Green Party Watch

NEW YORK–The Green Party continues to stand with the nationwide Occupation movement, in the face of the NYPD’s raid on the Wall Street encampment in Zuccotti Park during the early hours of the morning.

As the NYPD violates a judge’s restraining order allowing Occupiers back into Zuccotti Park with their tents and equipment, one thing remains clear: despite Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s persistent reputation as an “independent” mayor, his actions today have irrevocably demonstrated his collusion with the 1% and corporations that have wrecked the economy and threaten the world with climate catastrophe.

“‘Mayor One Percent’ can personally install bike lanes from now until the end of his ill-gotten 3rd term, and he will still never live this down,” said Michael O’Neil, member of the Green Party NYC Committee. “He is the NYC mayor who attempted to thwart the most dynamic, spirited movement for economic justice of our time. The 99% will not forget.” read more »

In Arlington, Virginia, the Sun-Gazette reports that the Green Party is planning a November 2nd meeting to discuss get-out-the-vote strategy for Audrey Clement, who is running against 2 Democratic incumbents for Arlington County Board.

In Tucson, Arizona, the Daily Star reports that Tucson City Council candidate Beryl Baker is making a controversial local development project a major campaign issue.

And in New York City, Green Party member Steve Syrek talked to the New York Daily News about the Occupy Wall Street movement and his role at the Occupy Wall Street library.

WASHINGTON, DC — The Green Party of the United States has endorsed the Thursday, September 15 Palestine Rally at the United Nations, in support of the right of self-determination for Palestinians.

The march and rally (http://al-awdany.org/2011/07/sept-15-palestine-rally-at-the-united-nations), scheduled to take place in advance of a UN vote on recognition of Palestinian statehood, are sponsored by the Palestine UN Solidarity Coalition.

Participants will call for the US to cut off aid for Israel, for Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories, and for national and international boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel until it complies with numerous resolutions promising Palestinians their basic rights.  The Green Party has consistently supported these goals and spoken out publicly for sovereignty, equality, and the right of return for Palestinians, including an end to apartheid inside Israel. read more »

New York Green Party gubernatorial candidate Howie Hawkins was in Buffalo on Sept. 17th to challenge Republican Carl Paladino to debate (watch video here). On Sept. 22nd Hawkins will hold a press conference in Rochester to challenge Democrat Andrew Cuomo to debate. About his opponents, Hawkins said:

A debate with just Paladino and Cuomo would just be an argument over how to cut spending, attack public employee unions, and cap property taxes. The real choice in this election is between my progressive tax reforms to fund a Green New Deal of full employment, clean energy, and fully funded schools and the conservative platforms of Paladino and Cuomo who offer variations on the same theme: a rich folks’ agenda of making working people pay for the deficit caused by tax cuts and corporate welfare for the free-loading rich.

In the following days, Hawkins will make several appearances in Poughkeepsie and New York City: read more »

On Friday 7 May, the Green Party of New York City will hold a forum with Joel Kovel, 1998 Green candidate for Senate. Details below:

“What Kind of World Do We Want to Live In?” Joel Kovel, Speaker with Q&A following read more »

The articles include pieces on Rev. Billy Talen, Green Party candidate for Mayor of New York City; the Arkansas Greens ballot access petition drive; difficulties in the California Green Party; IL Gubernatorial candidate Rich Whitney; and finally a piece about Ken Adler, and his race for US House of Representatives.

The Green Party of New York City, which ran 5 campaigns in 2009 including Lynne Serpe’s record 24% for NYC City Council, has published a newsletter for February 2010. News items from GPNYC include a Thank You Party for 2009 Candidates, an April 15th Tax Day Action, Green Local Meetings, other events of interest, an editorial about fixing the city council from 2009 candidate for city council David Pechefsky, GPNYC’s new facebook group, and more. Read on: read more »

On Friday, December 18th, members of the New York City Green Party will read the entire 767-page healthcare bill in Union Square. Their reading, which will last an estimated 10 hours, will include Sen. Sanders’ recently withdrawn amendment to establish a single-payer system. The NYC Greens are asking for pledges of between $0.01 and $1 per page, so please chip in your $7, $700, or whatever you can spare to encourage their valiant efforts for real reform on this freezing day!

From Green Party NYC:

The Senate denied Single Payer a vote, so we’re taking it to the street! read more »

Reverend Billy Talen, Green Party candidate for NYC Mayor, has written an election day blog that’s well worth reading. Enjoy:

I feel closer to solving the riddle of activism in 2009. We’ve known how conservative the Democrat/Working Families and the Republican/Independence Parties are. It’s Coke and Pepsi, it’s McDonalds and Burger King. The two party system enforces a strict censorship. We had to experience first-hand the harsh silence of it.

read more »

The L Magazine has a lengthy article about Rev. Billy Talen and his campaign for Mayor of New York City. Written by Henry Stewart, the article is titled The Preacher Who Would be Mayor.

Stewart seems to get the ethos of both the campaign and the Green Party.

A Green Party representative—Billy is running on the Green Party ticket—plops a golden-arches paper bag on the table in front of her. “I’m sorry if I’m offending anyone with the McDonald’s,” she says. “I was hungry.” Bringing McDonald’s to a Rev. Billy meeting—a convocation of the anti-corporate—is like bringing a BLT to a mosque.

“We’re all sinners,” a man shouts reassuringly from the other end of the room.

The article does not forget that Rev Billy is running an issues based campaign. From gentrification

“Gentrification is the absence of God,”

to Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council’s decision to ignore the voter passed limit of two terms.

“Just two terms,” he adds, “I promise.”

So says Noah Baron in a column posted to Columbia Spectator. His arguments in support of a vote for Green Party Mayoral nominee Rev. Billy Talen are common to many Green campaigns.

Those of us who are working on the campaign have the goal not only of getting our candidate elected, but also of bringing attention to important issues which are not being addressed by the main candidate and his Democratic challenger. (I say there is only one main candidate because most polling shows Thompson about twenty points behind in support, and tens of millions of dollars behind in fundraising.)

In what I think is a very wise comment, Baron points out

And, more importantly, the argument of a “wasted vote” falls immediately by the wayside: if the victory of one candidate appears inevitable, then the election serves largely as a means by which to express preferences — and why express any preference other than your actual preferences?

In an article at the New York Post, Green Party City Council nominee David Pechefesky gets props for bringing a new approach to politics. In a move I predict will be copied by Greens elsewhere, Pechefsky’s campaign has been distributing campaign material in an unusual format.

Child’s play

Political wonks felt like kids all over again as they dove into the “Pechefsky for City Council Activity Book” distributed by the Green Party candidate for the 39th District.

After learning about the candidate vying to replace City Councilmember Bill de Blasio (D-Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Kensington, Borough Park) voters were able to color a picture of Pechefsky carting recyclables on his bicycle and find their way through a maze marked with horrible pitfalls such as legal constraints, the Speaker of the Assembly, lobbyists, borough Democratic bosses and the every scary Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget.

They were also able to play connect the dots. The message: “Vote Green.”

Now to spend campaign money on an activity book could be a gamble, after all, even Green party candidates know that children can’t vote.

But Pechefsky’s team said the move paid off.

“It’s cute and people love them,” said one campaign staffer. “It’s really different and it’s getting our message out there.”

In a message to supporters sent Tuesday, Reverend Billy Talen encouraged his supporters push forward, with two weeks to election day. The campaign’s latest video is below, and the text of his message is below the fold.

read more »

In New York City, city council races used to be considered over after the Democratic primary. But this year, Green Party candidates are breathing some life into previously stagnant local politics.

Lynne Serpe of Astoria has been making the news regularly for campaigning hard and out-fundraising the incumbent. One voter who attended a candidate forum called Serpe the “clear winner of the event” and added “I was impressed to hear about her prior experience working on clean and fair elections, especially when the incumbent voted to extend term limits.”

A blogger at the Daily Gotham, who is still bitter about Nader’s 2000 campaign, nonetheless admits that David Pechefsky would be better for Park Slope than the problematic incumbent: “Pechefsky, from what I can tell, fits the district perfectly in where he stands on issues. He is honest and up front and personable”. Pechefsky also took part in the Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn Walkathon, siding with a large number of residents who oppose undemocratic development. At a debate sponsored by the Brooklyn Paper, Pechefsky said he wouldn’t back a speaker who voted to overrule the voters’ decision on term limits, while the incumbent refused to take a clear position.

Walter Nestler of the Southeast Bronx has also made the news for out-fundraising the incumbent in his race. He has made improving environmental quality and getting city funding for local green jobs his main issues. When asked how the Bronx Green Party compares with the dominant Bronx Democratic Party, Nestler remarked, “Maybe the Green Party has no experience. No experience with indictments.”

Evergreen Chou of Flushing outlined his platform in a candidates forum at the Flushing library.

On Friday Oct. 23rd, Green mayoral candidate Rev. Billy Talen will join Serpe and Chou at a benefit called “Party with the Greens in Queens”.

Hat tip to On The Wilder Side for this news:

The Bronx County Green Party entered into its first truly competitive New York City Council race last week with the notification by the NYC Campaign Finance Board that Green Party candidate Walt Nestler had received over $35,000 in matching funds from the City. With these matching funds, Mr. Nestler is equally matched to his opponent, Democrat Annabel Palma, who has raised just over $40,000 but has apparently not qualified for matching funds. According to NYC CFB records, she has also spent more on her campaign than she has received in contributions, calling into question her ability to continue running her campaign.  read more »