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Interview With Mayor Anthony Williams
Aired June 25, 2003 - 15:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: The city council for the District of Columbia recently voted to move its presidential primary ahead of all others in next year's presidential election calendar. The D.C. primary is now scheduled for January 13. Now that is six days before the Iowa caucuses. It's also a full two weeks before the New Hampshire primary.
I spoke with D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams a short time ago, and I started by asking him, since the primary won't actually award party delegates, is the calendar change really about presidential politics or more about calling attention to the issue of home rule in Washington?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS (D), DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Well, it's about both. I think it certainly can be informative and instructive in presidential politics because the district actually has a population that is very, very rich, very poor, very well educated with a lot of challenges. I mean we have a very diverse population here, an urban center here, that can be instructed, particularly in the Democratic Party, but also in the Republican Party.
But it is also, yes, indeed, about the fight here in our city for full self-determination, full representation. And anything that can highlight that, I think, is a good thing.
WOODRUFF: Well, there's no contest on the Republican side, it's among the Democrats. Do you have firm commitments from these nine Democrats right now who say they want to be president, that they're going to come here, that they're going to campaign, that they're going to knock on doors, that they're going to take this seriously?
WILLIAMS: Well, first of all, we're going to be talking to them. And I'll be talking to a number of them this evening. We're going to a reception where a number of them will be.
I'm going to talk with some of them there. And then, subsequently, what Eleanor Holmes Norton, our congresswoman, has done I think is certainly helpful. And what I'm thinking about doing is both of us are super delegates. She's announced that she will support whoever wins this primary.
Well, that's certainly helpful. That's certainly -- the leader in the House, very, very high prominence. That could certainly help give greater weight and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to the primary. And I'm inclined to do that, as well. WOODRUFF: But you haven't firmly decided to do that?
WILLIAMS: The first I heard about it was a day or two ago. And I think it's a great move.
WOODRUFF: Let me ask you about education. Talking about home rule (ph), you just very recently changed your position on whether to support the idea of vouchers for private schools, putting government money into private education.
You just mentioned delegate Norton. She basically, when you announced this, said this is a sell out because you've changed your position, not supporting the public schools anymore. What do you say about that?
WILLIAMS: Well Eleanor and I work very, very closely on everything. We disagree on this, obviously. I don't think -- first of all, I don't think home rule (ph) is implicated.
You have the president of the school board elected, you have the chairman of the education committee on our district council elected, and you have the mayor elected. All of us have agreed that we support this proposal.
So you have elected leadership in the city at odds on this, yes. But elected leadership is sitting supporting a proposal, what, for new money for our schools. And our understanding is our schools, our charter schools and this scholarship. So it is a three-tiered approach, which we think is necessary to really benefit the children and improve education at the same time.
WOODRUFF: But right now what you have moving through Congress is money -- is they're supporting the private school vouchers, but they're not giving the district any more money for public schools or for charter schools. I mean, is this working out in a way where you're going to end up being undercut?
WILLIAMS: I don't think so. I think, though, I have a commitment from Chairman Davis of House reform...
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: ... a commitment from the administration that they will work with us on this three-tier approach. But understand that this bill is about authorizing a new program. There already is authorization for the kinds of funds that we're looking for our public schools and our charter schools, and we're going to be seeking that through the appropriations process.
WOODRUFF: And do you have solid commitments that you're going to get the money for the public schools?
WILLIAMS: Well, you know, in Washington, I mean what's solid, solid, solid? But I have solid commitments, yes, from the chairman and from the administration. And I take them at their word that they're going to work with us on a three-tier approach. (END VIDEOTAPE)
WOODRUFF: Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 25, 2003 - 15:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: The city council for the District of Columbia recently voted to move its presidential primary ahead of all others in next year's presidential election calendar. The D.C. primary is now scheduled for January 13. Now that is six days before the Iowa caucuses. It's also a full two weeks before the New Hampshire primary.
I spoke with D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams a short time ago, and I started by asking him, since the primary won't actually award party delegates, is the calendar change really about presidential politics or more about calling attention to the issue of home rule in Washington?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAYOR ANTHONY WILLIAMS (D), DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Well, it's about both. I think it certainly can be informative and instructive in presidential politics because the district actually has a population that is very, very rich, very poor, very well educated with a lot of challenges. I mean we have a very diverse population here, an urban center here, that can be instructed, particularly in the Democratic Party, but also in the Republican Party.
But it is also, yes, indeed, about the fight here in our city for full self-determination, full representation. And anything that can highlight that, I think, is a good thing.
WOODRUFF: Well, there's no contest on the Republican side, it's among the Democrats. Do you have firm commitments from these nine Democrats right now who say they want to be president, that they're going to come here, that they're going to campaign, that they're going to knock on doors, that they're going to take this seriously?
WILLIAMS: Well, first of all, we're going to be talking to them. And I'll be talking to a number of them this evening. We're going to a reception where a number of them will be.
I'm going to talk with some of them there. And then, subsequently, what Eleanor Holmes Norton, our congresswoman, has done I think is certainly helpful. And what I'm thinking about doing is both of us are super delegates. She's announced that she will support whoever wins this primary.
Well, that's certainly helpful. That's certainly -- the leader in the House, very, very high prominence. That could certainly help give greater weight and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to the primary. And I'm inclined to do that, as well. WOODRUFF: But you haven't firmly decided to do that?
WILLIAMS: The first I heard about it was a day or two ago. And I think it's a great move.
WOODRUFF: Let me ask you about education. Talking about home rule (ph), you just very recently changed your position on whether to support the idea of vouchers for private schools, putting government money into private education.
You just mentioned delegate Norton. She basically, when you announced this, said this is a sell out because you've changed your position, not supporting the public schools anymore. What do you say about that?
WILLIAMS: Well Eleanor and I work very, very closely on everything. We disagree on this, obviously. I don't think -- first of all, I don't think home rule (ph) is implicated.
You have the president of the school board elected, you have the chairman of the education committee on our district council elected, and you have the mayor elected. All of us have agreed that we support this proposal.
So you have elected leadership in the city at odds on this, yes. But elected leadership is sitting supporting a proposal, what, for new money for our schools. And our understanding is our schools, our charter schools and this scholarship. So it is a three-tiered approach, which we think is necessary to really benefit the children and improve education at the same time.
WOODRUFF: But right now what you have moving through Congress is money -- is they're supporting the private school vouchers, but they're not giving the district any more money for public schools or for charter schools. I mean, is this working out in a way where you're going to end up being undercut?
WILLIAMS: I don't think so. I think, though, I have a commitment from Chairman Davis of House reform...
(CROSSTALK)
WILLIAMS: ... a commitment from the administration that they will work with us on this three-tier approach. But understand that this bill is about authorizing a new program. There already is authorization for the kinds of funds that we're looking for our public schools and our charter schools, and we're going to be seeking that through the appropriations process.
WOODRUFF: And do you have solid commitments that you're going to get the money for the public schools?
WILLIAMS: Well, you know, in Washington, I mean what's solid, solid, solid? But I have solid commitments, yes, from the chairman and from the administration. And I take them at their word that they're going to work with us on a three-tier approach. (END VIDEOTAPE)
WOODRUFF: Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
