Kevin Powell for Congress
by Kevin Powell
Published: Sunday, April 9, 2006

Message Date: April 9th 2006

Good day to you, friend. I hope you and yours are well.

As you may know by now, I am a candidate for the United States House of Representatives, in Brooklyn, New York’s 10th Congressional District. And I need YOUR help.

I am running against an incumbent, Congressman Ed Towns, who has been in office for 24 years, yet has one of the worst voting and attendance records on Capitol Hill, has only one major piece of legislation tied to his name after 12 two year terms. Moreover, Mr. Towns has brought little to our community here in Brooklyn in spite of soaring crime rates, increased violence and gang activity, HIV and AIDS numbers which are higher than many parts of the U.S., and a growing divide between poor and middle class residents. Indeed, Mr. Towns is reflective of outdated and unreliable leadership, leadership that lacks real vision and clear plans for the people, all people.

Without a doubt Brooklyn, New York is very symbolic of America at large…we are racially and ethnically diverse, we have both working class and middle class people, we are a people of many faiths, many opinions, and many dreams, and we, like the rest of America, deserve far better leadership than we have had for the past several years. Supporting me is also supporting the kind of Brooklyn, the kind of America, we want to see in the 21st century.

While our neighborhoods have become more diverse and more vibrant, the challenge to make all of the residents stakeholders has not changed. I have been active at the community level for two decades. I’m working to bring parity to our classrooms so that all our children are learning the same material. You won’t find many candidates in New York nor across America that have done more work with young and older males in regards to anti violence and anti domestic violence initiatives. My tour of the devastation in Louisiana prompted me to create a campaign called Katrina on the Ground that sent over 700 college students to the Gulf Coast region during their March 2006 Spring Break. I do this work by collaborating with good and dedicated people. I am able to harness the resources and talents of those within our community as well as those with expertise that may be elsewhere. I want to solve problems by offering solutions, not rhetoric followed by empty promises. Imagine what we can accomplish when you help to send me to Congress!

Furthermore, I am absolutely committed to doing the work in the areas of community wide development, accessible and affordable healthcare, and job training for young people, especially those in inner city environments most vulnerable to a life of crime and stiff jail sentencing policies. And because I personally am a product of a single parent household, of fatherlessness, of the kind of poverty, violence, and despair that inflicts so many neighborhoods in America, I have concrete ideas to deal with these multiple challenges.

Again, I need YOUR help to get elected. Please make a donation of $2100, $1000, $500, $250, $100, $50, $25. Even $10 would make a difference. And please note that $2100 is the maximum amount allowable under Federal law to my campaign.

You can make a check payable to

Friends of Kevin Powell
P.O. Box 24810
Brooklyn, NY 11202-4810

Or you can visit my website at www.kevinpowell2006.org to make a contribution via Pay Pal.

IF you have already made a donation, PLEASE NOTE that you can donate again, as long as your total contributions do not surpass $2100.

I thank you very kindly for your time, and God bless you and your family.

Respectfully,
KEVIN POWELL
Candidate for the United States House of Representatives
10th Congressional District, Brooklyn, New York