OntheWilderSide

Green Party e-mail, as posted at Independent Political Report:

Stop No. 2 on the “Roc 4 Redd” outreach tour, featuring “Mayor of DC Hip-Hop” Head-Roc: 15th and L Streets NW (in front of the Post building), noon to 2 pm on Thursday, April 4; At-Large Council candidate Redd presses for a halt on plan to close 15 public schools in DC

Stop No. 3 on the tour: Outside of the Anacostia Metro Station, Thursday, April 4, 5 to 7 pm

WASHINGTON, DC — At-Large City Council candidate Perry Redd (http://www.redd4council.com) sharply criticized plans to close public schools and said today that he will take this message to the doorstep of The Washington Post on Thursday, April 4 in his second “Roc 4 Redd” campaign outreach tour appearance.

“It’s a shock that I’m the only candidate in the special election who is calling for a moratorium on school closings and no further expansion of charters,” said Perry Redd. “The giveaway of public properties to private corporations amounts to public theft — robbery of our children in the case of public schools.”

“I can see our city setting itself up for a federal lawsuit. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1954 that separate can never be equal — that’s what our traditional vs. charter system is. I support Empower DC’s lawsuit to halt the closing of 15 public schools, which threatens black, brown, and low income students and those with disabilities,” added Mr. Redd, a native of the District. (See “Empower DC Files Lawsuit to Stop School Closures,” https://www.facebook.com/EmpowerDC/posts/10151554758875132)

Mr. Redd and his supporters will gather at the corner of 15th and L Streets NW, on the sidewalk near the front door of The Washington Post building, on Thursday from noon to 2 pm. Hip-Hop musician Head-Roc (“The Mayor of DC Hip-Hop,” http://www.head-roc.com) will perform as part of Roc 4 Redd. Head-Roc hosted during the first outreach tour event, at the corner of Benning Road and Minnesota Avenue NE on Saturday, March 30 (photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.515419718503891.1073741829.467407889971741).

In the evening of April 4, the third Roc 4 Redd event will take place outside of the Anacostia Metro Station, 5 to 7 pm. (See below for upcoming Roc 4 Redd events.)

Perry Redd is competing in the race for At-Large Member of DC Council in the April 23 special election to fill the seat vacated by Phil Mendelson, who was elected Council Chair in 2012. Mr. Redd is a member of the DC Statehood Green Party and is running with the party’s endorsement.

“It’s important to take this message to the Post, because The Washington Post Company owns Kaplan, Inc., a diversified education company that stands to make huge profits on school privatization,” said Mr. Redd. “Across the U.S., in cities like Chicago where Mayor Emanuel is trying to close 54 public schools, parents and teachers are fighting the attacks on public education. The closings disproportionately affect kids who are black or brown and from low-income families, perpetuating the ideologically backed ‘war on the poor.'”

Washington, DC, is the first city in which community activists are filing a suit against the closings and the shifting of resources over to wealthier and whiter neighborhoods (Ward 3 and Ward 6’s “Capitol Hill Cluster” in the District).

Perry Redd challenged claims that the closings will save the city money, noting that when School Chancellor Michelle Rhee shut down 23 public schools in 2008 and insisted that the school system would save money, a city audit found that the closings actually cost $40 million.

“Besides privatization interests, there are also real estate interests in the public school landgrab. The Federal City Council, which has supported these policies, is a secretive business lobby that was founded by Washington Post publisher Phil Graham and represents several powerful real estate firms and developers. The Federal City Council has consistently meddled in District policy for the sake of well-connected companies wishing to profiteer from the expansion of charter schools, gentrification, and the displacement of DC’s black middle- and low-income working population,” said Mr. Redd.

“The Federal City Council and Board of Trade have their tentacles wrapped tightly around the local Democratic Party. This is why DC Statehood Green candidates like me are the only ones to talk publicly about their influence, and why it’s so important to elect candidates who accept no corporate money to Council,” Mr. Redd added.

“Ensuring that the children of this city have due opportunity to succeed in their pursuit of the American Dream is paramount in our campaign; I support continued Head Start access for all children, Cyber Inclusion for all the youth in this city, laser focus on the literacy rate through our ‘After-School Network’ proposal and ending Child Poverty by increasing employment opportunities for parents by including them in the economic development plans of the city.” — Perry Redd, http://redd4council.nationbuilder.com/issues

Upcoming events in the Roc 4 Redd outreach tour:

• Thursday, April 4: 15th and L Streets NW (in front of the The Washington Post building), noon to 2 pm
• Thursday, April 4: Near the Anacostia Metro Station, 5 to 7 pm
• Saturday, April 13: Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Malcolm X Avenue, 1 to 3 pm

 

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 party is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States and accepts no corporate contributions.

See also:

“At-Large DC Council candidate Perry Redd launches ‘Roc 4 Redd’ outreach tour at Benning Road and Minnesota Avenue NE”
DC Statehood Green Party news advisory, March 26, 2013
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-state.php?ID=602

Perry Redd Campaign web site: http://www.redd4council.com
Video: “Perry Redd for DC City Council — 4-Point Platform” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zav4zH3JNZI
Video: “What Sets Redd Apart” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGPF3TUCn18
Video: Interview on DC statehood https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDzg9E0CQGo
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Redd4Council
Twitter feed: @redd4council
More about Perry Redd: http://perryredd.com / http://redd4council.com/perryreddprofile.html

Head-Roc videos:
• “Keep DC Walmart Free” by Head-Roc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHhaYiVtfIs
• Giant Rally at Teamsters Headquarters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixS4PmQt51U
• “UFCW Local 400 Anthem” by Head-Roc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnuUN2WxhWk

“Perry Redd, endorsed by DC Statehood Green Party, runs for At-Large Member of Council in the Washington, DC special election on April 23”
DC Statehood Green Party press release, February 6, 2013
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-state.php?ID=586

“Green Party candidates to watch in April 2013 elections” (including Perry Redd)
Green Party of the United States press release, February 26, 2013
http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=593

MORE INFORMATION

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

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

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Thanks to Paulie at IPR for the story

Filed under: 3rd party, Education, elections, Green Party, News, third party Tagged: | DC Green Party, DC School closings, dc statehood green party, Green Party candidates, Green Party of DC, head roc, Perry Red, Perry Redd