Jill Stein: Why a big win in Madison is a big win for us all
February 18, 2013 in Local Elections
When Cheri and I ran for office last year, one of our main goals was to build the Green Party and to inspire new leaders to run for office as Greens. Great news! We are succeeding.
With at least eight candidates for office, Greens can gain a significant hold in Wisconsin’s capital city in elections these next two months. Two Greens are running for the Madison school board, at least six are competing for seats on the Madison city council, and the ranks of these endorsed Green Party candidates may soon be joined by several others.
What does this mean for Greens across the United States? Victories in Madison’s elections will show others what can be done. Your support right now can help make Madison an inspiration for Greens everywhere.
One of the leading candidates is Sarah Manski, a teacher and businesswoman running for school board. She has already won the endorsements of elected officials ranging from school board members to Madison’s mayor, county officials, and progressives in the state legislature.
Sarah’s campaign is coordinating activities with other Greens and progressives running for office, and is raising money to hire a campaign manager for this effort.
I urge you to donate right now to Sarah’s campaign. Raising just $5,000 will put a skilled organizer on the ground in Madison from now through the April election.
Sarah’s Green running mate in this election is anti-poverty activist Dean Loumos.
Our Green candidates for the city council include neighborhood leader Ledell Zellers (District 2), environmental advocate Barbara Davis (District 3), student activist Christian Hansen (District 8), community activist Leslie Peterson (District 12), student leader Damon Terrell (District 13), and progressive business owner Hawk Sullivan (District 15). The local Green Party expects to make additional endorsements in the coming weeks.
These candidates need support and coordination. Your donation right now will make the difference. Help Sarah Manski raise the $5,000 she needs to hire staff. Let’s win in Madison so that we can build our momentum and repair this country.
~ Dr. Jill Stein
p.s. – Scott Walker and his corporate backers are again on the attack against Wisconsin’s schools and cities. Imagine the impact of electing strong Greens to local office in Madison, where they can push back. We all need Wisconsin to win this struggle, and of course, Greens will be right in the middle of it. Please donate now.
Andy Olsen said on February 24, 2013
Dear Jill Stein:
As a Madison resident, I don’t think I am trying to pick your Alder or School Board member am I? So bug out of our elections. You’ve done enough.
This meddling in local races by a national party makes a mockery of Green Party claims to be pro-democratic. So now our local candidates will be stomped by dollars flowing in from around the country to help the Green party win an election — some where, anywhere.
For people outside Madison who may not know this, Sarah Manski won the primary (with Green help) and then promptly dropped out.
Dave Schwab said on February 25, 2013
Have you left similar messages for the Democratic and Republican parties that have been sucking up corporate money right and left and dumping it into elections at all levels in every state? What is the problem with concerned citizens showing an interest in other states and cities making progress?
David said on February 26, 2013
I’m a Madison resident with kids in the school district, and therefor very invested in the school board races. A friend pointed me to this post, in the aftermath of the Sarah Manski train wreck (she dropped out of the race 48 hours after primary, due to the fact her husband had been accepted to grad school in CA — something he had to have applied for months before she filed her candidacy!).
I’m not sure what you thought you were doing here, but this behavior smacks of the “party politics” that I am so sick of with the major parties, and that I THOUGHT the Greens were an alternative to. That you are pushing specific local SCHOOL BOARD candidates because of their party affiliation is beyond the pale — not even the Republicans or Democrats do THAT! FYI that is my answer to the question Dave Schwab asked Andy: I thought the Greens were different, were better. You, Dave, seem complacent that they behave the same, or even worse. If you are no different, why should I bother voting for you (especially since a vote for a Green is usually a long term (party building) investment, in the short term it achieves nothing.
I’m not a Green Party member, but I have voted for Greens before — including, ironically, Ben Manski in his run against Hulsey. But seeing this one post may have incensed me enough that I’d have reservations about doing it again. I CAN’T BELIEVE THE GREEN PARTY IS INJECTING PARTY POLITICS INTO LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD RACES. Unless you live here, please stay out of the decision making that determines my children’s education and future!
Dave Schwab said on February 26, 2013
“That you are pushing specific local SCHOOL BOARD candidates because of their party affiliation is beyond the pale — not even the Republicans or Democrats do THAT!”
Actually, they do. The conservative movement first built power by supporting conservative Republicans in school board races. The Democratic Party support Democrats for school board – I’ve seen them do it in my hometown, and frankly I don’t understand why anyone would be surprised that parties support candidates in their party. After all, the whole idea is that people join parties based on shared values. Sarah Manski’s values – for example, supporting equal opportunity for all children and opposing corporate-backed attempts to monetize education – are values shared by the Green Party, and therefore Greens supported Sarah Manski.
I also disagree that the Greens behave the same or worse as the Dems/Repubs. Ds and Rs take corporate money for their campaigns all the time – Greens never do and never will. That’s just one difference, but it is a big one, and that’s why elected Greens carry out their promises to voters while the corporate-sponsored parties display huge discrepancies between their actions and words.
I understand why people are upset about this – I am somewhat upset too, since I was excited to see what Sarah would do in public office. I imagine it’s a very difficult decision for a lifelong activist to shelve a promising political career due to life circumstances. As for Jill Stein, she knows Ben and Sarah Manski and shares their values, and that’s why she supports their efforts to build a progressive political alternative in Madison.
In addition to the hundreds of hurdles – legal, institutional, cultural, and so on and so forth – that exist for the Green Party, should we also demand that well-known Green activists aren’t allowed to endorse other Greens in local races? We are building this party as a bridge from the world we have to the world we want. This is a party that stands for grassroots democracy, social justice, nonviolence, and ecological wisdom. Yet it is still a political party, growing under extremely adverse conditions in the world we have. For the sake of future generations, let’s allow it to grow so that someday we can live in the world we want to see. Peace.
David said on February 26, 2013
Dave, please tell me which candidates/officeholder on the Madison Metropolitan School District School Board are explicitly supported by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, and which by the Wisconsin Republican Party. Assuming you can do that, then please show me where that party is soliciting financial support from those who live far from our district, explicitly saying this support is being urged purely for the good of the party, with no attempt to even say why it would be good for Madison schools. Again, to be clear: IT’S NOT THE ENDORSEMENTS THAT OFFEND ME, IT’S THE OVERTLY POLITICAL AGENDA DRIVEN FUNDRAISING. I was amazed when I got Sarah Manski campaign literature in the mail, before a school board PRIMARY — not even the general election! I wondered where the $ for that came from, now I know. It came from people who don’t know anything about the issues in our district (& probably don’t care), they just want to see members of their party get elected, purely BECAUSE they are members of their party.
I have no interest in seeing the elections to the Madison Metropolitan School District School Board “help make Madison an inspiration for Greens everywhere.” I only want the elections to the Madison Metropolitan School District School Board help create an inspiration for MY KIDS.
I await your reply to the question in my first paragraph.
Dave Schwab said on February 26, 2013
The following candidates are being considered for endorsement by the Democratic Party:
Dean Loumos Madison School Board Seat 3
Greg Packnett Madison School Board Seat 4
Dean Loumos has already been endorsed by the Four Lakes Green Party.
The Republican Party isn’t particularly relevant in Madison politics. If not for the Greens and Progressive Dane, it would be a typically corrupt, stagnant one-party town like so many Dem-dominated cities in the US.
David said on February 27, 2013
Dave, I didn’t ask about endorsements, I asked about soliciting funds from outside the district explicitly to further wider political party interests, with *zero* references in that solicitation to any actual issues unique to that school district. This is the third time I am making this point. The second time I put it in all caps, presuming that would be enough to make it clear. I was too optimistic, and I am not going to beat my head against a wall and keep asking. If you won’t answer, I will assume (an others should to) that you *have* no answer to the question. Don’t mistake me, I am not hostile to your party, I am just reacting to having my eyes opened to how it really works. As I said before, I thought you were different. Good day.
p.s. as a friend of one elected Democrat that supported Manski, I’ll pass on your view of Madison a “corrupt, stagnant one-party town.” Given the massive protests & occupation of the WI capitol of the last two years that went on here, that “stagnant” characterization may elicit a chuckle. How do you know so much about Madison politics anyway? Do you live here, or somewhere nearby? Wherever you live, has your local Green Party been less “stagnant” than the Democratic Party has been here in Madison. What have they been doing?
Dave Schwab said on February 27, 2013
“That you are pushing specific local SCHOOL BOARD candidates because of their party affiliation is beyond the pale — not even the Republicans or Democrats do THAT!”
Actually, they do. The conservative movement first built power by supporting conservative Republicans in school board races. The Democratic Party support Democrats for school board – I’ve seen them do it in my hometown, and frankly I don’t understand why anyone would be surprised that parties support candidates in their party.
“Dave, please tell me which candidates/officeholder on the Madison Metropolitan School District School Board are explicitly supported by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, and which by the Wisconsin Republican Party. ”
The following candidates are being considered for endorsement by the Democratic Party:
Dean Loumos Madison School Board Seat 3
Greg Packnett Madison School Board Seat 4
That’s twice that I’ve made direct responses to your points about parties supporting local candidates, and twice that you’ve moved the goalposts. If you’re not happy with the answers, don’t pretend that you asked a different question – it’s there in writing for all to see. I understand your concerns and am open to a reasoned discussion about them, but I must insist that deceptive argumentation tactics be checked at the door if you’d like to continue.
“I’ll pass on your view of Madison a “corrupt, stagnant one-party town.”
Here’s what I wrote:
“If not for the Greens and Progressive Dane, it would be a typically corrupt, stagnant one-party town like so many Dem-dominated cities in the US.”
If you had actually read what I wrote, the point is pretty clear (and quite different from your characterization of my argument) – competition from progressive alternatives has forced the Democrats in Madison to be much more progressive than your typical Democratic machine in places like Albany or Chicago, where the Dems make progressive noises but largely serve a regressive corporate agenda.
chaussures said on February 28, 2013
Big will for us all~
Another Madison resident said on February 28, 2013
Mr. Schwab, you should probably quit while your cause is behind. The damage to the local Green brand here in Madison is already bad enough without you digging the hole deeper.
Sarah Manski has subsequently revealed that she knew all along (before she decided to run) she might have to drop out. The reason she gave for running was because another school board member told her not to worry, the board would have power to appoint “someone good” when she did (she claims; this other board member says she is making that up). Source:
http://host.madison.com/news/local/education/local_schools/former-school-board-candidate-says-she-knew-need-to-drop/article_189a0ab8-7d60-11e2-9067-0019bb2963f4.html
Strange that for a town that supposedly would be corrupt except for greens, the “plan” of your highest profile candidate was to win an election without revealing she might have to leave, then let the (non-green) members of the board pick the person to fill the seat she had won.
Another thing that does not fit your narrative is that Manski was endorsed by literally every top local Democrat. Sources:
http://votemanski.com/release-manski-welcomes-soglin-passman-barca-larson-berceau-support-ahead-kickoff
http://votemanski.com/congressman-mark-pocan-endorses-sarah-manski-school-board-seat-5
The Green Party candidates for the board (Manski and Loumos) appear to be the only (!) of the seven board members endorsed by Democrats at the mayoral level or above. Meanwhile Brenda Konkel, the head of Progressive Dane (the organization that you said is the only one besides your party that redeems Madison), & a Green Party member herself, actually endorsed Manski’s opponent. Source:
http://www.madisoncommons.org/?q=node/1684
You literally have it backwards about which party leaders were endorsing which candidates!
http://www.madisoncommons.org/?q=node/1684
Dave Schwab said on March 2, 2013
I never claimed that no Democrats endorsed Sarah Manski. But the Democratic Party certainly did not. You need to learn how to read. Until you do, arguing with you is a waste of time. Peace.
Another Madison resident said on March 5, 2013
“You need to learn how to read. Until you do, arguing with you is a waste of time.”
Translation: I have no response to the numerous facts in the links provided.
If you have been following local news here in Madison, you should know that condemnation of Sarah Manski’s behavior is almost universal here, even from some who had endorsed her. Insult me all you want, but that doesn’t change what’s happening.
Anyway, the rub: I actually will likely vote for the other Green candidate for school board, Loumos, I prefer him to Strong. I actually share some of the Green Party’s philosophy, I was one of those repeatedly protesting at the capital last year. But after seeing this, and suffering your uncalled for retort, please know that the fact he is a Green is a liability for me now, where it might have been a strength before.