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Contact:
Attorney Jim Klimaski, 202-296-5600
Michael Piacsek (plaintiff), 202-638-7760
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator
202-518-5624, scottmclarty@yahoo.com
Legal action against the D.C. Arts Commission's use of public funding
on a project to promote Democratic and Republican Party mascots
NOTE: The request for the temporary restraining order will be made on
Friday, March 29 (postponed from Thursday, March 28) in U.S. District
Court at 4th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. For the time
andcourtroom, please inquire at the courthouse.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On behalf of the D.C. Statehood Green Party,
attorney Jim Klimaski will file a complaint and seek a restraining order
to block the D.C. Commission on Arts and Humanities from displaying
'Party Animals' on April 12. The request for the temporary restraining
order will be made before a judge in U.S. District Court on Friday,
March 29. The two plaintiffs are the D.C. Statehood Green Party and
Michael Piacsek.
The D.C. Statehood Green Party has undertaken legal action in response
to the Commission's choice of the donkey and elephant -- the mascots of
the Democratic and Republican Parties -- for the major art project to be
exhibited throughout D.C. from April until October in dozens of
installations. In selecting the animals, the Commission is presenting
them as the mascots of Washington, D.C., comparable to the Miami
dolphin, the Cincinnati pig, New York's Big Apple, and other city
symbols.
"This is a major publicly funded arts project that will advertise
the Democratic and Republican Parties, to the exclusion of D.C.'s large
bloc of independent voters and voters registered in other parties,"
said Scott McLarty, media coordinator of the Statehood Green
Party.
"We fully support publicly funded art work, including political
expression in art," added party member Stacy Malkan. "But this
is a bald-faced partisan promotion, a misuse of taxpayers' money, and a
violation of our rights. The Democratic and Republican mascots were
arbitrarily chosen and don't represent the range of political ideals and
party affiliation. It's especially an affront in the middle of an
election year -- it negates the American value of fair
competition."
Statehood Greens note that they've achieved major party status, just the
Democratic and Republican Parties, and that Statehood Green candidates
have received percentages comparable to those of Republicans in
elections. In the District of Columbia, Ralph Nader received 6%, closely
trailing George W. Bush's 9% in 2000.
"Imagine if the Commission had chosen only the donkey, in honor of
the Democratic Party, as the city's mascot," said Scott
McLarty. "Republicans would be furiously, and rightfully so. They'd
demand an immediate injunction. That's what we're demanding."
"If the Commission doesn't believe that the project promotes
political parties, then why did they title it 'Party
Animals'?"
MORE INFORMATION
The D.C. Statehood Green Party
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org
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