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Government Testimony

September 9, 2009

RAMW works hard to represent the interests of the metropolitan DC area restaurant community to local governments

and representatives.  We do this through direct lobbying of elected officials, information campaigns, and analyses

of the large tax and regulatory burdens restaurants face.  Another vital way we voice the concerns of our members

is testimony in front of government committees and at public hearings.  Below are some examples of testimony from

RAMW’s leadership on key restaurant issues (grouped by issue).


DC Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA)

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in front of the DC Committee on Public Works and Transportation in support

of Fred Moosally’s appointment as new ABRA director (June 2009).
PDF File: ABRA_FredMoosally_LynneBreaux_June2009

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies at a public hearing on the Alcoholic Beverage Enforcement Act of 2008,

outlining the excessive fees and culture of over-regulation persistent within ABRA (Nov 2008).
PDF File: ABRA_2008Act_LynneBreaux_Nov2008

RAMW General Counsel Andrew testifies at a public hearing on the Alcoholic Beverage Enforcement Act of 2008,

noting problematic sections of the Act and suggesting improvements (Nov 2008).
PDF File: ABRA_2008Act_AndrewKline_Nov2008

RAMW-EF Chairman (and RAMW Board Member) Gregory Casten testifies at a public hearing on the Alcoholic Beverage

Enforcement Act of 2008, explaining how arbitrary and excessive alcohol citations threaten restaurants’ survival

in a shaky economy (Nov 2008).
PDF File: ABRA_2008Act_GregCasten_Nov2008

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies at a hearing on the ABC Board’s Sale to Minors Policy and explains the

counter-productivity of ABRA fines and suspensions of restaurants (Oct 2008).
PDF File: ABC_SaleToMinors_LynneBreaux_Oct2008

RAMW-EF Chairman Gregory Casten testifies at a hearing on the ABC Board’s Sale to Minors Policy and recounts

multiple instances of unnecessary fines and citations of restaurants by ABRA authorities (Oct 2008).
PDF File: ABC_SaletoMinors_GregCasten_Oct2008

Former RAMW Public Policy Advisor Patrick Horn testifies on positive reforms pursued by ABRA and Marie Delaney’s

administration of the agency (May 2006).
PDF File: ABRA_Delaney_PatrickHorn_May2006

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies on the 2006 annual ABRA budget proposal (Apr 2006).
PDF File: ABRA_LynneBreaux_Apr2006

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies about the negative effects of the Dupont Circle West moratorium on ABC

licenses, which prevents restaurants in the neighborhood from obtaining new mixed beverage licenses (May 2005).
PDF File: ABC_DupontMoratorium_LynneBreaux_May2005


Smoking Ban (DC)

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in front of the DC Committee on Health about the positives and negatives of

smoking bans, and how the restaurant market is already solving the problem through certain restaurants going

voluntarily smoke-free (Sep 2005).
PDF File: SmokingBan_LynneBreaux_Sep2005

Former RAMW Chairman Ron Hallagan testifies about the over-regulation of restaurants that smoking bans add to, and

how such bans consistently hurt small businesses (June 2005).
PDF File: SmokingBan_RonHallagan_June2005
 
RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in front of the DC Committee on Public Works and the Environment about how

smoking bans can erode consumer choice, decrease revenue for both restaurants and the city, and do not always

represent the wishes of restaurant employees (June 2005).
PDF File: SmokingBan_LynneBreaux_June2005 

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in front of the DC Committee on Public Works about the problems associated

with a proposed city-wide smoking ban in restaurants (Dec 2003).
PDF File: SmokingBan_LynneBreaux_Dec2003


Washington Convention Center (DC)

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in front of the DC Committees on Economic Development, and Finance and

Revenue, in support of the new convention center hotel (June 2009).
PDF File: ConventionCenterHotel_LynneBreaux_June2009

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in front of the DC Committee on Economic Development in support of

transferring the convention center’s site control to the Washington Convention Center Authority (Oct 2003).
PDF File: ConventionCenterAuthority_LynneBreaux_Oct2003

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in front of the DC Committee on Economic Development about the benefit a new

convention center would have for both the city and its restaurants (Oct 2003).
PDF File: ConventionCenter_LynneBreaux_Oct2003


Street Vendor Regulation (DC)

RAMW General Counsel Andrew Kline testifies in front of the DC Committee on Public Service and Consumer Affairs,

voicing restaurant concerns with the Vending Regulation Act of 2009 (June 2009).
PDF File: VendingRegulation_AndrewKline_June2009


Plastic Bag Tax (DC)

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in front of the DC Committees on Government Operations and the Environment,

and Finance and Revenue, pointing out the undue regulatory burden placed on restaurants by the proposed bag tax

measure (April 2009).
PDF File: BagTax_LynneBreaux_April2009


Stimulus Funds (DC)

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in front of the full DC City Council, outlining several uses for DC funds

from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that would benefit both the city and its restaurateurs (Feb 2009).
PDF File: DCStimulusFunds_LynneBreaux_Feb2009


SW Waterfront (DC)

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in support of a plan to better develop Southwest Washington’s waterfront

areas (Sep 2003).
PDF File: SWWaterfront_LynneBreaux_Sep2003


RAMW-Education Foundation and DC Public Schools

Former RAMW-EF Program Director Frans Hagen testifies in front of the DC Special Committee on Vocational Education

and Jobs about the partnership between RAMW-EF and DCPS, and how the collaboration is providing benefits to both

city residents and the restaurant industry (July 2006).
PDF File: DCPSandRAMW-EF_July2006


Extended Inauguration Hours (DC)

Former RAMW Chairman Paul Cohn testifies in front of the DC Committee on Finance and Revenue and details how

extending restaurant service hours during President Obama’s inauguration benefited the DC restaurant industry (Feb

2009).
PDF File: InaugurationHours_PaulCohn_Feb2009


Golden Triangle District (DC)

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies at a public hearing on the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District

(BID), expressing support for the BID’s designation and encouraging an extension of its term (May 2008).
PDF File: GoldenTriangleBID_LynneBreaux_May2008


RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in front of the deputy mayor about the Golden Triangle BID’s benefit to

local businesses, and supports an extension of its term (June 2003).
PDF File: GoldenTriangleBID_LynneBreaux_June2003


DC Baseball

Former RAMW Chairman Paul Cohn testifies in front of the DC Committee on Finance and Revenue in 2003, supporting

the District’s efforts to bring a new baseball team to the city (June 2003).
PDF File: DCBaseball_PaulCohn_June2003


Master Business Law (DC)

RAMW General Counsel Andrew Kline testifies in front of the DC Committee on Consumer & Regulatory Affairs about

the major problems with the District’s Master Business License (MBL) and how confusion regarding its use was

harming restaurants.  The MBL is no longer used in DC (Oct 2002). 
PDF File: MasterBusinessLicense_AndrewKline_Oct2002


Taxicab Service (DC)

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies on the various problems and possible solutions for DC’s taxi system after

being nominated to the Taxicab Commission (Oct 2006).
PDF File: Taxicab_LynneBreaux_Oct2006

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in front of the DC Committee on Public Works and the Environment about the

Taxicab and Limousine Reform Act, offering suggestions to change the taxi zone system and improve the way taxi

transportation is regulated (Nov 2004).
PDF File: TaxicabReform_LynneBreaux_Nov2004


Menu Labeling (DC)

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies in front of the DC Committee on Human Services about the substantial burden

that would be placed on restaurants by requiring detailed nutrition labeling on menus (Nov 2003).
PDF File: MenuLabeling_LynneBreaux_Nov2003


Trash Service & Community Health (DC)

RAMW President Lynne Breaux testifies at a public hearing to voice support for the Trash Compactor Incentive Act

of 2008, which provides financial assistance to restaurants to purchase or lease trash compactors (Nov 2008).
PDF File: TrashCompactor_LynneBreaux_Nov2008


Waste Hauling (Arlington County, VA)

Former RAMW Public Policy Advisor Patrick Horn testifies in front of Arlington County’s Committee on Local

Government, outlining the problems for restaurants stemming from Arlington’s proposal to franchise waste hauling

services (Feb 2005).
PDF File: ArlingtonWaste_PatrickHorn_Feb2005


U.S. House of Representatives

RAMW Board Member Geoff Tracy testifies in front of the U.S. House Committee on Small Business about the impact of

rising food prices on restaurants, and how Congress can help (June 2008).
PDF File: USHouseTestimony_OrenandGeoff_June2008


RAMW Board Member Oren Molovinsky joins with Representative Peter Welch (D-VT) to introduce a bill that clarifies

credit card interchange fees and provides retailers greater flexibility in accepting different types of cards

(June 2008).
PDF File: USHouseTestimony_OrenandGeoff_June2008

Related Issues & Advocacy Categories:
Jurisdiction:
Washington DC