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State News Release - December 12, 2002 |
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DC Statehood Green Party |
| Ralph Nader to be Featured Guest at 2nd Annual Joint Fundraiser for D.C. Statehood Greens and the Green Party of the United States. |
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D.C. Statehood Green Party Contact: WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The D.C. Statehood Green Party and the Green Party of the United States will hold their second annual major fundraiser on Sunday, December 15 at Mimi's American Bistro in Washington, D.C. Consumer advocate and 2000 Green presidential candidate Ralph Nader will again attend and speak as featured guest. Mr. Nader spoke at the first annual joint local-national fundraiser in December, 2000. WHEN: Sunday, December 15, 2002, 3:00 to 6:00 pm *** Reporters interested in covering this event will be welcome. For more information, call media coordinator Scott McLarty at 202-518-5624 or the D.C. Statehood Green Party office at 202-296-1301. The fundraiser caps a dramatic year for the Statehood Green Party, which ran a full slate of candidates for all the D.C. City Council seats up for election, as well as for Mayor and for D.C. 'Shadow' U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator. While none of the party's candidates achieved higher than 15%, they came in second in many races, and established the Statehood Greens as the District's second party. The Republicans failed to run candidates in many races; furthermore, Statehood Greens offered dissenting voices and alternative positions and ideas on many issues on which Democrats and Republicans have converged. Statehood Green candidates offered an alternative FY2003 budget that would have eliminated damaging cuts in services; protested the removal of prescription drug coverage for D.C. seniors on Medicare; blasted taxpayer-funded boondoggles like the 2012 Olympic Bid and the proposed ballpark; called for the restoration of D.C. General Hospital; and emphasized housing rights and rent control, guaranteed quality health care, restored funding for public schools and libraries, and -- the party's flagship issue -- statehood for the District of Columbia. Nationally, the Greens were the only party to gain registered members, according to statistics compiled by the non-partisan Ballot Access News. All other parties lost members, ranging from an 18% loss for the Reform Party to a 0.03% loss for the Republican Party. During this time, the Green Party gained 27.7%. Greens ran for 547 offices across the U.S. and won 70 races, including a statehouse seat in Maine. 171 Greens now hold office in 23 states. Throughout 2002, Green Party candidates and members, including D.C. Statehood Greens, protested the Bush Administration's plans to invade Iraq and assaults on constitutional rights, and campaigned for decreased reliance on fossil fuels, measures to stem global warming, national health insurance, living wages, drastic democratic electoral reforms, and other Green agenda. MORE INFORMATION
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