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| Jim Wilber Kicks Off Green Party Campaign for County Clerk. |
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August 05, 2004 Elect Jim Wilber Kalamazoo County Clerk For More Information Contact:
James Wilber promised to defend marriage rights for all -- including same-sex couples -- in a speech kicking off his Green Party campaign for Kalamazoo County Clerk this evening at the County Administration Building. "We do no service to institution of marriage by excluding people from it," Wilber declared. "What we do is hurt families, and hurt those willing to make their relationship one that benefits themselves and their community." Wilber also aims to give poor and working-class county residents more access to the clerk's office by expanding hours, and waiving fees for those who cannot afford them. And he wants to make sure they know about their rights to vote -- and how, when, and where to exercise them. Wilber, co-chair of the Green Party of Kalamazoo, was joined at the rally by fellow Greens and other supporters. Kalamazoo City Commis- sioner Don Cooney introduced Wilber, and has "wholeheartedly" endorsed him. "Jim Wilber is a man of integrity, compassion, and great attention to detail. He is dedicated to this community, and I know he will do a wonderful job for the people of Kalamazoo." Wilber described his campaign as "an alternative to the politics of fear and apathy" and the two kinds of leaders he sees now: "Those who seek to further divide us with hatred and fear, and those who watch. Those who refuse to stand up for the people, and those who continue the false belief that separate can be equal. I have a hard time deciding which group is worse." But, he added, "We can take a third road. There is a better way to climb. Though the path seems even more rocky and treacherous at first, it is the one that can lead us closer to the top. "Welcome to the foot of the mountain." "Right inside these doors, just to the left is the Clerk's office," Wilber pointed out. "It's the first place that you see -- and for many people, the only contact they have with their county government. "My promise to you is that that door will be open to everyone." Wilber also observed that, "as chief election officer for the county, the clerk is responsible for people making use of their most important right in our democracy, the right to vote. It is the job of the County Clerk to make sure not only that elections run smoothly, but that all people get a chance to participate. "Too often, people do not know how, when, and where to vote. The elderly, the poor, and students are often fed misinformation that stops them from using the most powerful tool they have to change their government. I promise to make voter education a top priority of this office. It will be my responsibility to make sure that the people of Kalamazoo County are registered and able to vote on Election Day." And Wilber stressed his intention to give the people of Kalamazoo County a different chance to register. "We know that strong families come from strong and stable relationships. We know that children benefit from having two parents to look after and protect them. We know that our society benefits when people make the ultimate commitment to protect and care for one another. "We do no service to institution of marriage by excluding people from it. What we do is hurt families, and hurt those willing to make their relationship one that benefits themselves and their community. "As the provider of marriage licenses, I will use the office of County Clerk to support marriage rights, including the right for anyone to marry the consenting adult that they please, including same-sex couples." Wilber welcomed his rivals, Republican incumbent Timothy Snow and Democrat Elrico Hurley, to the November ballot. And he wasted no time in challenging them to debate the issues. As he said in announcing the rally, "That is why I have chosen to run for County Clerk this year -- so that we can not only speak out against what is wrong, but also stand up for our most cherished beliefs, and introduce fresh and new ideas to our county government." For more information about the campaign, please contact: Elect Jim Wilber ------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to the Foot of the Mountain Welcome to the foot of the mountain. Here, in our great nation, the great state of Michigan, in our County and the City of Kalamazoo, we have fought long and hard for the principles that make us a strong and compassionate people -- justice, and equality. Because we are a great people, and because we have struggled so long, we can see all the more clearly how much more we need to do. We look up at the lofty goals that we have set for ourselves, and we see how much further we need to climb. In the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Until we can say that all of our people are treated fairly and equally, we must continue to fight. Welcome to the foot of the mountain. There have been setbacks. People say that we live in dark times. We see a government using fear to bully its own people. We see law enforcement, attacking our right to privacy and protest. We see those who wish to sew discrimination into the very fabric of our society. We even talk, in hushed whispers, about things we thought only happened in other countries. About people being arrested, held without charges, where no one can reach them, and even humanitarian workers cannot find them. Our leaders come in two stripes -- those who seek to further divide us with hatred and fear, and those who watch. Those who refuse to stand up for the people, and those who continue the false belief that separate can be equal. I have a hard time deciding which group is worse. But we do have alternatives. We can take a third road. There is a better way to climb. Though the path seems even more rocky and treacherous at first, it is the one that can lead us closer to the top. We can stop making the mistakes of the past, and embrace new ideas, and new ways of doing things. It has been so long since we have tried, it seems impossible. But we do have an alternative to the politics of fear and apathy. Welcome to the foot of the mountain. This is where it begins, in offices like City Commissioner, Township Trustee, and County Clerk. These are the fights we can win, and this is where we begin to take back the government that belongs to us. Real people can run for these offices, and real people can get elected. It doesn't take $500,000,000, and it doesn't take connections in high places. It takes people, and hard work, and a willingness to go out and stand up for what you believe in. Through my candidacy I want to show people that they have the power to make the changes that they want, here and now. You don't have to wait until the President, or someone in the federal government decides to change things, you can do it in your community, and you can make people's lives better. You can create a society of justice and compassion. All you have to do is get involved. Welcome to the foot of the mountain. In many ways, the County Clerk's office is the foot of the mountain. Right inside these doors, just to the left, is the Clerk's office. It's the first place that you see -- and for many people, the only contact they have with their county government. My promise to you is that that door will be open to everyone. The County Clerk's office should be more than just a place to file papers, it should be the first place a person can go to talk to their county government about any issue, and they should trust that the person inside will represent them to the Commission. I promise greater ACCESSIBILITY to the County Clerk, and the county government. With longer hours that will allow real working people to actually visit this office, and fee waivers so that the poorest people in our community can still use the services of our government. Also, as chief election officer for the county, the clerk is responsible for people making use of their most important right in our democracy, the right to vote. It is the job of the County Clerk to make sure not only that elections run smoothly, but that all people get a chance to participate. Too often, people do not know how, when, and where to vote. The elderly, the poor, and students are often fed misinformation that stops them from using the most powerful tool they have to change their government. I promise to make VOTER EDUCATION a top priority of this office. It will be my responsibility to make sure that the people of Kalamazoo County are registered and able to vote on Election Day. Last, the County Clerk's office, whenever possible, should be used to stand up for equality. We know that strong families come from strong and stable relation- ships. We know that children benefit from having two parents to look after and protect them. We know that our society benefits when people make the ultimate commitment to protect and care for one another. We do no service to institution of marriage by excluding people from it. What we do is hurt families, and hurt those willing to make their relationship one that benefits themselves and their community. As the provider of marriage licenses, I will use the office of County Clerk to support marriage rights, including the right for anyone to marry the consenting adult that they please, including same-sex couples. It is time we stand up for the rights of gay and lesbian people, and invite them to be a fair and equal part of our society. Welcome to the foot of the mountain. I hope that everyone here will climb with me, as I strive to make Kalamazoo County a place where justice and equality are the right of the people. Though we have a long way to go, together we can help each other up, and make sure that no one falls. Please vote for me, Jim Wilber, for County Clerk on November 2nd . . . vote Green for all local, state, and federal offices . . . and vote no on the anti-marriage amendment. James Wilber
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