|
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A debate between proponents of D.C. statehood,
congressional representation, and retrocession to Maryland will
highlight a conference on statehood and democracy for the District of
Columbia on Saturday, April 6. The event, sponsored by the D.C.
Statehood Green Party, will take place at the University of the District
of Columbia (UDC).
"At the conference, we'll reenergize our campaign for D.C.
statehood and real democracy, along with the struggles to meet the basic
human needs of our residents," said party member and conference
organizer David Schwartzman.
Besides the debate, the conference will also include various workshops
and panels on various social issues affecting residents of D.C.,
including human rights, health care, housing, education, and economic
development, to be led by former D.C. Board of Education member Gail
Dixon, education activist Philip Blair, Vanessa Dixon of the Health Care
Now Coalition, and many others.
"Along with an exciting debate about statehood, the conference
workshops will be open forums where we can find solutions to the bread
and butter issues that face our city," said Kristen Arant, a labor
activist, union organizer, and member of the Statehood Green Party's
steering committee.
The debate, to begin 10:30 a.m. in the UDC auditorium and to be
moderated by At-Large D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson, will compare
two strategies for achieving democracy in D.C.: the demand for
self-determination, represented by the D.C. Statehood Green Party
publicly and by journalist Sam Smith at Saturday's event; and the demand
for voting representation in Congress, a movement led by D.C.
Vote. The Stand Up for Democracy in D.C. Coalition and D.C. Vote
join the D.C. Statehood Green Party in sponsoring the morning
debate.
Sam Smith is the editor of The Progressive Review and a founding member
of the D.C. Statehood Party. Other debaters include Anise Jenkins,
Stand Up! for Democracy in D.C. Coalition; Joe Sternlieb, D.C. Vote;
Betty Anne Kane, Committee for a Capitol City; Walter Smith, D.C.
Appleseed Foundation (unconfirmed); and Jamin Raskin, Professor of
Constitutional Law at American University (unconfirmed).
BACKGROUND: Statehood Greens, continuing the tradition of the D.C.
Statehood Party before the merger in 1999 with the D.C. Green Party,
contend that the bid for congressional voting rights and other
watered-down forms of democracy, especially limited home rule, have
delayed and thwarted the movement for genuine self-determination in the
form of statehood. Statehood Greens assert that voting
representation in Congress will not grant democracy to the people of
D.C., noting numerous examples of territories and colonies (e.g., French
Algeria) that held seats in legislatures but lacked basic democratic
rights, and insist that voting rights in Congress must be part of the
achievement of statehood.
Statehood activists also note that winning statehood, which would be set
in motion by an act of Congress (requiring a simple majority), is easier
than winning congressional voting rights, which would require an
amendment to the Constitution and ratification by two thirds of the 50
states. The act of Congress would change the borders of the
federal enclave to include only federal buildings and properties (White
House, Capitol, Supreme Court, Mall, etc.), freeing up the rest of D.C.
to decide on its political destiny, whether statehood, retrocession to
Maryland, or some other option.
If the people of D.C. chose statehood, 'New Columbia' (a proposed name)
would be the first state with an African American majority -- something
Statehood Greens say is long overdue, since the political power of
African American and other people of color in the 50 existing states is
diluted by white majorities.
The D.C. Statehood Green Party supported and raised money for the '20
Citizens' lawsuit (Adams v. Clinton/Bush), which sought political
self-determination and full citizenship rights for the people of D.C.,
but did not support the later D.C. Voting Rights lawsuit (Alexander v.
Daley ). Both suits were considered together by the Supreme Court
and dismissed early in 2001, but the court only commented on the voting
rights suit. The Supreme Court offered no comment on 20 Citizens
attorney George LaRoche's arguments on the denial of constitutional
rights for D.C. residents.
Green presidential candidate Ralph Nader made D.C. statehood a campaign
issue, speaking about it across the U.S. throughout his campaign and
making it the theme of the Nader campaign's 'Super Rally' at MCI Center
in downtown Washington, D.C. on November 5, 2000, which drew over 10,000
people. D.C. Statehood Green candidates in 2002, who plan to
announce their campaigns throughout April and May, will make statehood a
major topic.
The program of the D.C. Statehood Conference is pasted below.
Contact: Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator,
202-518-5624, scottmclarty@yahoo.com
MORE INFORMATION
The D.C. Statehood Green Party http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org
1314 18th Street, NW, lower level, Washington, DC 20036, 202-296-1301
Stand Up for Democracy in DC Coalition http://www.standupfordemocracy.org
The Progressive Review http://prorev.com
Progressive Review sites on DC statehood http://prorev.com/dcfactshist.htm
http://prorev.com/dcrep.htm
http://prorev.com/dclawsuits.htm
20 Citizens ("Adams vs. Bush") DC democracy
lawsuit
http://www.dccitizensfordemocracy.org
D.C. Vote http://www.dcvote.org
* * * * *
DC Statehood Conference,
Sponsored by the DC STATEHOOD GREEN PARTY
Saturday, April 6 at UDC
Van Ness Campus, near Van Ness Metro Stop, Connecticut Avenue NW
Registration is FREE. Healthful brown-bag lunches are available
for a
pre-payment of $5.50. For more information, call Jay at the DC
Statehood
Green Office, 296-1301, or write to <info@dcstatehoodgreen.org>.
PROGRAM
9 am - 12 noon in the UDC Auditorium, Building 46
9:30 - 10:30 Panel: Statehood and Human Rights
Moderator - John Gloster; Panelists: Gail Dixon, Henry Moses and Mark
Richards
10:30 - 12:00 Debate: Democracy for DC - Statehood, Voting Rights
or
Retrocession?
Moderator - Phil Mendelson, City Council, At Large; Debaters: Sam Smith,
DC
Statehood Green Party, Editor, The Progressive Review; Anise Jenkins,
Stand
Up! for Democracy in DC Coalition; Joe Sternlieb, D.C. Vote; Betty Anne
Kane, Committee for a Capitol City; Walter Smith, DC Appleseed
Foundation
(invited); and Jamin Raskin, Professor of Constitutional Law at American
University
(invited). Co-Sponsored by DC Statehood Green Party, DC Vote and
Stand Up!
for Democracy
12 noon to 5 pm in the Student Lounge, Building 38
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch, Board of Elections Voting
Demonstration and Cultural Event
1:00 - 1:20 Candidate Presentations
1:30 - 2:30 Workshops on Changing DC Priorities to Meet Basic Human
Needs
Participants include: (partial list of facilitators and presenters)
Education, Phil Blair
Income Security, Nina Dastur
Housing, Jenefer Ellingston
Criminal Justice, Steve Donkin
Health, Vanessa Dixon
Fifteen minute break
2:45 - 4:00 More Workshops
Strategies for Statehood - Thomas Smith, Anise Jenkins, Dean Murville,
George LaRoche, Mike Bindner
Campaigns and Elections - Henry Moses
Where's the Money? (Economic Development, DC Taxes, Pensions Funds...) -
Edward Chico Troy, David Schwartzman, Max Sawicky
4:00 - 5:00 Report Backs and Closing Plenary
|
