Green Party Watch

The Green Party of Canada and Elizabeth May are going to court to challenge her exclusion from the televised party leader’s debates that occur in Canada during each election. The debates are organized by a consortium of the television networks.

May was in the debate in 2008.

The Ombudsman of Canada’s public broadcaster the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is backing May in his new blog post. As well some of the non-teleivsion media are also supporting May.

The party’s own petition has over 100,000 signatures. More info. It is expected ousted nuclear watchdog Linda Keen will endorse Elizabeth May.

From the Daily Loaf:

In Florida, there are currently five nuclear reactors in operation in Florida, with two at Turkey Point on Biscayne Bay, two in Port St. Lucie, and one at Crystal River. The Crystal River reactor (CR-3) has been shut down for repairs since September 2009, when a large crack was discovered in the concrete and steel containment vessel. In recent weeks, just as the plant was being prepared to go back online, new cracks were discovered.

Now the Green Party of Florida says after Japan, no more.

“Floridians must tell President Obama and Governor Scott, as well as our elected representatives in Tallahassee, that we oppose any further public subsidies for the nuclear industry,” said Jayne King, co-chair of the Green Party of Florida. “The public and the government should not be guaranteeing profits for the companies building more nuclear reactors in the state,” King added, “because there are plenty of safer and less expensive options for meeting the state’s energy needs.”

Below are two news stories focusing on how, although he lost, Green mayoral candidate Alex White ran a strong campaign, building up his own reputation and that of the Green Party in Monroe County, New York.  That’s certainly a good thing with regards to their upcoming special congressional election, in which the Greens are running the famous prank caller of Governor Scott Walker, Ian Murphy.  Also below are the vote totals for the mayoral election.

From ABC in Rochester:

In more than two dozen candidate’s forums throughout this campaign Alex White made it a point to present specific ideas and solutions to city voters. He firmly believes he challenged the two front-runners to begin conversations about the issues.

“I think they would have spent the whole time talking about the Fast Ferry, Neighbors-to-Neighbors, and whether or not the DUffy or Johnson administration was better at engaging the community,” White said in an interview on Wednesday. “I think I took votes from both of the candidates…”

While he won’t rule out another campaign in the future, White was quick to say, “I would hope that thre are other candidates that are as strong or stronger than me running on the Green Party line in the future.”

White also believes one of his campaign agenda items may be adopted by the new Richards regime. White said both Johnson and RIchards expressed support for his plan to install LED Street Lights in the city. White argues it makes sense, it’s easily possible, and it simply saves too much money in the future to be ignored.

From the Democrat and Chronicle:

The mayor’s 2011-12 budget proposal is due in mid-May. Also on the agenda is naming a deputy mayor and corporation counsel — jobs Richards once held. Richards plans to take office once election results are certified on April 11. He said Wednesday that he plans to speak with Johnson and Green Party candidate Alex White about carrying forward some of their ideas.

And the vote totals:

Tom Richards
Democratic Line — 12,270

Bill Johnson
Working Families — 7,914
Independence Party — 2,534

Alex White
Green Party — 2,182

Typically Democrats and Republicans (and the media) ignore the Green Party whenever possible, but lately there has been a shift in attention as conservative groups are starting to use the Green Party to scare and influence voters to vote for or against other candidates.

Case in point – the Wisconsin Supreme Court election on April 5. The conservative incumbent, David Prosser, has suddenly found himself in trouble in a race against Madison attorney JoAnne Kloppenburg, an Assistant Attorney General. The race has grown to major significance because the collective bargaining rights bill that the GOP passed will likely be addressed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to determine whether it is legal. If Prosser retains his seat on the Supreme Court than a Conservative bloc will make that decision, while if Kloppenburg wins the race, a “Liberal” bloc will likely overturn the law. Consequently labor unions and others are throwing everything they have to get Kloppenburg elected.

Prosser and the the conservative groups that support him must be feeling the heat, and two weeks ago they began to go on the offensive against Kloppenburg. Among the many charges they have laid against her include her association with Ben Manski, the Green Party candidate for State Assembly who won 31% of the vote last November.

Here is what the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (a pro-business lobbying group) sent out in a fund raising letter last week:

WMC Issues Mobilization Council, Inc. is launching a television ad campaign to counter the distortions from government unions and their allies about Justice Prosser. Justice Prosser has been a solid, rule-of-law jurist who has taken on the activist wing of the court. Kloppenburg, who has never been a judge, has strong ties to Wisconsin’s extreme left, including endorsement by the former national co-chairman of the radical Green Party, Ben Manski.

Prosser himself has added the “Green Party Boogieman” to his talking points, using it on public radio interviews and at forums. Here is a quote from Prosser’s piece in the Madison Capital Times:

My largely unknown opponent hides her extreme ideological views behind a Mary Poppins persona. A candidate who supports Green Party candidates and principles should be willing to admit that publicly. A candidate who won’t forthrightly acknowledge her views disrespects the voters’ right to make an informed choice.

And now, days before the the April 5 election, the Green Party has been invoked in Letters to the Editor across the state. See for example the Oshkosh Northwestern, Steven’s Point Journal, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, Appleton Post Crescent, WiscNews, etc.

Will this tactic work against Kloppenburg, (who is NOT a Green Party member, by the way), or is this the last desperate attempt to save Prosser’s seat?

Next case: Oklahoma City, where a run-off election for a City Council seat between Charles Swinton, a banker, and Ed Shadid, a spinal surgeon, who apparently ran as an Independent candidate for State Assembly last year with the backing of the Green Party. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent on the City Council races in Oklahoma City, and with this district the last one to be resolved, Shadid has become a target. The mailers being sent out speak louder than words (click for full size image):

The Green Party – the Right Wing’s new “Boogeyman”

So here in Canada, the TV network consortium that organizes the televised party leader’s debates won’t allow Elizabeth May to participate. The NDP’s Jack Layton thinks Elizabeth (Leader of the Green Party of Canada) should be allowed to partke.

We invite all Canadians to sign the petition.

The party’s media release on the issue.

Related articles

• Harper ‘open’ to May joining leaders’ debate (ctv.ca)
• Elizabeth May excluded from televised debates (macleans.ca)
• Green party leader excluded from televised debates (globaltvbc.com)
• Elizabeth May shut out of TV debates (thestar.com)

Unofficial results show Green Party candidate Alex White finished third with 9% of the vote in the special election for Mayor of Rochester NY. White, a small business owner, ran a spirited campaign that was based on strong ideas.

From the Democrat & Chronicle:

White, 47, took pride in garnering more than 2,000 votes, saying it was about as he expected and it “gives us something to build on.” The political newcomer ran on the Green Party line. David Atias, White’s campaign manager, rejected any notion that the candidate had played the role of a spoiler.

“These were Alex’s votes. He worked hard to get them. If anything, they were taking (votes) away from him,” Atias said.

Today’s special election to elect the Mayor of Rochester, NY, population 210,000, features three candidates – a Democrat, a Working Families Party, and Green Party candidate Alex White.

White, a small business owner, is running on a “Platform of Hope“, which he says “…grows Rochester through jobs for all, more community involvement, greater transparency, community policing, and a public utility.”

Thomas Richards, the Democrat, was a city lawyer and deputy Mayor. William Johnson, who lost the Democratic Party nomination to Richards, was Mayor from 1994 to 2005. After losing the Democrats nod Johnson fished around for a third party to nominate him, winding up with the Working Families Party.

As Johnson and Richards have gone after each other, Alex White has campaigned hard for the short 6 week period and demonstrated strong knowledge of city government and passion for the people.

From the Democrat & Chronicle:
“Mayoral candidates vary on how to best serve residents”

Lacking a comprehensive review of the Focused Investment Strategy, White questions the results. “Has poverty gone down? Has urban blight decreased? Have property values increased? … I don’t think it has given us the returns we wanted.”

Election results will likely be reported at the Democrat & Chronicle later tonight.

An excerpt from a blog on The Hartford Courant’s website:

But in the United States the drug reform movement is sharply focused on marijuana and not on drug prohibition as a whole. Unfortunately, this focus ignores three other longstanding and devastating social issues.

• First, drug war policies have needlessly taken potential taxpayers out of the community and spent tax money to keep them in prison.
• Second, twenty million children have been orphaned because one or both parents have been sent to prison on drug related charges.
• Third, in that process of economic and family disintegration, public and higher education have been dramatically shortchanged.

As a result, billions of dollars that could have funded education and health care have been consumed by law enforcement for punishment that has worsened community safety and health. Inner city business investment has been thwarted. We have taken countless young people out of our community on drug charges and wonder why they and their contemporaries no longer have faith in our criminal justice system. Our children are not stupid; they see two forms of justice, one for the well-connected, and one for the poor.  Society will pay for this perception of injustice for decades to come.

A collection of stories about the historic elections for the German Greens:

The Guardian

“We have written history,” said Claudia Roth, joint leader of the Green party, speaking in Berlin after polls closed. Dressed head-to-toe in green, including glittery emerald ballet pumps, she said the result would have repercussions far beyond the borders of Baden-Württemberg. It was, she said, “a resounding slap in the face” for Merkel’s coalition.

German Greens Surge Hurts Merkel’s Party in State Elections SF Gate

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition was defeated in its southwestern heartland as support for the Greens surged to a record, putting the anti-nuclear party within reach of leading the state government.

Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union took 39 percent in today’s election in Baden-Wuerttemberg, its worst result since 1952, while its Free Democratic Party allies won 5.3 percent, according to preliminary official results published on the state election website. That leaves the two parties short of a majority and marks the end of the CDU’s 58-year state rule. The opposition Greens took a record 24.2 percent, while the Social Democrats, which said they’ll rule with the Greens, won 23.1 percent.

The result in Baden-Wuerttemberg may deliver Germany’s first Green state prime minister at the head of a coalition with the SPD. That would grant the Greens sway over policy affecting a state whose economy is bigger than Belgium and Luxembourg combined, and hand them control of Germany’s third-biggest utility, EnBW Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg AG, which operates four nuclear plants. Both Greens and SPD oppose atomic power.

“There won’t just be a changing of the guard in Baden- Wuerttemberg, there will be a change of politics,” Greens national co-leader Claudia Roth told reporters in Berlin. It will be “a historic watershed in 31 years of Green history when we vote in a Green state premier” in the state. “Let the future begin.”

The Local:

“We’ve achieved a historic election victory,” said Winfried Kretschmann, who is likely to become Germany’s first state premier from the Green party. “I’d like to thank those that voted for us – especially those voting for us for the first time.”

In another state election in neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate, the Social Democrats looked set to stay in office, but will have to share power with the Greens.

So Canada is off to the polls for the 41st federal election.

Green Party of Canada Leader Elizabeth May is running against Conservative Gary Lunn for his seat in Saanich Gulf Islands.

WASHINGTON, DC — DC Statehood Green Party activists will challenge Mayor Vincent Gray on the District’s budget priorities at a press conference immediately preceding the Mayor’s ‘State of the District’ address on Monday, March 28.

The press conference will take place outside of Eastern High School, 1700 East Capitol Street NE, beginning at 6 pm. The Mayor’s speech begins inside the school at 6:45 pm.

“We will call on Mayor Gray not to balance the budget on the backs of DC’s working people and unemployed. We can make ‘One City’ a reality, if the Mayor and Council enact a ‘Just DC Budget and Tax’ plan,” said Alan Page, DC Statehood Green candidate for At-Large City Council in the April 26 special election (http://alanpagedc.blogspot.com).

Statehood Greens will offer a progressive alternative to DC’s present regressive income tax. The progressive plan would generate $250 million in additional revenue that should go into essential social services cut in recent years. This and other recommendations to balance the budget and restore essential funding in our budget are summarized below.
read more »

Email from Green Party activist Edy:

Forward this around the country!! Thanks!!

So I had a conversation online and the question came up if it would be un-Green like to take money from Republicans in order to help fund a campaign. Ralph Nader didn’t do it in his 2000, 2004 runs to give you some perspective, but what about the rest of the Greens?

I would suppose I would personally be ok with the idea, as long as the money wasn’t directly donated by some corporation.(Figuring out if it was directly donated from a corporation could be tricky).

What if the money was given to us by Democrats? Would that be more acceptable? What if the race involved only a Green up against a Republican and a Democrat donated money to our campaign? Again, as long as it’s not corporation money.

I know how much big money is tied up with both parties, so taking money which isn’t necessarily corporate-donated could be tricky.

The point that I want to make is that we are a political party. We are playing hardball against both corporate parties. No more time for saying “Next time” or “I’m busy.” (Insert not so important issue/excuse that you couldn’t give two hours a week to help the Green Party). We need money. That’s the reality. This is not the time to be timid or over-sensitive to the Green Party stance. Remember, what is the goal? To elect Green Party representatives and to improve the lives of our fellow citizens.

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Gene Berkman at Independent Political Report:

Medea Benjamin was The Green Party candidate for U.S. Senator from California in 2000. Challenging Sen. Diane Feinstein’s record of support for bombing Serbia, and her earlier support for Bush Sr’s war in Iraq, Ms Benjamiin received 327,000 votes, over 3% and coming in third.

When all you have is bombs, everything starts to look like a target. And so after years of providing Libya’s dictator with the weapons he’s been using against the people, all the international community – France, Britain and the United States – has to offer the people of Libya is more bombs, this time dropped from the sky rather than delivered in a box to Muammar Gadhafi’s palace.

If the bitter lesson of Iraq and Afghanistan has taught us anything, though, it’s that wars of liberation exact a deadly toll on those they purportedly liberate – and that democracy doesn’t come on the back of a Tomahawk missile.

President Barack Obama announced his latest peace-through-bombs initiative last week — joining ongoing U.S. conflicts and proxy wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia — by declaring he could not “stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people that there will be no mercy, and … where innocent men and women face brutality and death at the hands of their own government.”

read the full commentary, co-authored with Charles Davis @ http://original.antiwar.com/medea-benjamin-davis/2011/03/23/instead-of-bombing-dictators-stop-selling-them-bombs/

OnTheWilderSide reports:

The Green Party of NY State has officially nominated Ian Murphy as its candidate for upcoming special Congressional election in the 26th District. The Green Party said it wanted to provide an alternative to the anti-worker, pro-war, pro-corporate, anti-environmental agenda of the Democratic and Republican Parties. The special election will be held May 24, 2011.

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Scott West at South Carolina Green Party (H/T On The Wilder Side):

The Union of Concerned Scientists released a damning report on the nuclear power plant operated in Darlington, SC by Progress Energy, known as HB Robinson. The same company operates the Southport plant near Wilmington, NC.

The entire report is worth reading as it reveals the plethora of problems which exists in operational plants. None of the problems were disastrous. However, they manner in which the plant operators and regulators handled these issues does indicate how well they might respond to a serious event.

Progress Energy’s H.B. Robinson Plant sits in Darlington, SC, north of the fault zone responsible for the 1886 Charleston Earthquake. While the likelihood of such an earthquake is unknown, there is ample geologic evidence of strong quakes occurring along the Charleston fault. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division maintains an earthquake awareness site here, which links to a 609 page report on the Comprehensive Seismic Risk and Vulnerability Study for the State of South Carolina. Given the demonstrated ineffectiveness of NRC oversight of the Robinson plant under ordinary conditions, we have to seriously question whether Progress Energy, the NRC or the SC government is equipped to cope with a earthquake.

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