I was joined at the tattoo studio by former ANC commissioner and candiate for DC Council, Bryan Weaver who got a cool Mayan “13″ that was done in the style of the DC flag.

I had been thinking about doing something like this for a while, especially since getting arrested a few months ago in an act of civil disobedience on Capitol Hill. It’s a great way to mark that event, and will serve as a permanent reminder of the work that will need to be done to achieve statehood for DC.

The timing also worked out well for a “DC Flag Day in the Flesh” rally at Dupont Circle that was organized by the awesome Allyson Behnke. It was a great event where everyone with DC flag tattoos gathered in one place and we got some good media coverage for the issue. Thanks to her and Adam Eidinger for getting everyone together.

It’s been a crazy year so far…I’ve been arrested and have gotten a tattoo!  I’m turing 40 soon, I guess this is my version of a mid-life crisis! Check out the videos and links below:

DC Flag Tattoo Day – June 14 from Brandon Bloch on Vimeo.

Showing off some inked skin for D.C.

DC Residents Celebrate Flag Tattoos in Fight For DC Statehood: MyFoxDC.com

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TESTIMONY OF U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MIKE PANETTA
RENAMING PORTION OF PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE TO
PROMOTE FULL DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS THROUGH DC STATEHOOD
JANUARY 13, 2011

Thank for the opportunity to testify today on this important issue. I applaud Councilmembers Michael Brown and Harry Thomas, as well as Chairman Kwame Brown for their leadership within the Council on statehood-related issues, and I know I speak for the entire elected Statehood Delegation when I say that we are supportive of any and all attempts to raise volume on the national dialogue regarding the District’s lack of basic democratic representation in Congress and autonomy on local affairs.

Of course, I am supportive of the proposal to re-name a portion of Pennsylvania Avenue and to use the District’s gateway signs to inform and educate visitors about our unique status our beloved republic. It’s a great opportunity to promote our collective goal of statehood to thousands of people every year.

I do have some experience with this type of approach and I have long been a proponent of using the District’s buildings and infrastructure as messaging platforms. As you may recall in 2005, when the Washington Nationals were looking to secure naming rights for the RFK Stadium, I started a campaign to name the venue “Taxation Without Representation Field at RFK”. At the time we called our efforts a “grassroots campaign to name the grass.” Not only did the campaign secure thousands of dollars in pledges – only to be collected if the proposal was adopted – it amplified the message of DC’s lack of voting representation and reached entirely different audience than otherwise would not have been exposed to the issue.

Using a similar approach, in early 2006 I started a tongue-in-cheek “Olympic” committee for the District of Columbia and proceed to organize a curling team as the Winter Olympics were getting underway in Turin, Italy. I figured if other American territories with non-voting delegates in Congress could field Olympic team, then the District of Columbia should certainly have that right as well. This effort resulted in explosive media coverage on television and print publications around the world – it was even covered in TIME magazine. Granted it was seen as a good laugh, however every single story on the “Olympic” team featured the District’s lack of voting representation in Congress.

Additionally, the re-naming of District streets as a form of protest has been used in the past for other issues. For example during the Cold War, the block of 16th Street NW between L and M streets, in front of the then Soviet embassy was renamed “Andrei Sakharov Place” as a form of protest against his 1980 arrest and detention. I’m sure it pained the Kremlin to have to use that address.

The current plan to rename portions of Pennsylvania Avenue follow the same creative path of naming public spaces as a way to reach new audiences. However, given my experience in these matters, I feel a critical piece is missing. What is lacking from this proposal is the “hook” to make this worthy of sustained interest and not just a one-day local story. The question we have ask ourselves is whether or not this will move the needle on the making the District of Columbia the 51st state of the union. I think it will, but only if its done a certain way.

My suggestion is to brand the aforementioned blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue with a purely statehood-based message – perhaps labeling it as the “Avenue of Statehood”, akin to the Avenue of the Americas in New York or “51st State Way” as real-world visualization of our path towards statehood – leading us down the street towards the U.S. Capitol.

I also suggest, as part of this statehood centric plan to commission a plaque that commemorates the dates of admission of the current 50 states to the union – starting with Delaware and ending with Hawaii. The last line listed on this plaque, and one of the hooks, would be “New Columbia” with a date of admission yet to be determined. As an additional hook an American flag with 51 stars could be installed near the plaque along with signs with additional information about the campaign for DC statehood.

I urge the Council to reject any naming that does not promote statehood. Names that feature “voting rights” or “democracy” will not be clear in their intent – nor will they inspire any reaction or movement towards the ultimate goal. This is not the time to be timid, but to clearly articulate what we want.

I’d like to end my time by reminding the Council that while the adoption of this resolution is definitely a worthy cause – and has my support – it’s largely symbolic. If we are serious about achieving our goal of statehood, then we’ll need to be just a serious about finding the resources to get there. I’m well aware of the budget gaps we are facing a government, and the painful cuts to essential social services that are on the table. Yet, we need to find a way to make the necessary investment in the political future of the District. Only with a sustained investment and focused awareness campaign will be achieve our goal. I urge you to increase the funding dedicated to lobbying for statehood in next year’s District budget and to work with your own funding sources to raise additional resources for this fight.

Thank for the opportunity to present my thoughts on this issue.

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REMARKS OF “SHADOW” U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
MIKE PANETTA
JANUARY 2, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC

Some of you may know this is my 3rd time being sworn-in as the U.S. Representative for the District of Columbia – but it’s the first time I know I’ll be serving the full two years. You see, the first two times I was sworn in, I thought it would be the last time we needed to swear in anyone for this position – as we were on the cusp of a real vote in the House of Representatives.

When I was first sworn in – back in 2007, we had just seen the Democrats take over the House and Senate – and the District of Columbia Voting Rights was poised for swift passage in Congress. It did pass the House that year, but as you may remember, we failed by 3 votes in the Senate.

Fast forward, two years later, in 2009 — not only did we still have Democrats in control of both Houses of Congress – but we were about to inaugurate President Obama. And on top of that, we picked up additional votes in the Senate. The District of Columbia Voting Rights Act seemed like a slam dunk – and indeed it did pass the Senate, but not without a poison pill “gun amendment” that would have eliminated the ability of our local council to pass any laws pertaining to firearms or ammunition as a condition for the vote in the House. That was a deal that we were just not willing to make.

So here we are, 4 years later and things are little different now on Capitol Hill.

We have new leadership in the House that is in all likelihood not going to be very supporting of expanded home-rule for the District.

Thing are somewhat better in the Senate, but we have a smaller number of known supporters and we will likely face attempts to limit our self-determination from Senators in both parties…

And, the District of Columbia Voting Rights Act, the legislation that we spend so much time and energy working to pass over the past 5 years has imploded. That particular bill was founded on a mutually beneficial arrangement with the State of Utah. The state had just missed getting an extra Congressional district in the 2000 Census…and was actively lobbying for additional representation.

It was a partnership that made sense at the time and the legislation was crafted for a very specific Congressional and political environment.

That time has passed. After the 2010 Census, Utah is getting additional representation in Congress– we are still not getting any – but Utah’s population has grown enough to get the seat that was in play during the DCVRA.

We all need to understand that the circumstances that birthed the District of Columbia Voting Rights Act no longer exist.

The stars are not aligned for reviving this legislation in the next Congress. The next state in line to get a seat is North Carolina – which has not of the political properties that Utah did. Key members of the state’s current Congressional district actively opposed passage of the first DC voting rights act. It would be a waste of time and effort to try to craft another piece of legislation along these lines.

I’m not going to sugar coat things, the next few years will not be easy ones on Capitol Hill for the District. We’ll all need to be vigilant and work to protect the gains we’ve made for budgetary and legislative autonomy over the past several years, and in just a few days I’ll be up on the Hill with DC Vote to protect our Delegate’s symbolic vote in the Committee of the Whole.

So yes, we’ll have our short-term battles to keep the progress we’ve made…and I’ll continue to be on the front lines of those struggles.

However, now….now is the time to re-commit ourselves to the only lasting, and permanent solution to our second-class citizen status.

All of us need to focus our passion, energy, and creativity into making the District of Columbia the 51st state.

Now is the time to look at the American flag and ask ourselves, Congress, and President Obama: Where’s My Star?

Only by removing the yoke of Congressional control and becoming the state of New Columbia will we be free and equal partners in the country we call America.

Only through statehood will change shed our colonial status in a way that can not be overturned by change in Congressional leadership or court ruling.

It’s not the easiest way but it’s the best way…in fact I feel it’s the only way to move forward.

If we are going to fight, let’s fight for what we want, for what we deserve: Full Statehood

This is not going to be a quick fix. It’s going to take time. It won’t happen this Congress, but let’s start moving things forward. Let’s introduce legislation, find co-sponsors, rally our supporters. Let’s be active in elections across the country to identify our supporters and do whatever we can to ensure they become members of Congress.

It’s not going to be a free ride. It will take more resources than we’ve ever committed to this issue. The modest sum allocated in the current budget is a start…but it’s going to take much more.

And most importantly it’s not going to just be given to us – we’re going to need to fight for it. We’ll need the kind of leadership at all levels that can and will energize and mobilize a truly national movement – bigger and better than anything that’s been done to date.

This is not the time to “fight the last war” — the strategies and tactics of the past will not achieve victory in the present. We need bold action, creative thinking, and the financial resources to engage at the level needed to get a new star on the American flag.

I’m very excited to have Vincent Gray as our mayor, Kwame Brown as our Council Chair, and the continued service of our Delegate on Capitol Hill…Eleanor Holmes Norton. I know the leadership of the District is 100% committed to this fight, but only with greater community involvement – from all wards in this city – can we can bring about a permanent change to our status.

Delegate Norton, could I ask you to join me at the podium?…it’s after Christmas, but I have a little gift for you.

Ladies and Gentleman, what I have here is an American Flag. However this is no ordinary flag, for this is one of the few American flags that truly represents everyone in this country.

For this flag…has 51 stars.

Let it serve as reminder of what we are fighting for. With your leadership, and with the passion and energy of everyone here today soon ALL American flags will have 51 stars.

Until then, we all need ask a simple question of President Obama and Congress. Three simple words that encapsulate over two hundred years of frustration of District citizens:

WHERE’S… MY…. STAR?

Thank you!

I invite you to join me as I re-affirm my commitment to statehood, full Congressional representation, and self-determination for the people of the District of Columbia.

Following the ceremony, I’ll be hosting a reception in my office in the John A. Wilson building. Details for both events are listed below. I hope to see you at one or both of these events!

Swearing-in of “Shadow” U.S. Representative Mike Panetta

January 2, 2011
1:00 pm (Doors open at noon)
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
801 Mount Vernon Place, NW

Post-Ceremony Reception:

January 2, 2011
3:30 p.m.
Office of U.S. Representative Mike Panetta
John A. Wilson Building, Suite C-09
1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

For more information please give me a call at 202-253-6534 or at mike@mikepanetta.com

We are lucky to have such a vibrant and energetic alternative weekly paper here in DC, and they do a great job digging into local politics and exploring the issues and personalites that make up local government. If you don’t subscribe to the Loose Lips daily email, you’re missing out on a great local political round-up.

Here’s what they wrote about me:

Without status or paycheck, D.C. shadow representative is an appropriately obscure office. [T]he incumbent, political consultant Mike Panetta, has done more than speak passionately. In creating the Free and Equal D.C. Fund, a PAC funding home-district challenges to members of Congress who mess with D.C., he’s actually spoken the one language national pols understand: The language of money and fear.

Vote Mike Panetta. But more importantly, contribute to his PAC.

You can read the full endorsement article here: http://bit.ly/cw6lAn

And as they say…please give to my PAC: http://www.freeandequaldc.com

I support their re-election efforts as well, and look forward to working with them, and all members of the Council, over the next few years in our drive for statehood and full budget and legislative autonomy for the District of Columbia.

Below are their respective quotes:

“Mike Panetta has been tireless and innovative working for the voting rights for the citizens of Washington, DC.”
- Councilmember Tommy Wells (Ward 6)

“Mike Panetta has shown he has the energy and creativity to champion our cause for full voting rights. He’s worked hard and deserves re-election.”
- Councilmember Mary Cheh (Ward 3)

First, there was a blog post a few months back by the Washington Post’s Mike DeBonis about the new plates from Maryland commemorating the War of 1812. Those plates are functional, but I don’t find them very inspirational. They don’t do much to emphasize Maryland’s role in that war or how our national anthem was penned at Fort McHenry in Baltimore during that conflict. It’s just very “meh” in my opinion, and a wasted opportunity for the state to educate and inform others about that historic event.

Then, a few weeks ago, I saw a posting on the Washington CityPaper’s blog about someone on Capitol Hill who had a license plate cover that said “DC’s Not A State….Get Over It!“. I was shocked someone who lives and pays taxes in the District had that opinion, and was so vocal about sharing it. Granted it’s everyone’s right to have an opinion and voice it, but I didn’t really care for that particular expression.

Of course, here in the District we have our own “Taxation Without Representation” plates, but they are about 10 years old at at this point, and I think they’ve lost their effectiveness. More importantly, they are out of line with what we really deserve – full statehood.

Then I saw a Delaware plate, with the motto, “The First State“, based on the fact they were the first to ratify the U.S. Constitution.

That got me thinking….why don’t we have DC Statehood Plates?? So I took sometime to mock one up, what do you think?

How hard would this be to roll out? Let’s make it happen. This is the kind of bold move we need, and it would generate a lot of attention for the cause.

If you want to help me push this forward, or have other ideas, please email me or comment below.

One would think that with Democrats in charge of both houses of Congress, there would be less meddling in the local affairs of the District, but that’s not the case.

Recently Senator Tester of Montana and Congressman Travis Childers of Montana introduced legislation that would completely eliminate any locally-enacted regulation of firearms or ammunition in Washington. That’s right – anybody would be free to walk around with a semi-automatic rifle in DC. Talk about a threat to national security!

It’s a slap in the face to local governments everywhere, and was only done to gain cheap political points with the National Rifle Association. It’s clear Tester and Childers don’t give a rip about the people of DC, or the countless families who have lost loved ones to gun violence.

We’ve had enough of Congressional meddling with DC, and now we’re fighting back. My PAC, the Free and Equal DC Fund, will be running radio ads in Montana and Mississippi starting this week. We’ll be letting Tester’s and Childers’ constituents know that they don’t have full-time representatives in DC…and that maybe their Senator or Representative should be a DC City Councilmember instead.

You can see a sample of the ad below:

Please make a donation to keep them on the air at:
http://www.actblue.com/page/montanaradio

As you may know, I’m up for re-election this year, and the primary is September 14th. I need to step up my outreach efforts over the next two months, and like any campaign I need to raise a little bit of money to do help do that.

Of course I’d like to have some cash from you (hint, hint) but it would really mean a lot to me if you would take a minute and forward a message to your friends via email, Facebook, or Twitter. I’ve taken the liberty of writing up who awesome I am, but of course feel free to edit.

I’m now able to raise money through the Democratic fundraising site, ActBlue.com, which makes it very easy for people to give a little something to my campaign. The link to my page is here: http://www.actblue.com/page/happybirthdaymike

Everything you need is below. I hope you can take a few minutes and help me out – it would be a super-special birthday present.

THANK YOU!!

- Mike Panetta

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Twitter:

Help me wish my friend “Shadow” U.S. Rep @MikePanetta a happy Bastille Day Birthday with a campaign donation today: http://bit.ly/aJcL2Q

Facebook:

Help me wish my friend, “Shadow” U.S. Mike Panetta a happy birthday today with a campaign donation. He’s been working hard for the people of DC, so please think about helping him out. Thanks! (Add this link:
http://www.actblue.com/page/happybirthdaymike/)

Email You Can Send:

Subject: Help my Friend Mike Panetta

Today is Bastille Day, but it’s also my friend Mike Panetta’s birthday.

If his name sounds familiar it’s because he’s the “Shadow” U.S. Representative for the District of Columbia and a leading voice in the drive for statehood and full local autonomy for DC.

He’s up for re-election this year and the primary is two months away. I hope you can join me consider giving him a campaign contribution today. He’s been working hard for everyone in DC and has a proven
track record in working to end taxation without representation, including:

• Generating over 20,000 constituent grassroots communications to congressional offices in support of the District of Columbia Voting Rights Act
• Starting the Free and Equal DC Fund, a PAC to elect congressional candidates who support statehood and expanded home rule for the District
• Deploying radio campaigns in Montana and Mississippi targeting the Congressmen and Senators attempting to revoke our locally enacted gun laws
• Launching the “Where’s My Star?” campaign to re-brand the DC Statehood movement
• Organizing a District of Columbia “Olympic” curling team to raise awareness

Please help Mike continue to do the good work he’s been doing for everyone in the District by making a contribution to his campaign here: http://www.actblue.com/page/happybirthdaymike

You can find out more about Mike Panetta here: http://www.mikepanetta.com

Thanks!!