Green Party Watch

April 5th is non-partisan Election Day in Wisconsin, including local races and judicial elections.

Although the marquis event is the Supreme Court race due to its relevance in determining the makeup of the State Supreme Court which will likely be judging on the legality of Governor Walker’s Union Busting Bill, we are watching 6 races with Wisconsin Greens on the ballot, 3 in Madison and 3 in Oshkosh.

In Madison, Satya Rhodes-Conway, Marsha Rummel, and Brian Solomon are all running for re-election to their seats on the Madison City Council. Satya Rhodes-Conway is unopposed, but Rummel and Solomon both have challengers. Below is lifted from Brenda Konkel’s website “Forward Lookout”:

District 6 – Marsha Rummel vs Twink Jan-McMahon Again, another no-brainer in my book. Marsha has served the district well, understands community and the city process, is thoughtful and deliberate. Is a great progressive voice on the council, asks great questions without beating around the bush and is diligent in her very long list of issues that she is constantly working on. She loves her district, loves Madison and has the history and skills to serve her district well.

District 10 – Brian Solomon vs Tom Farley Brian Solomon! Tom might be a nice guy, but Solomon has the core values that I look for in a candidate, I think Tom Farley in many ways is still trying to figure out what his are. I also think Allied Drive needs Brian Solomon and his passion for that neighborhood, and I want Brian Solomon there to fight for things like card-check nuetrality and keeping the bus fares low. I want his knowledge of workforce development to be on the council so when they start talking about creating jobs, he is part of that conversation and makes sure that whatever happens, the jobs created are not just for people in the biotech industry, but also include career ladder jobs for people with less skills.

In Oshkosh, voters vote for the Mayor in one race, and 3 members of the City Council, all at-large, in another race. Tony Palmeri, a two term City Councilor and former Deputy Mayor, is stepping down from the Council to run for Mayor. Bob Poeschl, an incumbent City Councilor on his first term, is running for re-election. Ron Hardy is also running for City Council, his second run after finishing 6th in 2010.

Tony Palmeri is known locally as a Councilor willing to stand up for the people and challenge the status quo. He is a Professor of Communication Studies at UW Oshkosh. He was elected to the Oshkosh Common Council in April of 2007 and reelected in 2009. He’s served on the Housing Authority, Board of Health, and Sustainability Advisory Board, and currently sits on the Oshkosh Plan Commission. From April of 2009 to April of 2010 he served as Deputy Mayor. He is running a grassroots campaign, pledging to spend no more than $1,000 on his campaign.

In the Oshkosh City Council race there are 5 candidates vying for 3 seats on the Council. All five candidates are on the same ballot, voters can vote for up to three, and the top three vote getters are elected. Bob Poeschl is the only incumbent. Poeschl, 34, is a life long resident of Oshkosh, married with 3 children. He is the Executive Director of Winnebago ARC, an advocacy organization for people with developmental and related disabilities. He started the Winnebago Peace and Justice Center in 2002 in response to the invasion of Iraq. Ron Hardy, 42, is a librarian at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, married with two daughters. He is the former chair of the City of Oshkosh Sustainability Advisory Board, chair of the Lake Winnebago Green Party and former chair of the Wisconsin Green Party. Hardy also co-edits a local website mainstreetoshkosh.com and a Green Party news site greenpartywatch.org.

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”

Ralph Nader at Nader.org:

Dear Vice President Biden:

Word has reached us from reliable sources that the unions in Wisconsin tendered an invitation sometime last week or earlier for you to appear at one of the growing rallies in Madison protesting the legislative straitjacketing of public employee unions. Since you have just returned from trips to Russia and other autocratic nations where you talked about facilitating more democracy and competitive elections, it was no surprise for us to hear from our sources that you were eager to go to Madison. After all, you like to call yourself a “union guy”.

According to protocol the invitation to speak was forwarded to the White House where the political operatives turned it down. Political operatives do not turn down the Vice President of the United States without clearing the decision with President Barack Obama.

We know that your role is always to play the “good soldier” but in this case can you verify the above reports? If you choose not to, can you say at least that you want to go to Madison to speak to one of the diverse gatherings—the likes of which has not been seen for many years—of workers—union and non-union—farmers, students both from Universities and high schools and other hardworking people both active in democratic causes and inactive but wanting to lend their support to opposing the Republican reactionaries and corporatists?

What say you, Mr. Vice President?

Sincerely yours,

Ralph Nader

From the York Daily Record:

York, PA - Demonstrators supporting Wisconsin unions waved and shook their signs at drivers who beeped their horns as they passed U.S. Rep. Todd Platts’ office in Springettsbury Township at rush hour Friday.Signs reading “Stand with Wisconsin workers” and “Support a teacher” were held by some in the group who decided to participate in the rally organized by Stephen Baker of the Green Party of York County.

“We’re here to protest Republicans trying to take away years of work on labor rights,” Baker, a Springettsbury resident, said.

A bill eliminating most collective-bargaining rights for Wisconsin’s public-employee unions was passed Thursday. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed it into law Friday.

Friday’s protest in York County was one of several planned by the Green Party. One was held last week in Harrisburg, Baker said, where about 1,000 demonstrators showed support for Wisconsin unions seeking negotiation rights.

CNBC has a talking head segment featuring Green Ben Manski in Madison Wisconsin against State Assembly Rep Scott Suder. Skip to the 6:25 mark for the fireworks. Note how Manski disarms Suder when he claims that “your party wants…” and Manski replies “I’m not a Democrat. I ran as a Green for State Assembly and your Party’s candidate came in third place…”

WASHINGTON, DC — The Green Party of the United States will broadcast the offer the first episode of ‘GreenStream Wednesday’ on February 23, 10:00 pm ET, 7:00 pm PT, on the party’s Livestream channel.

The one-hour show will present Green news, interviews, video clips, and viewer participation.

Viewers can tune at http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus or go to http://www.livestream.com and enter the channel name: greenpartyus. The channel is also accessible at the Green Party’s video page.

The first show will feature interviews with Wisconsin Green leaders on the widely covered protests in their state against Gov. Scott Walker’s budget plan that would cut benefits and abolish collective bargaining:

• Tony Palmieri, serving in his fourth year as elected Green member of the Oshkosh City Council

• Amy Mondloch, Executive Director of the Grassroots Leadership
College in Madison and a long-time Green Party activist

• AJ Segneri, from Milwaukee, co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party

To participate in the ongoing discussion in the chat window during the show, viewers can log in to Livestream. Viewers can register for a free Livestream account by clicking on ‘Sign Up’ at the top of the page, but membership is not necessary to watch the broadcast. The shows will be archived on the Green Party Livestream Channel web site.

The Green Party produced a Livestream show on the night of President Obama’s Jan. 25 State of the Union speech, broadcasting the speech and hosting a simultaneous discussion of the speech in the chat window. The enthusiastic participation of party members and friends motivated the Green Party’s Media Committee, with the help of other Greens across the US, to offer a weekly one-hour show.

“Livestream is like a town hall meeting where you don’t have to raise your hand to state your opinions,” said Craig Seeman, Green professional streaming consultant.

The Green Party of New Jersey urges all public and private sector employees to attend organized labor’s rally at the Trenton State House on Friday, February 25, 12:00 noon, supporting Wisconsin workers right of unionized collective bargaining.

We must show both Governors of Wisconsin and New Jersey that we will not be intimidated by the attempt to erode our standard of living, while millionaires and bankers continue receiving subsidies and tax breaks.

Among the speakers will be national AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, and representatives from the Wisconsin state workers who will bring us up-to-date on the situation in Madison.

Unlike the two major political parties, the Green Party of New Jersey has always stood in the forefront of workers rights- from the streets of Cairo, Egypt to those in Madison, Wisconsin and Trenton, New Jersey.

Green Party of New Jersey
P.O. Box 9802
Trenton, N.J. 08650-9802

Tel:973-625-3352

• Greens denounce austerity budgets, calling them a ploy to balance budgets on the backs of working people, destroy unions, and enlarge the power of corporations

• Green solution to deficits and economic recession: rescind tax cuts for the rich, end the wars and reduce military spending, enact Medicare For All and public works programs

• ‘GreenStream Wednesday’ on Feb. 23: online show will feature Wisconsin Green leaders and an elected Oshkosh City Council member, 10 pm ET, 7 pm PT, on the Green Party Livestream Channel.

WASHINGTON, DC — Green Party leaders declared today that the party solidly supports Wisconsin’s public-sector employees protesting a bill introduced by Gov. Scott Walker to eliminate their benefits and collective bargaining rights.

“We in the Green Party are standing out front on this issue by standing with our labor and public service brothers and sisters here in Wisconsin,” said AJ Segneri, co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party.

On Feb. 17, the Wisconsin Greens issued a statement affirming that their party “salutes the state’s public workers, and stands in solidarity with their fight to retain full collective bargaining rights with their employers”.

On Wednesday, Feb. 23, Wisconsin Wave will hold a demonstration at a conference of Wisconsin Manufacturing and Commerce (WMC), which includes the state’s top corporate lobbyists. Wisconsin Wave is a project of the Liberty Tree Foundation and the Center for Media and Democracy; Liberty Tree’s founder and executive director is Ben Manski, a Green who ran for the Wisconsin state legislature in 2010 and received the best numbers for an independent party candidate since 1944.

Greens speak out on the Wisconsin uprising:

• Laura Wells, 2010 Green Party candidate for Governor of California: “At long last, Americans are pushing back against the rule of our country by corporate oligarchies. We’ve been inspired by the courage of people in countries like Egypt and Tunisia, and now by public employees in Wisconsin. This is more than a struggle to preserve benefits and collective bargaining rights in a single state. It’s about saving the infrastructure of our democracy and preventing the US from lapsing into a new Robber Baron Era reminiscent of the late 19th century. We hope that the fire of protest spreads to every state where such budgets are proposed, whether by Democrats in California or Republicans in Wisconsin. It’s a thrill to see working people take back their rights, their freedoms, and their financial security.”

• AJ Segneri, co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party: “Gov. Walker’s bill to strip benefits and bargaining rights from state workers, based on the claim of a state deficit, is an old Republican trick. The governor enacted tax breaks and special interest spending for the top income brackets, then introduced a bill to solve the resulting deficit on the backs of working people in Wisconsin and break up the public employees’ unions. The 14 Democratic state legislators in Wisconsin deserve our praise for denying Gov. Walker his quorum. National Democratic leaders should follow their example, instead of demanding sacrifice from working people and the needy while excusing the wealthy and corporations from paying their fair share in taxes. President Obama’s budget plan would place a five-year freeze on non-security discretionary spending, affecting programs like heating assistance to low-income Americans and community-service block grants, as well as cuts in money for water treatment plants and other environmental projects and higher interest on federal loans for graduate students. The rampaging union-busting extremism of the GOP and their billionaire supporters like the Koch brothers doesn’t justify the Obama austerity plan.”

• Howie Hawkins, 2010 Green candidate for Governor of New York: “The biggest myth is that these deficits are caused by excessive social spending and generous wages and benefits for public workers. The real cause is tax cuts for the rich, runaway military spending, and a recession triggered by the sub-prime mortgage crisis, which was caused by deregulation of the financial industry. The Green Party proposes the obvious solution. One, call US troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan and reduce military spending. Two, roll back the tax cuts and loopholes for wealthy individuals and corporations. Three, enact Medicare For All, which will save 30% by eliminating private insurance administrative overhead and reduce the cost of health insurance for public workers. Medicare For All will also stimulate the economy by relieving the financial burden on business of providing health benefits, enabling negotiation to bring down skyrocketing drug prices and other health costs, promoting competition by letting everyone choose which physician or hospital to visit, and saving tens of thousands of people from financial ruin over medical costs every year. And four, initiate major public works projects in conservation, green energy, public transportation, and repair of infrastructure. Presidents like FDR and Eisenhower proved that public works boost the economy for everyone.”

• Tony Palmeri, Green city council member in Oshkosh serving his second term: “Gov. Walker says he wants to give local governments the tools to balance our budgets — including a hammer to destroy collective bargaining rights. We reject his tools of divisiveness, and instead ask state government for assistance based on Green values, such as fairer distribution of shared revenue dollars to support local budgets; an end to needless budget-busting and polluting road projects; a fairer distribution of tax dollars to support equity in our K-12 system; increased grant money for college students; an end to special-interest tax breaks for the wealthy that drain millions of dollars from the budget; a progressive tax system based on ability to pay; and a green jobs program to help us build a sustainable, economically viable future. These measures, taken together, would save the state money and restore Wisconsin’s tradition as a laboratory for progressive ideas and democracy. Citizen activism has demonstrated, in an inspiring way, that we will not let Mr. Walker and his corporate sponsors bury that tradition.”

From the Wisconsin Green Party’s Website:

The Wisconsin Green Party salutes the state’s public workers, and stands in solidarity with their fight to retain full collective bargaining rights with their employers.

The budget crisis facing the state was not brought on by public workers, and if there is to be a recovery, workers, public and private, must be the primary beneficiaries.

Scott Walker’s attempt to “repair the budget” on the backs of public workers is not about money, it’s about power. State workers earn less than their counterparts in the private sector, and often go years without a wage increase. Walker wants to permanently take away the ability of these workers to have a say in their health insurance and pensions.

While Walker attempts to divide workers into “haves” and “have-nots,” he continually pleads the case for the real “haves.” At a time when profit margins at the S&P 500 companies are at an all-time high, taxes for these corporations are approaching all-time lows.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Walker’s “laser focus on jobs, jobs, jobs” is really about increasing the wealth of his financial backers. His pledge to create 250,000 jobs in the next four years leaves out an important detail: each one of these jobs will be at minimum wage—at least until he can end the minimum wage.

Of course, state workers have borne the brunt of economic crises before. Democrat Gov. Jim Doyle came into office eight years ago promising to cut 10,000 state jobs in his first term. Walker’s just building on that legacy.

We urge legislators to turn back on this course of attacking public workers. Hosni Mubarak thought he could ride out the outcry, but the sleeping giant, once awakened, proved unbeatable.

Three Greens are running for local office in Oshkosh, Wisconsin this Spring. There is no primary for these races, the general election is April 5, 2011.

Tony Palmeri, who has served for four years on the Oshkosh City Council, is running for Mayor. Tony Palmeri is a Professor of Communication Studies at UW Oshkosh. He was elected to the Oshkosh Common Council in April of 2007 and reelected in 2009. He’s served on the Housing Authority, Board of Health, and Sustainability Advisory Board, and currently sits on the Oshkosh Plan Commission. From April of 2009 to April of 2010 he served as Deputy Mayor. Palmeri also ran for Wisconsin State Assembly in 2004 on the Green Party ticket, finishing 3rd of four candidates with 8.87% of the vote.

Bob Poeschl is running for re-election to the Oshkosh City Council. Poeschl was elected to the City Council in 2009 with 4,717 votes, finishing 3rd of 6 candidates. Poeschl, age 35, is a life long Oshkosh resident, husband and father of three children, a graduate from UW Oshkosh, co-founder of the Winnebago Peace & Justice Center, winner of the Peacemaker of the Year in 2004 from the Wisconsin Network for Peace & Justice, and former co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party. In his two years on the City Council Poeschl has demonstrated a strong desire to be an advocate for the people.

Ron Hardy is running for a seat on the Oshkosh City Council. Hardy is a Librarian at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, a husband and father of two daughters. He is the co-chair of the Lake Winnebago Green Party, former co-chair of the Wisconsin Green Party, Delegate to the Green Party National Committee, and former chair of the City of Oshkosh Sustainability Advisory Board. He is co-editor of the website Main Street Oshkosh, and runs this website Green Party Watch. He previously ran for Oshkosh City Council in April 2010 finishing 6th of 6 candidates with 1,600 votes.

Ben Manski, who won 31% of the vote for State Assembly in November, has a guest editorial in the Cap Times that is a must read for Election Reformers:

Can we achieve social change at the ballot box?

On Election Day, 17,754 residents of 77th Assembly District voted for individual candidates for the Legislature rather than voting a straight party ticket. Of these, the largest portion, 7,749, voted for me. It was a historic moment for the Wisconsin Green Party. But despite that, I will not be taking office in January, and the progressive tax and political reform agenda I campaigned on will not be represented in the Capitol.

One reason is that another 6,828 voters simply connected the arrow next to “straight party” rather than selecting specific candidates. No one knows who the “straight party” voters would have picked had they indicated a candidate preference. Some would have voted for Democrat Brett Hulsey. Some would have voted for me. Many would have skipped the District 77 race.

In most states, voters individually mark the names of candidates. But in Wisconsin and other “straight party” states, voters can mark the name of the party, and whoever that party has nominated gets their vote. Those straight party votes accounted for nearly half of the total votes for Hulsey, and a third of the votes for Republican Dave Redick.

The result? On Nov. 2, there were two outcomes. My campaign achieved success among voters who indicated a preferred candidate. But Hulsey was elected to the Legislature. The fact that those two wins are not the same victory is a product of one of the enduring problems of our political system, which is that it perpetuates and protects itself against demands for reform.
read more »

Despite having a number of promising campaigns for state legislature in various states, Greens fell short of victory in every race – a few by painfully close margins. However, one former Green running for state legislature as an independent in Maine did win.

In Maine, Fred Horch of Brunswick finished with 34% in District 66, just 4 points (or 200 votes) behind the victorious Democrat. Anna Trevorrow finished 2nd with 31% in District 120, and Seth Berner finished 2nd with 28% in District 115.

In Massachusetts, Mark Miller of Pittsfield finished with 45% in a 2-way race in the 3rd Berkshire District.

In Wisconsin, Ben Manski finished with 31% behind Democrat Brett Hulsey, who had 49%. While Manski did better among voters who designated a candidate in the race, straight-ticket Democratic votes gave Hulsey the edge.

In Illinois, Jeremy Karpen finished with 35% to 65% for Democratic incumbent Toni Berrios.

In Pennsylvania, Hugh Giordano finished with 18% in a 3-way race.

In Maine, independent Ben Chipman won House District 119 with 54% of the vote. Chipman previously worked as an aide to John Eder, who became the second US Green to be elected to a state legislature in 2002. Chipman has also run on the Green Party line in previous campaigns. While not technically elected on the Green Party line, Chipman will no doubt be a voice for Green values in the Maine State House.

Last night the Green Party won ballot access in New York and Texas, retained it in Massachusetts and Ohio, lost it in Illinois and Wisconsin, and fell short of gaining it in Arkansas, Maryland, Minnesota, and Nevada. Here are the results by state:

Arkansas: Greens got on the 2010 ballot by petition, but failed to retain a ballot line when Jim Lendall got less than 3% of the vote for governor.

Illinois: Greens lost the ballot line and major party status gained in 2006 by Rich Whitney’s 10% for governor when Whitney got less than 5% of the vote for governor this year.

Maryland: Greens got on the 2010 ballot by petition, but failed to retain a ballot line when Maria Allwine got less than 1% of the vote for governor.

Massachusetts: Greens retain ballot access and party status after Nat Fortune earned 5% for State Auditor.

Minnesota: Annie Young’s 2.7% for State Auditor falls short of winning major party status, but retains minor party status for the Minnesota Greens.

Nevada: Greens fail to gain ballot access after David Curtis got less than 1% of the vote for governor.

New York: Greens gain ballot status through 2014 thanks to Howie Hawkins earning over 50,000 votes for governor.

Ohio: Greens retain ballot status thanks to Dennis Spisak earning over 1% for governor.

Texas: Greens gain ballot status through 2012 thanks to Ed Lindsay earning over 5% for comptroller.

Wisconsin: Greens lose ballot status after not running any statewide candidates who could qualify.

From Green Change:

Tonight, we will be focusing on the campaigns of 14 transformational Green candidates who are building the Green movement across the country. Some of these candidates are poised for history-making wins. Others are blazing the trail for future success by running party-building campaigns for statewide office.

14 Greens to Watch on Election Day

Jeremy Karpen for IL Assembly – Jeremy Karpen’s vigorous grassroots challenge to a Chicago Machine insider has earned him endorsements from the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Teacher’s Union, Independent Voters of Illinois, and even Chicago Progressive Democrats of America. Karpen, a strong supporter of single-payer health care, affordable housing, mass transit, and progressive taxation, has run a clean-money campaign as part of his commitment to reforming Illinois’ notoriously dirty pay-to-play politics.

Ben Manski for WI Assembly – Ben Manski’s insurgent run has earned the support of Madison’s teachers union, the Madison Capital Times, and leading progressives including Jim Hightower, Medea Benjamin, and Thom Hartmann. The outgoing Democratic assembly member revoked his endorsement of Manski’s main opponent, a Democrat who left the Sierra Club to lobby for the coal industry. Manski is racing to the finish line with the support of a broad transpartisan coalition of elected officials, unions, students, newspapers, and activists committed to renewing Wisconsin’s trailblazing progressive tradition.

Gayle McLaughlin for Mayor of Richmond, CA – With a population over 100,000, Richmond became the largest US city with a Green mayor when Gayle McLaughlin was elected in 2006. Since then, McLaughlin has made Richmond a center of the emerging solar industry, fought successfully to increase taxes on the local Chevron oil refinery while lowering them for small businesses, and brought down violent crime with expanded community policing. Her supporters, including Green For All founder Van Jones, hope that her record of positive accomplishments in office will carry Mayor Gayle to victory.

Hugh Giordano for PA Assembly – Hugh Giordano is a union organizer from Philadelphia’s Roxborough neighborhood whose people-powered campaign has electrified the race for an open seat in a traditionally Democratic district. After a CEO won the Democratic primary with only 30% of the vote, Giordano’s strong support for public education, single-payer health care, and worker’s rights has gained him the backing of local unions and maverick Democrats and made him a contender for the win.

Dan Hamburg for Mendocino County (CA) Supervisor – In a county the size of Delaware on the coast of California, former member of Congress and Voice Of The Environment executive director Dan Hamburg is running for supervisor to build a vibrant, sustainable local economy and protect the beautiful natural landscape for generations to come. Hamburg finished first in the 4-way June primary, and has been endorsed by the third-place finisher as well as local unions and environmentalists in his head-to-head race against the conservative, developer-backed candidate who finished a close 2nd in the primary. read more »

From Wisconsin Green Party candidate for 77th District State Representative Ben Manski:

I need your help right now. As reported last night, my prospects for election to the Wisconsin State Assembly took a turn for the better when outgoing Representative Spencer Black rescinded his endorsement of my opponent. Black said, on the record, that my opponent has “a problem with trustworthiness.” I need you to dig deep and contribute right now: http://www.VoteManski.com/contribute read more »