangel was a primary sponsor of the ACA (Obamacare), sheperding the bill through his House committee. Dave was a GAO policy analyst and advisor to Congress. From his teaching career, he's expert in climate policy, environmental policy, a policy process expert, and has advised Congress on many policy topics.
Competence: 22 yrs in Congress as staff & expert consultant. Writing a book on policy design. Teaching award winner.
Compare: 9 of 13 candidates have little or no experience in Congress. Only 1 has significant experience there (Boykin). 1 was a short-term fellow (Showalter). 1 likely was a brief student volunteer/intern (Friedman). The rest: none. 2 current/former state reps (Ford, Conyears-Ervin). 1 mayor (Hoskins).
Integrity: Fought fraud & corruption at GAO. No convictions or fines for ethics violations. The Government Accountability Office is Congress' nonpartisan, objective, nonpolitical policy consulting arm and ethics watchdog. An agency grounded on evidence, science, and facts. GAO pushes other agencies to be effective, efficient, accountable, transparent, and ethical. Dave's only goal is make better policy to improve your life.
Unlike his opponents, he has no criminal convictions, and paid no huge fines to government for ethical violations. No unauthorized use of government resources. No prohibited political activity with government resources, no breach of fiduciary duty, no whistleblower retaliation, no ethics violations, and no scandals.
We can't wait years for our Representative to learn the ropes. The job is designing policy. In Congress. Dave has done it and taught it for 43 years.
* Worked for two of the most effective Congressmen in history: a co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus; a primary sponsor of Obamacare; a powerful advocate for the elderly; & both key universal health care activists. Dave will continue their legacy.
* Fought corruption & improved policies at the US GAO (gao.gov) within Congress, helping save $70 B/year in transparent savings (what DOGE pretended to do).
* Taught 3,000 grad students for 20 years, on 25 different public policy topics, including at the #1 public affairs school. Many of his students are legislators & agency leaders at all levels of governments, & now lead nonprofits & businesses. He's writing a book on Policy Design.
This is not about Dave. It's about helping the people of the 7th District. He's not a professional politician climbing the ladder. He's not a networking businessman. The job is not an internship. He doesn't owe big money corporate donors any favors. He has no criminal or unethical background. He's not going to stay there 30 years. Dave has done it and taught it for 43 years. He has new ideas to make policies work for the people of the 7th district.
It's not enough to talk about fighting for you or being an advocate. All the candidates will try to do that; some are even likely to be loud and persistent advocates. But for what policies, exactly? And how? When I worked on the hill I'd get 500 messages from advocates every day; I'd only open the ones that were good advocates. I've taught grad advocacy courses and the best advocates aren't the loudest. They know the system and stick to the facts. Members of Congress don't care what the MC in the next office is advocating for; they care about what their own constituents want (or they should).
New ideas by themselves aren't enough. The representative has to know the system, and the ideas have to work for all of us. It's not about more tired policies that haven't worked. Our next representative has to have good policy ideas, understand Congress, understand the public policy process , understand the government finance & budget process, understand public management, understand domestic and foreign policy, understand how policies should be implemented, and be able to plan and execute policy oversight. It's a lot. But I'm ready. I've taught 4 credit graduate courses on each of these except foreign policy (my BA is in international relations).
Dave is the ONLY candidate with the ideas and with the Congressional and policy experience to get results for you. He's BY FAR THE MOST EXPERIENCED candidate, in policy AND in Congress; he won't waste a half-dozen years learning the job or spinning his wheels. Less talk. More results.
Can a white guy represent a minority-plurality "black" district? Can a white guy represent a "black" (39-41%) or no racial majority district? Absolutely. Dave did it for Charlie Rangel. He did it for Claude Pepper. Nearly of a fifth of the US House represents districts where their race is not the largest plurality. The question is: who will best represent and deliver for ALL the people of the 7th district?
This website is more detailed than my opponents', obviously. You deserve to know who you're hiring. Few will read it all, but I'm applying for a job that will affect your life, for good or bad. Your vote could help keep you out of ICE prison, or from being shot or deported. Even if you're a US citizen. It could help preserve your Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or SNAP benefits. It could help prevent climate and economic disasters. It could empower you to buy a house, stay in school no matter how old you are, or switch careers.
This is my job application. I'd love a first, second, and third interview. Call or email me. In Washington, the door to your office will always be open to you, whether you vote or not, no matter your party, and regardless of your race, religion, party, gender ID, or birth country.
