Statehood Greens call for real democracyThe DC Statehood Green Party April 16, 2007 Contact: Statehood Greens, attending Mayor Fenty's rally in DC on April 16, will call for real democracy: DC statehood; defeat of the Mayor's plan for a DC School Board takeover Statehood Greens will join the Stand Up! for DC Democracy Coalition, Save Our Schools DC, and the DC Coalition for Democracy in Education at DC Emancipation Day events in downtown DC, beginning with March for DC Statehood at 1 pm sponsored by the Stand Up! Coalition. WASHINGTON, DC -- DC Statehood Green Party members will attend the 'DC Emancipation Day' rally and march organized by Mayor Adrian Fenty on Monday, April 16, but will join several other organizations to demand DC statehood instead of the 'DC Voting Rights' bill and will challenge Mayor Fenty and the City Council on the Mayor's proposal for a takeover of the DC School Board. Statehood Greens will join the Stand Up! for DC Democracy Coalition <http://www.freedc.org> at Franklin Square (corner of 13th and Eye Streets NW) in a 1 pm rally and 'March for Statehood' <http://standupfordemocracy.org/documents/dced2007.pdf>. At 2:30 pm, Statehood Greens and other advocates of DC democracy and public education will gather at Mayor Fenty's rally on Freedom Plaza (Pennsylvania Avenue and 14th Street NW), which begins at 2:30 pm. Mayor Fenty will lead a march to the Reflecting Pool behind the Capitol, where he will host a 'DC Voting Rights' rally at 4 pm. INTERVIEWS, PHOTO OPS: Statehood Green leaders and other pro-democracy and public education advocates will be available for interview on Monday afternoon (names and contact information will be announced in a follow-up advisory). Statehood Green Party members will carry posters and signs, including the celebrated giant hemp 'DC Statehood Now' flag. Real DC democracy vs. 'sham democracy' Statehood Greens, participating along with the Stand Up! Coalition, Save Our Schools DC <http://www.saveourschoolsdc.org>, and the DC Coalition for Democracy in Education <http://democracyineducation.net>, and other advocates of DC democracy and quality public schools, do not intend to disrupt the rally and march planned by Mayor Fenty. Instead, Statehood Greens and allied organizations will pass out literature and display signs demanding 'real democracy' instead of the 'sham democracy' promoted by Mayor Fenty, Council, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, and DC Vote: . REAL DEMOCRACY The people of the District of Columbia deserve full constitutional rights and equality with all other Americans, including the right to political self-determination and self-government (statehood for DC) and full voting representation in Congress (two Senators, one Representative). Statehood for DC can be achieved constitutionally by Act of Congress. . SHAM DEMOCRACY The 'DC Voting Rights' bill does not expand self-government for the District and does not reduce Congress's control over DC legislation, public policy, and finances. The bill grants DC a single voting seat in the US House, which may be overturned by court ruling, since the US Constitution affords voting representation solely to states; earlier court decision have upheld this restriction. If overturned, the only way to give DC a vote in Congress (without statehood) would be constitutional amendment. The bill also gives Utah a new seat in the House, as well as a new member of the Electoral College. More information: "Statehood Green talking points on the DC Voting Rights bill" and other releases on the Statehood Green Party's press page: http://www.gp.org/press/states/dc/dc_2007_03_22.shtml http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org/press/ . REAL DEMOCRACY Changes to the DC Charter, including Mayor Fenty's proposed transfer of School Board powers to Council, require a vote by the citizens of DC in a referendum, according to the Charter's own language. . SHAM DEMOCRACY Mayor Fenty, despite endorsing DC statehood and democracy in his January 3 inaugural speech, announced that he would invite Congress to impose the School Board takeover, bypassing the requirement that DC citizens vote on all Charter amendments. . REAL DEMOCRACY Out of respect for the right of all DC citizens to be represented in a vote that will affect the future of their children, Council should wait until the Wards 4 and 7 seats are filled in the May 1 special election before holding a vote on the School Board takeover. . SHAM DEMOCRACY Council has already voted once to endorse the School Board takeover and will vote again in a few days, without representation from Wards 4 and 7. . REAL DEMOCRACY Independent school boards were established to place a wall between public education and the influence of business lobbies and other political considerations that affect the decisions of city councils and mayors. . SHAM DEMOCRACY The School Board takeover will fulfill the agenda of major business lobbies, especially the Federal City Council: expansion of DC's failing charter schools program; closing of public schools that occupy real estate coveted by powerful developers. Mayor Fenty named a Federal City Council employee, Victor Reinoso, as Deputy Mayor for Education and chose Neil Albert as his new Deputy Mayor for Economic Development. Mr. Albert was CEO for Ed Build, a private education services and construction firm created by the Federal City Council and the New Schools Venture Fund, an investment group tied to the national charter school movement. . REAL DEMOCRACY Parents and other citizens have the right to attend School Board meetings, consult and advise School Board members directly on public school policies, and elect candidates to the School Board based on their positions on educational issues. . SHAM DEMOCRACY The School Board takeover plan alienates parents from participation in decisions affecting their children's education. In the 2006 election, DC voters did not vote for Council candidates based on the latters' positions on educational issues, they voted for School Board candidates on this basis. The takeover plan would establish an 'ombudsmen's office' to deal with public school parents -- the equivalent of a department store complaint window. NOTE: The mention of other organizations in this advisory does not imply partisan support for the DC Statehood Green Party or for DC Statehood Green candidates. MORE INFORMATION
|