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| Greens Go Forward With Vision of State of the State. |
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Green Party of Michigan January 20, 2003 For More Information Contact: Focus on Water for Life, Security Through Peace, Equal Justice, Free and Fair (and Verifiable) Elections; Praise, Rap Granholm The Green Party of Michigan (GPMI) has videotaped a response to the 2004 "State of the State" address, which will be cablecast with the speech by Governor Jennifer Granholm Tuesday night on Michigan Govern- ment Television (MGTV). Speaking for GPMI on the tape are state chair Marc Reichardt; Mount Pleasant City Commissioner Jim Moreno; and Priscilla Dziubek, representative of the Detroit Green Party on the Greens' State Central Committee. The panel discussion was hosted by Matt Abel and produced by Eric Borregard, both of GPMI's cable-access program "In the Green". The half-hour tape will be shown around the state as a special episode of "In the Green". Panel members discussed GPMI's key issues for 2003 -- peace; social justice and civil liberties; reforming elections as well as campaign finances, to make sure the voice of the people is heard; and preserving people's rights to water for life over corporate profiteers' claims to water for profit. The panelists also reviewed what the Granholm administration has and hasn't done about these priorities -- and took a look forward into the new year. "Although she came in talking of great change in state government, little has occurred to distinguish her administration," said Moreno, one of seven Michigan Greens currently serving in elective offices. He mentioned Granholm's promise to include more than just Democrats and Republicans in her administration, and urged appointing Green Party members to state committees and boards. Reichardt pointed out a similar need for more Greens in elective office. That led to discussion of election reforms -- real reforms such as instant-runoff voting (IRV), which will be on the ballot in Ferndale this year -- and the importance of preventing privatization of voting machines and especially the software for counting votes. Dziubek joined Moreno in highlighting water issues. Both live in parts of Michigan which have seen controversy in recent years regarding clashes of "rights" to water in the state: the Nestlé/Perrier/Ice Mountain controversy in Mecosta County, and the problems faced by low- income customers in the Detroit area when their water service is cut off. As Attorney General, Granholm called the Ice Mountain extraction plant a diversion of Lake Michigan water. When citizens' groups sued to shut down the plant on that basis, however, her administration filed a brief in favor of Nestlé -- a decision that shocked even the DEQ staff. Moreno called this an example of "the Russell Harding spirit now at the DEQ". Moreno was pleased with Granholm's "Cool Cities" initiative, and how it ties in with the purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements in rural areas -- and to end urban sprawl. But he noted a need for more creativity in meeting the challenges Michigan faces -- development and use of new energy sources, for example. And the whole panel talked about the nationwide attack on civil liberties. Moreno concentrated on the need for citizens to use those liberties or risk losing them. Reichardt spent some time discussing the state's economic condition. Greens would balance the state's budget by getting corporations who have been handed massive tax abatements (like Electrolux) to pay their fair share. Also, so as not to spoil the so-called "business climate", Greens would encourage investment in new and better businesses -- like the wind farm proposed by 2002 Green candidate for governor Doug Campbell, or a "Clean Corridor" of environmentally sound and/or beneficial companies in place of the dirty industries likely to be associated with the military-Homeland Security complex. The response is expected to be shown on MGTV Tuesday, January 27 -- the same day as Granholm's "State of the State" address. A response from the Michigan Republican Party will also be shown. You can find a local MGTV cable station in your area at: http://www.mgtv.org/location_search.cfm Advance copies of the half-hour videotape can be obtained by news organizations from "In the Green". Borregard can be reached via e-mail at: eborregard@aol.com Reporters or news personnel interested in having a copy of the program should send in name, title, media outlet, mailing/shipping address, phone/fax numbers, and e-mail . . . and mention what form and format of material they need to be sent. The videotapes are to be embargoed until after the program is first shown on MGTV the evening of the 27th or until the end of that day. For more information about the Green Party of Michigan, please visit the GPMI Web site at: http://www.migreens.org =============================================================
WHAT: Videotaped a GPMI response to "State of the State" speech to be cablecast in conjunction with other coverage of that speech. WHEN: The videotape is available for viewing now, and the information that GPMI has prepared a "State of the State" response may be reported on -- but the tape's contents are not to be released from embargo until late at night on Tuesday, January 27 . . . either after it is first telecasted some time that day or once the day is over. WHERE: On Michigan Government Television (MGTV); may also be cablecast on other cable-access stations around the state. WHY: To give citizens a different vision of the state of the state of Michigan -- one following Green principles and leading to more social justice, ecological wisdom, grassroots democracy, and non-violence. # # Green Party of Michigan * 548 S. Main Street * * Ann
Arbor, MI 48104 * 734-663-3555
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