AIM Action - March 9, 2006

722 AIM members from throughout the county came to Woodside United Methodist Church to present AIM’s 2006 issues to candidates for county council and county executive. These issues are:







Affordable Housing

• Build 1000 affordable & work force housing units on public land by 2009.
• Increase affordable & work force housing units to 25% of all new projects, and condo conversions with 30 or more units, where density increases are permitted.
  

Immigration

• Open a full service USCIS immigration office in Montgomery County
  

Education: “College Bound”

• Scholarships for all students who cannot afford college and have a 90% or greater attendance rate.
• All high schools will have one “College Bound” counselor whose sole job it is to encourage and help students get into college.
  

Community Centers

• $200 million to create top flight, modernized, fully staffed community centers for immigrants, youth & seniors.
  

Pedestrian Safety

• Fix pedestrian safety concerns identified by AIM congregations.
  Twenty two of the candidates for county council and County Executive came to the Action, and each committed to meet with AIM to discuss the agenda items at Candidate Nights in May and June.
  

The same evening Lieutenant Governor Steele and U.S. Representative Chris Van Hollen spoke and committed to insuring a USCIS Immigration Center would be built in Montgomery County. Steele promised to work with the Republican leadership of the Senate to make sure funding for the new center would pass and to set up a meeting with AIM leaders and Homeland Security.

Newspaper articles on this Action include:
Washington Post, 3/16/06
Important Faces in the AIM Crowd

Gazette, 3/15/06
Faith-based group challenges candidates to back its social, housing agenda