Creating Pathways to the Middle Class

March 23, 2016 | Volume 2, Issue 11

Dear Washingtonians,

Yesterday, I had the honor of delivering the 2016 State of the District Address.The State of the District is strong, and getting stronger. 

I talked about how we can preserve DC’s rich history, as we lay the groundwork for a better tomorrow.  We will do that by investing in our schools, in public safety, in infrastructure, and most importantly – in our people.

With the high cost of living and the expenses of everyday life, low wages create an invisible ceiling that prevents working families from truly getting a fair shot. In a city as prosperous as ours, we can level the playing field and we can make sure our residents are paid a good wage so fewer families are forced to leave.

Cities and states across the country are proving that when you lift people up, you lift up an entire city. So last night I answered President Obama’s call to raise the wage. 

When the DC Council returns from their break, I will send them legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020. 

Will you join me in our #fightfor15DC? Please click HERE to sign the pledge.

We will continue to invest in those things that help families thrive in DC.  We will invest $100 million each and every year in affordable housing. We will reform our TANF program to keep families from falling off the cliff. We will improve how we do job training, to prepare residents today for the jobs of tomorrow.

We will do all of those things.  However, that is not enough.  If a fair wage is not at the end of that cliff, or at the end of that job training, our families will be forced out. So we must fight for fair wages.

I pledge to you that we will continue to create pathways to the middle class, so that every resident has a fair shot.

Sincerely,

Muriel Bowser
Mayor

P.S. If you didn’t have a chance to tune in for the State of the District, you can watch it HERE.