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E-bulletin - Issue IV - May 1, 2004
Dear DC Vote Supporters:
April is always an important month for DC Vote and our supporters. April 15 - Tax Day - is an annual reminder that the residents of DC fulfill the responsibilities of being Americans without having equal rights as Americans who live in the states.
DC Vote and Volunteers Greet District Residents on Tax Day
Tax Day is a natural opportunity for DC Vote to raise public awareness about the denial of democracy to District residents. From noon until 2:00 pm and then again from 9:00 pm to midnight, the DC Vote staff and more than 40 DC Vote volunteers greeted District residents who were dropping off their tax forms at the National Capital Post Office. We handed out 'No Taxation Without Representation' stickers and bumper stickers as well as DC Vote brochures and our spring newsletter.
A number of District residents placed the DC Vote stickers on their tax return envelopes as a sign of protest, and more than 350 people signed DC Vote's petition to Congress. The event was covered on all the local news programs, and CNN even used some footage of DC Vote's 'Taxation Without Representation' banner in the background of Tax Day stories. Ilir Zherka appeared live on NewsTalk hosted by Bruce DePuyt on NewsChannel 8, and he was interviewed for TV2 - a television station in the Virgin Islands.
DC Vote's 2004 Membership Drive
In April 2004, DC Vote initiated its largest membership drive to date. In one month alone, DC Vote has engaged over 100 new members to help us with education, advocacy, and spreading the word of the injustice under which DC residents must live. If you haven't already joined DC Vote, we hope you will consider joining us today! Join DC Vote Today!
The Effects of Disenfranchisement on DC's Public Health
As we mentioned in last month's bulletin, DC Vote was awarded a grant from the Consumer Health Foundation to research and tell the story of how DC's disenfranchisement affects DC's public health. The project is underway as we have already begun interviewing people and collecting available research on the subject. We will continue to meet with civic leaders, elected officials and District residents as we put this important story together.
Volunteer Opportunities and Community Outreach
We want you! There are a number of community events in June 2004 where DC Vote will host informational tables and talk to people about voting rights. If you are interested in helping DC Vote at any of the following events, please contact Kimberly Bassett at 202-462-6926:
- Unifest, Saturday, June 5th
- Mt. Pleasant Day, Sunday, June 6th
- Freedom Summer 2004, Friday, June 11th from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm on the National Mall. This event is co-sponsored by DC Vote and the Center for Environmental Citizenship
- Capital Pride Festival, Sunday, June 11th beginning at 10:00am on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, between 7th and 3rd Streets and Constitution Avenue, NW. Visit www.capitalpride.org for mor information
- Let My People Vote: An Interfaith Dialogue on Mobilizing Communities of Faith to Bring Democracy to the People of Washington, DC, Sunday, June 27th from 2:00pm to 5:00 pm at the Foundry United Methodist Church at 1500 16th Street, NW. This event is co-sponsored by DC Vote, the Foundry Democracy Project and the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington
DC Vote was busy in April 2004 with a number of outreach efforts. DC Vote hosted "Our Voices! Our Issues! Our Politics!" the opening reception of the 4th Annual National Coalition for Black Civic Participation's Black Youth Vote! Civic Leadership Conference. The conference was designed to provide leadership development and furnish the blueprint to awaken and engage young people in the democratic process.
DC Vote worked with the regional chapter of Amnesty International to create a position paper and resolution supporting full congressional voting rights for DC's residents. Regional members attending the national meeting of Amnesty International in New York City introduced the resolution. Over 500 participants from around the world learned about DC's plight, and we hope to have a resolution passed by Amnesty International next year.
DC Vote supporters and members of our speakers bureau gave presentations about voting rights to diverse groups of 6-8th graders through the Case Foundation Young Heroes and City Year Washington DC.
A New Organization Joins DC Vote's Coalition and Coalition Members Help Spread the Word of DC's Plight
Kimberly Bassett, DC Vote's Program Director, is always working hard to add partners to our local and national coalition. DC Vote's Coalition for DC Representation in Congress enlisted a new member in April 2004:
The Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS® ran an article in their May/June 2004 newsletter about how DC's lack of congressional voting representation endangers tax incentives in the District.
DC Vote met with several of our current coalition partners like the Interfaith Conference, the DC Chapter of the NAACP, and the League of Women Voters of DC to keep them up-to-date on DC Vote's activities. Visit DC Vote's Coalition page to see some of the other organizations that are working with DC Vote to help bring democracy to the District.
DC Vote T-Shirts, Frisbees, Mugs, and More...
As summer and warm weather come to Washington, DC Vote's "Taxation Without Representation t-shirts, frisbees, and other merchandise will keep you cool and let you play while raising public awareness of DC's plight. Merchandise is available at the DC Vote office at 1500 U Street, NW, so stop by our office or call 202-462-6990 to find out more about our merchandise and how you can help support DC Vote by wearing our t-shirts!
My DC Vote
Logon to "My DC Vote" from the left navigation bar on DC Vote's website and you will be able to manage your contact information, email subscriptions and learn what's new since your last visit. DC Vote has also automated its contribution page, making it easier than ever to donate to DC Vote online. (All online transactions are handled by our secure server).
It takes a great deal of resources to work on all these projects and stay engaged in all these activities. Please help DC Vote by making a donation today. DC Vote thanks you for your support.
You and Your Friends - Join DC Vote Today
DC Vote will continue to build our network of supporters across the country so that we can continue to advocate to targeted members of Congress about DC's denial of democracy. We encourage you to tell your friends, family, neighbors, colleagues and anyone else you can think of about DC Vote. DC Vote's goal is to have supporters in DC and across the nation who can influence each and every member of Congress as a constituent or, in the case of DC residents, an adopted constituent.
Signing up on our website is now easier than ever, and one of the keys to our success will be the ability to reach supporters across the country to ask them to help us end taxation without representation. We need all of our members and supporters to log in to "My DC Vote" to tell us where they are currently registered to vote, and, if you are a resident of DC, you can tell us what Ward you are in and, if applicable, in which state you were registered to vote before moving to DC. DC Vote has a secure server and does not share its e-mail list or any information about voting registration.
Special Thanks to DC Vote's Spring Interns
DC Vote would like to give a special thanks to our four spring interns. James Davis II, Antonette Russell, Julie Serfass, and Donald Sherman gave the DC Vote staff a great deal of much needed support over the past few months. From helping to stuff envelopes and enter new members in our database to joining DC Vote at community outreach events and greeting people at DC Vote's office, our interns were terrific. We'll have more to tell you about our interns on our website, but for now here's a spotlight on James Davis II:
Internship Spotlight
James Davis II is a native Washingtonian. He is a seventeen-year-old senior at School Without Walls Senior High School, a DC public school located in Foggy Bottom. He has been concerned about DC's lack of voting congressional representation since becoming fully aware of the issue a few years ago. Last year James wrote a letter to the Fairfax County, Virginia Board of Supervisors in response to their vigorous fight against a District commuter tax. Surprisingly, the letter did not get an official response; however, it was published in the August 2003 edition of the community newspaper East of the River. James actively sought an internship at DC Vote and has been with DC Vote since February 2004. He will attend Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont this fall where he hopes to start an advocacy club to support DC voting rights. James lives in Crestwood with his parents.
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