Ridley-Thomas Empowerment Congress Hosts 1,200 at 2009 Annual Budget Summit

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Consistent with President Barack Obama's "Change" Theme which delivered the first Black man to the most powerful elected position in the world, [Mark Ridley-Thomas]' theme for the one-day summit, he co-sponsored with his 17-year-old Empowerment Congress, was; "We are the Second District, Empowered for Change."

"We must make elected officials accountable in order for change to occur." Ridley-Thomas said. "We will organize, conduct summits, teach-ins, and engage in all types of dialogue in order to engage our members." He added, noting the standing-room only crowd of Empowerment Congress members who gave up part of their Saturday morning and early afternoon to participate in this one- of-a-kind summit.

"In the next couple of weeks we will have closed the deficit." Bass said. "The reason for our difficulty," she explained, "is that California is one of only three states in the nation that requires a two-thirds vote," indicating that Republican support is necessary in order for the Democrats to approve an acceptable budget.

Among the packed house of community members, business leaders, local elected officials, and others, California's distinguished Speaker of the Assembly, the Honorable Karen Bass, addressed the crowd and provide some insight into the state's $42 billion budget shortfall and the efforts she and her legislative colleagues are undertaking to resolve our problem.

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Ridley-Thomas Empowerment Congress Hosts 1,200 at 2009 Annual Budget Summit

It is has been said that real leadership includes the ability to inspire others to stand-up and speak-up for themselves to organize a coalition of individuals dedicated to a similar goal or objective.

The const...

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