|
Green candidates and activists offer the only
alternative, as Democrats refuse to challenge the Bush White House on
important issues.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On the eve of a national meeting in which state Green
Parties from all over the U.S. are expected to approve the filing of
Federal Election Commission papers for national committee status, at least
one hundred Greens have already announced their candidacies for public
office in 2001 elections.
"Green candidates are winning because voters know we stand for the
health of the environment, quality universal health care, global and local
democracy, living wages, challenging corporate privileges and hand-outs --
and that we don't accept corporate contributions," said Nancy Allen,
media coordinator for the Association of State Green Parties (ASGP).
"Why have Democrats grown silent on the disenfranchisement of so many
voters, especially people of color, in 2000?," asked Steve Schmidt,
who chairs the Green Platform Committee. "Why did no Democratic
Senator -- not one progressive Democratic senator -- stand up in support
of the Black Caucus's challenge to Bush's victory? Why don't they put up a
fight against many of Bush's most damaging actions without compromising in
the interests of so-called bi-partisanship?"
The previous record for Green candidates in an odd-numbered year was 95 in
1999. The previous high for candidates in any year was 2000, with 277
Green candidates. Most state and federal offices are contested in
even-numbered years, hence the higher totals for those years. Greens have
already won 16 races (more than half the races in which Greens
participated) in calendar year 2001. Recent wins include John Halle, newly
elected Alderman in New Haven, Connecticut, and Nancy Pearlman, elected to
the Los Angeles Community College Board District.
Democrats, say Greens, offered little resistance to President Bush's tax
cut gift to the wealthy, working out a $1.35 billion cut instead of Bush's
proposed $1.6 billion cut. 'Liberals' like Hillary Clinton voted for the
Bankruptcy Bill favoring credit card firms over Americans whose budgets
are destroyed by job loss or medical bills. At a Democratic Leadership
Council summit on July 17, leading Democrats agreed not to
challenge President Bush on many policies.
Greens note that many of Bush's worst policies had precedents during the
Clinton-Gore years. The Clinton White House sabotaged global warming
negotiations at the Hague conference in November, 2000; ordered a ban on
U.S. funds for overseas abortions; sought no auto fuel efficiency
standards; favored national missile defense; enacted Plan Columbia; and
delayed action for eight years before signing an order on arsenic in
drinking water just before Bush took office.
ASGP - 2
Clinton and most Democrats also promoted NAFTA, WTO, and other corporate
globalization pacts,
which Greens have protested because of their unelected power to overrule
environmental, labor, and human rights protections and devastate local
economies. More recently, Greens spoke out against the G8 summit and
ensuing police violence in Genoa and called for "global
democracy," while most Democrats remained silent.
"The Democrats and Republicans aren't identical. But as the Democrats
have retreated further and
further from populist principles, they've given Republicans the license to
move to even greater extremes," added Ms. Allen.
"That's why more Greens are winning more elections now. We're not
beholden to corporate interests. We want to do better than represent
voters -- we want Americans to have the democratic power to speak for
themselves, to strengthen civic participation. You won't hear that kind of
subversive talk from Democrats or
Republicans!"
The annual meeting of the ASGP will take place at La Case de Maria in
Santa Barbara, California, from July 27 to 29. ASGP will vote on filing
papers with the FEC, establishing the national "Green Party of the
United States." ASGP, which organized last year's national convention
in Denver at which Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke were nominated for
President and Vice President, currently functions as a state-based
confederation.
"The two major parties, with their stranglehold on American
democracy, should see this development [filing for national party status
with the FEC] as a threat," added Mr. Schmidt. "For those who
support the ideals and political goals of the Greens, it's cause for
celebration."
MORE INFORMATION:
Current list of Green candidates
http://www.gp.org/patience.html
Green victories so far in 2001
http://www.feinstein.org/greenparty/electionreport2001.html
Information on ASGP filing with FEC
http://www.greenparties.org/fec/fec.html
search: elct, prty
|
