good morning and welcome to "viewpoint." i'm pat lawson muse. she is d.c.'s new council member from ward 8, having won a tight contest to replace the late marion barry. a lawyer by trade, she was the youngest african-american in the country to lead a large housing authority. she has been a passionate advocate for families in ward 8 and she serves on the council of the health and human services and the housing and community development committees. welcome laruby may to "viewpoint." >> thank you. >> after five months on the job how is it going? >> it's great. the greatest privilege that

anyone can have is to serve. i'm grateful to serve the residents of ward 8 and have great days and it's an exciting time for me. >> your run to fill marion barry's seat was a tough cont t contest. you won -- you beat white by just 80 votes. what was it like being in such a close and high profile contest? >> you know, it was nervous -- you know, nerve-racking but we set out to finish the line first. and we're grateful for that to happen. mr. white and the other 11 or 12 candidates on the ballot are great leaders. i think having so many on the ballot was indicative of ward 8 leaders saying that we want to change and we want new leadership. i'm grateful that the residents decided -- it's fewer than 180 votes for me to be the council member for washington, d.c. 8. >> you're not new to politics,

you worked for mayor barry and also marion bowser. >> that's right. i was mr. barry's legislative intern in suite 4 hundred. then i had a cubical and now i have the largest office in suite 400. it's great opportunity to make legislation for him. >> you have moved on up. >> you know, i have. i have. >> have you contemplated running before? >> no. not at all. >> really? >> my role in politics have been behind the scenes. i'm grateful to help politicians to get elected. i never thought about being the elected politician myself. >> so what was it that prompted you to jump in to the race, the ward 8 race? >> you know, understanding how neglected ward 8 was and having a very intimate experience and understanding of what the needs were. i had a friend ask me a question when the seat became available. he was like, you know, ruby, if

you're okay with the way that you believe the leadership in ward 8 will go without you being at the head, then don't run. stay in the private sector. do what you can do, but if you're not comfortable with that, if you're not comfortable with the type of leadership and the direction of the ward then you understand what you should do. that's what i did. >> quite the challenge to you. >> yeah. it was. >> an offer you couldn't refuse. >> very difficult. very difficult. >> you have to hit the ground running. one of the biggest issues you're dealing with is violence. what do you think it will take to stop the killing? >> you know, i wish i had if answer for what will stop the killing. but i don't have the answer because i don't think there's -- it's a singular answer. what i know is that there are a lot of issues kind of layered on top of each other that are impacting specifically those residents in ward 8 that are contributing to lack of public safety in the ward. it ranges from, you know, economics, jobs, people being

able to take care of themselves and take care of their families and includes access to education, to health, to housing, you know, many of the residents in ward 8 in some of the areas where we see the highest yihig highest crime. there is a correlation of the housing -- the large amount of substandard housing there. there are a lot of issues in play. obviously, there's the access to illegal guns that is playing a major role in homicides or in the rate of deaths in ward 8. a lot of issues that we have to look at holistically and comprehensively in order to address the public safety issues. >> one of your strategies is to hold what you call pop-up office hours. we'll talk about after we take a break. our guest is laruby may, the ward 8 representative in the district. district. we'll be right back. i was about to head to thecheck. bank, but out of nowhere it just started to rain. like really rain. [clap of thunder] i did not want to go out. [clap of thunder]

but then i was like duh, just use your phone. mobile-deposit-techno-thingy to the rescue. i'm rayna. and i bank human at td bank. thank you so much. did you say honey? hey, try some? mmm that is tasty. is it real? of course... are you? nope animated you know i'm always looking for real honey for honey nut cheerios well you've come to the right place.

great, mind if i have another taste? not at all mmm you're all right bud? never better i don't know if he likes that. yeah part of the complete breakfast ward 8 has the city's highest poverty, crime and unemployment rates and one of laruby may's strategies to help address the numbers is what she calls pop-up office hours.

so explain how this works. >> so it's pretty simple. it's at its core, me taking the resources of my office to the people. and so what we do is literally we took a tent, a table and chairs and we identified neighborhoods across the ward. so although ward 8 itself has been on the short end of the receivings of -- receiving of services there are neighborhoods and corners in ward 8 that are even more deprived of resources. it takes them two buses to get out of their neighborhood to get to the main quarter to the main government, so my staff and i decided to take a table, tent and chairs and meet people in their neighborhoods to bring the services of our office. >> many of them have not been across the river. >> yeah, that's right. many of our residents tend to stay in the community and that's why it was important for me to take our services to the people. >> and how have they responded? >> amazing. it's been amazing. people's response has been very appreciative. you know, the original -- the

initial reaction from some people, like what do you want? why like where are you here? >> a little spuspicious, no one has done it before? >> my response was simple, we want to learn how to serve you better and then people's response is overwhelming. we touched a large number of residents this summer. >> the fact is, ms. may, you talked about how tough it is to get people to access as much as designed to help them. how difficult it is to get at risk youth to take advantage of government run programs that are designed to keep them out of trouble. how tough it is to get residents to attend community meetings. is that also part of your motivation here? >> yeah. i mean, it's about -- people have concerns. people not only have issues, but they have ideas to share and we have not really as a government done a really good job of providing vehicles for people to do that and so this was just one way of making it comfortable for people to share.

again, their concerns, but also their ideas. i mean, there's a lot of not so great things happening in ward 8. far more great things, a lot of positive things and a lot of things that people are willing to contribute and have a better and safer community. >> can we talk about some of the issues you're dealing with on the council? one of them is 16 weeks of paid leave. how much would that help ward 8 residents and do you support that? >> absolutely i support it. i think we know that a large portion of the employed individuals are low income earners and a we have a large amount that work at child care centers. first, subsidized child care centers so they do not have an -- if a young lady goes pregnant and goes off on leave

she can't take care of herself there. i understand and appreciate the leadership in my colleagues moving this forward. >> but you have concerns about the income tax cuts that the council passed. what are your concerns there and why do you think the money should have been used in other ways? >> so, you know, as you know when i got to the council, lots of things had already been established. one of them was the tax -- the order in which the tax breaks were based on the recommendations from the tax commission. so the other initiatives that came up while i was on the council that i did not vote in favor was the tax trigger which would have had happened or should have happened in february but was moved up to september. that didn't give us an opportunity to have a conversation and ways to spend it. again, i represent the residents of ward 8. although i do believe there are some residents in ward 8 who are in the range of making $350,000 to $1 million a year, it's not

the overwhelming majority. to give a tax relief to that population, versus looking at addressing public safety issues, education issues, housing issues is something that as as a representative for ward 8 i think is something we should have had a different outcome. >> you have concerns about the plan to use private ambulances to take some of the pressure off of d.c. fire, ems. what are your concerns there? >> i will say i support the concept, you know, talk to the chief, talk to the mayor's team about we must do something to reduce the call time for service. we're having residents in ward 8 wait very long times in order to get an ambulance. and so being able to present a plan that addresses the issue, again, we have a high call volume to 911 from ward 8, making sure that residents can respond timely is very important. we have to make sure what we're looking at is the temporary

nature of this legislation and to see whether or not we're working towards a parallel plan for a permanent solution to be able to address this issue and at the same time, no ward 8, addressing the access to health care because, you know, we can make sure that we're getting people to the hospitals quicker. but we also have to look at, well, you know, if we had an urgent care clinic, if we had access to resources to health care in the ward, people may not need to go to the emergency room for some of the low priority calls that we're getting for a 911. >> all right. a lot of folks are excited about plans for the new wizards facility. we'll talk about that right after this break. stay with us.

there is is a lot of excitement about plans to build a new wizards practice facility next to st. elizabeth's hospital. a lot of folks are excited that it will bring economic development to southeast washington. but others say it's a lopsided deal and that it's a bad deal

for d.c. what do you say, laruby may? >> well, you know, i say it's -- it has the potential to be the most exciting, most economic development buying project in the city. it will ignite the site at st. elizabeth. what we know about development in economic growth in any community is you have to have that spark. there has to be something that will ignite a site and we believe -- i believe, the mayor believes, the wizards facility and the home field for the mystics will be just what we need to ignite a site that's been dormant for decades. >> there those who feel -- there are those who feel that the city is paying more than -- >> i understand that. why are we letting him pay too much, are we giving him too much ownership so i think there are people on both sides of it. you know, as the leader in ward 8 absolutely i want to make sure that taxpayer dollars are being

used efficiently and very well and so i think this deal, a partnership with the city, events d.c. and monument will be a good deal for ward 8. >> what else do you want to see happen in congress heights? >> i live in congress heights so i'm vested in making sure that congress height, you know, becomes the blooming downtown congress heights that we know it can be. we know that there's a redevelopment, phase one, of st. elizabeth there he's going to bring two hotels. residential units, commercial space. space for the arts. for ward 8. so we know that st. elizabeth can do for ward 8 what no other development project can do for our community and that's -- that's economic opportunity. that's jobs. that's building the capacity of our ward 8 businesses and providing home ownership opportunities for ward 8 reside residents. so i believe it's going to be a great opportunity for the ward.

>> you must be excited about sugarland. the deal has finally gotten the green light and the district and safeway has cleared -- has cleared. yes. skyland, i said sugarland. that's in texas where my sister lives. this is is a project at the skyland town center that would include a walmart. one that's been long awaited by the community. talk about that. >> so i will say that the skyland is technically in ward 7 but it faces ward 8 and so being able to work with my colleague, council member alexander, on this project is important. we're really excited. we know it will serve the majority of ward 8 residents in bringing again opportunities for a restaurant and a walmart for those who like to shop at walmart and have those low prices. so again that corner which is where charlize milton lost her

life on that corner, we need to bring that back to life. >> she of course was the journalist who was shot by some suspects who were passing on atvs. >> yes, ma'am. >> tell us about trunk or treat. and the big chair. >> absolutely. so trunk or treat is more familiar in rural communities around faith based communities. what it is an opportunity to have a structured environment that's family friendly and safe for the community. we have done this in past years. and essentially people bring their vehicle, they decorate their trunk and our young people go from trunk to trunk trick or treating versus going from house to house and so i have heard from seniors that, you know, council member, i like giving out candy but with so many things happening i don't want to open my door. i live by myself. so this gives the seniors the opportunity to come out and decorate their vehicles and pass

out and be a part of the community and so we're excited to be there. it will be on the 2100 block of martin luther king, in the big parking lot by the big chair. we are excited that it will provide an awesome structured, safe environment. family friendly for the community to come out. we'll have music and food and band and just for the ward. something to celebrate. >> yeah. it's something many residents in the ward can use. >> absolutely. very excited. again, there's a committee. the trunk or treat committee, i'm supporting it. a lot of businesses, a lot of churches, a lot of civic associations that are all partnering. what we realized is that people highlight all of the things that are not going great in the ward. they're not celebrating the greatness that we have. this is just going to be an opportunity for us to do that. >> all right. laruby may, we'll continue our talk with the ward 8 council member in the district when we continue. stay with us.

thank you so much. did you say honey? hey, try some? mmm that is tasty. is it real? of course... are you? nope animated you know i'm always looking for real honey for honey nut cheerios well you've come to the right place. great, mind if i have another taste? not at all mmm you're all right bud? never better i don't know if he likes that. yeah part of the complete breakfast

welcome back. if pepco exelon merger is moving forward. i would like to know how you feel about that, ms. may. and will that help ward 8 residents? how will $78 million more in investment in the community or will that help constituents in ward 8? >> well, i mean, it will. so what i know from the number of calls i received in my constituent office with individuals who need emergency assistance with their utilities is that we need -- we don't need for rates to increase and for the original proposed offer by the merger was $14 million really didn't dig deep enough as it relates to being able to provide opportunities for the residents or for rate payers in the district. very specifically in ward 8. so, you know, just looking forward to making sure -- my job and my obligation is to the

residents of ward 8 in making sure that whatever deal the commission decides to approve, that it takes into consideration what is best for the residents of ward 8. >> you had really big shoes to fill when you took this office. do you feel in any way you're serving in the shadow of marion barry? >> i get that all the time. big shoes. i have a large foot, so i do have big shoes. but the thing that is most important for me, there's a lot of legacies. some that people highlight and some that people want to go away about mr. barry. and the one that i really appreciate from learning firsthand from working with him is his passion for our people. and his compassionate heart, so that legacy is one i work very hard and diligently to make sure that i'm continuing because, you know, people just want to know that you care. and people just want someone fighting for them who cares about them and that's a part of

mr. barry's legacy that i'm going to work very diligently and hard to continue. >> but it must be, you know, difficult, certainly a challenge to fill the seat of a man who was called mayor for life. he might even be called council member for life. >> right. right. >> a fix chur in hearts of the residents. >> there's a picture of jesus and martin luther king and marion barry, so he was larger than life. i don't seek to replace mr. barry. he's irreplaceable. but i'm grateful for the opportunity to serve and very privileged. i get up and work hard for the residents of ward 8 and hoping to show to the residents of ward 8 they elected the leader who is for them in this season. to bring prosperity and to bridge the gap for the residents of ward 8. >> you have a lot of hard work to do. the special election that you won, it was very divided.

pretty much right down the middle. so you have got a district, a ward that has to be unified. >> absolutely. so, you know, one of the first things i did after i was -- i was told that i won the race i reached out to all the opponents i ran against because it is going to take everyone in the ward working together for ward 8 to reach its full potential and to go into prosperity. that's a job in addition to the everyday experiences of the residents we have to work to address. >> i know most elected leaders don't like to talk about campaigning and politicking, but the fact of the matter is, you're serving and working every day. but you're running for re-election. >> yeah. >> you fill out the 18 months and then you have to run for your own four-year term and you're likely to face your former opponent again. >> so, i don't know -- we're ready to face again. i get up every day. i have 72,000-plus bosses.

i get up every day to make sure that i am working hard for them and that they approve and that they hold me accountable. june 14th is the next election for the full term for the seat. you know what i believe is what i have done so far. and in the five months or so i have been in office is what the people deserve and what they want and we'll see and let them decide whether or not they want me to keep working for them. >> and wearing the big shoes. >> wearing the big shoes. >> laruby may, what a joy and a delight to talk to you this morning. thank you for being with us on "viewpoint" and good luck to you. thank you for being with us. that's "viewpoint." i'm paut lawson muse. "news4 today" begins right now.

at 6:00, a fire tears through a home early this morning devastating a prince george's county family and damaging another home. and the chilliest morning of the autumn season so far. some areas are down into the 30s at dawn on this sunday. and 35,000 people lacing up for a cause. the inspiring reasons they're running in the army 10-miler. and the road closures you need to watch out for. >> it's going to be a good morning to run, warm up out there. welcome to "news4 today." i'm david culver. >> and