DC At Large Council Vote 4-23-13, Perry Redd, DCSGP Candidate

For one year I have been active with the DC Statehood Green Party. Last year I ran in the DCSGP April 2012 Primary Election for At Large City Council. I knew I would probably loose to my worthy DCSGP opponent, Ann Wilcox, so I asked my supporters to also write me in elsewhere. Thus, I was able to run in the Nov. 2012, General Election as the DCSGP “Shadow” Representative to Congress. I was gratified that over 31,000 people voted for me, about 10,000 more than voted for Mitt Romney. This was accomplished spending less than $500 for the two campaigns combined.

Now, on April 23, 2013, we are having a Special Election to fill Phil Mendelson's At Large Council seat, vacated as a result of the conviction of the former Council Chair last year. Eight candidates filed enough (3,000+) petition signatures to be valid candidates, unless some are disqualified as a result of a challenge. Six are Democrats—Anita Bonds, Michael Brown, Matthew Fruman, John Settles, Elissa Silverman, and Paul Zuckerberg; one, Patrick Mara is a Republican; and then there is our own DCSGP candidate, PERRY REDD, whom I and the rest of our Party are giving 100% support.

One thing that distinguishes our Statehood Green Party campaigns is that none of us accept big money/PAC donations from big business. Thus we are not beholden to the big business interests who have been so generous to so many successful DC politicians for so many years. All those wishing to contribute to the PERRY REDD campaign should contact www.Redd4Council.com, There you will find details about Perry's and the party's positions on important issues. There is also a DONATE page with Paypal and Mailing checks choices.

To date, the three highest amounts raised are about $82,000 for Mr. Fruman, $36,000 for Ms. Silverman, and $20,000 for Mr. Mara. We have raised less, but are free of owing allegiance to anyone other than our constituents. We consider all the people of DC worthy of representation, but feel that by emphasizing lifting up the people at the bottom of the economic ladder we will make this a safer and happier city for all our residents, even the very well off. I remember seeing how the rich lived in Mexico, behind 12 foot walls capped with broken glass and barbed wire set in cement. I shudder at the thought we in America might every decline to that level of fear and insecurity. Please support the Statehood Green Party and our candidate who will work for income security in DC for all.

THE DC STATEHOOD GREEN PARTY (statement of Perry Redd's platform)

http://dcsgp.yolasite.com
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org

For IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, February 6, 2012

Contact: Scott McLarty, DC Statehood Green Party media coordinator,

202-904-7614,mclarty@greens.org

Perry Redd, endorsed by DC Statehood Green Party, runs for At-Large Member of Council in the Washington, DC special election on April 23

• After scandals involving Democratic officials, DC's "Second Party" urges voters to end one-party rule in DC

• Campaign web site: http://www.redd4council.com

• Biography: http://redd4council.com/perryreddprofile.html

• More about Perry Redd: http://perryredd.com

WASHINGTON, DC -- The DC Statehood Green Party has endorsed Perry Redd (http://www.redd4council.com), a party member whose name will be on the ballot in the special election for At-Large Member of City Council in Washington, DC on April 23, 2013.

Mr. Redd is competing against six Democrats and one Republican in the race. Primaries are not held for special elections in the District of Columbia. The special election will fill the at-large seat vacated by Phil Mendelson, who was elected to Council Chair in 2012.

"We are running to seize this opportune time for change -- change to repair relationships with the people, change to gain confidence in our leadership, and change to include the voices muted by our government.  We aim to do it different and get it right!" said Mr. Redd. "It's time for true democracy on our City Council."

"My belief is that the people of DC are sick and tired of being sick and tired and want to do something different, something right. We are committed to legislating differently and getting it right," added Mr. Redd, a native of Southwest DC.

The DC Statehood Green Party has major party status and ballot access in Washington, DC. In 2012 and other recent elections, Statehood Green candidates have collectively received more votes than Republican candidates, leading many to call Statehood Greens "DC's Second Party" in terms of election day numbers.

"The special election is winnable for a qualified and deserving Statehood Green candidate like Perry," said Darryl! LC Moch, DC Statehood Green Party activist and co-chair of the Green Party of the United States.

"We appeal to DC voters: It's time for DC to stop being a one-party town. The recent scandals at the Ward level, the Council Chair, and even the Mayoral level prove that rule by a single party, the Democrats, is an invitation for corruption and abuse of power. Unlike Democrats and Republicans, Statehood Green candidates accept no contributions from corporate PACs. When we get a Statehood Green on Council, DC residents will have a Councilmember who represents them instead of special interests. Democrats will no longer take their power for granted," said Mr. Moch.

"I recall when Mayor Vincent Gray ran for office, he coined the phrase 'One City'... That hasn't panned out, not necessarily because he didn't want it to, but because he allowed more of the same: political corruption and cronyism, disregard for the city residents and maintaining wealth disparity," said Perry Redd.

Mr. Redd's platform includes

• Support for DC statehood;

• Achieving tax justice through a progressive tax system that requires the wealthy to pay their fair share; creating employment for DC residents, especially east of the Anacostia River;

• Ending the give-away of schools and other public properties to crony corporations;

• Green Justice: solar and reusable energy incentives, apprenticeship programs for employment opportunities in high schools and the community, especially in high-poverty wards;

• More strong progressive positions (http://redd4council.com/platform.html).

Perry Redd, an activist and organizer for social change, has advocated for real affordable housing initiatives and for government accountability. He mentors men on their return from incarceration and has testified on numerous occasions before DC City Council on behalf of Returning Citizens. He has campaigned against DC's [SIX] coming Walmarts, which degrade working people, in the "Respect DC" campaign and has served on WPFW-FM's Community Advisory Board for three years.

Mr. Redd currently hosts the internet radio show, Socially Speaking (http://socialspeaks.podomatic.com) and pens the weekly syndicated column "The Other Side of the Tracks" (http://socialspeaks.wordpress.com). He is also a licensed and prolific songwriter with over 3,000 compositions to his credit.

MORE INFORMATION

DC Statehood Green Party
http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org
http://dcsgp.yolasite.com

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org

~ END ~

__._,_.___

One thing people need to understand is that the DC Statehood Green Party is a real political Party. We are not Independents with no support structure. We ran 6 candidates in last November's election and received more total votes than all Republican candidates in that election. This makes us the Second political party in DC. We have active people working on various issues for little financial gain. Electing Perry Redd is a real possibility in this off year election with the vote split in many directions. Some will want to restore the history made by Julius Hobson, Hilda Mason and Josephine Butler. Others will simply want a change, a person untainted by the ethically questionable behavior of our recent politicians.

An important issue, which I raised in previous blog articles in 2012, posted Feb.12, March 26 & 31, April 30, and May 14, is the abject failure of the majority party to maintain benefits we had at the time we were granted Home Rule in the early 1970s. We will work to restore Tax Justice for all the people in DC. Our majority party's elected representatives failed to see/notice how their neglect of keeping our tax code as fair and indexed as the federal code was slowly but surely impoverishing people at the lower end of the tax paying population. Read my other posts to see the details of how this failure has cost ALL of you.  I estimate about $20,000 for a family which has lived here for 20 years or more.

Not one of your elected majority party people caught this 35 years of neglect and robbery of the working poor and middle class. We have several of our DCSGP people working on important issues, especially your taxes and related financial affairs.  We will have additional posts here on those topics.  Please consider VOTING DCSGP, PERRY REDD, and DONATE. We plan and promise to be DOING IT DIFFERENT, and DOING IT RIGHT!!