For use by Stonewall Democrats of Dallas

2016 County Level Candidate Questionnaire

1. (All County Level Offices) Why are you seeking the endorsement of Stonewall
Democrats of Dallas?
I am seeking office because it is time for change in Dallas County District 3.
Not just a change in person, but a change in the philosophical mindset that
says, we want ECONOMIC EQUALITY UNITY, DIVERSITY and FAIRNESS to be a
landmark for Dallas County District 3. I am also seeking office so that the
people can capitalize on my vase array of experiences and background of
bringing people together and empowering them with the resources and
knowledge to change their own plight in life. Thirdly I am seeking office to put
forth a concise and comprehensive plan for Economic Development that will
impact four areas of everyday life, such as, HEALTH; CAREER JOBS;
EDUCATION; PUBLIC SAFETY.

2. (All County Level Offices) What are your plans to participate in a coordinated
campaign in the general election in Dallas County?
One of the things that is really disappointing in Dallas County Elections is
voter turnout. So one of the things that we have been doing as a campaign
team and will continue to do in the general election, is GOTV, Get Out The
Vote, by actively registering people to vote and informing them out their
rights to vote. We will also like to go to the polls to ensure that people are
being treated fairly and equal when it comes to voting rights.

3. (All County Level Offices) Will you use the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas
endorsement in or on:
a) your website: Yes
b) your campaign literature and mailers: Yes
c) your social media assets (Twitter, Facebook, etc.): Yes

d) your campaign advertisements: Yes

4. (All County Level Offices) When elected, how will you recruit, retain, and
create a friendly environment for LGBT and LGBT-friendly staff?
I will ensure that there is a LGBT-friendly environment by hiring diversity at
the top of the executive branch of the county departments. This would allow
the Commissioners to hold each director accountable for implementing a Fair
Hiring/Recruiting Act, so that we might capitalize on the tremendous diversity
that we have in Dallas County. I think it is critical that candidates exemplify
this practice on their campaign staff, such as the Micah B. Phillips Campaign.

5. (All County Level Offices) Would you appoint a liaison to meet with the LGBT
community on an ongoing basis? If not, why?
I feel that Communication is key to addressing community initiatives. So in
order to ensure that communications are always at an optimal level I do plan
on assigning liaisons to the LGBT Community and any other community that
is not being treated with fairness and equality. These liaisons will report
directly to me, so I can be knowledgeable of any concerns, and in turn I can
then be held accountable by my constituents.

6. (All County Level Candidates) How would you handle a situation in which you
or an employee under you felt the need to not fulfill all your lawful work
duties due to your deeply held religious beliefs?
I always prefer the method of Education over Termination, so I would attempt
to educate any individual on their Job roles and responsibilities. This would
ensure that they were well informed about the job they agreed to do for the
citizens of Dallas County. If this attempt did not rectify the acute situation, I
would temporarily replace that employee with someone that could serve the
citizen with a non-bias professionalism. After the initial situation was handled
and the citizen provided services from the county, I would schedule
sensitivity and cultural awareness classes for that particular department. This
course would be encouraged for all employees to understand that there will
be separation of a persons religious preference and job duties and

responsibilities, so that all citizens of Dallas County could be entitled fair and
non-bias service.

7. (County Commissioners Court, Sheriff, Constables) What are your plans to

expedite the implementation of body cameras and associated video storage
for Dallas County law enforcement officers?
Public Safety is one of my major Pillars in my platform, I feel that one of the
first things we must do as a county, is to ensure that the public is safe, by
first protecting our law enforcement officers with Body Cameras. When it
comes to this highly unstable legalistic system we must ensure that the
officers that risk their lives, are protected. The secondary benefactor of
having body cameras, is the protection of our citizens, from over worked and
sometime stressed officers that might over react in certain situations. One of
the ways I plan on expediting the body Cameras is to make Public Safety a
HIGH Priority on the Budget. I would like to allocate more capital toward
improving the resources and equipment for our officers. The next thing I
would like to do is call for an audit to make sure the county is not allotting too
much money toward the top of the Law Enforcement Branch, but instead
more budgetary financing reaches the officers and state of the art
equipment. I would like to also facilitate Public/Private Partnerships, that
would ask corporations to invest in public safety equipment and technology
for the exchange of TAX ABATEMENTS. Last resort that I would use to
implement and expedite body cameras and video storage, would be to ask
for a Public Safety Tax Line to be added to the tax statement. This would be a
$10-$50 additional cost that I would ask citizens to pay over and beyond their
yearly taxes, this would ensure that public safety in Dallas County is always
at optimal levels.

8. (County Commissioners Court) What would you do to support and assist the
many people with mental illness who must rely on the public system for care
in or out of incarceration?
One of the first things I would do to ensure that people with mental illnesses
are receiving care in and out of incarceration, is to educate extensively on
how to identify Mental Illness from drug, alcohol or criminal behavior. In my
past experiences and through my non-profit I have seen people with mental
illnesses go without care because of the misplacement in the wrong facility

that cannot adequately provide the care they need. I would also ensure that if
a mentally ill person is incarcerated that they are not placed into the general
population but they are placed into Parklands Psychiatric facility. I would also
start a MIHI (Mental Illness Homeless Individual) Unit with the Sherriff
Department in order to decrease the mortality rate that we see increasing on
the streets of Dallas County.

9. (County Commissioners Court) Do you support continuation of funding at the

current levels for jail mental illness programs? If you favor increased funding,
what would you identify as new revenue streams to support that?
I support increasing funding for Mental Illness Programs, I would look to
capitalize on the income that Parkland brings in and redistribute the funds
from the top down to impact mental illness programs that will help decrease
crime. I would use the crime stats and mortality rate that is proportionately
higher amongst this population, to prove to the state and federal government
that more Medicaid funds are needed in this area. I would also have the
county submit for Block Grants in order to subsidize the budgetary allowance
when it comes to Mental Illness.

10.
(County Commissioners Court) In light of decreased federal and state
funding, what are your ideas to address the issue of the increase in HIV/AIDS
infections in Dallas County and for persons living with HIV/AIDS in Dallas
County (Dallas has the highest infection rate in Texas and one of the highest
in the country)?
One of the first things I would do, is allocate some of the $900,000 Ryan
White money toward education of the younger and minority groups, right now
only four line items consume the entire Ryan White Budget. I would also like
to use empty or underutilized county buildings as private and secluded
facility for HIV/AIDS Testing, Treatment and Educational classes. I would solicit
to open these facilities in the areas with the highest rates of new HIV/AIDS
cases. This is a program that worked when I lived in Los Angeles because it
creates a comfort level that motivates individuals to participate in this type of
program. I would also want to recruit individuals from LGBT community in
order to create a level of comfort and to break down any communication
barriers between the fastest growing group of new HIV/AIDS cases, which has
been identified as African-American Lesbians between the ages of 17-25

I, __Micah B. Phillips__, am seeking an endorsement from the Stonewall Democrats

of Dallas for the 2016 elections.
Signed___________________________________

Date: _December 26, 2015___