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Mayor Vincent C. Gray Calls For An Independent District of Columbia
Independence Day Celebrations a Reminder of Second Class Status
July 4, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Linda Wharton Boyd, 202.727.5011
Doxie A. McCoy, 202.664.9862
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Mayor Vincent C. Gray wishes Washingtonians and fellow Americans a happy and safe Independence Day Monday and asks all to join the District of Columbia in its struggle for full independence.
“Independence Day in the nation’s capital is a magnificent experience,” said Mayor Gray. “Each year, millions join us for ‘A Capital Fourth.’ The 4th of July is a time for all Americans to come together and celebrate their shared history. The 600,000 residents of the District of Columbia are celebrating with fellow citizens and hope that someday soon all Americans will join us in celebrating our full independence.”
The District of Columbia is a unique jurisdiction in the United States in that it operates largely as a state but is subject to direct interference in its governance by Congress. D.C. residents pay more than $3.8 billion in federal taxes each year but are not represented by a voting member of Congress, a clear example of “taxation without representation.” The Mayor is committed to working with Congress and President Obama to secure full representation and autonomy for the District.
**Mayor Gray, along with members of the “DC 41,” will march in the 44th Annual Palisades 4th of July Parade, stepping off from Whitehaven Parkway and MacArthur Boulevard, NW at 11 a.m. on Independence Day.
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