|
|
|
State News Release |
Home | Press | State Press |
| Green V.P. Candidate's Vigil at Cheney's Mansion in D.C. Highlights Local Health Care and Housing Issues. |
|
D.C. Statehood Green Party Saturday, September 25, 2004 GREEN V.P. CANDIDATE'S VIGIL AT CHENEY'S MANSION IN D.C. WILL HIGHLIGHT LOCAL HEALTH CARE, HOUSING ISSUES Statehood Greens cite closing of Randall Shelter, demand for restoration of D.C. General Hospital, waste of D.C. money on proposed baseball stadium. WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Members and candidates of the D.C. Statehood Green Party will join Green vice presidential candidate Pat LaMarche at her vigil outside of Vice President Dick Cheney's mansion, from 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 25 until 6:00 a.m., Sunday, September 26. The vigil will take place outside of Vice President Cheney's mansion, which is on the grounds of the Washington Naval Observatory, located on Massachusetts Avenue, NW. The event is part of Ms. LaMarche's two week 'Left Out Tour' to 14 cities across the U.S. to call attention to homelessness, lack of jobs, and lack of health care <http://www.gp.org/press/pr_09_20_04.html>. Statehood Greens and Ms. LaMarche will call attention to local crises in health care and housing: ==> D.C. city government plans to sell the 170-bed shelter Randall Shelter for the homeless by October 31; Mayor Williams has still not designated a replacement shelter in the Southwest D.C. waterfront area for the coming winter. Randall Shelter residents, the Coalition of Housing and Homeless Organizations, and their supporters are urging the mayor to keep Randall open until he finds a replacement building in Southwest D.C. ==> Statehood Greens are urging D.C. Council to strengthen rent control, to enact rental rollbacks to remedy rents that have already skyrocketed beyond tenants' ability to pay, and to repeal legislation that gives landlord's loopholes that prevent tenants from exercising their first right of refusal to purchase a building. The party also supports strengthening Section 8, which is now under threat of elimination, and replacement of affordable housing units on a one-to-one basis. => Statehood Greens have led the demand for restoration of a full-service public hospital in the District, after Mayor Williams dismantled and privatized D.C. General Hospital three years ago. The Mayor's action precipitated a health care crisis in D.C., with crowded and unprepared emergency rooms in other hospitals and many residents unable to receive treatment. "We desperately need more money for health programs, especially for the urgent care that D.C. General used to provide, outpatient mental health care, and substance abuse treatment," said Jay Marx, Statehood Green candidate for D.C. Council, Ward 2. "D.C. still has an infant mortality rate far above the national average, and a life expectancy for male African Americans lower than for males in any nation in the western hemisphere, except for Haiti, according to the most recently available statistics." Statehood Greens argue that D.C. has the tax base to
cover a new hospital, as well as other health care and housing needs;
see ==> While the health care and housing needs have gone unmet, the city has disclosed plans for a publicly financed baseball stadium to cost more than $400 million, in a bid to lure the Montreal Expos to D.C. Statehood Greens have called the proposed ballpark a misappropriation of taxpayers' money that will drain the local economy, divert funds from social needs, and offer only low-paying jobs to local residents. Statehood Greens cite the economic damage that publicly funded stadiums have inflicted on cities across the U.S.; for more information visit <http://www.fieldofschemes.com>. ==> Statehood Greens, noting that D.C.'s fiscal policies are subject to Congress's rule and approval, have called for statehood and self-governance for the District. Party members note that the destruction of D.C. General Hospital was ordered by Congress and the congressionally appointed Financial Control Board, and that Republicans in Congress have tried to impose school vouchers and gut local gun control laws. Ms. LaMarche, members of the Statehood Green Party, and area homeless activists will collect blankets, towels, toiletries, and other nonperishable items for the shelters during the vigil. Ms. LaMarche is also promoting participation in the National Homeless and Low Income Voter Registration week, September 26 through October 2. Pat LaMarche is running with Green presidential nominee David Cobb in the 2004 election. To schedule an interview with Pat LaMarche or for more information, call Marnie Glickman at 503-313-7919. Ms. LaMarche will also be available for interview during the vigil. MORE INFORMATION The D.C. Statehood Green Party http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org
|
|
State News Release |
Home | Press | State Press |
