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If you want to know DC as more than the nation's capitol, check out Power Station's conversation with Ed Lazere. Ed is a champion of racial and economic equity for DC residents and neighborhoods. As executive director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, he has mastered the formula for influencing the City's legislative and budget making process. He and his team of nine, use research and data analysis to shape their advocacy around the issues that are most  crucial to low-income DC residents: affordable housing, quality schools, economic development, jobs, training and health care. Ed talks to Power Station about navigating relationships with DC's city council members, working in collaboration with nonprofit partners, and engaging DC residents in speaking out about the issues that affect their daily lives.

Ed tells all about Initiative 77, a recent DC ballot measure about tipped wage earners, with an unexpected outcome. It is just one example of why having a voice is the city's policymaking process is essential. Whether the conversation is about the Earned Income Tax Credit or removing time limits for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, DCFPI is a force to be reckoned with.