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| Statehood Greens Join October 01 B.A.D. DAY for D.C. Democracy. |
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D.C. Statehood Green Party September 30, 2004 Contact: STATEHOOD GREENS JOIN OCTOBER 1 'B.A.D DAY' FOR D.C.
DEMOCRACY WASHINGTON, D.C. -- D.C. Statehood Green Party candidates and members will join other members of the Budget Autonomy for the District Coalition in support of D.C. democracy at various 'B.A.D. Day' (Budeget Autonomy for the District) events on Friday, October 1. "October 1 marks the beginning of the fiscal year -- the day that District residents are formally disenfranchised every year," said Michele Tingling-Clemmons, Statehood Green candidate for the Ward 7 seat on D.C. Council. "We want to make it a 'bad day' for Congress, with lobbying, petitioning, and protests. Our goal is to achieve full rights under the U.S. Constitution for D.C. residents, self-governance, the option to win statehood, and full voting rights in Congress. B.A.D. Day is part of a broad strategy to protest and raise attention to the travesty of this nation's capital's disenfranchisement by the occupying authority, the U.S. Congress." B.A.D. Day participants will meet 8:30 a.m. at the Capitol South Metro Stop for a rally, then at 10:30 a.m. head over to Congressional offices for scheduled meetings with over 25 members of the House Government Reform Committee. During last year's B.A.D. Day events, seven participants were arrested for attempting to deliver petitions in House Speaker Dennis Hastert's office. Among the arrestees were several Statehood Greens, including Adam Eidinger, current candidate for 'Shadow' U.S. Representative. A 12-person jury found the seven activists not guilty of "unlawful entry" in July, 2004. "We're prepared to continue such actions until we win self-determination for D.C.," said Mr. Eidinger. "Last year we woke up Congress. This year they're willing to meet with us. We'll also drop by Rep. Hastert's office again." "The people of D.C. pay federal taxes, serve on federal juries, and are subject to federal laws, but Congress controls our legislation, municipal policies, and budget," added Mr. Eidinger. "In 1998, Congress vetoed a ballot initiative for medical marijuana that passed with 69% support. The Financial Control Board, appointed by Congress, directed Mayor Williams to dismantle and privatize D.C. General Hospital, our only full-service public health care facility. Republicans in Congress have tried to impose school vouchers and now seek to overturn D.C.'s gun control laws." Statehood Greens also noted that the District's budget priorities have been delayed when Congress failed to pass the D.C. Appropriations Bills by the start of the fiscal year. The D.C. Statehood Green Party, ever since the founding of the D.C. Statehood Party in 1970 (merged with the Green Party in 1999), has led the movement for statehood. The party supported the '20 Citizens' lawsuit (Adams v. Clinton, later Adams v. Bush), on which the Supreme Court declined to issue a ruling three years ago. Statehood Greens have argued that the efforts by D.C. Vote, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), and others to demand a voting seat in Congress rather than full statehood would not end Congress's control over D.C. legislation, policies, and finances. The D.C. Statehood Green Party strongly opposes the Davis bill, which would grant D.C. a voting seat in the House and expand home rule; Statehood Greens note that the bill doesn't guarantee full self-governance equal to statehood and could easily be repealed by Congress. The Green Party of the United States supports statehood for D.C. in its national platform; D.C. statehood was deleted from the 2004 platform of the Democratic Party on Del. Norton's recommendation. MORE INFORMATION |
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