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Candidate name: Scott Griggs Council district: 1 Please complete questionnaire below. You must send a completed electronic copy to [email protected] or mail a completed copy to P.O. Box 192305 Dallas, TX 75219 by Monday, March 2nd. 1. Your background and the LGBT community Please share any experience that illustrates your understanding and interest of the needs of LGBT Dallas residents. As a district representative for a large number of LGBT citizens in Dallas, I have expended significant time and energy to learn about LGBT needs and to advocate effectively to meet them. Once reelected to council in 2013, I continued to work to advance the LGBT resolution to ultimate adoption by council. I also actively campaigned for the inclusion of equality language in our city charter and was extremely encouraged by the huge margin of approval. Our council resolution also directed our board members on the City’s two pension systems to advocate for equal benefits. I sit on the Dallas Police and Fire Pension (DPFP) board and have supported sending a plan amendment to the membership for a vote prior to the approval of equal benefits. I also sat on the DPFP LGBT Committee, which advanced equal benefits to the entire DPFP board. I am pleased by the recent votes of both of the City’s two pension systems. Stonewall Democrats of Dallas seek to inform members of the LGBT and Democratic Party community of candidate's political background. Our organization’s byElaws require us only to consider candidates with Democratic Primary voter history or or affirms their party affiliation via an oath of allegiance to the Democratic Party. Do you qualify or would you be prepared to sign an oath of allegiance form from the Dallas County Democratic Party? Yes and Yes 2. Creating an inclusive community Cities compete for residents, tax payers, conventions and new businesses/economic development. As a member of the Dallas City Council, how would you insure that Dallas can compete effectively with other cities in the area of LGBT inclusion?

2015 Scott Griggs (District 1)

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    Candidate(name:(( Scott%Griggs(( ( ( ( Council(district:(1!!Please!complete!questionnaire!below.!!You!must!send!a!completed!electronic!copy!to!Political@StonewallDemocratsOfDallas.org!or!mail!a!completed!copy!to!P.O.!Box!192305!Dallas,!TX!75219!by!Monday,!March!2nd.!!!

    1. Your(background(and(the(LGBT(community(!!Please%share%any%experience%that%illustrates%your%understanding%and%interest%of%the%needs%of%LGBT%Dallas%residents.%%%% As(a(district(representative(for(a(large(number(of(LGBT(citizens(in(Dallas,(I(have(expended(significant(time(and(energy(to(learn(about(LGBT(needs(and(to(advocate(effectively(to(meet(them.%%Once(reelected(to(council(in(2013,(I(continued(to(work(to(advance(the(LGBT(resolution(to(ultimate(adoption(by(council.((I(also(actively(campaigned(for(the(inclusion(of(equality(language(in(our(city(charter(and(was(extremely(encouraged(by(the(huge(margin(of(approval.((Our(council(resolution(also(directed(our(board(members(on(the(Citys(two(pension(systems(to(advocate(for(equal(benefits.((I(sit(on(the(Dallas(Police(and(Fire(Pension((DPFP)(board(and(have(supported(sending(a(plan(amendment(to(the(membership(for(a(vote(prior(to(the(approval(of(equal(benefits.(((I(also(sat(on(the(DPFP(LGBT(Committee,(which(advanced(equal(benefits(to(the(entire(DPFP(board.((I(am(pleased(by(the(recent(votes(of(both(of(the(Citys(two(pension(systems.%

    %Stonewall%Democrats%of%Dallas%seek%to%inform%members%of%the%LGBT%and%Democratic%Party%community%of%candidate's%political%background.%Our%organizations%byElaws%require%us%only%to%consider%candidates%with%Democratic%Primary%voter%history%or%or%affirms%their%party%affiliation%via%an%oath%of%allegiance%to%the%Democratic%Party.%Do%you%qualify%or%would%you%be%prepared%to%sign%an%oath%of%allegiance%form%from%the%Dallas%County%Democratic%Party?%((( Yes(and(Yes((

    2. Creating(an(inclusive(community(!!Cities%compete%for%residents,%tax%payers,%conventions%and%new%businesses/economic%development.%As%a%member%of%the%Dallas%City%Council,%how%would%you%insure%that%Dallas%can%compete%effectively%with%other%cities%in%the%area%of%LGBT%inclusion?%%%

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    % At(a(minimum,(Dallas(must(enact(total(legal(equality(including(equal(employment(opportunity(and(benefits(equality.((Our(enforcement(of(these(standards(must(be(robust(and(transparent.((We(can(do(much(more,(however.((I(support(and(promote(the(work(of(the(LGBT(Chamber.((The(city(should(also(actively(encourage(its(vendors(to(match(city(policies(in(equal(employment(and(benefits.((We(also(should(use(our(welcoming(nature(to(recruit(LGBT(workers(and(LGBTRowned(companies(to(Dallas.(

    %Would%you%recruit%and%consider%qualified%LGBT%constituents%for%your%commission%and%board%appointments?%%% I(have(a(large(number(of(LGBT(constituents(on(boards(and(commissions(and(plan(on(continuing(to(have(a(large(number(of(LGBT(constituents(on(boards(and(commissions.(

    %Will%you%support%the%Dallas%City%Council's%resolution%for%marriage%equality%and%also%a%statewide%ban%on%LGBT%employment%discrimination?%!!! Yes.(

    %Mayor%Rawlings%has%refused%to%join%the%nationwide%effort%of%mayors%of%300%cities%and%32%states%to%become%a%member%of%Mayors%for%the%Freedom%to%Marry.%This%effort%is%chaired%by%Mayors%of%Boston,%New%York%City,%Houston%and%Los%Angeles.%Would%you%actively%lobby%and%take%action%to%encourage%Mayor%Rawlings%to%join%this%effort?%(Please!see!http://www.freedomtomarry.org/pages/mayors8for8the8freedom8to8marry)!!!! I(have(and(will(continue(to(do(so.(

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    !3. The(City(of(Dallas(as(a(LGBT(inclusive(employer(!

    !The%private%sector%has%seen%a%large%increase%in%policies%and%benefits%for%LGBT%employees,%how%should%the%City%of%Dallas%remain%competitive%to%attract%and%retain%top%LGBT%talent?%%%% See(above.((Benefits(equality(and(vendor(standards(are(two(of(the(easiest(things(we(could(do.((We(should(also(seek(to(reform(our(city(workforce(so(that(the(jobs(we(offer(are(more(attractive(to(top(talent(regardless(of(sexual(orientation(or(gender(identity(and(expression.(

    %Do%you%support%comprehensive%transgender%inclusive%health%benefits%and%as%a%council%member%work%with%the%City%Manager%to%implement%such%benefits?!!! I(am(proud(to(have(supported(the(recent(expansion(of(trans(health(benefits(and(will(keep(working(for(inclusion(of(affirming(operations(and(procedures.(

    !4. Current(Events!

    !( The%Governor%and%several%state%legislators%intend%to%push%legislation%through%to%curtail%the%current%scope%of%governance%of%home%rule%cities%like%Dallas.%This%could%remove%local%control%over%matters%such%as%drilling%within%city%limits,%LGBT%protections,%etc.%Do%you%favor%or%oppose%this,%and%what%do%you%plan%to%do%in%response?!!( I(strongly(oppose.((As(a(councilmember,(I(work(to(shape(our(opposition(to(these(bills(and(will(personally(lobby(in(Austin(for(their(defeat.((I(have(already(visited(Austin(once(in(the(last(week(on(a(such(a(lobbying(effort(and(will(be(in(Austin(again(on(Wednesday,(March(4,(2015.(!!What%are%your%thoughts%on%the%current%campaign%finance%rules%for%Dallas%elections%which%set%donation%amount%limits%on%people%newly%seeking%office%but%essentially%place%no%donation%amount%limits%on%incumbents%via%unrestricted%officeholder%accounts%which%may%be%used%for%campaign%purposes?!!( Reform(was(needed(and(I(am(proud(of(my(efforts(to(draft(a(memorandum(to(bring(about(the(changes(enacted(by(Council(on(Wednesday,(February(25,(2015.(((!The%proposed%Trinity%Parkway%toll%road%continues%to%make%headlines.%Do%you%see%the%Trinity%Parkway%as%an%essential%roadway%project%to%alleviate%projected%road%congestion%around%our%downtown%core,%or%are%there%other%solutions%that%Dallas%should%be%focused%on?!!! I(have(and(will(continue(to(oppose(the(Trinity(Tollroad.((Further(I(will(continue(to(advocate(for(alternatives(including(the(completion(of(Project(Pegasus(and(multiRmodal(transportation(projects(like(the(streetcar(and(bike(lanes.(!

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    Given%that%tax%revenue%for%the%City%of%Dallas%should%rise%this%year%without%a%tax%rate%increase,%what%are%the%top%priorities%to%which%these%additional%funds%should%be%directed%citywide%and%within%your%district?(( !! Quality(of(life(spending(is(the(top(priority.((Streets,(parks,(libraries,(animal(services,(poverty(initiatives,(infrastructure(maintenance.(% !!!I,!Scott!Griggs,!am!seeking!an!endorsement!from!the!Stonewall!Democrats!of!Dallas!for!the!2013!Dallas!City!Council!elections.!!!

    Signed! Date!March!2,!2015