In a message posted at his campaign website, Steve Alesch discussed the results of the first Green Party campaign in Winfield Township, and his plans for the immediate future, including a possible run for Congress from the 13th District. The full text is linked via this article’s headline, or by hitting the “Read more” link.
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Beginning at the beginning, I will undertake the effort to provide at least some information about each state’s Green Party. Please do not assume that what is written here is complete or even fair, as I will have to depend on what Greens I can find in each state along the way. There is no set time table for these reports so don’t be upset if the state you are most interested in doesn’t get covered as fast as you might like.
The hope is that we can help bring new involvement to each state, and perhaps reinvigorate state parties that have lain somewhat dormant in recent months. Of course many states are not even close to needing any help from me, and in those cases I feel sure that readers will find their own way to use provided links and other resources.
The first state on the list is Alabama.
According to my contact in Alabama the state party is in serious need of new members and new leadership. The party leadership has, by and large, avoided deep involvement in national GP politics and thereby tried to avoid burn-out. Even so, Alabama has not yet become fertile ground for the Green Party. While apparently a bit worn out from years of trying to carry the banner aloft without much support the state’s leadership is committed to the long tern success of the Green Party and our ideals.
The most vital things the current state party leadership wants are new membership and some indication that their efforts will bear fruit.
I invite any readers who live in Alabama, or who have friends or family who live there, to comment here or write me at GreggJocoy@yahoo.com. I believe that Greens who attend the School of the Americas protest at Fort Benning GA will have a chance to meet folks from Alabama who share our Green Values, and while a protest is not enough to build a foundation for a growing Green Party, it may well give the Alabama Greens the sort of fresh ideas and new people they need to get the ball rolling again.
As I explained to my contact in Alabama, my goal is to focus attention on each state one at a time in hopes that we can help make them a bit stronger. This is not a national party effort. No one has “approved” this effort. No one, other than you, is being reported to. No one is responsible for doing anything with this information. It is just an effort by one Green to help other Greens in the belief that we are all stronger if each individual Green is stronger and if each Green has a viable group of other Greens to work with.
Nobel Peace Laureate and Kenyan Green Wangari Maathai will be interviewed on the Tavis Smiley Show on PBS today, check local listings for availability.
Tavis Smiley talks with environmental activist and Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai about her analysis of bottlenecks to Africa’s development in her new book, “The Challenge for Africa.”
Tavis Smiley’s half-hour nightly talk show on PBS reaches 92% of America’s households and is seen in 187 countries. More information about the television special with Dr. Maathai can be found here.
Visit the Green Belt Movement website for other news about Dr. Maathai’s current book tour through the US to share the messages in her new book “The Challenge for Africa.”
Support the Green Belt Movement www.greenbeltmovement.org
The Green Party’s Eco Action Committee has recently issued three brochures designed to promote ecological protection.
The first, issued on March 7th and covered here at Green Party Watch earlier, addresses water issues here and abroad.
The second, issued on April 4th, addresses a proposed Seventh Generation amendment to the Constitution which would read
“The right of citizens of the United States to use and enjoy air, water, sunlight and other renewable re-sources determined by the Congress to be common property shall not be impaired, nor shall such use impair their availability for use of future generations.”
This proposed amendment has been encouraged by Winnona LaDuke, GP Vice-Presidential nominee in 1996 and 2000.
The third, issued on April 14th, addresses Earth Day, and the Green Party’s role in protecting the planet. That brochure, just in time for Earth Day 2009 can be found here.
All these brochures are free to download and distribution by individual Greens is a great way to build, or create, a strong local group of like minded people into a focused Green Party chapter.
H/T to Mato Ska of California for the links.
On April 14, Michael Canney earned 36% of the vote in his bid to knock off 12 year incumbent Orien Hills Alachua City Commission District 4 (Alachua County, Florida).
Posted on his website, Canney states:
As a public citizen, I will continue to raise the issues that I introduced in this campaign (see the Platform page for a basic idea) and that I pledged to address if elected to the city commission. I have been and will continue to be an “activist” for the causes I believe in, and the principles I hold dear.
As this blog now evolves from a campaign website to a community affairs journal and a discussion forum about local issues that affect us all, I invite and welcome your participation and your ideas.
Check out his website.
Canney looks like a great candidate and we hope he stays engaged in local government and challenges for office again.
ht/Brent McM
Title: Vigo County [IN] Green Party (VCGP) meeting
Location: Coffee Grounds (423 Wabash Avenue)
Link out: Click here
Description: If you feel that any (or all) of the following \”ten key values\” best describe your beliefs:
GREEN PARTY \”TEN KEY VALUES\”
1. Ecological Wisdom
2. Social Justice
3. Grassroots Democracy
4. Nonviolence
5. Decentralization
6. Community-based Economics
7. Feminism
8. Respect for Diversity
9. Personal & Global Responsibility
10. Future Focus Sustainability
…and you feel that you may be tired of politics in general (or if you\’re just interested in an alternative), you may come to the next meeting of the Vigo County Green Party on Saturday, April 25 at the Coffee Grounds (423 Wabash Avenue) beginning at 2:00p.m.
Discussion will be review for the recent election and preparation for future elections, upcoming \”shadow government\” opportunities; and review of past events, such as Human Rights Day on April 14 and Earth Day on April 18.
For more information about the Green Party, please check:
1. Indiana Green Party website: http://www.indianagreenparty.org/
2. \”The First 100 Days: What Wound a Green Party Administration Look Like\”: http://www.gp.org/first100/
3. Green Party of the United States (GPUS): http://www.gp.org
Start Time: 14:00
Date: 2009-04-25
From GPUS:
WASHINGTON, DC — Green Party leaders called US participation in the Durban Review Conference an imperative and called on President Obama to drop earlier plans to avoid the antiracism conference.
The Durban Review Conference (‘Durban 2′), an international summit to review progress in the fight against racism since the first meeting in 2001 in Durban, South Africa, will take place from April 20 to 24, 2009, at the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland (http://www.un.org/durbanreview2009/index.shtml).
2008 Green presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, who attended the first Durban meeting as a US Representative from Georgia, sent a message to President Obama expressing “great disappointment” over the Durban 2 pullout:
“Even the Bush Administration, under pressure from the Congressional Black Caucus, provided some funding for the United Nations effort and sent staff to support the Congressional delegation that attended the Conference…. I would encourage you to please reconsider this decision and not only attend the Conference, but also provide funding to ensure its success.” (“Ruminations on President Obama’s Tenure Thus Far and ‘Acceptable Punditry,’” March 2, 2009, http://www.gp.org/cynthia/index.shtml)
Rosa Clemente, Green Vice Presidential candidate in 2008, also attended the 2001 Durban conference and sat on the Reparations Committee. The Green Party protested the Bush Administration’s withdrawal from Durban 1 in 2001 (http://www.gp.org/press/pr_08_13_01.html).
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From the Chicago Sun-Times:
Landlord’s family evicting hero
WRIGLEYVILLE | Sick girl saved life, but her mom’s being forced outApril 15, 2009
BY ART GOLAB Staff Reporter/agolab@suntimes.comTwo years ago, a 9-year-old girl with a heart defect crawled through a window to rescue her 84-year-old landlady, who had fallen and lain on the floor of her Wrigleyville apartment for 15 hours.
The little girl, Missy Kowalski, was hailed as a big hero.
Now, Missy and her family, who’ve lived in an upstairs apartment of the two-flat for four years, are being evicted by the family of Kathleen Slattery, the woman Missy rescued.
Missy’s family paid their rent on time, court documents show. But Slattery’s relatives said Missy’s mother, Deb Gordils, had “agitated and disturbed” Slattery and her live-in caregiver and made comments aimed at harming Slattery. They got a court order of protection barring Gordils from any contact with Slattery.
Gordils — who has run for alderman and earlier this month waged an unsuccessful campaign as a Green Party candidate to replace White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel in Congress — said Slattery’s relatives are abusing the order of protection process to get her out of the apartment sooner.
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To listen in and participate, just hit the graphic below at 5 PM or later.
In a move to make Grassroots Democracy a reality, Florida Greens are planning to attend the annual meeting of the Withlacochee River Electric Cooperative to encourage that cooperative to leave dangerous technologies, like fossil fuels and nuclear energy, behind and move into the future of solar and wind energy.
In a posting at her Facebook webpage, Florida Green Anita Stewart encourages other coop members to join her at the meeting. The full contents of her report is behind the fold. Just hit the headline or “Read more” link for the rest. read more »
The Green Party of Suffolk County issued a Social Media Release via pitchengine.com announcing the election of Suffolk County Green Matthew Lavery to the Green Party House Campaign Committee. In the release they point to his experience in the Green Party in Norwich, Norfolk England, and his work on a campaign for the European Parliament for Rupert Read, who is a Norwich City Councilor. The announcement includes a video.
Indian Country Today covers an appearance in Seattle March 18 – 19 for discussions on diversity and environmental stewardship by Winnona LaDuke, Green Party Vice-Presidential nominee in 1996 and 2000.
The High Springs Herald carries a story about Michael Canney, who is running for Seat 4 in the April 14th Alachua (FL) City Commission election. His website includes information about Alachua City Manager Clovis Watson Jr., who it seems resigned, and now is about to be re-appointed without discussion. H/T to Anita Stewart for the story, posted to her FaceBook page.
In this article at the News Gazette, Republican Mayoral nominee Rex Bradfield bemoans his loss in that race, expresses dismay that the voters voted along party lines, and explains that he thought the Green Party nominee Durl Kruse would take votes away from the Democrat.
Over at Independent Political Report, writer Ross Levin covers the campaign of Lee Scott Laugenour for Lenox, Massachusetts town select board. Langenhour is an active member of the Green-Rainbow Party and, according to this article at the Berkshire Eagle, is a ten year resident of the town, serves on the board of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, and has been married to his husband for four years. To carry the thanks forward, Levin pays kudos to Green Ferret.
Levin also writes about Green Mayor Gayle McLaughlin of Richmond, CA here, noting that she is pushing for green building requirements in that city. The Contra Costa Times reports that the proposal is
“in the middle of the pack when it comes to how stringent its requirements would be for commercial construction, and a little above the middle when it comes to residential construction.”
Finally, in a press release the Green Party national office announced that the District Court for the District of Columbia ruled on the Green’s constitutional challenge to the manipulation of presidential elections. The statement says that the court has issued a ruling that, while dismissing the plaintiff for lack of standing, did not reject the validity of his arguments challenging the Electoral College based on the Mal-Apportionment Penalty clause of the 14th Amendment. The case was filed pro-se by Asa Gordon of the DC Statehood Green Party.
In a post to his Facebook group, Rev. Billy Talen wrote the following:
What’s the success of a political campaign when your political party has never won? It is a good life. What is your spiritual life when you have left organized religion? It is a good life. What art are you creating when it’s beyond the art forms? … a performance so powerful that you forget the word “art” altogether? Oh, that is living good!
What is the success of the people around you when they don’t care what they are named? It is a good neighborhood. What is the worship we attend together when no gods are invited? It is a good neighborhood. What art do people create without money, or critics, or careers? I love my neighbors – it’s like they are brilliant comic actors, the curtain going up on the sidewalk in front of the deli.
Living a good life in a good neighborhood – does that mean your politics are successful? Yes, but don’t get lazy. Living a good life but with no neighborhood, what kind of life is that? That’s a little lonely for me. What happens when you offer your life to your neighbors and they offer their lives back?
It’s a funny stand-off of artless beauty. It’s good politics, good religion and good art – all on your own street.
——
PS: Reverend Billy and the Life After Shopping Gospel Choir stage their “Neighborhood Resurrection” on Easter Sunday 7 PM at the 45 Bleecker Theater in NYC. Revbilly.com for tickets…
In this video, posted to YouTube by Craig Seeman, Rosa Clemente indicates that she may seek elected office in New York. Thanks to Lou Novak for the link. Click the headline or the “More” link to watch the video…it’s too wide for the front page as it covers up the side bar…not sure why. read more »
In a recent phone conversation with Steve Alesch he brought up an interesting point.
His race for township trustee involved something like 5500 voters casting ballots. Each voter was allowed to cast votes for more than one candidate, with the top vote getters being elected. By taking all the votes cast and dividing that by the number of votes he got, you come to the 9% figure…but…
Since Steve won 1405 votes from a pool of 5500 voters, close to 25% of that township’s voters cast votes for him.
So…he got 9% of the votes cast by the voters, but close to 25% of the voters gave him one of their votes.
Either way, Steve is an engaging and dedicated Green who is not even close to giving up. It’s clear to me that he will be heard from again.
Green Party National Political Director Brent McMillan sent Green Party Watch a full range of reports on election day results. GPW is grateful for the reports.
Bruce Samuels won his race for Oak Park (IL) Village Library Board. He finished first of five candidates for four seats with 3,747 votes or 21.51%. This is a four year term.
Bradley Kairis finished eleventh of eleven candidates for four seats for Elgin Township Trustee, Kane County, IL with 588 votes or 1.91%.
Dan Kairis finished third of three candidates for one seat for Elgin Township Supervisor, Kane County, IL with 631 votes or 8.19%.
Julie Schmitt finished ninth of eleven candidates for four seats for Elgin Township Trustee, Kane County, IL with 917 votes or 2.97%.
Dan Todd finished tenth of eleven candidates for four seats for Elgin Township Trustee, Kane County, IL with 716 votes or 2.32%.
Joshua Rodgers finished second of two candidates for Mayor of Robinson, Crawford County, IL with 221 votes or 17.82%.
Paul Jasinevicius finished second of two candidates for one seat for Rich Township Highway Commissioner, Cook County, IL with 2,015 votes or 23.76%.
Paul Jasinevicius finished seventh of nine candidates for four seats on the Rich 227 High School Board, Cook County, IL.
Mike Drennan finished third of three candidates for Evanston City Council Ward 9, Cook County, IL with 154 votes or 12.82%.
Valeria “Val” Densmore finished second of two candidates for one seat for Rich Township Clerk, Cook County, IL with 2,621 votes or 31.47%
Jesus Correa VII finished fourth of four candidates with 394 votes or 1.77% for Mayor of Rockford, IL. (Winnebago County)
Paula Bradshaw finished fifth of five candidates for four seats with 640 votes or 14.65%. She ran for Carbondale Township Trustee, Jackson County, IL.
Steve Alesch finished sixth of six candidates for four seats with 1,405 votes or 8.94%. Steve ran for Winfield Township Trustee, Dupage County, IL.
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