Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Barnes Announces Candidacy For 11th Assembly District

I knew he was thinking about this for a while and I'm glad he's taken the plunge to put his name in the race. He would be a great asset for Milwaukee to have him in the state assembly. We need more people that will fight for Milwaukee and not allow it to be a stepping stone or a play thing for the special corporate interests. From his announcement press release:
Mandela Barnes on Tuesday morning announced his bid for State Representative in Wisconsin’s 11th Assembly District. Barnes, a local community organizer, was accompanied by multiple elected officials, religious leaders, neighbors, and friends.

The campaign kicked off at Daniel Webster Middle School, a Milwaukee Public School that recently closed its doors to students, fitting a trend of many other area schools. Barnes also thanked his supporters, among which are Milwaukee County Supervisor Nikiya Harris, and Milwaukee Public School Board member Mark Sain.

Barnes is currently the lead organizer of MICAH, a local nonprofit coalition of faith-­‐based organizations and churches. He has also held positions at the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board, as well as the Milwaukee mayor’s office.

“We are here today because we are disappointed,” Barnes said, citing multiple instances where education and jobs have been lacking in the district. Barnes also cited a local news station that aired a story about dozens of local jobs coming to Waukesha. “Where are our jobs, he added.

Barnes als spoke of the deteriorating conditions of Milwaukee’s public schools and noted that the middle school was chosen because it represents “the loss of hope and opportunity” that many children across our city are facing. “Who would bring jobs to an area that closes schools? If our children don’t have opportunities, what does our future look like?”

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