DC for Democracy is a leading unaligned progressive group of activists, community leaders and everyday voters in the District of Columbia working for positive change in our local & federal government and recognition in America’s legislature. We are the Democracy for America (DFA) affiliate in Washington, DC.

TO JOIN US OR RE-REGISTER AT OUR NEW DFA SITE:
Click here for detailed instructions.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Click here for our full Event calendar

Mike needs your support now. Please attend the fundraiser next Tuesday and/or donate as generously as you can to his campaign.

You may be interested in reading the recent Associated Press report on the Shadow Representative race.

–
Jerry Clark
Chair, DC for Democracy

You are cordially invited to join DCFD in support of the
Re-Election of Michael Panetta as
“Shadow” U.S. Representative for the District of Columbia
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Time & Location:
Beginning at 6:00pm
919 6th St NW (Corner of 6th and Mass)
Washington, DC 20001
(Metro: Gallery Place)

Suggested Grassroots contribution: $51*
Grasstop Sponsors: $100
Statehood Booster: $250
* There is no minimum contribution. Please contribute as generously as you can afford.

Contribute Online: http://www.actblue.com/page/dc4d-mikepanetta
Checks are payable to: Friends of Mike Panetta

RSVP here
Facebook
Mike Panetta’s Web Site

Contributions to Friends of Mike Panetta are subject to the rules and regulations of the Office of Campaign Finance. Contributions from an individual or entity may not exceed $2,000 for the calendar year. Contributions are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. A copy of the committee’s report is filed with the Office of Campaign Finance.

Even if you already have enough reusable bags for your own use, we hope you will consider donating a few bags to worthy charities such as Bread for the City and N Street Village to provide to their needy clients.

Use our online order form to purchase bags, either for yourself or friends, or as charitable donations.

CONTACT: Jesse Lovell, Communications Chair
Email: pravdasatya{at}yahoo.com

DC for Democracy, the District of Columbia’s largest non-aligned progressive organization, strongly opposes the extreme concession on home rule contained in the Ensign and Childers amendments to the House Voting Rights Act.

DC for Democracy has been a committed member of the group of local organizations working to achieve full voting rights and budget and legislative autonomy for the residents of the District of Columbia. But we now find ourselves unable to support the bill that is scheduled to be voted upon in Congress Thursday. “The way the deal has been structured, the District would at long last achieve the goal Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and others have fought so hard for — a full vote for DC in the House of Representatives — but at an unacceptably high cost to local democracy,” said DC4D Chair Jerry Clark.

The Ensign and Childers amendments carve an enormous hole in home rule for the District by eliminating the District’s carefully crafted gun laws, recently approved as constitutional by the U.S. District Court, and prohibit our democratically elected city council from ever again regulating gun ownership. We abhor this intrusion into such an important area of the law. But most of all, we reject the notion that Congress would attempt to intrude upon ANY area of the law that is regarded as appropriately a matter for local jurisdictions to decide. Congress would never attempt to do this to a state. They would propose to do so here only because the District is not a state, cannot defend itself in this situation, and in fact relies on Congress to be its protector against such intrusions.

There has been significant progress by Congress in recent years, aided by our hard-fighting delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, as well as the mayor and city council, to fend off attempts by lobbying groups working through members of Congress to overturn other District laws of which they did not approve. Leaders of Congress have played a statesman-like role that traces its roots to the historic debates of this nation’s founding fathers.

We fully appreciate that this particular amendment is being pushed by perhaps the most powerful, and certainly most feared, lobby in America, the National Rifle Association. Particularly in an election year, neither party leaders nor congressional candidates may wish to vote against such a formidable group. But it is situations such as this that call for the exercise of moral leadership to protect the interests of those unable to protect themselves, as well as to preserve Congress’ record in recent years of standing up for democracy in the District of Columbia. Failure to do so only invites more such intrusions.

In his statement last week supporting the House Voting Rights Act for the District of Columbia, President Obama did not explicitly take a position on the proposed amendment. He did, however, urge Congress not only to provide DC residents with voting representation but also to take steps to improve the Home Rule Charter. In our view, adopting the Ensign/Childers amendment not only does not improve the Home Rule Charter but, in fact, wholly undermines it, now and for the foreseeable future.

We believe strongly that the District’s gun laws are an important element of public safety that the city council and law enforcement agencies regard as central to protecting our residents, visitors and public servants, domestic and international, who live, work and vacation in DC. We object to these amendments and therefore cannot acquiesce in passage of this bill.

Our main discussion topic will be our endorsement process and questionnaires for candidates in the September Democratic primary.
The proposed questions can be downloaded as a PDF here.

Other topics:

• A status report on homelessness in DC and the budget process, including the possibility of joining the coalitions Defeat Poverty DC and Save Our Safety Net.
• A report from the Sustainability Committee, including Earth Day activities (April 25) and responses to the proposed diversion of bag-fee funds from Anacostia cleanup to other purposes in the mayor’s FY2011 budget.
• News on voting rights and statehood, including plans for Emancipation Day (April 16) and funding for statehood activities in DC budget.
• Recognition of Adam Clampitt, one of our members who has recently returned from a year of duty in Afghanistan.

Thank you, Tim Durning, Susan Pfeifer, Tom Brown, and all SFFD members for your understanding that injustice in the District of Columbia is a threat to justice everywhere in America. Karen Rose, our Chair of Voting Rights & Democracy, hand-delivered the letter to the Speaker’s office yesterday, and received a very warm reception.

We are so grateful to SFFD and other Democracy for America (DFA) allies around the country for all the help they have given for DC voting rights. With their help, we will get a vote in the House today, and full citizenship rights, through statehood, in our lifetime!

We’ll start off with Dave Power’s story from the Fox Mill precinct on Sunday, October 19th:

“Around 5 PM I reached my 20th house. Halfway through my turf list of 40 houses. The voter was clipping the grass with hand clippers on her side lawn next to the driveway. From the foot of the driveway I apologized for interrupting her, and she said “you can talk to me while I’m clipping.” So I walked up the driveway and introduced myself. She’s a white woman in her 50’s, wearing gardening clothes and gloves, kneeling on the grass, clipping. As soon as I mentioned Barack Obama, she said “I’m retired Navy, and I was very impressed by Colin Powell’s endorsement today.” I said, “far out.” Then she stood and took off one of her gardening gloves to accept the lit from me. I told her Barack asked us to come by her neighborhood to remind everyone that he needs a lot more Democrats in Congress this year, to get his healthcare plan through. I asked her if she had decided who she would be voting for. She said she was definitely supporting Barack. I said I was glad to hear that. Then, I said “so should I put you down as undecided about Mark Warner for Senate and Judy Feder for Congress?” She said, “Oh, I’m voting for all three.”

Got a NoVA campaigning story? Post it in a comment here!