District of Columbia

Q1 Recent policies and budget decision have led to the termination of thousands of grants. DC is an important hub for scientists and researchers in the region. What role do you think research should have in the region and what action if any will you take to retain scientific talent to the city?

I am fascinated by the term Agroecology. To learn how it functions as part science, part best practices & part social movement. It has given a name to my efforts to address the root causes of crime & violence scientifically. The fact it validates the necessity to optimize the interactions between plants, animals, humans & the environment while promoting social equity further justifies my analysis. DC has more police than any city in America. America has more prisoners than any country in the world. So clearly these ineffective tactics are just profitable management of the problems. The fact that children deprived of 4 key nutrients are 51% more prone to violent behavior, regulated to “live” in food desserts, no mandates to provide safe drinking water until 2037 & a federal court setting precedence that citizens have no constitutional right to water. Lead pipes are not only detrimental to cognitive function & development; it also is a marker for violent behavior. All this combined with a poverty rate 2x the national average, crack babies becoming chemically imbalanced parents, the proliferation of drugs & liquor stores, illiteracy rate 2x the national average, limited greenspace access are all precursors for the need of an Agroecological approach to public safety.

Keywords: Agroecology Public Safety

Q1 Recent policies and budget decision have led to the termination of thousands of grants. DC is an important hub for scientists and researchers in the region. What role do you think research should have in the region and what action if any will you take to retain scientific talent to the city?

I think the most important thing our society can do together is to come together with every type of knowledge from every type of person and use it collectively to increase the mental cognitive and cranial expanding capabilities of our brains. From incorporating quantum mechanics into our energy grid to ensuring our air and water quality are at peak condition for this generation and the 12 more afterwards.

Keywords: Consolidation, Human Life Standard (HLS), City of the Future (COTF), Quality of Life (QOL)

Q1 Recent policies and budget decision have led to the termination of thousands of grants. DC is an important hub for scientists and researchers in the region. What role do you think research should have in the region and what action if any will you take to retain scientific talent to the city?

My parents, Nigerian immigrants who met as students in Boston, instilled a love of science in me early. When a physics class steered me away from engineering, they introduced me to Black scientists and health professionals, and I found pharmacy. Volunteering at Turner and Malcolm X Elementary, I asked students running experiments to call each other “doctor,” so they could see their potential. After working with more than 2,000 DC students, I know scientific talent exists in every ward. What the District lacks is a path that keeps it here.

Research is part of DC’s economic foundation and a public good. When grants are terminated, the postdoc can no longer cover rent, the lab technician leaves for another state, and residents lose the treatments and data that work would have produced.

Keeping that talent starts with making DC affordable. I will push to make UDC tuition-free and grow it into a research anchor that trains DC residents for science careers. I will fight for social housing and rent stabilization capped at inflation so early career researchers are not priced out. I am proud to be endorsed by 314 Action, and I intend to be the ally scientists need on the Council.

Keywords: Talent Retention, Tuition-Free UDC, Affordable Housing

Q1 Recent policies and budget decision have led to the termination of thousands of grants. DC is an important hub for scientists and researchers in the region. What role do you think research should have in the region and what action if any will you take to retain scientific talent to the city?

It would be a remarkable investment for DC leadership to continue to welcome exploration of scientific discovery and advancement right here in the capitol of our nation. The role this plays is massive; from the growth of morale when our researchers are backed by their leaders, to the investment this could provide for the next generation. Allowing DC to be a place where the people flock is on opportunity that builds on itself. As programs and projects are provided with grants for honest and true research, we create jobs with built in trust from the science community. As more researchers see what is capable as our locals complete and master their work, more leaders in the field will see the opportunities and come where their work is welcomed. This builds the economy which then allows more of the budget to be directed towards advancements that benefit the American people.

Keywords: Jobs; Longevity; Economic Growth

Q2 Given Congress’s authority over D.C.’s budget, how would you protect the District from science funding + funding programs based on science evidence (such as the proposed $1B reduction last year) while maintaining essential city services?

There’s a theory termed the Washington Monument Syndrome. When National Park Service faces a budget cut, the agency doesn’t threaten to reduce hours at a national site in Middle America. Instead, they threaten to close the Washington Monument to affect all members of Congress in a highly visible way. In foreign policy, Israel is the Washington Monument. In both the House & Senate the two wings of the same bird all flap together to support continued unconditional aid to Israel. I would seek to hold up a mirror of benign neglect that reflects some of the vast similarities with DC residents & those in Palestine. Like the fact that DC is the most dangerous city in America for a Black woman of any socio-economic background to give birth. While Palestine has the dubious distinction of being the most dangerous place in the world for children. US taxpayers give Israel more foreign aid than Sub-Saharan Africa & Latin America combined with billions of dollars annually. They provide their citizens with free healthcare while DC residents pay billions in taxes annually, more per capita than anyone in USA, while being denied representation as the only US territory that pays federal taxes at all.

Keywords: Washington Monument Syndrome

Q3 The cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

“Ai is 10x bigger & 10x faster than the impact of the industrial revolution.” - Bernie Sanders

Geoffrey Hinton “Godfather of artificial intelligence” says there is a 20% chance Ai will lead to human extinction in 3 decades. In April of this year at the US Capitol, I attended Bernie Sander’s “Existential Threat of Ai & the need for International Cooperation.” I learned there has been no serious effort to regulate Ai like was done to regulate nuclear weapons. The wealthiest people in the world are building a runaway train with no brakes & no guardrails.

Being based in the nation’s capital, I am particularly excited by the prospect of organizing broad based grassroots support towards an exit strategy. The perils of Ai using as much water as the bottled water industry, producing more carbon than NYC eliminating millions of jobs in 10 years along with all privacy by monitoring every single transaction, email, post, text, call, etc., & the prospect of super-intelligent systems operating outside the bounds of its designer’s instructions all confirms the immediate need for brakes & guardrails. If the general public knew all this, they would take the fastest route to a moratorium on Data Centers & rapidly expand energy grid modernization.

Keywords: Data Centers Moratorium

Q2 Given Congress’s authority over D.C.’s budget, how would you protect the District from science funding + funding programs based on science evidence (such as the proposed $1B reduction last year) while maintaining essential city services?

As the Nominee for the DC Statehood Green party I think science is the most important aspect or reality we can lean into about not just being greener but also our advancement towards a self reliant and self sufficient state. The dream of our capital city becoming the city of the future doesn’t happen because we have a single forum about it, it happens because we invest in our city and the minds within it.

The funding within the district needs to redirect its priorities in the first place, less evasive action and more preventative, in health, safety, productivity and even legislatively. The current scientific community in DC receives roughly $40–60 million every year across all factors of our governance, safety, education and health to name a few and I think that’s just the beginning, from research into how to better manage energy to my urban agriculture projects, science will be protected under the HLS and the Gross Administration.

Keywords: Quality of Life (QOL), Structural Audit, Dashboards + Indicators

Q3 The cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

DC should establish publicly owned, energy-efficient data centers and a DC Public AI Cloud to support government AI, high-performance computing and secure public data. The system would prioritize renewable energy, efficient cooling, cybersecurity, privacy and DC workforce development. Rather than allowing the District to permanently outsource critical computing infrastructure to private corporations, we should build public capacity that can reduce long-term costs, protect residents’ data, create skilled technology jobs and make Washington, DC a national leader in sustainable public-sector technology.*

Keywords: Housing production, pipeline-to-work systems, operational reliability, digital access

Q2 Given Congress’s authority over D.C.’s budget, how would you protect the District from science funding + funding programs based on science evidence (such as the proposed $1B reduction last year) while maintaining essential city services?

For six years as DC’s Shadow Representative, I have lobbied members of a Congress in which 700,000 residents have no vote. Last year’s proposed $1 billion reduction showed what that means in practice. Those were DC’s own tax dollars, frozen by people DC did not elect.

Statehood is the only permanent protection, and I will keep pressing for it from the Council. Until then, the District has to reduce its exposure. I will push for progressive revenue such as a Business Activity Tax on large firms using a federal loophole, so DC has room to absorb federal interference without cutting services. I will use Council oversight to stop raids on dedicated funds like the Sustainable Energy Trust Fund and the Anacostia River Cleanup Fund, which pay for evidence-based programs residents can measure in cleaner air and water. And I will defend Medicaid and the DC Healthcare Alliance, because cutting coverage does not remove the cost. It moves that cost into emergency rooms.

Keywords: Statehood, Budget Autonomy, Progressive Revenue

Q3 The cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

For a senior who relies on refrigerated insulin or an oxygen concentrator, a power shutoff is a health emergency. That is why I will push to end utility shutoffs for residents who cannot pay and to create utility debt relief for households already behind. I Will also ensure no utilities are cut off during extreme weather events. Those steps stop the immediate harm.

The longer answer is lowering what families use and changing who the grid answers to. I support the Healthy Homes Act to provide electric appliances at no cost to low-income residents, a Clean Heat Standard, and protecting the Sustainable Energy Trust Fund from budget raids. I oppose expanding fossil gas infrastructure that locks ratepayers into decades of rising costs. I also want DC to seriously evaluate public power, because a utility answerable to shareholders will always weigh returns against residents.

On data centers, the principle is simple. Companies driving new demand on the regional grid should pay for the capacity they need, and DC residents should not subsidize that growth through their monthly bills. I will use Council oversight of the Public Service Commission to hold that line.

Keywords: No Utility Shutoffs, Clean Energy, Ratepayer Protection

Q2 Given Congress’s authority over D.C.’s budget, how would you protect the District from science funding + funding programs based on science evidence (such as the proposed $1B reduction last year) while maintaining essential city services?

To protect the science budget, I would have to become and advocate of the work that is being done. As more evidence-based research propositions come through, it would be important that I, along with the rest of the Council, seek to become first line of defense to ensure local researchers are able to conduct evaluations, experiments, and advancements.

I would love to see advancements in all realms, whether it be in technology that improves systems or medical advancements that saves lives. When working with Congress, it is important to represent both facts and real life application. As I advocate on behalf of our researchers, I would speak to both how the work they do is beneficial to the city as a whole or perhaps the country as well. I would also speak to how the rise of scientific developments happening within the city bounds brings forward a new opportunity. New research means new jobs created, new results, and even a new community of tourists that builds city revenue. As all of these increase, we would have more flexibility to focus funding on scientific research because that part of our local investment is building revenue to support itself.

Keywords: Advocacy; Job Creation; Revenue Growth; Tourism

Q3 The cost of electricity and water are on the rise with nearby data centers straining current resources in combination with increased energy costs to consumers. What specific plans do you have, if any, to mitigate utility cost burden for residents? Why these steps?

My goal would be to place the burden back on the organizations using the resources.

In Congress, there is legislation that is coming out of both chambers allowing this to be a bipartisan conversation. Data center in and around DC should first and foremost be required to provide accurate measures of energy consumption and heavy water intake so that we have a real understanding of what the centers are responsible for in comparison to the people of DC.

Some of the Congressional legislation states that if a data center uses 100 megawatts or energy or more, they should be responsible for covering the cost of what the center consumes.

My goal would be to establish similar legislation within the bounds of DC to protect our citizens. We cannot wait for Congress to act so this would have to be a priority in the Council. Once the Council completes this legislation, I would call on Congress to do just the same for a federal level protection.

Keywords: Congressional Action; Bipartisan

Q4 Many states are issuing independent vaccine guidelines to ensure consistent vaccine access in light of recent HHS changes - what are your views on vaccine guidelines and why or why not would you support similar initiatives?

As a former AIDS Clinical Vaccine trial participant, I was in support of the NIH’s work when I lost family members during the AIDS epidemic in DC where we had 12x the AIDS infection rate due to congressional interference that barred DC residents from using our tax money to fund needle exchange programs that were responsible for 30% of all cases. I was told that the money is not in a cure, it is in “treatment.” I was introduced to the conflicting concepts of “following the science” & “following the money” which represent two different lenses for evaluating truth: one focuses on empirical methodology, while the other examines economic or political incentives.

So I have sacrificed my body & risked my health to the search for an AIDS vaccine. But I do not believe all vaccines are created equal. Therefore, I am against Vaccine mandates in the only industrialized country in the world that denies healthcare to all its citizens. Spain has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world w/o mandates. The United States & New Zealand are the only two countries in the world that legally allow pharmaceutical companies to market prescription drugs directly to consumers with product claims.

Keywords: No Vaccine Mandates

Q4 Many states are issuing independent vaccine guidelines to ensure consistent vaccine access in light of recent HHS changes - what are your views on vaccine guidelines and why or why not would you support similar initiatives?

The need for vaccines, especially during our school years, is beyond a necessity, so the guidelines that surround them are going to need to be as extensive as the safety checks on the vaccines themselves. I think that if the “Shadow of a doubt” is present in the federal guidelines that are in place, then the creation of independent guidance is required.

Keywords: life expectancy, workforce development, cost-of-living relief

Q4 Many states are issuing independent vaccine guidelines to ensure consistent vaccine access in light of recent HHS changes - what are your views on vaccine guidelines and why or why not would you support similar initiatives?

During COVID, I administered some of the first vaccine doses in the District. I also watched more than 40 percent of DC’s supply go to non-residents while my Ward 8 neighbors could not get appointments. I went to the FEMA site at Greenbelt Metro and pushed until DC residents were let in. That taught me vaccine access depends on who writes the rules.

Vaccine guidance should rest on evidence and on the clinicians who review it. It should not shift with whoever controls HHS. When federal recommendations become unreliable, medical professionals and parents are left unsure what is covered and what is allowed.

I support DC Health issuing its own evidence-based guidance, drawing on professional bodies like the American Academy of Pediatrics, and coordinating with neighboring jurisdictions to keep standards consistent across the region. I will push to ensure DC law lets pharmacists keep vaccinating under that guidance, and that Medicaid and private insurers keep covering those vaccines at no cost to residents. The resident physicians of CIR/SEIU, who endorsed my campaign, see the cost of confused guidance every shift. DC’s public health should not be hostage to federal politics.

Keywords: Evidence Based Guidance, Vaccine Access, Public Health

Q4 Many states are issuing independent vaccine guidelines to ensure consistent vaccine access in light of recent HHS changes - what are your views on vaccine guidelines and why or why not would you support similar initiatives?

As our technology becomes more advanced, I believe it is important for our medical systems to advance as well.

The option for a vaccine timeline is great. For the families who choose to join the lifelong vaccine regiment to stay healthy, we should continue to provide that option. With this option, there should be full informed consent so families are full aware of what they are opting into. They should be able to easily be able to access ingredient lists, research that is affirms and rejects the use of each vaccine, and long term effects. Parents, young professionals, students, and our elderly deserve medicine that works best to keep them alive and well so they should also be able to access their doctors when participating in these vaccine timelines for questions and concerns. Patients should also be able to anonymously submit comment for any adverse side affects so that if any other patients with similar medical history has concerns, the doctors have an idea of how reactions are forming and different people are reacting as a result.

Keywords: Medical Freedom; Informed Consent