State Green Party Press Release

Illinois Green Party
Green Party Candidate Estabrook Opens Campaign Office, Criticizes Incumbent

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contacts:
Estabrook for Congress Committee www.carlforcongress.org
Jennifer Roth, Campaign Administrator, 217.202.5105 jroth@carlforcongress.org
Geoff Robinson, Campaign Manager, 217.390.8516 gdrobins@soltec.net

CHAMPAIGN, IL - Wednesday, August 7, 2002 - The Green Party candidate for Congress, Carl Estabrook, who surprised many people by gaining a position on the November ballot with more than 7,500 signatures, is opening an office in Champaign. His campaign for the seat in the US House of Representatives currently held by Republican Timothy Johnson will get under way after Labor Day.

There will be a Grand Opening of the new office on Sunday, August 11, from 2 to 5 PM. "It will be an open house or perhaps an 'office warming,'" says Estabrook. "We want people to come by, talk politics, and find out about the campaign." It's in a perfect place for a Green Party office, he says. "The Estabrook for Congress office is at First and Green Streets in Champaign, on the Upper Level of the Green Street Center. It's on the west side of the complex, at 24 E. Green Street, Suite 14. Amusingly enough, for people who think we're crazy to attack the Republicans and Democrats, it's through a door marked 'Psychiatry"!"

Estabrook thinks his campaign has already had an effect on his opponent, the incumbent congressman. "Representative Johnson held several press conferences in the district last week, proclaiming his support for 'clean energy.' We think he's doing that because he knows people favor the Green party's environmental views."

But Rep. Johnson is not being candid, Estabrook says. "Timothy thinks that nuclear energy is clean energy, but we don't," he says. Estabrook points out that Johnson is the largest recipient in Congress of contributions from the Exelon Corporation, who want to build a second nuclear reactor at Clinton, in this congressional district. "Johnson's in favor of that, and he also voted in favor of sending trains loaded with radioactive waste across Illinois. We think those policies are crazy, and only serve the profits of the nuclear industry," Estabrook says. "But come to our Open House -- through the door marked 'Psychiatry' -- and we'll find the proper treatment for them," he says.