BROWN CONTINUES TO STRONGLY PRESS FOR DC VOTING RIGHTS
Councilmember At-Large Kwame R. Brown attended the hearing held by the Subcommittee on the Constitution to review the DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act (H.R. 5388), which passed unanimously by the House Committee on Government Reform on May 18, 2006. The hearing precedes a potential mark-up in the full Judiciary Committee.
Councilmember Brown was delighted to demonstrate his continued support for DC Voting Rights and strongly urges all residents to strengthen their resolve through each historical victory. “We’ve made tremendous strides in this long-fought desire to see equal representation with a voice and a vote in Congress, however statehood is not yet a reality. Each step taken on the path to gaining statehood is a victory not taken lightly,” commented Brown.
At the start of the D.C. Council’s legislative meetings, Councilmember Brown will introduce legislation to serve as a daily call to action for full representation. “The Taxation Without Representation Federal Tax Pay-Out Message Board Installation Act of 2006,” will provide for installation of a LED Message Board on the outside front wall of the John A. Wilson Building to display the dollar amount of federal taxes paid by DC residents. As previously suggested by journalists Mark Seagraves and Bruce DePuyt and supported by former Democratic Mayoral candidate, Marie Johns, this measure will serve as a daily reminder of the tremendous contributions made by District residents to strengthen the U.S. economy while they continue the fight for equal opportunities to actively participate in its decision-making process. The message board will be produced using the funds allocated in the fiscal year 2007 budget for maintenance of the Wilson Building. Councilmember Brown believes that the message board will not only serve as a visual element but an alarm to action. “We need to educate and inform every visitor to our Nation’s Capital, every passerby, every national event spectator that treads down Pennsylvania Avenue that our money counts, our people count and our voice should count also,” said Brown. Councilmember Brown hopes that the bill will receive the support of the full Council and be implemented immediately. ********************************************************************** BROWN EXPRESSES THE NEED TO EXPEDITE D.C. PUBLIC SCHOOL MODERNIZATION PLAN Following the review of D.C. School Superintendent Clifford B. Janey’s 15-year school modernization plan, Councilmember Kwame R. Brown expressed the need for the Board of Education to act swiftly on the plan to reform public schools. Below is a statement from Councilmember Brown in which he stresses the urgency to improve the quality of resources made available to students:
“I commend Superintendent Clifford Janey, the Board of Education and educators for working together to develop a master education plan that will improve our school system, giving our children more options to enhance their learning experience. While I anticipate seeing our children participate in first-class academic programs and state of-the-art learning facilities, I am concerned with how we approach improving our educational system, which is truly an emergency. The breaches in our school system continue to widen at a pace where we cannot afford to allow our current students to suffer through our transition process. What may be estimated as a 15-year plan can easily lapse to a 20-year plan if we do not take immediate action. I hope that we all can review the plan with a sense of urgency, casting our normal bureaucratic blocks to the side. Our children are the sole beneficiaries of both our city’s improvements and oversights.”
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DCBIA 14th ANNUAL COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DAY Saturday September 16, 2006
7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Oxon Run Park
4th Street and Mississippi Ave., SE
Washington, DC Join DCRA employees and other volunteers on Saturday, September 16, 2006, to build a basketball court in Southeast, as part of the DC Building Industry Association’s (DCBIA) Community Improvement Day. Activities include: installing recreation equipment, adding a basketball court, creating a memorial, installing shade structures and a pavilion, constructing paved pathways, enhancing park entries and adding signage, upgrading and improving park lighting, installing picnic tables and benches, planting new trees, shrubs and flowers, and landscaping the grounds. Sponsor: DC Building Industry Association (DCBIA) DCBIA website Contact: DCBIA
(202) 966-8665
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