Basic Information
Democratic Party – running for Montgomery County Council District 4
Email zittrauerj@gmail.com
Website friendsofjohnzittrauer.com
Facebook facebook.com/friendsofjohnzittrauer
Twitter twitter.com/johnzittrauer
Other instagram.com/johnzittrauer
Questions & Responses (All Candidates)
1 – What lessons learned do you have since the start of the pandemic?
a) When we care about public health, we have the power to remove the profit motive from medicine (free tests/vaccines/masks)
b) In times of uncertainty, communities come together to help each other in many different and inspiring ways (eg food and rental assistance)
2 – If you could go back and do one thing differently from what was done in the last two years in Montgomery County what would you change?
Call for a moratorium on rents and mortgages during the period with the highest unemployment
3 – What do you think are the 3 biggest and most pressing issues facing our county in the next 4 years? Why?
Cost of living – to live in this county requires a wage much higher than our minimum wage, and what we call affordable housing is still unaffordable to many
Housing availability – we have a rapidly growing population and people need a place to live
Homelessness – our county has too much affluence to have anyone sleep on the street; people deserve to live with a basic quality of life, and that includes a place of their own, food, and medical care.
4 – What specifically do you plan to do in the 3 most pressing areas from Question 3?
Support a minimum wage that would be a realistic living wage, as well as an increase in MPDUs and public housing
Vote in favor of Thrive 2050 if the vote does not happen this year
Increase funding to the Housing Opportunities Commission and expand the pilot basic income program
5 – Would you consider supporting changes to electoral process such as open primaries or non-partisan elections in Montgomery County to allow 155,000+ registered Unaffiliated/Independents in Montgomery County to vote locally when it counts?
Yes
Questions & Responses (County Council)
1- What is your plan to attract and KEEP businesses in Montgomery County? How can we get more businesses across the county and especially where its lacking in the Up County and East County and compete with Northern Virginia?
Streamline redundant or unnecessary hurdles to opening a business in the area using input from our small business community, increase the communication and funding for grant programs that help people open or maintain a business in the county. This is also an issue involving transit, as people won’t open or staff a business that no one can get to. More bus routes are needed in underserved areas like Up County and East County.
2 – How will you hold developers accountable for past, present, and future infrastructure commitments (schools, transit, roads, etc.)?
Anyone doing business with the county receives payment contingent on completion of the job; failure to honor commitments would result in loss of payment, refunding of payments rendered, and loss of future business.
3 – What do you plan to do about the increase in incidents of carjackings and homicides in the county and decline of applicants and morale in the police force?
It’s common knowledge that we give roles to the police that they should not be performing: mental health counselor, school security guard, etc. If we whittle down the role of police in our community to only what they have been trained to perform – responding to violent crime – and build a system of real accountability through citizen oversight, we will not be as understaffed as we might seem to be now and response time may decrease. Additionally, any conversation about crime without addressing poverty is incomplete. If we have a minimum standard of living for all of our residents, crime goes down.
4 – What do you see as your biggest advantage or positive that you bring to the table over your competitors?
I believe I bring a different perspective than what we normally see in local government: that of the lower class. My household makes well under the median household income, which gives me insight into the struggles and needs of many of our residents who may feel underrepresented and underserved. I am dedicated to serving those of us who are frequently forgotten.